Raw Material Feeder for Falling Film Evaporator

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for producing N-vinylcarboxylic acid amide face challenges with unstable raw material dispersibility in falling film evaporators, leading to potential blockages in thermal decomposition reactors due to coagulum formation, which hinders stable and continuous operation.

Innovation Solution

A raw material feeder with a main body section featuring communication holes with restriction orifices and O-rings, a liquid feeding tip with O-rings, and a nozzle with a liquid diffuser is used to ensure stable distribution of N-(1-alkoxyethyl)carboxylic acid amide to multiple evaporation tubes, preventing coagulum formation and maintaining consistent evaporation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If a distributor system or spray nozzle system is used to feed raw material to evaporation tubes, then the raw material can be distributed to multiple tubes, but the raw material dispersibility becomes unstable and coagulum formation occurs in the thermal decomposition reactor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveraw material distribution to multiple evaporation tubesVSAvoidraw material dispersibility stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The raw material feeder is divided into multiple independent communication holes, each containing a restriction orifice and nozzle assembly. This segmentation ensures that raw material is distributed through multiple separate pathways, improving both distribution quantity and dispersibility stability to multiple evaporation tubes simultaneously

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each communication hole is equipped with locally optimized components including restriction orifices with specific diameter ratios and nozzle structures tailored for the raw material's viscosity and flow characteristics. This local quality enhancement ensures stable dispersibility at each distribution point while maintaining overall system reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Use of energy by moving object

If the raw material feeding speed is reduced below the required threshold, then energy consumption decreases, but raw material dispersibility drops and one-sided flow occurs in the evaporation tubes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumption of raw material feedingVSAvoidraw material dispersibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The restriction orifices are designed with optimized diameter ratios and the nozzle structures are configured to maintain appropriate flow velocity and pressure parameters even at reduced feeding speeds. This parameter optimization allows energy consumption to decrease while maintaining stable raw material dispersibility and preventing one-sided flow in evaporation tubes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If liquid raw material flows into the thermal decomposition reactor, then the evaporation process is insufficient, but coagulum formation blocks the reactor and prevents stable operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveevaporation efficiencyVSAvoidthermal decomposition reactor continuous operation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The raw material feeder performs preliminary atomization and dispersion of the liquid raw material before it enters the evaporation tubes. The restriction orifices and nozzle structures pre-condition the material flow to ensure proper dispersibility, preventing coagulum formation before the material reaches the thermal decomposition reactor and enabling continuous stable operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution ensures stable raw material dispersibility and prevents reactor blockages, enabling continuous and stable operation of the thermal decomposition reactor by evenly distributing the raw material across multiple evaporation tubes.

Implementation Method 1

a restriction orifice housed in an interior of each of the communication holes, and comprising an orifice hole

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid flow restriction:

Implementation Method 2

a first O-ring fitted into a side surface of the liquid feeding tip from outside, and sandwiched between the side surface of the liquid feeding tip and an inner surface of the communication hole

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic sealing: Elasticity

Implementation Method 3

the nozzle hole houses a liquid diffuser in an interior

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid diffusion: Diffusion

Implementation Method 4

a method of producing N-vinylcarboxylic acid amide comprising: a feeding step of feeding, by the raw material feeder, N-(1-alkoxyethyl)carboxylic acid amide as a raw material to a falling film evaporator, an evaporation step of evaporating, by the falling film evaporator, the raw material

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 5

evaporating, by the falling film evaporator, the raw material

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 6

a thermal decomposition step of feeding the vaporized raw material to a thermal decomposition reactor, to thermally decompose the raw material under reduced pressure

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal decomposition: Pyrolysis

Data Source

PatentEP3888770B1Raw material feeder and n-vinylcarboxylic acid amide production method
Publication Date: 2023.09.20 RESONAC CORP
  • EP3888770B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3888770B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3888770B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

Provided are a raw material feeder and a method of producing N-vinylcarboxylic acid amide, in which a raw material is fed to a plurality of evaporation tubes of a falling film evaporator with a stable raw material dispersibility, so that a problem of a thermal decomposition reactor being blocked due to coagulum can be inhibited, and an operation can be stably and continuously performed for a long period of time. A raw material feeder to distribute and feed a liquid compound as a raw material to a plurality of evaporation tubes 8 of a falling film evaporator comprises a main body section 51 comprising a plurality of communication holes 50 facing the plurality of evaporation tubes 8; a restriction orifice 7 housed in an interior of each of the communication holes 50, and comprising an orifice hole 7a; a liquid feeding tip 6 housed to face the restriction orifice 7 on an upstream side of the restriction orifice 7 in the interior of the communication hole 50, and comprising a hole portion 6a facing the orifice hole 7a; a first O-ring 10 fitted into a side surface of the liquid feeding tip 6 from outside, and sandwiched between the side surface of the liquid feeding tip 6 and an inner surface of the communication hole 50; and a second O-ring 11 sandwiched between the liquid feeding tip 6 and the restriction orifice 7 so that the orifice hole 7a is present in an inner region.