Refiner Blade Element With Phase-Shifted Groove Profiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refiners for fibrous materials face issues with material flow and blade bar durability, leading to inefficient refining and premature blade bar wear due to the lack of a phase shift in the variable profile of adjacent blade grooves.
Innovation Solution
Introducing a phase shift between the high points and low points of the variable profile bottoms of adjacent blade grooves, which provides support for blade bars and increases durability, allowing for a higher blade bar height and extended service life by synchronizing the phase of blade groove and blade bar waveforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If blade grooves have a variable profile with alternating high points and low points, then material flow into the blade gap is improved, but blade bar durability deteriorates due to lack of support
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies asymmetry by introducing a phase shift between the variable profiles of adjacent blade grooves. Instead of symmetric alignment where high points and low points occur at the same positions, the phase shift creates an asymmetric configuration where the profile of one blade groove does not directly align with adjacent grooves, providing support for blade bars while maintaining material flow efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The variable profile of the blade groove bottoms features curved alternating high points and low points rather than sharp edges. This curvature distributes stresses more evenly across the blade bar surfaces, reducing stress concentration points that would lead to premature failure while still maintaining the material forcing effect.
2Productivity
If blade bar height is increased to improve refining performance, then refining effectiveness is improved, but blade bar susceptibility to breakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The phase-shifted variable profiles of adjacent blade grooves create a support structure that acts as beforehand cushioning for blade bars. When material or foreign objects impact the blade bars, the alternating high and low points in the groove profiles provide cushioning support that absorbs impact forces, preventing catastrophic failure of taller, more effective blade bars.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the blade groove profiles by introducing phase shifts and varying the heights of high and low points. This allows optimization of blade bar support conditions while maintaining the necessary blade bar height for effective refining performance.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional blade groove profiles are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but material flow efficiency deteriorates causing material to bypass the refining gap
Solution Approach 1:
The variable profile of the blade groove bottoms features periodic alternating high points and low points along the longitudinal direction. This periodic structure creates repeated forcing actions on the material as it passes through the refiner, ensuring continuous engagement with the blade gap while maintaining a manufacturable pattern that can be produced through standardized machining processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A blade element (11) for a refiner (10) for refining fibrous material has a blade element body (12) and blade bars (13, 13a, 13b) and blade grooves (14, 14a, 14b) therebetween. Bottoms of the blade grooves (14, 14a, 14b) have, in the longitudinal direction (LD) of the blade grooves, a variable depth profile comprising alternating high points (14a′, 14b′) and low points (14a″, 14b″) so that there is a phase shift (X2) between the high points (14a′, 14b′) and the low points (14a″, 14b″) of the variable depth profiles of the bottoms of the adjacent blade grooves (14a, 14b). Also, a refiner (10) for refining fibrous material and a method for manufacturing the blade element (11) for the refiner (1).