Refiner Blade Segment Equalization Groove for Fiber Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
In pulp refining, variations in feed across the refiner gap lead to increased energy consumption and non-uniformity in fiber quality due to the use of dams that restrict steam flow and cause blockages, resulting in decreased production capacity.
Innovation Solution
A blade segment design with interlaced first and second blade bars and an equalization groove that buffers and distributes the flow of material across the refiner surface, reducing feed variations and promoting even fiber flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If dams are used to guide material into the blade gap, then material guidance and refining are improved, but steam flow is restricted causing blockages and decreased production capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the dams from the refiner design, extracting the problematic component that was causing flow restriction. Instead of using dams to guide material, the invention uses the natural geometry of the blade bars and grooves to achieve material guidance without restricting steam flow, thereby eliminating blockages and maintaining production capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - the specific geometric configuration of blade bars and grooves with controlled depths and angles - that mediates between the need for material guidance and the need for unrestricted steam flow. This intermediary structure guides material through the refining gap without the need for dams, resolving the contradiction between guidance effectiveness and flow freedom.
2Reliability
If dams are used to guide material, then refining is promoted, but energy consumption increases due to blockages
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the dams that caused blockages and subsequent energy waste, the invention eliminates the source of the problem. The refining effectiveness is maintained through the optimized blade bar and groove geometry, which guides material efficiently without creating the flow restrictions that led to increased energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the refining surface - specifically the depths, widths, and angles of the blade grooves and bars - to optimize material flow and refining efficiency. These parameter changes enable effective refining without the need for dams, thereby preventing blockages and reducing energy consumption while maintaining refining reliability.
3Ease of operation
If dams restrict cross-sectional flow area, then material guidance is improved, but fiber quality uniformity decreases due to blockages
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the dams that created non-uniform flow patterns and blockages. The optimized blade bar and groove geometry provides consistent material guidance across the refining surface without creating the flow restrictions that led to variable fiber quality, thereby achieving both good material guidance and uniform fiber output.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different groove depths and bar configurations at different locations across the refining surface to optimize local material flow patterns. This local quality variation ensures that material is guided uniformly across the entire refiner width, preventing blockages and ensuring consistent fiber quality throughout the refined material stream.
Data Source
AI summary
A refiner segment for a refiner for defibrating has a refining surface comprising a group of first bars and second bars, each having a first end directed in the direction of an inlet zone and a second end directed in the direction of a refining zone, where the second ends of the first bars are interlaced with the first ends of the second bars to form first grooves between the first bars, and second grooves between the second bars. The second ends of the first bars have a guiding surface decreasing from an upper surface of the first bars down towards the bottom of the second grooves, and the first ends of the second bars have a guiding surface increasing from the bottom of the first grooves up to a top of the second bars, such that the guiding surfaces form an equalization groove.