Refiner Pumping Blade Bars for Material Feed

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing refiner designs face challenges in efficiently feeding fibrous material from the planar portion to the conical portion, leading to fiber accumulation, increased energy consumption, and stress on the refiner structure due to the turning point and high steam pressure.

Innovation Solution

The refiner incorporates a stator and rotor with planar and conical portions, featuring blade bars with adjustable angles in the outermost refining zone to create a pumping effect, enhancing material flow while reducing residence time and energy consumption by optimizing blade bar angles between 5-50 degrees.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the refiner uses a turning point design between planar and conical portions, then the refining process can be completed, but fiber accumulation occurs and energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial feed efficiencyVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The planar portion of the refining surface is divided into multiple refining zones (first, second, and third zones) with progressively different blade bar angles. This segmentation allows each zone to perform a specific function in the material transport sequence, improving overall feed efficiency while managing energy consumption through zoned optimization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different refining zones have locally optimized blade bar angles tailored to their specific position and function. The first zone has smaller angles for initial material intake, while subsequent zones have progressively larger angles to enhance pumping effect and material transport, preventing accumulation at the turning point.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If the refiner uses a turning point design between planar and conical portions, then the refining process can be completed, but fiber accumulation occurs at the turning point

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial feed efficiencyVSAvoidsteady material flow
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The planar portion is divided into multiple refining zones with progressively different blade bar angles. This segmentation creates a gradual transition in material flow characteristics, preventing sudden changes that cause accumulation at the turning point between planar and conical portions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The blade bar angle parameter is systematically varied across different refining zones, increasing from the first to the third zone. This parameter change optimizes the pumping effect at each stage, ensuring steady material flow through the turning point and into the conical portion without accumulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If the refiner operates with high steam pressure for efficient refining, then refining effectiveness improves, but axial forces increase causing stress on refiner structure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverefining effectivenessVSAvoidaxial forces
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The refining process is segmented into multiple zones with different blade bar angles, allowing progressive material transport and refining. This segmentation enables efficient refining to be achieved through optimized geometry in each zone rather than relying solely on high steam pressure, thereby reducing axial forces on the structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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

This design improves material feed from the planar to the conical portion, reducing fiber accumulation and energy consumption, increasing production capacity, and minimizing axial forces on the refiner.

Implementation Method 1

blade bars configured to form blade bars having a pumping blade bar angle, their blade bar angle being greater at least on the outermost portion of the outermost refining zone of the refining surface than the blade bar angle of the blade bars in the previous refining zone in the radial direction of the planar portion, and that the blade bar angle of the pumping blade bars in the outermost refining zone is 5 - 50 degrees so that the blade bars in the outermost refining zone have an overall pumping effect on the material to be refined

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPumping effect: Pump

Data Source

PatentEP1984563B1refiner
Publication Date: 2018.08.15 VALMET TECH INC
  • EP1984563B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP1984563B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP1984563B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A refiner (1) comprising a stator (2) and a rotor (6) that comprise a planar portion and a conical portion after the planar portion, which in turn comprise refining surfaces (4, 8) provided with blade bars (15, 18, 24) and blade grooves (16, 19, 25) therebetween, and the planar portions (4', 81) of the refining surfaces (4, 8) of the stator (2) and the rotor (6) comprising at least two refining zones (14, 17, 23) in the direction of the radius (R) of the planar portion. At least the planar portion (8') of the refining surface (8) of the rotor (6) is provided with blade bars (18) in its outermost refining zone (17) in the direction of the radius (R), the blade bar angle (a) of the blade bars being arranged so as to provide pumping blade bars, and their blade bar angle (a) being greater than the blade bar angle (a) of the blade bars (15, 24) in the previous refining zone (14, 24) in the direction of the radius (R) of the planar portion (8') and that the blade bar angle (a) is 5 - 50 degrees so that the blade bars (18) in the outermost refining zone (17) have an overall pumping effect on the material to be refined.