Rotary Atomizer Dust Binding for Hay and Straw Treatment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for reducing dust in fibrous materials like straw and hay, such as watering or using hay steamers, are inefficient, costly, or lead to secondary issues like microbial spoilage, and there is a need for a more cost-effective and compact solution to bind dust effectively.
Innovation Solution
A device with a hopper feed unit, rotary atomizer, and spray chamber that uses a dust-binding agent, including a water-based film former, to atomize droplets onto fibrous materials, promoting dust particle binding and clustering, without requiring a pump and with reduced dust formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If water-based dust-binding agents are applied using conventional methods (watering, hay steamers), then dust particles are bound to fibrous material, but the process becomes costly, time-consuming, and causes microbial spoilage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal processing (hay steamers) and prolonged wetting methods with a mechanical spray application system that uses compressed air to atomize the dust-binding agent. This substitution reduces treatment time from hours to minutes while achieving the same dust-binding effect without causing microbial spoilage associated with prolonged moisture exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the phase transition of water from liquid to aerosol droplets through atomization by compressed air. This creates a fine spray that penetrates the fibrous material rapidly and evenly, binding dust particles quickly without the prolonged moisture exposure that causes microbial growth in conventional watering methods.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If pump-based spray systems are used to apply dust-binding agents, then dust binding efficiency is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the pump component from the spray system, replacing it with a compressed air-powered atomization mechanism. This simplification eliminates the need for mechanical pumps, reducing device complexity, lowering maintenance requirements, and reducing overall system cost while maintaining effective dust-binding agent application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic principles by using compressed air to atomize and spray the dust-binding agent. The compressed air creates a high-velocity spray that effectively distributes the binding agent throughout the fibrous material, achieving good dust-binding results without requiring complex pump-based liquid delivery systems.
3Volume of moving object
If compact device design is implemented, then space requirements are reduced, but manufacturing precision and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into integrated components: the spray chamber serves as both the atomization chamber and the mixing chamber, the compressed air system provides both atomization and material conveyance, and the rotating drum performs both mixing and application functions. This functional integration reduces the overall device footprint while maintaining manufacturability through standardized component designs.
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 device achieves efficient, cost-effective dust binding with minimal space requirements, reducing respiratory health risks and microbial spoilage, while being easy to operate and maintain.
Implementation Method 1
at least one rotary atomizer (6) arranged in the spray chamber (3) for atomizing and spraying the dust-binding agent onto the fibrous material (2)
Implementation Method 2
the dust-binding agent is configured to bind dust particles to fibers of the fibrous material and/or to promote clustering of the dust particles
Implementation Method 3
a loosening unit (8) for loosening and/or comminuting the fibrous material (2)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (1) for treating a fibrous material, preferably hay or straw, the device comprising: - a spray chamber (3) having an inlet opening (4), an outlet opening (5), and at least one rotary atomizer (6) arranged between the inlet and outlet openings (4; 5) for atomizing and spraying a dust-binding agent onto a fibrous material (2); - a feed unit (7) configured to introduce the fibrous material (2) through the inlet opening (4) into the spray chamber (3); and - a loosening unit (8) for loosening and/or comminuting the fibrous material (2); the feed unit (7) being designed as a funnel. A corresponding method and a dust-binding agent are also described.