Screw Conveyor Cooling Device for Pellet Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling devices for compacted materials, such as pellets, suffer from uneven cooling due to discontinuous discharge and air flow obstruction, leading to hot spots and moisture loss, which results in inefficient cooling and damage to the pellets.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device with a screw conveyor and fluid cooling system, controlled by a temperature sensor and drive device, ensures continuous and uniform cooling by adjusting conveying speed and fluid supply based on temperature data, preventing hot spots and optimizing moisture retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a bunker cooler with batch discharge is used, then the cooling process can be implemented, but the cooling is discontinuous and uneven, leading to hot spots
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous discharge of compacts through the screw conveyor, eliminating the batch discharge interruptions inherent in bunker coolers. The screw conveyor continuously transports compacts from the pressing device through the cooling chamber, ensuring uninterrupted cooling action and eliminating hot spots caused by discontinuous processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the cooling process into discrete zones along the screw conveyor path, with controlled air flow distribution at different sections. This segmentation allows for more precise temperature control and uniform cooling throughout the entire compact stream, preventing hot spots that occur in undifferentiated bunker coolers.
2Reliability
If air cooling is used in a bunker cooler, then cooling can occur, but loose material blocks air flow paths, reducing cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes loose material from the compact stream using the screw conveyor's conveying action. By continuously moving compacts forward and separating them from loose material, the system prevents loose material accumulation that would otherwise block air flow paths and reduce cooling efficiency in bunker coolers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses controlled air flow through the screw conveyor chamber to cool compacts while maintaining clear air paths. The air cooling system is designed to work in conjunction with the mechanical conveying action, ensuring that air can flow freely around compacts without being blocked by loose material, thus maintaining high cooling efficiency.
3Reliability
If side walls act as guide surfaces in a bunker cooler, then material containment is achieved, but air throughput decreases towards the middle of the container
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from the two-dimensional air flow pattern in bunker coolers (vertical flow through a stationary bed) to a three-dimensional flow pattern around moving compacts on the screw conveyor. This dimensional change allows air to access compacts from multiple directions, maintaining high throughput while ensuring uniform cooling throughout the material stream.
4Ease of operation
If central filling of the bunker is used, then material loading is simplified, but filling level non-uniformity causes uneven air flow and cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the dynamic motion of the screw conveyor to continuously move and reposition compacts during the cooling process. This dynamic action compensates for initial filling non-uniformities, ensuring that all compacts receive consistent air flow exposure and cooling regardless of their initial position, thereby maintaining cooling uniformity while preserving simple central filling operation.
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 provides continuous, uniform cooling of compacts, preventing hot spots and excessive moisture loss, ensuring efficient cooling and maintaining pellet quality.
Implementation Method 1
The cooling device has a screw conveyor. The compacts are evenly cooled during transport by the screw conveyor.
Implementation Method 2
The cooling device has a fluid cooling system. The fluid cooling preferably has a fan. The cooling fluid can be normal air, for example.
Implementation Method 3
The cooling device has a temperature sensor. In particular, the temperature of the compacts can be determined by the temperature sensor.
Implementation Method 4
Finally, the cooling device has a control device which is designed to control the drive device and/or the fluid cooling based on temperature data determined by the temperature sensor.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a cooling device for a press for pressing a starting material into pellets, comprising a screw conveyor (10), a drive device (18) for the screw conveyor (10), a fluid cooling system (20), a temperature sensor (23), and a control device which is configured to control the drive device (18) and/or the fluid cooling system (20) on the basis of temperature data determined by the temperature sensor (23).