Solid Unitary Nozzle Sleeve for Steam Desuperheater
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional nozzle sleeves for steam assisted desuperheaters require machining and welding, leading to fatigue, cracking, and high manufacturing costs due to the need for multiple components and complex assembly processes.
Innovation Solution
The development of solid, unitary nozzle sleeves with integrated water and steam passages, manufactured using Additive Manufacturing Technology, which eliminates the need for welding and reduces manufacturing complexity and time, while ensuring effective atomization of cooling water through jacketed steam flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional nozzle sleeves are manufactured using machining and welding of multiple components, then the nozzle sleeves can be assembled with separate steam and water passages, but this leads to weld fatigue and cracking, reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (nozzle body, passages, and welding assemblies) into a single integrated nozzle sleeve component. The steam and water passages are formed as integral features of the nozzle body through additive manufacturing, eliminating the need for separate components and welding operations. This merging resolves the contradiction by improving reliability through elimination of weld joints while managing complexity through advanced manufacturing technology.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional nozzle sleeves require machining and welding of multiple components, then separate steam and water passages can be created, but this increases manufacturing time and production costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical manufacturing processes (machining and welding) with additive manufacturing technology. This substitution enables the direct creation of complex internal passages and integrated structures in a single manufacturing step, dramatically simplifying the manufacturing process and eliminating time-consuming operations while reducing production costs.
3Reliability
If multiple components are used and welded together to create nozzle sleeves with separate passages, then the nozzle can be assembled, but the welding process creates fatigue and cracking issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple components into a single monolithic nozzle sleeve structure where steam and water passages are formed as integral features. This eliminates all weld joints and associated fatigue and cracking problems while maintaining the functional separation of passages through clever internal geometry design enabled by additive manufacturing.
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 solid nozzle sleeves enhance robustness, reduce thermal fatigue, and lower production costs, ensuring complete atomization of water and efficient cooling without the risk of water escaping steam jets, thus improving the desuperheating process.
Implementation Method 1
Evaporation of the water droplets in the spraywater cloud reduces the temperature of the process steam
Implementation Method 2
Steam assisted spray atomization is regarded as the most effective way of atomizing spray water in a desuperheating system
Implementation Method 3
a spraywater cloud requires some minimum length or run of straight pipe downstream from the injection point to ensure substantially complete evaporation of the individual atomized water droplets
Data Source
AI summary
A desuperheater includes a ring body defining an axial flow path and one or more spray nozzle assemblies around the ring body. Each spray nozzle assembly is connected to a separate water manifold and steam manifold to provide cooling water and atomizing steam through the spray nozzle assemblies. A nozzle sleeve of each spray nozzle assembly has a solid, unitary body having first, second, and third fluid passages formed through the body. The first fluid passage is in fluid communication with the water manifold and with a first exit aperture formed in a second end of the body. The second fluid passage is in fluid communication with the steam manifold and with a second exit aperture formed in the second end of the body. The third fluid passage is in fluid communication with the steam manifold and with a third exit aperture formed in the second end of the body. The second and third exit apertures are positioned on opposite sides of the first exit aperture.