Sonotrode Gas Cooling With Vortex Flow for Faster Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasonic processing systems for workpieces, such as welding and cleaning, face inefficiencies in heat dissipation and cooling, leading to prolonged cycle times and difficulties in replacing sonotrodes due to the use of liquid cooling media and cavitation issues.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasonic processing system with a sonotrode featuring an enclosed cavity and a vortex generator to create a swirl motion of a cooling gas, which enhances heat dissipation and allows for faster cooling, along with a booster for easy sonotrode replacement and additional cooling channels for enhanced efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If liquid cooling media are used to cool the sonotrode, then heat dissipation is achieved, but sonotrode replacement becomes difficult and cavitation issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses gas (air) as the cooling medium instead of liquid, introducing pneumatic cooling through channels in the sonotrode. The gas flows through the sonotrode channels to dissipate heat without causing cavitation, and the simple pneumatic system allows easy connection and disconnection for sonotrode replacement.
2Temperature
If cooling channels are added to the sonotrode, then heat dissipation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent channels within the sonotrode, allowing gas to flow through different paths for efficient heat dissipation. This segmentation enables effective cooling without requiring a complex external cooling system, as each channel independently contributes to heat removal.
3Temperature
If external cooling methods are used, then heat dissipation is achieved, but cooling effectiveness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling channels are nested within the sonotrode structure itself, with the cooling gas flowing through hollow channels inside the sonotrode body. This nested design allows direct heat removal from the working surface through the walls of the channels, providing highly effective cooling without requiring external cooling apparatus.
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 solution significantly reduces cycle times by achieving faster heat dissipation and cooling, allowing for more efficient serial production, and facilitates easy replacement of sonotrodes, while avoiding cavitation issues with gas cooling.
Implementation Method 1
at least one vortex generator which is designed and arranged between the medium inlet and the cavity such that a swirl motion of the medium inside the cavity around the longitudinal axis can be generated
Implementation Method 2
a cooling medium is fed into the medium inlet, passes the vortex generator and flows through the enclosed cavity... the working surface is cooled by the cooling medium
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
In a first aspect, an ultrasonic processing system (1) is disclosed which comprises an ultrasonic vibrator (10) having an ultrasonic sonotrode (30) with at least one working surface (31) for ultrasonic processing of at least one workpiece, wherein the vibrator (10) comprises a longitudinal axis (L), an enclosed cavity (32, 51) extending along the longitudinal axis (L) at least in the sonotrode (30), at least one medium inlet (52) through which a cooling medium can be fed into the cavity (32, 51), at least one vortex generator (53) which is designed and arranged between the medium inlet (52) and the cavity (32, 51) such that a swirl motion of the medium inside the cavity (32, 51) around the longitudinal axis (L) can be generated, at least one cooling channel (34) fluidly connected to the enclosed cavity (32, 51) and guiding the medium through the vicinity of the working surface (31) such that the working surface (31) is cooled by the cooling medium, at least one first medium outlet (33) fluidly connected to the cooling channel (34).