Spray Nozzle with Control Jets for Uniform Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional coating methods, such as centrifugal coating, struggle with achieving homogeneous layer thickness on large, structured, or non-standard substrates like solar panels, due to limitations in substrate size and shape, and existing spray coating systems face issues with nozzle alignment and movement-related turbulence, leading to inhomogeneous coatings.
Innovation Solution
A spray nozzle system with multiple control nozzles using a swirl technique to distribute a spray mist along a line or strip, with a static non-rotatable nozzle and controlled gaseous flows, allowing for precise alignment and movement of the substrate relative to the spray direction to achieve uniform coating across large areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple nozzles are distributed along the width of the spray coating system to coat different strips, then the coating area is increased, but the layer thickness becomes inhomogeneous due to agglomeration at nozzle interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The coating system is segmented into multiple independently controllable nozzles arranged along the width, each coating a specific strip. The key innovation is that each nozzle can be individually adjusted and controlled to compensate for interface effects, maintaining homogeneous layer thickness across the entire coating area.
Solution Approach 2:
Each nozzle is equipped with independent control mechanisms (flow rate, positioning, atomization parameters) to optimize the coating quality in its specific local area. This allows precise adjustment at each nozzle to prevent agglomeration at interfaces while maintaining overall homogeneity across the full coating width.
2Manufacturing precision
If nozzles move back and forth along a rail to coat the entire width, then layer thickness homogeneity is improved, but the coating speed decreases and mechanical wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving a single nozzle, the system uses multiple stationary nozzles distributed along the width, each permanently positioned to coat its specific strip. This eliminates the need for mechanical movement while maintaining homogeneous coverage across the entire substrate width.
Solution Approach 2:
The conventional approach moves the nozzle to achieve coverage; this invention inverts the approach by distributing multiple nozzles stationary along the width, eliminating movement entirely while achieving the same coverage effect.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the substrate is coated over a large area, then the applicability to industrial panels is improved, but the layer thickness homogeneity becomes difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The large substrate width is divided into multiple coating zones, each handled by a dedicated nozzle. This segmentation allows the system to scale to large substrate sizes while maintaining homogeneous layer thickness in each zone through independent nozzle control.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-nozzle system can coat substrates of various widths by activating only the necessary number of nozzles, making the system universally applicable to different substrate sizes while maintaining consistent coating quality across the entire coated area.
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 approach enables a highly homogeneous layer thickness with reduced maintenance needs and increased throughput, capable of coating substrates up to several meters in length or width with uniformity within 1-5% variation, overcoming the limitations of traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
a spray nozzle (1) which produces a spray jet (14) in a spray direction (S) with a corresponding spray mist
Implementation Method 2
at least two control nozzles (3, 4) with corresponding control nozzle outlets (5, 6), wherein the control flows (12, 13) are aligned or can be aligned to the spray jet (14)
Implementation Method 3
The substrate to be coated is moved in translation in direction R during the activation of the spray mist by the control nozzles
Data Source
AI summary
A spray nozzle apparatus for spraying a spray jet which contains a coating material in one spray direction S for coating of a surface which is located in the spray direction S opposite the spray nozzle apparatus transversely to the spray direction S with a spray nozzle for spraying the spray jet from a spray nozzle outlet of the spray nozzle and at least one control nozzle with a control nozzle outlet which is aligned or can be aligned to the spray jet transversely to the spray direction S for acting on the spray jet and deflecting it by means of a control flow which is emerging from the control nozzle outlet, characterized in that there is one control apparatus for control of the control flow with a control signal.