Spray Ramp Pressure Equalization for Uniform Mill Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spray booms in rolling mills face issues with non-uniform fluid flow rates due to pressure losses in pipes, leading to inadequate cooling and maintenance accessibility challenges, particularly when fluid is supplied from both ends of the tubular shaft.
Innovation Solution
A spray ramp design featuring a tubular shaft with a frame and nozzles, where the internal pipe system includes two pressure equalization chambers, allowing for uniform fluid distribution and easy maintenance through strategically aligned orifices and a mechanical keying system for nozzle positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If fluid is supplied from both ends of the tubular shaft, then flow rate uniformity is improved, but maintenance accessibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The internal pipe system is segmented into multiple independent circuits, each supplying a specific zone of nozzles. This allows maintenance personnel to access and service individual sections without disrupting the entire system, resolving the contradiction between achieving uniform flow distribution and maintaining ease of repair.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual intervention points and access ports are introduced as intermediaries between the fluid supply system and the nozzles. These access points enable maintenance personnel to reach internal components and adjust flow rates without disassembling the entire tubular shaft structure.
2Manufacturing precision
If individual pipes connect each nozzle to the shaft, then flow distribution control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple individual pipe connections are merged into a integrated internal pipe system with centralized flow control mechanisms. The system combines multiple flow paths into a unified structure with adjustable elements that can control distribution to different nozzle zones, reducing overall complexity while maintaining precise flow control.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal pipe system incorporates dynamic flow control elements such as adjustable valves or可变 restrictors that can modify flow distribution in real-time. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt flow rates to different operational requirements without requiring complete redesign of the piping architecture.
3Manufacturing precision
If pressure equalization chambers are added, then flow rate consistency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure equalization chambers are merged with the existing tubular shaft structure rather than being added as separate external components. The chambers are integrated into the wall thickness or internal geometry of the shaft, combining the structural support function with the pressure equalization function in a single element.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure equalization chambers are nested within the tubular shaft structure, with one chamber potentially containing or being surrounded by another. This nested arrangement allows multiple functional zones to coexist within the limited space of the shaft without significantly increasing external dimensions or overall system complexity.
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 design ensures consistent flow rates across the length of the ramp, reducing standard deviation in nozzle flow rates and facilitating easier maintenance by allowing access to all fluid supply ports, even when fluid is supplied from only one end of the tubular shaft.
Implementation Method 1
the internal pipe system includes two pressure equalization chambers, allowing for uniform fluid distribution
Implementation Method 2
strategically aligned orifices and a mechanical keying system for nozzle positioning
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4
Figure 5~8
AI summary
Spray ramp (1) intended to lubricate and/or cool a laminated strip and/or pressure cylinders of a mill, comprising: - a tubular shaft (2) of which the hollow interior volume forms a fluid admission chamber (Ca), - a chassis (3) rigidly connected to the external wall of the shaft (2), extending along said tubular shaft, - a plurality of nozzles distributed over the length of the chassis (3) and supported by the chassis, arranged such that the jets form a fluid curtain, - a pipe system (5), inside said chassis (3), ensuring the supply of the nozzles from the through-bores (20) provided in the tubular wall of the hollow shaft (3). According to the invention, said pipe system (5) comprises at least one pressure levelling chamber (50, 51) extending over the whole active length of the chassis and through which all the fluid supplying said plurality of nozzles passes.