Steel Sheet Heating Apparatus with Resistance-Managed Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for heating steel sheets using electricity often result in uneven heating, where the central area is not adequately heated, leading to unwanted melting around electrodes and requiring additional processing.
Innovation Solution
A steel sheet heating apparatus with a positive electrode and negative electrode arranged on edges parallel to a first direction, and a cooling member with cooling blocks on edges perpendicular to the first direction, where the resistance path through the cooling member is higher than the heating path, ensuring uniform heating and preventing heat concentration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If electricity is applied to heat the steel sheet blank, then heating can be achieved, but heat concentrates around electrodes causing unwanted melting and inadequate heating of the central area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different resistance values to different regions of the steel sheet blank by strategically placing electrodes with varying resistance characteristics. The first and second electrodes have different resistance values, creating localized heating zones that distribute heat more uniformly across the blank, preventing concentration around single electrode points while ensuring adequate heating of the central area.
2Temperature
If additional processing is added to heat the central area adequately, then heating completeness improves, but processing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heating process is segmented into multiple independent electrode zones, each contributing to different regions of the steel sheet blank. The first electrode addresses one region while the second electrode addresses another region, including the central area. This segmentation allows simultaneous heating of multiple areas through a single processing operation, eliminating the need for sequential additional processing steps.
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 apparatus achieves uniform heating of the steel sheet by directing more electric current through the cooling areas, reducing unwanted melting and ensuring the central area is adequately heated, thus improving processing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The heat is generated from the steel sheet by allowing an electric current to flow from the positive electrode to the negative electrode through the steel sheet
Implementation Method 2
a cooling member including a cooling block that makes contact with a cooling area adjacent to an edge parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, among the edges of the steel sheet, to radiate heat generated from the steel sheet
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus can be used for heating a steel sheet. A positive electrode is configured to make contact with a first electrode area of the steel sheet and a negative electrode is configured to make contact with a second electrode area of the steel sheet. A cooling member includes a cooling block configured to make contact with a cooling area adjacent to a third edge parallel to a second direction. The cooling member is configured to radiate heat generated from the steel sheet. The positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the cooling member are arranged on the steel sheet such that the resistance of a path from the positive electrode to the negative electrode through an area with which the cooling member makes contact is higher than the resistance of a path from the positive electrode to the negative electrode through the cooling member.