Stoker Thrower Wheel Blade Height Gradient Wear Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Centrifugal wheels in throw feeders experience high wear due to fuel particles hitting the upper edge of vanes, leading to inefficient energy transfer and potential damage, which can be mitigated by reducing wheel speed but at the cost of reduced throwing range and fuel distribution.

Innovation Solution

The centrifugal wheel's blade height increases radially from the inner to the outer end, allowing fuel particles to be continuously accelerated without impact, distributing wear over a larger area and enabling reduced rotational speed, with optional reinforcement and varied wing configurations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If the centrifugal wheel rotates at high speed to achieve sufficient throwing range, then the fuel is thrown farther, but the wear on the upper edges of the vanes increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverotational speed of centrifugal wheelVSAvoidwear resistance of vane edges
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The blade height is made non-uniform, increasing from the inner end to the outer end of each vane. This local variation in geometry allows different regions of the vane to serve different functions: the lower inner region reduces impact wear while the higher outer region maintains throwing range, resolving the contradiction between speed and wear resistance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the speed of the blast wheel is reduced to reduce wear, then the wear on the vanes decreases, but the throwing range for the fuel is restricted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewear resistance of vanesVSAvoidthrowing range of fuel
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

By varying the blade height locally along the radial direction, the design enables lower rotational speeds to achieve the same throwing range. The increasing blade height from inner to outer regions provides a gentler acceleration profile that reduces wear while maintaining sufficient fuel ejection distance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of manufacture

If the height of the blades is constant to simplify manufacturing, then the manufacturing process is easier, but the energy transfer from the centrifugal wheel to the fuel is inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicity of centrifugal wheelVSAvoidkinetic energy transfer efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The blade height is designed to increase from the inner end to the outer end of each vane, creating optimal local conditions for energy transfer. This gradient in blade height allows continuous acceleration of fuel particles, improving kinetic energy transfer efficiency while remaining manufacturable through standard forming processes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 reduces wear on the vane edges and improves kinetic energy transfer, allowing for optimized fuel distribution and reduced wear, while enabling lower rotational speeds without compromising throwing range.

Implementation Method 1

The fuel is introduced from above in the area of the hub of the centrifugal wheel into the housing of the throwing feeder and then with the help of the wings of the centrifugal wheel it is conveyed horizontally outwards

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCentrifugal force: Centrifugal Force

Data Source

PatentEP2242950B1Furnace with stoker
Publication Date: 2018.10.17 CHRISTOF INT MANAGEMENT
  • EP2242950B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2242950B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2242950B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A thrower wheel of a mechanical stoker is disclosed having multiple blades (7), which are disposed on a base plate (2), and a corresponding mechanical stoker. The thrower wheel is characterized in that the height of the blades (7) increases in the radial direction in at least one area and optionally remains the same in one or more remaining areas, and the height of the blade is less at the inner end of the blade than at the outer end of the blade. As a result thereof - in comparison to the prior art (4) - the wear load of the inner blade upper edge is distributed onto a larger area, so that the wear of the blade upper edge is thus decreased. Because better kinetic energy transfer from the thrower wheel to the fuel also occurs by the reduction of the impacts, the rotational speed of the thrower wheel can be reduced.