Rapid Substrate Cooling Header for Uniform Metal Strip Quenching
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Solution Overview
Problem
The line speed of metal substrates exiting rolling mills is limited due to temperature constraints, leading to issues like water staining and off flatness, as existing cooling systems struggle to efficiently manage heat removal during metal processing.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system with a cooling header and exhaust system, featuring independently controlled nozzles and temperature sensors, dispenses coolant as micronized droplets to control cooling profiles and prevent the Leidenfrost effect, allowing for rapid and uniform cooling of metal substrates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the line speed of metal substrate exiting the rolling mill is increased, then the productivity of the rolling mill is improved, but the temperature control of the metal substrate deteriorates leading to quality issues such as water staining, sagging, or off flatness
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system divides the substrate width into multiple zones with independently controllable nozzles, allowing differential cooling rates across the width to maintain flatness while achieving rapid overall cooling at high line speeds
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the substrate receive customized cooling intensities through independently controlled nozzles, with edge regions receiving different cooling rates than center regions to prevent warping and maintain quality at high speeds
2Temperature
If conventional cooling systems are used to cool the metal substrate, then the substrate temperature is reduced, but the cooling uniformity deteriorates due to the Leidenfrost effect causing non-uniform temperature distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the physical parameters of coolant application by using micronized droplets instead of conventional spray, which prevents Leidenfrost effect and enables uniform heat transfer across the substrate surface at high line speeds
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system dynamically adjusts nozzle operation based on real-time temperature feedback from infrared sensors, modulating coolant application to maintain uniform cooling rates across the substrate width as it passes through the cooling zone
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
Enables increased line speeds and improved substrate quality by effectively maintaining the metal substrate below critical softening temperatures, reducing defects like water staining and off flatness.
Implementation Method 1
A cooling system with a cooling header and exhaust system, featuring independently controlled nozzles and temperature sensors, dispenses coolant as micronized droplets to control cooling profiles and prevent the Leidenfrost effect, allowing for rapid and uniform cooling of metal substrates
Implementation Method 2
The cooling system also includes a plurality of temperature sensors spaced across a width of the metal substrate and a controller that controls the cooling header based on temperature measurements from the temperature sensors
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a cooling system (104) and method for a metal processing system (100). The cooling system (104) includes a cooling header (114), an exhaust system (118), a temperature sensor (128), and a controller (130). The cooling header (114) selectively dispenses a coolant onto a metal substrate (110), and the exhaust system (118) removes heated coolant from the metal substrate (110). The temperature sensor (128) is downstream from the cooling header (114) and detects a temperature profile of the metal substrate (110) across a width of the metal substrate. The controller (130) is communicatively coupled to the cooling header (114) and the temperature sensor (128), and the controller (130) controls the cooling header (114) based at least on a detected temperature profile.