Trough-Shaped Polymerization Reactor Belt Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing continuous polymerization processes face challenges in optimizing polymerization conditions and production rate while minimizing space and maintaining ease of maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A polymerization reactor design featuring a flexible endless belt supported into a trough shape with a width-to-height ratio less than 1.2, allowing for increased residence time and production capacity, with adjustable pulleys, suitable materials, and supportive structures for efficient polymerization and easy maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the conveyor belt is formed into a trough shape with conventional width-to-height ratio, then the polymerisation reactor can contain monomers and incompletely polymerised mass, but the polymerisation capacity and production rate are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameter of the trough section by optimizing the width-to-height ratio to be between 0.5-1.2. This parameter optimization allows the conveyor belt to achieve improved polymerisation capacity and production rate while maintaining structural simplicity and ease of manufacture.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the distance between pulleys is increased to provide longer residence time, then the polymerisation reaction can proceed more completely, but the space occupied by the arrangement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the geometric parameters of the trough section (width-to-height ratio between 0.5-1.2) to maximize the utilization of the available residence time. This allows achieving complete polymerisation within a compact reactor length by improving the efficiency of the polymerisation process through optimized trough geometry.
3Productivity
If the conveyor belt speed is increased to improve production rate, then more polymer can be produced per unit time, but the residence time decreases and polymerisation may be incomplete
Solution Approach 1:
The optimized trough geometry (width-to-height ratio 0.5-1.2) enhances heat and mass transfer efficiency during polymerisation. This allows the process to maintain high production rates even at optimized conveyor speeds by ensuring complete polymerisation through improved reaction efficiency within the available residence time.
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 enhances polymerization capacity, reduces atmospheric exposure, and improves polymer properties such as low insoluble content, while maintaining operational simplicity and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible endless belt having a first edge section and a second edge section, which belt is arranged to travel over the first pulley and the second pulley
Implementation Method 2
a flexible endless belt... which belt is arranged to travel over the first pulley and the second pulley
Implementation Method 3
a supporting structure, which is arranged to support the flexible endless belt between the first pulley and the second pulley, whereby the supporting structure is arranged to form the flexible endless belt into a trough section by deviating the first edge section and the second edge section
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The invention relates to an arrangement for continuous production of polymer, which comprises a polymerisation reactor. The reactor comprises a first pulley and a second pulley arranged at a distance from each other, which distance defines a longitudinal first direction, and a flexible endless belt having a first edge section and a second edge section, which belt is arranged to travel over the first pulley and the second pulley as a flat belt. Further the reactor comprises a supporting structure, which is arranged to support the flexible endless belt between the first pulley and the second pulley, whereby the supporting structure is arranged to form the flexible endless belt into a trough section by deviating the first edge section and the second edge section of the flexible endless belt away from the first direction, the trough section having a trough length parallel with the longitudinal first direction, as well as a trough height and a trough width, which are perpendicular with the trough length and with each other. The trough section has a width-to-height ratio < 1.2, for at least 5 % of the distance between the first pulley and the second pulley.