Twisted Flat Heating Element Stress Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flat heating elements with bends are prone to stress, deformation, and failure when subjected to rapid temperature changes and exposure to liquids or vapor, leading to bowing or warping, and lack a maximized radiation surface area.
Innovation Solution
A heating element with a strip of material featuring twists and bends along its length, which allows for expansion and contraction to relieve stress and maintain flatness, while maximizing the radiation surface area by creating desired two-dimensional and three-dimensional configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flat heating element is bent to meet specific profiles, then the element can be customized to fit different applications, but the element becomes prone to stress, bowing, and deformation under rapid temperature changes and liquid exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is segmented into multiple sections with twists and bends distributed along its length. Each segment can independently expand and contract, relieving stress while maintaining the overall custom profile shape. This segmentation allows the element to accommodate temperature changes without compromising the customized configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the heating element by introducing controlled twists and bends at specific locations. These geometric modifications alter the stress distribution characteristics, allowing the element to maintain its customized profile while resisting deformation under thermal and liquid stress conditions.
2Speed
If a flat heating element is subjected to rapid heat-up and exposure to liquids or vapor, then the element can respond quickly to operational demands, but the element experiences stress that causes bowing, bending, or failure
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element incorporates pre-designed twists and bends that act as stress-absorbing features before damage occurs. These geometric features are positioned to anticipate and cushion against the stresses of rapid heating and liquid exposure, preventing bowing and structural failure while maintaining quick response capability.
3Area of stationary object
If the heating element maintains a flat configuration, then the radiation surface area is maximized, but the element is susceptible to warping and deformation from thermal stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dimensional complexity by adding twists and bends along the length of the heating element. These three-dimensional features are strategically placed to maximize the radiation surface area while simultaneously providing stress relief pathways that prevent warping, thereby maintaining flatness stability in the critical heating zones.
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 element effectively withstands rapid heating and cooling cycles and liquid/vapor exposure, preventing deformation and enhancing radiation efficiency by maintaining its original shape and configuration, thus reducing the risk of breakage and optimizing heat distribution.
Implementation Method 1
The twists and bends themselves expand and contract and may act to prevent overall deformation of the element
Implementation Method 2
the twists also provide a surface that maximizes the radiation surface of the element
Data Source
AI summary
Presented is a heating element, and method for producing same, comprised of strip material having a length, width and depth where the strip material is twisted at least once axially relative to its length and bent at least once across its width resulting in a generally flat profile. The twists and bends provide for expansion and contraction of the heating element and thereby provide stress relief during heating and cooling.