Upturned Wall Portions Regulate Quenching Heat Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal processing systems for workpieces lack effective control over heat transfer coefficients during quenching operations, which can lead to inefficient cooling and varying results in applications such as gas turbine engine components.
Innovation Solution
The system includes a pallet with through-holes for quenching fluid and upturned wall portions surrounding workpieces to regulate heat transfer coefficients, along with a heat treatment platform that allows for controlled immersion in quenching fluid, where the proximity of wall members to workpieces slows fluid circulation and affects heat transfer, enabling differential cooling rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If wall members are placed close to workpieces to slow fluid circulation and control heat transfer, then heat transfer coefficient control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the quenching environment into distinct zones using wall members positioned at specific locations around the workpiece. These walls segment the fluid flow paths, creating controlled regions with different heat transfer characteristics - slow cooling zones near walls and rapid cooling zones through bores.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the workpiece are subjected to different cooling rates by positioning wall members at specific locations. The area between the wall and workpiece experiences slowed fluid circulation and reduced heat transfer, while bore regions maintain rapid cooling, creating locally optimized thermal treatment zones.
2Device complexity
If the pallet structure is simplified without wall members, then device complexity is reduced, but heat transfer control capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The wall members are integrated into the pallet structure, serving multiple functions: they provide structural support for the pallet, define the quenching zone geometry, control fluid circulation patterns, and establish heat transfer coefficient gradients. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall members utilize the natural convection and circulation of the quenching fluid itself to achieve heat transfer control. By positioning walls to constrict flow paths in specific regions, the system allows the fluid's own movement patterns to create the desired thermal zones without requiring additional active control systems.
3Manufacturing precision
If wall members are positioned to slow cooling near workpiece exteriors, then manufacturing precision of heat treatment is improved, but quenching uniformity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The wall members are positioned asymmetrically relative to the workpiece geometry, particularly around external surfaces versus internal bores. This asymmetric positioning creates intentionally non-uniform cooling patterns that are optimized for the specific workpiece shape, providing precise heat treatment control while maintaining overall process consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the workpiece receive different cooling intensities based on their geometric features and functional requirements. External regions near walls experience moderated cooling to prevent surface defects, while internal bore regions receive aggressive cooling for core hardness, achieving locally optimized heat treatment outcomes.
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 configuration allows for precise control of heat transfer coefficients, ensuring consistent and efficient cooling of workpieces, particularly by slowing cooling near wall members while allowing rapid cooling through bore holes, thus optimizing the quenching process.
Implementation Method 1
a reservoir of quenching fluid configured to provide the quenching fluid
Implementation Method 2
regulate heat transfer coefficients of the plurality of workpieces during a quenching operation
Implementation Method 3
the proximity of the wall member and the workpiece slows circulation of quenching fluid in a region between the wall member and the workpiece
Data Source
AI summary
In some examples, an apparatus includes a pallet supporting a plurality of workpieces, the pallet including through-holes structured to pass a quenching fluid. In some examples, the apparatus further includes a reservoir of quenching fluid configured to provide the quenching fluid, and a plurality of upturned wall portions extending from the pallet and substantially surrounding the exteriors of the plurality of workpieces. The plurality of upturned wall portions may be located in relative orientation to the plurality of workpieces to regulate heat transfer coefficients of the plurality of workpieces during a quenching operation.