Vaporizer Cleaning via Liquid Recirculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vaporizer systems face issues with polymer deposition due to temperature fluctuations, leading to increased pressure loss, material inefficiency, and higher running costs, as well as inefficient vaporization and increased material costs when polymers form inside the vaporizer and supply pipes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the recirculation of the source material in a liquid state, mixed with a carrier gas, is used to clean the vaporizer and supply pipes by maintaining the source material in a liquid state and using a pump to pressure-feed it through the system, ensuring the polymer can be easily removed and preventing further deposition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the path downstream of the vaporizer exit is not maintained at a predetermined temperature, then the siloxane-based material liquefies and polymerizes, but this causes polymer deposition inside the vaporizer and supply pipe, leading to increased pressure loss and higher running costs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary cleaning action by circulating liquid source material through the vaporizer and supply pipe before polymer deposition becomes severe. The cleaning process uses a pump to force liquid source material through the system, dissolving and removing polymer deposits before they cause significant pressure loss or operational failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the liquid source material itself as the cleaning agent rather than introducing a separate cleaning chemical. The source material circulates through the vaporizer and supply pipe, utilizing its own chemical properties to dissolve and remove polymer deposits, thereby serving its dual function of material supply and system cleaning.
2Reliability
If a polymer is produced inside the vaporizer, then it takes time to remove the polymer, but this increases the running costs of the vaporizer and vaporization apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements continuous circulation of liquid source material through the vaporizer and supply pipe using a pump. This continuous flow action constantly removes polymer deposits as they form, preventing accumulation and eliminating the need for periodic shutdowns for polymer removal, thereby maintaining continuous productive operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary cleaning by circulating liquid source material through the vaporizer and supply pipe before polymer deposition becomes severe. This proactive approach removes polymer deposits at early stages, preventing the need for time-consuming removal operations later.
3Productivity
If the vaporizer is designed for large scale vaporization, then only vaporized source material can be easily delivered with polymer excluded, but this reduces liquid source material vaporization efficiency and increases material costs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses hydraulic action by circulating liquid source material through the vaporizer and supply pipe under pressure generated by a pump. This liquid flow mechanically removes polymer deposits and ensures complete vaporization of the source material, improving both productivity and material efficiency by preventing polymer-related losses.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical state parameter of the source material by circulating it in liquid form through the vaporizer and supply pipe. This liquid circulation approach enables effective cleaning and complete vaporization, resolving the contradiction between large-scale vaporization capacity and material efficiency.
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 approach effectively reduces running costs and maintains efficient vaporization by ensuring the polymer is easily removable, thereby extending the service life of the vaporizer and vaporization apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a pump to pressure-feed it through the system
Implementation Method 2
vaporizes a liquid source material
Implementation Method 3
vaporized source material
Implementation Method 4
mixing the source material with a carrier gas to generate a mixed fluid
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
To provide a method for cleaning a vaporizer and a vaporization apparatus that are capable of, even if a polymer of a source material is produced, easily removing the polymer. A method for cleaning a vaporizer that vaporizes, at normal temperature and pressure, a source material in a liquid state, and supplies the vaporized source material to a reactor through a supply pipe, includes a cleaning step of passing the source material to the vaporizer while maintaining the source material in a liquid state to clean the vaporizer. The method may further include a mixing step of mixing the source material with a carrier gas to generate a mixed fluid, and the cleaning step may include passing the mixed fluid to the vaporizer while maintaining, in a liquid state, the source material contained in the mixed fluid to clean the vaporizer.