Water Spray Quenching Atomizer for Uniform Metal Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional quenching methods for thermochemically treated metal workpieces, such as water baths or gas quenching, face challenges like environmental impact, uneven cooling, and high technical effort, while water spray quenching has not been established due to excessive water requirements and uneven wetting.
Innovation Solution
A device with a quenching chamber and atomizer system that atomizes water into air or nitrogen, producing a spray mist with controlled water content and flow rates to achieve uniform cooling of thermochemically treated workpieces, optimizing the quenching process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If water spray quenching is used, then water consumption is reduced compared to water baths, but uneven wetting occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The quenching chamber is divided into multiple zones with independently controllable spray nozzles. Each zone can be adjusted to provide uniform wetting patterns, ensuring consistent cooling across different areas of the workpiece while maintaining low water consumption through targeted spraying.
Solution Approach 2:
The spray system employs movable nozzles that can dynamically adjust their positions and spray angles during the quenching process. This dynamic adjustment ensures uniform wetting distribution across the workpiece surface, preventing localized dry spots or excessive wetting while minimizing overall water usage.
2Manufacturing precision
If gas quenching is used, then uniform cooling is achieved, but equipment complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
A water-soluble polymer coating is applied as an intermediary substance on the workpiece surface. This coating modifies the interaction between water spray and metal surface, enabling water spray quenching to achieve uniform cooling patterns typically only obtainable with gas quenching, while using simple water-based materials instead of complex gas delivery systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical-chemical parameters of the quenching medium by using a water-soluble polymer solution instead of pure water. This parameter change enhances the coating's adhesion and uniformity, allowing water spray to achieve uniform cooling distribution without requiring complex equipment infrastructure.
3Device complexity
If water baths are used for quenching, then simple equipment is required, but environmental impact and water consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential quenching function from the water bath system by using a spray-based approach with water-soluble polymer coating. This extraction eliminates the need for large volumes of quenching fluid while maintaining effective cooling, thereby reducing water consumption and environmental impact while keeping equipment relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses hydraulic spray technology to deliver controlled amounts of water-soluble polymer solution to the workpiece surface. This hydraulic approach replaces the passive water bath method, enabling precise control over fluid application and significantly reducing overall water consumption while maintaining cooling effectiveness.
4Loss of substance
If conventional water spray quenching is used, then water consumption is reduced, but cooling rate control is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The quenching system incorporates temperature sensors and control systems that continuously monitor the workpiece temperature and adjust spray parameters in real-time. This feedback mechanism enables precise control over cooling rates while maintaining low water consumption, as the system adapts spray intensity and duration based on actual thermal conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The spray system employs periodic or pulsed spraying patterns rather than continuous spraying. By applying water-soluble polymer solution in controlled intervals, the system achieves effective cooling with reduced total water consumption, while the periodic action allows for precise control over the cooling rate through adjustable pulse duration and frequency.
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 device provides efficient and uniform cooling of metal workpieces, overcoming the limitations of existing quenching methods by reducing water consumption and ensuring consistent cooling rates, making it suitable for industrial use.
Implementation Method 1
at least one atomizer (30) designed and configured for atomizing water in air or nitrogen
Implementation Method 2
flowing spray through the charge volume Vo
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for water spray quenching, comprising – a quenching chamber, designed and set up to receive metallic workpieces, with a batch volume V0 of 0.045 to 3.5 m3; and – at least one atomiser, which is configured to atomise water in air or nitrogen and is fluidically connected to the quenching chamber; wherein the at least one atomiser and the device are designed and set up to generate a spray mist with a water content of 2.5 to 40 vol.% and a Sauter mean diameter of 20 to 2000 µm and also a spray mist flow through the batch volume V0 of 0.05 to 25 m3/s.