Wet Collection of Coating Exhaust Using Water Pool Partitions
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food-process line equipment struggles to effectively collect and contain dry particulate coating material exhaust from food-product coating apparatus, leading to dust storms and inefficient material usage.
Innovation Solution
A wet collection apparatus utilizing a stainless-steel cabinet with a shallow pool of water and an electric-motor driven high-powered exhaust blower creates 'water/dust mixing cells' that capture suspended particles, with a series of steel-plate channel-dividing partitions and nozzles inducing swirling flows to separate and settle dust particles in the water, while maintaining a negative pressure to prevent external air contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional exhaust collection methods are used, then equipment simplicity is maintained, but dust collection efficiency deteriorates and dust storms occur
Solution Approach 1:
The collection chamber is segmented into multiple channels by vertical partitions, creating separate flow paths that enhance dust capture efficiency. Each channel acts as an independent collection zone, allowing the system to handle larger volumes of exhaust air more effectively without requiring a single large complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
A water pool is introduced as an intermediary substance between the exhaust air and the collection system. The water acts as a medium that captures dust particles through impingement and dissolution, transforming the dry dust collection problem into a wet collection process that is highly effective for fine particulates.
2Productivity
If high-powered exhaust blowers are used, then dust capture capability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and removes a significant portion of dust particles in the water pool before the air reaches the exhaust blower. This pre-cleaning action reduces the load on the blower, allowing it to operate at lower power levels while maintaining effective dust capture capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes hydraulic principles by employing a water pool to capture dust particles through liquid-gas interaction. This hydraulic approach is more energy-efficient than purely pneumatic methods because the water provides passive resistance to dust-laden air without requiring additional powered components.
3Productivity
If water/dust mixing cells are created, then dust particle separation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The collection chamber is divided into multiple channels by vertical partitions, creating segmented flow paths that guide exhaust air through the water pool in an organized manner. This segmentation enhances dust separation efficiency by ensuring thorough contact between air and water while maintaining a relatively simple partition structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using complex mechanical separators or filters, the system inverts the approach by using a simple water pool with vertical partitions. The dust collection function is achieved through the reverse mechanism of letting dust-laden air rise through water rather than forcing air through filters, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining high separation efficiency.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If negative pressure is maintained, then external air contamination is prevented, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The water pool performs preliminary dust capture before the air is fully exhausted, reducing the concentration of dust particles in the air stream. This preliminary action allows the system to maintain negative pressure with lower energy input because there is less resistance from dust particles in the air flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses hydraulic principles with the water pool to passively maintain pressure differentials. The water provides resistance to air flow that helps sustain negative pressure without requiring excessive blower power, combining pressure maintenance with dust collection in an energy-efficient manner.
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 solution efficiently captures the vast majority of suspended coating material as sediment, producing mostly fresh air output, effectively containing the dust storm within the apparatus and promoting vigorous mixing for enhanced material utilization.
Implementation Method 1
A wet collection apparatus utilizes a stainless-steel cabinet with a shallow pool of water and an electric-motor driven high-powered exhaust blower creates 'water/dust mixing cells' that capture suspended particles
Implementation Method 2
efficiently captures the vast majority of suspended coating material as sediment
Implementation Method 3
maintaining a negative pressure to prevent external air contamination
Implementation Method 4
a series of steel-plate channel-dividing partitions and nozzles inducing swirling flows to separate and settle dust particles in the water
Implementation Method 5
separate and settle dust particles in the water
Data Source
AI summary
A wet collection apparatus is provided for collecting dry coating material exhaust from food-product coating apparatus for dusting or coating food product pieces (eg., chicken tenders) in automatic and/or mechanized food-process lines. There is a water vessel with a bottom wall, surrounding sidewalls, an open top, a removable closure for the open top, an exhaust blower mounted on or pneumatically-coupled to the vessel or closure, and a vacuum line extending between and pneumatically-coupled to both the food-product coating apparatus and one of the vessel or closure. The water vessel being characterized by a generally hollow interior defining a process chamber. Then there are a plurality of channel-dividing partitions mounted in the hollow interior of the water vessel forcing the flow of exhaust air through the process chamber to submerge and re-emerge into and out of the pool of water in a chutes and ladder fashion.