Evaporative-cooling apparatus and method for the control of web or web-production machine component surface temperatures
First Claim
1. An apparatus for use in the non-contact cooling of a web or a machine component in contact with a web, said apparatus being positioned adjacent said web or component to be cooled, said apparatus comprising:
- means for creating fog within said apparatus, said fog having a temperature lower than the temperature of said web or component to be cooled;
means for directing said created fog from said apparatus into a channel between said apparatus and the web or machine component, said directing means providing said fog to said channel so that said fog is applied to the surface of said web or machine component;
means for exhausting vapor from said channel, said vapor being created by the contact of said fog with said surface which causes evaporation of said fog, said exhausting means preventing the residual build-up of mositure on said web or machine component.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is an apparatus for providing a shower of fog onto a web or a machine component in contact with a web. The fog, which has a temperature lower than the temperature of the surface of the web or the machine component to be cooled, is applied to the surface and is caused to evaporate by the difference in the temperatures. A supply of dry air is supplied to transport the evaporated fog from the region surrounding the surface to be cooled. Fog may be generated through the use of an air-atomizing nozzle which propels water and compressed air through a small orifice under pressure to create an atomized mist or fog. The fog may also be generated through the use of an ultrasonic transducer which expels fine droplets of water from its surface by means of a high-frequency oscillating transducer motion. In one embodiment, the fog may also be generated in controlled specified quantities locally at each nozzle as required to provide for a controllable fog application rate across the full apparatus width. Alternatively, the fog may be generated at a single source and then supplied to a common cross-machine plenum with the flow of fog to each nozzle location being regulated by a suitble flow control valve positioned at each nozzle location.
33 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An apparatus for use in the non-contact cooling of a web or a machine component in contact with a web, said apparatus being positioned adjacent said web or component to be cooled, said apparatus comprising:
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means for creating fog within said apparatus, said fog having a temperature lower than the temperature of said web or component to be cooled; means for directing said created fog from said apparatus into a channel between said apparatus and the web or machine component, said directing means providing said fog to said channel so that said fog is applied to the surface of said web or machine component; means for exhausting vapor from said channel, said vapor being created by the contact of said fog with said surface which causes evaporation of said fog, said exhausting means preventing the residual build-up of mositure on said web or machine component. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for the non-contact cooling of a web or a machine component in contact with a web, said method comprising the steps of
providing a channel bounded on one side by a surface of the web or machine component in contact with the web to be cooled; -
creating a supply of fog, the temperature of which is lower than the temperature of the web or component to be cooled; directing fog from said created supply of fog to the surface to be cooled which bounds one side of said channel; exhausting vapor created by evaporation of said fog which is caused by the contact of fog and the surface of the web or machine component to be cooled from said channel to an ambient atmosphere. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus for use in the non-contact cooling of a web or a machine component in contact with the web, said apparatus being positioned adjacent said web or component to be cooled, said apparatus comprising:
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means for creating fog within said apparatus, said fog having a temperature lower than the temperature of said web or component to be cooled; means for directing said created fog from said apparatus to a surface of the web or machine component; means for exhausting vapor from a location adjacent said surface of the web or machine component, said vapor being created by the contact of said fog with said surface which causes evaporation of said fog, said exhausting means preventing the residual build-up of moisture on said web or machine component.
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18. A method for the non-contact cooling of a web or a machine component in contact with a web, said method comprising the steps of
creating a supply of fog, the temperature of which is lower than the temperature of the web or machine component to be cooled; -
directing fog from said created supply of fog to a surface to be cooled; exhausting vapor, created by evaporation of said fog which is caused by the contact of fog and the surface of the web or machine component to be cooled, from a location adjacent a surface to be cooled to an ambient atmosphere.
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Specification