Nozzle assembly with self-cleaning face

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10052647-B2
Application number	US-201515036542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2015
Priority date	Jan 21, 2014
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A nozzle assembly with a self-cleaning face is provided, having a nozzle body with a liquid flow path defined therethrough with an inlet and a spray outlet. The nozzle body is mounted in a carrier body, and an annular gas flow channel is located about the nozzle body with a gas discharge outlet defined around the spray outlet. A porous surface is located about the annular gas flow channel at the gas discharge outlet. A radiused surface is formed in the carrier body at the air discharge outlet. A pathway is in communication with the porous surface and adapted to provide a low velocity fluid discharge from the porous surface. A spray device and method are also provided using the nozzle assembly with the self-cleaning face. An adaptor for retrofitting an existing nozzle is also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A nozzle assembly with a self-cleaning face, comprising:
a nozzle body with a liquid flow path defined therethrough having an inlet and a spray outlet, wherein the spray outlet is configured to spray a liquid out from the nozzle assembly;
a carrier body that surrounds the nozzle body;
an annular gas flow channel between the nozzle body and the carrier body, the annular gas flow channel including a gas discharge outlet that is radially outward of and encircles the spray outlet;
a porous surface attached to the carrier body, facing outward of the nozzle assembly and in fluid communication with the annular gas flow channel, wherein the porous surface encircles the gas discharge outlet and has an inner perimeter that is radially outward of the gas discharge outlet;
a gas pathway extending through the porous surface, the gas pathway configured to convey a pressurized gas through the porous surface, such that a low velocity flow of the pressurized gas is discharged from the porous surface;
a radiused surface forming an annular outer surface of the gas discharge outlet, wherein the radiused surface is between the gas discharge outlet and the porous surface; and
a stator in the annular gas flow channel that includes guide vanes oriented at an acute angle with respect to an axis of the annular gas flow channel.

2. The nozzle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the porous surface is formed by a disk located in an end face of the carrier body, and the end face has an opening forming the gas discharge outlet and an inner surface of the opening forms the radiused surface.

3. The nozzle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the gas pathway extends from the annular gas flow channel to the porous surface.

4. The nozzle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the porous surface is part of a porous disk attached to a discharge end of the carrier body, and the disk is formed from at least one of a sintered material, a ceramic material, or a rigid porous medium.

5. The nozzle assembly of claim 4 , wherein the disk is connected to the carrier body via at least one of an adhesive or a positive fit connection.

6. The nozzle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the porous surface has a surface roughness of from 1 μm to 500 μm.

7. The nozzle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spray outlet of the nozzle body is recessed within an opening in a discharge end of the carrier body, and the opening forms the gas discharge outlet.

8. A spray assembly for a liquid comprising:
a liquid chamber adapted to contain liquid to be sprayed;
a gas chamber adapted to contain pressurized gas;
a plurality of nozzles connected to the gas chamber, each of the nozzles including:
a nozzle body with a liquid flow path defined therethrough having an inlet and a spray outlet, the inlet being in fluid communication with the liquid chamber and the spray outlet configured to spray liquid out from the spray assembly;
a carrier body in which the nozzle body is mounted;
an annular gas flow channel between the nozzle body and the carrier body, the annular gas flow channel having an annular gas discharge outlet encircling and radially outward of the spray outlet, wherein the annular gas flow channel is in fluid communication with the gas chamber and the annular gas discharge outlet is configured to discharge gas adjacent the liquid sprayed from the spray outlet;
a porous surface having an inner perimeter that encircles and is radially outward of the gas discharge outlet, wherein the porous surface is included in a gas path through which the pressurized gas flows through the porous surface and discharges from the porous surface as a low velocity gas flow;
a radiused surface formed in the carrier body around the gas discharge outlet, wherein the radiused surface is between the porous surface and the gas discharge outlet, and
a stator in the annular gas flow channel that includes guide vanes oriented at an acute angle with respect to an axis of the annular gas flow channel.

9. A method of spraying a liquid on an object, comprising:
providing a spray assembly including a liquid chamber for liquid to be sprayed;
providing at least one nozzle including a nozzle body with a liquid flow path defined therethrough having an inlet and a liquid spray outlet, the inlet being in fluid communication with the liquid chamber, wherein the nozzle body is seated in a carrier body; an annular gas flow channel between the nozzle body and the carrier body and the annular gas flow channel having an annular gas discharge outlet encircling the spray outlet; a porous surface having an inner perimeter that encircles and is radially outward of the annular gas discharge outlet, and a radiused surface forming an annular outer surface of the gas discharge outlet and the radiused surface is encircled by and radially inward of the porous surface;
spraying the liquid from the liquid spray outlet, wherein the liquid flows from the liquid chamber through the liquid flow path in the nozzle body to the liquid spray outlet;
simultaneously with the spraying from the liquid spray outlet, discharging the pressurized gas from the annular gas discharge outlet, wherein the discharged pressurized gas is discharged adjacent the spray of liquid from the liquid spray outlet and the discharged pressurized gas expands outwardly over the radiused surface and over the porous surface; and
simultaneously with the spraying from the liquid spray outlet, discharging from the porous surface a low velocity flow of gas wherein the low velocity flow is formed from the pressurized gas flowing from source of the pressurized gas and flows through the porous surface.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the liquid is a heated liquid and the porous surface is formed of a stainless steel material.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the porous surface is formed of a heat insulating material.

12. A nozzle assembly comprising:
a nozzle body including a liquid flow passage having an inlet and a spray outlet, wherein the spray outlet is configured to spray liquid flowing from the liquid flow passage out from the nozzle assembly;
a carrier body into which is inserted the nozzle body, the carrier boding includes a gas flow channel having an annular gas discharge outlet encircling and radially outward of the spray outlet;
an annulus having an inner perimeter extending around and radially outward of the gas discharge outlet, wherein the annulus is porous, has a first side facing a gas pathway configured to receive a pressurized gas and a second side, opposite to the first side, facing away from the carrier body and forming a portion of an outer surface of the nozzle assembly, wherein the annulus is configured such that the pressurized gas will flow through pores in the annulus and be discharged from the second side as a low velocity flow of the pressurized gas;
an annular surface on the carrier body defining an outer perimeter of the annular gas discharge outlet wherein the annular surface is curved in a direction of an axis of the carrier body, and the annular surface is between the annulus and the annular gas discharge outlet; and
a stator mounted in the carrier body and in the annular gas flow channel, the stator includes guide vanes oriented at an acute angle with respect to the axis of the carrier body.

Assignees

• Andritz Inc
• Andritz Kuesters Gmbh

Inventors

• Diebel Manifred

Classifications

• B05D1/02

  performed by spraying · CPC title

• B05B7/10 Primary

  producing a swirling discharge · CPC title

• B05B15/555 Primary

  discharged by cleaning nozzles · CPC title

• B05B12/18

  using fluids, e.g. gas streams · CPC title

• D21H23/50

  Spraying or projecting (D21H23/44, D21H23/66 take precedence) · CPC title