Supply plenum for center-to-ends fiber oxidation oven

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10458710-B2
Application number	US-201514923917-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Nov 7, 2014
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

One embodiment is directed to an oven for heating fibers. The oven comprises a supply structure disposed within the oven between first and second ends of the oven. The supply structure comprises a plurality of plenums. The plenums are in fluid communication with a heating system. Each of the plenums comprises a pair of side walls, a bottom wall, and a top wall. Each of the plenums is configured so that first openings are formed in the respective side walls of that plenum. At least one plenum is configured so that one or more second openings are formed in at least one of the top wall or the bottom wall of at least one plenum. The at least one plenum is configured to supply heated gas from the heating system into the chamber from the first openings and said one or more second openings of the plenum.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oven for heating fibers, the oven comprising:
a supply structure disposed within the oven between first and second ends of the oven, the supply structure comprising a plurality of plenums, wherein the plenums are in fluid communication with a heating system;
wherein a first one of the plenums is configured to receive heated gas from the heating system via the supply structure and comprises:
a pair of side walls, a bottom wall, and a top wall;
first openings formed in the respective side walls of the first one of the plenums;
one or more second openings formed in at least one of the top wall or the bottom wall of the first one of the plenums; and
at least one squash baffle configured to direct a first portion of the heated gas into the chamber uniformly from the first openings and having one or more squash-baffle openings, the at least one squash baffle dividing the first one of the plenums into at least two volumes, wherein the first one of the volumes is configured to supply a first portion of heated gas from the heating system into the chamber from the first openings and a second one of the volumes configured to supply a second portion of the heated gas into the chamber through the one or more second openings of said at least one plenum, the at least one squash baffle configured to pass the second portion of the heated gas through the one or more squash-baffle openings, wherein the first one of the plenums, wherein said one or more second openings formed in said at least one of the top wall or the bottom wall of said at least one plenum comprises:
at least one slot formed in said at least one of the top wall or the bottom wall of said at least one plenum; and
a structure having a rounded surface positioned in the slot flush with said at least one of the top wall or the bottom wall of said at least one plenum, wherein the structure is configured to induce the Coanda effect in the second portion of the heated gas.

2. The oven of claim 1 , wherein said one or more second openings are formed in:
only the top wall of said at least one plenum;
only the bottom wall of said at least one plenum; or
both the top wall and the bottom wall of said at least one plenum.

3. The oven of claim 1 , wherein the first one of the plenums comprises two or more squash baffles configured to form a space between the two or more squash baffles, wherein said one or more second openings are formed in at least one of the top wall or the bottom wall of said at least one plenum in the space between the two or more squash baffles; and
wherein the squash baffles are configured to least one of:
receive heated air from one end thereof, wherein said at least one plenum is configured so that the squash baffles are arranged in a V shape; or
receive heated air from two ends thereof, wherein said plenum is configured so that the squash baffles are arranged in a diamond shape.

4. The oven of claim 1 , wherein the structure comprises a threaded rod or tube, a fluted rod or tube, or a corrugated rod or tube.

5. A method of heating fibers using an oven, the method comprising:
supplying heated gas to a plurality of plenums included in a supply structure disposed within an interior of the oven;
directing a first portion of the heated gas into the interior of the oven from first openings formed in side walls included in a first one of the plenums; and
directing a second portion of the heated gas into the interior of the oven from one or more second openings formed in at least one of the top wall or the bottom wall of first one of the plenums,
wherein directing the second portion of the heated gas into the interior of the oven from said one or more second openings formed in said at least one of the top wall or the bottom wall of said at least one plenum comprises directing the second portion of the heated gas through at least one slot formed in said at least one of the top wall or the bottom wall of the first one of the plenums so that at least some of the gas passes over at least a part of a rounded surface of a structure, positioned in the slot flush with said at least one of the top wall or the bottom wall of the first one of the plenums, as the gas exits said at least one slot, to induce a Coanda effect between the second portion of the heated gas and the at least one of the top wall or the bottom wall,
wherein the directing of the second portion comprises directing the heated gas from a first volume of the first one of the plenums to a second volume of the first one of the plenums through one or more squash-baffle openings of one or more squash baffles, the one or more squash baffles dividing the first one of the plenums into at least the first volume and the second volume,
wherein the directing of the first portion of the heated gas from the first openings comprises the one or more squash baffles directing the first portion of the heated gas uniformly through the first openings.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said one or more second openings are formed in:
only the top wall of said at least one plenum;
only the bottom wall of said at least one plenum; or
both the top wall and the bottom wall of said at least one plenum.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first one of the plenums has at least two squash baffles and wherein supplying the heated gas to the plurality of plenums comprises one of:
supplying the heated gas to one end of the first one of the plenums, wherein the first one of the plenums is configured so that the squash baffles are arranged in a V shape; or
supplying the heated gas to two ends of the first one of the plenums, wherein the first one of the plenums is configured so that the squash baffles are arranged in a diamond shape.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the structure comprises a threaded rod or tube, a fluted rod or tube, or a corrugated rod or tube.

Assignees

• Despatch Industries Lp
• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Melgaard Hans L
• Benson Matthew
• Vu Phillip
• Ung Prathna

Classifications

• F27D7/02 Primary

  Supplying steam, vapour, gases or liquids · CPC title

• F26B23/00

  Heating arrangements (using heated air or other gases F26B21/00) · CPC title

• F27B9/3005

  arrangements for circulating gases · CPC title

• D01F9/32 Primary

  Apparatus therefor · CPC title