Continuous tow fiber coating reactor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10710111-B2
Application number	US-201715713739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2017
Priority date	Sep 25, 2017
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

A reactor for continuously coating tow fibers has an outer tubular member, an inner support member spaced from the outer tubular member, a reactant flowing through a space defined by the outer tubular member and the inner support member, and at least one flow promotor located on an outer surface of the inner support member for directing the reactant towards an inner surface of the outer tubular member. A system and a method for coating tow fibers are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A reactor for continuously coating tow fibers, said reactor comprising:
an outer tubular member;
an inner support member spaced from said outer tubular member;
a reactant flowing through a space defined by said outer tubular member and said inner support member; and
at least one flow promotor located on an outer surface of said inner support member for directing said reactant towards an inner surface of said outer tubular member.

2. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein said at least one flow promotor circumferentially surrounds said inner support member.

3. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein said at least one flow promotor comprises a plurality of flow promotors spaced along said inner support member.

4. The reactor of claim 3 , wherein said plurality of flow promotors are equally spaced along said inner support member.

5. The reactor of claim 3 , wherein said plurality of flow promotors have a spacing therebetween which decreases from a first end to a second end of said inner support member.

6. The reactor of claim 3 , wherein said plurality of flow promotors have a spacing therebetween which increases from a first end to a second end of said inner support member.

7. The reactor of claim 3 , further comprising:
said outer tubular member and said inner support member extending along an axis;
a first end plate having a reactant inlet for introducing said reactant into said space between said outer tubular member and said inner support member;
said reactant inlet extending parallel to said axis; and
a second end plate having an outlet for exhausting said reactant.

8. The reactor of claim 7 , wherein said reactant inlet and outlet are coaxial with said axis and said outlet extends parallel to said axis.

9. The reactor of claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of openings in said first and second end plates for allowing a plurality of tow fibers to pass through said space between said outer tubular member and said at least one flow promotor.

10. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein said at least one flow promotor has a surface angled to direct said reactant toward said inner surface of said outer tubular member so that said reactant contacts said inner surface and bounces off said inner surface, thereby creating turbulence in said reactant.

11. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein said at least one flow promotor induces one of a swirl and tumble in said reactant flow.

12. The reactor of claim 1 , wherein said reactor has a first central axis and said outer tubular member and said inner support member each have a second central axis collinear with the first central axis.

13. A system for continuously coating fiber tows, said system comprising:
a reactor comprising an outer tubular member, an inner support member spaced from said outer tubular member, a reactant flowing through a space defined by said outer tubular member and said inner support member, and at least one flow promotor located on an outer surface of said inner support member for directing said reactant towards an inner surface of said outer tubular member; and
a plurality of take-off spools and take-up spools for causing a plurality of tow fibers to travel through said reactor.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a heat source for heating said reactant within said reactor.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein said reactant flows in a first direction and said plurality of tow fibers move in a second direction counter to said first direction.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein said reactant flows in a first direction and said plurality of tow fibers move through said reactor in said first direction.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein said at least one flow promotor comprises a plurality of flow promotors spaced along said inner support member and wherein each of said flow promotors circumferentially surrounds said inner support member and has a surface angled so that said reactant is directed towards the inner surface of said outer tubular member.

18. A method for coating a plurality of tow fibers comprising:
providing a reactor comprising an outer tubular member, an inner support member spaced from said outer tubular member, a reactant flowing through a space defined by said outer tubular member and said inner support member, and at least one flow promotor located on an outer surface of said inner support member for directing said reactant towards an inner surface of said outer tubular member;
providing a plurality of take-off spools and take-up spools for causing a plurality of tow fibers to travel through said reactor;
introducing said reactant into said reactor so that said reactant flows in a direction parallel to a central axis of said reactor; and
passing said plurality of tow fibers through said reactor.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said reactant introducing step comprises introducing said reactant into said reactor in a first direction and said tow fibers passing step comprises passing said tow fibers in a direction counter to said first direction.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein said reactant introducing step comprises introducing said reactant into said reactor in a first direction and said tow fibers passing step comprises passing said tow fibers through said reactor in said first direction.

21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising forming multiple tow coatings on the tow fibers.

22. The method of claim 18 , further comprising said reactor having a plurality of flow promotors and said reactant introducing step comprising injecting reactants separately at different stages of said flow promotors.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp
• Raytheon Tech Corp

Inventors

• She Ying
• Holowczak John E
• Barth Robert A

Classifications

• C23C16/45506 Primary

  Turbulent flow · CPC title

• C23C16/45591

  Fixed means, e.g. wings, baffles · CPC title

• C23C16/545

  for coating elongated substrates · CPC title

• D06M23/08

  Processes in which the treating agent is applied in powder or granular form (adhesives for multi-layer textile fabrics D06M17/00) · CPC title

• B05C19/04

  the particulate material being projected, poured or allowed to flow onto the surface of the work (B05C19/02 takes precedence; involving spraying or electrostatic projection B05B ){(B05C19/005 takes precedence)} · CPC title