Fiber oxidation oven with multiple independently controllable heating systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9598795-B2
Application number	US-201414257383-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2014
Priority date	Apr 26, 2013
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

One embodiment is directed to an oven for heating fibers. The oven comprises a plurality of walls forming a chamber and a supply structure disposed within the chamber between first and second ends of the chamber. The supply structure is in communication with a first heating system and is configured to direct heated gas from the first heating system into a first portion of the chamber. The supply structure is in communication with a second heating system and is configured to direct heated gas from the second heating system into a second portion of the chamber.

First claim

What is claim is:

1. A method of heating fibers using an oven in which a chamber is formed, the method comprising:
heating gas using a first heating system located outside of the chamber;
heating gas using a second heating system located outside of the chamber;
supplying the heated gas from the first heating system into an upper portion of the chamber to heat fibers in the upper portion of the chamber at a first temperature; and
supplying the heated gas from the second heating system into a lower portion of the chamber to heat fibers in the lower portion of the chamber at a second temperature different than the first temperature such that the upper portion and the lower portion of the chamber maintain the different temperatures without a physical barrier between the upper portion and the lower portion of the chamber.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
directing the heated gas from the first heating system to a supply structure disposed between first and second ends of the chamber, wherein supplying the heated gas from the first heating system into the upper portion of the chamber comprises supplying, from the supply structure into the upper portion of the chamber, the heated gas from the first heating system; and
directing the heated gas from the second heating system to the supply structure, wherein supplying the heated gas from the second heating system into the lower portion of the chamber comprises supplying, from the supply structure into the lower portion of the chamber, the heated gas from the second heating system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein heating gas using the first heating system comprises heating gas using at least one heating element included in the first heating system; and
wherein heating gas using the second heating system comprises heating gas using at least one heating element included in the second heating system.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, using a first return structure positioned near the first end of the chamber, at least a portion of the heated gas directed into the chamber;
directing at least a portion of the heated gas received using the first return structure to a first return outlet formed in the chamber;
receiving, in the first heating system, at least a portion of the heated gas directed to the first return outlet;
receiving, using a second return structure positioned near the second end of the chamber, at least a portion of the heated gas directed into the chamber;
directing at least a portion of the heated gas received using the second return structure to a second return outlet formed in the chamber; and
receiving, in the second heating system, at least a portion of the heated gas directed to the second return outlet.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein heating gas using the first heating system comprises heating gas using the first heating system to a first target temperature, and wherein heating gas using the second heating system comprises heating gas using the second heating system to a second target temperature, wherein the first target temperature differs from the second target temperature.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first target temperature is higher than the second target temperature.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oven comprises a center-to-ends oven;
wherein supplying the heated gas from the first heating system into the upper portion of the chamber comprises:
supplying the heated gas from the first heating system into the upper portion of the chamber from a center of the chamber towards opposite ends of the chamber; and
wherein supplying the heated gas from the second heating system into the lower portion of the chamber comprises:
supplying the heated gas from the second heating system into the lower portion of the chamber from the center of the chamber towards the opposite ends of the chamber.

8. The method of claim 7 ,
wherein supplying the heated gas from the first heating system into the upper portion of the chamber from the center of the chamber towards the opposite ends of the chamber comprises:
supplying the heated gas from the first heating system into the upper portion of the chamber from the center of the chamber towards the opposite ends of the chamber so that the heated gas from the first heating system flows parallel to a direction of travel of the fibers within the chamber; and
wherein supplying the heated gas from the second heating system into the lower portion of the chamber from the center of the chamber towards the opposite ends of the chamber comprises:
supplying the heated gas from the second heating system into the lower portion of the chamber from the center of the chamber towards the opposite ends of the chamber so that the heated gas from the second heating system flows parallel to the direction of travel of the fibers within the chamber.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
returning, to the first heating system using first ductwork, at least a portion of the heated gas directed into the chamber; and
returning, to the second heating system using second ductwork, at least a portion of the heated gas directed into the chamber;
wherein the first ductwork and the second ductwork are independent of each other.

10. A method of heating fibers using a center-to-ends oven in which a chamber is formed, the method comprising:
heating gas using a first heating system;
heating gas using a second heating system;
supplying the heated gas from the first heating system into an upper portion of the chamber from a center of the chamber towards opposite ends of the chamber to heat fibers in the upper portion of the chamber at a first temperature; and
supplying the heated gas from the second heating system into a lower portion of the chamber from the center of the chamber towards the opposite ends of the chamber to heat fibers in the lower portion of the chamber at a second temperature different than the first temperature such that the upper portion and the lower portion of the chamber maintain the different temperatures without a physical barrier between the upper portion and the lower portion of the chamber.

11. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein supplying the heated gas from the first heating system into the upper portion of the chamber from the center of the chamber towards the opposite ends of the chamber comprises:
supplying the heated gas from the first heating system into the upper portion of the chamber from the center of the chamber towards the opposite ends of the chamber so that the heated gas from the first heating system flows parallel to a direction of travel of the fibers within the chamber; and
wherein supplying the heated gas from the second heating system into the lower portion of the chamber from the center of the chamber towards the opposite ends of the chamber comprises:
supplying the heated gas from the second heating system into the lower portion of the chamber from the center of the chamber towards the opposite ends of the chamber so that the heated gas from the second heating system flows parallel to the direction of travel of the fibers within the chamber.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first heating system and the second heating system are located outside of the chamber.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
returning, to the first heating system using first ductwork, at least a portion of the heated gas directed into the chamber; and
returning, to the second heating system using second ductwork, at least a portion of the heated gas directed into the chamber;
wherein the first ductwork and the second duct

Assignees

• Despatch Ind Ltd Partnership
• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Melgaard Hans L

Classifications

• D02J13/001 Primary

  in a tube or vessel · CPC title

• F27B3/28

  Arrangement of controlling, monitoring, alarm or the like devices · CPC title

• F27B3/04

  of multiple-hearth type; of multiple-chamber type; Combinations of hearth-type furnaces · CPC title

• F27B17/0025

  specially adapted for treating semiconductor wafers · CPC title

• F27D2019/0006

  Monitoring the characteristics (composition, quantities, temperature, pressure) of at least one of the gases of the kiln atmosphere and using it as a controlling value · CPC title