U.S. patent application number 09/808835 was filed with the patent office on 2002-03-14 for rotatable roller.
Invention is credited to Schweinichen, Jaxa von.
Application Number | 20020029870 09/808835 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26004810 |
Filed Date | 2002-03-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020029870 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schweinichen, Jaxa von |
March 14, 2002 |
Rotatable roller
Abstract
A rotatable roller has a roller body with channels for guiding a
medium through the roller body for controlling the temperature of
the roller body. At least one of the channels has a separating
member separating the at least one channel into separate channel
portions such that media having different properties are separately
guided through the at least one channel. At least one deflecting
member is arranged in the channels and acts on the medium for
imparting an additional flow direction onto the medium flow.
Inventors: |
Schweinichen, Jaxa von;
(Netphen, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Friedrich Kueffner
Suite 1921
342 Madison Avenue
New York
NY
10173
US
|
Family ID: |
26004810 |
Appl. No.: |
09/808835 |
Filed: |
March 14, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/90 ; 165/110;
165/87; 165/89 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D21G 1/0266 20130101;
F28F 5/02 20130101; F16C 2300/02 20130101; F16C 13/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/90 ; 165/87;
165/89; 165/110 |
International
Class: |
F28F 005/06; F28F
005/02; F28D 011/02; F28B 001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 14, 2000 |
DE |
100 12 062.8 |
Apr 8, 2000 |
DE |
100 17 604.6 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A rotatable roller comprising a roller body having channels
configured to guide a medium through the roller body for
controlling the temperature of the roller body, wherein at least
one of the channels has a separating member separating the at least
one channel into separate channel portions such that media having
different properties are separately guided through the at least one
channel.
2. The rotatable roller according to claim 1, wherein the media
differ from one another by at least one of the different properties
selected from the group consisting of consistency, temperature,
flow direction, and flow speed.
3. The rotatable roller according to claim 1, wherein the
separating member is a flat strip.
4. The rotatable roller according to claim 1, wherein the
separating member has a triangular shape.
5. The rotatable roller according to claim 1, wherein the
separating member is cross-shaped.
6. The rotatable roller according to claim 1, wherein said
separating member has a coil shape comprising several turns.
7. A rotatable roller comprising a roller body having channels
configured to guide a medium through the roller body for
controlling the temperature of the roller body, further comprising
at least one deflecting member arranged in at least one portion of
the channels and configured to act on the medium for imparting onto
the medium flow, having a substantially axial direction of flow in
an axial direction of the rotatable roller, an additional flow
direction.
8. The rotatable roller according to claim 7, wherein the
deflecting member when mounted has at least over portions thereof a
deflecting area positioned at an acute angle to a wall of the
channel.
9. The rotatable roller according to claim 7, wherein the
deflecting member when mounted has a longitudinal axis in a
direction of extension of the channel and wherein the deflecting
area at least surrounds the longitudinal axis of the deflecting
member.
10. The rotatable roller according to claim 9, wherein the
deflecting area comprises the entire deflecting member.
11. The rotatable roller according to claim 9, wherein the
longitudinal axis is a rigid center axle.
12. The rotatable roller according to claim 9, wherein the
deflecting area forces the medium to rotate.
13. The rotatable roller according to claim 9, wherein the
deflecting area has a spiral shape ascending in a longitudinal
direction of the deflecting member.
14. The rotatable roller according to claim 9, wherein the
deflecting area is formed as a screw.
15. The rotatable roller according to claim 8, wherein the
deflecting member is formed as a coil spring.
16. The rotatable roller according to claim 8, wherein at least one
of the channels is comprised of parallel channel sections connected
by a 180.degree. bend.
17. The rotatable roller according to claim 16, wherein at least
one of the channels comprises several parallel channel sections and
several 180.degree. bends.
18. The rotatable roller according to claim 8, wherein the channels
have inlets and outlets, wherein at least one of the channels has a
number of inlets that differs from a number of outlets.
19. The rotatable roller according to claim 8, comprising a central
axial hollow space, wherein at least one of the deflecting members
is arranged in the central axial hollow space.
20. The rotatable roller according to claim 8, wherein the
deflecting member has deflecting areas with different ascending
gradients.
21. The rotatable roller according to claim 9, wherein the
deflecting member has a longitudinal axle having a varying diameter
over the length of the longitudinal axle.
22. The rotatable roller according to claim 8, wherein the
deflecting member is helically shaped and has central cutouts of
varying diameter along a length of the deflecting member.
23. The rotatable roller according to claim 7, wherein the
deflecting member has several deflecting areas and wherein the
deflecting areas are spaced at different spacings to one
another.
24. The rotatable roller according to claim 7, wherein the
deflecting members have deflecting areas that are arranged randomly
for generating chaotic flows.
25. A deflecting member for use in a channel through which a medium
flows for controlling a temperature of a rotatable roller, the
deflecting member having a longitudinal axis and comprising at
least one deflecting area positioned at an incline relative to the
longitudinal axis.
26. The deflecting member according to claim 25, wherein the
deflecting area has a spiral shape or a helix shape surrounding the
longitudinal axis.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to a rotatable roller with a roller
body, having correlated therewith channels for guiding a medium
therethrough for the purpose of temperature control of the roller
body, the medium being, in particular, a liquid.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Such rollers are used in many fields of application, for
example, in the manufacture of paper, in the foodstuff industry, as
well as in rolling processes of plastic or steel, for example, for
continuous casting and rolling in a continuous casting process. It
is known in this context to provide roller bodies with channels,
extending axially in the roller and near the surface, for
temperature control of the roller bodies, for example, for heating
them. Such rollers, for example, are disclosed in EP 0 606 660
A1.
[0005] In the case of channels with parallel walls, which can be
produced by drilling, for guiding a medium through, in particular,
a heating liquid, a high consumption of heating medium is required
for a laminar flow in the channel. Moreover, only the outer areas
of the flow profile provide sufficient heat to the walls of the
channels and thus to the roller. Inwardly positioned flow threads
largely keep their heat energy, and this impairs the heat transfer
efficiency. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide an
improvement of the channels for such rotatable rollers.
[0007] In accordance with the present invention, this is achieved
in that at least one of the channels has correlated therewith a
separating member so that tempering media of different consistency
and/or temperature and/or flow direction and/or flow speed can flow
within one channel.
[0008] According to another embodiment this object is achieved in
that at least one deflecting member correlated with at least one
area of the channel and acting on the medium is provided which
imparts an additional flow direction to the substantially axially
oriented flow of the tempering medium.
[0009] The deflecting member for this purpose is characterized by
at least one deflecting area which is positioned at a slant
relative to the longitudinal axis of the deflecting member.
[0010] By providing separating members in the channels, the medium
flow is provided with a smaller cross-section in the channel so
that the speed of the tempering medium is increased and an improved
temperature transfer is ensured. Moreover, the channel divided in
this way can be used simultaneously for supplying and returning the
tempering medium. In this context, a division of the channel into
halves, thirds or fourths (two, three or four channel portions) is
advantageous. Even divisions by greater numbers are possible. It is
particularly advantageous when the separating member has the shape
of a multi-start helix so that a turbulence of the tempering medium
can be achieved simply by means of the helical configuration.
Moreover, the residence time of the tempering medium is increased
as a result of the longer travel path. The turbulence, the increase
of the residence time, and the speed increase caused by the channel
constriction result in an optimal heat transfer.
[0011] With the embodiment according to the invention of a roller
having a deflecting member arranged in at least one area of the
channels, which imparts to the substantially axially oriented
tempering medium flow an additional flow direction, a departure
from laminar flow of the medium flowing through the channels is
ensured. Turbulence results with which the volume per time unit of
the tempering medium flowing through the channel or channels of the
roller is reduced. This results in savings of, for example, heating
liquid. But at the same time, the heat transfer to the roller is
improved; a larger proportion of the heating medium comes into
contact with the walls of the channels.
[0012] When the deflecting member in its mounted position has a
longitudinal extension following the channel orientation, the
deflecting area can extend over a large longitudinal area of the
channel. The heat transfer is then improved over a large
longitudinal area of the channel. When arranging the deflecting
area at least in the outer portion of the deflecting member,
turbulence is achieved in the areas neighboring the channel walls.
The efficiency is thus especially good. In this connection, the
deflecting member can have a rigid longitudinal or form a
deflection area as a whole, for example, in the way a coil
spring.
[0013] An especially favorable configuration results when the
deflecting area imparts a rotation to the medium flowing about the
deflecting member. This can be achieved, for example, by a spiral
shape of the deflecting member following the longitudinal direction
of the longitudinal axis.
[0014] When the deflecting areas have varying ascending gradients
across the axial extension of the deflecting member, the roller
areas can be loaded in a targeted way with different intensity of
the tempering media.
[0015] A special advantage results when the separating members and
the deflecting members are inserted into one channel wherein the
separating members can be the support for the deflecting
members.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0016] In the drawing:
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a deflecting member which as a whole is of a
screw shape;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a deflecting member similar to that of FIG. 1 in
which a rigid central longitudinal axle is provided on whose
exterior a screw is attached;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a straight heating channel which is formed, for
example, as a bore in a roller body;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a deflecting member formed as a whole as a coil
spring;
[0021] FIG. 5 is heating channel which has a 180.degree. bend and
which has inlet and outlet openings at the same side of the
roller;
[0022] FIG. 6a is a parallel arrangement of several so-called
single-pass channels;
[0023] FIG. 6b shows a dual pass arrangement in which inlet and
outlet openings are positioned on the same side of the roller;
[0024] FIG. 6c shows a triple pass arrangement with two bends;
[0025] FIG. 6d shows a quadruple pass arrangement wherein the
channel has three 180.degree. bends;
[0026] FIG. 7a is an arrangement in which two inlet openings
communicate with one outlet opening;
[0027] FIG. 7b is a reverse arrangement in which one inlet opening
communicates with two outlet openings;
[0028] FIG. 7c is an arrangement in which three inlet openings
communicate with one outlet opening;
[0029] FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view of a roller with a
central hollow chamber used as a flow channel for the tempering
medium, wherein a deflecting member is inserted into the hollow
chamber;
[0030] FIG. 9 shows a separating member in the form of a
multi-start helix wherein the angle of inclination of the helix
decreases continuously in the flow direction; and
[0031] FIG. 10 shows a separating member which is provided with
deflecting members.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0032] The roller according to the invention (shown in FIG. 8) has
one or more flow channels 1, 101, 201, 301, 501, 601 which are
arranged axially in the roller and are distributed about the
circumference of the roller and in which a medium, in particular, a
liquid, is guided for temperature control (tempering) of the
roller. Such channels can be produced, for example, by drilling and
can then have a straight extension. Generally, several such
channels are arranged in a roller. Such a roller body is provided
on both ends with flange pins by which a connection of the channels
to an outer supply with heating or cooling media is ensured. A
central axial hollow space in the hollow roller (FIG. 8) can be
used as a flow channel 401 for tempering media wherein this channel
401, for example, is a supply line and a peripheral channel 1, 101,
201, 301, 501, 601 can serve as a return line or vice versa. The
central flow channel 401 can be provided with a deflection member
405 for an improved adjustment of the flow conditions, wherein the
deflection member 405 with regard to its size is matched to the
axial and radial extension of the hollow space or chamber.
[0033] FIG. 3 shows a straight channel 1 which has at one roller
end an inlet E and at the other roller end an outlet A for the
flowing medium.
[0034] In a further embodiment (FIG. 5) a channel 101 is
illustrated whose inlet E and outlet A are positioned on the same
side of the roller surrounding the channel. Opposite the inlet and
outlet an axial end portion 102 is provided in which a 180.degree.
bend of the channel 101 is formed so that the return path 103 to
the outlet side is provided.
[0035] According to the embodiment of FIG. 6c two deflections or
bends 202 are formed so that the inlet side E and the outlet side A
of the channel 201 are positioned on opposite sides of the roller.
According to FIG. 6d three bends 302 are provided so that the inlet
E and outlet A of such a channel 301 are again positioned on the
same side of the roller body. All such channels 1, 101, 201, 301
penetrate preferably substantially or completely the roller body in
the direction of its axial extension.
[0036] The channel 501 is formed such that two externally
positioned inlet lines E are guided to a central outlet line A. The
number of inlet and outlet openings E, A is thus different. The
same holds true for the channel system according to FIG. 7b in
which the inlet and outlet openings have been switched. The channel
601 according to FIG. 7c has three inlet openings E and one outlet
opening A so that here the number of inlet openings and outlet
openings E, A -is also different.
[0037] FIG. 1 shows a deflecting member 5 which has a longitudinal
extension L parallel to its longitudinal axis 6. The deflecting
member 5 compromises a deflecting area 7 which is formed as a screw
guided about the longitudinal axis 6 and which is positioned at a
slant relative the longitudinal axis 6. When mounted in a channel
1, 101, 201, 301, 501, 601, the deflecting areas 7 are positioned
at an acute angle relative to the walls 1a of the channel 1, 101,
201, 301, 501, 601.
[0038] The deflecting member 5, 105 according to FIG. 2 comprises a
rigid central axle 106 about which the slantedly positioned and
coil-shaped deflecting areas 107 extend. The deflecting areas can
be formed continuously like a screw over the entire longitudinal
extension L of the deflecting member 105, or individual slantedly
positioned deflecting areas 107 can be provided.
[0039] According to a third embodiment the deflecting member 205 is
formed as a whole as a coil spring body so that the longitudinal
axis 6 is only surrounded by the deflecting areas 207.
[0040] The FIGS. 3 and 5 show a deflecting member 205 for use in a
channel 1 or 101 which is arranged in a roller body of a roller,
for example, in the form of a hollow cylindrical roller, that is to
be temperature-controlled (tempered). As described above, such
channels 1, 101 as well as the channels of the further embodiments
are positioned closely underneath the outer roller surface in order
to thus provide a heating process that is as efficient as
possible.
[0041] All of the illustrated deflecting members 5, 105, 205, 405
create a turbulent flow in the heating medium so that the
individual flowing particles must travel a longer distance within
the channel 1, 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601 and the residence time
and thus also the energy transfer time are increased. This effect
is maintained also for a point-directed increased flow velocity of
the particles of the medium as it can be caused by turbulences.
Also, deflecting members 5, 105, 205, 405 are possible which have
deflecting areas 7, 107, 207, 407 that are not shape-stable but are
to be formed by the oncoming medium so that in this way a chaotic
flow of the medium results. This can change upon a change of the
temporal course or when changing the pressure of the medium as it
is guided through.
[0042] When using a spring-like or other deformable deflecting
member 205, the incline of the deflecting area 207 or the length L
of the deflecting member can be varied, optionally during
operation, in order to be able to affect the type of turbulences
and the possibly additionally formed rotation and to thus be able
to affect the parameters flow speed, liquid amount to be
introduced, or gas amount, residence time, and turbulence of the
introduced medium. Across the axial course of a deflecting member
5, 105, 205, 405 the incline of the deflecting areas 7, 107, 207,
407 can be varied so that areas 7a with minimal incline and areas
7b with large incline are present. Areas with identical or
different incline 7a, 7b can be furthermore spatially spaced from
one another.
[0043] FIG. 9 shows a separating member 50 in the form of a
two-start helix 70 that can be inserted into a channel. The
incoming flow of the tempering medium can be guided within a
channel portion formed by one of the helix strands and the return
flow of the tempering medium can be guided in the other channel
portion defined by the other helix strand. In this connection, the
supply and return of the medium can be provided within a single
channel. However, there is also the possibility that the supply of
the tempering medium is realized in one coil of one channel and the
return of this tempering medium in another coil of another channel.
There is also the possibility to supply both helix strands of one
channel with inflowing tempering medium wherein even different
tempering media, i.e., of different inconsistency and/or
temperature and/or speed, can be supplied.
[0044] FIG. 9 shows that the inclination angle of the helix
strands, which are both used for supplying the tempering medium, is
continuously reduced in the flow direction. This means that the
travel path of the tempering medium is longer, the residence time
is increased, and the speed must be correspondingly increased so
that an improved heat transfer is possible.
[0045] FIG. 10 shows a separating body 50 which at the same time
has deflecting members as a unitary part thereof. They are arranged
within a partial area of the channel at any desired location. In
the second partial area the deflecting members with a continuously
changing incline are provided.
[0046] With a computer-controlled simulation, an optimization of
such deflecting members and/or separating members can be achieved
so that the heat transfer is maintained at a constant level
substantially over the entire axial longitudinal extension of the
roller body. With varying inclines 7a, 7b a point-oriented
controlled heat transfer is also possible as an alternative.
[0047] The shown deflecting bodies 5, 105, 205, 405 as well as the
separating members can also have any desired other configuration.
They can be inserted by retrofitting into the channels 1, 101, 201,
301, 401, 501, 601. This facilitates mounting. Also, conventional
rollers can be retrofitted in this way.
[0048] It is not mandatory that the deflecting areas 7, 107, 207,
407 impart rotation onto the medium, as has been explained in
connection with the above embodiments. However, this makes it
possible to introduce a uniform and predictable sequence of
turbulent flows in the channel of the roller to be
temperature-controlled (tempered).
[0049] The deflecting bodies 5, 105, 205, 405 and/or the separating
members can be shaped, depending on the employed medium, of
different materials, for example, stainless steel or plastic
material, inasmuch as corrosive media are being used.
[0050] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown
and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it
will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise
without departing from such principles.
* * * * *