MULTI-HOT AERATOR LIMP-MATTRESS TYPE SUPPORTING AND HEATING SYSTEMS FOR MATERIALS

AERATEUR A PLUSIEURS UNITE DE CHAUFFAGE POUR SUPPORTER DES MATELAS DE TYPE FLOTTANT ET SYSTEME DE CHAUFFAGE POUR CES MATERIAUX

English Abstract

The heating systems used to preheat large refractory surfaces in order to stack different layers of material normally used are either electrical heating plates or gas burners. In the present invention, the heating apparatus is made of one or many mattresses laid on the surface to be heated, the number of mattresses depending on the size of the area to be heated. The mattress is connected to one or many portable heating units equipped with a fan and a heat exchanger that inflate the mattress with warm air and create an air film between the mattress and the surface to be heated. The advantage of that apparatus is the lightness, the precision and the homogeneity of the temperature obtained at the specific surface.

French Abstract

Les systèmes de chauffage utilisés pour préchauffer de grandes surfaces réfractaires afin d'empiler différentes couches de matériau normalement utilisés sont soit des plaques chauffantes électriques, soit des brûleurs de gaz. Dans la présente invention, l'appareil de chauffage est constitué d'un ou plusieurs matelas posés sur la surface devant être chauffée, le nombre de matelas dépendant de la taille de la zone devant être chauffée. Le matelas est connecté à un ou plusieurs modules de chauffage portables équipés d'une soufflante et d'un échangeur thermique qui gonflent le matelas d'air chaud et créent un film d'air entre le matelas et la surface devant être chauffée. L'avantage de cet appareil est la légèreté, la précision et l'homogénéité de la température obtenue à la surface spécifique.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or
privilege is claimed are defined as follows:


1. An apparatus for heating a surface of refractory material, comprising:
a) an inflatable limp mattress comprising a chamber and an air diffusion
surface for application to the surface of refractory material;
b) a heated air supply assembly for supplying heated air to the chamber
of the inflatable limp mattress; and
c) means for producing a film of heated air between the air diffusion
surface of the inflatable limp mattress and the surface of refractory
material, said heated air film producing means comprising the heated
air supply assembly for supplying heated air to the chamber of the
inflatable limp mattress and the air diffusion surface uniformly
diffusing heated air from the chamber of the inflatable limp mattress
over the spacing between the air diffusion surface and the surface of
refractory material to produce said film of heated air which uniformly
heats said surface of refractory material.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heated air supply
assembly includes a heat exchanger for heating air.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heated air supply
assembly includes a fan for blowing air from said heated air supply
assembly to the chamber of the inflatable limp mattress.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heated air supply
assembly is connected to the inflatable limp mattress through at least one
hose.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heated air supply
assembly is portable.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heated air supply
assembly is electronically operated.




7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heated air supply
assembly further includes an air temperature control.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said heated air supply
assembly further includes a speed control for the blown air.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heated air supply
assembly includes a heat exchanger and a fan positioned upstream of the
heat exchanger.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said at least one hose is
flexible.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said air diffusion surface is
made of hard-wearing cloth.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inflatable limp mattress
includes more than one inflatable limp mattress.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said air diffusion surface
includes more than one air diffusion surface.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heated air supply
assembly includes more than one heated air supply assembly.

15. An apparatus for heating a surface of refractory material, comprising:
a) at least one inflatable limp mattress, each inflatable limp mattress
comprising a chamber and an air diffusion surface for application to
the surface of refractory material;
b) at least one heated air supply assembly for supplying heated air to
the chamber of said at least one inflatable limp mattress, each of said
at least one heated air supply assembly comprising:

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i. a heat exchanger providing heated air; and
ii. a fan for blowing heated air from the heat exchanger to the
chamber of said at least one inflatable limp mattress; and
c) means for producing a film of heated air between the air diffusion
surface of said at least one inflatable limp mattress and the surface of
refractory material, said heated air film producing means comprising
said at least one heated air supply assembly for supplying heated air
to the chamber of said at least one inflatable limp mattress and the air
diffusion surface of said at least one inflatable limp mattress for
uniformly diffusing heated air from the chamber of said at least one
inflatable limp mattress over the spacing between the air diffusion
surface of said at least one inflatable limp mattress and the surface of
refractory material to produce said film of heated air which uniformly
heats said surface of refractory material.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the heated air diffuses
between the air diffusion surface of said at least one inflatable limp
mattress and the surface of refractory material by convection.

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Description

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CA 02369160 2005-11-28

Multi Hot Aerator Lima-Mattress Type Supaortina and Heatina Systems for
Materials

Field of the invention

The present invention generally relates to heating apparatuses. More
specifically, but
not exclusively, the present invention is concerned with a temporary hot air
heating
apparatus that can preheat refractory material.

Background of the invention

It is known that a refractory material must get to a predetermined temperature
to
achieve its optimal configuration, and that obtaining this temperature and its
homogeneity are key elements for the viability of the refractory material.

In some existing techniques, the preheating of a refractory material is done
by using
heating plates against the surface of the material (radiation).

However, these techniques involving heating plates do not give a constant
heating as
the plate must be hotter that the desired temperature. Also, the heavy weight
and the
rigidity of the metal plates make their handling much more difficult.

For instance, to get a surface heated at 40 C, a plate is generally heated at
150 C,
and the only way to control the temperature at the surface of the material is
the
heating time.

Another method which may be used includes the building of a temporary tent. A
unit
heater is installed on the refractory surface and heats the space covered by
the tent.
However, this method involves a very long heating time, since all the space
under the
tent must be heated, instead of heating only the desired surface. Also, the
heating
homogeneity is not constant.

The heating apparatus of the present invention reduces the air volume to be
heated
(mattress) and produces a generally constant and uniform heat that allows the
control of the temperature of the desired refractory surface, and its heating
time.

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CA 02369160 2005-11-28
Summary of the invention

More specifically, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided
an
apparatus for heating a surface of refractory material, comprising: an
inflatable limp
mattress comprising a chamber and an air diffusion surface for application to
the
surface of refractory material; a heated air supply assembly for supplying
heated air
to the chamber of the inflatable limp mattress; and means for producing a film
of
heated air between the air diffusion surface of the inflatable limp mattress
and the
surface of refractory material. The heated air film producing means comprises
the
heated air supply assembly for supplying heated air to the chamber of the
inflatable
limp mattress and the air diffusion surface uniformly diffusing heated air
from the
chamber of the inflatable limp mattress over the spacing between the air
diffusion
surface and the surface of refractory material to produce the film of heated
air which
uniformly heats said surface of refractory material.

According to the invention, there is also provided an apparatus for heating a
surface
of refractory material, comprising: at least one inflatable limp mattress,
each
inflatable limp mattress comprising a chamber and an air diffusion surface for
application to the surface of refractory material; at least one heated air
supply
assembly for supplying heated air to the chamber of the at least one
inflatable limp
mattress, each heated air supply assembly comprising a heat exchanger
providing
heated air and a fan for blowing heated air from the heat exchanger to the
chamber
of the at least one inflatable limp mattress; and means for producing a film
of heated
air between the air diffusion surface of the at least one inflatable limp
mattress and
the surface of refractory material. The heated air film producing means
comprising
the at least one heated air supply assembly for supplying heated air to the
chamber
of the at least one inflatable limp mattress and the air diffusion surface of
the at least
one inflatable limp mattress for uniformly diffusing heated air from the
chamber of the
at least one inflatable limp mattress over the spacing between the air
diffusion
surface of the at least one inflatable limp mattress and the surface of
refractory
material to produce the film of heated air which uniformly heats said surface
of
refractory material.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages and features of the present
invention
will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive
description
of preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference
to
the accompanying drawings.

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CA 02369160 2005-03-09
Brief Description of the figures

In the appended drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an adaptable heating apparatus according to
an embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 in Figure 1.
Detailed description

Generally stated, the present invention relates to a heating apparatus 20
which is generally movable and adapts to preheat refractory material on a
surface.
The heating apparatus 20 is made of one or many mattresses 22 (only one
shown) laid on the surface 24 to be heated. The number of mattresses 22
depends on the size of the area to be heated. Each mattress 22 is connected
to one or many portable heating units or heated air supplying assembly 26
equipped with a fan 28 and a heat exchanger 30 that inflate the mattress 22
with warm air and create an air film between the mattress 22 and the surface
24 to be heated.

The fan 28 of each portable heating unit 26 blows air into the heat exchanger
30 which may be electrically operated (the fan 28 is generally installed
before
the electrical heat exchanger30). Each unit 26 may have a control 32 for the
blowing speed and for the temperature, such that these units 26 can be
independently controlled according to the temperature of each mattress. Each
mattress 22 is generally connected to the heating unit 26 with a hose 34
which may be flexible.

As schematically shown in Figure 2, each mattress 22 has a chamber 36
defined by at least one mattress surface 38, 40 and which is filled with hot
air
42 under pressure coming from the heat exchanger 30. The hot air 42 is
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CA 02369160 2005-03-09

generally diffused under the mattress 22, against the surface 24 to be heated,
such that a film 44 of warm air is generated. The mattress 22 is generally
easy to manipulate and its material may contain hard-wearing, very light
cloth.

Each unit 26 generally uses the convection as heating medium (ventilation),
the material of the mattress 22 being adapted to keep the temperature
between itself and the surface 24 to be heated by radiation. The mattress 22
thickness has been chosen so as to provide an adequate insulation which
allows the heated material to be kept at a generally constant temperature.
Each apparatus 20 is generally sized or calculated for a given job, depending
on the area to be heated and the targeted temperature.

One of the advantages of that apparatus 20 is its lightness, and the precision
and homogeneity of the temperature obtained at the specific surface 24.
During earlier trials of the prototype on a surface 24 to be heated of about
3meters by 4meters (about 10 feet by 13 feet), the differential of temperature
obtained for a target of 40 C was 5 C. Therefore, this apparatus 20 allows to
obtain a targeted temperature within the tolerance as per the specifications
of
the refractory material supplier. However, less favorable results can happen
in
the case where the outside temperature is below 2 C.

Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of an
example thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit and
nature of the subject invention as defined in the appended claims.

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Representative Drawing