Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02530072 1998-O1-05
WO ~38J34079 PCTIfJS98/01120
HIGH SPEED INFRARED/CONVECTION DRYER
HACRGROUND OF TRH INV'ENTION
The present invention relates to web drying apparatus. In
crying a moving web of material, such as paper, film or other
sheet or planar material, it is often desirable that the web be
dried cruickly, and that the length of the dryer be limited in
view of space and cost constraints. Various attempts have been
made in the prior art for decreasing the length and/or increasing
the eTficiency and line speed of web dryers. To that end,
infrared radiation has been used either alone or in combination
with a'_r to dry the web. For example, U.S. Fatent No. 4,935,025
discloses a method for drying a moving web by passing the web
ree e. contact through various drying gaps. Thus, the web is
passed t=rough an infrared treatment gap in which i:frared
radiaticn is applied to the web from an infrared ur_it, and then
.s passed i:to an air-d=-ying gap within which the web is dried
by cas blowings from an airborne web dryer unit which
s~mul~arecus?y supports the web free of contact. Further, U.S.
?ater~ No. x,756,091 discloses a hybrid gas-heated air and
_nTrarod rad_ation drying oven ,n which strips of i_r_frared
heaters are arranged with heated air inflow nozzles alongside
thereof. U.S. Patent No. 5,261,166 discloses a combination
infrared and air flotation dryer wherein a plurality of air bars
are mounted above and below the web for contactless convection
drying of the web, and a plurality of infrared gas fired burners
are mounted between air bars.
In many conventional infrared dryers, however, much or the
heat supplied by the infrared energy source is lost to
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wo ~so~9 rc~r~s9sromzo
surroundings by transmission, reflection and radiation. In
addition, the infrared elements must be continually turned on and
off to avoid burning of the web. This reduces efficiency and can
reduce infrared element life.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to '
provide a more efficient combination infrared/convection oven or
dryer for drying moving webs.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide
optimal control of an infrared/convection oven.
It is a still further object of the present invention to
provide inf°ared and convection drying while floatingly
supportir_a the moving web.
It is another object of the present invention to eliminate
the reed to continually turn the infrared elements on and off.
SUMMARY OF TFiE INVENTION
The problems of the prior art have been overcome by the
present invention, which provides a combination
in=rared/cor_vect ion dryer or oven for travelling webs. A shutter
d85emb1 _ _ -y l g ~,ryr; ded betWe_ _ °_n the l nfrarF'd radlati Qn
SOUrCA and
tae moving web in order to selectively expose the web to infrared
radiation. Drying efficiency is optimized by adding heated
impinged air at high velocity on the machine direction ends and
between the infrared elements. The air being discharged on the
web is heated as it is pulled across the elements to a
centralized return air duct. The return air is pulled into the
l n' et of a close coupled supply fan which then discharges the air ,
to the nozzles. A portion of the air is also exhausted to
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atmosphere to maintain the oven enclosure in a negative pressure
state, thus drawing fresh make-up air into the oven housing through
the web inlet and outlet slots. Enhanced drying of the web and/or
a coating on the web at high speed is achieved without a
concomitant increase in dryer length.
In ane embodiment of the invention, air bars are used to
floatingly support the moving web to avoid contact of the web with
dryer elements.
Figure 1 is a front view of the infrared/convention oven in
accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a top view of the shutter assembly for use in
the dryer of the present invention;
Figure 3 is a front view of the shutter assembly taken along
line 3-3 of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a side view of the shutter assembly, taken along
line 4-4 of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a detailed view showing the connection of a
shutter to the control mechanism in accordance with the present
-' invention;
Figure 6 is a front view of the oven with a close coupled fan
assembly, and
Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an
infrared/convention floatation oven in accordance with an
alternative embodiment of the present invention.
DL~rl\lLtGi7 DESCRi,PTlUhI Ug T~lE l~ViS~ITlUl1
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WO PCTIUS98I01120
Turning first to Figure 1, there is shown generally at 10
a dryer or oven in accordance with the present invention. The
oven 10 is defined by a housing 11, preferably insulated, having
a web inlet opening 12 to accommodate entry of a web W into the
housing and a web outlet opening 13 spaced from the inlet 12 to ,
accommodate exit of the web W from the housing, as shown. The
housing 11 can be constructed of any suitable preferably
reflective material, such as aluminum or stainless steel. A
plurality of spaced idler rollers 14a-14n axe provided to guide
ar_d support the web W as it travels through the oven 10 from the
inlet .2 to the outlet 13. T_t is prefer=ed that the rclle=s la
be positioned at least below each source of impingement air 15a,
l Sb and ? Sc as shown, since at the poi nts of impingement, the web
W needs the mcst support to avoid web flutter, especially during
icw tensicn instan cos. A pair of infrared radiation elements 16,
16a are secu=ed i.~.~. the housing 11 to supplement the dryi ng of the
web.
T_mp'_ngement air is preferably provided upstream a:~d
downstream of each i.~_frared radiation source 16, 16a, which f n
the embodiment shown; .s near the oven inlet 12, near the oven
outlet 13, and in a central location in the oven. Air bars 15a,
15b and 15c are provided for this purpose, and are in
communication with an air supply source, such as a fan, through
suitable ductwork. The particular configurations of the air bars
15a and 15c are similar, and are designed to form air knives that
provide mass transfer to the web and cooling air to the shutter
assembly. The configuration of the central air bar 15b is
designed to provide mass transfer to promote drying.
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Positioned between air impingement sources lSa and 15b is
elemental infrared radiation source 16. Toward the web inlet end
the infrared radiation source 16 is mounted to the air
imp=ngement source 15a with L-shaped sheet 7, and is preferably
angled upwardly towards the center of the oven as shown. This
upward angle creates enough overwrap on the non-drive idler
roller to create a driving force for the roller so that the web
w proceeds properly through the oven. Similarly, positioned
between al; impingement sources 15b and 15c is a second infrared
racii~tion source 16a, similarly mounted to the air impingement
source _5c with L-shaped sheet 7a, and also angled upwardly
towards the center of the oven 10 as shown.
S:.utte= assemblies 8 a~d 9 axe positioned below infrared
e_eme__~a s ?6a and I6, respectively, to allow for control of the
radia~'_c:! permitted to reach the web W without the necessity of
~urri.~.a c=~ the ir_~rared radiation source (s) . Referring to
__cure 2, each shutter assembly includes a plurality of aligned
~'_aces 2 ~ , each bade 20 s? ightly over? apping its adjacent blade
when __, t.e closed position, as best seen in Figure 3. The
number o' blades 20 in each shutter assembly can vary, and
Cege.~_cs cn the particular d=mensions of the infrared heating
element being used. Although the dimensions of each blade are
nct c=itical, is has been found that blades 1 inch wide are
suitable, and that such blades can be placed 0.94 inches center-
to-cents= to create the necessary overlap. Preferably the damper
blades 20 are designed with a reflecting surface to reflect the
_:.frared light back towards the infrared elements and direct it
way from the web.
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PGT/US98/01120
Referring now to Figure 5, the blades 20 are attached to the
shutter assembly using a pin arrangement as shown. Thus, each
end of each blade 2o is pivotally affixed to a clamp 32 on the
end of pin 30. The end of pin 30 opposite clamp 32 is affixed
to damper push link arm 33. Each push link arm 33 for each
damper blade 20 is then connected via a connecting link 34
(Figure 4), which allows all of the dampers to be pivoted upon
actuation of an air cylinder 40 (located externally of the oven)
which connects to a cylinder clevis 3? and then to the connecting
link 34 via the damper link pivot 35.
Preferably the opening azd closing of the shutters is based
or _'_ne speed. At a predetermined line speed set point (which
can be signa 1 ed by any suitable mear_s, such as a magnetic pick-up
connected to the coating lire drive shaft), the shutters open and
allow exposure ef the web to the infrared radiation. In the
event the line speed drops below the set point, the shutters
close ar_d prevent burning of the web.
As shown in Figure 6, a supply/exhaust fan 28 is i_~.
communication with the oven, and in particular, the air bars 15a,
1=b a_r_d 15c, via suitable cuctwork 40, 41. The fan 2S is sized
to accommodate excess air that is exhausted in order to maintain
the oven enclosure in a negative pressure state. This negative
pressure causes infiltration air to enter into the oven 10
trough the web inlet and outlet slots 12 and 13. Dampers 5 and
6 are provided in the ductwork to regulate the flow of air to and
from the fan 28. Return air is pulled from the return ducts 42,
43 in the oven by the supply/exhaust fan 28. Since the return
ducts are centrally located in the oven 10, the return air is
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WO 9~I34079 PCT/US98/OllZl1
directed over the entire face of the in=rayed heating element,
hereby heating the recirculated supply air to improve
efficiency.
Figure 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the present
_nvention that employs flotation nozzles in place of the idler
.oilers in order to provide non-contact web support. Suitable
flotation air bars include HI-FLOAT° air bars commercially
available from Grace Tec Systems. In the embodiment shown, air
knives 15a and 15c are positioned at the web entry and exit ends
or the dryer in a manner similar to that in the previous
emi~cc_;nent, and provide mass transfer to the web and cooling air
to tre si:utter assemblies as before. An air flotation nozzle 150
__= pre=erably centrally located between air knives 1Sa and 15b.
Si~ni_ar ai. flotation nozzles 151 and 152 are positioned below
the web ber.ween air knives ~Sa' and 15c', and are offset from air
f? otaton nozzle 150. Air issuing from the air flotation nozzles
supccr_s and floatingiy drys the running web. Elemental ir_frared
radiation sources 16 and 16a, together with shutter assemblies
(net sowni are positioned between each air knife and the
=1 ct.a t.i~n nozzl a 250 above the web, analogous to the previous
embodiment. Optionally, an infrared radiation source 160 and
corresponding shutter assembly (not shown) can be located below
the web and between flotation nozzles 151 and 152 to enhance
drying efficiency.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the infrared
radiation sources can be used above the web, below the web, or
both, depending upon the dry=ng capacity desired. Similarly, the
particular location of the flotation nozzles will depend upon
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drying capacity, provided adequate web support is achieved.
An infrared pyrometer (not shown) is incorporated into the
control scheme to maintain exit web temperature. Shutter
open/close timing is based on the percent press speed. The
shutter open/close control is also interlocked to a web break
detector.
In operation, the supply/exhaust fan 28 is turned on, and
a preheat cycle is begun by activating the shutter assembly to
the closed position. The infrared element is turned on and a
desired temperature set point is achieved, such as 1400°F. once
the sec point is reached (which can be signaled by any suitabi~
mear_s, such as a light on a control panel), temperature is
subsequently controlled via a thermocouple ar_d SCR controller.
At t::e set point temperature, the oven is ready to dry. The
shutter assembly is opened and closed via a line speed control
set point, such as 70 feet per minute. Upon reaching the line
speed sec ~cint, the shutters will open, thereby emitting the
infrared energy to the web w media. Control of the element
temperatsre will now shift to the web temperature vi a the web
temperature infrared pyrometer and the SCR controller.
As the line speed is brought down to an intermittent stop,
the shutter assembly will again be closed, once it decelerates
past the lire speed control set point. The infrared e1 ement
temperature control will take over, maintaining the ready
temperature set point. The same sequence occurs in the event of
a web break.
Preferably a safety shutdown is incorporated that is based
upon the infrared element temperature. For example, in the event
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the element temperature reaches 1800°F, a high temperature limit
switch will actuate and shut off the element.
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