PRODUCTION LINE

专利摘要:
method of designing and manufacturing a distributor bar, distributor bar, production line, and computer-readable storage medium. A method of designing and manufacturing a dispensing bar for use in a production line is described which comprises a mixing head for providing a viscous foamable liquid mixture, a rolling mill with a preset speed of at least 20 m/min, the bar distributor that has a central inlet fluidly connected to several outlets through a main channel. the method comprises: choosing (3001) a geometry for the distributor bar and defining a set of geometric parameters; assigning (3002) values to said parameters; create (3003) a virtual model; simulating (3005) the flow in said model by performing a computational fluid dynamics (cfd) simulation, which takes into account (3004) a non-Newtonian shear plasticity model; e) evaluate the simulated flow; build (2007) a physical distribution bus. a dispensing bar, a production line and a computer program product.
公开号:BR112017004668B1
申请号:R112017004668-7
申请日:2015-08-24
公开日:2021-09-08
发明作者:Mark Joseph Brennan
申请人:Huntsman International Llc；
IPC主号:

专利说明:

Field of Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to devices for applying a foamable reaction mixture on a layer, such as on a metal sheet, or a laminator for making foam insulation panels. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of designing and manufacturing a distributor bar for applying a viscous foamable liquid mixture onto such layer, to a distributor bar thus designed and manufactured and to a production line comprising a dispensing bar such as this one, and to a computer program product to carry out at least some steps of said method. Fundamentals of the Invention
[0002] Systems for applying a viscous foamable mixture, eg a mixture to generate polyurethane (PU) foams or polyisocyanurate (PIR) foams, are widely practiced today. Such systems typically have a first continuously operating (lower) belt system, also referred to herein as a "laminator", onto which the foamable viscous mixture is deposited, and a second continuous (upper) belt system to form so-called panels midway sandwiches. These panels can be used, for example, for the projection of facades in a very wide variety of buildings, along sandwich elements for cold storage insulation, etc. The foamable mixture can be a mixture of a polyol and an isocyanate, but it is known in the art that many additives can also be added, such as blowing agents, flame retardants, etc., which are mixed in one or more mixing heads . From the mixing head(s), the fluid viscous mixture is taken to the distributor bar, from which the mixture is distributed over the width of the mill.
[003] Ideally, the viscous fluid mixture is deposited in the rolling mill in such a way that it creates a uniform mixing layer, but, as is known in the art, the projection of a distributor bar capable of providing a uniform mixing layer as this is far from trivial. This is especially true for high-speed laminators, for example, which have a laminator speed between 20 m/min and 100 m/min, or between 50 m/min and 100 m/min.
[004] WO2009/077490 and US2011/0003082 describe a static spreader bar (see figure 1) that allegedly provides a foamed material with fewer voids and less surface defects compared to a foamed layer made using a rake applicator oscillating. Aside from listing very broad parameter ranges, this application does not provide guidance on potential mill issues and/or how good mills should be designed.
[005] US2010/0080900A1 describes a method for producing composite elements based on isocyanate-based foams. The publication provides some parameters that can be optimized with the intention of keeping the mixing speed of the reaction in the tube or at the exit of the holes constant, however, the application does not offer a concrete solution of exactly how this intention can be achieved. Given the large number of variables that need to be defined, the suggested solution is really a multidimensional problem that cannot be easily solved without undue effort.
[006] WO2013/107742 describes another device (replicated here as figure 2) for applying a foaming reaction mixture on a layer, according to which a central geometric axis of the molding rake (another name for a distributor bar) forms an angle <= 80° with respect to the geometric axis of movement of the mill.
[007] US2013/0280538 describes yet another device (replicated here as figure 3) for applying a liquid reaction mixture, according to which the external openings are directed outwards at an angle of 1° to 50° with respect to a direction perpendicular to the laminator.
[008] All prior art systems aim to arrange a layer of the mixture that is as uniform as possible over the entire width of the top layer (eg sheet or laminator), but all seem to fail to describe in detail how this goal is to be achieved. Although this goal may be relatively easy to achieve for relatively low mill speeds (eg lower than 10 m/min) in combination with a foamable mix with a relatively low reactivity (eg with a cremification time greater than 10 s), this goal is not automatically achieved, and actually becomes a real technical challenge at relatively high rolling mill speeds (eg above 20 m/min or above 30 m/min or even higher) or, stated differently, at a liquid foamable mixture flow rate of at least 0.100 L/s per spreader bar meter length, especially when foamable viscous mixtures are used with a higher reactivity (which is usually the case for production lines with speeds of higher laminators). A spreader bar for such high rolling mill speeds (or formulated without referring to line speed: a spreader bar to provide such a high flow rate per unit length) really needs to be specifically designed or otherwise non-uniformities, for example , irregularities and/or density gradients and/or bond lines and/or even gaps will occur in the foamed layer. Invention Summary
[009] It is an object of embodiments of the present invention to provide a good distributor bar, and a method for designing and manufacturing such a distributor bar, and a production line comprising such a distributor bar, and a computer program product for manufacturing such distributor bar.
[0010] More specifically, it is an object of particular embodiments of the present invention to provide a distributor bar having a central inlet and a plurality of outlets, wherein the geometry and dimensions of the distributor bar are specifically adapted in such a way that, in use, the distributor bar is capable of dispensing a viscous foamable liquid mixture that enters a predefined flow rate at a predefined length, where the ratio of said flow rate and said length is at least 0.100 x 10-3 m2/s, resulting in a substantially uniform expanded foam material (for example, in terms of mechanical strength, density gradients, voids, gaps or bond lines), and a method for designing and manufacturing the same, and a computer program product for manufacturing of the same, or where the ratio is at least 0.175 L/s per length of the spreader bar gauge (corresponding to, for example, 1 m wide x 25 mm thick in 15 m/min or, for example, 1 m wide x 12.5 mm thick x 30 m/min), or where the ratio is at least 0.350 L/s per spreader bar meter length (corresponding to, for example, 1 m wide x 50 mm thick at 15 m/min or, for example, 1 m wide x 25 mm thick x 30 m/min), or where the ratio is at least 0.500 L/s per meter length of the distributor bar (corresponding to, for example, 1 m wide x 71 mm thick in 15 m/min), or where the ratio is at least 0.700 L/s per length of the distributor bar meter (corresponding to, per example, 1 m wide x 100 mm thick at 15 m/min), or where the ratio is at least 1,000 L/s per spreader bar gauge length (corresponding to, for example, 1 m wide x 143 mm thick at 15 m/min or for example 1 m wide x 72 mm thick x 30 m/min or for example 1 m wide x 50 mm thick x 43 m/min).
[0011] It is also an object of particular embodiments of the present invention to provide a distributor bar suitable for use in a production line, the production line comprising one or more mixing heads that provide a mixture of polyurethane (PUR) or poly - isocyanurate (PIR) at a total flow rate of at least 0.10 L/s, or at least 0.20 L/s, or at least 0.30 L/s, or at least 0.35 L/s, per for example at least 0.40 L/s, for example at least 0.50 L/s, and with a mill width of at least 1.0 m, for example at least 1.2 m and with a speed of rolling mill at least 15 m/min, for example at least 20 m/min, for example at least 25 m/min, for example at least 30 m/min, for example at least 40 m/min, per example, at least 50 m/min, while providing a substantially uniform expanded foam material.
[0012] This objective is achieved by a method, and a distributor bar, and a production line, and a computer program product according to embodiments of the present invention.
[0013] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method of designing and manufacturing a distributor bar that has a central inlet for receiving a predefined viscous foamable liquid mixture at a predefined flow rate, and that has an even predefined number of outlets fluidly connected at said inlet by means of a main channel, the various outlets being equidistantly spaced in a predefined length, in which the distributor bar has a geometry such that, when a predefined flow rate (Qtotal) enters the center inlet and at the preset length is at least 1.00 x 10-4 m2/s, the mix will leave each of the outlets with an average speed that is constant for each of the outlets within a preset tolerance margin of maximum + /- 5%; the method comprising the steps of: a) choosing a geometry for the distributor bar to be manufactured and defining a set of parameters corresponding to a physical shape and dimensions of said distributor bar; b) assign values to geometric parameters; c) create a virtual model of said geometry that has said values assigned; d) simulating a flow of the liquid mixture in said virtual model by performing a Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation, which takes into account in the simulation a non-Newtonian shear thinning model and predefined shear thinning parameter of said viscous foamable liquid mixture; e) assess whether the simulated flow satisfies a predefined criterion and, if a result of said assessment is negative, repeat steps b) to e); and, if a result of said evaluation is positive, either repeat steps b) to e) or go to step f); f) build a physical distributor bar that has a geometry that satisfies the predefined criteria.
[0014] A main advantage of embodiments of the methods according to the present invention is that it allows to design and produce distributor bars for depositing a viscous foamable liquid mixture, such as, for example, a polyurethane mixture, which appear to be mixtures of non-Newtonian shear plasticity, in rolling mills that have a line speed higher than 15 m/min, for example higher than 20 m/min, or higher than 30 m/min, or higher than 40 m /min, or higher than 50 m/min, while still ensuring that, in operation, the viscous foamable liquid layer deposited by said distributor bar in said rolling mill mixes with a uniform liquid layer (no gaps in midpoint), and that the expanded foam is a uniform foam layer (no bond lines).
[0015] An advantage of embodiments of the present invention is that the simulation takes into account the pseudoplasticity characteristic of the foamable fluid in question and that these simulations correspond very well with reality. As far as is known by the inventors, the pseudo-plasticity effect has not been considered so far in the design of distributor bars, probably because everyone believes and considers that the liquid mixture, in particular, polyurethane (PUR), which comes from mixing head behaves like a viscous Newtonian liquid, at least initially, as it travels through the distributor bar. However, this turned out to be wrong and, without taking this behavior into account, experiments with prototypes did not correspond well with the simulations, so it was impossible to use simulations for the projection of distributor bars, especially when it becomes difficult or more critical, which is the case for higher mill speeds (eg above 20 m/min or above 30 m/min), especially when also more reactive mixes are used.
[0016] An advantage is that the simulated behavior of the virtual distributor bar matches very well with the real behavior of a physical distributor bar like this, as long as a non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity model is considered.
[0017] An advantage of having a simulation medium that matches very well with reality is that it allows you to simulate projections before actually building them. In this way, time and money can be saved.
[0018] The invention is especially suitable for dispensing polyurethane or polyisocyanurate liquid mixtures, optionally with added air, but it also works for other viscous foamable liquid mixtures.
[0019] It is a major advantage to use simulation as part of design and fabrication, as it appears to be impossible to find a satisfactory solution without using a simulation like this. All the steps of choosing a geometry, choosing an analytic expression, using a non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity model with particular parameters, etc. they contribute to the method by virtue of the fact that they determine the final shape and dimensions of the physical distributor bar, and therefore its behavior when in use.
[0020] In one modality, the non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity model is selected from the group consisting of the following models: Ostwald de Waele, Cross, Carreau Yasuda, Herschel Bulkley, Bingham, Bird-Carreau and Casson.
[0021] In one embodiment, step a) comprises: choosing a geometry, such as curvature and cross-sectional area, for the main channel, and defining a first set of representative parameters for a physical shape and physical dimensions of the main channel; choosing a geometry for the plurality of outlets, and defining a second set of parameters representative for a physical shape and physical dimensions of the plurality of outlets.
[0022] In one embodiment, the method further comprises a step of choosing an analytic function parameterized with only two parameters to determine said number of the second set of parameters; and step b) comprises assigning values to said parameters, and calculating geometric parameters for each of the various outputs using said analytic function.
[0023] A main advantage of using an analytic expression with two or only two parameters k, a is that it allows the multidimensional problem to be reduced to a two-dimensional problem. This greatly contributes to the performance (or speed of convergence) of the method, in that it reduces the time required to find a solution by dramatically reducing the multidimensional problem (eg at least a 12 dimensional or 16 dimensional or 24 dimensional problem (depending on the number of outputs)) for a two-dimensional problem. Therefore, by using this "transformation" for just two parameters, the computation time required is drastically reduced.
[0024] In one modality, said analytic function parameterized in only two variables can be expressed by or be equivalent to the function: L(z)=B+k.(z/W)a, or can be expressed by or be equivalent to the function: A(z)=B+k.(z/W)a, where B and W are constant, z is a distance in the direction of the length of the distribution bar, L is a length of an output, A is a cross-sectional area of an outlet, and 'k' and 'a' are parameters.
[0025] It was found that the first expression is very suitable for modalities (as shown in figure 21 and in figure 27 and in figure 28), in which the internal diameter of the outlets is constant, and only the length of the outlets must be miscellaneous.
[0026] The second expression has been found to be very suitable for modalities (as shown in Figure 29) where the length of the tubes is constant and the outlet opening is constant, but the outlet tubes are conical.
[0027] It is observed, however, that other representations or mathematical formulas that provide the same results can also be used, such as, for example: L(z)=B+k.(1-z/W)a and A( z)=B+k.(1-z/W)a.
[0028] The parameter 'a' used as an exponent is related to the viscosity in shear plasticity of the viscous foamable fluid mixture. If the so-called "Power Law" is used to represent the behavior of viscosity in non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity, with 'n' being the exponent of the Power Law function, then the ideal value of 'a' is close to the value n +1.
[0029] In one embodiment, step e) is repeated for a predefined number of combinations of said two parameters.
[0030] The parameters 'k' and 'a' can be, for example, varied around a pair of initial values within a margin of about +/-15%, in order to find an "ideal" solution, but which is not required at all, and larger variations, or smaller variations, or no variation at all, may also be used.
[0031] If both parameters are varied within a range of, for example, +/- 15% in steps of, for example, 5%, only 7x7=48 simulations need to be made, compared to 12 at the power of 7 simulations if the length of each output pipe were varied within a range of +/- 15% around a starting value in steps of 5%. It is immediately clear that the latter is not feasible. Varying the parameters as indicated allows you to select the "best result" from a limited number of simulations.
[0032] In one embodiment, step e) comprises calculating an average output speed for each output, and calculating a variation of these average output speeds; and the default criterion is that the calculated variation of average output speeds falls within a tolerance range of at most +/- 5%.
[0033] The reason "average output speed" is used instead of "output speed" is because the speed is not constant of the output aperture, but actually has a velocity profile over the aperture about to leave.
[0034] In one mode, the predefined criterion additionally comprises checking whether each of the average output speeds is in the range of 2.5 to 3.5 m/s.
[0035] It is an advantage to choose output speeds in the range of 2.5 to 3.5 m/s because, for values of at least 2.5 m/s, the risk of dirt is reduced, and for values below 3.5 m/s, the risk of splashing and inclusion of air bubbles is reduced.
[0036] In one mode, the tolerance margin is at most +/- 4%, or at most +/- 3%, or at most +/- 2%.
[0037] If no solution can be discovered within the specified tolerance margin, then the tolerance margin can be increased. Simulations have shown that +/- 3% is achievable for the examples described here.
[0038] In one embodiment, the viscous foamable liquid mixture comprises raw materials to form polyurethane (PUR) or polyisocyanurate (PIR).
[0039] In particular embodiments, the viscous foamable liquid mixture comprises at least Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and Polyol.
[0040] The present invention is particularly suitable for designing and manufacturing a distributor bar to distribute raw materials to form PUR or PIR at relatively high flow (corresponding to a relatively high speed of a rolling bar), for example, at least 15 m/min, or at least 20 m/min, or even more, up to more than 100 m/min. Mixtures to form polyurethane (PUR) or polyisocyanurate (PIR) are well known in the art, and may comprise, for example, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and Polyol and water (optional) + Physical Blowing Agent (or mixtures of) + one or more Catalysts. The raw materials to form PIR are similar to those for polyurethane (PUR), except that the proportion of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) is higher (typically > 1.5) and a polyester-derived polyol is used in the reaction instead. of a polyether polyol. Catalysts and additives used in PIR formulations also differ from those used in PUR.
[0041] In one embodiment, the viscous foamable liquid mixture comprises raw materials to form polyurethane (PUR) or polyisocyanurate (PIR), and the non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity model is represented by the formula: μ= , with 'm' being a value in the range of 0.80 to 1.40 and 'n' being a value in the range of 0.50 to 0.90.
[0042] The given formula is generally known as the "Ostwald de Waele model", or as the "Power Law model". The value of 'm' and 'n' can be determined by measuring the viscosity of the viscous foamable liquid mixture, and the value of 'n' is typically a value in the range of 0.69 to 0.89, for example , in the range of 0.74 to 0.84, for example about 0.79. The value of 'm' is typically a value in the range of 0.80 to 1.40, for example, in the range of 0.90 to 1.30, for example, in the range of 1.00 to 1.20 , for example, about 1.10.
[0043] In one embodiment, the viscous foamable liquid mixture comprises raw materials to form polyurethane (PUR) or polyisocyanurate (PIR), and added air, and in which the non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity model is represented by the formula: μ = , with m=m0/(1-1.16.Φ0.424), en=no-θ.59Φ, 'mo' being a value in the range of 0.80 to 1.40 and 'no' being a value in the range of 0.50 to 0.90, and Φ being the fraction of volume of added air.
[0044] The present invention is also particularly suitable for designing and fabricating a distributor bar for dispensing PUR mixed with an amount of added air, or PIR mixed with an amount of added air, which can be added into the mixture to aid in the nucleation of the foam when it is in the laminator.
[0045] In one embodiment, step b) comprises assigning values such that an estimate of an average residence time (tdev) of the viscous foamable fluid mixture in the main channel is less than 150 ms, and step e) further comprises calculate an average residence time (tdev) of the viscous foamable fluid mixture in the main channel and verify that the calculated average residence time (tdev) is less than 150 ms.
[0046] It is an advantage to choose a residence time less than 150 ms, or less than 80 ms, for higher flow (corresponding to higher mill speeds), because, in the latter case, typically, too, the viscous foamable mixture is more reactive. By reducing the average residence time, the risk of dirt is reduced.
[0047] In one embodiment, step a) comprises choosing a geometry for the main channel as being tubular and tapering towards the outer ends.
[0048] It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the main chamber is tapered, as this reduces the average residence time of the mixture inside the distributor bar and thus also the risk of dirt.
[0049] In one modality, step a) comprises: choosing a main channel that has a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of: circular, elliptical, triangular, triangular with rounded edges, square, square with rounded edges, rectangular, rectangular with rounded edges, pentagonal, pentagonal with rounded edges, hexagonal, hexagonal with rounded edges, octagonal, octagonal with rounded edges, polygonal, polygonal with rounded edges, and where the cross-sectional area of the main channel varies continuously with distance from the center.
[0050] It is an advantage to use a continuous (as opposed to gradual) descending cross section of the main channel, and to use a channel with rounded edges (as opposed to sharp edges) because a channel like this has a reduced risk of dirt .
[0051] In one embodiment, step a) comprises: choosing a main channel that has a circular cross section with a first inner diameter in the middle of the distributor bar, and a second inner diameter at its outer ends, and in which the diameter decreases in a continuous manner between the center and the outer edges, and where the ratio of the second diameter and the first diameter is a value in the range of 50% to 95%.
[0052] The diameter of the main chamber of the distributor bar can, for example, decrease linearly from the center towards the outer ends of the distributor bar. Alternatively, the square of the diameter can decrease linearly from the center towards the outer ends. The ratio value is preferably a value in the range of 0.60 to 0.90, more preferably a value in the range of 0.75 to 0.80.
[0053] In one embodiment, the main channel geometry is chosen to have a straight centerline; and the geometry of the outlets is chosen to be cylindrical tubes with a constant inner diameter, the tubes having a variable length.
[0054] In particular modalities, the variable lengths L[i] are calculated using said analytical function parameterized in only two variables.
[0055] In one embodiment, the geometry of the main channel is chosen to have a curved centerline; and the geometry of the outlets is chosen to be cylindrical tubes with a constant inner diameter, the outlet openings of each of the tubes being located in a single plane.
[0056] In particular modalities, said curvature is calculated using said analytical function parameterized in only two variables.
[0057] It is an additional advantage of this modality that the distance between the mill and the lower end of the tubes is the same for all tubes, where the speed at which the viscous mixture reaches the mill is also constant. This can improve layer uniformity even more.
[0058] In one embodiment, the main channel geometry is chosen to have a straight centerline; and the geometry of the outlets is chosen to be outlet slots having a constant cross section over their length, the cross section being rectangular or rectangular with rounded edges, and having a variable length.
[0059] In particular modalities, the variable lengths L[i] are calculated using said analytical function parameterized in only two variables.
[0060] In one embodiment, the geometry of the main channel is chosen to have a straight centerline; and the geometry of the outlets is chosen to be funnels with the same outlet opening, the funnels having different cross-sectional areas at their interfaces with the main channel.
[0061] In particular modalities, the variable cross-sectional areas A[i] are calculated using said analytical function parameterized in only two variables.
[0062] In one embodiment, the construction of step f) comprises injection molding using materials such as polyamide 6 (PA6) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).
[0063] This manufacturing technique requires molds to be made, which is relatively time-consuming (typically several weeks) and is quite costly, so the so-called "fixed cost" is relatively high, but the so-called "variable cost" distribution bars thus made is relatively low.
[0064] In one embodiment, the construction of step f) comprises additive manufacturing of stereolithography using materials such as Tusk XC2700.
[0065] In one embodiment, the construction of step f) comprises additive fabrication of molten deposition modeling using materials such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).
[0066] This fabrication technique is also known as "3D Printing". It is especially suited for rapid prototyping.
[0067] In one embodiment, the construction of step f) comprises computer numerical control (CNC) milling using metallic material or metallic alloys.
[0068] This fabrication technique is also especially suited for rapid prototyping, especially if the spreader bar needs to be made of metal or metal alloys.
[0069] In one embodiment, the material is selected from the group consisting of: aluminum, steel, aluminum alloy, steel alloy, stainless steel.
[0070] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of designing and manufacturing a distributor bar for use in a production line to produce a substantially homogeneous foamed material, the production line having one or more mixing heads adapted to provide a mixture of viscous foamable liquid in non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity at a predefined flow rate, and a mill that has a predefined width and adapted to operate at a line speed of at least 15 m/min, in which a ratio of the predefined flow rate and the preset laminator width is at least 1.00 x 10-4 m2/s, the method comprising the steps of:
[0071] i) estimate or determine an even number of distributor bar outlets or estimate or determine a distance between two adjacent outlets, taking into account the line speed and a reactivity of the mixture; ii) calculating a length of the distributor bar based on said number or on said distance; iii) calculating and fabricating a distributor bar with the determined even number of outlets and the calculated length and said predefined flow rate for distributing said viscous foamable liquid mixture, using a method according to the first aspect.
[0072] The attentive reader will have noticed that, in this method, the characteristics of the distributor bar are no longer defined in terms of the distributor bar itself, but in terms of characteristics of the production line in which it is intended to be used.
[0073] It is observed that step (i) can be based on the experience or the experiments described in relation to Figure 20, in which a plurality of measurements are performed with different line speeds, according to what, for each line speed, an appropriate mix reactivity is chosen, and according to what, the width of the deposited tracks and/or the distance between the deposited tracks is measured while they are still fluid, before the actual expansion volume start. It is noted that the choice of "Nholes" or "d" is not critical as long as it is chosen high enough, but a slight overestimation is not problematic, while a slight underestimation is problematic. The disadvantage of choosing a value that is slightly higher than required is a slight increase in fouling and simulation time. However, if the Nholes value is chosen too small (see figure 20), the simulation can go well, and the distributor bar will provide a substantially constant flow leaving each exit hole, but the foamed product may still have tie lines , because the distance between the openings was very large, in particular, in view of the line speed and the reactivity of the mixture.
[0074] It is believed that the step of taking measurements at increasing line speed, while still taking into account greater mixture reactivity, greatly accelerates the projection process, and should not be underestimated. Despite being a (highly) reactive mixture, it was found that, as the flow simulation inside the distributor bar is related, the mixture can be considered as a viscous foamable liquid mixture with constant parameters over time (by example m, n), except non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity behavior, but the impact of reactivity on lateral expansion in the mill is considered in said mill experiments, without increasing the complexity of the simulations inside the distributor bar. According to the present invention, there is good decoupling between both "worlds" (inside the spreader bar on the one hand and outside the spreader bar in the rolling mill on the other hand). According to the present invention, a clear cut can be made between two worlds by considering the number of outputs or the distance between them as a given (fixed value) in the projection space of the distributor bar.
[0075] In a third aspect, the present invention provides a distributor bar that has a central inlet to receive a predefined viscous foamable liquid mixture at a predefined flow rate, and with a predefined even number of outlets fluidly connected to said inlet through a main channel, the various outlets being equidistantly spaced in a predefined length, characterized in that the distributor bar has a geometry such that, when a ratio of the predefined flow entering the central inlet and the predefined length is at least 1 .00 x 10-4 m2/s, the mix will leave each of the outputs with an average speed that is constant for each of the outputs within a preset tolerance range of maximum +/- 5%.
[0076] The geometry can be determined by a method according to the first or second aspects. Or, in other words, this distributor bar is obtainable by a method according to the first aspect or the second aspect. By "geometry" is meant, in particular, the shape and dimensions of the main channel and the shape and dimensions of the plurality of outlets.
[0077] It is an advantage of a distributor bar like this that it provides, (when used in the environment for which it was designed) a plurality of partial continuous streams that have predefined characteristics (for example substantially constant average output speed in the range of 2.5 to 3.5 m/s and constant for all outputs within a tolerance margin of +/- 5 %), as it is guaranteed that such continuous flows result in a homogeneous foamed layer without voids or link lines or inhomogeneities, especially near the outer ends of the distributor bar.
[0078] It is an advantage of a spreader bar according to the present invention that it can be used on a production line that has a relatively high speed mill (for example, at least 15 or 20 or 30 or 50 or 75 m /min), and even with reaction mixes with a higher reactivity, without compromising the quality of the foamed product.
[0079] It is an advantage of particular modalities of the distributor bar, for example, when designed with a maximum residence time of about 150 ms, that it also has a lower risk of dirt, corresponding to a longer service life (typically, 2 hours) and less downtime of a production line.
[0080] In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a production line comprising: one or more mixing heads adapted to provide a viscous foamable liquid mixture in non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity at a predefined flow rate; a mill which has a predefined width and which is adapted to operate at a line speed of at least 15 m/min; a distributor bar designed and manufactured in accordance with the first aspect, the distributor bar being connected via its entry into said one or more mixing heads to receive said viscous foamable liquid mixture and being mounted above said mill to deposit the said mixture of viscous foamable liquid in said laminator via its outlets; a predefined flow rate over mill width being at least 1.00 x 10-4 m2/s.
[0081] A production line such as this is ideally suited to produce high quality sandwich panels, and/or insulation panels, with a substantially uniform density and without any link line or link plane even at one speed relatively high from the mill of at least 15 m/min, or at least 20 m/min, or even higher.
[0082] In one embodiment of the production line, the laminator is adapted to operate at a line speed of at least 20 m/min, or at least 25 m/min, or at least 30 m/min, or at least 35 m/min, or at least 40 m/min, or at least 45 m/min, or at least 50 m/min.
[0083] Especially, production lines with high speed laminator benefit the most from the present invention, by virtue of the quality of the foamed product can be guaranteed.
[0084] In a fifth aspect, the present invention provides a computer program product for designing and manufacturing a distributor bar according to the first aspect, which runs on a computer system comprising a computing device and a computer controllable fabrication device, characterized in that: the computing device comprises Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation software, and driver software for controlling said fabrication device; and software code fragments for performing at least steps (d), (e) and (f) of the method.
[0085] It is an advantage of such a computer program product that it can be used both for projecting a particular device as well as for producing the same. This is fast, convenient, and the risk of inconsistencies or compatibility issues is reduced or minimized. This is ideally suited for rapid prototyping.
[0086] In a computer program product embodiment, the computer controllable manufacturing device is selected from the group consisting of: a computer controlled injection molding device, a computer controlled stereolithography additive manufacturing device , a computer controlled melt deposition modeling additive manufacturing device, and a computer numerical control (CNC) milling apparatus.
Particular and preferred aspects of the invention are defined in the appended independent and dependent claims. Dependent claims remedies may be combined with independent claims remedies and other dependent claims remedies, as appropriate, and not merely as explicitly stated in the claims.
[0088] These and still other aspects of the invention will become apparent and will be elucidated in relation to the embodiment(s) described below. Brief Description of Drawings
[0089] Figure 1 shows a distributor bar for applying a viscous foamable liquid mixture on a rolling mill known in the art.
[0090] Figure 2 shows another device comprising two molding rakes for applying a viscous foamable liquid mixture on a rolling mill known in the art. Molding rakes show an angle of less than 80° to the rolling mill's direction of movement.
[0091] Figure 3 shows yet another distributor bar for applying a viscous foamable liquid mixture on a rolling mill known in the art. This bar has slanted openings on its outer edges.
[0092] Figure 4 to Figure 7 illustrate an example of a distributor bar of the prior art (figure 4 - top), the deposited tracks (or continuous flows) of viscous foamable material in the rolling mill (figure 4 - below), the tracks when the mixture is no longer fluid (figure 6) and the resulting foamed material (figure 7).
[0093] Figure 4 illustrates a problem of a distributor bar of the prior art, according to which, the width of the outer tracks is smaller than the width of the other tracks. Dispenser bar is shown in front view, viscous foamable liquid mixing tracks are shown in top view.
[0094] Figure 5 shows a cross section of the tracks of figure 4 in a plane perpendicular to the rolling mill, at a first (short) distance from the distributor bar.
[0095] Figure 6 shows a cross section of the tracks of figure 4 in a plane perpendicular to the mill, at a second (greater) distance from the distributor bar, after the viscous foamable material has had time to flow laterally into the mill, but it is no longer fluid.
[0096] Figure 7 shows a cross section of the expanded foam material, at a third distance from the distributor bar, after the foaming of the layer of Figure 6 between two continuous belt systems.
[0097] Figure 8 to Figure 11 illustrate an example of a distributor bar according to the present invention (figure 8 - top), the deposited tracks of viscous foamable liquid material in the rolling mill (figure 9), a uniform layer obtained by lateral mixing of the tracks while they are fluid (figure 10), and the resulting foamed material (figure 11).
[0098] Figure 8 illustrates all tracks that have substantially the same width (within a predefined tolerance margin of, for example, +/-5%). The distributor bar is shown in a front view (figure 8 - top), the viscous foamable liquid mixing tracks (figure 8 - below) are shown in a top view.
[0099] Figure 9 shows a cross section of the tracks of figure 8 in a plane perpendicular to the rolling mill, at a first (short) distance from the distributor bar.
[00100] Figure 10 shows a cross section of the tracks of figure 9 in a plane perpendicular to the mill, at a second (greater) distance from the distributor bar, after the tracks have had time to merge laterally while they are fluid, to form a single uniform layer of liquid before considerable foaming begins.
[00101] Figure 11 shows a cross section of the expanded foam material, at a third distance from the distributor bar, after foaming the uniform mixing layer of Figure 10 between two continuous belt systems.
[00102] Figure 12 is a drawing obtained from a computer simulation of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), which can be used in a method according to embodiments of the present invention.
[00103] Figure 13 shows the results of shear stress measurements of a particular viscous foamable liquid mixture directly after mixing. The mixture in particular has a pseudo-plasticity behavior, which can be characterized by the so-called "Law of Power" with 'm'=1.10 and 'n'=0.79.
[00104] Figure 14 shows equations of the "Fluid Power Law", but also several other viscosity models that can be used in a method according to the present invention.
[00105] Figure 15 to Figure 17 show three examples of simulation of a mixing path (or continuous flow) formed by a viscous foamable liquid mixture, which originates from a particular opening, when deposited in a rolling mill that it moves at first speed (figure 15), second speed (figure 16) and third speed (figure 17). The resulting track in figure 15 is wider than that in figure 16, which in turn is wider than that in figure 17.
[00106] Figure 18 shows the examples from figure 15 to figure 17 in a graph. The vertical geometry axis maps this data to a hole-to-hole distance of about 50 mm.
[00107] Figure 19 is a combination of three graphs similar to those of figure 18, for three different distributor bars, a first bar having 24 holes, each having a first diameter of 3.7 mm, a second bar having 48 holes, each having a second diameter of 2.6 mm, and a third bar with 72 holes, each having a third diameter of 2.1 mm. Again, for each curve, a more reactive mix was used as the line speed increases. Note that this graph thus not only takes into account mill line speed, but also (typical) mix reactivity and (typical) spreader bar opening outlet diameters. The horizontal line indicates where the lateral distance of the deposited mixture equals the distance between neighboring holes (or openings or tubes). Above this line, a layer of uniform mixture is formed (see figure 10). Below this line, separate tracks with gaps are formed (see figure 6).
[00108] Figure 20 is a simple graph showing the minimum number of openings per spreader bar meter length as a function of the mill line speed, as can be derived from figure 19 (on or above the line of " complete disposition"). This graph can subsequently be used as a rule of thumb to estimate a minimum number of openings for any given mill speed.
[00109] Figure 21 shows a first embodiment of a distributor bar according to the present invention. The inner space (also referred to herein as the "main chamber" or "main channel") of this bar is tapering towards its outer ends, the centerline of the inner space being substantially straight. The geometry and dimensions of the distributor bar parts (eg lengths L[i], i=1 to 12 of each outlet pipe) are specifically chosen in accordance with a method of the present invention.
[00110] Figure 22 shows part of the distributor bar of figure 21 in enlarged cross-sectional view. It also schematically shows an example of an exit velocity profile and the corresponding "average exit velocity" outside these holes.
[00111] Figure 23 shows a first specific example of a distributor bar according to the first embodiment of the present invention, which consists of two "sub-bars" (also referred to herein as "devices") that have 12 openings each, therefore 24 openings in total. The geometry and dimensions of the distributor bar parts (for example, the length of each outlet tube) are determined in accordance with a method of the present invention.
[00112] Figure 24 shows a second specific example of a distributor bar according to the first modality of the present invention, which consists of two sub-bars (or devices), each with 16 openings, therefore, 32 openings in total. The geometry and dimensions of the distributor bar parts (for example, the length of each outlet tube) are determined in accordance with a method of the present invention.
[00113] Figure 25 shows a third specific example of a distributor bar according to the first modality of the present invention, which consists of three sub-bars (or devices), each with 12 openings, therefore, 36 openings in total. The geometry and dimensions of the distributor bar parts (for example, the length of each outlet tube) are determined in accordance with a method of the present invention.
[00114] Figure 26 shows a fourth specific example of a distributor bar according to the first embodiment of the present invention, which consists of three sub-bars (or devices), each with 24 openings, therefore, 72 openings in total. The geometry and dimensions of the distributor bar parts (for example, the length of each outlet tube) are determined in accordance with a method of the present invention.
[00115] Figure 27 shows an example of a second embodiment of a distributor bar according to the present invention. The inner space of this bar is tapering towards its outer ends, the center line of the inner space is curved, and the outlet tubes are different lengths. The geometry and dimensions of the distributor bar parts (for example, the curvature and length of each outlet tube) are determined in accordance with a method of the present invention.
[00116] Figure 28 shows a third embodiment of a distributor bar according to the present invention. The inner space of this bar is tapering towards its outer ends, the centerline of the inner space is substantially straight, and the outlet tubes are in the form of elongated outlet slits with a constant (eg rectangular or rectangular with rounded edges ) cross-sectional area, but the tubes have different lengths. The geometry and dimensions of the distributor bar parts (for example, the lengths of each tube) are determined in accordance with a method of the present invention.
[00117] Figure 29 shows a fourth embodiment of a distributor bar according to the present invention. It has tapered outlet tubes with a fixed length. The inner space of this bar is tapering towards its outer ends, the center line of the inner space is substantially straight. The geometry and dimensions of the distributor bar parts (for example, the cross-sectional area of the outlet pipes) are determined in accordance with a method of the present invention.
[00118] Figure 30 is a flowchart of a method of designing and manufacturing a distributor bar, according to the present invention.
[00119] Figure 31 is a screenshot of a simulation tool that can be used in embodiments of the present invention, showing how a particular non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity model, and particular parameters thereof, can be considered in the simulation.
[00120] The drawings are only schematic and are not limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes.
[00121] No reference signs in the claims are to be construed as limiting the scope.
[00122] In the different drawings, the same reference signs refer to the same or analogous elements. Detailed Description of Illustrative Modalities
[00123] The present invention will be described in relation to particular embodiments and in relation to certain drawings, but the invention is not limited thereto, but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are not limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and relative dimensions do not correspond to actual reductions for practicing the invention.
[00124] The terms first, second and similar in the description and in the claims are used to distinguish between similar elements and not necessarily to describe a sequence, whether temporarily, spatially, in ranking or otherwise. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in sequences other than those described or illustrated herein.
[00125] Furthermore, the terms top, bottom and the like in the description and in the claims are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily to describe relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in orientations other than those described or illustrated herein.
[00126] It should be noted that the term "comprising", used in the claims, is not to be interpreted as being restricted to the means listed below; it does not exclude other elements or steps. Thus, it is to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components referred to, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression "a device comprising means A and B" should not be limited to devices consisting only of components A and B. This means that in relation to the present invention, the only relevant components of the device are A and B.
[00127] Reference throughout this specification to "an embodiment" or "the embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure or feature described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in a modality" or "in a modality" in various places throughout this specification are not all necessarily referring to the same modality, but they may be. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or features may be combined in any suitable way, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this description, in one or more embodiments.
[00128] Similarly, it should be noted that, in the description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, several features of the invention are sometimes grouped into a single embodiment, figure or description thereof for the purpose of optimizing the description and assisting in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of description, however, is not to be construed as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention will require more resources than are expressly cited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects fall into less than all the features of a single described embodiment set out. Thus, the claims which follow the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim advertising itself as a separate embodiment of this invention.
[00129] Furthermore, although some modalities described herein include some, but not others, features included in other modalities, it is understood that combinations of features from different modalities are within the scope of the invention, and form different modalities, as will be understood by versed in the technique. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.
[00130] In the description provided here, several specific details are presented. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.
[00131] A flow rate of 1 L/s (liter/second) corresponds to 1 x 10-3 m3/s.
[00132] In the present invention, the terms "laminator width" or "panel width" are used interchangeably.
[00133] In the present invention, the terms "roller bar" or "dispenser bar" are used interchangeably.
[00134] The length of the spreader bar "Lbar" is typically only slightly less than the width of the mill "Wlaminator" for which it is intended to be used. More specifically, if the distance between the parallel geometry axes of two adjacent spreader bar outputs is "d", and the number of spreader bar outputs is "Nholes", then the length "Lbar" of a spreader bar according to the present invention is defined herein as Lbar=(Nholes-1) xd, being the distance between its external outputs, while the width of the corresponding "Wlaminator" laminator is Wlaminator=(Nholes) x d. This ensures that the outlets are distributed evenly across the width of the mill.
[00135] In the present invention, the words "sub-slash" and "devices" are used interchangeably.
[00136] In the present invention, the term "cremification time" is the time between the mixing of the reactive components of the viscous foamable liquid mixture (for example, the polyol component and the isocyanate component in the case of polyurethane) and the beginning of the chemical reaction.
[00137] By "average output velocity" of a non-constant velocity profile of a fluid flowing through a surface area, it is meant a constant velocity value that provides the same flow.
[00138] During the manufacture of a foam insulation panel, the reaction components (for example, polyol and isocyanate, and optionally one or more additives) are mixed together in a so-called mixing head (not shown) and then the viscous foamable liquid mixture must be distributed over the width of the panel or laminator. Mixing heads are known in the art, and need not be discussed further here.
[00139] In the past, this distribution over the panel width was done using an oscillating dump bar for applications with relatively low line speeds (eg lower than 10 m/min) and multiple mixing heads each connected to a corresponding dump bar, (usually two or three), for relatively high line speeds (eg above 30 m/min).
[00140] As the line speed of the mill increases, it is common to also increase the reactivity of the foamy viscous mix, meaning there is less time to foam than is the case with a low line speed application (in other circumstances, the length of the system will increase proportionally with the line speed), but this also means that the mixture will start to foam first.
[00141] It is a major technical challenge to transport the foam reaction mixture from one or more mixing heads and distribute it evenly over the width of the panel or mill. Furthermore, it is also a challenge to ensure that the spreader bar does not get dirty quickly (for example, is usable for at least a predefined time, for example, at least two hours) and that the continuous tracks/flows of the reaction mixture, deposited like individual tracks in the laminator, they quickly combine to form a single layer across the width of the panel. By "quickly" it is meant that neighboring trails must have merged while they are liquid or, in other words, before the moment when the product of the reaction is no longer fluid.
[00142] Figure 4 to Figure 7 illustrate an example of a non-ideal prior art distributor bar 40, the trails (or continuous flows) deposited resulting t1, t2, ..., t12 of a viscous foamable material deposited on a laminator 51, and the resulting expanded foam material 71. These figures illustrate some typical problems that can occur in prior art systems if they are not ideally designed for a given production line.
[00143] Figure 4 shows a distributor bar 40 suspended above a mobile rolling mill 51 (see figure 5 through figure 7). The distributor bar 40 in the example has twelve output pipes p1, p2, ... p12, eight of which are shown. A viscous foamable fluid mixture, eg a polyurethane (PU) mixture, is provided at an inlet (not shown) in the middle of the distributor bar 40 at a suitable flow rate. It is known in the art how this flow rate can be calculated as a function of the dimensions of the foamed panel to be formed, the mill speed, the desired density, the overfill factor, etc., and therefore this need not be described here in more detail, but it is considered as a given Qtotal value, expressed in m3/s.
[00144] The viscous foamable fluid mixture inserted into the inlet of the distributor bar 40 then flows through an internal channel (like the one in Figure 22) of the distributor bar 40 and leaves through one of the outlet pipes p1 to p12 a be deposited in rolling mill 51. Ideally, each outlet pipe p1, p2, ... p12 provides an identical fraction (q[i], i=1 to 12) of the total flow (Qtotal), and deposits identical liquid trails (same width, same height) in rolling mill 51. In practice, however, this is not always the case, and the flow rate, for example, of external output tubes p1 and p12 is usually lower than that of other output tubes p2 to p11 . The net result is that the outer tracks t1, t12 of the foamable viscous mix material deposited in mill 51 are narrower than the other tracks. This is especially noticeable at relatively high mill speeds, because at higher mill speeds, moreover, the reactivity of the viscous liquid mixture increases.
[00145] Figure 5 shows a cross section of tracks t1 to t12 deposited in the rolling mill 51, in a plane perpendicular to the rolling mill 51 and parallel to the distributor bar 40, just after being arranged in the rolling mill 51, that is, seen at a distance relatively small from the distributor bar (eg 10 cm). If the foamable viscous mixture is still sufficiently fluid, then the mixture will subsequently move away (at least to some extent) to the side (as indicated by the arrows) and will (at least partially) fill the gap on the outside of the tracks t1 and t12, and the gaps between the tracks. If, however, the foamable viscous mixture was not fluid enough, or if the distance between the outlet pipes was too great (for the given production line), then blending will not occur, and a cross-sectional view such as the one shown in Figure 6 may result, as long as gaps and/or cracks remain outside the outer tracks t1, t12 and between tracks t1 through t12. This is especially the case for laminator lines with relatively high speed (eg above 30 m/min or above 50 m/min) because, with these lines, typically a more reactive mix is used. deposited tracks will expand less in the lateral direction.
[00146] Figure 7 shows the resulting expanded foamed layer 71 after expansion of the individual tracks of Figure 6. Although the entire space between the lower mill 51 and the upper belt system 72 is normally completely filled (assuming a correct flow rate was applied by the mixing head), a non-ideal expanded foam will result, having, for example, a non-uniform density, especially on the outside, and having loop lines or loop planes where the individual expanded tracks of figure 6 will mechanically touch afterwards of the expansion, but they will not have formed a single layer because the blend of the individual tracks in Figure 6 was not blended while it was fluid. Tie lines can be visible when the resulting layer 70 is cut, and they result in a lower yield point, which, however, may be acceptable for some applications, such as insulating panels with no load-bearing capacity. Although the problem is shown here only for the outer tracks t1 and t12, in practice the problems also occur for the other tracks t2 through t11, but they are typically less pronounced.
[00147] It is observed that, intuitively, skilled in the technique, who try to solve the problems of the external tracks t1, t12, as shown in Figure 6, may be tempted to increase the diameter of the opening of the external output tubes p1, p12 , but experience has shown that this does not lead to a good solution, as the increase in said diameters influences the full flow distribution rather than just increasing the flow through the external outlet pipes. This is an example of why mere "trial and error" cannot lead to an ideal solution for a given production line.
[00148] Figure 8 illustrates a distributor bar 80 according to embodiments of the present invention, and figure 9 to figure 11 show what this distributor bar can achieve during use. By using the projection and fabrication method according to embodiments of the present invention, as further described, it can be ensured that tracks t1 to t12 shown in figure 8 (below) in top view, and in figure 9 in cross section, can be deposited in the mill 91, in such a way that these tracks t1 to t12 subsequently merge into a single substantially uniform liquid layer 101 (Figure 10) which extends over the full width of the Wpanel mill before the liquid mixture is lost. its fluidity (or fluidity). As can be seen, all the main artifacts discussed in relation to figure 4 to figure 7 are resolved, in particular the gaps between the tracks and outside the outer tracks t1 and t12 have disappeared, no link lines are present anymore, and the density of the expanded foam layer 111 is substantially uniform.
[00149] Although the desire or goal to obtain a "uniform liquid layer" has already been expressed in the prior art, it has not been described in detail how this goal can be achieved, nor do all fundamental problems or relationships seem to be fully understood or recognized. In particular, for example, prior art documents do not seem to mention the problems related to limited lateral expansion and/or the link between higher mill speed and viscous foamable liquid mixture reactivity, on the one hand, and the minimum number of openings, on the other hand. This makes this finding a solution that takes into account that all these effects look like a decisive problem, which is, in fact, the case for higher mill speeds (eg above 30 m/min, or above 35 m/min, especially above 40 m/min, and higher such as above 50 m/min). By "more reactive" mixtures it is meant that these mixtures have a shorter cremification time. There is a need for a systematic approach to taking care of this problem. PROJECTION METHOD AND MANUFACTURING ACCORDING TO MODALITIES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[00150] Although distributor bars with a plurality of output tubes, output tubes having a constant inner diameter but variable lengths are known in the prior art, it is not known in the prior art exactly how these lengths of the output tubes need to be chosen for a given production line, eg for given panel width, flow rate, mill speed and a particular viscous foamable liquid mixture (eg a PUR polyurethane mixture or PIR polyisocyanurate mixture in particular) , for example, related to its chemical reactivity and its viscous behavior. Whereas distributor bars, especially those designed for use with high rolling mill speeds, have at least twelve exit tubes, for example, at least sixteen, for example, at least twenty, for example, at least twenty-four or even more, this means that at least twelve length values need to be determined. The fundamental problem that the inventors faced can thus be formulated as (at least) a 12-dimensional optimization problem.
[00151] The approach the inventors took to calculate the dimensions of a spreader bar according to the present invention can be roughly described as follows: 1) choose a geometry for the spreader bar, and define a set of parameters that fully characterize the size and shape of the distributor bar. For example, in a first modality (see additionally), the possible set of parameters is proposed: "Ddev, α, W, Ndev, Nholes, Dhole, L[Nholes]", where L[Nholes] is an array of 12 values for the lengths of the 12 output tubes, therefore 6+12=18 values need to be determined. 2) choose or calculate or estimate some of these parameters (but not the length arrangement) based on experiments and/or experience. An example is choosing a value for the ratio "α.Ddev" as the inner diameter of the tapered inner space at the outer ends and the value "Ddev" as the inner diameter at the center of the spreader bar, for example, choosing α=0.75 . Another example is to estimate an adequate number of output tubes "Nholes" to ensure complete arrangement in the mill.
[00152] In addition to the pure geometric parameters, the inventors have found it useful to add another parameter, namely the average residence time of the viscous mixture inside the rolling bar, as this can help to choose suitable values for, for example, the inner diameter of the inner space 5 or, in the case where the inner space does not have a circular cross section, for example, the distance between opposite edges of a square or hexagonal or octagonal or polygonal cross section.3) Discover an analytic expression in just two parameters (eg parameter 'K' and 'a') to calculate the parameter that is different for each of the output pipes (in the above example, the lengths L[i], i=1 up to Nholes of the output pipes exit). In this way, the twelve-dimensional problem (or sixteen- or twenty-dimensional problem) can be reduced to a two-dimensional problem, which is manageable.4) An initial set of these two parameters (k0, a0) is calculated or estimated, and an array of (for example, twelve) values of length L[i] (i=1 to 12) for the output tubes is then calculated using the analytical expression from step 3). Along with the calculated or estimated values previously, this fully specifies a first proposal of the geometry (eg shape and dimensions) of the mill bar.5) A Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation is performed to simulate the mixing behavior in the first mill bar proposal. It has proved crucial that a non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity behavior for the viscous foamable fluid mixture be used. The simulation is then used to determine the exit velocities v[Nholes] of the liquid mixture leaving each of the exit tubes, (or, more accurately, the average exit velocity of the simulated velocity profile, due to the speed is not constant). Optionally or additionally, the simulation is also used to determine the average residence time "tdev" of the viscous foamable fluid mixture in the distributor bar.6) It is then verified that the simulated average output velocities "Vhole" of the chosen geometry exposed satisfies a predefined criterion, which, according to the present invention, is that the average fluid exit velocity must be substantially constant within a predefined margin (for example, in +/- 5%) and must be in a predefined range (by eg in the range of 2.5 to 3.5 m/s). Optionally or additionally, it may also be required that the average residence time "Tres" is less than a predefined value (eg 150 ms or 80 ms or another suitable value), and if either or both of these conditions are not satisfied , then steps (2) to (6) can be repeated.
[00153] Once the parameters other than the tube lengths (in this example) are determined, steps (4) to (6) can be repeated, but instead of using the initial values (k0, a0) as originally calculated or estimated now, these parameters are varied over a range of, for example, +/- 15%, for example, in 5% steps, resulting in 7x7-1=48 additional simulations, or in 3% steps, resulting in 11x11- 1=120 additional simulations, and the geometry that provides the "best results" is then chosen as the "ideal" solution, whereby "best" can be, for example, defined as the solution that produces the smallest variation of the average output speed. It is pointed out that there are multiple solutions, and that, in fact, all geometries that satisfy the predefined criteria (average speed and/or residence time) are "good solutions", and other criteria to select one of them as the " better" are possible.
[00154] Figure 12 illustrates a simulation result using Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis, using the program "Ansys-CFX", available by Ansys Inc., Version 15.0. It should be noted that, in the past, the inventors used the same approach, but instead of using a non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity behavior, it was considered (or taken for granted) that the liquid polyurethane mixture behaved like a viscous Newtonian liquid ( at least soon after being mixed, still passing through the distributor bar), which behavior was characterized by a simple viscosity value. A major problem with physical prototypes built on these simulations was that real-life measurements didn't match very well with computer simulations. In particular, it was observed that a projection of the distributor bar based on simulations that consider a Newtonian model for the viscous foamable liquid mixture resulted in narrower tracks, therefore less material, at the end of the distributor bar. Therefore, the mere use of Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis did not lead to satisfactory results.
[00155] After many prototypes, the inventors came up with the idea to further investigate the behavior of the viscous foamable liquid mixture. While this may be a relatively easy task for a non-foaming fluid, it is certainly not an easy task for a polyurethane mixture, because (i) the mixing components and mixing equipment are not present in the laboratory, but in a factory; (ii) because polyurethane tends to stick to the measuring equipment; (iii) measurements need to be taken very quickly, as polyurethane is a highly reactive mixture that starts to foam in about 10 seconds and with a volume expansion of about a factor of 100; (iv) adding delay agents influence the measurement, so they cannot be added; (v) after each measurement, the equipment must be thoroughly cleaned to remove any remaining mixture or foamed polyurethane. At the end of the description, more details are given on the viscosity measurements that were used, but, of course, the present invention is not limited to these, and other ways of determining the parameters can also be used.
[00156] Figure 13 shows the measurement results. The graph shows that the viscous liquid polyurethane mixture did not behave like a Newtonian fluid, but was slightly "pseudoplastic". This result was very surprising in that, although it was clear that the behavior of the PU blend changes dramatically over time, once the foaming reaction has started, it has always been taken for granted that the liquid blend, at least in the period immediately after mixing the components (eg, in 1.0 second), behaved like a Newtonian fluid. With this new insight, the computer simulations were repeated, but this time takes into account the behavior of "pseudoplasticity". In particular, the Ostwald de Waele model was used, with the values 'm'=1.10 and 'n'=0.79 (obtained in the test in figure 13). New prototypes were built and evaluated, and this time the results showed a very good match with the simulations, and no substantial difference in track widths was observed any longer.
[00157] It is observed that, in the measurements related to figure 13, the fluid was characterized using the so-called formula of the "Law of Power" of figure 14, and the parameters of 'm' and 'n' of the polyurethane mixture in particular used were found to be about 1.10 and about 0.79 respectively, but of course the invention is not limited to embodiments using only liquid mixtures having these values. Furthermore, the "Law of Power" is not the only possible way to characterize non-Newtonian viscous foamable liquid mixtures, and other laws such as, for example, "Cross", "Carreau Yasuda" and "Herschel Bulkley", whose formulas are also shown in figure 14, can also be used. In fact, it is contemplated that any laws or formulas that characterize the mixing of viscous foamable fluid as a fluid in non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity can be used, and can provide good results, such as, for example, the formulas of "Bingham", "Bird -Carreau" and "Casson". ADDITION OF AIR
[00158] Air is often added to the mix to aid in nucleation of the foam when it is in the rolling mill. The addition of air modifies the initial viscosity. The Power Law model can be modified as described in "MD Bessette and DW Sundstrom, Rheology of Model Polyurethanes, Polymer Process Engineering, 3(1&2), 2535 (1985)" to account for the addition of air:
Where Φ is the volume fraction of the added air. m0 and n0 are Power Law parameters without the addition of air and are obtained from viscosity measurements. Modifying the viscosity model in this way helped to improve the flow distribution in the last hole. EXPERIMENTS
[00159] Although the foregoing should be sufficient for those skilled in the art to reach the solutions proposed by the present invention, some aspects will be explained in even more detail.
[00160] First, in relation to figures 15 to 20, it will be explained how a suitable value for the number of output tubes "Nholes" can be chosen for a given production line (panel width, flow rate, mill speed, mixing foamable in particular), for which the rolling bar is intended to be used.
[00161] Figure 15, Figure 16 and Figure 17 show examples of a single outlet tube having a particular opening diameter "Dhole", which provides a path (or continuous flow) of a viscous foamable liquid mixture. in a rolling mill that moves at a speed v of about 22 m/min, 32 m/min and 42 m/min, respectively. In these examples, the liquid flow was kept constant (resulting in foam panels with a smaller thickness). As can be seen, the track widths w1, w2, w3 of the deposited viscous foamable mix decrease as the mill speed increases. The total outflow (Qtotal) for a 24-hole projection for these examples was 0.045 m3/min. The opening diameter was 3.7 mm, giving an average exit velocity (of the viscous foamable liquid out of the distributor bar) of 3.0 m/sec. Increasing mill speed at the same total output (ie, throughput) is equivalent to making slabs with decreasing thickness. Therefore, making thinner boards at higher speed will result in narrower tracks. Therefore, achieving a uniform blend (merging tracks) at higher speeds requires less distance between holes and therefore more holes. These simulations assumed equal reactivity, but overall the reactivity will increase (making the problem more critical) with line speed as the time between mixing head and conveyor decreases.
[00162] This means that, in practice, the lateral offset of the mixture decreases as the line speed increases by two factors: the line speed and the reactivity. This relationship does not appear to have been considered in prior art descriptions. This is important, however, because the deposited tracks (as shown in figure 9) need to blend while they are still liquid and mobile (or fluid) in order to obtain the single uniform blend layer of figure 10.
[00163] Figure 18 shows an example of an experiment with a specific flow rate and a specific outlet opening diameter. As can be seen, for a mill speed v of about 22 m/min, the track width was about 6 cm, for speed v=32 m/min, width w=4 cm, for speed v=43 m/min, the width w=3 cm, and for speed v=64 m/min, the width w=2 cm. This means that, in this specific example, if the exit tubes are located at a distance of about 5.8 cm, the mixing tracks in the mill will merge to a mill speed lower than about 23 m/min (part of the curve above the "critical line"), resulting in the blended liquid layer of figure 10 and subsequently the uniform foamed layer of figure 11. Conversely, for mill speeds above about 23 m/min (part of the curve below the critical line), the mix tracks deposited in the laminator will not merge and, in fact, leave gaps between the tracks as shown in figure 6, and will ultimately result in an expanded foam like that in figure 7, which is undesirable.
[00164] Therefore, if panel width and flow are given, the maximum distance 'dmax' between the output tubes can be determined using curves such as that in figure 18. It is preferred to choose an even number of output tubes , evenly distributed over the distributor bar, that is, at a constant distance from each other. Therefore, in the example in Figure 18, a number of output tubes should be chosen that results in a distance between the output tubes less than 5.8 cm.
[00165] Figure 19 shows similar graphical representations as that of Figure 18. The situation for three distributor bars is shown, the first distributor bar (diamonds) having 24 output tubes, the second distributor bar (squares) having 48 output tubes , the third distributor bar (triangles) having 72 output tubes. As can be seen, the maximum speed of the mill when using the first distributor bar (with 24 exit holes) is about 8 m/min; the maximum speed of the laminator when using the second distributor bar (with 48 exit holes) is about 32 m/min; the maximum speed of the mill when using the third distributor bar (with 72 exit holes) is about 72 m/min in order to obtain a complete arrangement.
[00166] Figure 20 graphically represents this minimum number of exit holes (obtained from Figure 19) as a function of the line speed of the mill. It is important to note that this graph not only takes into account mill line speed, but also (typical) mix reactivity and (typical) spreader bar opening outlet diameters. Despite its simplicity, this graph reduces the complexity of the multidimensional problem considerably, as it allows the aspect of "roller line speed" and "reactivity of viscous foamable mixture" to be "built-in" into the Nholes parameter. The benefits of this approach should not be underestimated.
[00167] Indeed, it was also revealed that the Nholes value is the "key" to transform the problem into the production line domain (with requirements such as: total flow, mill width, mill speed, reactivity and viscosity of the mill. mixture) in a problem in the distributor bar domain (with a given number of outlets, and with requirements such as: total flow, bar length and mix viscosity).
[00168] In other words, the "Nholes" parameter (being a variable in the production line problem space, but being a data in the distributor bar problem space), allows to formulate the projection of the distributor bar without reference to the speed of line and/or the reactivity of the mixture.
[00169] It is observed that, for a given length of the distributor bar, the number of holes "Nholes" is related to the distance between adjacent outlets, therefore, everything previously declared for the parameter "Nholes" is also true for the parameter "d", which can thus also be considered as the "key" to translate the problem from the "production line" to the "distributing bar".
[00170] Once this graph is known, it can then be used to estimate (as a kind of "rule of thumb") a minimum number of output tubes required for any given mill line speed, and any reactivity corresponding. For example, if the target velocity is chosen as 20 m/min, then at least about 36 exit holes must be chosen in order to obtain the uniform blended layer of figure 10 and the expanded foam of figure 11. Usually, no it is beneficial to choose the number of outlet openings much greater (eg, more than 4, or even more) than this minimum number, as this typically results in a solution that has an average mixture residence time at the slightly higher spreader bar, therefore, will slightly increase the risk of dirt, or, in other words, will result in a slightly higher idle time.
[00171] It is observed that, although Figure 19 refers to "a" distributor bar that has 72 holes to distribute a total Qtotal (implicit) flow, this can, in practice, be performed by, for example, three bars individual but cooperative distributors (additionally referred to herein as "sub-bars" or "devices"), each covering one third of the panel width, and each having a flow rate of one third of Qtotal. Preferably, in this case, too, three mixing heads are used to keep the distance and therefore the time between the mixing head and each of the rolling bars to a minimum. In the present invention, however, the combination of two or more such individual distributor bars cooperating in a single mill is considered to be a single distributor bar. FOUR MODALITIES
[00172] Four different types of distributor bars according to embodiments of the present invention are proposed, although the present invention is not limited thereto, and other embodiments are also conceived. These four types will be further described in more detail, along with guidelines and/or analytical formulas for calculating or estimating an initial parameter set. And, for each prototype, a parameterized analytical expression will be given to calculate the variable parameter of the output tubes (ie "length" in the first three modes and "area" in the fourth mode). All types can be designed and manufactured using the same method (apart from some minor differences), and have, as a common feature, that they provide a physical distributor bar which, in operation, when a viscous foamable liquid mixture is entering a its entry into a predefined flow, the distributor bar will provide a plurality of continuous partial flows, each of which has a substantially constant output speed within a predefined tolerance margin (eg +/- 5%) and in a predefined range ( for example 2.5 to 3.5 m/s), and, optionally or additionally, also with an average residence time of the mixture inside the distributor bar less than a predefined value (for example, lower than 150 ms , or less than 80 ms, or any other suitable value).
[00173] Therefore, the different modalities of the present invention solve a common problem, and provide a solution that results in the aforementioned advantages, in particular: * stated in the space of the distributor bus problem: provide N continuous partial flows that have a speed of substantially constant output at +/- 5% (or lower) and optionally or additionally also reduced mess.* stated in the production line problem space: provide complete layout (no gaps), uniform expanded foam material (no gaps) link lines) and, optionally or additionally, also reduced dirt on the distributor bar. FIRST MODE
[00174] Figure 21 to Figure 26 illustrate several examples of a first modality of a distributor bar according to the present invention, dedicated to production lines in particular.
[00175] The geometry of the distributor bar 210, 230, 240, 250, 260 of the first mode is chosen to have an internal space 5 (or "main channel") with a substantially straight centerline 6 (in its longitudinal direction). The inner space 5 of the distributor bar is tapering towards its outer ends (excluding the outlet tubes, which have a constant inner diameter Dhole), whereby the inner diameter decreases (eg linearly) from a first Ddev value close to the input to a second α.Ddev value at the outer ends (left and right in Figure 22), where α is a constant value chosen in the range of 0.50 to 0.95, preferably in the range of 0, 60 to 0.95, more preferably in the range of 0.75 to 0.80. The main reason for reducing Ddev to αDdev is to reduce residence time and maintain a minimum speed for dirt mitigation. This must be balanced against making it more difficult to distribute the flow evenly. Values of α in the aforementioned range provide a good balance.
[00176] The distributor bar additionally has a central inlet 2 for receiving a viscous foamable fluid mixture from the mixing equipment (not shown), and it has an even number Nholes of equidistantly spaced output pipes with a distance ' d'. The output tubes have a constant internal diameter Dhole, which is the same for all output tubes, and the output tubes are arranged in parallel with their central geometry axes perpendicular to the central axis of the main channel.
[00177] If the inner volume 5 (see figure 22) has a constant diameter, then the average velocity of the fluid moving towards the outer ends will decrease from the center of the bar towards the outer ends and therefore , the average residence time will also increase, and the spreader bar fouling will also increase. By choosing a bar with a tapered interior space 5, this speed reduction is somewhat reduced, interior volume is reduced, average residence time is reduced, and dirt is reduced.
[00178] Preferably, the inner diameter linearly decreases from a Ddev value at the center to an α.Ddev value at the outer ends, as this is easy to simulate and produce, but this is not absolutely required to achieve the advantageous effects of present invention, and other smooth transition functions can also be used, for example, the cross-sectional area of the inner space 5 can be varied linearly from π.Ddev2/4 at the center to α.π.Ddev2/4 at the outer edges.
[00179] Distributor bars according to the first modality can then be represented by the following sets of parameters (see figure 21 and figure 22):Nholes denoting the total number of holes (outlet pipes) in the distributor bar, ( as discussed earlier, "Nholes" is considered a "variable" or a "data", depending on the problem space),Ndev denoting the number of devices (or "cooperative sub-slashes") that together form "the" bar distributor, Ddev denoting the inner diameter of the main chamber 5 at the inlet of the device (i.e., the tapered inner volume 5, excluding the outlet tubes),α.Ddev denoting the inner diameter of the main chamber of the device (i.e., the tapered inner volume, excluding the outlet tubes), at its outer ends, Dhole denoting the inner diameter of the outlet holes (outlet tubes),α denoting the ratio of the inner diameter of the main chamber at its outer ends as a function of the entire diameter rno at the central location,W denoting the distance between centers of half the number of output tubes of a device,L[1], L[2], ..., L[Nholes] denoting the lengths of the output tubes, these parameters must be determined, for example, optimized for a specific production line/distribution bar.
[00180] The production line itself can be characterized by the following set of parameters: Qtotal denoting the total flow through the distributor bar (or across all "devices" if there are multiple "cooperative sub-bars"), Wpanel denoting the width total panel to be manufactured, viscous foamable liquid mixture in particular, eg PUR or PIR, (with a particular reactivity and a particular viscosity behavior), Vline denoting the line speed of the mill on the production line.
[00181] It is observed that the number of mixing heads is not considered as a given, but is assumed to be equal to the number of "devices" of the distributor bar, a number that must be determined as part of the method. POSSIBLE DETAILED APPROACH
[00182] A possible approach to determine the distributor bar parameters is as follows: a) It is considered that the parameters of the production line, in particular, for example, panel width Wpanel, Qtotal flow, line speed Vline, as well as a particular viscous foamable liquid mixture are given. b) Estimate a suitable even number Nholes of outlet pipes, (taking into account the reactivity of the mixture for this particular line speed), eg based on experimental data, such as given by figure 20, and choosing a suitable number of Ndev devices. If the number of outlet openings is greater than, for example, 24, the distributor bar can be partitioned into multiple devices. If necessary, the estimated number of output tubes can be slightly increased so that each device has the same (and even) number of output tubes. The number of outlet tubes per device is preferably chosen in the range of 12 to 24. Increasing the number of devices (assuming each has its own mixing head) decreases the average residence time of the viscous foamable liquid mixture in each device and therefore the risk of dirt.
[00183] As explained above, once the number of outputs is chosen, the problem that remains to be solved is: for a given geometry (or mathematical model) of a distributor bar (for example, the distributor bar shown in the figure 21) and for a given input flow "Qtotal", and for a given length "Lbar", and a given viscous foamable mixture, determine values of the variables of the mathematical model (in this example: Ddev, α, Dhole, W, L[ 1] to L[12]), in such a way that the partial flows leaving each of the outlet holes are substantially constant within a predefined tolerance margin of at most +/- 5%, when this distributor bar is physically performed and said mixture is injected into said Qtotal flow.c) Choose a suitable non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity model for the mixture, eg the "Power Law" (see figure 14), and determine (eg measure) the viscosity parameters of this model for this mixture in private. For example, for the mixture discussed in relation to the example in figure 13, the values obtained by the measurement were found as: 'm'=1.10 and 'n'=0.79.d) Choose a suitable value for the ratio 'α', for example, 0.75 or 0.80. It has been experimentally found that α values of about 0.75 or about 0.80 provide a good common denominator. For α values higher than, for example, 0.90, the length of all output pipes will decrease, but the average residence time of the interior mixture of the spreader bar (or devices) will increase, which increases the risk of dirt, which is undesirable. For α values less than, for example, 0.65, the length of all output tubes will increase, so that the distance between the mill and the distributor bar increases, which increases the risk of splashes and inclusion of bubbles of air, which is also undesirable.e) Calculate the W value according to the following formula, which is equivalent to expressing that the outlet pipes must be distributed equidistantly over the width of the panel:
f) Choose a value for Ddev and calculate a corresponding estimate for the time of residence tdev according to the following formula:
such that the average residence time is lower than 150 ms for a relatively low line speed or a relatively low flow rate (eg a line speed in the range 10 m/min to 30 m/min or a total flow in the range of 0.20 L/s to 0.60 L/s), and lower than 80 ms for a relatively high line speed or a relatively high flow (eg 30 m/min at 100 m/s). min or a total flow rate of more than 0.60 L/s).
[00184] It was surprisingly found by the inventors that, for relatively high speed lines or relatively high flow rates, decreasing the average residence time from a value as small as about 200 ms to lower than 100 ms had a huge impact on dirt of devices. This was surprising, as the first fraction of a second after mixing was not expected to have such an impact on the dirt, but apparently it did. Of course, the time and distance between the mixing head and the distributor bar should also be as small as possible. Ddev values are preferably chosen in the range of 6.0mm to 15.0mm, for example in the range of 8.0mm to 13.0mm (see the four examples below).g) Choose a suitable value for Dhole and calculate an estimate for the average Vexit exit velocity such that the average velocity of the fluid leaving the exit tube is in the range of 2.5 to 3.5 m/s to prevent so much dirt at the exit (not much small) how much splashes on the laminator (not too high), using the formula:
Dhole values are preferably chosen in the range of 1.0 mm to 5.0 mm, for example, in the range of 2.0 mm to 4.0 mm (see the four examples below).h) Calculate the value 'K ', representative for the length of the longest outlet tube, using the formula:
where α is the ratio of internal diameters mentioned above, and n is the exponent of the Power Law of the viscous foamable mixture.i) Calculate the distance "d" between two outlet tubes using the formula:
j) Initialize the value of parameter 'K' to the value of 'K' calculated in step (h) and set the value of parameter 'a' equal to (n+1), where 'n' is the exponent of the Law of Potency of the viscosity of the mixture, and calculate a set of lengths L[1], L[2], ..., L[Nholes] of the output tubes using the following formula, according to which the value of z is defined in multiple integrals of the distance "d" calculated in step (i):
where Lmin is the length of the outer tubes, and can be chosen. Preferably, the value for Lmin is chosen as small as possible (among other things to save material cost), but it has been found that if Lmin is chosen too small (eg lower than 2.0 mm in some modalities ), the flow out of the pipes p1, p12 at the end of the distributor bar can be lateral, while for a slightly larger value of Lmin (eg greater than 2.0 mm), the flow out of the external openings is stabilized. Therefore Lmin is typically chosen in the range 2.0mm to 10.0mm, for example in the range 3.0mm to 5.0mm, but other values may also work. It was found that a value for Lmin of 4.0 mm is usually sufficient to stabilize the flow. k) In the simulation software, select the same non-Newtonian shear plasticity model that was chosen in step c), and apply the parameters discovered in step c), and perform a Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation using the specific geometry (eg, shape and dimensions) based on the previously chosen or calculated values, and determine (by simulation) the output velocities (average) Vholes[1 ], Vholes[2], ..., Vholes[Nholes] for each of the output apertures, and calculate the variation of these output speeds, and, optionally or additionally, also determine the average residence time "Tres" (simulated ).l) If the (simulated) output speeds are outside the range 2.5 to 3.5 m/s, and/or if the variation of the average output speeds is higher than the predefined tolerance range (by example, minimum average speed and maximum average speed to deviate by 10%) and, optionally or additionally, if the simulated Tres residence time is too high (for example, above the estimated value of 150 ms or 80 ms), then adjust one or more of the determined parameters (for example , defined or estimated or calculated or chosen) in steps (a) to (i).m) Optionally, repeat steps j) and k) for slightly different values (k, a), where 'K' is chosen in the range of K +/- 15%, and 'a' is chosen as (n+1) +/- 15% and, for each simulation, determine the variance of the average exit velocity and/or the average residence time value.n ) Select a solution such as the "optimal solution", eg the set of parameters (including the lengths of the output tubes) that produces the smallest variation in output speeds.o) Construct a physical distributor bar that has the geometry (by example, shape and dimensions) determined above. VARIATIONS
[00185] Several variations of the procedure mentioned above are possible.
[00186] For example, instead of simulating multiple combinations of (k, a), as mentioned in step (m), one can stop as soon as a satisfactory solution has been discovered. Of course, a range greater or less than +/- 15% can also be chosen. Instead of simulating all possible combinations (eg in 5% or 3% steps), you can also use a predefined set of, for example, 25 pairs (k, a), where the values of 'K ' and 'a' are randomly chosen in the range of (K-15%) to (K+15%) and (n+1)-15% to (n+1)+15% respectively, etc.
[00187] Of course, one or more of the steps (a) to (o) exposed can also be performed in a different order, optionally including building intermediate prototypes, measuring the prototypes, and fine-tuning one or more parameters, etc. BUILD A PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTOR BAR
[00188] The distributor bar specified and simulated previously (as a mathematical model) in steps (a) to (n) can then be physically performed in step (o), for example, prototyped and/or manufactured in any known manner , for example, but not limited to any of the following techniques: 1) injection molding using materials such as polyamide 6 (PA6) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). This is often reinforced with up to 30% by weight of fiberglass; 2) additive manufacturing of stereolithography (3D printing) using materials such as Tusk XC2700; 3) additive manufacturing technique of melt deposition modeling using materials such as ABS ;4) computer numerical control (CNC) milling using materials such as aluminum or steel, or aluminum alloys or steel alloys or stainless steel.
[00189] Since the fabrication step itself is well known in the art, no further explanation is considered necessary.
[00190] Four numerical examples of distributor bars according to the first modality will be described below. EXAMPLE 1
[00191] The following production line parameters are given: Qtotal=3.6 x 10-4 m3/sWpanel=1.0 m n(fluid)=0.9 Vline=15 m/min
[00192] Using steps (a) to (h) of the projection method described above, the following set of parameters of a distributor bus 230 according to an embodiment of the present invention, shown in figure 23, was chosen or calculated: Ndev=2Nholes =12x2=24Ddev=8.0 x 10-3 mDhole=2.4 x 10-3 mα=0.8tdev=0.11 sVexit=3.3 m/sW=0.21 mK=3.7 x 10- 2 m
[00193] These values can then be used to start simulations and iterations, and to calculate output pipe lengths.
[00194] It is pointed out that there is no exclusive solution for this production line, and other solutions for this same production line may also be possible, as explained above, and as can be seen by the steps of the proposed projection method. For example, if Ddev is chosen slightly smaller, say, for example, equal to about 7.0 x 10-3 m, then a completely different solution will be obtained, but it will still offer the same "average speed" guarantee substantially constant" at the outlet openings, or substantially constant partial flow leaving each of the outlet openings (within the specified tolerance range), when said reaction mixture would be entered at the predefined flow rate. And, when used on said production line, and if the value of "Nholes" were chosen high enough (see, for example, figure 20), this would, in effect, "guarantee complete layout" (no gaps between tracks )", etc.
[00195] As another example, Ndev may have been chosen to be equal to 3, but this would require an additional mixing head, without a clear advantage, which in this case is not required.
[00196] As yet another example, the number of Nholes output holes may have been chosen slightly greater than 24, eg 28 (since Ndev=2, a multiple of 4 needs to be chosen), which would imply that the flow through each individual outlet pipe will decrease by about 5%, which in this case would probably also be a good solution, as the average outlet velocities are still well in the range of 2.5 to 3 .5 m/s, with no noticeable increase in the risk of dirt. EXAMPLE 2
[00197] In a second example, the following production line parameters are given: Qtotal=4.7 x 10-4 m3/s, Wpanel=1.2 m, Vline=20 m/min, n(fluid)= 0.9.
[00198] And a possible solution obtainable through the projection method described above would be: Ndev=2, Nholes=16x2=32, Ddev=8.5 x 10-3 m, Dhole=2.3 x 10-3 m, α =0.8, tdev=0.12 s, Vexit=3.5 m/s, W=0.26 m, K=41 x 10-3m.
[00199] Again, these values can then be used to start the simulations, and to calculate the lengths of the exit tubes. This distribution bar 240 is illustrated in Figure 24. EXAMPLE 3
[00200] In a third example, the following production line parameters are given: Qtotal=1.2 x 10-3 m3/s, Wpanel=1.2 m, Vline=25 m/min, n(fluid)= 0.8.
[00201] And a possible solution obtainable through the projection method described above would be: Ndev=3, Nholes=12x3=36, Ddev=11.5 x 10-3 m, Dhole=3.5 x 10-3 m, α =0.75, tdev=0.083 s, Vexit=3.4 m/s, W=0.17 m, K=25 x 10-3 m.
[00202] Again, these values can then be used to start the simulations, and to calculate the lengths of the exit tubes. This distribution bar 250 is illustrated in Figure 25. EXAMPLE 4
[00203] In a fourth example, the following production line parameters are given: Qtotal=1.5 x 10-3 m3/s, Wpanel=1.2 m, Vline=50 m/min, n(fluid)= 0.8.
[00204] And a possible solution obtainable through the projection method described above would be: Ndev=3, Nholes=24x3=72, Ddev=12 x 10-3 m, Dhole=3.0 x 10-3 m, α=0 .75, tdev=0.072 s, Vexit=2.9 m/s, W=0.18 m, K=25 x 10-3 m.
[00205] Again, these values can then be used to start the simulations, and to calculate the lengths of the exit tubes. This distribution bar 260 is illustrated in Figure 26. SECOND MODE
[00206] Figure 27 illustrates an example of a second embodiment of a distributor bar 280 in accordance with the present invention.
[00207] The geometry of the distributor bar 280 of the second mode is chosen to have an internal space 5 similar to that of Figure 22, but with a curved centerline (in its longitudinal direction). The inner space 5 of the distributor bar is tapering towards its outer ends (excluding the outlet tubes, which have a constant inner diameter Dhole), whereby the inner diameter decreases from a first Ddev value near the center inlet to a second value α.Ddev at the outer ends (left and right in Figure 27), where α is a constant value chosen in the range of 0.50 to 0.95, preferably in the range of 0.60 to 0.95 more preferably in the range of 0.75 to 0.80. The distributor bar 280 additionally has a central inlet 2 for receiving a viscous foamable fluid mixture from the mixing equipment (not shown), and it has an even number of equidistantly spaced outlet tubes having parallel centerlines. Outlet tubes have a constant inner diameter Dhole that is the same for all outlet tubes.
[00208] Everything that is said for the first modality is also applicable for the second modality, except as explicitly mentioned below.
[00209] Unlike the first mode, the distributor bar 280 of the second mode does not have an internal space with a straight center line, but its internal space is curved upwards towards the center of the distributor bar 280. In addition to what was mentioned for the In the first embodiment, the curve is preferably chosen such that the bases of the outlet tubes are located substantially in a single plane. This offers the additional advantage that, when mounted above a mill, the distance between the mill and the outlet openings of the outlet tubes is substantially constant.
[00210] The projection method described above can also be applied to find suitable dimensions for this rolling bar 280, except that formula [6] would need to be replaced by the following formula [7], where 'z' is a continuous value for set the curvature.
according to which, Hmin is the minimum height at the outer edges. What was mentioned above for Lmin is also applicable for Hmin. Therefore, the value of Hmin is typically chosen in the range 2.0 to 10.0 mm, preferably in the range 3.0 mm to 5.0 mm, for example 4.0 mm.
[00211] Everything else that was said for the first mode is also applicable for the second mode, for example, about the residence time range, the exit speed range, etc. THIRD MODE
[00212] Figure 28 illustrates an example of a third embodiment of a distributor bar 290 according to the present invention.
[00213] The geometry of the distributor bar 290 of the third mode is chosen to have an internal space with a substantially straight centerline (in its longitudinal direction). The inner space of the distributor bar 290 is tapering from the center towards its outer ends (excluding the outlet tubes, which have a constant inner diameter), whereby the inner diameter linearly decreases by a first Ddev value. near center input 2 for a second value α.Ddev at the outer ends (left and right in Figure 28), where α is a constant value chosen in the range of 0.50 to 0.95, preferably in the range of 0, 60 to 0.95, more preferably in the range of 0.75 to 0.80. The distributor bar 290 additionally has a central inlet 2 for receiving a viscous foamable liquid mixture from the mixing equipment (not shown), and it has an even number of equidistantly spaced outlet tubes. Unlike the first embodiment, the distributor bar 290 of the third embodiment does not have cylindrical outlet tubes with a circular opening, but instead has elongated outlet slits with an elongated opening. The cross section of all output pipes is the same.
[00214] Everything that is said for the first modality is also applicable for the third modality, except as explicitly mentioned below.
[00215] Since the exit openings are not circular, but substantially rectangular with a cross-sectional area of Bslot x Wslot, the following formula [8] should be used instead of formula [3] when estimating the exit velocity:

[00216] Everything else that was said for the first mode is also applicable for the third mode, for example, about the residence time range, the exit speed range, etc. FOURTH MODE
[00217] Figure 29 illustrates an example of a fourth embodiment of a distributor bar 300 according to the present invention.
[00218] The geometry of the distributor bar 300 of the fourth mode is chosen to have an internal space 5 with a substantially straight centerline (in its longitudinal direction). The inner space of the distributor bar 300 is tapering from the center towards its outer ends (excluding the outlet pipes), whereby the inner diameter linearly decreases from a first Ddev value near the center inlet to a second value α.Ddev at the outer ends (left and right in Figure 29), where α is a constant value chosen in the range of 0.50 to 0.95, preferably in the range of 0.60 to 0.95, more preferably in the range of 0.75 to 0.80. The distributor bar 300 additionally has a central inlet 2 for receiving a viscous foamable fluid mixture from the mixing equipment (not shown), and it has an even number of equidistantly spaced outlet tubes. Unlike the first mode, the distributor bar 300 of the fourth mode does not have cylindrical exit tubes with a circular opening, but instead has funnel-like conical exit cones, for example, of a fixed length.
[00219] Everything that is said for the first modality is also applicable for the fourth modality, except as explicitly mentioned below.
[00220] Instead of needing to find a plurality of lengths of the exit tubes, in this modality, one can find a suitable area of the inlet of the funnel to obtain the constant exit velocity.
[00221] Therefore, in the projection method, as stated, the formula [6] must be replaced by the following formula [9]:
and instead of an arrangement of lengths, now an arrangement of areas needs to be discovered.
[00222] Everything else that was said for the first mode is also applicable for the fourth mode, for example, about the residence time range, the exit speed range, etc. VARIANTS
[00223] Although, in all of the above-described embodiments, a main channel and outlet pipes having a circular cross section have been used, this is absolutely not required for the present invention, and the invention will also work with other cross sections, by example, elliptical, triangular, triangular with rounded edges, square, square with rounded edges, rectangular, rectangular with rounded edges, pentagonal, pentagonal with rounded edges, hexagonal, hexagonal with rounded edges, octagonal, octagonal with rounded edges, polygonal with polygonal rounded edges, or any other suitable shape.
[00224] It is also pointed out that it is not absolutely required that the cross section of the main channel and the cross section of the outlet openings be the same and, in fact, they may be different. It is expected, however, that cross sections with sharp edges will result in quicker dirt and therefore cross sections with a circular or elliptical shape, or a shape with rounded edges is preferred.
[00225] Figure 30 is a high-level flowchart showing the (at least part of) the method of designing and manufacturing a distributor bar, according to embodiments of the present invention.
[00226] In step 3001, a geometry is chosen, and a set of parameters corresponding to a physical shape and dimensions is defined.
[00227] In step 3002, (a first or a subsequent set of) values are assigned to the geometric parameters.
[00228] In step 3003, a virtual model is built from said geometry. This step could mean, for example, defining boundary conditions in a simulation tool.
[00229] In step 3005, a computer simulation of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is performed to simulate the flow through said virtual model and to calculate the exit velocity profiles at each exit opening. This simulation is performed taking into account a non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity model that uses specific values for the viscous foamable liquid mixture for which the spreader bar is designed. This "taking into account" can be accomplished by selecting an appropriate non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity model, and entering material properties (step 3004). The selection of the shear plasticity model and the setting of particular values can be done via a menu selection in the simulation tool (see screenshot of figure 31). In the example shown in figure 31, "Consistency of Viscosity" corresponds to the Power Law value 'm' and is set to 1.1 [Pa s], and the value "Power Law Index" corresponds to the value 'n' , and is set to 0.79 (see also figures 13 and 14)
[00230] In step 3006, it is evaluated whether the resulting output velocity profiles satisfy a predetermined condition, for example, that the individual output flow of each output tube is constant within a predefined tolerance margin (for example, +/ - 5 %), or that the average output speed of each output tube is constant within a predefined tolerance range (eg +/- 5 %) and, for example, that these average speeds ly in the range of 2, 5 to 3.5 m/s. If the condition is not satisfied for the chosen geometry, one or more parameters or variables can be adapted and steps 3002, 3003, 3005, 3006 can be repeated, until a solution is found that satisfies the predefined criteria.
[00231] In step 3007, a physical distributor bar is built, for example, using a prototyping or fabrication process.
[00232] Of course, many variations are possible, for example, instead of stopping as soon as a solution is discovered that satisfies the criteria tested in step 3006, a predefined number of iterations can be performed, and the "best" result (for example , the one with the most uniform flow) can be retained. DETAILS OF VISCOSITY MEASUREMENTS
[00233] This section describes in more detail how the viscosity measurements leading to the results of Figure 13 were carried out, as an illustration of how the viscosity behavior of any foamable mixture can be measured, but of course the invention is not limited to the specific details mentioned here. Formulation Description and Preparation
[00234] A polyol (polyester) blend composition in parts by weight (pbw) is: Hoopol 1394: 100 pbw; L6900: 2 bpw; TCPP: 9 bpw; Cycle/Iso Pentane (70/30): 20.2 pbw; Water: 0.8 pbw.
[00235] The isocyanate used was Suprasec S 2085. The mixing ratio was 17.4 g S 2085/12.7 g polyol blend. The formulation used in the measurements was catalyst free in order to allow enough time to study the early viscosity of the mixture, which is important for projection. All contents were mixed for 5 s at 2000 RPM with a Heydolf mixer and applied immediately afterwards to the rheometer. Description of Measurements
[00236] Measurements were performed on a TA instruments AR 2000 rheometer with parallel plate-to-disk geometry with a gap between plates of 500 micrometers. Although the catalyst is removed, the contents, however, will react slowly. To obtain the shear rate dependence of the initial mixture, a series of measurements must be carried out under different operating conditions.
[00237] Measurements can be performed with three different operating modes, namely: 1) apply a constant shear stress to the material sample and observe the shear rate of the material over time; 2) apply a constant shear rate to the material sample and observe the shear stress of the material over time; 3) apply a linear increase of shear stress on the material sample and observe the shear rate of the material over time.
[00238] To obtain the shear rate dependence of the initial mixture viscosity, the following procedure can be followed, but other procedures known to those skilled in the art can also be used: 1) start recording time from the moment the formulation contents are mixed; 2) mix contents for a given amount of time (kept the same during different measurements) and apply immediately to the rheometer; 3) perform a series of experiments for the same formulation at any of different constant shear stresses, different constant shear rates, different linear increases in shear stress or combinations thereof; 4) observe the minimum time in which stable measurements are obtained for all experiments and record the shear stress as a function of the shear rate for the different experiments at this time;5) the viscosity model, then, must fit these data, for example, as shown in figure 13, where the "Law of Power" was chosen, but, in the way already mentioned, also other viscosity models may have been used, in particular, for example: Cross, Carreau Yasuda or Herschel Bulkley. IN SUMMARY
[00239] As far as is known to the inventors, no distributor bar with the same geometry and (especially) the same dimensions proposed by the present invention exists in the prior art, therefore, it cannot provide the same behavior (when subjected to the same conditions).
[00240] Experience has shown that classical projection methods, which worked well for many years, no longer correspond well with reality, for an unknown reason. It took several months of research, and many prototypes before the inventors came up with the idea of trying to use a non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity model (instead of a constant viscosity value) during the simulation, contrary to their feeling that a model like this it would have some significant impact because the viscous foamable liquid mixture is only in the distributor bar for about 150 ms immediately after mixing, at which time it is not yet foaming.
[00241] Furthermore, arriving at the idea of "using a non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity model" is one thing, but being able to actually make the so required realistic values of the real mixtures be used, and perform a measurement like this with a mixture , such as PUR or PIR (which has a volume expansion factor of around 100, yet not being able to add delay agents because this influences the measurement), was another major obstacle.
[00242] The next problem was related to the reactivity of the mixture, which typically increased along with the line speed. The inventors suggested a very elegant solution by incorporating reactivity into the "Nholes" parameter.
[00243] The next problem was related to finding suitable values for the large number of outputs (eg L[i], i=1 to 16), which was a problem of mathematical complexity, namely, how to limit the number of simulations to a reasonable number, yet being able to figure out a good set of values. It is mentioned in this regard that mere "trial and error" or a "brute force" approach (where all possible combinations are tested) was not a realistic option, simply because they required an enormous amount of time. In order to overcome this obstacle, the inventors came up with the idea of using a mathematical expression on just two variables (a, k). This effectively enabled them to reduce the complexity of a (for example) 16-dimensional problem to a two-dimensional problem. Furthermore, it is observed that one of these two "variables" (in the example described here: the value 'k') is closely related to a parameter of the "non-Newtonian pseudoplasticity model" (in the example described: k ~ 'n' +1), which is considered a variable parameter for mathematical simulation, but which is actually a constant of a particular mixture. So this approach was not trivial either.
[00244] Finally, the mathematical model of the distributor bar was performed as a physical object, and only then could it be tested to verify if, and to what degree, the behavior of the physical device corresponded with the simulations. The measurements were found to match the simulations well despite all the uncertainties. Looking back at all the challenges that needed to be overcome to arrive at the solution proposed by the present invention, and the uncertainties and unpredictable outcome along the way, it is firmly believed that this solution is far from trivial.REFERENCES40, 80, 120 , 210, 230, 240, 250, 260, 280, 290, 300: distributor bar2 inlet5 inner space6 centerlinep1 to p12 outlets (eg outlet pipes, outlet slots) 4a, 4b, ... outlet openingt1 to t12 viscous liquid foamable material track (or continuous flow) 1 to w12 viscous liquid foamable material track width51 , 91 rolling mill (also referred to as "first continuous belt system")70 sandwich panel71 expanded foam material72 upper belt system73 link lines101 uniform viscous foamable liquid layer110 sandwich panel111 expanded foam layer72 upper belt system L[..] arrangement of lengths of outlet pipes (modalities 1, 2, 3)A[..] arrangement that of exit funnel areas (modality 4)

权利要求:
Claims (7)
[0001]
1. Production line, characterized by the fact that it comprises: - one or more mixing heads adapted to receive raw foam materials and produce a viscous foamable liquid mixture; - a laminator having a predefined width (Wpanel) and which is adapted to operate at a line speed (Vline) of at least 15 m/min;- a distributor bar having (i) a central inlet fluidly connected to said one or more mixing heads for receiving said viscous foamable liquid mixture to a predefined flow rate and (ii) a predefined even number of cylindrical outlets fluidly connected to said central inlet through a main channel for depositing said viscous foamable liquid mixture in said mill, the cylindrical outlets spaced apart by a predefined width and the main channel having an inner diameter that linearly decreases from a first diameter D1 at its center to a second diameter αD1 at each end external, where α is a constant value in the range from 0.5 to 0.95, in which the viscous foamable liquid mixture is deposited from the cylindrical outlets positioned at each external end of the main channel straight down with respect to a direction perpendicular to the rolling mill and where, when a predefined flow rate (Qtotal) entering through the central inlet and the predefined width is at least 1.00 x 10-4 m2/s, the viscous foamable liquid mixture will leave each of the cylindrical outlets at one average speed, which is constant for each of the cylindrical outputs within, within a pre-defined tolerance range of maximum +/- 5%.
[0002]
2. Production line according to claim 1, characterized in that the mill is adapted to operate at a line speed of at least 20 m/min
[0003]
3. Production line according to claim 1, characterized in that the rolling mill is adapted to operate at a line speed of at least 25 m/min.
[0004]
4. Production line according to claim 1, characterized in that the rolling mill is adapted to operate at a line speed of at least 40 m/min.
[0005]
5. Production line according to claim 1, characterized in that the cylindrical outlets have a constant internal diameter.
[0006]
6. Production line according to claim 1, characterized in that α is a constant value in the range of 0.75 to 0.8.
[0007]
7. Production line according to claim 1, characterized in that the predefined tolerance margin is at most +/- 3%.

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同族专利:

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公开号 | 公开日

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CN106999962A|2017-08-01|

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US20190255555A1|2019-08-22|

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MX2017003159A|2017-05-23|

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WO2016037842A1|2016-03-17|

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CA2961109A1|2016-03-17|

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CN106999962B|2019-11-15|

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US20170285619A1|2017-10-05|

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RU2017112018A|2018-10-11|

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EP3191283A1|2017-07-19|

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US10328450B2|2019-06-25|

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RU2017112018A3|2019-02-27|

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BR112017004668A2|2018-01-30|

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RU2706619C2|2019-11-19|

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法律状态:
2020-02-18| B06U| Preliminary requirement: requests with searches performed by other patent offices: procedure suspended [chapter 6.21 patent gazette]|

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2021-08-17| B09A| Decision: intention to grant [chapter 9.1 patent gazette]|

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2021-09-08| B16A| Patent or certificate of addition of invention granted [chapter 16.1 patent gazette]|Free format text: PRAZO DE VALIDADE: 20 (VINTE) ANOS CONTADOS A PARTIR DE 24/08/2015, OBSERVADAS AS CONDICOES LEGAIS. |

优先权:

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申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题

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EP14184340|2014-09-11|

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EP14184340.9|2014-09-11|

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PCT/EP2015/069360|WO2016037842A1|2014-09-11|2015-08-24|Method of designing and manufacturing a distributor bar for applying a viscous foamable liquid mixture onto a laminator|

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