Patent · US Expired

Evaporative cooling apparatus and method for a fine fiber production process

US5955011A · kind A · utility

5Cited by
2References
26Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 24, 1996
Grant dateSep 21, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 24, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC03B37/06
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

Fine fibers are formed and carried in a high energy, high temperature gaseous stream to a primary fine fiber collection surface where fine fibers are collected from the gaseous stream. Gases of the gaseous stream along with fine fibers not removed from the gaseous stream by the primary collection surface are drawn through the primary collection surface and formed into an exhaust gas stream which is passed through a secondary fine fiber collection surface to remove additional fibers from the exhaust gas stream before it is discharged to the atmosphere. To reduce the operating temperatures at and surrounding the primary and secondary collection surfaces, the gas streams are cooled by evaporative cooling. Water is sprayed into the gas streams by nozzles, shielded from the gas streams by scoops, so that fibers do not collect on the nozzles and form fiber wads. The spray droplets are sized so that the droplets evaporate before the gas stream being cooled impacts a collection surface so that the fine fibers remain dry.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.