The present disclosure is generally related to thermal cleaning and, more particularly, is related to systems and methods for fluidized sandbed thermal & mechanical cleaning.
Traditional cleaning of metal components that are adhered with paint, powder coating, plastic, polyesters, rubber, and other similar substances takes long periods of time, cause deformation or damage, and have a high operating cost.
Desirable in the art is an improved cleaning method and apparatus that would improve upon the conventional cleaning method and apparatus.
Fluid clean apparatuses are provided. A representative fluid clean apparatus includes a container that has an opening for loading metal parts therein, and an internal loading platform system that includes a platform that is positioned inside the container, and a lift cylinder that is coupled to the platform and raises up and down the platform.
Other systems, devices, methods, features of the invention will be or will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such systems, devices, methods, features be included within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.
Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, the reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. While several embodiments are described in connection with these drawings, there is no intent to limit the disclosure to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents.
Exemplary systems are first discussed with reference to the figures. Although these systems are described in detail, they are provided for purposes of illustration only and various modifications are feasible. After the exemplary systems are described, examples of flow diagrams f the systems are provided to explain the manner in which metal parts are cleaned using fluidized sandbed thermal cleaning.
The lift cylinder 105 is coupled to the platform truck 115 via a rod 135 that can be moved in and out (raised down and up) of the lift cylinder 105. The lift cylinder 105 can use a hydraulic or electro-mechanical mechanism or an air mechanism, or other similar mechanisms, to accomplish moving the rod 135 in and out of the cylinder 105. The rod 135 is coupled to the platform truck 115 at a distal end 140 of the rod 135.
The platform truck 115 slides along a platform truck track 110 and slots 155A, B of the side wall of the container 125. Specifically, the platform truck 115 includes a left edge 145A and a right edge 145B that are coupled to a left track 150A and a right track 150B of the platform truck track 110, respectively. The lift cylinder 105, platform truck track 110, and an outside portion of platform truck 115 is position outside of the container 125.
An inside portion of the platform truck 115 is coupled to the platform 120, which is position insider the container 125. As the platform 120 is raised up and side the container 125, the platform truck 115 is supported by the platform truck track 150A, B.
The front door 130 is coupled to vertical structures 160A, B and is raised up and down along the vertical structures 160A, B. Door lift cylinders 165A, B are coupled to the front door 130 via rods 170A, B and door couplings 175A, B that can be moved in and out (raised down and up) of the door lift cylinders 165A, B, opening and closing the opening of the container 125. The door lift cylinders 165A, B can use a hydraulic or electro-mechanical mechanism or an air mechanism, or other similar mechanisms, to accomplish moving the rod 170A, B in and out of the door cylinders 165A, B. The rods 170A, B are attached to the door couplings 175A, B, which are attached to the door 130. The door 130 slides along door truck tracks 180A, b that are attached to the vertical structures 160A, B.
Door cylinders 185A, B are positioned near the top of the side walls of the container. The door cylinders 185A, B are coupled to the distal end 195A of the vertical structures 160A, B via rods 190A, B that can be moved in and out of the door cylinders 185A, B, moving the front door 130 adjacent and afar from the opening of the container. The door cylinders 185A, B can use a hydraulic or electro-mechanical mechanism or an air mechanism, or other similar mechanisms, to accomplish moving the rod 190A, B in and out of the door cylinders 185A, B.
The container 625 has a front and top opening that can be covered by a hood 627. The hood 627 includes a front cover 630 and a top cover 633 that is mechanically hinged at 645A, B. The bottom left and right corner of the front cover 630 are attached with rollers 650A, B that roll on roller tracks 653A, B. The tracks 653A, B are positioned on the top and front edge of the left and side walls of the container 625.
The left edge and right edge of the top cover 633 are attached to at a distal end of the lever structures 620A,B. The proximal end of the lever structures 620A,B are attached to rods 615A,B of the lift cylinders 605A,B. The middle section of the lever structures 620A, B are attached to fulcrum structures 640A,B. Lift cylinders 605A,B are attached to cylinder locks 610A, B on the side walls of the container 625. As the cylinders 605A,B pull the lever structures 620A,B toward the cylinders 605A,B, the lever structures 620A,B pivots on the fulcrums 640A,B and pulls the top cover 633 upward and towards the rear of the container 625. This motion of the top cover 633 causes the front cover 630 to lift upward and move towards the rear of the container 625.
To close the hood 627, the cylinders 605A,B push the lever structures 620A, B away from the cylinders 605A,B. The lever structures 620A, B pivots on the fulcrums 640A,B and forces the top cover 633to move towards the front of the container and lowers the top cover 633 on the top edge of the container 625. This motion of the top cover 633 causes the front cover 630 and the rollers 650A,B to move along the roller tracks 653A,B towards the front and bottom of the container 625.
At state 4, a pilot burner above the surface of the bubbling sand bed ignites the gas-air mixture, resulting in flames that spread across the surface. At states 5 and 6, the fluidized bed is heated quickly and uniformly and the normal operating temperature in the fluidized bed is around 780 to 850 degrees Fahrenheit. At state 8, the internal loading platform system 200 (
At states 9 and 10, bonded organic substances on the contaminated metal parts are gasified and gases rise through the fluidized bed and are directly burned by a flame-shield. At state 11, the sand particles absorb the heat from the flames and the external gas supply is correspondingly reduced. At state 12, gases in the fluidized bed are burned out by injecting secondary air into the fluidized bed.
At state 13, inorganic particles are also removed from the metal parts (without damage) by slight movement of the sand and are carried along with a flue gas stream. At state 14, the removed inorganic particles are referred to inert dust particles and these inert dust particles are separated from the flue gases by de-dusting through a cyclone battery or ceramic filter. The particles fall in to a collector reservoir under the cyclone or ceramic filter and can easily be removed.
This description has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments discussed, however, were chosen to illustrate the principles of the disclosure, and its practical application. The disclosure is thus intended to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to use the disclosure, in various embodiments and with various modifications, as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variation are within the scope of this disclosure, as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly and legally entitled.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application entitled, “FLUID CLEAN APPARATUS,” having Ser. No. 62/422,712, filed on Nov. 16, 2016, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62422712 | Nov 2016 | US |