ES2265259B1 - PROCESSING AND IRONING DEVICE WITH WATER SPRAY ASSISTED BY STEAM. - Google Patents

Abstract

Procedure and ironing device with steam-assisted water spray. The present invention describes a method and device of ironing, or "iron", with steam-assisted water spray, which incorporates a special pneumatic nebulizer (8) of high energy efficiency that produces a fine liquid water spray using water vapor as driving. The device can use part of the thermal energy supplied to the piece that presses the fabric and smoothes it to produce the driving steam. The pneumatic nebulizer used provides drops of less than 50 microns in size that can be controlled, reaching sizes below one micron, and using a mass flow of steam less than half the mass flow of liquid water used. This system provides high energy savings compared to ironing systems that use steam exclusively (conventional system), since for the same total water flow ejected by the iron, the proposed device requires only a fraction of the energy of the conventional system , even increasing the penetration of moisture into the tissue due to the small droplet size and the high spray outflow of the nebulizer.

Description

Ironing device and procedure with steam assisted water spray.

The present invention describes a process and ironing device, or "iron", with water spray steam-assisted, which incorporates a special pneumatic nebulizer (8) High energy efficiency that produces a fine water spray liquid using water vapor as impeller. The device can use part of the thermal energy supplied to the part that press the fabric and smooth it to produce the driving steam. He pneumatic nebulizer used provides smaller size drops at 50 microns that can be controlled, reaching sizes below of a micron, and using a mass flow of steam lower than the half of the mass flow of liquid water used. This system provides high energy savings compared to systems ironing using steam exclusively (conventional system), since for the same total water flow ejected by the iron, the proposed device requires only a fraction of the energy of the conventional system, even increasing the penetration of the moisture in the tissue due to the small droplet size and the high output speed of the spray from the nebulizer.

Description of the invention

The present invention describes a process and ironing device with steam-assisted water spray, which incorporates a special high efficiency pneumatic nebulizer energy, which produces a fine spray of liquid water using steam of water as impeller.

Technical sector

The present invention belongs to the sector of the mechanical engineering and more specifically in the area of mechanics fluids, with applications in industrial ironing and domestic.

State of the art

The present invention relates to an apparatus steam assisted water spray ironer. The first ironing systems are located as the origin of the iron, approximately in the fourth century. There are documents that indicate that Chinese used a tin container, which contained embers and He had a handle.

In the West, a smoothing of glass, marble or wood, which was used cold and was made in clothing, the use of starch gum did not allow work in hot. This was used until around the 15th century.

The first plates, usually made in iron, they were heated by fire. Subsequently the hollow plates that were loaded with coals, also called coal iron

In the 19th century the plates of laundry, which was heated on stove at first, until that other methods began to be applied, such as hot water, gas or alcohol

In 1882 the first electric iron appeared (US 259,054) and the following year (1883) the ironing machine, a bulky artifact for commercial use.

The first plate was heated with an electric resistance consisting of two bars of carbon between which a powerful spark jumped forming a voltaic arc, the problem with this plate is that it lacked a thermostat, quickly heated and cooled quickly not controlling the heat at dissipate and therefore not being very useful in ironing clothes, since it burned. The thermostat is added later (US1,593,266) preventing the burning of clothes. Then pressurized steam is added (US1,597,427) with a hole in the base of the iron to exit, where the water is taken to the lower rear of the iron, where it is heated and the steam passes the upper rear from the iron and led to the exit of the base, thus ironing is facilitated. The generation of steam in the ironing system is evolving and the steam sources can be both inside the body of the iron and outside, (US 2,019,954) feeding the iron by patented mounting systems (US 3,248,813). In evaporation models, steam is tried to diffuse through the garment by atomization systems, such as sprays (US 3,941,518), the addition of an atomization system improves the diffusion of water droplets on the garment, making slippage better of the floor of the iron on the garment and therefore improving its smoothing. The sprays are usually inside the body, in some cases outside (US 3,685,182), the atomization by the pressure that creates the floor of the iron against the support, in this case we talk about hydrodynamic atomization , by the pressure drop in a nozzle or the gravitational effects, cause the disintegration of the liquid. Generally, the liquid is driven through a narrow nozzle; The dynamics of the flow in said nozzle determines the size of drops, hence the malfunction when the liquid used causes abrasion in the nozzle or when settling occurs that alter the geometry of the ejection.

Steam-assisted water spray ironing systems, where the atomizer is hydraulic were already known (US6009645), this invention adds pneumatic type atomizers to the ironing system.
do.

In the present invention, a system is described of steam-assisted water spray ironing, in which the spray is a pneumatic type atomizer. Atomization of liquids by purely fluid dynamics, and in particular by route  Pneumatic, is a fundamental operation in multiple applications and industrial, technological, scientific and life developments everyday Aerosols have been used in numerous fields technological, in particular as a means to treat diseases of the airways through medication nebulization liquids Administration of aerosolized drugs by route inhalation allows to obtain adequate concentrations of medications in the respiratory system minimizing the effects secondary. Also, the applications in the agronomic sector, for pesticide spraying, for example in disinsection treatments. Equipment is used for this manual or automatic (portable, vehicle mounted), which allow a targeted application and some ability to regulate the thickness of the drop, whose diameter usually varies between 100 and 500 microns When the drop sizes are lower, between 50 - 100 microns, the term nebulization is usually used: in insecticide applications, this increases buoyancy of the preparation as well as the covered extension when the deposition of the drops.

In the present invention, the technology used for pneumatic atomization is known as Flow Focusing (FF) (Gañán-Calvo 1998, Physical Review Letters 80, 285), using a special geometry, it uses the pneumatic path to generate microbeads. of liquid that later, after the exit orifice, is broken into drops of very small size and substantially homogeneous. This technology is also capable of generating liquid micro cubes by means of another liquid instead of gas, or it can generate gas micro cubes within a liquid (the same or a different liquid used as a forger, that is, with the same role played by the gas in the pneumatic process), whereby microbubbles of perfectly homogeneous size are generated.

The present invention comprises a differential system to that mentioned (FF), called antiflow focusing (AFF) (P20040233) where: the focusing gas, the joint pressurization of gas and the liquid and the discharge pressure is improved with respect to the original invention.

On the other hand, the present invention also belongs to the field of pneumatic atomizers, intends combine the advantages of a simple and robust design, with the continuous operation at low pressures and by means of a gas impeller that in this case is the vaporized water. Because the present invention allows to use mass flow ratios of gas versus liquid as low as one part of gas by seven parts of liquid, maintaining an adequate level of atomization of the liquid, the device object of the present invention is Energy efficient. The low energy consumption of device described here is compatible with an energy source renewable: a photovoltaic cell or a wind generator, by example.

Object of the description

The pneumatic nebulizer has two inputs of feed, one for a liquid (5), for example water, and another for a steam 4), for example water vapor.

Water vapor is formed from the evaporation of water and is maintained at a temperature higher than of its boiling point, so that it reaches a pressure superior to atmospheric The device can use part of the  thermal energy supplied to the piece that presses the fabric and what Smooth to produce the driving steam. To do this you can use a heat exchanger between said piece and the place where it form the steam or pass the tubes in which the steam around the area to smooth the fabric.

Water comes from a container that can be located inside or outside the iron. Both fluids are transported by tubes or other parts and mixed in the inside the nebulizer leading to the formation of a aerosol.

An essential part of the invention is the incorporation of a high efficiency nebulizer capable of generating very fine drops, less than 200 µm, even reaching submicron sizes.

This system provides high savings of energy versus ironing systems that use steam exclusively (conventional system), in which there is a high energy consumption intended for complete evaporation of water. On the contrary, the device object of the present invention it only requires the evaporation of a fraction of the water that is going to be ejected from the iron. In particular, it can work using a mass flow of steam less than half the mass flow of liquid water used. Thus, compared to a system conventional, requires less energy.

Additionally, the generated aerosol is accelerated by the pressurized stream of water vapor, so the drops They go to the fabric at high speed. That speed and the Small size favor the penetration of water into the tissue, improving the quality of ironing.

The nebulizer can work with steam from water, heated in a pressure range between 1.5 and 12 bars.

The invention is also an object, a device which incorporates a boiler that can be inside or outside the griddle. In said boiler water is introduced which is subsequently heated at a temperature between 110 and 187 ° C, forming two phases differentiated within it: (i) liquid water that remains in the lower part of the boiler; and (ii) water vapor formed by the water evaporation and that is located at the top of the boiler The boiler (2) is airtight and closed to the atmosphere which allows the generated steam to reach pressures higher than  atmospheric The generated steam is conducted by tubes to the nebulizer where it is mixed with water to form the aerosol.

It is also the object of the invention, a device consisting of a boiler like the one above described with the particularity that both steam and water which are mixed in the nebulizer are extracted from the boiler. From this way, the admission of the steam line is placed in a dimension higher vertical, while the admission of the water line is It is at its lowest level.

It is also the object of the invention, a device as described above in which the line of water (5) makes a circuit in the vicinity of the piece of ironing, so that the heat of this is communicated to the line of Water increasing its temperature. Properly designing the length and diameter of the line that makes the circuit, you can define a transmission of determined energy to the water that runs through it, giving place for two possible uses: (i) use energy to preheat the water before its introduction into the nebulizer, for its mixed with steam from another site (either the boiler or a any source of water vapor); (ii) use energy thermal of the ironing piece to evaporate the water from the line, and form steam that is introduced into the nebulizer, for its mixed with water from another side (container, boiler or any source of water).

It is also object of the present invention, the ironing procedure characterized by the use of a spray of very fine drops, generated by any of the devices described above.

The present invention includes a nebulizer pneumatic, in which the drops are generated from the mixture turbulent with water vapor. Said water vapor can be generated directly through independent systems (prior or not) of heat generation (eg electric), or by means of use of heat from the part used to press on the ironing. One way to do that would be to get through the water line intended to vaporize in the immediate vicinity of said piece, so that along its course the heat absorbed is sufficient to cause vaporization. High speed of the spray water outlet caused by the described methodology improves ironing performance versus to other existing methods.

Description of the figures

Figure 1: Ironing device (1) that incorporates a high efficiency pneumatic nebulizer (3) assisted By steam. Water is introduced into the nebulizer through a water inlet line (5) and water vapor is introduced into the  nebulizer through a steam inlet line (4).

Figure 2: Ironing device (1) incorporating a steam-assisted Flow Blurring pneumatic nebulizer (8). Inside the device there is a boiler (2) that is filled with water through the water supply line (5). Said boiler is heated to produce water vapor (6) in the upper part thereof. Both water and water vapor are extracted from the boiler and introduced into the nebulizer. Water that reaches the nebulizer is introduced into a capillary, (9) while steam pressurizes the interior of the nebulizer. Both fluids are mixed at the tip of the capillary, giving rise to an aerosol that goes outside through the outlet orifice (10).

one.

Griddle

2.

Boiler

3.

Pneumatic Nebulizer

Four.

Line steam inlet

5.

Line water inlet

6.

Phase water vapor

7.

Phase of liquid

8.

Flow Blurring Nebulizer

9.

Steel capillary

10.

Plate with exit hole.

Embodiment of the invention

A possible embodiment consists; in a conventional plate to which a nebulizer has been incorporated tire whose output is facing down, so that the generated aerosol is directed towards the tissue or sheet that is You want to iron.

In the described embodiment, there is a 1 liter boiler located inside the iron, in the which water is introduced prior to using the device.

As mentioned, the pneumatic nebulizer must be able to atomize water drops in one size small enough and with high energy efficiency so that in the described embodiment we will use a nebulizer Flow Blurring Said nebulizer consists of a closed chamber with two inputs for the admission of water, which will be atomized and the pressurized steam, which will disintegrate the liquid stream into droplets, and an outlet hole located in a wall of small thickness a through which the generated aerosol goes outside. At inside the chamber there is a capillary located in front of the hole of exit and at a certain distance from it, which reaches the water from the admission of water.

In the described embodiment the hole outlet is 400 µm in diameter and the steel capillary has an internal diameter of 400 µm and an external diameter of 700 \ mum. The axis of the capillary coincides with the axis of the hole of the plate and the front face of the tip of the capillary is 75 um of the inside face of the plate.

To make it work the boiler is heated through the contribution of thermal energy. That energy can come from the heat of the ironing piece although in the mode of embodiment described here comes from an independent source, in Particular electrical resistance.

The contribution of energy to the boiler produces the water evaporation and the formation of a vapor at higher pressure At atmospheric Water is extracted from the bottom of the boiler, and from the high part of it is extracted pressurized steam to be both introduced into the nebulizer.

Water is introduced into the nebulizer at through the admission of liquid and transported to the interior of the capillary Steam is introduced through steam admission and pressurizes the chamber, creating a pressure jump between the inside the chamber and outside.

Both fluids mix turbulently at the tip of the capillary, according to the physical phenomena of Flow Blurring technology and give rise to a spray of very fine drops that goes outside. In particular we can work in the boiler with steam at a pressure of 3 bars and a water flow of 5 mL / min, which results in drops with an average size (MMD) equal to 5 µm with a moderate size dispersion
(GSD = 2).

Industrial application

The application of the present invention are the own granted to a conventional ironing system.

Claims (7)

1. Procedure and ironing device with steam-assisted water spray characterized in that it incorporates a water dispersion device, which is a special pneumatic nebulizer, directed towards the ironing object and in the form of a steam-driven water spray of water, with drops smaller than 200 microns. 2. Ironing device with steam-assisted water spray according to claim 1, characterized in that the spray-shaped water dispersion device is a pneumatic nebulizer being the water vapor driving gas, and being the mass ratio of steam flows and of liquid water less than 0.5, preferably less than 0.15. 3. Ironing device with steam-assisted water spray according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the absolute vapor pressure used in the drive is between 1.5 Bars and 12 bars. 4. Ironing device with steam-assisted water spray according to claims 1-3, characterized in that it incorporates a boiler with a capacity between 20 and 5000 cubic centimeters, where the water is maintained at an adjustable temperature between 110 ° C and 187 ° C. 5. Ironing device with steam-assisted water spray according to claims 1-4, characterized in that a liquid water supply tube and a liquid water supply tube and a liquid water supply tube and, respectively, are located from the internal zones located in the lowest and highest vertical dimensions of the boiler. steam feed tube towards the pneumatic nebulizer incorporated in the iron. 6. Ironing device with steam-assisted water spray according to claims 1-5, characterized in that the water supply tube is arranged circulating along the inner part of the ironing surface or soleplate of the iron. 7. Water spray ironing procedure assisted by steam according to the device described in the claims 1 to 6.