Inline resistive heating system and method for thermal treatment of continuous conductive products
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorDorival Goncalves Tecco
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inline thermal treatment system for thermally treating a continuous conductive product includes a first electrode configured to contact a continuous conductive product and a second electrode configured to contact the continuous conductive product such that a portion of the continuous conductive product is disposed between the first and second electrodes. The inline thermal treatment system includes a power source coupled to the first electrode and to the second electrode, wherein the power source is configured to apply an electrical bias between the first electrode and the second electrode to resistively heat the portion of the continuous conductive product disposed between the first and second electrodes.
Claims20
An inline thermal treatment system for thermally treating a continuous conductive product, comprising:
- a first electrode comprising a first wheel portion and a second wheel portion, the first and second wheel portions configured to contact opposing sides of a continuous conductive product;
- a second electrode comprising a third wheel portion and a fourth wheel portion, the third and fourth wheel portions configured to contact opposing sides of the continuous conductive product such that a portion of the continuous conductive product is disposed between the first and second electrodes wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are mounted on one or more insulating blocks or one or more insulating bearings, such that the first electrode and the second electrode are electrically isolated from other portions of the inline thermal treatment system;
- one or more sensors to measure a temperature of the continuous product:
- and
- a power source coupled to the first electrode and to the second electrode, wherein the power source is configured to:
- apply an electrical bias between the first electrode and the second electrode to resistively heat the portion of the continuous conductive product disposed between the first and second electrodes to a temperature sufficient to remove organic contaminates on one or more surfaces of the continuous conductive product;
- and
- adjust an amount of current flowing from the first electrode along a length of the continuous conductive product to the second electrode from a first amount of current to a second amount of current based on the measured temperature to adjust the temperature of the portion of the continuous product in order to achieve a uniform resistive heating without adjusting a rate of advancement of the continuous conductive product.
An inline thermal treatment system for thermally treating a continuous conductive product, comprising:
- a first electrode comprising a first wheel portion and a second wheel portion, the first and second wheel portions configured to contact opposing sides of a continuous conductive product;
- a second electrode comprising a third wheel portion and a fourth wheel portion, the third and fourth wheel portions configured to contact opposing sides of the continuous conductive product such that a portion of the continuous conductive product is disposed between the first and second electrodes;
- one or more sensors to measure a temperature of the continuous product;
- a power source coupled to the first electrode and to the second electrode, wherein the power source is configured to:
- apply an electrical bias between the first electrode and the second electrode to resistively heat the portion of the continuous conductive product disposed between the first and second electrodes;
- and
- adjust an amount of current flowing from the first electrode along a length of the continuous conductive product to the second electrode from a first amount of current to a second amount of current based on the measured temperature to adjust the temperature of the portion of the continuous product in order to achieve a uniform resistive heating without adjusting a rate of advancement of the continuous conductive product;
- and
- one or more gas nozzles positioned to provide one or more oxygenated gas flows toward one or more surfaces of the continuous conductive product within the heating zone to provoke oxidation to form an oxide layer at the one or more surfaces of the heated continuous conductive product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.