Method in a pressing arrangement

A pressing arrangement, comprising:

• a pressure vessel configured to hold pressure medium therein during use of the pressing arrangement;
• a furnace chamber within the pressure vessel, the furnace chamber configured to direct the pressure medium to enter and exit the furnace chamber, wherein a treatment region is at least in part defined by the furnace chamber, wherein the treatment region is configured to accommodate an article, and wherein the pressing arrangement is configured to subject the article to a treatment cycle including a cooling phase;
• a pressure medium circulation flow generator configured to provide a circulation of the pressure medium within the pressure vessel, wherein the pressure medium passes through the furnace chamber during the circulation of the pressure medium, wherein the pressure medium circulation flow generator is controllable at least with respect to an operating rate thereof;
• a pressure medium heating device configured to selectively and controllably heat the pressure medium within the pressure vessel to increase a temperature of the pressure medium in the treatment region;
• at least one sensor configured to sense at least one temperature in the treatment region;
• and
• at least one control and processing circuitry communicatively coupled with the at least one sensor, the pressure medium circulation flow generator, and the pressure medium heating device, the at least one control and processing circuitry configured to control operation of the pressure medium circulation flow generator and the pressure medium heating device, respectively, to control a rate of cooling of the pressure medium in the treatment region, the at least one control and processing circuitry configured to, during the cooling phase,
• obtain values indicative of at least one temperature in the treatment region at a plurality of time instants;
• based on the obtained values, determine a cooling power for cooling of the pressure medium in the treatment region;
• determine a difference between a required cooling power required to obtain a selected value for the rate of cooling of the pressure medium in the treatment region and the determined cooling power;
• based on the determined difference, control the operating rate of the pressure medium circulation flow generator so that a difference between the cooling power for cooling of the pressure medium in the treatment region and the required cooling power decreases;
• and
• in response to a determination that the cooling power for cooling of the pressure medium in the treatment region provided by the operation of the pressure medium circulation flow generator exceeds a cooling power corresponding to the selected value for the rate of cooling of the pressure medium in the treatment region, heat the pressure medium in the treatment region using the pressure medium heating device and based on the determined difference so that the difference between the cooling power of cooling of the pressure medium in the treatment region and the required cooling power decreases.

A control and processing circuitry configured to be communicatively coupled with a pressing arrangement, the pressing arrangement including a pressure vessel configured to hold pressure medium therein during use of the pressing arrangement, a furnace chamber within the pressure vessel, a pressure medium circulation flow generator, a pressure medium heating device, and at least one sensor, the furnace chamber configured to direct the pressure medium to enter and exit the furnace chamber, wherein a treatment region is at least in part defined by the furnace chamber, wherein the treatment region is configured to accommodate an article, and wherein the pressing arrangement is configured to subject the article to a treatment cycle including a cooling phase, the pressure medium circulation flow generator configured to provide a circulation of the pressure medium within the pressure vessel, wherein the pressure medium passes through the furnace chamber during the circulation of the pressure medium, wherein the pressure medium circulation flow generator is controllable at least with respect to an operating rate thereof, the pressure medium heating device configured to selectively and controllably heat the pressure medium within the pressure vessel to increase a temperature of the pressure medium in the treatment region, the at least one sensor configured to sense at least one temperature in the treatment region, the control and processing circuitry configured to be communicatively coupled with the at least one sensor of the pressing arrangement, the pressure medium circulation flow generator, and the pressure medium heating device, the control and processing circuitry configured to control operation of the pressure medium circulation flow generator and the pressure medium heating device, respectively, the control and processing circuitry configured to control a rate of cooling of the pressure medium in the treatment region, the control and processing circuitry configured to:

• obtain values indicative of at least one temperature in the treatment region at a plurality of time instants;
• based on the obtained values, determine a cooling power for cooling of the pressure medium in the treatment region;
• determine a difference between a required cooling power required to obtain a selected value for the rate of cooling of the pressure medium in the treatment region and the determined cooling power;
• based on the determined difference, control the operating rate of the pressure medium circulation flow generator so that a difference between the cooling power for cooling of the pressure medium in the treatment region and the required cooling power decreases;
• and
• in response to a determination that the cooling power for cooling of the pressure medium in the treatment region provided by the operation of the pressure medium circulation flow generator exceeds a cooling power corresponding to the selected value for the rate of cooling of the pressure medium in the treatment region, heat the pressure medium in the treatment region using the pressure medium heating device and based on the determined difference so that the difference between the cooling power of cooling of the pressure medium in the treatment region and the required cooling power decreases.