Press apparatus

A press apparatus comprising:

• a pressure vessel, arranged to hold pressure medium therein during use of the press apparatus, the pressure vessel comprising a top end closure and a bottom end closure;
• a furnace chamber arranged within the pressure vessel so that pressure medium can enter and exit the furnace chamber, the furnace chamber at least in part defining a treatment space arranged to accommodate at least one article, wherein the press apparatus is configured to subject the at least one article to a treatment cycle including a cooling phase;
• at least one outer convection loop pressure medium guiding passage in fluid communication with the furnace chamber and arranged to form an outer convection loop within the pressure vessel, wherein the outer convection loop is arranged to guide the pressure medium after having exited the furnace chamber in proximity to an inner surface of wall(s) of the pressure vessel to a space between the furnace chamber and the bottom end closure;
• a pressure medium flow generator arranged within the pressure vessel and in fluid communication with the furnace chamber, wherein at least during a cooling phase of the treatment cycle, the pressure medium flow generator is arranged to generate a transport of pressure medium from at least the space between the furnace chamber and the bottom end closure into the furnace chamber so as to cool the pressure medium in the treatment space;
• at least one pressure medium guiding passage arranged within the pressure vessel such that pressure medium may pass from the furnace chamber to the space between the furnace chamber and the bottom end closure, or vice versa, via only the at least one pressure medium guiding passage;
• one or more controllable pressure medium flow restrictions arranged to selectively and controllably impede or obstruct a flow of pressure medium in the at least one pressure medium passage;
• and
• a control unit communicatively connected with the one or more controllable pressure medium flow restrictions for controlling operation thereof, wherein the control unit is configured to control the one or more controllable pressure medium flow restrictions so as to impede or obstruct a flow of pressure medium in the at least one pressure medium guiding passage during a cooling phase of the treatment cycle and not impede or obstruct a flow of pressure medium in the at least one pressure medium guiding passage during another or other phases of the treatment cycle including at least one of a heating phase, a hold phase, a pumping phase and a vacuum phase, or any combination thereof;
• wherein the press apparatus is arranged such that:
• the furnace chamber is at least partly enclosed by a heat insulated casing arranged so that pressure medium can enter and exit the furnace chamber, the heat insulated casing comprising a heat insulating portion, a housing at least partly enclosing the heat insulating portion, and a bottom insulating portion, wherein a heat absorbing element is arranged between an upper part of the heat insulating portion and an opening in the housing;
• and/or such that:
• a heat exchanging element is arranged in the top end closure.

A method in a press apparatus, the press apparatus comprising a pressure vessel, arranged to hold pressure medium therein during use of the press apparatus, the pressure vessel comprising a top end closure and a bottom end closure, a furnace chamber arranged within the pressure vessel so that pressure medium can enter and exit the furnace chamber, the furnace chamber at least in part defining a treatment space arranged to accommodate at least one article, wherein the press apparatus is configured to subject the at least one article to a treatment cycle including a cooling phase, the press apparatus further comprising at least one outer convection loop pressure medium guiding passage in fluid communication with the furnace chamber and arranged to form an outer convection loop within the pressure vessel, wherein the outer convection loop is arranged to guide the pressure medium after having exited the furnace chamber in proximity to an inner surface of wall(s) of the pressure vessel to a space between the furnace chamber and the bottom end closure, the press apparatus further comprising a pressure medium flow generator arranged within the pressure vessel and in fluid communication with the furnace chamber, wherein at least during a cooling phase of the treatment cycle, the pressure medium flow generator is arranged to generate a transport of pressure medium from at least the space between the furnace chamber and the bottom end closure into the furnace chamber so as to cool the pressure medium in the treatment space, the press apparatus further comprising at least one pressure medium guiding passage arranged within the pressure vessel such that pressure medium may pass from the furnace chamber to the space between the furnace chamber and the bottom end closure, or vice versa, via only the at least one pressure medium guiding passage, the press apparatus further comprising one or more controllable pressure medium flow restrictions arranged to selectively and controllably impede or obstruct a flow of pressure medium in the at least one pressure medium passage, the method comprising:

• controlling the one or more controllable pressure medium flow restrictions so as to impede or obstruct a flow of pressure medium in the at least one pressure medium guiding passage during a cooling phase of the treatment cycle and not impede or obstruct a flow of pressure medium in the at least one pressure medium guiding passage during another or other phases of the treatment cycle including at least one of a heating phase, a hold phase, a pumping phase and a vacuum phase, or any combination thereof;
• wherein the press apparatus is arranged such that:
• the furnace chamber is at least partly enclosed by a heat insulated casing arranged so that pressure medium can enter and exit the furnace chamber, the heat insulated casing comprising a heat insulating portion, a housing at least partly enclosing the heat insulating portion, and a bottom insulating portion, wherein a heat absorbing element is arranged between an upper part of the heat insulating portion and an opening in the housing;
• and/or such that:
• a heat exchanging element is arranged in the top end closure.