Gas evaporation and flame extinguishment
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsDoron SCHLUMM, Mark SANDLER, Peter NEDELIN, Assaf PINES
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an example, a heated air knife and a negative pressure component are controlled to heat a subject gas and direct the subject gas through an evaporation channel at a target gas velocity that is above a flame propagation velocity for the subject gas. The evaporation channel is defined in part by a first surface, a nozzle of the air knife, a mixing zone, and a second surface substantially opposite the first surface.
Claims15
A gas evaporation and flame extinguishment (“GEFE”) system, comprising:
- a first surface;
- a second surface situated substantially opposite the first surface;
- a heated air knife;
- a mixing zone;
- a cooling channel fluidly connected to the mixing zone;
- an evaporation channel for a subject gas,
- wherein the evaporation channel is defined in part by the first surface, a nozzle of the air knife, the mixing zone, and the second surface;
- wherein the evaporation channel extends from the nozzle to the mixing zone;
- a negative pressure component,
- wherein the subject gas is to be heated and directed through the evaporation channel at a target gas velocity by a positive pressure caused by the heated air knife and a negative pressure applied by the negative pressure component;
- and
- wherein the target gas velocity is above a flame propagation velocity for the subject gas.
A method for providing heat exchange and flame extinguishment for a subject gas, comprising:
- controlling a heated air knife and a negative pressure component to heat a subject gas and direct the subject gas through an evaporation channel at a target gas velocity that is above a flame propagation velocity for the subject gas;
- wherein the evaporation channel is defined in part by a first surface, a nozzle of the air knife, a mixing zone, and a second surface substantially opposite the first surface.
A system for gas evaporation and flame extinguishment at a printer, comprising:
- an intermediate transfer member (“ITM”) with a first surface;
- a heated air knife with a nozzle pointed towards the first surface;
- a first element with a second surface positioned substantially opposite the first surface;
- a second element with a third surface positioned substantially opposite the first surface;
- a mixing zone that separates the second surface from the third surface;
- a cooling channel that is fluidly connected to the mixing zone, and that is extended away from the surface of the ITM;
- an evaporation channel for a subject gas, the evaporation channel having a first side that is defined by a portion of the first surface, and having a second side beginning at the air knife nozzle and extending along the second surface to end at the mixing zone;
- a negative pressure component in fluid connection with the cooling channel;
- wherein the subject gas is to be heated and directed through the evaporation channel at a target gas velocity by a positive pressure caused by the heated air knife and a negative pressure applied by the negative pressure component;
- wherein the target velocity is a safety margin velocity at least 3 times above a flame propagation velocity for the subject gas;
- and
- a control engine to control the heated air knife and the negative pressure component to control heating and direction of the subject gas through the evaporation channel at the target gas velocity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.