Method and apparatus for tempering material

Abstract

A method and apparatus for tempering material is provided. One or more liquids are atomized by at least one sprayer into droplets which are guided towards a surface of a hot material so that at least some of the droplets collide with the surface of the hot material and evaporate, thus removing thermal energy from the surface layer of the hot material. Impact members may be used to further reduce the size of the droplets. The droplets may be guided to the surface by a separate guiding gas flow.

1 . A method for tempering material, the method comprising atomizing at least one liquid into droplets, the formed droplets being guided towards a surface of a hot material so that at least some of the droplets collide with the surface of the hot material, wherein the droplets are formed and guided to the surface of the hot material in such a way that the droplets colliding with the surface of the hot material evaporate when they receive thermal energy from the surface layer of the hot material. 
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  of atomizing at least one liquid being into droplets whose average diameter is smaller than equal to 30 um. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one liquid is atomized into droplets whose average diameter is smaller than equal to 10 um. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one liquid is atomized into droplets whose average diameter is smaller than equal to 5 um. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one liquid is atomized by means of a gas flow or ultrasound. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein the atomizing gas flow is used for guiding the droplets towards the surface of the hot material. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the droplets are guided towards the surface of the hot material using a separate guiding gas flow. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one liquid is atomized into two or more droplet jets by guiding at least two droplet jets substantially perpendicularly towards one another to make the droplet jets collide directly with one another. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1 , comprising guiding a gas flow from at least one direction to the collision point of the droplet jets for forming an aerosol and for guiding it towards the surface of the hot material. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the steps of
 atomizing at least one liquid raw material by at least one gas dispersing sprayer into an aerosol that is released from the spray end of the sprayer;   decreasing the droplet size of the aerosol released from the spray end of the sprayer by changing the hydrodynamic properties of the aerosol flow by means of flow impediments; and   guiding the aerosol onto the surface of the material so that at least some of the droplets in the aerosol collide with the surface of the hot material and evaporate upon receiving thermal energy from the surface layer of the hot material.   
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10 , comprising reducing the average droplet size in the aerosol by changing the hydrodynamic properties of the aerosol flow by means of flow impediments so that the aerosol droplets released from the spray end collide with one or more flow impediments and/or one another to reduce the droplet size of the aerosol. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 10 , comprising reducing the average droplet size in the aerosol by changing the hydrodynamic properties of the aerosol flow by means of flow impediments so that they cause a pressure change and/or a throttle in the aerosol flow released from the sprayhead for reducing the droplet size. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the hot material before the tempering is 450 to 850 C.°. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the hot material is a glass, metal, metal alloy orceramie material. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 1 , comprising using always water, alcohol, mixture of water and alcohol, some other liquid mixture or emulsion suitable for cooling. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus for tempering a material, the apparatus comprising one or more sprayer for atomizing at least one liquid into droplets, and means for guiding the formed droplets towards a surface of a hot material so that at least some of the droplets collide with a surface of the hot material, wherein the apparatus is configured to produce droplets and to guide formed droplets to the surface of the hot material so that the droplets collide with the surface of the hot material in the form of droplets, the droplets evaporating when they receive thermal energy from the surface layer of the hot material. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein one or more sprayers are configured to atomize at least one liquid into droplets having an average diameter smaller than or equal to 30 um. 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein one or more sprayers are configured to atomize at least one liquid into droplets having an average diameter smaller than or equal to 10 um. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the at least one liquid is atomized into droplets having an average aerodynamic diameter smaller than or equal to 5 um. 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the apparatus is configured to atomize at least one liquid flow by a gas flow or ultrasound. 
     
     
         21 . An apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the means for guiding the formed droplets towards the surface of the hot material comprise one or more gas flows atomizing at least one liquid. 
     
     
         22 . An apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the means for guiding the formed droplets towards the surface of the hot material comprise one or more gas nozzles. 
     
     
         23 . An apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein at least two sprayers are arranged substantially perpendicularly directed towards one another so that the droplet jets they form collide with one another perpendicularly. 
     
     
         24 . An apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein it comprises at least one gas nozzle for supplying gas from at least one direction to the point where the droplet jets collide for guiding the droplets towards the surface of the hot material. 
     
     
         25 . An apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the apparatus comprises at least one gas dispersing sprayer for atomizing liquid at the sprayer end of the sprayer into gas, the sprayer further comprising one or more flow impediments for changing the hydrodynamic properties of the aerosol flow released from the sprayer end so that the average droplet size in the aerosol changes. 
     
     
         26 . An apparatus according to  claim 25 , wherein the sprayer comprises a spray chamber with flow impediments formed therein and in flow connection to the spray head. 
     
     
         27 . An apparatus according to  claim 26 , wherein the flow impediments have been formed onto the inner walls of the spray chamber so that they protrude from the inner walls into the spray chamber. 
     
     
         28 . An apparatus according to  claim 25 , wherein the flow impediments have been arranged so that the aerosol droplets released from the spray end collide with one or more flow impediments and/or one another for reducing the droplet size in the aerosol. 
     
     
         29 . An apparatus according to  claim 25 , wherein the flow impediments have been arranged so that they cause a pressure change and/or throttle in the aerosol flow released from the spray head for reducing the droplet size of the aerosol. 
     
     
         30 . An apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein at least one atomizing liquid used is water, alcohol, mixture of water and alcohol or some other liquid mixture or emulsion comprising water and/or alcohol.