COOLING DEVICE FOR COOLING A MATERIAL TO BE COOLED

Abstract

A cooling device for cooling a material to be cooled, comprising an inlet for a cooling medium conducted into a first, upper chamber of the cooling device. First conduits are provided which conduct the cooling medium from the upper chamber into a second, lower chamber of the cooling device. The upper chamber is separated from the lower chamber by a wall. Second conduits are provided which conduct the cooling medium from the lower chamber to at least one outlet opening for cooling medium, via which the cooling medium is discharged onto the material to be cooled.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A cooling device for cooling a material to be cooled, comprising: an inlet for a cooling medium which it is conducted into a first, upper chamber of the cooling device, wherein first conduits are provided which conduct the cooling medium from the upper chamber into a second, lower chamber of the cooling device, wherein the upper chamber is separated from the lower chamber by a wall, wherein second conduits are provided which conduct the cooling medium from the lower chamber to at least one outlet opening for the cooling medium, via which the cooling medium is discharged onto the material to be cooled, wherein the first conduits adjoin the wall with their upper end or penetrate them upwards and protrude into the lower chamber and open into an open lower end, wherein the second conduits protrude upward from a bottom region of the lower chamber into the lower chamber and open into an open upper end, wherein the open lower end of the first conduits lies below the open upper end of the second conduits.

12. The cooling device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the vertical extension from the open lower end of the first conduits to the open upper end of the second conduits is between 0.01 m to 1.00 m, preferably between 0.1 m and 0.5 m.

13. The cooling device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first conduits are formed by at least one pipe, preferably by at least one pipe of any arbitrary cross section, which is fastened on or in the wall, preferably the lower side of the wall, and is fluidically connected to the upper chamber.

14. The cooling device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second conduits are formed by at least one pipe, in particular having any arbitrary cross section, which is fastened on the bottom region of the lower chamber.

15. The cooling device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second conduits are formed by a plurality of pipes, wherein spray nozzles for the cooling medium are arranged at the end of the pipes.

16. The cooling device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the spray nozzles for the cooling medium are arranged uniformly distributed on the lower side of the lower chamber or on a component connected thereto.

17. The cooling device as claimed in claim 11, wherein a drain for the cooling medium is arranged in the lower chamber, wherein preferably controllable shut-off elements are arranged in the drain.

18. The cooling device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the drain is arranged at a height position of the lower chamber which is below the open upper end of the second conduits.

19. The cooling device as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one emptying element is arranged on the lower chamber in order to be able to drain the cooling medium from the chamber.

20. The cooling device as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one venting element is arranged on the inlet and/or on the upper chamber and/or on the lower chamber.

21. The cooling device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first conduits are formed by at least one pipe, preferably by at least one pipe of any arbitrary cross section, which is fastened on or in the wall, preferably the lower side of the wall, and is fluidically connected to the upper chamber.

22. The cooling device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second conduits are formed by at least one pipe, in particular having any arbitrary cross section, which is fastened on the bottom region of the lower chamber.

23. The cooling device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second conduits are formed by at least one pipe, in particular having any arbitrary cross section, which is fastened on the bottom region of the lower chamber.

24. The cooling device as claimed in claim 12, wherein a drain for the cooling medium is arranged in the lower chamber, wherein preferably controllable shut-off elements are arranged in the drain.

25. The cooling device as claimed in claim 13, wherein a drain for the cooling medium is arranged in the lower chamber, wherein preferably controllable shut-off elements are arranged in the drain.

26. The cooling device as claimed in claim 14, wherein a drain for the cooling medium is arranged in the lower chamber, wherein preferably controllable shut-off elements are arranged in the drain.

27. The cooling device as claimed in claim 15, wherein a drain for the cooling medium is arranged in the lower chamber, wherein preferably controllable shut-off elements are arranged in the drain.

28. The cooling device as claimed in claim 16, wherein a drain for the cooling medium is arranged in the lower chamber, wherein preferably controllable shut-off elements are arranged in the drain.

29. The cooling device as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one emptying element is arranged on the lower chamber in order to be able to drain the cooling medium from the chamber.

30. The cooling device as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least one emptying element is arranged on the lower chamber in order to be able to drain the cooling medium from the chamber.

Description

[0026] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings. The single figure shows the side view of a cooling device, using which a material to be cooled is cooled.

[0027] In the figure, a cooling device 1 can be seen, by means of which a material 2 to be cooled, for example a strip, is cooled by means of a cooling medium M (water). The cooling medium M passes via an inlet 3 into an upper first chamber 4 in the vertical direction V. A lower second chamber 6 is arranged below the upper chamber 4, wherein the two chambers 4, 6 are separated from one another by a wall 7.

[0028] On the lower side of the wall 7, multiple (in the exemplary embodiment two) straight pipes having any arbitrary cross section (first conduit means) 5 are arranged, wherein they are mechanically fastened on or in the wall 7, but are fluidically connected to the upper chamber 4. Accordingly, water can flow via these pipes 5 from the upper chamber 4 into the lower chamber 6.

[0029] To discharge the water from the lower chamber 6 onto the material 2, a number of straight pipes having any arbitrary cross section (second conduit means) 8 are provided, which extend upward from the bottom region of the lower chamber 6; at their lower end, an outlet opening 9 is located, which functions as a nozzle, using which the water is discharged onto the material 2. It is indicated by dashed lines in the figure for the middle nozzle or outlet opening 9 how the water M reaches the material 2 to be cooled.

[0030] The first conduit means 5 have an open end 10, while the second conduit means 8 have an open end 11. It is essential that the lower end 10 of the first conduit means 5 lies below the upper end 11 of the second conduit means 8. The resulting vertical extension is marked by h.

[0031] A value thus results for the minimum water level W.sub.min in the lower chamber 6, which is defined by the upper end 11 of the second conduit means 8. As long as this level is exceeded, water emerges from the outlet openings 9; if the level reaches or falls below this level, water no longer emerges from the outlet openings 9.

[0032] A drain 12 is arranged in the lower chamber 8 below said level W.sub.min and can be opened and closed, for example, using controllable shut-off elements 13.

[0033] On the basis of the proposed design of the cooling device 1, the present concept therefore focuses on an upper and a lower chamber, which are connected to one another by internal pipes having any arbitrary cross section (first conduit means 5). The outflow opening of these pipes (first conduit means) is always below the minimum level W.sub.min (water level) of the lower chamber 6. This prevents the upper chamber 4 and the connected piping (inlet) from running empty. The number and the cross section of the first conduit means 5 are arbitrary.

[0034] If the cooling is stopped and thus the water supply via the inlet 3 to the cooling device 1 is closed, only the volume from the wall 7 of the lower chamber 6 to the open end 11 of the second conduit means 8 has to run empty.

[0035] It has been shown that the time to run empty can be reduced to well below 1 minute by these measures. It is nonetheless possible to distribute the outlet nozzles for the cooling medium homogeneously and uniformly over the available cooling surface of the cooling device.

[0036] The above-mentioned construction of the cooling device 1 makes it possible to supply the cooling bar with a small quantity of cooling medium via the inlet 3 after the running empty and opening of the shut-off element 13. This quantity then ensures that the cooling device is cooled from the inside when material (sheets) have to pass the cooling device 1 without being cooled by it. The cooling medium for self-cooling can run off via the drain 12 in the cooling device without flowing out of the nozzles onto the material and cooling it. For this purpose, the drain 12 is arranged below the upper end 11 of the second conduit means.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0037] 1 cooling device

[0038] 2 material to be cooled

[0039] 3 inlet

[0040] 4 first, upper chamber

[0041] 5 first conduit means

[0042] 6 second, lower chamber

[0043] 7 wall

[0044] 8 second conduit means

[0045] 9 outlet opening

[0046] 10 open end of the first conduit means

[0047] 11 open end of the second conduit means

[0048] 12 drain

[0049] 13 shut-off elements

[0050] M cooling medium

[0051] V vertical

[0052] h extension

[0053] W.sub.min minimum level