Dynamic Optimization of Radiation Paint Cure Ovens; Studying Effect of the Search Direction and Step Size

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tafresh University, Tafresh, Iran

2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tafresh University, Tafresh, IRAN

Abstract

Paint cure oven as one of the most important instruments in production lines involves with many key parameters like curing rate and energy consumption. Radiation paint cure ovens usually have smaller amount of energy consumption beside providing better curing conditions and as a result, attracts attentions of many manufacturers. Designing this type of ovens for curing paint of complicated geometries or thermally-sensitive materials is often a great inverse problem. Providing thermal conditions for the curing body to experience uniform cure all over its geometry without any zone of over-cured or under-cured is the most complicated part of the problem. Based upon previous works accomplished by the authors, in this study an optimization-based design method is presented in which the applied objective function is introduced based on equivalent isothermal temperature. It will be shown in this study that type and form of the objective function is the most principal issue in effectiveness and rate of the design process. Step sizes and direction vectors like other effective parameters in optimization process are studied in this article. Finally, the efficient method in designing curing ovens is employed for a typical geometry and evaluated. It will be shown that among the various considered methods, the Quasi-Newtonian method has halved the number of convergence steps and the differential step size has led to placement of more design points in the center of the cure window.

Keywords

Main Subjects