EP0587714B1 - Device for dispersing, suspending or emulsifying gases, liquids and/or free-flowing solid substances - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for dispersing, emulsifying of suspending gasses, liquids or granulated substances, in particular for wetting and dispersing powders in liquids, has a disk-shaped rotor (8) arranged in a dispersion chamber (7), two substance inlets (72, 76) and one product outlet (11). On each side of the rotor (8) each substance inlet (72, 76) is preferably provided with an axial channel section (75, 83) and both substance streams are united in the outer marginal zone of the rotor disk (67), whereas the product outlet (11) is arranged at the outer edge of the wetting chamber (7).

Description

The invention relates to a device according to the preamble of claim 1. In such a device, its function or effectiveness is in most cases determined by how it is suitable for the materials which are difficult to process. If the device is also able to process such substances, then it is also suitable in most cases for the treatment of easily processed substances. Of the substances to be processed mentioned at the beginning, powder is to be considered in the present case as a substance that is difficult to process. On the one hand, blockages can be expected when the powder is conveyed through the device because it tends to form bridges, which in many cases is the cause of a blockage. On the other hand, when processing powder, the risk of constipation is particularly high if powder is wetted with a liquid. This can be explained by the fact that the powder or partial quantities of the powder are only slightly moistened during the first wetting contact, after which the tendency to cake, to form bridges and to adhere to the walls of the device is particularly great.

Devices of the type specified at the outset have already been developed in a large number of configurations, both in the form of agitators which are immersed in operation in a container containing the substance or substances to be processed, or as devices with a closed working chamber which are passed through the substance or substances to be processed in the company.

DE-A-27 02 183 shows a device in the form of an agitator, the material to be processed being sucked in parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor and being expelled radially by means of a dispersing device in the direction of flow in the vane rotor in the form of shear rings. In this known device there are no guiding devices which allow separate feeding of different substances.

DE-A-30 02 429 describes a device for dispersing gas, powder and fluids in the form of a stirrer or jet mixer, in which two separate supply lines for the substances to be incorporated coaxially into the through a jacket surrounding the rotor shaft Extend area of the vane rotor so that the substances can be fed separately from the material product in the agitator circulation in the area of the vane rotor.

From US-A-31 94 540 a device for homogenizing a material with a plurality of rotating shear rings arranged coaxially to one another is described, the material to be processed being fed axially with respect to the rotor axis, being expelled radially through the shear rings and then is led out of the housing.

A device with two inlets on one side of the rotor has already been proposed for dispersing or emulsifying at least two media or substances which tend to change their state when they come into contact with one another, the substances also radially outward through a dispersing device with two shear rings rotating relative to one another are performed, however, up to the entry into the inner rotor shear ring the media flow in separate channels, the channels being arranged alternately in the circumferential direction.

The known devices have the shortcoming in common that they are only insufficiently suitable for processing powders or possibly also granular substances due to the given complicated cable routing for the substances, as a result of which disturbances in the flow of material, blockages and loss of production are predetermined. In addition, the dispersion is insufficient.

A device of the type specified is described in DE-C-501 546. In this known device for producing foam for fire-fighting purposes, a disk-shaped rotor in the form of a paddle wheel is initially assigned axially towards one another on both sides and then radially directed material inlets for supplying water and a dry chemical. On the circumference of the rotor there is an annular channel into which the water and the dry chemical are pressed during the operation of the device by the centrifugal force that is created.

The invention has for its object to improve the mechanical loading of the substances and thus the size reduction, fine distribution, dispersion, emulsification and / or suspension.

This object is solved by the features of claim 1.

The device according to the invention is not only characterized by a simple and small construction, but also enables the feeding of two substances separately from one another directly into the dispersion area. This has the advantage that the combination of the substances and in particular the wetting of powder or granular substances takes place only in the area in which the substances are mechanically loaded and mixed with one another, optionally crushed and finely distributed. A reaction of the substances can therefore only take place in the dispersion area, which is why the distribution of the substances into one another is initiated before they are subject to a change in state due to mutual contact. The substances can thus be distributed into one another before these measures are substantially restricted and impeded due to the change in the state of the media. In the case of substances which are difficult to process, such as in particular powder, changes in the state of the powder which tend to become blocked due to wetting are harmless because the powder is already in the region in which it is mechanically loaded and flow disturbances and blockages cannot therefore occur.

The configuration according to the invention also improves the mechanical loading of the substances and thus the comminution, fine distribution, dispersion, emulsification and / or suspension, and it leads to the particular advantage that substances introduced on both sides of the rotor have a pull-in effect or a suction is exercised in the dispersion area. This is done by the centrifugal force that the media are subject to due to their rotation with the rotor, which is generated by friction on the rotor disk.

The device according to the invention can be implemented as a continuously operating machine and is particularly suitable for wetting and dispersing powders in liquids.

All free-flowing materials such as starch, bentonite, Aerosil, Carbopol, pectin, kaolin, cellulose etc. can be used as powder.

The device automatically sucks the powder, e.g. from bags, big bags or silos.

The entry or processing of the powder materials takes place at low concentrations of powder in the liquid in a single pass. At high concentrations, work is carried out in circulation until the final concentration is reached. The following special advantages of the device according to the invention are emphasized.

Self-priming of the powder materials.
Trouble-free working even with critical powders such as cellulose, concrete, etc. with increasing viscosity. High suction power and complete colloidal wetting. Stable construction for tough industrial use and long service life.

The configurations according to claims 2 to 8 improve the mechanical loading of the substances and thus the comminution, fine distribution, dispersion, emulsification and / or suspension.

In the area of radial holes in the rotor ring (centrifugal force), the centrifugal force is particularly large because the substances in the holes have a higher rotational speed. A particularly intensive mechanical exposure to the substances can be achieved by the features of claims 2 to 10.

It should be emphasized that the features of claim 11 lead to a streamlined outlet opening, which also has a large cross-sectional area, in the area of the rotor a further mechanical action on the product exercises and at the same time causes an ejection of the product.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a simple and very effective spatial shape for the chamber in which the substances are mechanically acted upon, which is also generally referred to as a wetting chamber.

Furthermore, the invention comprises advantageous configurations for the respective media feed, in particular powder feed, so that trouble-free feed, in particular automatic feed of the powder from containers, is possible.

In the device according to the invention, the media in the area of the rotor are exposed to radial acceleration, which enables the device to function without interference regardless of its position in space. The device according to the invention can thus be operated not only in a standing arrangement with a vertical rotor axis, but also in a lying arrangement with a horizontal rotor axis.

In summary, the device according to the invention is characterized in that two media streams are radially accelerated with a rotor and initially conveyed separately from one another by centrifugal force, a vacuum being created in the center of the rotor in the region of each liquid stream, which is caused by the radial acceleration of the media. Because of this vacuum, the media and in particular powders can be drawn in without problems and regardless of the position of the device, further finely divided and, if necessary, wetted and dispersed.

Fig. 1

eine erfindungsgemäße Vorrichtung bei stehender Anordnung in der Forderansicht;

Fig. 2

die Vorrichtung in der Seitenansicht von rechts;

Fig. 3

die Vorrichtung in der Seitenansicht von links;

Fig. 4

die in Fig. 1 mit X gekennzeichnete Einzelheit der Vorrichtung in vergrößerter Darstellung, teilweise geschnitten;

Fig. 5

die Vorrichtung in abgewandelter Ausgestaltung bei liegender Anordnung;

Fig. 6

die in Fig. 5 mit X gekennzeichnete Einzelheit in abgewandelter Ausgestaltung.

The invention and further advantages which can be achieved by means of preferred exemplary embodiments and a drawing are explained in more detail below. It shows:

Fig. 1

a device according to the invention with a standing arrangement in the front view;

Fig. 2

the device in a side view from the right;

Fig. 3

the device in a side view from the left;

Fig. 4

the detail marked X in Figure 1 of the device in an enlarged view, partially in section;

Fig. 5

the device in a modified configuration with a lying arrangement;

Fig. 6

the detail marked X in FIG. 5 in a modified embodiment.

In an operating and assembly instruction, reference numerals 1 to 59 are listed with associated part designations, with which a multiplicity of the individual parts of the device 1 are designated.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 3, the device 60 comprises a support frame 61 with a bottom-side horizontal support frame 62, from which a vertical tenter frame or tension rails 63 extend upright, on which the actual device for dispersing, emulsifying and / or suspending is screwed as an assembly 61a in an upright arrangement and in a central position with respect to the support frame 61. The unit 61a comprises an electric motor 42 with an upright axis of rotation, on the housing of which an intermediate housing or bearing flange 1 and on top a rotor housing 66 are flanged and screwed together. The motor shaft is extended upwards by a shaft 2 which extends into the upper region of the rotor housing 66. At the upper end of the shaft 1, a rotor 8 is attached, which consists of a radial rotor disk 67 and a rotor ring attached to the circumference thereof 68, which is measured wider than the rotor disk 67, so that it protrudes axially on both sides of the rotor disk 67.

The shaft 2 is arranged coaxially in the rotor housing 66, an annular space with the width a of several centimeters being provided between the inner wall 69 of the rotor housing 66 and the shaft 2. At a distance from the rotor 8 directed towards the motor 64, a radial connecting piece 72 with a coupling part, in particular screw coupling part 73, is fastened in the rotor housing wall 71 to its free end, to which a supply line 74, indicated as indicated, for a first medium to be treated, in particular liquid, is to be treated , can be connected. The connection piece 72 forms with the annular space a feed channel 75 for the medium, which extends in the direction of flow up to the rotor disk 67.

On the upper side of the rotor housing 66, a pipe section 76 projecting upwards is arranged coaxially, which is connected to an upper-side receiving funnel 77 for a second medium, in particular powder, shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. The pipeline section 76 thus forms a second feed line 79, it being possible to connect a connecting piece with a coupling part of a coupling 81, in particular a screw coupling part 81a, to further parts of the supply line 79. Optionally, the further feed line 79 is a hose 79a shown in FIG. 5, with which the second medium can be sucked in from bags, big bags or silos. In the second feed line 79, a line section with a manually operated shut-off valve 82 can be arranged, which is also detachably connected to the hose 79a by in particular a screw coupling 80. The pipe section 76 forms a second feed channel 83, which also extends in the opposite direction to the first feed channel 75 as far as the rotor disk 67. The shaft 2 essentially terminates with the top of the rotor disk 67, a cap nut 20 projecting slightly upwards, so that too the second feed channel 83 ends in a ring shape in connection with the associated inner wall of the rotor housing 66.

In the rotary plane of the rotor 8, a mixing chamber 7 is provided in the rotor housing 66, which is formed by an inner peripheral groove of essentially rectangular cross section. The outer edge region of the rotor 8 is immersed in this annular mixing chamber 7. The mixing chamber 7 is delimited axially by radial flat wall surfaces 84, 85 of the inner circumferential groove and radially by a cylindrical inner circumferential surface 86 of the rotor housing 66. In the redial central region of the mixing chamber 7, a stator is preferably arranged as a sieve insert in the form of a hollow cylindrical perforated ring or sleeve 10, which starts from the one, here from the upper, wall surface 84 and ends at a distance b from the lower wall surface 85. The perforated sleeve 10 is fastened at its upper edge to a fastening ring 88 which is sunk in the wall surface 84 and is fastened from the outside by a fastening screw 57.

The holes 10a in the perforated sleeve 10 can run obliquely on one and / or other side half of the rotor 8 in and / or counter to the direction of rotation. As a result, the liquid flow and / or the powder flow is supported or forced or braked during rotation.

The rotor ring 68 is formed by one or preferably a plurality of vanes 89 distributed around the circumference in the form of flat webs each arranged in the associated axial central plane of the rotor 8 with radial through openings 90 arranged therebetween. If there is a perforated ring 10 on the outside thereof, one, preferably a plurality of outer rotor ring blades 89a and on the inside thereof at least one, preferably also a plurality of inner rotor ring blades 89b arranged around the circumference are provided on the rotor 8, the radial spacing c of which is larger, taking into account a play in motion is than the thickness of the perforated sleeve 10 so that the stationary perforated sleeve 10 with the outer and inner rotor ring vanes 89a and 89b form an inner and an outer shear ring and thus form a dispersing device 91.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the inner rotor ring vanes 89b extend only on one side from the rotor disk 67, here downward in the direction of the first medium supply channel 75. The at least one inner rotor ring wing 89b can extend as far as the other side surface of the rotor disk 67, if one has a corresponding distance from the perforated sleeve 10. The outer and inner rotor ring vanes 89a, 89b are connected at their lower ends by a rotor ring disk 92 which is rotatably arranged at a distance b between the perforated sleeve 10 and the wall surface 85 and is axially offset with respect to the rotor disk 67 and is axially spaced therefrom. The axial and radial dimensions of the rotor ring 68 are preferably obsessed so that they are adapted to the axial width and the radial depth of the mixing chamber 7, taking into account a play of movement.

Preferably, a thin cylindrical, upwardly projecting ring extension 93 can be arranged on the lower inner edge of the mixing chamber 7, which overlaps the inside of the rotor ring disk 92 with movement play, but ends at a distance in front of the rotor disk 67 corresponding to the axial width of the passage openings.

The mixing chamber 7 is followed by a product outlet, which is formed by a preferably secant connection piece 94, which has a coupling part at its free end, in particular for a flange coupling 95 for a further outlet line 96.

For the working operation of the device 60 or 61a, this is connected with its connecting piece 72 to the associated supply line 74 connected to a medium supply, especially a liquid. If the second medium, in particular powder, is not removed from the storage funnel 77, the free end of the hose 79a, which is motivated in this case, is inserted and held in a powder supply. The working mode is initiated by switching on the motor 42, which preferably rotates the rotor 8 at a high number of revolutions, preferably approximately 3000 revolutions per minute. Due to the rotation of the motor 8, a radial acceleration is exerted on both sides of the media present, which is forced by the at least one rotor ring inner wing 89b and rotor ring outer wing 89a. As a result, both media are drawn into the dispersion area, simultaneously dispersed, wetted and finely divided, radially accelerated and expelled. The dispersed product is thus driven out of the product outlet by the rotor rotation.

As a result of the rotation of the rotor 8, a vacuum is created in the center of the rotary movement on the inside and the top of the rotor disk 67, through which the media are sucked or drawn into the associated media inlet 9, 74.

Due to the resulting vacuum, the lower area of shaft 2 must be sealed. For this purpose, a sealing device, generally designated 95, can be used which interacts in a known manner with a liquid barrier medium.

The function of the embodiment according to FIG. 5 corresponds to the previously described embodiment.

Instead of an existing arrangement according to FIG. 1, in which the support frame 71 has insertion openings 96 for the fork in a forklift and can thereby be easily charged and transported, the device 60 in the embodiment according to FIG. 5 has a carriage 97 with three or four wheels 98 on which the unit 1 a is arranged lying down. The arrangement is preferably such that the connecting piece 72 is directed downwards, while the product outlet 11 is directed upwards. The unit 1a is preferably arranged on the carriage 97 such that the rotor housing 66 laterally protrudes from the carriage 97 and the associated media inlet 72, 79 or product outlet 11 is freely accessible.

The second feed channel 83 preferably runs divergently, in particular with an inner conical surface 98 into the associated wall surface 84 of the mixing or dispersing chamber 7, as a result of which the material intake is improved, in particular for powders.

6, in which the same or comparable parts are provided with the same reference numerals, the holes 10a in the perforated sleeve 10 are formed by oblique slots, which preferably enclose an angle W of approximately 30 ° with the associated axial plane (oblique angle) . As a result, not only is the material flow chopped off in the shear gap calmed down or evened out, but also the powder flow or the liquid flow is supported or forced, depending on the inclination, during rotation. In the present embodiment, the slots are arranged obliquely in advance with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor 8 on the powder side and in an oblique manner on the liquid side. This will force the powder flow.

The mixing chamber 7 is delimited axially by two flange pieces 66a, 66b and radially by an annular piece 66c, preferably of a U-shaped cross section. The flange and ring pieces 66a to 66c have in their axial edge areas outer roof-shaped clamping surfaces, on each of which is seated in a V-shaped or trapezoidal clamping ring 99 which is tensioned in the area of a dividing joint. As a result, the flange and ring pieces 66a to 66c are held together axially. The ring piece 66c is centered in the inner ring recesses 66d of the flange pieces 66a, 66b.

Claims (16)

1. A device for dispersing, emulsifying or suspending gases, liquids or granular substances, more particularly for wetting and dispersing powders in liquids, the device comprising a disc-shaped rotor (8) in a mixing chamber (7), with two substance inlets (72, 76) and one product outlet (11), wherein one substance inlet (72, 76) preferably having an axial duct portion (75, 83) is disposed on each side of the rotor (8), wherein the bringing together of the two substance streams is arranged in the outer edge region of the rotor disc (67), and wherein the product outlet (11) is at the outer edge of the wetting chamber (7).
   characterised in that
   a stator (10) having radial openings (10a) is disposed in the wetting or dispersing zone of the mixing chamber (7) for dispersing the product in cooperation with the rotor (8).
2. A device according to claim 1,
   characterised in that
   the stator is a preferably sleeve-like perforated ring (10) in the form more particularly of a perforated metal sheet bent or curved into a ring form.
3. A device according to claim 1 or 2,
   characterised in that
   the openings (10a) in the stator (10) slope in the circumferential direction or opposite to the circumferential direction.
4. A device according to at least one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the openings (10a) are formed by slots, preferably disposed to slope relative to the axis of rotation (2a), more particularly in a sloping disposition such that, relative to the direction of rotation of the rotor (8), they lead on the powder side and trail on the liquid side, and their slope (angle W) relative to the associated axial plane is preferably about 30°.
5. A device according to at least one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the rotor (8) on its outer edge has a rotor rim (68) with teeth or radial openings (90).
6. A device according to claim 5,
   characterised in that
   the rotor rim (68) projects axially beyond the rotor disc (67) on both sides.
7. A device according to at least one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the rotor (8) has at least one blade (89), in particular peripherally distributed blades (89), on at least the powder side, preferably on both sides.
8. A device according to at least one of claims 5 to 7,
   characterised in that
   the rotor rim (68) or the rotor blade or blades (89) is or are disposed on the outside of the stator (10).
9. A device according to at least one of the preceding claims 2 to 8,
   characterised in that
   the rotor disc (67) on at least one of its sides, preferably on the liquid side, has at least one blade (89b), preferably a number of peripherally distributed blades (89b), disposed inwardly from the stator (10).
10. A device according to at least one of claims 7 to 9,
    characterised in that
    the blade or blades (89a, 89b) is or are each formed by a flat web disposed substantially radially and axially.
11. A device according to claim 9 or 10,
    characterised in that
    the rotor disc (67) is at a radial distance from the perforated ring of the stator (10) and the web or webs extend over the peripheral surface of the rotor disc (67) as far as its other side surface.
12. A device according to at least one of claims 2 to 11,
    characterised in that
    the perforated ring (10) of the stator and the rotor rim (68) or the or each rotor inner blade (89b) and/or rotor outer blade (89a) co-operate in the sense of shearing rims.
13. A device according to at least one of the preceding claims,
    characterised in that
    the mixing chamber (7) is formed by an internal annular recess, in a rotor casing (66), preferably having a rectangular cross-section, and in which the outer edge region of the rotor (8) is disposed.
14. A device according to at least one of the preceding claims,
    characterised in that
    the product outlet (11) is disposed at a tangent to the mixing chamber (7), more particularly in the cylindrical boundary surface (86) thereof.
15. A device according to at least one of the preceding claims,
    characterised in that
    one substance inlet, preferably the powder inlet (76), extends coaxially with the rotor (8) and more particularly can be connected to a storage container or funnel (77) or hose (79a).
16. A device according to at least one of the preceding claims,
    characterised in that
    the one substance inlet, more particularly the liquid inlet and/or the other substance inlet, more particularly the powder inlet, has an axial annular supply duct (75, 83), more particularly surrounding the shaft (2) of the rotor (8).

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