EP2251084B1 - Device for processing dispensed products - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for processing feedstock according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

Devices of this type are assigned to the field of mechanical engineering. It is about changing a starting material in its shape, size and / or composition. By way of example, a starting material is reduced from an original size to a smaller size during comminution, grinding or deagglomeration. During mixing, different components in the feed material are processed in such a way that a uniform particle distribution in the feed material is achieved at the end. During coating or drying, heat is selectively introduced into the feed material when processing the feedstock in order to achieve enclosure of individual particles and / or evaporation of residual moisture in the feedstock.

Depending on the nature of the feed material and the type of processing, generic devices are equipped with suitable rotor tools which, due to the intensive contact with the feed material, are subjected to more or less severe wear, which at a certain extent negatively affects the quality of the finished product being processed effect. For this reason, in known devices, the rotor tools are releasably secured in the device to make an exchange of used rotor tools at regular time intervals can. At the same time, it is in the effort of the operator to minimize the tool change times in terms of economic operation in order to limit production downtime due to downtime of the device. Such a device is off EP0775526-A1 known.

From the DE 35 43 370 A1 is an air-flow mill known with an approximately cylindrical mill housing, along the inner circumference of a stator is arranged. The stator engages in compliance with a radial working gap a coaxially oriented rotor whose drive shaft axially penetrates the housing and is rotatably supported within bearings. On the drive shaft sit axially in succession hub sections, each of which a hub portion of a grinding stage is assigned. Each hub section carries a rotor disk, on the outer circumference eventually the radially oriented impact plates are located, which strike at a radial distance along the Statorinnenfläche.

About a centric Guteintrag in the bottom region of the housing, the feed material passes in the air flow in the device and travels through the housing in the working gap on a helical path. The processing of the feed material takes place in the interaction of grinding plates and stator. After leaving the working gap, the feed material is removed via a tangential material outlet in the upper housing area of the machine.

A disadvantage of this device arises from the way of fixing the refining plates to the rotor disks by means of screws. The arrangement of several grinding stages axially behind one another and the multiplicity of grinding plates per grinding stage results in a considerable assembly outlay for the wear-related change of the grinding plates.

In this regard, progress could be made by further developing the attachment of tools to the rotor. So own from the DE 100 53 946 A1 . DE 196 49 338 A1 and DE 10 2004 014 258 A1 known devices rotors having uniformly distributed over its circumference recordings, in which the rotor tools are inserted axially. A form fit between the rotor and rotor tools ensures that the tools are held in the radial direction. Thus, the effort when changing the rotor tools is significantly reduced, since the assembly costs are eliminated by screw. Nevertheless, with the successive change of the individual rotor tools still a considerable amount of work involved.

In addition, it proves to be disadvantageous in all the aforementioned devices that the geometric design of the comminution zone is possible only within narrow limits. The reason for this lies in the type of construction, which always provides axially extending refining plates or blow bars, which protrude beyond the rotor circumference. A variation in the design of the blow bars and the underlying turbulence zones is therefore limited.

Against this background, the object of the invention is to provide a generic device, on the one hand a quick change of the rotor tools allows and on the other hand, a maximum margin in the design of the crushing zone offers.

A rotor according to the invention, which is defined in the claims, has at least one rotor element which is subdivided in the radial direction into an inner, a carrier body forming region, which is rotatably connected to the drive shaft, and an outer rotor forming tools area. The support body extends radially outward from the drive shaft and carries the rotor tools forming the lateral surface of the rotor. A rotor according to the invention may comprise only a single rotor element of this kind, which extends over substantially the entire axial length of the rotor or a plurality of such rotor elements, which axially adjoin one another to form the rotor.

In a rotor according to the invention, the rotor tools are an integral part of the rotor element, that is supporting body and rotor tools are monolithic, ie worked out of a single workpiece, for example by milling, drilling, eroding, casting and the like. Thus, the invention differs from devices with multi-piece rotor, in which the support body and the rotor tools are separate parts that are releasably, for example by screwing or plugging, or non-detachable, for example by welding, composed. This type of construction is undoubtedly a clear departure from known devices, on whose rotors always strip-shaped rotor tools are attached. The invention thus marks a turning point in the construction of generic devices. The rotor tools are to be produced by arranging depressions in the rotor surface, wherein both the webs present between the depressions and the depressions themselves influence the type of processing of the feed material. Since the rotor tools are machined in such a rotor from the surface of one or more rotor elements, ie from the solid, there is an immense scope in the geometric design of the processing zone. While in known devices, the processing zone is formed essentially of refining plates, it can now be achieved by suitable design of the recesses that not only the webs, but the depressions also make an active contribution to the processing of the feedstock. Thus, the generation of vortices within the turbulence zone can be selectively controlled by the size and geometry of the pits. It is also possible, by varying the geometry of the recesses in their sequence in the circumferential direction to increase the intensity of processing and thus to achieve an increase in performance.

Preferred is an embodiment of the invention in which the support body consists of a solid solid body, for example, a solid cylinder or solid truncated cone, which has only axially a bore for positive reception of the drive shaft. Such a rotor provides sufficient radial depth for all types of wells without compromising the stability of the rotor.

The construction according to the invention also brings the advantage that a change of the rotor tools by replacing the rotor or the rotor elements takes place, that is, with the replacement of the rotor all rotor tools are changed at the same time. Thus, a device according to the invention is characterized by extremely short downtime when changing tools.

In addition, an inventive rotor opens the possibility for the same height more circumferential planes in the axial direction and more effective edges to accommodate over the circumference than is the case with known rotors. Due to the resulting density of rotor tools, a device according to the invention is characterized by a very high engine power.

Fig. 1

einen Längsschnitt durch eine erfindungsgemäße Vorrichtung entlang der in Fig. 2 dargestellten Linie I-I,

Fig. 2

einen Horizontalschnitt durch die in Fig. 1 dargestellte Vorrichtung entlang der dortigen Linie II-II, die

Fig. 3a bis 4b

Schrägansichten verschiedener Ausführungsformen eines erfindungsgemäßen Rotors, die

Fig. 5 und 6

Explosionsdarstellungen einer aus scheibenförmigen Rotorelementen zusammengesetzten Ausführungsform eines Rotors, die nicht Teil der Erfindung ist.

Fig. 7 bis 9

Teilschnitte verschiedener Ausführungsformen der Erfindung im Bereich des Arbeitsspalts, und

Fig. 10

einen Teilschnitt durch einen erfindungsgemäßen Rotor in dessen Umfangsbereich.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. Show it

Fig. 1

a longitudinal section through a device according to the invention along the in Fig. 2 illustrated line II,

Fig. 2

a horizontal section through the in Fig. 1 shown device along the local line II-II, the

Fig. 3a to 4b

Oblique views of various embodiments of a rotor according to the invention, the

FIGS. 5 and 6

Exploded views of an assembled from disk-shaped rotor elements embodiment of a rotor, which is not part of the invention.

Fig. 7 to 9

Partial sections of various embodiments of the invention in the region of the working gap, and

Fig. 10

a partial section through a rotor according to the invention in its peripheral region.

The general structure of a device according to the invention results from the Fig. 1 and 2 , There you can see a housing 1, which is composed of a cylindrical lower part 2 and a bell-shaped upper part 3. The longitudinal axis of the housing 1 is provided with the reference numeral 4. The lower part 2 is closed at the bottom by a bottom 5, in which centric to the axis 4, a circular opening 6 is arranged. The opening 6 serves to receive a substantially cylindrical shaft bearing 7, which is screwed coaxially to the axis 4 by means of a flange on the bottom 5. The upper end of the shaft bearing 7 extends into the region of the upper part 3. In this way, results within the lower part 2, an annular channel 8, which opens via a tangential to the axis 4 extending material outlet 9 from the housing 1. The upper end of the lower part 2 forms a circumferential annular flange 10, on which a bearing ring 11 of angular cross-section is fastened.

As already mentioned, the outer shape of the upper part 2 is bell-shaped, while the inner circumference of the upper part 2 has a conical shape and serves to receive the stator tools 20. The top of the upper part 2 is closed by a detachable cover 12, which has a central opening in the region of the axis 4, to which an inlet connection 13 for feeding the device with feed material connects coaxially. The foot region of the upper part 2 is formed with its outer circumference complementary to the inner circumference of the bearing ring 11, so that the upper part 3 with its foot region axially into the lower part 2 can be inserted. For secure attachment of the upper part 3 on the lower part 2 is a plane-parallel and coaxially extending on the outer circumference Ring flange 14 which is fastened by means of screw on the lower part 2. The insertion depth of the upper part 3 in the lower part 2 can be adjusted via adjusting screws 15 which extend axially through the annular flange 14 and are supported on the upper side of the bearing ring 11.

Within the shaft bearing 7, the coaxial with the axis 4 aligned drive shaft 17 is rotatably supported in bearing groups 16. The lower end of the drive shaft 17 located outside the housing 1 is connected to a rotary drive not shown. The opposite, located in the interior of the housing 1 end extends far into the region of the upper part 3 and serves for the rotationally fixed receiving a rotor 18. The rotor 18 consists essentially of a rotor element 28 which is itself solid, that is, it consists of solid material and has according to the contour of the inner periphery of the upper part 3 has a frusto-conical shape, which does not exclude that the rotor 18 may be formed in a cylindrical housing and cylindrical. The massive design of the rotor 18 also allows the accommodation of cooling channels, not shown, which extend, for example, in the region near the generatrix parallel and are acted upon for cooling the processing zone with a cooling fluid.

The upper side of the rotor element 28 is covered by a baffle plate 19 arranged coaxially with the axis 4, on the outer circumference of which radially aligned impact blocks 21 are screwed (also see FIGS. 5 and 6 ). By maintaining an axial distance between the baffle plate 19 and the cover 12 and the inlet pipe 13, a disc-shaped chamber 22 is formed, in which a pre-crushing of the feed material is performed.

The rotor element 28 is subdivided in the radial direction into an inner region forming a carrier body 40, which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the drive shaft 17, and an outer region forming rotor tools 23, the rotor tools 23 being held by the carrier body 40. Stator tools 20 and rotor tools 23 are in compliance with a radial working gap 36 (FIG. Fig. 7 . 8 and 9 ), in which the processing of the feed mainly takes place. The concrete embodiment of the uniformly distributed over the circumference of the rotor 18 rotor tools 23 and their mutual assignment will be discussed in more detail below.

The type of processing is significantly dependent on the surface design of the rotor 18. A rotor 18 according to the invention opens up a large number of possible surface configurations which can not be achieved in known rotors or can only be achieved by applying a disproportionately large design effort. A few embodiments which are within the scope of the invention are described below without being limited thereto.

The Fig. 3a and 3b each show a monolithic rotor element 28 of a rotor 18 which is only half shown for the sake of simplicity and of which the area assigned to the axle 4 or the drive shaft 17 forms a support body 40 which, as a result of the integral construction, carries the rotor tools 23 forming the lateral surface of the rotor 18. The rotor tools 23 consist of recesses 24, which are introduced into the lateral surface of the rotor 18, for example by milling or erosion. The recesses 24 have a longitudinal extension direction tangential to the axis 4 and are arranged in the circumferential direction one behind the other, in a plurality of axially successive circumferential planes 25. In this case, the tangential distances between two recesses 24 each form a web 26, the area between two adjacent circumferential planes 25 a continuous annular web 27. This results in a plurality of circumferential planes 25 which brake the axial material flow and thus the residence time of the feed in the processing zone extend.

The sequence of the recesses 24 in the circumferential direction is chosen so that the webs 26 of two adjacent circumferential planes 25 are arranged with circumferential offset to each other. This can be achieved by different lengths of the recesses 24 ( Fig. 3a ) or with a circumferential offset by half the length of a recess 24 with otherwise identical lengths of the recesses 24 per circumferential plane 25 (FIG. Fig. 3b ).

Not shown, but also within the scope of the invention is an arrangement of the wells such that the webs 26 adjacent circumferential planes 25 lie on a surface line of the rotor 18.

The Fig. 4a and 4b differ from the above-described embodiment of a rotor 18 only by the orientation of the recesses 24, which have a longitudinal extension direction parallel to a surface line in this embodiment. In this way, over the entire height of the rotor 18 through Webs 26 formed. In this case, the recesses 24 as in Fig. 4a shown to be grouped in plane-parallel circumferential planes 25, so that between the circumferential planes 25 continuous annular webs 27 result, or the ends of two circumferentially adjacent recesses 24 are arranged with an axial length offset, as in Fig. 4b shown. These embodiments of the invention result in small-diameter, but high-speed, roller-shaped vortices. Since the material flow meets less axially acting flow obstacles than in the previously described embodiment, its residence time in the processing zone is correspondingly lower.

In contrast to the 3 and 4 , which show a rotor 18 consisting of a single rotor element 18, is placed in the FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrated rotor 18 'of a plurality of disc-shaped rotor elements 28' together, which are each formed monolithically and coaxially joined together. To clarify this fact, the FIGS. 5 and 6 the invention as an exploded view. With such a rotor 18 'can be the same advantages mentioned above achieve at the same time simplified production. In addition, the rotor 18 'by combination of different rotor discs 28' also subsequently be changed in its geometry and thus mode of action.

In Fig. 5 For example, the rotor 18 'is composed of four disk-shaped rotor elements 28' which are divided in the radial direction into an inner region forming a support body 40 and an outer region forming the rotor tools 23. By monolithic design of the rotor elements 28 ', the rotor tools 23 are held by the support body 40.

The rotor tools 23 are formed by recesses 24, which are distributed uniformly over the circumference of the rotor elements 28 'and the sawtooth-like rotor tools 23 result, the more detailed design under Fig. 10 is explained. The disk-shaped rotor elements 28 'sit with their support member 40 respectively on the drive shaft 17, that the recesses 24 adjacent rotor elements 28' are aligned in the axial direction, that is several recesses 24 extending in the axial direction over a plurality of circumferential planes 25 total recess along a surface line of the rotor 18 'result. It is also possible, two adjacent disc-shaped rotor elements 28 'in the circumferential direction by half the length of a recess 24 to offset. In this way, lateral, acting in the axial direction boundary surfaces that hold the feed more in the range of the rotor tools.

Each disc-shaped rotor element 28 'has on its upper side a cylindrical projection 29 and on its underside a recess complementary thereto. As a result of the positive connection arising during axial assembly of the disk-shaped rotor elements 28 ', centering of the rotor elements 28' relative to one another is achieved. The upper conclusion of the resulting rotor 18 'again forms the aforementioned baffle plate 19 with impact blocks 21, the lower end of an annular disc 30. By means not shown axially acting clamping means, the items of the rotor 18' are clamped together.

The rotor 18 'according to Fig. 6 differs from the embodiment just described only by the interposition of coaxial baffle plates 31 between adjacent disk-shaped rotor elements 28 '. The diameter of the baffle plates 31 is selected so that the baffle plates 31 overlap with their circumference, the recesses 24 partially or completely radially. By suitable choice of the diameter of the baffle plates 31, the residence time of the feed material in the region of the rotor 18 'can thus be influenced and thus the intensity of the processing.

This in conjunction with the rotor 18 'according to the FIGS. 5 and 6 selected profile of the recesses 24 is in Fig. 10 shown in more detail. The recesses 24 have in an axial plan view an asymmetrical course, which causes the webs 26 in the circumferential direction 32 have a front edge 33 in an approximately radial orientation, while the trailing edge 35, in contrast, flatter and at the bottom of the recess 24 in a rounding in the front edge 33 of the subsequent bridge 26 passes. The front flank 33 can also be wholly or partially provided with a wear layer 34 to increase the tool life. In this way, a sawtooth-like configuration of the rotor 18 'results over its circumference, which is characterized by its aggressive crushing behavior.

From the Fig. 7 and 8th go further possible embodiments of the recesses 24. Thus, it is possible to vary the length and / or also radial depth in the circumferential direction of successive depressions 24 in order to achieve a specific type of processing. Small depressions lead to small vertebrae Diameter, but high circulation speed, while large depressions form a relaxation zone with large diameter vortices and slower circulation speeds. The change of these different vortices promotes an intensive digestion of the feed.

As in Fig. 7 illustrated depressions 24 may be formed in an axial plan view substantially at right angles, wherein the corner regions are preferably rounded in order to achieve a continuous flow approximated to the flow. In this case, the recesses 24 are also separated here by radially extending, symmetrical cross-section webs 26. In Fig. 7 Furthermore, one sees the inner surface of the stator tools 20, which lies radially opposite the recesses 24 and webs 26 while maintaining a working gap 36. The surface of the stator tools 20 is formed by a plurality of semicircular recesses 37, which extend in the axial direction over the entire height of the rotor 18.

Another embodiment of a rotor 18 according to the invention shows Fig. 8 , The recesses 24 shown therein have an axial plan view of a semicircular shape, wherein in the circumferential direction successive recesses 24 have a different radius. As a result, successive recesses 24 have both a different length and different depth. The semicircular shape of the recesses 24 corresponds at least partially to the path of the vortices, so that the self-cleaning effect occurring thereby prevents deposits in the recesses. In Fig. 8 The recesses 24 and the webs 26 resulting between the depressions 24 cooperate with sawtooth-shaped stator tools 20.

Another embodiment of the stator tools 20 is still in Fig. 9 showing a meander-like course of the surface of the stator tools 20 disclosed with in cross-section square, axially extending grooves 38 and strips 39. The in Fig. 9 otherwise illustrated rotor 18, 18 'corresponds to the in Fig. 7 shown and described. From the Fig. 7 to 9 also shows that the extent of the recesses 24 of the rotor 18, 18 'in the circumferential direction corresponds to a multiple of the comparable extent of the recesses 37, for example at least 4 times.

It is understood that the invention is not limited to the combinations of features disclosed herein in the individual embodiments, but of course also includes embodiments in which the features of different embodiments are combined. For example, in the Fig. 7 to 10 Wells 24 shown to be realized both on a rotor 18 with only one rotor element 28 and on a disc-shaped rotor 18 '. Also, all geometric configurations of the webs 26 and / or recesses 24 of a rotor 18, 18 'in their length and depth vary or different geometric configurations of the webs 26 and / or recesses 24 in the circumferential direction or from peripheral planes 25 to the circumferential plane 25 can be combined ,

Claims (9)

1. A device for mixing, grinding, drying, deagglomerating, comminuting or coating of feedstock comprising a rotor (18, 18') mounted on a drive shaft (17) rotating around an axis (4) within a housing (1) and having a cylindrical or conical shell surface and a stator configured to be fixed relative to the housing (1) and encompassing the rotor such that a radial working gap (36) is formed, the rotor (18,18') having at least one rotor element (28, 28') subdivided in radial direction into an inner area forming a carrier (40) non-rotatably connected to the drive shaft (17) and an outer area forming the rotor tools (23) held by the carrier (40) and interacting with the stator tools (20) on the inner circumference of the stator, wherein the feedstock is supplied in the carrier gas stream to the working gap (36), characterised in that the inner area forming a carrier (40) and the outer area forming the rotor tools (23) have a monolithic shape and that to form the rotor tools (23) at the outer circumference of the at least one rotor element (28, 28') a plurality of recesses (24) are arranged and in that the areas between two adjacent recesses (24) form webs (26, 27) forming the active edges of the rotor tools (23) required for the processing of the feedstock whereby the tangential spacings between two adjacent recesses form the first axial webs (26) and the areas between two adjacent circumferential planes form a continuous annular web (27) or an annular web (27) with axial length offsets.
2. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the main extension direction of the recesses (24) runs in the circumferential direction of the rotor (18, 18') or perpendicular to the circumferential direction, that means parallel to a shell line of the rotor (18, 18').
3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the recesses (24) are arranged adjacent to each other in several axially staggered planes (25) and the individual recesses (24) of one plane (25) are arranged in a line one behind the other in circumferential direction (32).
4. A device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that adjacent recesses (24) are arranged with an offset to each other in circumferential direction (32) and/or axial direction.
5. A device according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterised in that adjacent recesses (24) have different lengths and/or depths.
6. A device according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the ratio of length to depth of the recesses (24) is within a range of 2 : 1 to 3 : 1.
7. A device according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the webs (26) are formed symmetric in cross section.
8. A device according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the webs (26) are formed asymmetric in cross section and wherein a leading edge (33) of the web (26) in the rotation direction (32) of the rotor (18, 18') is steeper than the following edge (35).
9. A device according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the sides of the recesses (24) forming the outer circumference of the minimum one rotor element (28, 28') merge continuously into one another.

Images