EP3720593A1

EP3720593A1 - The method of granulation of the particulate material, the granulator of the particulate material with the flat matrix

Info

Publication number: EP3720593A1
Application number: EP18840038.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Peter PECIAR; Roman FEKETE; Marián PECIAR; Oliver MACHO
Original assignee: Slovenska Technicka Univerzita V Bratislave
Current assignee: Slovenska Technicka Univerzita V Bratislave
Priority date: 2017-12-08
Filing date: 2018-12-08
Publication date: 2020-10-14
Also published as: WO2019111236A1; SK8256Y1; RU2020122104A3; RU2765418C2; SK2722017U1; RU2020122104A

Abstract

The disintegration takes place by cutting and/or breaking of the parts of the agglomerate on the edges of the openings (8), preferable on the edges of the openings (8) opposite to the approaching vane (9). The granulator of the particulate material with a flat matrix (5) with a driver unit including an engine with a gear (1), a shaft (4), a feeding hopper (6) and a discharge hopper (7) is designed in such a way that it is at least single-level, whereby in the first leve the shaft (4) is attached to the inner casing (3) with a set of the vanes (9) reaching to the outer casing (2) and leaning onto the flat matrix (5), whereby the vanes (9) are sloped against the plane of the flat matrix (5) by an alpha angle 5° to 50°. In case of a two-level granulator the first level follows upon the second level in a vertical direction, where the shaft (4) can be common to both levels. A flat matrix (5) in form of a sieve, or a perforated sheet with openings' shape ranging from triangle shape to half-elliptical groundplan with a skewed, strongly conical shape, or a perforated sheet with circular openings.

Description

THE METHOD OF GRANULATION OF THE PARTICULATE MATERIAL, THE GRANULATOR OF THE PARTICULATE MATERIAL WITH THE FLAT MATRIX

Field of technology

The invention concerns a granulator of a particulate material with a flat matrix and it also discloses a new method of disintegration of a solid and/or semi-solid agglomerate, where the granulate of a desired size is produced. The invention falls withing the field of engineering, chemistry, food or pharmaceutical industries, as well as recycled materials processing techniques.

Prior state of the art

Powder multi-component materials are systems composed from mutually touching particles, whereby they are formed by particles of a solid phase and liquid and gas phase. The granulation is an agglomeration process of a three-phase mixture with a fine-grained solid phase, where the strengthtening of at least one bonding mechanism between the particles forming the substance takes place.

One method of granulation is a use of the process of disintegration of the already existing larger units into the form of granulate with exactly defined dimensions of the particles. This type of granulation consists of multiple steps, whereby in the first step an agglomerate with desired physical features - with a defined hardness, strength, solidity, solubility and other features - is produced out of the particle material. This operation may be uniaxial briquetting, pelleting, compaction between smooth or profiled cylinders, respectively, or extrusion, whereby the intermediate product is not exactly dimensionally defined granules, but pellets, extrudates of different lengths, or smooth endless strip, respectively. Such produced intermediate product must be disintegrated in devices in order to produce dimensionally exactly defined granules. Mills are hitherto used for such process, mostly blade mills, hammer mills or pin mills. Such disintegrated material is characterized by production of a lot of powder (or dust) share, since the used devices - mills - are characterized by high frequency of rotation of the functioning member (hammers/blades). Such material must be sorted out and it is the possible to return it back to the process of agglomeration as the recycle. With large shares of powder ration, though, which is returning to the process of agglomeration, this phenomenon causes the circulation of large amount of material and with that is connected the necessity to design devices with larger capacities.

Publication CN 204122070U discloses a granulator with a flat matrix and a group of openings. The material of the plastic consistency is pushed through the cylinders which roll on the flat matrix. The rolling of the cylinders, however, works as a mill in the places with openings on the flat matrix, and therefore such arrangement cannot be used with harder materials, where the undesired crushing to dust would have taken place.

Such solution with granulator with a flat matrix is thus desired and not known which would disintegrate the prepared agglomerate into granulate of the desired size without high production of the dust or powder particles. The devices should have high productivity, it should be simple and individual parameters of the process should be easy to control.

Essence of the invention

The abovementioned deficiencies are significantly remieded by a method of granulation of a particulate material which operates as a form of disintegration of a pre-prepared solid and/or semi-solid agglomerate, where the solid and/or semi-solid agglomerate is placed on a flat matrix with a groupd of openings and where the agglomerate is then pushed through the group of openings while the agglomerate at the same time continuously moves on the flat matrix, according to this invention, which essence lies in the fact that the flat matrix and at least one sloped vane are in mutually relative rotational movement. The lower part of the vane during the relative rotational movement pushes the particles of the agglomerate to the openings in the flat matrix, whereby at least with a part of the agglomerate the disintegration happens by cutting and/or breaking of the particles of the agglomerate on the edges of the openings, preferably on the edges of the openings opposite to the approaching vane. With a relative rotational movement at least one sloped vane leans onto the flat matrix. The agglomerate in this process disintegrates to the particles whose size corresponds to the openings in a flat matrix. The disintegrated agglomerate then falls into the space below the flat matrix.

The relative rotational movement between the flat matrix and at least one vane can be ensured by the rotation of the vane or multiple vanes on the non-moving flat matrix, or the flat matrix can rotate under the non-moving vane or multiple non-moving vanes or a combination of two abovementioned options is possible, too, where the speed of rotation can be regulated differentially.

The significant effect of the process of granulation according to this invention is creation of shear stresses in the particles of the agglomerate, which are moved on the surface of the flat matrix where they hit the edges of the openings, whereby the slope of the vane or multiple vanes ensures the pressing of the disintegrated particle into the opening, too, which leads to callibration of the dimension of the particle pursuant to the size of the opening.

A setting proved preferable, where the vane or multiple vanes are sloped against the plane of the flat matrix in scope of 5° to 50°. In this scope the vane ensures the cutting of the agglomerate on the edge of the opening, the pressing of the cut particle through the opening, and it also pushes the resulting material on the flat matrix, while at the same time the vane does not damage this remaining, yet unprocessed material. Especially preferable proved to be the slope between 20° and 30°, for example 25°.

The rotating vanes are in similar devices for processing of the materials used usually in the function of feeders, distributors or dividers of the materials, sometimes they can be placed in a feeding hopper where they even out the intake of the entry material onto the matrices placed below the feeding hopper; in this invention, however, the vanes have a function of the mechanical disintegration itself, in cooperation with the edges of the openings. In the method according to this invention the pre-prepared solid and/or semi-solid agglomerate is placed on the flat matrix, whereby the particles of this material are larger than the openings in the flat matrix. The terms “solid or semi- solid” mean that particles of the agglomerate can be cut and/or brokem; the agglomerate thus does not have paste-like or mash-like consistency. This allows the necessary shear stress and cut stress in the particle to occur during it being grasped between the edge of the opening and the edge of the vane. Naturally, the transfer of force from the vane to the particular particle does not have to be direct; it can be mediated by the contact with other particles of the agglomerate.

Pursuant to the particular features of the agglomerate entering into the process the relative rotation between the flat matrix and vane, or multiple vanes, respectively, can be altered during processing, while it may be preferable in some situations, too, if the slope of the vanes alters in the process. The decrease in the angle of the slope of the vanes increases the force in the direction of the normal line of the flat matrix, and thereby the part of the force which pushes the disintegrated particles throught the openings in the flat matrix increases, too.

In order to achieve optimal results of the granulation it can be preferable if the process repeats itself in several steps with different geometry of the flat matrix, or with the different geometry of the vane or vanes, respectively, too, whereby it is preferable if the material exiting the openings of the first flat matrix falls directly into the second step, that is, onto the second flat matrix with the vane or multiple vanes. The gradual disintegration by the vanes in two or multiple steps brings about the advantage of high productivity with more exact achievement of the requested characteristics of the resulting granulate.

The deficiencies in the state of art are significantly remedied by the granulator of the particulate material itself, with a flat matrix for a slow-running disconnection of the solid and/or semi-solid agglomerate, where the granulator involves a body with the circumferential casing, a drive unit, a feeding hopper and a flat matrix with a group of openings according to the proposed invention which essence lies in the fact that it has at least one vane which is placed rotationally in the body of the granulator in such a way that the vane or multiple vanes rotate adjacently above the surface of the flat matrix. Usually the flat matrix will have circular groundplan or an annulus groundplan in there will be at least two vanes used in the device, radially attached to the driving, vertically oriented shaft whose axis corresponds to the middle of the flat matrix. The vanes can be attached directly to the shaft or to the inner cylindrical plane which is attached to the shaft.

With a slow-running disconnection the granulator disintegrates the agglomerates pre-prepared, for example, by a process of compacting, briquetting or extrusion, respectively. The construction of the granulator of the particulate material with a flat matrix is based on the use of the drive unit including an engine and a gear ended by the shaft, whereby on the entry it has a feeding hopper for an entry material and on the outlet it has discharge hopper with the required fraction of the granules. The essence of the construction lies in the fact that it is at least one- level, whereby on the first level the shaft is attached to the inner casing with the set of the symmetrically distributed vanes reaching to the outer casing and leaning onto the flat matrix. The vanes are sloped against the plane of the flat matrix by angle alpha = 5° to 50°, preferably 20° to 30°. For various sorts of the materials it is possible to choose appropriate type of the flat matrix which can be a sieve, a perforated sheet (metal plate) with openings’ shape ranging from triangle to the half ellipsis with a skewed, strongly conical shape, or a perforated sheet with circular openings. The edge of the opennigs can rise upwards, preferably it can be produced by pressing into the pattern of the grater. Such protruding edges can be part of the flat matrix, whereby their orientation is choes in such a way that the vane presses the particle of the agglomerate into the opening with an oppositely oriented raised edge.

The adjacent placement of the vane or multiple vanes to the flat matrix can form a tight touch of the lower edge of the vane with the surface of the flat matrix; however, the wearing of the vanes should not take place so that the processed material is not contaminated by the splinters of the material of the vanes or of the material of the flat matrix. The vanes or multiple vanes can be rotationally placed in such a way that between the lower edge of the vane and highest solid points of the flat matrix is a small gap.

The granulator with a flat matrix can be realized also as a multi- level device for the cases where the fraction stress required is difficult or impossible to produce in one level only. In this case the second level follows the first level in vertical direction, where the shaft is usually common to both levels. A multi-level arrangement can also be used where the rotations at different levels are different, for example through usage of two concentric shafts. The principle of mutli-level disintegration remains the same as in case of single-level granulator. In order to increase the capacity it is possible to increase the number of vanes, however, such method is effective only until certain capacity when the phenomenon where the material gets stuck between the vanes and rotates together with them occurs. In such case the further increase of the number of vanes is undesired; however, it is possible to use parallel connection of multiple granulators with a flatx matrix. The number of vanes can be chosen according to the size of the flat matrix, since the increase of the diameter of the flat matrix with a given number of vanes leads to increase of their mutual circumferential distance. A solution proved preferable where the vanes are distributed angularly evenly, but in principle the vanes can be distributed with various spacing and can be sloped in various angles ranging from 5° to

50°.

In order to increase the flexibility of the device the vanes can be construed in such a way that they have adjustable slope. The slope can be set in advance before the starting of the process pursuant to the particular features of the agglomerate, or it can be altered during the process itself.

In order to allow more precise control of the process, the granulator can be equipped by the sensor of the torque between the rotational system with at least one vane and a flat matrix. The assessment of the torque can indirectly diagnoze the processes related to the shear stresses and the friction of the agglomerate during its movement of the plane of the flat matrix.

The advantages of the construction of the granulator of the particulate material with a flat matrix according to this invention are obvious from the outward effects. In general we can say that the originality of the proposed device lies in the fact that the special construction of the granulator with the flat matrix can be applied during granulation of the agglomerate to the exactly defined fraction dimension with a minimal production of the powder or dust share, since the disconnection runs slowly. The proposed method of the granulation is gentle towards the processed material and the device for its realization is constructionally reliable.

Description of drawin

The granulator of the particulate material with a flat matrix according to this invention is further disclosed by drawings, where on figure 1 a principal scheme of the device is show. On figure 2 the physical principle of pushing the agglomerate through the flat matrix which is a) sieve, b) expanded metal, c) perforated sheet. The arrow shows the direction of movement of the vane against the particle of the agglomerate. On the figure 3 a basic set of the single-level granulator with a flat matrix is depicted. On the figue 4 a set of two-level granulator with two flat matrices placed one below the other is depicted. On the figure 5 the flat sieve matrix of the granulator with a smaller sieve holes. Figure 6 depicts a flat sieve matrix of the granulator with a larger sieve holes. Figure 7 depicts a flat matrix of the granulator from a perforated sheet with openings with shape of triangle or half ellipsis with a skewed, strongly conical shape. Figure 8 depicts a flat matrix of a granulator from a perforated sheet with circular openings.

The numbers at the dimension points on the right side of figures 5 to 8 are dimensions in milimeters for examples of particular realizations of the flat matrix, but they cannot be interpreted as limiting the scope of protection.

Examples of realization

It is understood that individual realizations of the invention are for illustration purposes only and cannot be interpreted as limiting the scope of technical solutions. The persons skilled in the art will be capable to find equivalents to the particular realizations of the technical solution by using no more than routine experimentation. Such equivalents would fall within the following patent claims, too. The persons skilled in the art will have no problems with designing the optimal construction and choosing the respective elements, therefore such features are not addressed in detail.

The depicted ratios of individual elements of the device as well as the particular dimensions of openings in the flat matrix express a particular example and cannot be interpreted as features limiting the scope of protection. The disclosed arrangement of the drive unit as well as examples of placement and guiding of individual parts of the device are for illustration purposes only. Example 1

In this example of particular realization of the invention the basic construction of the granulator of the particulate material with a flat matrix 5, as depicted on the figure 3, is described. The construction of the granulator of the particulate material with a flat matrix 5 consists of a drive unit, which contains an engine and a gear 1 ended by a shaft 4. It then includes a work space between the outer casing 2 and an inner casing 3. At the entry to the work space there is a feeding hopper 6 for supply of the entry material and and the outlet it has a discharge hopper 7 for discharge of the granules with a required fraction. The inner casing 3, with a set of the symmetrical! distributed vanes 9 reaching to the outer casing 2, and leaning to the flat matrix 5 placed in the lower part of the working space, is attached to the shaft 4. The vanes 9 are sloped against the plane of the flat matrix 5, in this example, by an angle alpha = 25°. In one realization the flat matrix 5 is a sive, as depicted on the figure 5, with a diameter of the wire being 0,7 mm and a hole’s 8 size being 1,6 mm. On the figure 6 a sieve is depicted with a wire’s diameter being 1,1 mm and a hole’s 8 size being 2,5 mm. Alternatively, the flat matrix 5 can be a perforated sheet with openings (holes) 8 whose shape is ranging from triangle shape to half- elliptical groundplan with a skewed, strongly conical shape, as depicted on the figure 7, with a sheet’s thickness being 1 mm, the pitch in one axis being 18 mm, the pitch in the other axis being 6,5 mm, and the diameter of the opening 8 F being 2,5 mm. The edges of the opening 8 which are opposite to the direction of the movement of the vane 9 have an edgne that is rising upwards, produced by pressing in such a way that the overpress gradually in the direction of the movement of the vane 9 enters the plane of the flat matrix 5. The grater-like shape of the openings 8 directly creates the support for capturing a part of the agglomerate while it is moved by the vane 9. Alternatively, the flat matrix 5 is a perforated sheet with circular openings 8, as depicted on the figure 8, with the sheet being 0,6 mm thick and the diameter of an opening 8 F being 2,5 mm and the pitch of the openings 8 being within 3,8 mm.

Multiple parameters have effect on the proper functioning of the device and the required quality of the granules, which is obvious by looking at figuers 1 and 2. The parameters are, mainly, the rotations of the shaft 4 and the angle alpha of slope of the vanes 9 against the flat matrix 5. Further paramters are: the maximum diameter of the outer casing 2 of the granulator and the minimum diameter of the inner casing 3 of the granulater, which is related to the circumferential speed. Another important parameter is a width and number of vanes 9, and the thickness and type of flat matrix 5.

The flat matrix 5 is in the body of the device attached in a demountable way and in such a way that its quick and safe replacement is ensured. The body of the granulator can be constructed as a module which can be connected with other modules in order to create a multi- level granulator. It is also possible to operate the construction of multi- level granulator as a single-level granulator in such a way that the flat matrices are removed from the other levels.

Example 2

In this example of a particular realization of the subject matter of the invention a construction of two-level granulator of the particulate material with the flat matrix 5 is described, as depicted on the figure 4. The construction is derived from a single leve granulator in such a way that the second level follows upon the first level in vertical direction, where the shaft 4 is common to both levels.

In this realization the vanes 9 of the first and second level have the same rotations. The flat matrix 5 of the first level will usually have larger openings 8 as a flat matrix 5 of the subsequent level. Example 3

Granulator in this example according to figure 1 has the elements described in example 1, whereby it is also equipped by the torque sensor 1_0, which provides a dynamic parameter expressing the course of processing of the agglomerate.

Example 4

The granulator has a non-moving group of three vanes 9 whose slope can be set centrally within the range of 0° to 60°. The vanes 9 are placed on the central driver and they are also anchored in the outer casing 2. The flat matrix 5 with openings 8 is rotationally placed within the axis of the driver of the vanes 9. At the same time, the flat matrix 5 is slidably placed in the vertical direction in such a way that with a set angle of the slope of the vanes 9 the upper plane of the flat matrix 5 leans onto the lower edge of the vanes 9. The rotations of the flat matrix 5 are set by the frequency alternator. The arrangemet allows for flexible alteration of the geometry of the granulator. The slidable placement of the flat matrix 5 also allows its replacement.

Industrial a icabili

The industrial applicability of the granulator of the particle material with a flat matrix according to this invention is obvious. It can be used in various industries, mainly chemistry, food or pharmaceutical industry, but also with recycled materials processing technologies. List of symbols

1 - gear

2 - outer casin

3 - inner casing

4 - shaft

5 - flat matrix

6 - feeding hopper

7 - discharge hoper

8 - opening (hole)

9 - vane

10 - torque sensor a (alpha) - angle of vane’s slope

Claims

PA TE N T C LA I M S

1. A method of a granulation of a particulate material by means of a disintegration of a solid and/or semi-solid agglomerate, where the solid and/or semi-solid agglomerate is placed on a flat matrix (5) with a group of openings (8), where the agglomerate is subsequently pushed through the group of openings (8) while the remaining agglomerate simultaneously moves along the flat matrix (5), whereby the agglomerate disintegrates to particles with a size corresponding to the openings (8) in the flat matrix (5), and subseuqneutly the disintegrated agglomerate falls into a space under the flat matrix (5), is characterized by the fact, that at least one sloped vane (9) leans onto the flat matrix (5) from above; the flat matrix (5) and at least one sloped vane (9) are in a mutually relative rotational movement; a bottom part of the vane (9) pushes the parts of the agglomerate to the openings (8) in the flat matrix (5) during the relative rotational movement; whereby in a case of at least part of the agglomerate the disintegration happens thorugh cutting and/or breaking of the agglomerate on edges of the openings (8), preferably on the edges of the openings (8) which are opposite to the approaching vane (9).

2. The method of the granulation of the particulate material according to the claim 1 is characterized by the fact, that the vane (9) has a slope against a plane of the flat matrix (5) ranging from 5° to 50°, preferably from 20° to 30°.

3. The method of the granulation of the particulate material according to the claim 1 or 2 is characterized by the fact, that the disintegration takes place in multiple levels following each other, where the material exiting the flat matrix (5) of one leve falls on a surface of the flat matrix (5) of the following level.

4. The method of the granulation of the particulate material according to any of the claims 1 to 3 is characterized by the fact, that an angle of the slope of the vanes (9) changes in a course of the rotational movement.

5. The method of the granulation of the particulate material according to any of the claims 1 to 4 is characterized by the fact, that a speed of the mutual rotation of the vanes (9) against the flat matrix (5) changes.

6. A granulator of a particulate material with a flat matrix for a slow- running disconnection of an agglomerate with a driver unit including an engine with a gear (1), a shaft (4), and a feeding hopper (6) with a discharge hopper (7), is characterized by the fact, that it is at least single-level, whereby in a first level an inner casing (3), with a system of vane (9) reaching to an outer casing (2) and leaning to a flat matrix (5), is attached to the shaft (4), whereby the vanes (9) are sloped against a plance of the flat matrix (5) in an alpha angle 5° to 50°, preferably 20° to 30°.

7. The granulator of the particulate material with the flat matrix according to the claim 6 is characterized by the fact, that second level follows in a vertical direction upon the first level, whereby the shaft (4) is common to both levels.

8. The granulator of the particulate material with the flat matrix according to the claim 6 or 7 is characterized by the fact, that the flat matrix (5) is a sieve.

9. The granulator of the particulate material with the flat matrix according to the claim 6 or 7 is characterized by the fact, that the flat matrix (5) is a perforated sheet, where edges of openings (8) oriented against the vane (9) protrude upwards, preferably the protruding edges are formed by pressing.

10. The granulator of the particulate material with the flat matrix according to the claim 6 or 7 is characterized by the fact, that the flat matrix (5) is the perforated sheet, preferably with circular openings.

11. The granulator of the particulate material with the flat matrix according to any of the claims 6 to 10 is characterized by the fact, that the vanes (9) have adjustable alpha angle of a slope.

12. The granulator of the particulate material with the flat matrix according to any of the claims 6 to 11 is characterized by the fact, that the flat matrix (5) is replacable.

13. The granulator of the particulate material with the flat matrix according to any of the claims 6 to 12 is characterized by the fact, that the vanes (9) are distributed in an angularly identical pitch; the flat matrix (5) has an annulus groundplan and the shaft (4) is oriented vertically.

14. The granulator of the particulate material with the flat matrix according to any of the claims 6 to 13 is characterized by the fact, that it is equipped by a torque sensor (10), measuring the torque between the vanes (9) and the flat matrix (5).

15. The granulator of the particulate material with the flat matrix according to any of the claims 6 to 14 is characterized by the fact, that it has adjustable rotations of the shaft (4) with the vanes (9).