EP4309799A1 - Device for stirring up a liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

A swirling device is provided for providing a swirled fluid, wherein the swirling device has at least one prechamber, which is in fluid communication with a swirl chamber by means of at least one swirl channel, so that a fluid can be accelerated into a circular flow when flowing from the prechamber into the swirl chamber tangentially to the swirl chamber, and comprises a plurality of guide vanes, by means of which the swirled fluid can be provided downstream. A liquid jet device with a swirling device according to the invention is also provided.

Description

Field of invention

The invention relates to a device for swirling a liquid, wherein the device can be used, for example, as a jet regulator for water fittings, such as a tap.

Background of the invention

Devices for swirling a liquid, such as water, are known from the prior art.

That's about it from the DE 102 40 667A1 a device for enriching gas or gas mixtures in drinkable water is known. Here, the water supplied from above to a nozzle chamber is distributed in a ring and then exits downwards through an annular nozzle gap into a nozzle outlet chamber. The water entering the nozzle outlet chamber collides at a center point, with a gas supplied into the nozzle outlet chamber being intended to be bound into the water structure. The disadvantage here, however, is that the water entering the nozzle outlet chamber is swirled in a completely uncontrolled manner.

Object of the present invention

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved device for swirling a liquid.

Solution according to the invention

This problem is solved with a swirling device and a liquid jet device with a swirling device according to the invention according to the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the respective dependent claims.

• zumindest eine Vorkammer, die mittels zumindest eines Drallkanals in Fluidkommunikation mit einer Wirbelkammer steht, sodass ein Fluid beim Einströmen von der Vorkammer in die Wirbelkammer tangential zur Wirbelkammer in eine Kreisströmung beschleunigbar ist, und
• mehrere Leitschaufeln, mittels der das verwirbelte Gas-Fluid-Gemisch stromabwärts bereitstellbar ist.

A swirling device is therefore provided for providing a swirled fluid, the swirling device comprising:

• at least one antechamber, which is in fluid communication with a vortex chamber by means of at least one swirl channel, so that a fluid can be accelerated into a circular flow tangentially to the vortex chamber when flowing from the antechamber into the vortex chamber, and
• several guide vanes, by means of which the swirled gas-fluid mixture can be made available downstream.

The fluid is supplied to the antechamber.

In one embodiment of the invention, the swirling device can comprise at least one suction opening which is in fluid communication with the environment and which is in fluid communication with the swirl chamber in such a way that, when there is a negative pressure in the swirl chamber, an ambient gas can be introduced into the swirl chamber through the at least one suction opening and with the Fluid can be mixed to form the swirled gas-fluid mixture, the negative pressure being generated by the circular flow of the fluid in the swirl chamber

The fluid here is a liquid, in particular water, although the invention is not limited to water. Any liquid capable of being swirled with a gas to provide a gas-fluid mixture can be used, for example oils or biological liquids. The fluid can also be a fluid mixture.

The gas used can be any gas that is suitable for being swirled with the fluid to provide a gas-fluid mixture. In one embodiment of the invention, air can be used as a gas, especially if water is used as the fluid. In a further embodiment, the gas can also be a plasma. The gas can also include a gas mixture.

“Can be accelerated tangentially to the vortex chamber into a circular flow” means that the fluid supplied via the swirl channel of the vortex chamber rotates in the vortex chamber about the axis of the vortex chamber and thus creates a vortex or vortex.

The vortex or vortex creates a negative pressure in the vortex chamber, which leads to a gas being sucked into the vortex chamber via the suction opening and the fluid being mixed with the sucked-in gas.

When the pressure of the fluid supplied to the antechamber increases, the speed of the vortex generated in the vortex chamber also increases, which in turn reduces the pressure inside the vortex. When the pressure of the fluid supplied to the antechamber increases, more gas is sucked in via the suction opening and mixed with the fluid, so that uniform mixing of the fluid with the gas is ensured.

In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of guide vanes can each have a curved guide surface, wherein the guide surfaces can influence the flow direction of the fluid or gas-fluid mixture provided downstream.

The vanes receive the gas-fluid mixture from the swirl chamber to provide it downstream.

It can be advantageous if the guide vanes are arranged in an expansion chamber, the expansion chamber having a conical shape and being connected to the vortex chamber via an open constriction. This means that the expansion chamber has the smallest diameter on the swirl chamber side. As the diameter of the expansion chamber increases downstream, the angular momentum of the gas-fluid mixture absorbed from the vortex chamber by the guide vanes is reduced.

The expansion chamber and the vortex chamber together form a substantially hourglass-shaped internal volume.

It can be advantageous if the at least one suction opening is connected to the vortex chamber through a central, axial first through hole of the vortex chamber. It can be advantageous here if the axial first through hole of the vortex chamber is designed as a coaxial first through hole (relative to the axis of the vortex chamber). This ensures that the gas sucked in via the suction opening or suction openings is centrally bundled and introduced as a gas jet at high speed centrally into the swirl chamber and into the expansion chamber.

In one embodiment of the invention, the first through hole can have a substantially circular support structure on its edge on the swirl chamber side for stabilizing the circular flow, i.e. the vortex. The support structure can protrude into the vortex chamber. This means that the support structure is designed as a structure that runs radially around the first through hole on the swirl chamber side. This prevents the vortex or vortex from collapsing in an uncontrolled manner and thereby impairing or even preventing the gas supply via the first through hole.

In one embodiment of the invention, a second through hole can be arranged in the area of the guide vanes, ie in the expansion chamber.

It is advantageous here if the second through hole runs coaxially to the first through hole.

The gas sucked in via the first through hole can be fed to a settling chamber downstream of the expansion chamber via the second through hole.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the swirling device can be designed in one piece. “In one piece” here means that the swirling device is formed by an integral part. In the context of the present invention, “one-piece” also means that the swirling device consists of several parts that cannot be taken apart without being destroyed.

• einem Metall, insbesondere Edelstahl,
• einem Kunststoff, oder
• einem biologischen Material, insbesondere Biofasern und/oder Lignin gefertigt sein.

The swirling device can at least partially

• a metal, especially stainless steel,
• a plastic, or
• a biological material, in particular biofibers and/or lignin.

• eine erfindungsgemäße Verwirbelungsvorrichtung, und
• ein Gehäuse zur Aufnahme der Verwirbelungsvorrichtung.

The invention further provides a liquid jet device comprising

• a swirling device according to the invention, and
• a housing to accommodate the swirling device.

A settling chamber is formed in the housing downstream of the expansion chamber to accommodate the swirled fluid or gas-fluid mixture provided by the swirling device. The swirling device and the housing are designed in such a way that when the swirling device is completely accommodated in the housing, a settling chamber is formed downstream.

Excess gas is separated from the fluid or gas-fluid mixture from the fluid or gas-fluid mixture supplied to the settling chamber by the swirling device.

In one embodiment of the invention, the liquid jet device can have at least one, preferably several, flow straighteners, by means of which the swirled gas-fluid mixture can be provided as a liquid jet, preferably as several liquid jets.

In one embodiment of the liquid jet device, the flow straighteners can each be designed as an axial borehole.

It can be advantageous if the liquid jet device further comprises at least one suction opening which corresponds to the at least one suction opening of the swirling device. Preferably, the at least one suction opening of the liquid jet device is a radial suction opening, which is preferably formed in a side wall of the liquid jet device.

In one embodiment of the invention, the liquid jet device can have a threaded interface which is coupled to the swirling device at the current input by means of a seal.

The seal can include a sieve.

Short description of the characters

Fig. 1

eine erfindungsgemäße Flüssigkeitsstrahlvorrichtung in einer perspektivischen Ansicht mit einem rechtwinkeligen Ausbruch des Gehäuses (Abbildung a) und in einer Explosionsdarstellung (Abbildung b);

Fig. 2

eine erfindungsgemäße Flüssigkeitsstrahlvorrichtung mit einer darin angeordneten Verwirbelungsvorrichtung in einem Teilschnitt;

Fig. 3

einer erfindungsgemäße Verwirbelungsvorrichtung in einer Seitenansicht (Abbildung a) und in einer Schnittansicht entlang der Schnittachse A-A (Abbildung b);

Fig. 4

eine erfindungsgemäße Verwirbelungsvorrichtung in einer perspektivischen Darstellung; und

Fig. 5

eine erfindungsgemäße Verwirbelungsvorrichtung in einer perspektivischen Darstellung mit einem rechtwinkeligen Ausbruch.

Further details and features of the invention result from the following description in conjunction with the drawing. It shows:

Fig. 1

a liquid jet device according to the invention in a perspective view with a rectangular breakout of the housing (figure a) and in an exploded view (figure b);

Fig. 2

a partial section of a liquid jet device according to the invention with a swirling device arranged therein;

Fig. 3

a swirling device according to the invention in a side view (Figure a) and in a sectional view along the section axis AA (Figure b);

Fig. 4

a swirling device according to the invention in a perspective view; and

Fig. 5

a swirling device according to the invention in a perspective view with a rectangular breakout.

Detailed description of the invention

The figures described below each describe embodiments of the invention in which the swirling device has at least one suction opening through which a gas can be introduced into the swirl chamber in order to be mixed with the fluid.

According to the invention, such suction openings can also be dispensed with, so that the swirling device is essentially designed to swirl a fluid introduced into the swirl chamber.

Fig. 1 shows in Figure (a) a liquid jet device 20 according to the invention in a perspective view with a rectangular breakout of the housing 21 and in Figure (b) a liquid jet device 20 according to the invention in an exploded view.

The housing 21 of the liquid jet device 20 is designed here to be essentially rotationally symmetrical. But it cannot be rotationally symmetrical either. The housing 21 has a recess on the inside, which is adapted to accommodate a swirling device 1 according to the invention by inserting the swirling device 1 into the recess of the housing 21 in the axial direction (along the longitudinal axis LA). On the open side (side on which the swirling device 1 is inserted into the housing 21), the housing 21 has an at least partially circumferential radial projection 21a, which serves as a stop for the swirling device 1. The swirling device 1 itself also has an at least partially circumferential radial projection 12 at its rear end, which corresponds to the radial projection 21a of the housing 21. The swirling device 1 is or can be pushed into the housing 21 until the radial projection 12 of the swirling device 1 rests on the radial projection 21a of the housing 21.

The length of the swirling device 1 and the depth of the recess in the housing 21 are dimensioned such that when the swirling device 1 is completely accommodated in the housing 21 (when the radial projection 12 of the swirling device 1 rests on the radial projection 21a of the housing 21) between a cavity is formed at the front end of the swirling device 1 and the housing wall of the housing 21 opposite the front end of the swirling device 1. This cavity is referred to below as a calming chamber 22, the purpose of which is described in more detail below.

In the area of the front end of the swirling device 1, the outer contour 13 of the swirling device 1 corresponds to the inner contour 21b of the housing 21. In this area, the calming chamber 22 is preferably separated from the rear part of the housing recess in a fluid and gas-tight manner. In one embodiment of the invention, a circumferential sealing ring can be arranged at the front end of the swirling device 1.

At the front end of the housing 21 it has a number of flow straighteners 23. As shown in figure (a), these can be provided in the front housing wall of the housing 21 as axially extending boreholes which open into the calming chamber 22. The number of flow straighteners 23 depends on the specific area of application of the liquid jet device 20 according to the invention. In one embodiment, only a single flow straightener 23 can be provided. If there are several flow straighteners 23, these can each have the same diameter - alternatively, it can also be provided that the flow straighteners 23 have different diameters. In figure (a), the flow straighteners 23 have a circular cross section. However, other cross-sections are possible.

At the rear end of the liquid jet device 20 according to the invention, an internal thread can be provided in the housing 21 in order to equip the liquid jet device 20 according to the invention with an extension piece 30 if necessary. A circumferential sealing ring 31 can be arranged between the extension piece 30 and the swirling device 1, which can preferably comprise a sieve. By means of the extension piece 30, the liquid jet device 20 according to the invention can be connected, for example, to a household tap.

The swirling device 1 can be made of a metal, in particular stainless steel, a plastic, or a biological material, in particular biofibers and/or lignin.

The housing 21 can be made of a metal, in particular stainless steel, a plastic, or a biological material, in particular biofibers and/or lignin.

The housing 21 and the swirling device 1 can be provided or manufactured as two separate parts, wherein the swirling device 1 can be inserted into the housing 21, as described above. Alternatively, the housing 21 and the swirling device 1 can also be provided or manufactured as an integral part.

1. a) Ein Fluid, beispielsweise Wasser, wird von hinten der Verwirbelungsvorrichtung 1 mit Druck zugeführt. Das Fluid gelangt dann in eine Wirbelkammer und bildet dort einen Wirbel bzw. Vortex.
2. b) Gleichzeitig wird über eine radiale Ansaugöffnung 24 im Gehäuse 21 und über eine Ansaugöffnung 5 der Verwirbelungsvorrichtung 1 ein Gas (z.B. Umgebungsluft) der in eine Wirbelkammer zugeführt. In einer Ausgestaltung der Erfindung wird das Gas aufgrund eines Unterdruckes in der Wirbelkammer angesaugt.
3. c) In der Wirbelkammer vermischen sich das zugeführte Fluid und das zugeführte bzw. angesaugte Gas und bilden so ein Gas-Fluid-Gemisch. Das Gas-Fluid-Gemisch gelangt dann von der Wirbelkammer über eine Expansionskammer 10, in der eine Anzahl von Leitschaufeln 6 angeordnet sind, in die Beruhigungskammer 22. In der Beruhigungskammer 22 kann sich überschüssiges Gas von dem Fluid trennen.
4. d) Aus der Beruhigungskammer 22 tritt das Gas-Fluid-Gemisch über eine Anzahl von Strömungsgleichrichtern 23 aus der Flüssigkeitsstrahlvorrichtung 20 aus.

In figure (a) the Fig. 1 the flow directions of the fluid and the gas are shown schematically as arrows. Based on these flow directions, the basic operation of the liquid jet device 20 according to the invention will be briefly explained below (a detailed operation of the liquid jet device 20 according to the invention will be explained with reference to Fig. 2 to Fig. 5 described).

1. a) A fluid, for example water, is supplied under pressure to the swirling device 1 from behind. The fluid then enters a vortex chamber and forms a vortex or vortex.
2. b) At the same time, a gas (eg ambient air) is fed into a swirl chamber via a radial suction opening 24 in the housing 21 and via a suction opening 5 of the swirling device 1. In one embodiment of the invention, the gas is sucked in due to a negative pressure in the swirl chamber.
3. c) In the swirl chamber, the supplied fluid and the supplied or sucked gas mix and thus form a gas-fluid mixture. The gas-fluid mixture then passes from the vortex chamber via an expansion chamber 10, in which a number of guide vanes 6 are arranged, into the settling chamber 22. In the settling chamber 22, excess gas can separate from the fluid.
4. d) The gas-fluid mixture emerges from the calming chamber 22 from the liquid jet device 20 via a number of flow straighteners 23.

Steps b) and c) mentioned above are optional. In the event that step b) is not carried out, step c) is carried out in a modified form. According to the modified step c), the fluid supplied to the swirl chamber is swirled. The swirled fluid then passes from the vortex chamber via an expansion chamber 10, in which a number of guide vanes 6 are arranged, into the settling chamber 22. In the settling chamber 22, excess gas can separate from the fluid.

Become following Fig. 2 to Fig. 5 described together, each showing the swirling device 1 according to the invention in different views and sections.

On the fluid inlet side, a fluid is first supplied to an antechamber 2, the fluid preferably being pressurized.

The fluid then passes from the antechamber 2 into a swirl chamber 4 via a number of swirl channels 3. The swirl channels 3 are designed to run largely tangentially to the swirl chamber. This ensures that pressurized fluid exits almost tangentially to the vortex chamber 4 when it flows into the vortex chamber 4 and thus creates a fast vortex or vortex. Due to the largely tangential course of the swirl channels 3, a sufficiently strong vortex can be generated in the swirl chamber 4 even at a very low pressure with which the fluid is supplied to the swirl chamber 4. The orientation of the swirl channels can be selected so that a clockwise vortex is generated in the vortex chamber 4. When the fluid flows from the antechamber into the vortex chamber tangentially to the vortex chamber, the fluid can be accelerated into a circular flow.

The speed of the vortex in the vortex chamber 4 can be influenced by the pressure with which the fluid is supplied to the vortex chamber 4. The higher the The pressure is chosen, the greater the speed of the vortex. As the speed of the vortex increases, the centrifugal force acting on the vortex also increases, which creates a counterpressure, which in turn limits the mass of fluid supplied as the pressure increases. This ensures optimal function of the swirl chamber 4 over a very wide pressure range, namely the generation of a swirled gas-fluid mixture.

The rapidly rotating vortex in the vortex chamber 4 creates a negative pressure area in the vortex chamber 4, namely inside the vortex. This negative pressure causes a gas (for example ambient air) to be sucked into the swirl chamber via a number of suction openings 5, which are formed in the wall of the swirling device 1.

The suction openings 5 or the suction channels can open into a fluid inlet-side through hole 8 of the swirl chamber 4. It is advantageous if the through hole 8 runs coaxially to the longitudinal axis LA of the swirling device 1. This creates a centrally focused gas jet (e.g. an air jet) which shoots at high speed centrally into the swirl chamber 4 and into the expansion chamber 10 downstream of the swirl chamber. This ensures uniform mixing of the supplied fluid with the sucked gas. Since as the pressure with which the fluid is supplied to the liquid jet device 20 increases, the flow rate also increases and at the same time the pressure in the swirl chamber also decreases, more gas is sucked in and is mixed with the fluid. This also ensures that as the flow rate increases, the proportion of gas in the gas-fluid mixture generated remains largely constant.

The suction openings 5 correspond to radial suction openings 24 in the housing 21. The ambient air therefore reaches the suction openings 5 of the swirling device 1 via the radial suction openings 24 and from there via suction channels to the through hole 8 of the swirl chamber 4.

A radially circumferential support structure 9 can be provided at the through hole 8, which here is essentially annular and projects into the vortex chamber 4 in the axial direction. The support structure 9 ensures that the vortex generated does not collapse, which could impair or even prevent mixing of the gas with the fluid.

An expansion chamber 10 is provided downstream of the vortex chamber 4, which essentially has a conical shape, in particular a frustoconical shape (internal volume), with the region 11 of the expansion chamber 10 with the smallest diameter facing the vortex chamber 4. This means that the diameter of the expansion chamber 10 increases downstream, which ensures that the gas-fluid mixture that passes from the swirl chamber 4 into the expansion chamber 10 expands.

A plurality of guide vanes 6 are arranged in the expansion chamber 10, each of which can have a curved guide surface 7. The guide vanes 6 are arranged in the expansion chamber 10 in such a way that they receive the gas-fluid mixture from the vortex chamber 4 and lead it via the respective guide surfaces 7 into the settling chamber 22 downstream of the expansion chamber 10, whereby the flow direction and the angular momentum of the gas-fluid -Mixture can be influenced.

The gas-fluid mixture supplied to the settling chamber 22 now has a significantly reduced vortex speed, which allows the fluid saturated with the gas to be separated from excess gas.

A number of flow straighteners 23 are connected downstream of the calming chamber 22, through which the gas-fluid mixture is led out of the liquid jet device 20. The flow straighteners 23 can be designed as axially extending boreholes. From the liquid jet device 20 then rectified gas-fluid jets (e.g. water enriched with air) emerge. The emerging jet is compactly shaped and is suitable, for example, for filling glasses or bottles.

In one embodiment of the invention and purely by way of example, the liquid jet device 20 can be used, for example, as a jet regulator for household water fittings.

Reference symbol:

1

Swirling device

2

Antechamber of the swirling device 1

3

Swirl channel or swirl channels

4

Vortex chamber

5

Suction opening of the swirling device 1

6

Guide vane or vanes

7

Guide surface(s) of the guide vane(s) 6

8th

(first) through hole of the vortex chamber 4

9

Support structure of the through hole 8

10

Expansion chamber of the swirling device 1

11

Constriction of the expansion chamber 10

12

circumferential radial projection on the swirling device 1

13

Outer contour of the front end of the swirling device 1

15

(second) through hole in the area of the guide vanes 6

20

Liquid jet device

21

Housing of the liquid jet device 20

21a

circumferential radial projection in the housing 21

21b

Inner contour of the housing in the area of the front end of the swirling device 1

22

Calming chamber in housing 21

23

Flow straightener, preferably in the housing wall of the housing 21

24

Radial suction opening in the housing 21

30

Extension piece

31

Sealing ring (with a sieve if necessary)

A-A

Cut A-A

FE

Fluid entry

GE

Gas entry

GF

Gas-fluid mixture exit

LA

Longitudinal axis

Claims (14)

Swirling device (1) for providing a swirled fluid, the swirling device (1) comprising: - at least one antechamber (2), which is in fluid communication with a vortex chamber (4) by means of at least one swirl channel (3), so that a fluid flows tangentially to the vortex chamber (4) when flowing from the antechamber (2) into the vortex chamber (4). a circular flow can be accelerated, and - Several guide vanes (6), by means of which the swirled fluid can be made available downstream. A swirling device according to claim 1, wherein the swirling device (1) further comprises:
at least one suction opening (5) which is in fluid communication with the environment and which is in fluid communication with the vortex chamber (4) in such a way that when there is a negative pressure in the vortex chamber (4), an ambient gas flows through the at least one suction opening (5) into the vortex chamber (4 ) can be introduced and can be mixed with the fluid to form a swirled gas-fluid mixture, the negative pressure being generated by the circular flow of the fluid in the swirl chamber (4). Swirling device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of guide vanes (6) each have a curved guide surface (7), the guide surfaces (7) influencing the flow direction of the fluid/gas-fluid mixture provided downstream. Swirling device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide vanes (7) are arranged in an expansion chamber (10), the expansion chamber (10) having a conical shape and being connected to the swirl chamber (4) via an open constriction (11). Swirling device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one suction opening is connected to the swirl chamber (4) through a central, axial first through hole (8) of the swirl chamber. Swirling device according to the preceding claim, wherein the first through hole (8) has a substantially circular support structure (9) on its edge on the swirl chamber side for stabilizing the circular flow. Swirling device according to one of the preceding claims 3 to 6, wherein a second through hole (15) is arranged in the area of the guide vanes (6). Swirling device according to the preceding claim and according to one of claims 5 or 6, wherein the second through-hole (15) extends coaxially with the first through-hole (8). Swirling device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the swirling device is formed in one piece. Swirling device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device consists at least partially - a metal, especially stainless steel, - a plastic, or - is made of a biological material, in particular biofibers and/or lignin. Liquid jet device (20), comprising - a swirling device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, and - a housing (21) for accommodating the swirling device (1), wherein a settling chamber (22) is formed in the housing (21) downstream of the expansion chamber (10) to accommodate the swirled fluid/gas-fluid mixture provided by the swirling device (1). Liquid jet device according to the preceding claim, further comprising at least one, preferably several flow straighteners (23), by means of which the swirled fluid/gas-fluid mixture can be provided as a liquid jet. Liquid jet device according to the preceding claim, wherein the flow straighteners (23) are each designed as an axial borehole, preferably in the housing wall of the housing (21). Liquid jet device according to one of the preceding claims 11 to 13, further comprising at least one radial suction opening (24) which corresponds to the at least one suction opening (5) of the swirling device (1).

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