JP2004351245A - Liquid mixer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid mixer for mixing the minute quantity of liquid which has improved mixing efficiency per plate to be suitable even to the mixing of the minute quantity of liquid. <P>SOLUTION: A plate 20 is superimposed on a plate 2 in a liquid tight way in such a manner that the half-etched part 4a of the plate 2 is located on the side of the plate 20. Other plates are superimposed in a liquid tight way so as to hold the two plates 2 and 20, and joining is performed so as to seal the holes of the plates 2 and 20 excepting a liquid inlet 18 and a liquid outlet 10 on the lowermost stream. A liquid and B liquid fed from the liquid inlet 18 enter the central parts of the holes 22 and 24 of the plate 20, are distributed toward the edge parts of each of the holes 22 and 24, and are fed to a hole 4b sequentially to form the flows of four layers in the depth direction of a groove. The flows flow to the downstream side, are mutually diffused in the middle of the flowing so as to be mixed. The flow passes through the part 4a to promote the mixing, reaches a hole 4c, is fed from the part of the hole 4c to the central part of the hole 22 or 24 in the plate 20 again, and is distributed to two or four again. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a liquid mixing apparatus for mixing a minute amount of liquid in fields such as chemical analysis and synthesis, and is suitable for use as a liquid mixing apparatus for mixing an eluent in, for example, a liquid chromatograph. .
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a mixing apparatus for mixing the eluent of a liquid chromatograph, an apparatus is used in which beads are filled and mixed by pouring a plurality of solvents to be mixed into gaps between the beads. However, such a mixing apparatus becomes large and is not suitable for mixing a minute amount of liquid.
[0003]
Therefore, by stacking multiple plates and processing round holes and grooves on each plate, when flowing liquid from one plate to the next, the flow path is divided into multiple, and from the multiple grooves or holes A micromixer that repeats distribution and mixing by passing a plurality of plates by joining the supplied liquids has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).
[0004]
In the proposed micro-mixer, the liquid flow forms a unidirectional flow that flows from upstream to downstream in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the stacked plates, and distribution and mixing are repeated in multiple stages during the flow. To go.
[0005]
As another liquid mixer, there is an apparatus that mixes liquids by forming a mixing channel in an in-plane direction of stacked plates. As one example, there is a method in which plates are overlapped, grooves and holes are formed in the joint surfaces of the respective plates, and mixing is performed by joining and distributing the flow paths while flowing through the flow paths in the in-plane direction.
[0006]
By introducing a plurality of liquids alternately into the mixing flow path in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the plate, by flowing along the flow path formed in the in-plane direction, by diffusion in the depth direction of the flow path A mixer for mixing has also been proposed (see Patent Document 2).
[0007]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-346353 A [Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-45666
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
If mixing and distribution are performed in a flow path in a plane, the mixing efficiency is poor with a simple groove shape. Therefore, to obtain high mixing efficiency, a complicated flow path must be processed. Further, since only a two-dimensionally extending flow path can be formed, if the planar flow path becomes complicated, the flow of the flow path becomes complicated, and the performance as expected is often not obtained.
[0009]
In a micro-mixer in which a plurality of plates are stacked and distribution and mixing are performed by the flow in the plate thickness direction, only one distribution and mixing can be performed with a pair of plates. It is necessary to accurately stack the plates.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a mixer that improves the mixing efficiency per plate and is suitable for mixing a small amount of liquid.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The liquid mixing apparatus of the present invention includes a distribution / mixing unit including a pair of plates that form a flow from the upstream side to the downstream side in the in-plane direction by joining the side walls in a liquid-tight state, and the distribution / mixing unit. One of the plates is formed with a plurality of distribution grooves that are branched at a plurality of ends, and the other plate is formed with a plurality of linear mixing grooves that form a flow in one direction. The grooves and the mixing grooves are arranged such that a plurality of liquid inlets are formed on the upstream side, the mixing grooves are alternately connected to the ends of the two distribution grooves from the upstream to the downstream, and the other of the mixing grooves on the downstream side. The flow path is connected to the distribution groove and converges to one at the most downstream side.
[0011]
In the distribution / mixing unit, as the two types of liquids supplied to the liquid inlet flow from upstream to downstream in the in-plane direction, distribution in the distribution groove and mixing in the mixing groove are alternately repeated, Multistage mixing is performed up to the most downstream. At this time, in the mixing groove, a plurality of liquids supplied from the end of the distribution groove form a plurality of layers in the depth direction of the groove and flow downstream, and are mixed by diffusion between the layers in the middle. .
[0012]
A preferable example of the mixing groove includes a mixing promoting portion having a shallow flow path on the downstream side of a portion connected to the end of the distribution groove. In the mixing promoting portion, the thickness of each liquid phase is reduced by reducing the depth of the flow path, and mixing by diffusion between the liquid layers is promoted.
[0013]
Mixing can be further performed by providing a plurality of distribution / mixing units. In that case, a connecting distribution plate that forms a flow perpendicular to the plane of the plate is sandwiched between the distributing / mixing units, and the connecting distribution plate is located at the most downstream side in the plane of the upstream distributing / mixing unit. It is possible to form a flow path that is divided into a plurality of flow paths and is connected to the liquid inlet of the downstream distribution / mixing unit.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The distribution / mixing unit has a thickness of C-shaped holes and H-shaped holes shown in FIG. 2 on a stainless steel plate having a thickness of 0.3 mm with the holes shown in FIG. A 0.2 mm stainless steel plate is liquid-tightly stacked, and the holes are sealed with other plates except for the uppermost liquid inlet and the lowermost liquid outlet of these two plates.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 1A, the plate 2 in FIG. 1 is a plate 6 in which an I-shaped hole 4 is formed. The hole 4 is a through-hole 4b, 4c indicated by a solid line and a half indicated by a broken line. It consists of holes 4a in which some of the plates remain in the thickness direction after being etched. The cross section of the hole 4 is, as shown in (B), a portion 4a half-etched in the thickness direction of the plate 6 is formed between the elongated hole 4b and the round hole 4c as a through hole, and the holes 4b and 4c are formed. Are communicated by the half-etched portion 4a.
[0016]
In the plate 2, the lower side of the figure is the upstream side with respect to the liquid flow in the in-plane direction. A liquid inlet 18 composed of five round holes is formed on the upstream side, and A liquid or B liquid is supplied to each. The holes 4 are formed in a direction extending in the liquid flow direction, and the number of holes 4 arranged from the upstream to the downstream decreases, and only one hole 4 is arranged at the most downstream, The round hole 10 serves as a liquid outlet through which the mixed liquid flows out.
[0017]
A C-type through hole 22 and an H-type through hole 24 are formed in the plate 20 of FIG. The liquid is supplied from the liquid inlet 18 or the through hole 4c of the plate 2 to the central part of the through holes 22 and 24, and the liquid is distributed toward the two ends at the through hole 22, and at the four ends at the through hole 24. Liquid is dispensed towards it.
[0018]
The plates 2 and 20 are stacked in a liquid-tight manner on the plate 2 so that the half-etched portion 4a of the plate 2 is on the plate 20 side, and the two plates 2 and 20 are sandwiched up and down. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the other plates are stacked in a liquid-tight manner and are joined so as to seal the holes of the plates 2 and 20 except for the liquid inlet 18 and the most downstream liquid outlet 10. The stacked state is the distribution / mixing unit.
[0019]
In the distribution / mixing unit, each hole forms a flow path as shown in FIG. 3, and the liquid A and the liquid B supplied from the liquid inlet 18 of the plate 2 are supplied to the plate 2 as shown in FIG. The liquid enters the central portion of the holes 22 and 24 of the plate 20 from the liquid inlet 18 and is distributed toward the ends of the respective holes 22 and 24.
[0020]
The ends of the holes 22 and 24 are located at the portion 4b of the I-shaped hole of the plate 2, and the A liquid and the B liquid distributed to the ends of the holes 22 and 24 are sequentially supplied to the hole 4. FIG. 3B shows a cross section of the distribution / mixing unit, and shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line YY in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5B, two of the liquid distributed into two at the hole 22 and four of the liquid distributed into the four at the hole 24, or the liquid distributed into four at the hole 24. Two of them are supplied to the hole 4b in order from the upstream side to the downstream side, forming a four-layer flow in the depth direction of the groove, flowing downstream, and mutually diffusing in the middle of the flow It will be mixed. In the hole 4, the mixing is promoted through the half-etched portion 4 a, reaches the hole 4 c, and is supplied again from the hole 4 c portion to the central portion of the hole 22 or 24 of the plate 20, and is again divided into two or four. The
[0021]
In this way, the plate 20 is divided into two or four through the holes 22 and 24, and the dispensed liquid is mixed by being supplied to the holes 4b in the plate 2. By repeating the distribution and mixing from upstream to downstream in this manner, all the flow paths merge into one at the liquid outlet 10 to form a mixed liquid.
[0022]
FIG. 4 schematically shows this mixing mode, and shows a state where the A liquid and B liquid supplied from the five liquid inlets 18 are mixed while repeating distribution and mixing.
[0023]
FIG. 5 shows a mixing apparatus in which the distribution / mixing units including the pair of plates 2 and 20 are stacked in multiple stages. In FIG. 5, a distribution plate 30 is provided between a distribution / mixing unit including a pair of plates 2 and 20. In this case, in the distribution / mixing unit, the liquid inlet 18 has an opening on the upstream side (left side) as a whole, so that the liquid is discharged.
The opening 10 is provided with a through hole so as to have an opening on the downstream side (right side) as a whole. The distribution plate 30 has in-plane flow paths for distributing and guiding the liquid mixed in the upstream distribution / mixing unit from the liquid outlet 10 to the liquid inlet 18 of the downstream distribution / mixing unit on the downstream side. It plays the role which closes the hole of the plates 2 and 20 in parts other than the flow path.
[0025]
As shown in FIG. 1, an inlet plate 32 having a flow path for distributing the A liquid and the B liquid into two and three is arranged on the inlet side of the uppermost stream stacked in multiple stages. Is provided with an outlet plate 34 having a hole for taking out the mixed liquid from one outlet, and the whole is fixed in a liquid-tight manner.
[0026]
The shape of the C-shaped and H-shaped holes formed in the plate 20 may be any shape as long as the supplied liquid can be distributed to two or more ends, and can be variously modified. FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C show examples of some such holes.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
In the liquid mixing apparatus of the present invention, as the two types of liquid supplied to the liquid inlet are flowed from upstream to downstream in the in-plane direction, distribution in the distribution groove and mixing in the mixing groove are alternately repeated. In addition, it is equipped with a distribution / mixing unit that performs multi-stage mixing up to the most downstream side, so it is possible to configure a complicated flow path with high mixing efficiency while having a simple structure. Since it is configured, a small mixing device suitable for mixing minute liquids can be obtained.
Since the plate constituting the distribution / mixing unit is a process mainly including through holes, no special process is required and the plate can be manufactured at a low cost.
Furthermore, since the channel shape can be simplified, it is easy to obtain the performance as designed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
1A and 1B are views showing one plate constituting a distribution / mixing unit according to an embodiment, in which FIG. 1A is a plan view and FIG.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the other plate constituting the distribution / mixing unit of the embodiment;
3A and 3B are diagrams showing the distribution / mixing unit of the embodiment, in which FIG. 3A is a plan view and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view at the YY line position.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a mixing mode in the distribution / mixing unit of the same embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a liquid mixing apparatus in which the distribution / mixing units of the embodiment are stacked in multiple stages.
6 is a schematic plan view showing examples of various holes formed in the plate of FIG. 2;
[Explanation of symbols]
2,20 Plate 4, 22, 24 Hole 4a Half-etched holes 4b, 4c Through hole 10 Liquid outlet 18 Liquid inlet 30 Distribution plate 32 Inlet plate 34 Outlet plate

Claims (3)

It includes a distribution / mixing unit including a pair of plates that form a flow from the upstream side to the downstream side in the in-plane direction by joining the side walls in a liquid-tight state.
One plate of the distribution / mixing unit is formed with a plurality of distribution grooves that are branched into a plurality of ends, and the other plate is formed with a plurality of linear mixing grooves that form a unidirectional flow. And
The distribution grooves and the mixing grooves are arranged such that a plurality of liquid inlets are formed on the upstream side, the mixing grooves are alternately connected to the end portions of the two distribution grooves from the upstream side to the downstream side, and the other on the downstream side. The liquid mixing apparatus is characterized in that the flow path converges to one at the most downstream side and connected to the distribution groove. 2. The liquid mixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mixing groove includes a mixing promoting portion having a shallow flow path on a downstream side of a portion connected to an end portion of the distribution groove. A plurality of distribution / mixing units are provided, and a distribution plate for connection that forms a flow in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the plate is sandwiched between the distribution / mixing units,
The connection distribution plate is formed with a flow path that distributes a plurality of the most downstream flow paths in the upstream distribution / mixing unit to a liquid inlet of the downstream distribution / mixing unit. The liquid mixing apparatus according to 1 or 2.

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