JP2012187475A - Apparatus and method for producing mixture - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and a method, which enable easy control of a mixture recovery speed and sufficient mixing of a raw material of a fluid.SOLUTION: The apparatus for producing the mixture by mixing the raw material as the fluid includes: a mixing section 20 which is provided with a pair of rotating plates 32 and 35 disposed in the state of facing each other, which has protrusions 33 and 36 provided on the opposed-side surfaces of the rotating plates 32 and 35, and in which a gap 45 interposed between the rotating plates 32 and 35 communicates with the outsides of the rotating plates 32 and 35 in two or more locations different with respect to the radial direction of the rotating plates 32 and 35; and a rotation section which rotates the pair of rotating plates 32 and 35. The raw material supplied into the gap 45 is mixed by passing through the gap. The apparatus also includes a supply system which supplies the raw material to the gap 45 in the location on the outside with respect to the radial direction, and a recovery system which recovers the mixture from the gap 45 in the location on the inside with respect to the radial direction.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for producing a mixture by mixing raw materials that are fluids.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a device for mixing fluid raw materials includes a pair of opposed rotating plates, and rotates the rotating plates integrally while supplying the raw materials from the inside to the gaps between the rotating plates. Thereby, a raw material passes a clearance gap and a mixture is manufactured. In order to improve the mixing efficiency, various devices have been proposed in which irregularities are provided on the opposing surfaces of the rotating plate and the gaps are in a complicated shape (see Patent Documents 1 to 4).

JP 11-114396 A JP 2001-321651 A JP 2010-99574 A JP 2010-260031 A

  However, in the conventional apparatus, the supplied raw material is suddenly and forcibly moved outward in the radial direction by the centrifugal force outward of the rotating plate and collected. As a result, it is difficult to control the collection rate of the mixture, and the balance between the supply amount of the raw material and the collected amount of the mixture cannot be achieved, which may hinder continuous production of the mixture. In addition, since the raw materials are forcibly discharged and collected before being sufficiently mixed in the gap, it is difficult to realize sufficient mixing.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method that can easily control the recovery rate of a mixture and that can sufficiently mix fluid raw materials.

  The present inventors supply the raw material to the gap of the rotating plate at the outer location with respect to the radial direction, and recover the mixture from the clearance at the inner location so that the flow of the raw material resists centrifugal force. As a result, the inventors have found that the recovery rate of the mixture is constant, and have completed the present invention. Specifically, the present invention provides the following.

(1) An apparatus for producing a mixture by mixing raw materials that are fluids,
The rotating plate includes a pair of opposed rotating plates, and at least one of the rotating plates is provided with a convex portion on a surface on the opposite side, and a gap interposed between the rotating plates is a radial direction of the rotating plate Mixing means communicating with the outside of the rotating plate at two or more different points with respect to
Rotating means for rotating at least one of the pair of rotating plates,
The raw material supplied to the gap is mixed by passing through the gap,
The device is
A supply means for supplying the raw material to the gap at an outer portion with respect to the radial direction;
An apparatus further comprising recovery means for recovering the mixture from the gap at an inward position with respect to the radial direction.

  (2) The apparatus according to (1), wherein the supply unit includes a casing that surrounds the rotating plate, and an introduction path that introduces the raw material into an internal space of the casing.

  (3) The apparatus according to (1) or (2), wherein the recovery unit includes at least one recovery path that is provided inside at least one rotary shaft of the rotary plate and through which the mixture flows.

(4) The convex portions are provided on both the pair of rotating plates in positions that are circular with respect to the center of rotation and different from each other in the radial direction of the rotating plate,
The apparatus according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the rotating means rotates the pair of rotating plates in directions opposite to each other.

  (5) A system comprising: the apparatus according to any one of (1) to (4); and a paste manufacturing apparatus that manufactures a paste in which liquid and powder are mixed and supplies the paste to the supply unit.

(6) A method for producing a mixture by mixing raw materials that are fluids,
Using the device according to any one of (1) to (4),
In a state where at least one of the pair of rotating plates is rotated, the raw material is supplied to the gap at an outer position with respect to the radial direction,
The method which has the process of collect | recovering the produced | generated mixture from the said clearance gap in the inner location regarding the said radial direction.

  (7) The method according to (6), wherein a paste in which a liquid and a powder are mixed is used as the raw material.

  According to the present invention, the raw material is supplied to the gap of the rotating plate at the outer portion with respect to the radial direction, and the mixture is recovered from the gap at the inner portion, so that the flow of the raw material resists centrifugal force. Thus, the collection rate of the mixture becomes constant. As a result, the collection rate of the mixture can be easily controlled by the feed rate of the raw material, and after the raw material has sufficiently passed through the gap, it is released to the outside of the rotating plate, so that the raw material can be mixed more sufficiently. it can.

It is a schematic block diagram of the mixture manufacturing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a principal part enlarged view of the mixing part with which the mixture manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 1 is provided. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a plan view of one rotating plate in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the other rotating plate in FIG. 2. It is a figure which shows the rotation condition of the rotating plate in FIG. 2, and the image of the flow of a raw material. It is a schematic block diagram of the mixture manufacturing apparatus which concerns on another embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the mixture manufacturing apparatus which concerns on another embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in description of each embodiment other than 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about what is common in 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a mixture manufacturing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 includes a mixing unit 20 as mixing means, a supply system 40 as supply means, and a recovery system as recovery means. Details of each element will be described below.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of the mixing unit 20, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion α in FIG. 4 and 5 are plan views of the rotary plates 32 and 35 in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a rotation state of the rotating plates 32 and 35 and an image of a raw material flow.

  The mixing unit 20 includes a pair of rotating plates 32 and 35 arranged to face each other, and the pair of rotating plates 32 and 35 are provided with convex portions 33 and 36 on the opposing surfaces. In the present embodiment, the convex portions 33 and 36 are provided on both the rotating plates 32 and 35 from the viewpoint of improving the mixing efficiency, but may be provided on only one of them.

  At substantially the center of the rotating plates 32 and 35, rotating shafts 31 and 34 are provided substantially orthogonal to the plane direction of the rotating plates 32 and 35, and the rotating shafts 31 and 34 are rotated by motors 50a and 50b as drive sources. As a result, the rotating plates 32 and 35 rotate. In the present embodiment, both of the rotating plates 32 and 35 rotate, but the present invention is not limited to this, and only one of them may rotate. The former is preferable in that the rotation of each of the rotating plates 32 and 35 can be controlled independently to improve mixing efficiency, and the latter is preferable from the viewpoint of simplifying the configuration of the apparatus. In FIG. 1, the motors 50a and 50b are directly provided on the rotary shafts 31 and 34, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the motors 50a and 50b may be provided indirectly via a belt, a pulley, or the like. The number of motors may be singular.

  The gap 45 interposed between the rotating plates 32 and 35 communicates with the outside of the rotating plates 32 and 35 at two or more different points with respect to the radial direction of the rotating plates 32 and 35 (left and right direction in FIG. 2). As will be described later, the gap 45 in the present embodiment communicates with the outside at the outer edges of the rotary plates 32 and 35 and the rotation center (48), so that the raw material supplied to the gap is discharged from the gap. Since it passes through a sufficient distance before being mixed, the mixing efficiency can be further improved. In addition, when communicating at the same location in the radial direction of the rotating plate, the raw material moved in the rotating direction with the rotation of the rotating plate is immediately discharged from the rotating plate, which is not preferable.

  In this embodiment, the collection path 48 is provided inside the rotating shaft 31, and the raw material from the below-mentioned supply part distribute | circulates. In the present embodiment, the number of collection paths is one, but the number of collection paths is not limited to this, and a plurality of collection paths may be used. In this case, a collection path may be provided inside the rotating shaft 34. The recovery path may be a separate body from the rotating shaft, but this embodiment is advantageous in that the configuration is simple.

  Moreover, since intense mixing is performed inside the housing 21, the temperature tends to rise. For this reason, you may provide the cooling means which cools the housing | casing 21 from a viewpoint which suppresses the bad influence (for example, quality change of a raw material) by a temperature rise. Although the specific structure of the cooling means is not particularly limited, for example, a jacket through which cooling water can pass can be attached to the outer surface of the housing 21.

  The supply system 40 includes a supply unit 100 in which a fluid raw material is accommodated. The supply unit 100 is provided with an introduction path 41, and the introduction path 41 communicates with the internal space of the casing 21 that surrounds the rotary plates 32 and 35 to introduce the raw material. A pump 411 is provided in the middle of the introduction path 41, and an amount of raw material corresponding to the output is supplied.

  In this embodiment, since the paste in which the liquid and the powder are mixed is introduced from the introduction path 41 and there is no need to mix other components, the number of the introduction paths 41 is one, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, when mixing a plurality of components, it is preferable to provide a plurality of introduction paths.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram of a mixture manufacturing apparatus 20A according to another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment differs from the previous embodiment in that an introduction path 42 for introducing a raw material different from the introduction path 41 is provided. The introduction path 42 is provided inside the rotation shaft 34, spreads from there, and communicates in the middle of the gap 45. Thereby, in the middle of the gap 45, the raw material from the introduction path 41 and the raw material from the introduction path 42 can merge and be mixed.

  The raw material supplied to the gap 45 from the internal space of 21 is made into a mixture by passing through the gap 45 and then discharged to the outside of the rotating plates 32 and 35. The discharged mixture is recovered from the recovery path 48 to the outside of the housing 21. In addition, the housing | casing 21 and the rotating shafts 31 and 34 in this embodiment are closely_contact | adhered via the bearings 23 and 25, Thereby, the rotating shafts 31 and 34 can be rotated.

  More precisely, as shown in FIG. 3, a seal 24 is interposed between the casing 21 and the rotating shaft 31, and thereby the airtightness of the internal space of the casing 21 is maintained. A guide path 43 communicates from the outside at a location inside the casing 21 relative to the seal 24, and fluid is introduced from the guide path 43 into the internal space of the casing 21. Then, this fluid pushes out the raw material that is to be accumulated between the casing 21 and the rotating plate 31, and promotes the entry into the gap 45. Thereby, the effective utilization of the raw material and the deposition of the raw material (particularly powder) inside the housing 21 can be prevented. The fluid introduced from the guide path 43 is preferably a liquid that does not alter the raw material (for example, a non-reactive liquid or a liquid that constitutes a part of the raw material). 3 shows only the boundary between the casing 21 and the rotating shaft 31, it is preferable that the boundary between the casing 21 and the rotating shaft 34 also has the same structure.

  The collection system has a flow path 49 connected to the collection path 48, and the flow path 49 extends to the collection unit 60. As a result, the mixture discharged to the recovery path 48 is recovered to the recovery unit 60 via the flow path 49. Note that the connection structure between the recovery path 48 and the flow path 49 may be selected as appropriate, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  When the rotating plates 32 and 35 in a stopped state rotate, the raw material supplied to the gap 45 is moved by the rotating convex portions 33 and 36 and is urged outward by centrifugal force. On the other hand, since the raw material flows from the outside to the inside in the radial direction, the flow of the raw material is directed against the centrifugal force. As a result, the flow of the raw material is delayed by the centrifugal force, and there is no situation such as forced discharge as in the conventional apparatus, so that the collection rate of the mixture corresponds to the supply rate of the raw material. For this reason, the collection rate of the mixture can be easily controlled by the feed rate of the raw material, continuous production is possible, and the raw material is discharged to the outside of the rotating plate after sufficiently passing through the gap 45. Can be mixed more thoroughly. In addition, although the apparatus of this invention is useful for continuous production, you may use it not only for this but batch production.

  The motors 50a and 50b in the present embodiment rotate the pair of rotating plates 32 and 35 in opposite directions via the rotating shafts 31 and 34, respectively. Thereby, the raw material repeatedly and violently collides with the convex portions 33 and 36, and the flow of the raw material becomes complicated (FIG. 6B). As a result, the raw material is sufficiently discharged after being sufficiently passed through the complicated gap 45, so that the raw material can be mixed more sufficiently. However, depending on the required mixing efficiency, the rotation direction of the rotating plate may be the same or only one may be rotated.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the convex portions 33 and 36 are alternately arranged in the radial direction of the rotating plates 32 and 35. Thereby, since between both the convex parts 33 and 36 narrows, the mixing efficiency of a raw material can further be improved. However, depending on the required mixing efficiency, the convex portions 33 and 36 may not be arranged alternately.

  It is preferable that the mixture manufacturing apparatus 10 in this embodiment has an adjusting means (not shown) that independently adjusts the rotational speed of each of the pair of rotating plates 32 and 35. Thereby, mixing can be performed moderately according to the number, shape, arrangement, and the like of the convex portions 33 and 36. For example, when the number of convex portions is small, the convex portions are arranged on the inner side in the radial direction of the rotating plate, or the shape of the convex portions is smooth, the rotating plate provided with the convex portions is high speed. It is preferable to rotate. On the other hand, when the number of convex parts is large, the convex parts are arranged outside in the radial direction of the rotating plate, or the shape of the convex parts has corners, the rotating plate provided with the convex parts is It is preferable to rotate at high speed.

  The shape of the convex parts 33 and 36 in this embodiment is a cylinder. In the case of such a shape having no concave portion (for example, a cylinder or an elliptical column), the raw material flows smoothly around the entire outer periphery of the convex portions 33 and 36, so that the adhesion of the raw material to the convex portions 33 and 36 is easily suppressed. However, the shape of the convex portions 33 and 36 is not limited to this, and may be an arbitrary shape such as a rectangular column.

  Moreover, although the convex parts 33 and 36 in this embodiment are arrange | positioned concentrically by the same number in the location which is different regarding the radial direction of the rotating plates 32 and 35, it is not restricted to this. For example, the number of convex portions may be increased at an outer location with respect to the radial direction, and the number of convex portions may be decreased at an inner location. Thereby, the space | interval of convex parts is equalized, and the residence in the clearance gap 45 of a raw material can be extended more.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of a mixture manufacturing apparatus 20B according to still another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment differs from the previous embodiment in that an intake passage 47 is provided. The intake passage 47 is connected to an intake pump (not shown), and when the intake pump is operated, the gap 45 is decompressed, so that bubbles mixed in the mixture can be removed from the mixture. In the present embodiment, the intake passage 47 is provided inside the rotating shaft 31, and the recovery passage 48 </ b> B is provided inside the rotating shaft 34.

  In the present invention, the fluid refers to powder, liquid, or a mixture (paste) thereof, which may be already mixed to some extent or not mixed at all. For example, the powder is an inorganic powder such as an electrode material of a lithium ion battery. This powder tends to agglomerate and have a large particle size, and it is necessary to be present in the mixture in a thinned state in order to make the particle size uniform. The liquid is a polymer made of resin, water, a solvent, or the like. This liquid has a role of connecting powders and may contain a dispersing agent, a non-adhesive agent, and the like that promote dispersion of the powder. The powder may be an oily substance and the liquid may be water. In this case, the oily substance contained in the mixture is refined and emulsified. As another example, the mixture may be a hybrid polymer composed of acrylic and urethane.

  The present invention also includes a system including the apparatus 10 described above and a paste manufacturing apparatus that manufactures a paste in which liquid and powder are mixed and supplies the paste to the supply system 40. As a result, the paste is further mixed to obtain a homogeneous mixture, and the mixture can be continuously produced in series from the liquid and the powder. The system of the present invention is useful for continuous production, but is not limited to this, and may be used for intermittent production.

  The present invention also includes a method for producing a mixture using the above-described mixture production apparatus. In this method, in a state where at least one of the pair of rotating plates 32 and 35 is rotated, the raw material is supplied to the gap 45 at an outer position with respect to the radial direction, and the generated mixture is made to be inward with respect to the radial direction. And a step of collecting from the gap 45 at the location. In addition, although the above-mentioned liquid and powder may be used as a raw material, it is preferable to use the paste with which liquid and powder were mixed. According to this method, the flow of the raw material is delayed by the centrifugal force, and a situation such as forcible release does not occur as in the conventional apparatus, so that the collection rate of the mixture corresponds to the supply rate of the raw material. For this reason, the collection rate of the mixture can be easily controlled by the feed rate of the raw material, continuous production is possible, and the raw material is discharged to the outside of the rotating plate after sufficiently passing through the gap 45. Can be mixed more thoroughly.

10 Mixture production equipment 20 Mixing section (mixing means)
21 Housing 23, 25 Bearing 24 Seal 31, 34 Rotating shaft 32, 35 Rotating plate 33, 36 Convex part 40 Supply system (supply means)
41, 42 Introductory path 411 Pump 43 Guide path 45 Clearance 47 Intake path 48 Recovery path 49 Flow path 50 Motor 60 Recovery section 100 Supply section

Claims (7)

An apparatus for producing a mixture by mixing raw materials that are fluids,
The rotating plate includes a pair of opposed rotating plates, and at least one of the rotating plates is provided with a convex portion on a surface on the opposite side, and a gap interposed between the rotating plates is a radial direction of the rotating plate Mixing means communicating with the outside of the rotating plate at two or more different points with respect to
Rotating means for rotating at least one of the pair of rotating plates,
The raw material supplied to the gap is mixed by passing through the gap,
The device is
A supply means for supplying the raw material to the gap at an outer portion with respect to the radial direction;
An apparatus further comprising recovery means for recovering the mixture from the gap at an inward position with respect to the radial direction.   The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supply unit includes a casing that surrounds the rotating plate, and an introduction path that introduces the raw material into an internal space of the casing.   The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the recovery means includes one or more recovery passages provided inside at least one rotary shaft of the rotary plate and through which the mixture flows. The convex portions are provided on both of the pair of rotating plates in positions that are circular with respect to the rotation center and different from each other in the radial direction of the rotating plate,
The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rotating means rotates the pair of rotating plates in directions opposite to each other.   A system comprising: the apparatus according to claim 1; and a paste manufacturing apparatus that manufactures a paste in which a liquid and a powder are mixed and supplies the paste to the supply unit. A method of producing a mixture by mixing raw materials that are fluids,
Using the device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
In a state where at least one of the pair of rotating plates is rotated, the raw material is supplied to the gap at an outer position with respect to the radial direction,
The method which has the process of collect | recovering the produced | generated mixture from the said clearance gap in the inner location regarding the said radial direction.   The method according to claim 6, wherein a paste in which a liquid and a powder are mixed is used as the raw material.

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