JP2024051355A - Cleaning Ring - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a cleaning ring capable of suppressing retention of a cleaning material inside. [Solution] A cleaning ring 20 used for spraying a cleaning material against a component to clean the component, the cleaning ring 20 includes a hollow ring-shaped main body 210 with a space therein that serves as a flow path for the cleaning material, the main body 210 has a through hole on its radially inner side that communicates with the space and through which the cleaning material supplied to the space is blown out, the main body 210 has a first direction D1 that is the direction in which a central axis 210c of the main body 210 extends, and the inner surface of the main body 210 that defines the space has a tapered surface that slopes downward radially inward at a portion that becomes the bottom surface when the main body 210 is arranged so that the first direction D1 is vertical. [Selected Figure] Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a cleaning ring, and more specifically, to a cleaning ring used to clean components by spraying them with a cleaning agent.

Conventionally, a cleaning ring having an inner diameter similar to that of the pipe is interposed between the connection parts of the pipes, and after liquid or powder passes through the pipes, a solid (powder), liquid cleaning material, air, etc. are sprayed from the cleaning ring onto the inner wall of the pipe to clean the pipes. In particular, cleaning using a liquid cleaning material (cleaning liquid) is widely used (see Patent Documents 1 and 2 below). Such cleaning rings have through holes on the inner surface for blowing air or cleaning liquid, and are used not only for cleaning pipes but also for cleaning tank windows. In addition, since such cleaning rings are ring-shaped, they can also be used to insert a rod-shaped body inside and clean the outer surface of the rod-shaped body. For example, in a reaction tank, an opening is provided in the ceiling of the tank, a rotating shaft extending up and down is placed through the opening, and an agitating blade is provided at the lower end of the rotating shaft to agitate the reactants. A cleaning ring can also be placed in this opening to clean the rotating shaft and the agitating blade.

Patent No. 6542561 DE 10 2009 049 296 A1

After cleaning, cleaning material may remain inside the cleaning ring. If a different cleaning material is used for the next cleaning, the cleaning material remaining inside will become a foreign object. In addition, when used in a reaction device, the cleaning material remaining inside the cleaning ring may be discharged and become mixed into the contents inside the device when the inside of the reaction device is depressurized. Such problems have not been noticed so far, and no solutions have been considered. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning ring that can suppress the retention of cleaning material inside.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides:
A cleaning ring used to clean a component by spraying a cleaning material onto the component,
The cleaning material is passed through a hollow ring-shaped main body having a space therein,
A through hole is provided on a radially inner side of the main body, the through hole being in communication with the space and for blowing out the cleaning material supplied to the space,
A first direction is a direction in which a central axis of the main body extends,
A cleaning ring is provided in which an inner surface of the main body portion defining the space has a tapered surface that slopes downward radially inward at a portion that becomes the bottom surface when the main body portion is positioned so that the first direction is vertical.

The cleaning ring of the present invention has a tapered surface at the bottom of the space where the cleaning material is supplied. By having a tapered surface, the cleaning material can be guided radially inward where the through holes from which the cleaning material is sprayed are provided, and the cleaning material can be prevented from accumulating inside.

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a reaction apparatus which is an apparatus with a cleaning function. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the cleaning ring. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2) showing the cross-sectional shape of the cleaning ring. FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing how the cleaning fluid is sprayed out. FIG. 5A is a schematic plan view showing the state in which the cleaning fluid is sprayed out (a schematic view of the main body as viewed in the direction of block arrow V in FIG. 4). Figure 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 5A) showing the cross-sectional shape when the location where the first through hole is formed is cut by a plane parallel to the central axis of the ring body and the penetration direction of the first through hole. Figure 5C is a schematic cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Figure 5A) showing the cross-sectional shape when the location where the second through hole is formed is cut by a plane parallel to the central axis of the ring body and the penetration direction of the second through hole. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a ring body of the cleaning ring. FIG. 7A is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of tapered surfaces. FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram showing another arrangement of tapered surfaces. FIG. 7C is a schematic diagram showing another arrangement of tapered surfaces. FIG. 7D is a schematic diagram showing the state of the tapered surface in an inclined position. FIG. 8 is a schematic front view showing a reaction apparatus using a cleaning ring in a different manner from that shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing a cleaning ring and an imaginary surface. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing how the cleaning liquid reaches the imaginary surface in FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a case where a through hole different from that in FIG. 10 is provided.

Below, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the device in which the cleaning ring is provided is a reaction device, and an example is shown in which the device has a glass-lined reaction tank, but the cleaning ring of this embodiment can be used for products other than glass-lined products, and can be used for other devices other than reaction devices, such as filtration devices and drying devices.

Figure 1 shows a reaction apparatus 1, which is an apparatus with a cleaning function in this embodiment. The reaction apparatus 1 is equipped with a reaction tank 10, and is configured so that raw materials are supplied through a pipe connected to the reaction tank 10. The reaction apparatus 1 has a pipe (hereinafter also referred to as "apparatus pipe 11a") to which a pipe (hereinafter referred to as "external apparatus pipe PX") for supplying raw materials from the outside to the reaction apparatus 1 can be connected. The apparatus pipe 11a in this embodiment is provided so as to extend a short distance from the reaction tank 10. The reaction apparatus 1 in this embodiment further includes a cleaning ring 20 that is detachably attached to the end of the apparatus pipe 11a. That is, the cleaning ring 20 is provided so as to be interposed between the external apparatus pipe PX and the apparatus pipe 11a when the external apparatus pipe PX is connected.

The cleaning ring 20 of this embodiment is used by being interposed between two members as described above. In this embodiment, one of the two members is located above the other member, and the cleaning ring 20 is used by being sandwiched between the two members from above and below. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the one of the two members located above is the external piping PX, and the other member located below is the device piping 11a, but the two members between which the cleaning ring 20 is interposed are not limited to such specific members.

The reaction tank 10 of this embodiment has a storage space 10c that stores raw materials to be reacted. The reaction tank 10 of this embodiment has a glass lining on the exposed portion of the storage space 10c to provide corrosion resistance. The reaction tank 10 of this embodiment has a tank body 110 including a bottom wall portion 12 that is circular in plan view, a peripheral wall portion 13 that is cylindrical and extends upward from the outer periphery of the bottom wall portion 12, and a ceiling wall portion 14 that is circular in plan view and is arranged to block the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 13 in a vertical direction opposite to the bottom wall portion 12. In the reaction tank 10 of this embodiment, the storage space 10c is defined by the inner wall surface of the tank body 110.

In this embodiment, the reaction tank 10 has openings in four locations on the ceiling wall 14 that communicate with the storage space 10c. One of the four openings is a manhole (not shown) fitted with a lid equipped with a viewing window made of a glass plate. One of the remaining three openings is a material supply port 14a through which raw materials are supplied via the external piping PX. The remaining two are an agitator mounting port 14b and a baffle mounting port 14c for mounting an agitator 30 and a baffle 40, respectively.

The agitator mounting port 14b opens at approximately the center of the ceiling wall 14. The material supply port 14a and the baffle mounting port 14c are arranged on the left and right sides of the ceiling wall 14 with the agitator mounting port 14b in between. The reaction tank 10 further includes a short cylindrical portion extending upward from each of the material supply port 14a, the agitator mounting port 14b, and the baffle mounting port 14c of the tank body 110. The openings at the edges of each cylindrical portion are openings at the upper end of the reaction tank 10 and open upward. The openings can be used to communicate the storage space 10c with the space outside the reaction tank (external space). The first cylindrical portion extending from the material supply port 14a is the device piping 11a connected to the device external piping PX. The second cylindrical portion 11b extending from the agitator mounting port 14b is used to insert the rotating shaft 31 of the agitator 30. The third cylindrical portion 11c extending from the baffle mounting port 14c is used to insert the baffle 40. The device piping 11a is connected to the external device piping PX, while the second cylindrical portion 11b and the third cylindrical portion 11c are closed by lids.

The external piping PX is connected to the first cylindrical portion, the device piping 11a, while the second cylindrical portion 11b and the third cylindrical portion 11c are each fitted with a lid 15, similar to the manhole (not shown). The lid 15 is fitted to the top of each cylindrical portion so as to cover the opening at the top edge of the cylindrical portion. The rotating shaft 31 extends vertically through the center of the second cylindrical portion 11b, passes through the lid 15 fitted to the top of the second cylindrical portion 11b, and extends above the lid 15. In the third cylindrical portion 11c, a baffle 40, the upper end of which is fixed to the lid 15, extends downward through the center of the third cylindrical portion 11c.

As described above, the cleaning ring 20 is interposed between the device pipe 11a and the external pipe PX. The device pipe 11a and the external pipe PX have roughly the same inner diameter. The cleaning ring 20 has a circular main body 210 as shown in FIG. 2, and the inner diameter of the main body 210 is the same as the inner diameter of the device pipe 11a and the external pipe PX. The cleaning ring 20 is provided in the reaction apparatus 1 by attaching the main body 210 above the upper edge of the device pipe 11a (first cylindrical part) that defines the upper opening of the reaction tank 10. The ring-shaped main body 210 is attached above the device pipe 11a so as to surround a part or all of the opening. More specifically, the cleaning ring 20 is attached to the upper end of the device pipe 11a so that the central axis 11ac of the device pipe 11a coincides with the central axis 210c of the main body 210, and is arranged to extend the flow path of the device pipe 11a by the thickness in the central axis direction of the main body 210. The external pipe PX is arranged so that its central axis coincides with the central axis of the cleaning ring 20 and the device pipe 11a. That is, in this embodiment, the device pipe 11a, the external pipe PX, and the main body 210 have the same inner circumferential surface, and the three circumferential surfaces are connected to form a single cylinder.

The outer diameter of the main body 210 in this embodiment is equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the device _piping 11a and the external piping _PX . That is, the dimension of the main body 210 in the radial direction is equal to or smaller than the wall thickness of the piping to which the main body 210 is attached. When the inner diameter of the piping is φpi, the outer diameter is φpo, and the inner diameter of the main body is _φri and the outer diameter is _φro , as described above, the inner diameter is " _φpi = _φri " and the outer diameter is " _φpo ≧ _φro ". The inner diameter ( _φri ) of the main body 210 may be slightly larger ( _φri > _φpi ) than the inner diameter ( _φpi ) of the piping. The outer diameter ( _φro ) of the main body 210 may be slightly smaller ( _φro < _φpo ) than the inner diameter ( _φpo ) of the piping. That is, the main body 210 may have a shape that fits within the cross-sectional shape of the piping to which the main body 210 is attached when viewed along the direction of the central axis. When flanges are provided at the respective ends of the apparatus piping 11a and the external piping PX that are connected via the main body 210 and fastening is performed with a clamp or the like using the flanges, the outer diameter (φ _ro ) of the main body 210 may be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the piping and equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the flange to which the main body 210 is attached. When the flanges are fastened to each other with bolts and nuts, the outer diameter of the main body 210 is set to a size that fits inside the position of the bolts.

As described above, the cleaning ring 20 of this embodiment is provided with a storage space 10c in which the object to be stored is stored, and an opening that connects the storage space 10c to an external space, and is used in a reaction device 1 in which the object to be stored undergoes a reaction. The cleaning ring 20 of this embodiment can be used as equipment and/or associated equipment of an apparatus used in a process involving a chemical reaction of an object to be processed that contains one or more chemical substances and/or one or more compounds. The cleaning ring 20 of this embodiment can be used as equipment and/or associated equipment of an apparatus used in a chemical process that changes in some way the chemical substances or compounds contained in the object to be processed. The energy supplied to the apparatus to change the chemical substances or compounds may be at least one of, for example, thermal energy, light energy, electrical energy, magnetic energy, and kinetic energy, as well as another chemical substance or compound that can react with the chemical substance or compound to be changed. The apparatus may be supplied with a combination of another chemical substance or compound and these energies. When the cleaning ring 20 of this embodiment is used as equipment and/or its auxiliary equipment used in a chemical process, the object may contain only chemical substances or compounds, or may contain a solvent or dispersion medium capable of dissolving chemical substances or compounds. The object may be food or drink containing the chemical substance or compound to be changed as one component, or may be an organic composition (plastic composition, rubber composition, medicine, etc.) or an inorganic composition (glass composition, metal composition, ceramic composition, etc.) containing the chemical substance or compound as one component. The cleaning ring 20 of this embodiment is used for equipment and/or its auxiliary equipment in, for example, pharmaceutical manufacturing, food manufacturing, semiconductor manufacturing, etc. The cleaning ring 20 may be used not only in a reaction device in which a chemical reaction is performed on the object to be processed, but also in an apparatus that performs a process other than a chemical reaction. The cleaning ring 20 may be a processing device (mixing device, stirring device, filtering device, drying device, etc.) in which a physical process such as mixing, stirring, filtering, or drying is performed. These devices may perform both a chemical reaction and a physical process, or may perform only a physical process. The cleaning ring 20 of this embodiment can also be suitably used in a storage device that stores the contents. The cleaning ring 20 can be suitably used for cleaning between batches in a batch processing device in which the processed contents are discharged from the storage space and the next processed contents are introduced into the storage space. The cleaning ring 20 can be used in a batch type device in which the opening is used as an attachment port for equipment, an observation window, or a flow path for the contained contents. The cleaning ring 20 can also be used in a semi-batch type device or a continuous type device in which a portion of the contained contents is replaced.

The main body 210 of this embodiment has the above-described shape when viewed in the central axis direction, so that when it is sandwiched between the device piping 11a and the external piping PX and fixed with bolts, nuts, or clamps, pressure acts on the entire body, preventing strong pressure from being applied to only a portion. However, doing so restricts the size of the main body 210. Furthermore, as will be described later, the main body 210 is hollow, and the thickness of the wall, etc., is restricted. In this embodiment, the main body 210 is made of metal, so it is small but has high strength.

The device piping 11a, the external device piping PX, and the main body 210 may be connected so that they are in direct contact with each other via an O-ring or the like, or they may be connected via a gasket.

The cleaning ring 20 in this embodiment is used to blow out a cleaning liquid from the inner periphery side to wash away raw materials adhering to the inner wall surface of the external pipe PX and the apparatus pipe 11a, thereby cleaning both pipes. The cleaning liquid may be a solution in which a solute is dissolved in a solvent such as water or an organic solvent, or a dispersion liquid containing suspended solids. The cleaning liquid may further contain air bubbles such as microbubbles in addition to the solute and suspended solids. In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid is blown out from the cleaning ring 20, but the fluid blown out from the cleaning ring 20 to clean the pipes is not limited to a liquid but may be a particulate solid. In addition to cleaning materials such as liquids and solids (liquid materials, granular materials), gases may be used as the fluid. That is, in this embodiment, nitrogen gas or carbon dioxide gas may be used as the fluid, and the cleaning ring 20 may be used to perform cleaning with an airflow of the gas. The fluid may contain particles of the cleaning material in the airflow. That is, the specific manner in which the cleaning material is sprayed by the cleaning ring 20 may be an airflow containing liquid particles (mist spray) or an airflow containing solid particles (powder spray). The specific manner in which the cleaning material is sprayed by the cleaning ring 20 may be a liquid containing solid particles (slurry) or a liquid containing bubbles (gas-liquid mixed fluid).

The main body 210 of the cleaning ring 20 in this embodiment does not have a solid structure, but is a hollow ring as shown in FIG. 3. That is, the main body 210 has a space 210a inside. The space 210a is used as a flow path for the cleaning liquid. The space 210a in this embodiment is continuous in the circumferential direction R, and is provided so as to pass through the inside of the main body 210 and go around the central axis 210c of the main body 210. That is, the main body 210 in this embodiment has an annular flow path through which the cleaning liquid flows.

The cleaning ring 20 in this embodiment has a first direction D1 that is a direction along the central axis 210c of the main body 210. The main body 210 is arranged so that the first direction D1 is a vertical direction (perpendicular direction), and the cross-sectional shape in a plane perpendicular to the circumferential direction R is a vertically long rectangle as shown in FIG. 5B. In other words, the cross-sectional shape is a rectangle whose dimension in the first direction D1 is slightly larger than its dimension in the radial direction D2.

The main body 210 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape, and the outer surface 210s that defines its outer shape is composed of four surfaces. The outer surface 210s has four surfaces: a cylindrical inner circumferential surface 210s1, an outer circumferential surface 210s2 that has a larger diameter than the inner circumferential surface 210s1, an upper surface 210s3, and a lower surface 210s4. The upper surface 210s3 and the lower surface 210s4 are both annular (donut plate) in shape when viewed in the first direction along the first direction D1. The upper surface 210s3 and the lower surface 210s4 are annular in inner and outer diameters that correspond to the diameters of the inner circumferential surface 210s1 and the outer circumferential surface 210s2.

The cross-sectional shape of the space 210a is trapezoidal as shown in FIG. 5B. Therefore, the inner surface 210i of the main body 210 that defines the space 210a is also composed of four surfaces. The inner surface 210i includes an inner peripheral surface 210i1 that defines the inner peripheral edge of the space 210a, an outer peripheral surface 210i2 that defines the outer peripheral edge of the space, a ceiling surface 210i3 that defines the upper edge of the space 210a, and a bottom surface 210i4 that defines the lower edge of the space 210a.

The inner peripheral surface 210i1 of the inner surface 210i of the main body 210 is larger in diameter than the inner peripheral surface 210s1 of the outer surface 210s, and the difference between these diameters is the wall thickness of the main body 210 on the inner peripheral side. The outer peripheral surface 210i2 of the inner surface 210i of the main body 210 is smaller in diameter than the outer peripheral surface 210s2 of the outer surface 210s, and the difference between these diameters is the wall thickness of the main body 210 on the outer peripheral side.

The wall thickness of the main body 210 is preferably 0.5 mm or more even at the thinnest part of the main body 210. The minimum wall thickness of the main body 210 may be 1.0 mm or more, 1.5 mm or more, or 2.0 mm or more. The minimum wall thickness of the main body 210 is usually 8 mm or less. By making the wall thickness of the main body 210 such a thickness, the through holes described below can be precisely machined by electric discharge machining.

The ceiling surface 210i3 is annular with a horizontal plate surface, similar to the upper surface 210s3 of the outer surface 210s. On the other hand, the bottom surface 210i4 has an annular shape when viewed in the first direction, but is tapered downward toward the inside in the radial direction. That is, the distance from the ceiling surface 210i3 to the bottom surface 210i4 increases as it approaches from the outer peripheral surface 210i2 toward the inner peripheral surface 210i1. In other words, the dimension of the space 210a in this embodiment increases in the first direction D1 toward the inside in the radial direction, and becomes wider in the axial direction toward the inside.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5A-C, in this embodiment, a through hole 210h is provided on the inside in the radial direction D2 of the main body 210, which is connected to the space 210a and for blowing out the cleaning liquid supplied to the space 210a. The through hole 210h extends from the inner peripheral surface 210i1 of the inner surface 210i to the inner peripheral surface 210s1 of the outer surface 210s, and opens at the inner peripheral surface 210s1. In this embodiment, as described in detail later, a plurality of through holes 210h are provided, and the through holes 210h are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface 210s1.

The cleaning ring 20 in this embodiment further has a piping section 220 that extends outward in the radial direction D2 from the outer periphery of the main body section 210. The internal space of the piping section 220 communicates with the space section 210a of the main body section 210, and is used as a supply path for cleaning liquid to the space section 210a. The piping section 220 in this embodiment first extends in the radial direction D2 and then bends so as to be parallel to the first direction D1. The piping section 220 opens on the outer periphery side of the space section 210a, more specifically, opens on the outer periphery surface 210i2.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the space 210a is wider in the axial direction on the inner side in the radial direction D2 where the multiple through holes 210h are formed than on the outer side in the radial direction D2 where the piping section 220 is connected. Therefore, in this embodiment, the pressure of the fluid supplied from the piping section 220 is easily propagated in the circumferential direction, and the problem of the fluid being forcefully blown out only from the through holes 210h close to the piping section 220 and the fluid's force weakening on the opposite side is suppressed. In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the main body section 210 at high pressure to clean the inner wall surface of the external piping PX, so the main body section 210 as described above, which is less likely to generate a pressure gradient in the circumferential direction, is preferable.

When the main body 210 is in a horizontal position and the main body 210 is arranged so that the first direction is vertical, the angle θ1 (radially outward elevation angle (radially inward depression angle)) at which the bottom surface 210i4 (tapered surface) is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane HP can be, for example, 15 degrees or more. The angle θ1 may be 20 degrees or more, 25 degrees or more, or 30 degrees or more. The angle θ1 can be, for example, 50 degrees or less. The angle θ1 may be 45 degrees or less, or 40 degrees or less.

The cleaning ring 20 in this embodiment further includes a flange portion 230 that extends outward from the end of the piping portion 220 on the opposite side to the main body portion 210. The cleaning ring 20 in this embodiment is configured so that it can be connected to an external piping PY for supplying cleaning liquid to the cleaning ring 20 using the flange portion 230.

In this embodiment, the cleaning ring 20 has the main body 210, the piping 220, and the flange 230 all made of metal, and the components that make up each are connected by welding. That is, in this embodiment, all the components that make up the wall surface that defines the space 210a are made of metal, and the piping 220 that defines the inner wall surface of the space that communicates with the space 210a is also made of metal.

The metal constituting the cleaning ring 20 may be, for example, a nickel-based alloy, an iron-based alloy, a copper-based alloy, etc. The metal may be, for example, a corrosion-resistant metal such as a nickel-based alloy such as Hastelloy or an iron-based alloy such as stainless steel. The cleaning ring 20 may be plated on the main body 210 or other parts. The cleaning ring 20 may also be made of a clad material in which different metals are laminated. In this embodiment, the cleaning ring 20 is exemplified by a cleaning ring in which the main body 210 and other parts are made of metal, but the cleaning ring 20 does not have to be made of metal, and may be made of resin or ceramics. The cleaning ring 20 may also be made of multiple materials such as metal, resin, and ceramics.

The cleaning ring 20 in this embodiment is provided with a plurality of through holes 210h spaced at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction R on the radially inner side D2 of the main body 210. The plurality of through holes 210h are provided to communicate the space 210a with the space (external space) inside the wall surface on the radially inner side D2 of the main body 210. That is, the main body 210 in this embodiment is configured so that the cleaning liquid can be sprayed simultaneously from the plurality of through holes 210h by supplying the cleaning liquid to a single space portion that constitutes a flow path (annular flow path) of the cleaning liquid.

The multiple through holes 210h in this embodiment include a first through hole 210h1 in which the cleaning liquid is sprayed in a direction toward the central axis 210c when viewed in a first direction along the first direction D1, and a second through hole 210h2 in which the cleaning liquid is sprayed in a direction (Dx) inclined with respect to the direction toward the central axis 210c. In this embodiment, there are multiple second through holes 210h2.

The multiple through holes 210h in this embodiment include multiple second through holes 210h2 that have a common direction in which the cleaning liquid is sprayed out, either inclined clockwise or counterclockwise with respect to the direction toward the central axis 210c. The multiple through holes 210h in this embodiment include multiple second through holes 210h2 that have a common direction in which the cleaning liquid is sprayed out, either inclined clockwise or counterclockwise with respect to the direction toward the central axis 210c, and that also have a common angle of inclination. The multiple second through holes 210h2 are arranged on the inner periphery of the main body 210 at regular intervals in the circumferential direction.

In this embodiment, the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 of the cleaning ring 20 are arranged so that the direction of spraying the cleaning liquid is obliquely upward when the ring is positioned so that the first direction D1 is vertical. In other words, the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 are arranged so that the cleaning liquid is sprayed obliquely downward against the inner wall surface of the external piping PX.

At this time, the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the second through hole 210h2 in a direction inclined with respect to the direction toward the central axis 210c, so that the cleaning liquid hits the inner wall surface of the external pipe PX at an angle with respect to the normal direction, and as a result, the cleaning liquid that hits the wall surface moves in a spiral shape along the inner wall surface. In this embodiment, since there are multiple second through holes 210h2 that have a common inclination direction, the cleaning liquid sprayed from these multiple second through holes 210h2 flows in a spiral shape while strengthening each other's momentum.

When cleaning liquid is sprayed from multiple through-holes, it is preferable that they do not interfere with each other. In other words, it is preferable that the orientation of the second through-holes (θd and θh below) is such that the fluid sprayed from one second through-hole does not impede the progress of the fluid sprayed from another through-hole (the adjacent first through-hole or second through-hole). More specifically, it is preferable that the fluid sprayed from the second through-hole 210h2 is sprayed in a direction higher than the fluid sprayed from the through-hole adjacent in the spray direction. By arranging in this way, a spiral flow can be formed without weakening the momentum of the fluid sprayed from the second through-hole.

In this embodiment, at least one of the second through holes 210h2 is provided so that a straight line extending from the second through hole in the direction in which the fluid is blown out does not intersect with straight lines similarly extending from the other second through holes, and does not intersect with a straight line extending from the first through hole 210h1. In the main body 210 of this embodiment, the straight lines extending from each of the multiple second through holes 210h2 in the direction in which the fluid is blown out do not intersect with each other, and do not intersect with the straight lines extending from all of the first through holes 210h1. The straight lines extending in the direction in which the fluid is blown out refer to extensions of straight lines passing through the centers of the respective through holes.

The angle θd that the second through hole 210h2 makes with the radial direction D2 in the first direction view in the direction in which it penetrates the wall of the main body 210 can be, for example, 10 degrees or more. The angle θd can be, for example, 20 degrees or more. The angle θd may be, for example, 30 degrees or more. The angle θd can be, for example, 60 degrees or less. The angle θd may be, for example, 50 degrees or less, or 45 degrees or less. The angle θd can be determined by measuring the angle between a virtual line passing through the central axis 210c and the second through hole 210h2 in the first direction view and a virtual line drawn in the penetration direction Dx of the second through hole 210h2.

When the main body 210 is in a horizontal position and arranged so that the first direction is vertical, the angle (elevation angle) θh between the direction in which the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 penetrate the wall of the main body 210 and the horizontal plane HP may be, for example, 0 degrees or more, and can be, for example, 25 degrees or more. The angle θh may be 35 degrees or more. The angle θh may be, for example, 70 degrees or less. The angle θh may be 60 degrees or less.

As described above, the cleaning ring 20 of this embodiment has the through holes 210h provided so that the fluid is blown out obliquely upward when the main body 210 is in a horizontal position so that the first direction D1 is vertical, and is used to clean components (external piping PX) arranged above the main body 210.

In this embodiment, a plurality of first through holes 210h1 and a plurality of second through holes 210h2 are provided in the main body 210, and the plurality of first through holes 210h1 and the plurality of second through holes 210h2 are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction R. In this embodiment, the plurality of first through holes 210h1 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction R, and the plurality of second through holes 210h2 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction R. In this embodiment, the interval between the first through holes 210h1 and the second through holes 210h2 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction R is also constant.

The positions where the multiple first through holes 210h1 are provided have a common height from the lower surface 210s4 of the main body 210 in a horizontal position. The positions where the multiple second through holes 210h2 are provided also have a common height from the lower surface 210s4 of the main body 210 in a horizontal position. The height at which the first through holes 210h1 are provided and the height at which the second through holes 210h2 are provided are also common. In this embodiment, the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 have a common height (position of formation in the first direction D1) and are located at a height that is approximately half the dimension of the main body 210. That is, the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 are provided so as to penetrate the inner ring 211 at the center of the height direction of the inner ring 211.

The angle of the through-hole 210h1 (fluid blowing direction) with respect to the horizontal plane HP and the angle of the through-hole 210h2 (fluid blowing direction) with respect to the horizontal plane HP may be the same or different. The elevation angles of the first through-holes 210h1 may or may not be common to each other. In this embodiment, the elevation angles of the first through-holes 210h1 (θh1 in FIG. 5B) are common to each other. The elevation angles of the second through-holes 210h2 may or may not be common to each other. In this embodiment, the elevation angles of the second through-holes 210h2 (θh2 in FIG. 5C) are also common to each other. In this embodiment, the elevation angle of the first through-hole 210h1 (θh1) and the elevation angle of the second through-hole 210h2 (θh2) are common to each other.

5A, the distance (L1) from the first through hole 210h1 to the point XP where the fluid blown out from the first through hole 210h1 and the fluid blown out from the second through hole 210h2 intersect when viewed in the first direction is shorter than the distance (L2) from the second through hole 210h2. Therefore, if the elevation angle (θh1) of the first through hole 210h1 and the elevation angle (θh2) of the second through hole 210h2 are made the same, a difference in height will occur in the cleaning liquid blown out from both holes by the time they intersect at the point XP, and collision between them can be avoided.

The cleaning liquid sprayed out from the first through hole 210h1 hits the inner wall surface of the external pipe PX in the normal direction, cleaning the inner wall surface with a strong impact force. The cleaning ring 20 of this embodiment, which has the first through hole 210h1 with excellent ability to remove deposits and the second through hole 210h2 capable of cleaning a wide area, can make the member to be cleaned clean in a short time. In addition, in this embodiment, since the main body 210 is made of metal, high-pressure cleaning liquid can also be supplied to the space 10a.

The holes forming the first through hole and the second through hole may be formed so as to have the same diameter from the inlet to the outlet as shown in Fig. 3, but are not limited to this, and may be formed so as to have a larger diameter from the inlet to the outlet. In this way, it is possible to widen the cleaning range when the supply pressure of the cleaning liquid or cleaning gas is increased, and the cleaning range can be varied by changing the supply pressure.
In addition, the first through hole and the second through hole are formed at the same height. By making them at the same height, even if the bottom of the space 210a is inclined, the pressure applied to each through hole can be made approximately uniform, and uneven cleaning can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid may be sprayed multiple times with different pressures and temperatures. Also, in this embodiment, the cleaning liquid may be sprayed multiple times with different types. Furthermore, in this embodiment, liquid and gas may be sprayed together. If gas is sprayed after cleaning with liquid, the cleaning liquid attached to the inner wall surface of the external pipe PX can be blown off with an air flow to dry the inner wall surface. If a substance that should be removed from the inner wall surface of the external pipe PX is dissolved in the cleaning liquid, the substance will be concentrated in the process of drying the droplets attached to the wall surface, but if the droplets are blown off with an air flow, such a problem does not occur. In such a case, the pressure of the gas supplied to the main body 210 may be set higher than the supply pressure of the cleaning liquid.

As described above, the cleaning function-equipped device (reaction device 1) of this embodiment may be capable of switching the pressure conditions and temperature conditions of the fluid blown out from the cleaning ring 20 for internal cleaning, and may be capable of switching the type of fluid. The cleaning function-equipped device may be capable of switching the fluid blown out from the cleaning ring 20 between liquid and gas for internal cleaning.

As the fluid, only gas may be used. When gas is used, it has an advantage that the contents (such as a mixture of raw materials simply mixed together or a reactant reacted with raw materials) contained in the reaction tank 10 can be easily cleaned without affecting the contents even if they are left in the reaction tank 10 as they are. That is, gas is easy to use as a fluid for cleaning regardless of whether the reaction tank 10 is in operation or out of operation. Examples of the gas include inorganic gases such as nitrogen gas, oxygen gas, air, water vapor, carbon dioxide gas, hydrogen gas, and argon gas, and organic gases such as methane gas and propane gas. On the other hand, when the fluid is a liquid, the liquid may be mixed into the contents when used for cleaning the external piping PX during the operation of the reaction tank 10. Therefore, when the contents are left in the reaction tank 10, it is desirable to limit the use of liquid to a small amount, and it is desirable to use the liquid (cleaning liquid) during outages when the reaction tank 10 does not contain any contents.

The pressure (gauge pressure) of the fluid supplied to the main body 210 for cleaning, such as a cleaning liquid or gas, can be, for example, 50 kPa or more and 900 kPa or less. It is more preferable that the pressure is 100 kPa or more and 300 kPa or less. In addition, the temperature of the fluid supplied to the main body 210 can be, for example, -90°C or more and 260°C or less.

As described above, the cleaning ring 20 of this embodiment has the main body 210 made of metal. As shown in FIG. 6, the main body 210 includes an inner ring 211 having the through hole 210h and an outer ring 212 that is in contact with the inner ring 211 from the radial outside, and is configured by welding the outer ring 212 and the inner ring 211 together. The inner ring 211 is arranged to form the inner peripheral surface 210s1 of the main body 210 when the main body 210 is arranged so that the first direction D1 (the direction of the central axis 210c) is vertical. The outer ring 212 is arranged to form three surfaces of the main body 210: the upper surface 210s3, the lower surface 210s4, and the outer peripheral surface 210s2.

The upper surface 210s3 of the main body 210 faces the lower end surface of the external piping PX, and is the uppermost surface of the main body 210 in a horizontal position in which the central axis 210c extends vertically. The lower surface 210s4 of the main body 210 faces the upper end surface of the apparatus piping 11a, and is the lowermost surface of the main body 210 in a horizontal position in which the central axis 210c extends vertically.

The main body 210 is a hollow ring having a space 210a therein that serves as a flow path for the cleaning liquid, and a through hole 210h is provided radially inwardly, which is connected to the space 210a and through which the cleaning liquid supplied to the space 210a is blown out. The main body 210 includes a plurality of components, such as a cylindrical inner ring 211 that constitutes the inner part and an outer ring 212 that is provided radially outwardly of the inner ring 211. In this embodiment, the outer ring 212 is provided with a recess that is recessed radially outward. The space 210a in the main body 210 is formed by joining the inner ring 211 to the inner side of the outer ring 212 so as to block the recess of the outer ring 212 from the inside. The inner ring 211 is provided with the through hole 210h, and the outer ring 212 is provided with a fluid supply hole 210b for supplying the cleaning liquid to the space 210a.

The recess of the outer ring 212 is provided so as to form a groove 212d extending in the circumferential direction on the inner periphery side of the outer ring 212. In this embodiment, the groove 212d is provided around the entire circumference of the inner periphery side of the outer ring 212. In this embodiment, the bottom surface 210i4 of the inner surface 210i of the main body 210 is a tapered surface that slopes downward inward in the radial direction D2. In other words, the bottom surface 210i4 slopes upward outward in the radial direction D2. Therefore, the groove 212d is formed so that the groove width narrows in the recessed direction (outward in the radial direction D2).

The inner ring 211 is cylindrical and has a central axis common to the central axis 210c of the main body 210 and extends a short distance in the first direction D1. As described above, the cleaning ring 20 of this embodiment can be constructed with the inner ring 211 and the outer ring 212 made of separate materials, making it easy to process each into an appropriate shape. For example, it is easier to form the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 in the inner ring 211 before welding the outer ring 212 to them with accurate sizes and angles. In this way, the cleaning ring 20 of this embodiment can be easily prepared into a shape suitable for the object to be cleaned.

The outer ring 212 has an outer wall 212a that constitutes the outer peripheral surface of the main body 210, a first flange 212b that constitutes the upper surface of the main body 210, and a second flange 212c that constitutes the lower surface of the main body 210. The fluid supply hole 210b is provided so as to penetrate the outer wall 212a of the outer ring 212. The outer wall 212a, the first flange 212b, and the second flange 212c are provided on the outer ring 212 so that the cross-sectional shape in a plane perpendicular to the circumferential direction R is U-shaped. The outer ring 212 has an opening on the inner peripheral side all around, and has a shape that is recessed radially outward from the opening, so that the cross-sectional shape is U-shaped. In this embodiment, the inner ring 211 and the outer ring 212 can be constructed from separate members, so that the recessed shape of the recess of the outer ring 212 can also be processed with high precision.

The outer peripheral wall portion 212a is cylindrical and has a larger diameter than the inner ring 211, and is arranged to surround the inner ring 211. The first flange portion 212b extends inward in the radial direction D2 from one end of the outer peripheral wall portion 212a in the axial direction (first direction D1). The second flange portion 212c extends inward in the radial direction D2 from the other end of the outer peripheral wall portion 212a in the axial direction (first direction D1). The first flange portion 212b and the second flange portion 212c each have an inner edge portion in the radial direction D2 welded to the inner ring 211.

The length (H1) of the inner ring 211 in the first direction D1 is equal to or less than the length (H2) of the outer ring 212 (H1≦H2). The length (H1) of the inner ring 211 in this embodiment is slightly shorter than that of the outer ring 212 and is less than the length (H2) of the outer ring 212 (H1<H2). The main body 210 in this embodiment is configured such that, when viewed radially outward from the central axis 210c, a part of the radially inner end face of the first flange 212b protrudes outward from one of the two end edges of the inner ring 211 in the first direction D1, and a part of the end face of the second flange 212c protrudes outward from the other end edge of the inner ring 211. At one end edge of the inner ring 211, the inner ring 211 and the first flange 212b are welded to each other around the entire circumference. At the other end edge of the inner ring 211, the inner ring 211 and the second flange 212c are welded around the entire circumference.

In this embodiment, in order to blow out the cleaning liquid etc. at high pressure, if a gap is formed between the first flange 212b and the inner ring 211 or between the second flange 212c and the inner ring 211, the cleaning liquid may get into the gap. Therefore, it is preferable that the welding between the first flange and the inner ring and the welding between the second flange and the inner ring are both uranami welding. That is, by forming a uranami in which the first flange 212b and the inner ring 211 and the boundary between the second flange and the inner ring 211 are melted together so that they do not clearly appear at the location facing the space 210a, the risk of the cleaning liquid remaining inside the main body 210 can be reduced even if the cleaning liquid is supplied to the space 210a at high pressure.

The main body 210 of this embodiment is interposed between one member (external piping PX) and another member (apparatus piping 11a), and the upper surface 210s3 and the lower surface 210s4 are used in such a way that they are in contact with those members directly or via a gasket or the like. Therefore, it is desirable that the upper surface 210s3 and the lower surface 210s4 are each flat and smooth so that they can easily exhibit sealing properties.

The main body 210 of this embodiment includes an inner ring 211 and an outer ring 212 as components. When the main body 210 is a joint of multiple components as in this embodiment, it is preferable that the inner ring 211 and the outer ring 212 are joined so that a boundary line between them is not formed on the upper surface 210s3 and the lower surface 210s4. As a result, the upper surface 210s3 and the lower surface 210s4 can exhibit good sealing properties without surface processing after joining (welding) the inner ring 211 and the outer ring 212. That is, the main body 210 of this embodiment is configured so that when the central axis 210c is extended in the vertical direction, the upper surface 210s3 becomes the uppermost surface and the lower surface 210s4 becomes the lowermost surface, the uppermost surface faces one of the two members that sandwich the main body 210, and the lowermost surface faces the other of the two members, and the main body 210 is a joint of multiple components, and the multiple components are joined so that the boundary between the components is not located on either the uppermost surface or the lowermost surface. Therefore, the main body 210 of this embodiment can exhibit good sealing properties when it is interposed between the members.

As described above, supplying cleaning liquid to the main body 210 and spraying the cleaning liquid from the through hole 210h to perform cleaning, and then supplying gas to the main body 210 and using the gas to remove droplets of cleaning liquid adhering to the inner wall surface of the external piping PX, is also effective in discharging cleaning liquid remaining inside the main body 210. Furthermore, the supply of gas to the main body after supplying cleaning liquid may be for the purpose of discharging cleaning liquid from the main body 210, rather than for the purpose of removing droplets adhering to the object to be cleaned. In this latter case, the supply pressure of the gas to the main body 210 may be lower than the supply pressure of the cleaning liquid.

From the viewpoint of preventing the cleaning liquid from remaining in the main body 210, a drain hole 210h3 serving as a third through hole may be provided in the main body 210. While the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 are opened so as to blow out the cleaning liquid toward the external piping PX (upper side), the drain hole 210h3 may be opened so as to blow out the cleaning liquid toward the opposite side (apparatus piping 11a side (lower side)) from the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 or in the horizontal direction.

The drain hole 210h3 is provided so that its height from the bottom surface 210s4 when the main body 210 is in a horizontal position is lower than the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2. In this embodiment, the drain hole 210h3 is provided at the lowest position among the multiple through holes 210h. The cleaning ring 20 of this embodiment is arranged in an inclined position in the reaction device 1, which is the device with cleaning function in this embodiment, and is arranged so that the drain hole 210h3 is at the lowest position among the multiple through holes.

The first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 are provided in the center of the height direction of the inner ring 211 as described above. More specifically, the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 are opened at a position that is the midpoint in the height direction from the upper end to the lower end of the space 210a when the main body 210 is in a horizontal position. The first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 are provided so that the cleaning liquid from the upper end to the midpoint of the cleaning liquid filled from the lower end to the upper end of the space 210a can be discharged. On the other hand, the drain hole 210h3 is provided so that at least a part of the cleaning liquid below the midpoint can be discharged. The cleaning ring 20 of this embodiment, in which the cleaning liquid below the midpoint of the space 210a is discharged from the drain hole 210h3, can reduce the amount of cleaning liquid remaining in the main body 210 after cleaning. The drain hole 210h3 is preferably provided so that the height of the remaining cleaning liquid from the bottom end is 1/2 or less to the midpoint in the horizontal position, and more preferably 1/3 or less.

The drain hole 210h3 is preferably provided at a corner where the bottom surface 210i4, which defines the lower edge of the space 210a, intersects with the inner peripheral surface 210i1, which defines the inner peripheral edge of the space 210a, when the main body 210 is arranged so that the first direction D1 is vertical. In this embodiment, the bottom surface 210i4 is inclined downward in the radial direction D2, so that the cleaning liquid is easily discharged from the drain hole 210h3 and the remaining cleaning liquid can be suppressed. As a result, in this embodiment, substantially all of the cleaning liquid can be discharged to the lower end of the space 210a.

In the embodiment exemplified above, the entire surface of the bottom surface 210i4 is a tapered surface TPL as shown in FIG. 7A, but the tapered surface TPL may be a part of the bottom surface 210i4 to obtain the above-mentioned effect. More specifically, the bottom surface 210i4 may be composed of a tapered surface TPL and a horizontal surface HPL as shown in FIG. 7B and FIG. 7C. If the area adjacent to the drain hole 210h3 is a horizontal surface HPL rather than a tapered surface TPL as shown in FIG. 7B, when the inclined posture is taken as shown in FIG. 7D, the horizontal surface HPL will be in a state where the tip is raised toward the drain hole 210h3, and the boundary between the tapered surface TPL and the horizontal surface HPL may be recessed, causing a small amount of cleaning liquid to accumulate. Therefore, it is preferable that the tapered surface TPL is provided so as to reach the inner ring 211 as shown in FIG. 7A and FIG. 7C, and it is preferable that the tapered surface TPL is provided so as to reach the lower end of the inner peripheral surface 210i1. That is, it is preferable that the inner edge of the tapered surface TPL in the radial direction D2 reach the opening position of the drain hole 210h3.

The drain hole 210h3 may be arranged at the end of the tapered surface TPL in the radially inward direction of the main body 210, and may be arranged so as to open at the end of the tapered surface TPL. In that case, the drain hole 210h3 will be arranged at the lower end of the space 210a even if a horizontal surface HPL is provided on the radially inner side of the tapered surface TPL, or conversely, an inverse tapered surface that rises toward the radially inner side is provided. For example, in the main body 210 shown in FIG. 7B, the end of the tapered surface TPL on the radially inner side is the boundary between the tapered surface TPL and the horizontal surface HPL. In that case, instead of providing the drain hole 210h3 at the position shown in FIG. 7B, the drain hole 210h3 may be arranged at this boundary. In addition, the drain hole 210h3 provided at such a position will be located at the lower end of the space 210a even in the inclined arrangement as shown in FIG. 7D, and will function effectively in discharging more cleaning liquid.

When the main body 210 is in a horizontal position and the cross-sectional area of the space 210a is assumed to be a cross-sectional area when the main body 210 is cut on a horizontal plane, the cross-sectional area of the space 210a decreases toward the lower end where the drain hole 210h3 is provided by providing the tapered surface TPL as described above. In other words, when the main body 210 is cut on a vertical plane (a plane perpendicular to the circumferential direction R) including the central axis 11ac, the cross-sectional shape of the space 210a tapers toward the lower end of the space 210a. In this embodiment, the drain hole is provided at the portion where the cross-sectional shape tapering toward the lower end is the narrowest. When comparing the volume from the lower end to the same height, the volume of the space 210a in this embodiment is smaller than when the cross-sectional area is constant without decreasing. Therefore, by providing the tapered surface TPL, the volume of the cleaning liquid remaining in the space 210a is greatly reduced as the liquid level decreases, and more of it is discharged from the drain hole 210h3.

In this embodiment, the device piping 11a to which the main body 210 is attached is arranged so that its central axis 11ac extends up and down with an inclination to the vertical direction. Therefore, the main body 210 is also attached to the end of the device piping 11a with its central axis 210c inclined to the vertical direction. When attaching to the end of the device piping 11a, one end of the main body 210 is raised higher than the other end to put the main body 210 in an inclined position, and in this position, the one end is raised higher than the horizontal position, so the downward angle of the bottom surface 210i4 becomes larger. On the other hand, on the other end side, the downward angle of the bottom surface 210i4 becomes shallower. Therefore, it is preferable that the first angle θ1 at which the bottom surface 210i4 is inclined to the horizontal plane HP exceeds the second angle θ2 at which the central axis 210c is inclined to the vertical direction in the inclined position. This allows the bottom surface 210i4 to maintain a downward sloping state even at the lowest point of the space 210a. The drain hole 210h3 is preferably provided at this lowest point. In other words, the cleaning ring 20 is preferably used in a state where the drain hole 210h3 is open at the lowest point of the space 210a when the main body 210 is used in an inclined position.

The drain hole 210h3 may have a diameter common to the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2, or may be smaller or larger than them. The drain hole 210h3 does not need to be provided singly, and may be provided in multiple places. The drain hole 210h3 may be used to clean the device piping 11a. That is, the cleaning ring 20 of this embodiment is provided with the drain hole 210h3 so that the cleaning liquid is discharged diagonally downward when the main body 210 is arranged horizontally, and the cleaning liquid discharged from the drain hole 210h3 may hit the wall surface of the device piping 11a to exert an excellent cleaning effect not only on the device external piping PX but also on the device piping 11a. The direction in which the cleaning liquid is blown out from the drain hole 210h3 at this time may be a direction that is radially inward when viewed in the first direction, similar to the first through hole 210h1, or may be a direction inclined with respect to the radial direction, similar to the second through hole 210h2.

The hole diameter of the first through hole 210h1, the second through hole 210h2, and the drain hole 210h3 when viewed in the penetrating direction can be, for example, 0.5 mm or more. The diameter may be 1 mm or more. The diameter may be 5 mm or less. The diameter may be 4 mm or less.

In this embodiment, the first through holes 210h1 and the second through holes 210h2 do not need to have the same hole diameter, and may have different diameters. The examples in this embodiment are merely restrictive, and the present invention is not limited to the above examples. In this embodiment, the inner ring 211 and the outer ring 212 are welded together, but in the cleaning ring 20 of this embodiment, the inner ring 211 and the outer ring 212 do not need to be welded together, and the two may be fixed together by screws or the like. For example, the inner ring 211 may have a screw thread on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and the first flange 212b and the second flange 212c of the outer ring 212 may also have a screw thread on the tip surface thereof, and the inner ring 211 may be screwed to the outer ring 212 to fix the two together.

When the inner ring 211 and the outer ring 212 are screwed together as described above, the inner ring 211 can rotate freely relative to the outer ring 212, making it possible to fine-tune the position where the cleaning fluid hits the object to be cleaned. Also, if the inner ring 211 is detachable from the outer ring 212, it is possible to replace the inner ring 211 with another inner ring with a different size or number of through holes depending on the object to be cleaned.

In this embodiment, the inner wall surface of the pipe is the object to be cleaned, but for example, the main body 210 can be attached to the end of the second cylindrical portion 11b and used to clean the rotating shaft 31, or attached to the end of the third cylindrical portion 11c and used to clean the baffle 40.

In this embodiment, a sight glass is installed on the top of the main body 210 to allow the inside of the device to be viewed from the outside, and the cleaning ring 20 can be used to clean the sight glass. In addition, if an instrument such as a pressure gauge is installed above the main body 210, the cleaning ring 20 can also be used to clean the instrument. In this embodiment, the cleaning ring 20 has a first through hole 210h1 in which the fluid blows out toward the central axis when viewed in the first direction, and a second through hole 210h2 in which the fluid blows out in a direction inclined relative to the direction toward the central axis. Therefore, the fluid blowing out from the second through hole 210h2 can effectively clean the instrument and sight glass provided in the center while cleaning the side of the pipe and the joint with other members (such as the gasket part).

The cleaning ring 20 of this embodiment may be attached to each of the second cylindrical portion 11b and the third cylindrical portion 11c as shown in FIG. 8. The cleaning ring 20 may be interposed between the cover 15 and the device pipe 11a when the cover 15 is attached to the device pipe 11a, which is the first cylindrical portion, instead of the external pipe PX. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, a first cover 15a attached to the device pipe 11a via the cleaning ring 20 (main body 210), a second cover 15b attached to the second cylindrical portion 11b via the cleaning ring 20 (main body 210), and a third cover 15c attached to the third cylindrical portion 11c via the cleaning ring 20 (main body 210) are provided.

The first lid body 15a includes a circular plate-shaped lid body 151 having an opening for visually observing the inside of the reaction tank 10 through the lid body 15, and a sight glass 152 having a glass plate that covers the opening of the lid body 151. The lid body 151 may be made of a metal plate with a glass lining applied to at least the surface facing the storage space 10c. The shape and position of the opening in which the sight glass 152 is provided are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the opening is circular and provided in the center of the lid body 151. The glass plate in the sight glass 152 is provided so as to cover the opening from the outside of the lid body 151. Therefore, when the first lid body 15a is viewed from the storage space 10c side, the glass plate is attached to the lid body 151 so as to form a recess recessed from the inner surface of the lid body 151.

In this embodiment, the main body 210 of the cleaning ring 20 includes a plurality of types of through holes including the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2. As shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the main body 210 is arranged in a horizontal position so that the first direction D1 is vertical, and a cylindrical surface including the radially inner surface of the main body 210 and a surface extending upward from the surface is defined as a virtual surface VP, a virtual line extending from the first through hole 210h1 in the blowing direction of the fluid is defined as a first virtual line VL1, and a virtual line extending from the second through hole 210h2 in the blowing direction of the fluid is defined as a second virtual line VL2. In this embodiment, the first virtual line VL1 and the second virtual line VL2 have different arrival positions and incidence directions on the virtual surface VP.

In this embodiment, the virtual surface VP is flush with the inner surface of the external piping PX and the radially inner surface of the main body 210. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a vertical cut is made in the virtual surface VP along a perpendicular line passing through a point in the circumferential direction R, and the cylindrical virtual surface VP is developed so as to be flat, and the diagram shows each through hole, the intersection of the first virtual line VL1 and the virtual surface VP (hereinafter referred to as the "first intersection XP1"), the intersection of the second virtual line VL2 and the virtual surface VP (hereinafter referred to as the "second intersection XP2"), the flow direction of the cleaning liquid that has reached the virtual surface VP (such as the external piping PX), etc.

In this embodiment, four first through holes 210h1 that spray cleaning liquid in the direction of the central axis 210c are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction R, so that the cleaning liquid sprayed out from the first through holes 210h1 reaches the first intersection XP1 located above the first through holes 210h1 located on the opposite side of the central axis 210c, and moves upward along the inner wall surface of the external piping PX due to the momentum of the cleaning liquid. As this cleaning liquid moves upward, it spreads out laterally, and the momentum of the upward movement weakens due to the action of gravity, and finally forms a flow wider in the circumferential direction R than the first intersection XP1 and falls along the inner wall surface of the external piping PX.

The second through hole 210h2 is the same as the first through hole 210h1 in that a plurality of through holes are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction R, but the second through hole 210h2 is also provided so as to discharge the cleaning liquid at an angle with respect to the direction of the central axis 210c. That is, the second through hole 210h2 is provided in the main body 210 so that the second virtual line VL2 intersects the virtual plane VP obliquely when viewed in the first direction along the first direction D1. In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid discharged from the second through hole 210h2 moves along the inner wall surface of the external pipe PX when it reaches the second intersection point XP2, as shown in FIG. 10. At this time, the cleaning liquid moves mainly in the circumferential direction R, although it also moves upward. The cleaning liquid discharged from each of the plurality of second through holes 210h2 forms a swirling flow that moves in the circumferential direction on the inner wall surface of the external pipe PX.

In this embodiment, the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 are provided in the main body 210 so that the first intersection point XP1, which is the intersection point between the first virtual line VL1 and the virtual plane VP, is formed at a higher position than the second intersection point XP2, which is the intersection point between the second virtual line VL2 and the virtual plane VP. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cleaning range can be made wide. The difference (Dxp (mm)) between the position of the first intersection point XP1 and the position of the second intersection point XP2 in the first direction D1 can be, for example, 5 mm or more. The difference may be 10 mm or more, or 15 mm or more. The difference can be, for example, 100 mm or less. The difference may be 80 mm or less, 70 mm or less, 60 mm or less, or 50 mm or less.

The areas between the main body 210 and the external piping PX and between the main body 210 and the lid 15 are difficult to clean thoroughly and tend to accumulate materials that should be removed by cleaning. Therefore, it is preferable that the first through hole and the second through hole 210h2 are arranged so that the first intersection XP1 or the second intersection XP2 is located at the upper end of the main body 210, and it is even more preferable that the second through hole is arranged so that the second intersection XP2 is located at the upper end of the main body 210.

In this embodiment, the first through-hole 210h1 may also be configured so that the first virtual line VL1 intersects the virtual plane VP obliquely when viewed in the first direction along the first direction D1, so that a swirling flow of the cleaning liquid sprayed out of the first through-hole 210h1 is formed above the swirling flow of the cleaning liquid sprayed out of the second through-hole 210h2. This not only makes it possible to clean a wide area, but also results in the swirling flows reinforcing each other, resulting in a high cleaning effect.

When a swirling flow is formed by the cleaning liquid discharged from the first through hole 210h1, the first virtual line VL1 is projected onto a plane passing through the first intersection point XP1, resulting in a diagonal line inclined both vertically and horizontally. When the diagonal line is decomposed into a vector in the vertical direction (first direction D1) and a vector in the horizontal direction, the magnitude of the vertical vector represents the magnitude of the kinetic energy of the cleaning liquid rising along the wall surface. On the other hand, the magnitude of the vector in the horizontal direction represents the magnitude of the kinetic energy of the cleaning liquid moving in the circumferential direction R. In order to form a good swirling flow, the elevation angle of the diagonal line can be, for example, 10 degrees or more. The elevation angle may be 15 degrees or more, 20 degrees or more, or 25 degrees or more. The elevation angle can be, for example, 60 degrees or less. The elevation angle may be 50 degrees or less, 45 degrees or less, or 40 degrees or less.

The above-mentioned preferred elevation angles also apply to the oblique line obtained by projecting the second virtual line VL2 onto the plane passing through the second intersection point XP2.

When the first lid body 15a having the sight glass 152 as described above is used as the component against which the cleaning liquid is sprayed, for example, the cleaning liquid sprayed from the first through hole 210h1 can be directed at the sight glass 152 to clean a glass plate, and the cleaning liquid sprayed from the second through hole 210h2 can be directed at the lid body 151 to clean a glass-lined metal plate.

At this time, if necessary, the size of the first through hole 210h1 (the area of the cross section perpendicular to the flow direction) may be made larger than that of the second through hole 210h2 to increase the amount of cleaning liquid supplied per unit time for cleaning the glass plate. Conversely, the size of the first through hole 210h1 may be made smaller than that of the second through hole 210h2 to increase the flow rate of the cleaning liquid blown out of the first through hole 210h1 and improve the striking force against the glass plate.

In this embodiment, the opening shape of the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 may be adjusted so that the cleaning liquid spreads more horizontally than vertically when it is sprayed out, so that the cleaning liquid forms a wide flow on the peep hole 152 and the lid body 151. Conversely, the opening shape of the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 may be adjusted so that the cleaning liquid spreads more vertically when it is sprayed out, so that the cleaning liquid is supplied intensively to a specific location on the peep hole 152 or the lid body 151.

The fact that the cleaning liquid spreads horizontally can be confirmed by arranging the main body 210 in a horizontal position so that the first direction D1 is vertical, and when water is sprayed from each through-hole, the shape of the sprayed water in the air is larger in the left-right direction than in the up-down direction. The fact that the cleaning liquid spreads vertically can be confirmed by arranging the main body 210 in a horizontal position so that the first direction D1 is vertical, and when water is sprayed from each through-hole, the shape of the sprayed water in the air is larger in the up-down direction than in the left-right direction. More specifically, the fact that the cleaning liquid spreads horizontally or vertically can be confirmed by observing the cross-sectional shape of the cleaning liquid at a predetermined time after it is sprayed from the through-hole. For example, the shape of the cleaning liquid can be measured using a non-contact shape measuring device using laser light or the like, and the cross-sectional shape can be confirmed by observing the cross-sectional shape in a plane perpendicular to the spray direction at a point a predetermined distance (e.g., 20 mm) away from the through-hole in the spray direction of the cleaning liquid.

In this embodiment, multiple types of through holes, the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2, are provided, making it possible to perform appropriate cleaning according to the object to be cleaned, not only in the first cylindrical portion (apparatus piping 11a) on which the first lid 15a is provided, but also in the second cylindrical portion 11b and the third cylindrical portion 11c.

In the second cylindrical portion 11b, the main body 210 of the cleaning ring 20 is attached above, and the second lid body 15b having a circular plate-shaped lid body having an opening through which the rotating shaft 31 of the agitator 30 can be inserted is attached above the main body 210. In the main body 210 attached to the second cylindrical portion 11b, for example, the cleaning material blown out from the first through hole 210h1 may be applied to the rotating shaft 31 to mainly clean the rotating shaft 31, and the cleaning liquid blown out from the second through hole 210h2 may be applied to the underside of the second lid body 15b to mainly clean the second lid body 15b. In that case, the second through hole 210h2 may be provided so that a swirling flow that revolves around the rotating shaft 31 is formed on the underside of the second lid body 15b. The second through hole 210h2 may be provided so that the sprayed cleaning liquid forms a swirling flow on the underside of the second lid 15b, reaches the rotating shaft 31, and flows downward along the rotating shaft 31. In this case, it is possible to reduce the need for the cleaning liquid sprayed from the first through hole 210h1 to reach the upper end of the rotating shaft 31 in the reaction tank (the position corresponding to the underside of the second lid 15b).

The first through hole 210h1 may have a shape in which the cleaning liquid spreads more widely in the left-right direction than in the up-down direction so that it hits the rotating shaft 31 more reliably. In this case, the first through hole 210h1 may be provided so that a part of the sprayed cleaning liquid hits the rotating shaft 31 and the remaining cleaning liquid hits the second lid body 15b. The first through hole 210h1 may also have a shape in which the cleaning material spreads more widely in the up-down direction than in the left-right direction so that more cleaning liquid is effectively used to clean the rotating shaft 31.

The cleaning of the rotating shaft 31 may be performed while rotating the rotating shaft 31. In this case, the rotation direction of the rotating shaft 31 may be the same as the swirling flow formed on the underside of the second lid body 15b. The rotation direction of the rotating shaft 31 may be the opposite direction to the swirling flow formed on the underside of the second lid body 15b.

The main body 210 of the cleaning ring 20 is attached to the upper part of the third cylindrical part 11c, and the third lid 15c that suspends and supports the baffle 40 is attached further above the main body 210.

In the main body 210 attached to the third cylindrical portion 11c, for example, the cleaning material blown out from the first through hole 210h1 may be directed to the baffle 40 to mainly clean the baffle 40, and the cleaning liquid blown out from the second through hole 210h2 may be directed to the lower surface of the third cover body 15c to mainly clean the third cover body 15c. In this case, the second through hole 210h2 may be provided so that a swirling flow that revolves around the baffle 40 is formed on the lower surface of the third cover body 15c. The second through hole 210h2 may be provided so that the blown cleaning liquid forms a swirling flow on the lower surface of the third cover body 15c, reaches the baffle 40, and flows down along the baffle 40. In this case, it is possible to reduce the need for the cleaning liquid blown out from the first through hole 210h1 to reach the upper end of the baffle 40.

As described above, in this embodiment, by having multiple types of through holes, it is possible to easily clean various objects. In the above example, the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 have different angles at which the fluid is blown out, but as shown in FIG. 11, the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 may have the same angle at which the fluid is blown out and only the size of the hole may be different.

The size of the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 can be compared by calculating the cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the flow path of each through hole. The ratio (S L /S _{S )} of the size of the larger through hole (cross-sectional area: S _L (mm ² )) to the size of the smaller through hole (cross-sectional area: S _S (mm ² )) can be, for example, 1.1 times or more. The ratio may be 1.5 times or more, 2 times or more, or 3 times or more. The ratio may be, for example, 16 times or less. The ratio may be 12 times or less, or 8 times or less.

In this embodiment, the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 are formed at the same height from the lower surface 210s4 of the main body 210 in a horizontal position, but the first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 may be formed at different positions. The first through hole 210h1 and the second through hole 210h2 can be compared in the first direction D1 by obtaining the center position of the opening on the inner surface 210s1 of the main body 210. The difference (Dh (mm)) between the center position of the through hole on the lower side and the center position of the through hole on the higher side in the first direction D1 can be, for example, 1 mm or more. The difference may be 2 mm or more, or 3 mm or more. The difference may be, for example, 50 mm or less. The difference may be 40 mm or less, or 30 mm or less.

As stated above, the above includes the following disclosure:

(1)
A cleaning ring used to clean a component by spraying a cleaning material onto the component,
The cleaning material is passed through a hollow ring-shaped main body having a space therein,
A through hole is provided on a radially inner side of the main body, the through hole being in communication with the space and for blowing out the cleaning material supplied to the space,
A first direction is a direction in which a central axis of the main body extends,
A cleaning ring in which an inner surface of the main body portion that defines the space has a tapered surface that slopes downward radially inward at a portion that becomes the bottom surface when the main body portion is positioned so that the first direction is vertical.

(2)
The cleaning ring according to claim 1, wherein a drain hole for discharging the cleaning material is provided at a lower portion of the space.

(3)
A cleaning ring as described in (2), wherein the cross-sectional shape of the space when the main body is cut by a vertical plane including the central axis tapers toward the lower end of the space, and the drain hole is provided at the point where the cross-sectional shape is narrowest.

(4)
The inner surface of the main body portion includes an inner circumferential surface located radially inward when the main body portion is disposed so that the first direction is a vertical direction,
The cleaning ring according to (1) or (2), wherein the tapered surface is provided so as to reach a lower end portion of the inner circumferential surface.

In this specification, we will not repeat the detailed explanation any further, but the above is merely an example, and the cleaning ring of the present invention can appropriately adopt conventionally known technical matters as long as the effect of the present invention is not significantly impaired. In other words, the present invention is not limited to the above examples in any way.

1: Reaction apparatus: 10: Reaction tank, 110: Tank body,
15: Lid body,
20: cleaning ring, 210: main body,
210a: space portion, 210c: central axis,
210h1: first through hole, 210h2: second through hole, 210h3: drain hole,
210i: inner surface, 210i1: inner peripheral surface, 210i2: outer peripheral surface, 210i3: ceiling surface, 210i4: bottom surface,
210s: outer surface,
211: inner ring, 212: outer ring,
D1: first direction, D2: radial direction,
HP: horizontal plane,
R: circumferential direction,
TPL: Tapered surface

Claims (4)

A cleaning ring used to clean a component by spraying a cleaning material onto the component,
The cleaning material is passed through a hollow ring-shaped main body having a space therein,
A through hole is provided on a radially inner side of the main body, the through hole being in communication with the space and for blowing out the cleaning material supplied to the space,
A first direction is a direction in which a central axis of the main body extends,
A cleaning ring in which an inner surface of the main body portion that defines the space has a tapered surface that slopes downward radially inward at a portion that becomes the bottom surface when the main body portion is positioned so that the first direction is vertical. 2. The cleaning ring according to claim 1, wherein a drain hole for discharging the cleaning material is provided in a lower portion of the space. The cleaning ring according to claim 2, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the space when the main body is cut along a vertical plane including the central axis tapers toward the lower end of the space, and the drain hole is provided at the location where the cross-sectional shape is narrowest. The inner surface of the main body portion includes an inner circumferential surface located radially inward when the main body portion is disposed so that the first direction is a vertical direction,
3. The cleaning ring according to claim 1, wherein the tapered surface is provided so as to reach a lower end of the inner circumferential surface.