JP3333032B2 - Method and apparatus for controlling the temperature of a liquid in a container for performing sonication - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The method and apparatus for controlling the temperature of a liquid in a container for performing an ultrasonic treatment according to the present invention treats the liquid or an article immersed in the liquid by applying ultrasonic vibration to the liquid. For example, ultrasonic deaerator (device for removing dissolved gas in liquid by ultrasonic vibration) Ultrasonic defoamer (device for removing bubbles in liquid by ultrasonic vibration) Ultrasonic emulsifier (for ultrasonic vibration Ultrasonic cleaning device (device for removing dirt from articles immersed in liquid by ultrasonic vibration) Ultrasonic impregnation device (device for immersing in liquid by ultrasonic vibration) To improve the performance of each of these devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are known various devices as described above for applying ultrasonic vibration to a liquid stored in a container to treat the liquid or an article immersed in the liquid. For example, an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus that applies ultrasonic vibration to a liquid such as an organic solvent stored in a cleaning tank to remove dirt attached to an article such as a mold immersed in the liquid is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. -100684.

In order to improve the performance of not only such an ultrasonic vibration device but also various devices for applying ultrasonic vibration to a liquid,
It is effective to heat the liquid while applying ultrasonic vibration to the liquid. Further, for example, when ultrasonic vibration is applied to a liquid having a low boiling point stored in a container having an open top, the amount of evaporation during the processing operation can be suppressed by cooling the liquid. For this reason, conventionally, various techniques for adjusting the temperature of the liquid to which the ultrasonic vibration is applied have been considered.
It is also used in practice.

First, the structure of the first example shown in FIG. 8 will be described. The container 2 storing the liquid 1 includes a bottom wall 3 and a peripheral wall 4.
And has a bottomed rectangular tube shape with an open top.
The upper end opening of the container 2 can be closed airtightly by a lid plate 5. Further, along the inner wall surface of the peripheral wall 4,
A heat transfer tube 6 is provided. In the heat transfer tube 6 which is a metal pipe such as a stainless steel tube, a heat medium (for heating the liquid 1) such as steam or hot water or a refrigerant (for cooling in the same manner) such as an organic refrigerant or cold water flows. As a result, the temperature of the liquid 1 can be freely adjusted. The ultrasonic vibrators 7 for vibrating the liquid 1 are fixed to the lower surface of the bottom wall 3.
When performing ultrasonic treatment with the liquid 1 (or the liquid 1), the ultrasonic vibrators 7 are driven while a heat medium or a refrigerant is circulated in the heat transfer tube 6.

Next, in the case of the structure of the second example shown in FIG. 9, a jacket 8 is provided on the outer periphery of the peripheral wall 4 of the container 2, and a heat medium or a refrigerant can flow through the jacket 8.
The ultrasonic vibrators 7, 7 for vibrating the liquid 1
As in the case of the example, it is fixed to the lower surface of the bottom wall 3. At the time of the ultrasonic treatment, the ultrasonic vibrators 7 are driven while a heat medium or a refrigerant flows in the jacket 8.

Next, in the case of the structure of the third example shown in FIG. 10, a jacket 8a surrounding the bottom wall 3 and the peripheral wall 4 of the container 2 is formed.
Is provided to allow a heat medium or a refrigerant to flow freely in the jacket 8a. Ultrasonic vibrator 7a for vibrating liquid 1
The ultrasonic vibrator 7a is submerged in the bottom of the container 2. During the ultrasonic treatment, the ultrasonic vibrator 7a is driven while a heat medium or a refrigerant is circulated in the jacket 8a.

Next, in the case of the structure of the fourth example shown in FIG. 11, a circulating system having an upstream end opened on the upper surface of the bottom wall 3 of the container 2 and a downstream end opened on the upper inner side of the peripheral wall 4 is provided. A circulation pump 10 and a heat exchanger 11 are provided in the middle of the pipe 9. The heat exchanger 11 heats or cools the liquid 1 flowing through the circulation pipe 9. The heat exchanger 11 is a heater such as a steam heater or an electric heater (when heated), or an evaporator of a refrigerator. Alternatively, a cooler (for cooling) such as an electronic refrigerator is incorporated. Ultrasonic vibrators 7 for vibrating the liquid 1 are fixed to the lower surface of the bottom wall 3. At the time of the ultrasonic treatment, the ultrasonic vibrators 7, 7 are driven while operating the temperature of the liquid 1 by operating the circulation pump 10 and the heat exchanger 11.

Further, in the case of the structure of the fifth example shown in FIG. 12, a jacket 8a surrounding the bottom wall 3 and the peripheral wall 4 of the container 2 is provided.
Is provided to allow a heat medium or a refrigerant to flow freely in the jacket 8a. An ultrasonic vibrator 7 for vibrating the liquid 1;
7 is fixed to the lower surface of the jacket 8a. In the ultrasonic treatment, the ultrasonic vibrators 7 are driven while a heat medium or a refrigerant is circulated in the jacket 8a.

[0009]

However, in the case of the conventional apparatus for controlling the temperature of a liquid in a container for performing ultrasonic treatment which is constructed and used as described above, the following points to be solved are to be solved. is there.

First, in the case of the structure of the first example shown in FIG. 8, since the heat transfer tube 6 is exposed on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 4, the cleaning operation of the inner surface of the peripheral wall 4 is troublesome. Further, for example, when used as an ultrasonic cleaning device, the heat transfer tube 6 not only reduces the effective volume of the container 2, but also obstructs the processing of articles to be cleaned such as objects to be cleaned into and out of the container 2. Become. In particular, when the container 2 is a pressure container, if the entire container 2 is enlarged in order to secure an effective volume in the container, there is a problem that extra reinforcement for ensuring pressure resistance is required. Occurs.

Next, in the case of the structure of the second example shown in FIG. 9, since the lower surface of the bottom wall 3 is not covered by the jacket 8, the temperature control of the liquid 1 in the container 2 becomes poor. In particular,
When the liquid 1 is heated, if the liquid 1 cannot be heated at the bottom wall 3, the heating efficiency is deteriorated, and the performance of various devices cannot be sufficiently improved by heating.

Next, in the case of the structure of the third example shown in FIG. 10, as in the case of the structure of the first example, the cleaning operation inside the container 2 becomes troublesome and the effective volume of the container 2 is increased. There is a problem that said to reduce.

Next, in the case of the structure of the fourth example shown in FIG. 11, it is difficult to clean the circulating pipe 9, the circulating pump 10, and the heat exchanger 11, and the portion where the liquid 1 comes into contact is cleaned. It becomes difficult to keep (poor sanitary).

Further, in the case of the structure of the fifth example shown in FIG. 12, the ultrasonic wave is transmitted not only through the bottom wall 3 of the container 2 but also through the jacket 8a and the heat medium or refrigerant present in the jacket 8a. Since the liquid 1 is transmitted to the liquid 1, the efficiency of ultrasonic vibration of the liquid 1 is low.

As described above, the various structures conventionally known are as follows.
When an attempt is made to improve the performance of a certain part, the performance is degraded or troublesome in another part. The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has excellent sanitary properties without complicating cleaning work, etc., and also has excellent efficiency of ultrasonic vibration of liquid and efficiency of temperature control of this liquid. An object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for adjusting the temperature of a liquid in a container for performing sonication.

[0016]

According to the present invention, there is provided a method and an apparatus for controlling the temperature of a liquid in a container for performing ultrasonic treatment according to the present invention. The present invention has a bottomed cylindrical shape having a bottom wall and a peripheral wall, and stores a liquid to be subjected to ultrasonic treatment in a container having an ultrasonic vibrator mounted on the lower surface of the bottom wall. An inert fluid is sealed in a jacket surrounding the peripheral wall to adjust the temperature of the inert fluid, and the temperature of the liquid is adjusted via the bottom wall and the peripheral wall.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for controlling the temperature of a liquid in a container for performing ultrasonic treatment, wherein the apparatus has a bottom wall and a peripheral wall, and has a bottom for storing the liquid to be subjected to ultrasonic treatment. A cylindrical container, an ultrasonic vibrator mounted on the lower surface of the bottom of the container, and a jacket provided around the container so as to surround the bottom wall and the peripheral wall, in which an inert fluid is sealed. Temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the inert fluid.

[0018]

According to the method and the apparatus for controlling the temperature of the liquid in the container for performing the ultrasonic treatment according to the present invention, the control of the temperature of the liquid in the container and the application of ultrasonic vibration are efficiently performed. I can do it. Further, since neither the temperature control pipe nor the ultrasonic vibrator exists inside the container, the operation of cleaning the inside of the container is easy.

[0019]

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. The container 2 in which the liquid 1 is stored has a bottom wall 3 and a peripheral wall 4 and has a bottomed square cylindrical shape with an open top. In addition, the container 2
The upper end opening can be closed airtightly by a lid plate 5. A jacket 8a is provided at a portion surrounding the bottom wall 3 and the peripheral wall 4 of the container 2, and a heat medium or a refrigerant can flow freely in the jacket 8a. Ultrasonic vibrators 7, 7 for vibrating the liquid 1 are fixed to the lower surface of the bottom wall 3 at the inside of the jacket 8a. These ultrasonic vibrators 7, 7 are energized by an ultrasonic oscillation circuit 12 provided outside the jacket 8a.

A circulation pipe 9 having an upstream end opened on the bottom surface of the jacket 8a and a downstream end opened on the upper inner side surface.
A circulating pump 10a and a heat exchanger 11a are provided in the middle of a to constitute a temperature adjusting means for adjusting the temperature of the inert fluid 14 described below. The temperature of the heat medium or the refrigerant flowing through the circulation pipe 9a is detected by a temperature sensor 13, which controls the operation and stop of the heat exchanger 11a to bring the inside of the jacket 8a to a desired temperature. Adjust.

An inert fluid 14 which functions as a heat medium or a refrigerant is sealed in the jacket 8a and the circulation pipe 9a. The inert fluid referred to in the present specification refers to a fluid having excellent electrical insulation properties and having no corrosiveness. Further, it is preferable that the inert fluid 14 used has high heat conductivity.
For example, a perfluorinated compound described in JP-A-5-4076 can be preferably used as the inert fluid 14.

As the fully fluorinated compound usable in the present invention, a substance commercially available from Sumitomo 3M Ltd. under the trade name "Fluorinert" can be used as described in the above-mentioned publication. . This “Florinert” has a relatively low boiling point (56 ° C.) and a relatively high boiling point (FC-72).
53 ° C.) Since various types having different boiling points are commercially available up to “FC-71”, they are selectively used according to the temperature of the liquid 1 to be adjusted. In the case of the present embodiment, it is preferable to use the inert fluid 14 which remains liquid in the operating temperature range. This is to increase the heat capacity of the inert fluid 14 existing in the jacket 8a and to efficiently heat or cool the liquid 1 in the container 2.

When the liquid 1 stored in the container 2 is subjected to the ultrasonic treatment by the temperature control device for the liquid in the container for performing the ultrasonic treatment of the present invention configured as described above, the circulating pump 10a is used. By driving the heat exchanger 11a and the heat exchanger 11a, the ultrasonic vibrators 7, 7 are driven while controlling the temperature of the heat medium or the refrigerant sealed in the jacket 8a. The ultrasonic vibrators 7, 7 used in the present invention include an electrostrictive vibrator as shown in FIG. 2 or a magnetostrictive vibrator as shown in FIG.
Any conventionally known one can be used. If the surface on which the ultrasonic vibrators 7 are mounted is a curved surface, the mounting surface of each ultrasonic vibrator 7 is processed in accordance with the curved surface.

The inert fluid 14 sealed in the jacket 8a heats or cools the bottom wall 3 and the peripheral wall 4 of the container 2. As a result, the temperature of the liquid 1 stored in the container 2 can be efficiently adjusted. Further, since the ultrasonic vibrators 7 are directly fixed to the lower surface of the bottom wall 3, the liquid 1 stored in the container 2 can be efficiently vibrated. Further, since neither a temperature control pipe (heat transfer tube 6 in FIG. 8) nor an ultrasonic vibrator (ultrasonic vibrator 7a in FIG. 10) exists inside the container 2, the inside of the container is Cleaning work is also easy.

If water is enclosed as a heat medium or a refrigerant in the jacket 8a, electric leakage may occur due to energization of each of the ultrasonic vibrators 7, 7; When an organic solvent is used, there is a risk of ignition due to energization, and neither is preferable.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment described above, the inert fluid 14 sealed in the jacket 8a is forcibly circulated by a circulation pipe 9a provided with a circulation pump 10a on the way.
In the present embodiment, the temperature of the inert fluid 14 is made uniform by natural convection.

Therefore, in the case of the present embodiment, the heater 15 is provided at the bottom of the jacket 8a. This heater 15
A temperature sensor 13 for controlling the operation and the stop of the inactive fluid 14 detects the temperature of the inert fluid 14 existing inside the intermediate portion of the jacket 8a. Other configurations and operations are the same as those of the above-described first embodiment.

FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In the case of this embodiment, at the top of the jacket 8b,
The portion surrounding the bottom wall 3 and the peripheral wall 4 of the container 2 is
Four steams are present. For this reason, in the case of the present embodiment, a reservoir 16 is formed at the bottom of the jacket 8b, and a heater 15a is provided in the reservoir 16.
The liquid inert fluid 14 stored in the storage section 16 is heated and evaporated by the heater 15a, fills the upper space of the jacket 8b, and heats the bottom wall 3 and the peripheral wall 4 of the container 2. As a result, the liquid 1 in the container 2 is heated. The operation and stop of the heater 15a are controlled based on detection values of a temperature sensor 13 for detecting the temperature in the jacket 8b and a pressure sensor 17 for detecting a pressure in the jacket 8b. Other configurations and operations are the same as those of the above-described first and second embodiments.

FIG. 6 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the case of the present embodiment, the jacket 8a surrounding the bottom wall 3 and the peripheral wall 4 of the container 2 and the storage portion 16a storing the liquid inert fluid 14 are made independent. The bottom in the jacket 8a provided above and the upper part of the storage part 16a provided below are communicated by a steam pipe 18, and an electromagnetic on-off valve 19 is provided in the middle of the steam pipe 18. The liquid inert fluid 14 stored in the storage portion 16a is heated and evaporated by the heater 15a, sent into the jacket 8a through the steam pipe 18, and heats the liquid 1 stored in the container 2. .

In the case of this embodiment, when the heating is no longer necessary, the solenoid on-off valve 19 is closed, so that the temperature in the jacket 8a can be reduced more quickly than in the case of the third embodiment. Can be done. Other configurations and operations are the same as those of the third embodiment.

FIG. 7 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the case of this embodiment, the temperature inside the jacket 8a can be adjusted by adjusting the pressure inside the jacket 8a. When the pressure in the jacket 8a is increased to sufficiently raise the temperature in the jacket 8a, the on-off valve 21 in the middle of the drainage pipe 20, the on-off valve 23 communicating with the vacuum pump 22, and the supply pipe 24 Each of the open / close valves 25 is closed to energize the heater 15a. As a result, the vapor of the inert fluid 14 is filled in the jacket 8a, the pressure in the jacket 8a increases, and the temperature in the jacket 8a can be increased by an amount corresponding to the pressure increase. .

When the temperature in the jacket 8a is adjusted to a desired temperature, the on-off valve 23 is opened and the vacuum pump 22 is operated to reduce the pressure in the jacket 8a to the desired temperature. The pressure is reduced to a pressure at which the fluid 14 has a boiling point. Then, the inert fluid 14 is evaporated by the heater 15a. When the inert fluid 14 decreases due to the operation of the vacuum pump 22, the on-off valve 25 is opened and new inert fluid 14 is replenished through the liquid supply pipe 24. The vapor of the inert fluid 14 discharged through the vacuum pump 22 is sent to a condenser (not shown) for condensation and recovery, and is reused.

[0033]

The method and apparatus for controlling the temperature of a liquid in a container for performing ultrasonic treatment according to the present invention are constructed and operated as described above, but have excellent sanitary properties without complicating cleaning work and the like. At the same time, the effective volume of the container can be sufficiently secured, and the efficiency of ultrasonically oscillating the liquid and the efficiency of controlling the temperature of the liquid are also excellent.
As described above, the performance and handleability of various devices can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion A of FIG. 1 showing a first example of an ultrasonic transducer.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the second example;

FIG. 4 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a first example of a conventional structure.

FIG. 9 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the second example.

FIG. 10 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the third example.

FIG. 11 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the fourth example.

FIG. 12 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the fifth example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Liquid 2 Container 3 Bottom wall 4 Perimeter wall 5 Cover plate 6 Heat transfer tube 7, 7a Ultrasonic vibrator 8, 8a, 8b Jacket 9, 9a Circulation pipe 10, 10a Circulation pump 11, 11a Heat exchanger 12 Ultrasonic oscillation circuit 13 Temperature sensor 14 Inert fluid 15, 15a Heater 16, 16a Reservoir 17 Pressure sensor 18 Steam pipe 19 Electromagnetic on-off valve 20 Drainage pipe 21 On-off valve 22 Vacuum pump 23 On-off valve 24 Supply pipe 25 On-off valve

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A liquid to be subjected to ultrasonic treatment is stored in a container having a bottomed cylindrical shape having a bottom wall and a peripheral wall and having an ultrasonic oscillator mounted on a lower surface of the bottom wall, and at least a bottom wall of the container. An inert fluid is sealed in a jacket surrounding the peripheral wall and the peripheral wall, the temperature of the inert fluid is adjusted, and the temperature of the liquid is adjusted through the bottom wall and the peripheral wall. Liquid temperature control method. 2. A bottomed cylindrical container having a bottom wall and a peripheral wall for storing therein a liquid to be subjected to ultrasonic treatment, an ultrasonic vibrator mounted on a bottom lower surface of the container, and the container Is provided around the bottom wall and the peripheral wall, and has a jacket in which an inert fluid is sealed, and a temperature adjusting means for adjusting the temperature of the inert fluid, and performs ultrasonic treatment. Temperature control device for liquid in container