JP7479721B2 - Air bubble miniaturization defoaming device and filling device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a bubble miniaturization and defoaming device that miniaturizes and/or defoams bubbles in a fluid by applying a fluctuating inertial force to the fluid, and a filling device that uses the same.

Conventionally, when manufacturing products using a fluid, it has sometimes been necessary to deal with air bubbles contained in the fluid from the standpoint of quality and appearance. For example, when solidifying a fluid, if air bubbles are present in the fluid, cavities or depressions will form inside or on the surface of the solidified body, and the process to eliminate these requires time and cost.

Regarding such problems, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a concrete bubble reduction vibrator that has a vibrating body connected to or incorporating an electric motor, a plow plate, and a connecting part that connects the vibrating body to the plow plate, and describes a method of reducing air bubbles in concrete by inserting this bubble reduction vibrator near a formwork for unhardened concrete and vibrating it.

However, with a vibrator such as that described in Patent Document 1, there was a problem that the vibration could only be applied locally, as it did not spread throughout the entire structure due to attenuation caused by scattering and diffuse reflection caused by the viscosity of the concrete and the various mixtures of the cement paste and fine and coarse aggregates, which have different properties, shapes, sizes, and specific gravities. In addition, the work of inserting the vibrator near the formwork requires excessive labor and cost. Furthermore, there was a problem in that the vibration conditions applied did not match the foam-breaking conditions of the vibrated body, making it impossible to break the bubbles.

Patent Document 2 also describes a table vibrator for molding cement concrete products, in which a formwork placement table on which a concrete molded product formwork is placed is formed from a framework of shaped steel or the like, a base is also formed from a framework of shaped steel or the like, the formwork placement table is attached to the base with a cushioning material such as rubber interposed therebetween, a formwork fixing device is provided for placing and fixing the concrete molded product formwork on the formwork placement table, and a vibration motor is attached to a part of the formwork placement table away from the formwork fixing device.

However, the table vibrator described in Patent Document 2 can only apply a fixed, predetermined vibration that does not meet the defoaming conditions, and is not capable of breaking down or eliminating the air bubbles on the surface of the concrete and/or inside the concrete, the so-called entrapped air, and cannot break down the bubbles to the point where they can be seen to have disappeared. In other words, there was a problem in that the vibration conditions applied did not meet the defoaming conditions of the vibrated body and therefore could not break down the bubbles.

Patent document 3 describes a degassing device used in various coating machines and printing machines to remove air bubbles contained in coating materials, inks, etc., and includes a degassing tank and an ultrasonic vibrator connected to the degassing tank.

However, in the technology of defoaming using sound waves, especially ultrasonic waves, if the fluid is a viscous fluid or a mixed fluid containing multiple objects of different specific gravities, hardness, sizes and shapes, and has a sufficiently large volume, although it is possible to apply waves of preset conditions in the vicinity of where the sound waves are input, as the sound waves move away from the sound wave input source, the sound waves attenuate significantly and the attenuated waves deviate from the preset conditions, resulting in unevenness and failure to spread evenly throughout the fluid, and as a result, there is a problem that the bubbles are not completely defoamed to an acceptable degree.

JP 2006-16868 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-318422 JP 2010-167386 A

The present invention was developed in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances and through intensive research by the inventor, and aims to provide a bubble miniaturization and defoaming device and a filling device that can miniaturize bubbles on the surface and inside of a fluid, and efficiently produce aesthetically pleasing, high-quality products at low cost.

One aspect of the present invention is a bubble miniaturization and defoaming device that imparts a fluctuating inertial force to a fluid, comprising a receiving section that has at least a bottom section and a side section and receives the fluid, and has a supply section to which the fluid is supplied and a discharge section to which the fluid is discharged, and a fluctuating inertial force imparting mechanism that imparts a fluctuating inertial force to the fluid by applying an acceleration that acts approximately uniformly on the entirety of the received fluid, and the receiving section has the discharge section on at least the side surface of the lower end.

In addition, one aspect of the present invention is a filling device equipped with the above-mentioned air bubble micronizing and defoaming device, and is capable of filling a formwork with a fluid through a passage connected to a receiving section or a discharging section. This configuration is particularly useful in the production of precast concrete products, where the formwork has a large capacity or weight and it is difficult to impart a variable inertial force to the formwork itself. By using the filling device according to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to easily and efficiently impart a variable inertial force to the fluid and micronize the air bubbles in the fluid. In addition, one aspect of the present invention may have a support section that supports the air bubble micronizing and defoaming device, and the passage connected to the receiving section or the discharging section may have an avoidance section that avoids contact with structures in the formwork.

In the case of viscous fluids, the viscous resistance is high, so even if vibrations are applied locally, as in the invention described in Patent Document 1, the vibrations do not propagate throughout the entire fluid. However, in one aspect of the present invention, a fluctuating inertial force (e.g., oscillation) can be applied to the fluid almost uniformly as an external forcing force. In this case, the external forcing force on the fluid acts as an inertial force that is applied almost uniformly to the entire volume of the fluid, and since the fluid is not a vibration medium, there is almost no mechanism in which the external forcing force is locally attenuated inside the fluid. The fluctuating inertial force can be applied in the vertical and/or horizontal direction, or a combination of these directions.

The present invention makes it possible to reduce or eliminate bubbles on the surface and inside of a fluid, and efficiently produce aesthetically pleasing, homogeneous, high-quality products.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the direction in which a fluctuating inertial force is applied in the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first mechanism of air bubble atomization in an air bubble atomization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams illustrating a second mechanism of air bubble atomization in an air bubble atomization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a third mechanism of air bubble atomization in an air bubble atomization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram showing an example of an air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram explaining the direction in which a fluctuating inertial force is applied. FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram for explaining another example of a direction in which a fluctuating inertial force is applied, and FIG. 1D is a schematic diagram showing an example of an air bubble micronization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams showing another example of an air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1A to 1F are cross-sectional views illustrating several aspects of the supply section of an air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. (G) and (H) are cross-sectional views illustrating several aspects of the supply section of an apparatus for micronizing and defoaming air bubbles according to one embodiment of the present invention, (I) and (J) are cross-sectional views illustrating several aspects of the connection between the supply section and the receiving section in an apparatus for micronizing and defoaming air bubbles according to one embodiment of the present invention, and (K) and (L) are cross-sectional views illustrating several aspects of the receiving section of an apparatus for micronizing and defoaming air bubbles according to one embodiment of the present invention. 10(M) to 10(R) are cross-sectional views illustrating several aspects of the receiving portion of an air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 11(S) to 11(X) are cross-sectional views illustrating several aspects of the receiving portion of an air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1A to 1F are cross-sectional views illustrating several aspects of the discharge section of an apparatus for miniaturizing and defoaming air bubbles according to one embodiment of the present invention. 11(G) to 11(K) are cross-sectional views illustrating several aspects of the discharge section of an air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 10(L) to 10(P) are perspective views illustrating several aspects of the discharge section of an apparatus for miniaturizing and defoaming air bubbles according to one embodiment of the present invention. 10(Q) to 10(S) are cross-sectional views for explaining the configuration for preventing clogging of the fluid in the discharge section of the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1A to 1C are cross-sectional views illustrating several aspects of the support part of an apparatus for miniaturizing and defoaming air bubbles according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention having an avoidance section. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing another modified example of the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a process for applying a fluctuating inertial force to a fluid in an air bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a device for locally applying vibration and/or impact. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a process for applying a fluctuating inertial force to a fluid in the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state of air bubbles in concrete when conditions are changed in the examples. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state of air bubbles in concrete when conditions are changed in the examples. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state of air bubbles in concrete when conditions are changed in the examples. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state of air bubbles in concrete when conditions are changed in the examples. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state of air bubbles in concrete when conditions are changed in the examples. 13 is a diagram showing the state of air bubbles in concrete when conditions are changed in another embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings in the following order. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following examples, and can be modified as desired without departing from the gist of the present invention.
1. The significance of variable inertial force 2. Air bubble miniaturization and defoaming device

1. The Significance of Variable Inertial Force
Before describing the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the significance of applying a variable inertial force using this device will be described. The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it applies a variable inertial force to a fluid, and controls the variable inertial force according to one or more conditions selected from at least the fluctuation width of the variable inertial force, the number of fluctuations per unit time, the number of fluctuations or time, or the acceleration during fluctuation, depending on the physical and/or chemical attributes of the fluid and/or the physical and/or chemical attributes of the bubbles to be miniaturized before being miniaturized. By applying a variable inertial force to the entire fluid, bubbles present inside and on the surface of the fluid can be miniaturized and/or defoamed to a size that does not cause problems in terms of appearance and quality. The variable inertial force applied to the fluid is not particularly limited, but can be generated, for example, during the process of displacing the fluid irregularly or randomly, and positive acceleration or negative acceleration (deceleration) during the displacement, or changing the direction, and applied to the fluid.

In the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention, it is important to impart inertial force to the fluid itself, and in particular to repeatedly impart inertial force, and it is not effective to inject (irradiate) (ultrasonic) waves using a sound source device such as that described in Patent Document 3. In the case of sound waves, when vibrating a fluid, the fluid itself is a medium that propagates the wave motion, so the wave motion is attenuated and the medium stops vibrating due to the specific gravity, viscosity, and other properties of the objects that make up the fluid, resulting in a mechanism in which the fluid does not vibrate. In addition, when the fluid is made up of multiple objects, due to differences in size, specific gravity, mass, etc., some objects vibrate depending on the conditions of the sound waves and others do not, and there is a problem that the action is not uniform throughout the fluid, and the action of collapsing bubbles cannot be applied throughout the fluid. In particular, when the vibrated fluid contains multiple solid objects of various shapes, masses, and specific gravities, the input sound waves are scattered at each surface and boundary and/or attenuated by viscous resistance, etc., resulting in the problem that the wave motion does not propagate throughout the entire volume of the fluid.

In contrast, in an embodiment of the present invention, the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device applies inertia almost uniformly to the entire volume of the fluid, applying an inertial force to all objects constituting the fluid, and controlling the variable inertial force according to one or more conditions selected from the fluctuation width of the variable inertial force, the number of fluctuations per unit time, the time or number of repeated fluctuations, and acceleration, depending on the physical and/or chemical attributes of the fluid and/or the physical and/or chemical attributes of the bubbles to be miniaturized. This applies an inertial force suitable for miniaturizing the bubbles to the periphery of the bubbles, and the bubbles on the surface and inside of the fluid can be miniaturized from the difference with the inertial force generated in the bubbles themselves, thereby efficiently manufacturing high-quality products with a good appearance. Of course, the inertial force applied to the fluid, which is the object to be oscillated, does not necessarily have to be a reciprocating force, and may be a regular inertial force, an irregular inertial force, or an intermediate force between regular and irregular.

The means for imparting the fluctuating inertial force is not particularly limited, but may be configured to obtain a fluctuating inertial force by centrifugal force in a rotating system that repeatedly alternates the direction of rotation, or may be based on oscillation or vibration. In the case of oscillation or vibration, the fluctuation range of the fluctuating inertial force corresponds to the amplitude, the number of fluctuations per unit time corresponds to the vibration frequency, and the time for which the fluctuating inertial force is repeatedly varied corresponds to the vibration time.

In the present invention, a fluid refers to a liquid having a viscosity sufficient to retain air bubbles inside, a solid exhibiting fluidity having powder, granules, or powder-granules, or a mixture of a liquid and a solid. Fluids are, for example, sherbet-like, jelly-like, paste-like, gel-like, slurry-like, viscous fluids, mixtures of multiple objects, and mixtures thereof. In the case of a mixture of multiple objects, the multiple objects may be mixed in a variety of forms with respect to their properties, shapes, sizes, specific gravities, hardness, abundance ratios, etc., or may be well-balanced. The paste-like fluid may be a so-called pendular fluid in which a mixture of liquid and gas is surrounded by a solid in the form of a powder or granules or a solid larger than a granule, and/or a so-called phenicular fluid in which a liquid containing air bubbles is surrounded by a solid in the form of a powder or granules, and/or a so-called capillary fluid in which a liquid containing no air bubbles is surrounded by a solid in the form of a powder or granules, or may be a mixed or irregular fluid containing such elements. In one embodiment of the present invention, a highly viscous fluid or a mixture in which air bubbles are retained inside is suitable.

The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be applied to fluids that solidify due to their own reactions. When a fluid containing bubbles is solidified, the bubbles inside the solidified body remain as cavities or depressions. By applying the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to the present invention, the bubbles in the fluid can be miniaturized to a size that does not affect the appearance or quality, and this can prevent large cavities from remaining inside the solidified body or depressions from occurring on the surface even after solidification. In this case, quality refers to the required characteristics of strength, rigidity, elasticity, mass distribution, density, homogeneity, etc. that define the properties of the fluid or solidified body after the bubbles are miniaturized or defoamed. In particular, it is preferable to miniaturize or defoam the bubbles so that the required characteristics meet the required level.

In the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable to apply the fluctuating inertial force so that it is distributed almost uniformly over the entire fluid. One method of applying the fluctuating inertial force uniformly is, for example, to vibrate the entire bubble miniaturization and defoaming device that holds the fluid. The vibrator described in Patent Document 1 as described above can only apply vibration locally, and in the case of a viscous fluid, it is not possible to vibrate or rock the entire fluid, and therefore it is not possible to sufficiently eliminate the bubbles. Therefore, it is preferable to apply the vibration or rocking uniformly over the entire fluid.

1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the direction of applying a variable inertial force with respect to an air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In an air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the variable inertial force is applied in the vertical direction with respect to the fluid 11, that is, in the z-axis direction in FIG. 1. Since gravity is applied in the vertical direction, by applying a variable inertial force in the same direction as gravity, the air bubbles 12 can be more efficiently micronized and eliminated, and it is also possible to move the air bubbles vertically upward and drive them out. However, with respect to an air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the application of a variable inertial force in the horizontal direction is not excluded, and an inertial force in the x-axis direction or y-axis direction in FIG. 1, or a combination of the x-axis and y-axis, may be applied. Furthermore, in addition to the vertical inertial force, the above-mentioned horizontal inertial force may be applied. Furthermore, in addition to the application of the variable inertial force in the vertical and/or horizontal directions, the vibrated body may be rotated in a vertical plane or a horizontal plane. In this case, separation of the multiple components and objects that make up the fluid can be reduced. In addition, the method of applying an inertial force to the fluid is not limited to a method of varying the acceleration along one axial direction, but may be a method of applying a fluctuating centrifugal force by rotating the entire fluid while varying the rotation direction regularly or irregularly.

The mechanism by which air bubbles are refined in an air bubble refinement and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to Figures 2 to 4. In Figures 2 to 4, the direction of the fluctuating inertial force coincides with the z-axis in Figure 1, and the up-down direction also coincides with the up-down direction in Figure 1. In addition, in this description, as an example, a fluctuating inertial force is applied by a fluid moving back and forth in a monotonic manner, but the movement is not limited to a monotonic and reciprocating movement.

2 is a schematic diagram showing the first mechanism of bubble miniaturization in the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The bubbles 20 in the fluid are formed by the tension Fs (hereinafter referred to as "interface tension") acting on the interface between the fluid and the bubbles. Therefore, in the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention, by applying a fluctuating inertial force to the bubbles and the fluid surrounding the bubbles, when the direction of the fluctuating inertial force changes, pressure is applied to the bubbles by the inertial force Fi acting in proportion to the mass of the element body constituting the fluid surrounding the bubbles (in particular, the inertial force acting on the element body constituting the fluid present around the interface may be referred to as the interfacial inertial force here). In more detail, the up-and-down movement of the fluid in accordance with the monotonous reciprocating motion repeats accelerating upward, decelerating upward, changing the direction of movement downward, accelerating downward, decelerating downward, and changing the direction of movement upward. In the process of repeating such acceleration and deceleration, an inertial force Fi is applied to the air bubble 20 (FIG. 2(A)). At this time, by applying vibration such that the magnitude of the inertial force Fi is greater than the interfacial tension Fs or the collapse resistance force described below, the air bubble 20 can be deformed (FIG. 2(B)), and ultimately, a certain air bubble 20 present in the fluid can be divided into multiple air bubbles 20A and 20B and made smaller (FIG. 2(C)). By repeating this smaller size, the air bubbles in the fluid are made finer to a size that does not affect the appearance or quality, and the air bubbles in the fluid can be made invisible to the naked eye and disappear.

In this way, in the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the application of a fluctuating inertial force causes the bubbles to collapse due to the difference in inertial force resulting from the mass difference between the bubbles and the fluid, and further promotes higher-order bubble breakup such as secondary bubble breakup, tertiary bubble breakup, and so on, which causes the bubbles to become finer and reach a desired size level, thereby achieving a disappearance effect. At this time, the total volume of the bubbles does not change significantly before and after the higher-order bubble breakup, and the bubbles may remain finely divided in the fluid. Therefore, it is considered that the fine bubbles resulting from the progression of higher-order bubble breakup to below a certain level can be entrained air with a diameter of, for example, about 25 to 250 μm.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the second mechanism of air bubble refinement in the air bubble refinement and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The second mechanism of air bubble refinement mainly functions when the fluid contains solids in the form of powder or granules. For example, this is the case when the fluid contains cement paste, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate, etc., as in the production of concrete. For convenience, the use of the air bubble refinement and defoaming device for concrete will be used as an example, but of course the air bubble refinement and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this.

When the fluctuating inertial force is applied, the fluid 30 momentarily enters a state close to weightlessness at the midpoint between the peaks of the applied monotonic reciprocating motion, specifically, when the fluid 30 changes its direction of movement from upward to downward and starts accelerating downward to match the speed of the free fall of the fluid 30. At this time, the frictional force due to gravity acting between the large-diameter coarse aggregate 31a and the small-diameter coarse aggregate 31b (coarse aggregate 31) constituting the fluid 30, the fine aggregate 32 present between the coarse aggregate 31, and the cement paste 33 interposed between the coarse aggregate 31 and the fine aggregate 32 becomes almost zero (Figure 3 (A)). At the next moment, when the vibration peak (the position where the direction of movement of the fluid 30 changes from downward to upward) is reached, the coarse aggregate 31, fine aggregate 32, and cement paste 33 are rearranged as a distribution in which they come into contact with each other. In this process, the frictional force acting between them gradually changes toward the maximum value, so that in the middle of the process, the frictional force is weak, that is, in a liquid-phase flow state rather than a solid-phase flow state, and the bubbles flow downward toward a stable state with a lower potential energy state (FIG. 3B). This flow downward occurs around the bubbles 34 as a flow from the fluid 30 into the bubbles 34, with the cement paste 33 and fine aggregate 32 as the main flow, and the flowing bubbles 34 shift in the direction of being buried, and the gas that was in the bubbles 34 is replaced on the side of the flowing fluid 30. If such a fluid/gas exchange flow occurs at one place for one bubble 34, the original bubble collapses and the gas is displaced further upward, resulting in the bubble 34 moving upward. Also, if a fluid/gas exchange flow occurs at multiple places for one bubble 34, the original bubble 34 is displaced upward as if it had split into multiple smaller bubbles. By repeating this chain reaction of flow collapse, the air bubbles either become finer or reach the top and escape completely from the fluid 30.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the third mechanism of air bubble fineness in the air bubble fineness defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Air bubbles 41 that are not eliminated by the first and second mechanisms of air bubble fineness in the fluid 40 described above may exist. However, such air bubbles 41 are almost absent in the case of mortar that does not contain coarse aggregate. Therefore, it is considered that the main cause of the generation of air bubbles 41 is the presence of coarse aggregate 42. In other words, it is considered that the air bubbles 41 may exist in close proximity to the coarse aggregate 42, and that the air is trapped in the coarse aggregate 42 by the existence of voids surrounded by several coarse aggregates 42. The air bubbles 41 of such a configuration are formed by gathering together coarse aggregates 42 with relatively similar densities and using mortar (fine aggregate 43 and cement paste 44) with a density similar to that of the coarse aggregate 42 as a binder material. For this reason, it is considered that the air bubbles 41 do not collapse, or are extremely difficult to collapse, by the first and second mechanisms. One effective mechanism for eliminating air bubbles 41 in this configuration is to apply a resonant vibration of the natural frequency to the coarse aggregate 42 that constitutes the air bubbles 41.

In reality, it is believed that the bubbles become finer as a combination of the first, second and third mechanisms. Here, the setting of the conditions for applying the fluctuating inertial force in the bubble finer defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail. The following description will be mainly based on the first mechanism, but the parts that can be applied to the second and third mechanisms may be understood by replacing them as appropriate. As described above, in order to finely divide the bubbles, it is necessary to apply a force, i.e., an inertial force, to the bubbles by vibration, impact, centrifugal force (however, it is often the case that the bubbles cannot be collapsed even if an inertial force such as a steady centrifugal force is applied. Therefore, it is preferable to change the angular velocity in an accelerating manner to bring the bubbles into a non-steady state).

The collapse resistance of bubbles is determined by parameters such as the viscosity of the fluid, specific gravity, mass of the components, size of the bubbles, interfacial tension of the bubbles, internal pressure of the bubbles, and in the case of a solid-liquid mixed fluid containing aggregate-like solids, the presence of gas trapped by engagement between solids and the degree to which the gas is surrounded by the solids. Therefore, it can be set or estimated appropriately depending on the type of fluid in question and/or the size, shape, form, etc. of the bubbles. In the fluctuating inertial force according to one embodiment of the present invention, the fluctuating inertial force is controlled so that a force exceeding the collapse resistance of the bubbles is applied to the bubbles.

There are no particular limitations on the fluctuating inertial force that is applied, but as an example, we will explain using simple harmonic motion.

The amplitude is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, at least one tenth of the diameter of the air bubbles, and preferably at most approximately the same width as the diameter of the air bubbles. If the amplitude is smaller or larger than this range, the inertial force applied to the fluid becomes insufficient, the force for collapsing the air bubbles becomes weak, and the force for micronizing the air bubbles is not sufficiently applied, or excessive vibration energy is applied, which is energetically inefficient and may cause the components of the fluid to separate, making it unreasonable. If the fluid is a mixture of multiple materials with different specific gravities, applying excessive vibration may cause the components to separate. By applying vibration, the bubbles gradually split and become smaller, so the amplitude may be gradually reduced over time.

Now, if the inertial force acting on the entire fluid system, which is the vibrated body, is constant, then the force per unit area acting everywhere in the system, i.e., the surface pressure, can be considered to be roughly constant. Therefore, large bubbles have a large surface area and the force acting on the entire bubble surface is relatively large, while small bubbles have a small surface area and the force acting on the entire bubble surface area is relatively small. In other words, small bubbles are more difficult to collapse than large bubbles. Therefore, it is preferable to increase the acceleration that is the source of the inertial force as the bubbles break down due to the inertial force acting on the fluid, thereby increasing the inertial force as a result. In this case, if the amplitude is gradually reduced in accordance with the target bubble size, the acceleration can be increased by increasing the vibration frequency accordingly.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the vibration can be controlled by the number of vibrations (frequency). The frequency is not particularly limited, but for example, a vibration of about 10 to 90 Hz may be applied. If the frequency is too high, when the fluid is composed of multiple components with different specific gravities, there is a risk that the components may separate, which is not preferable. Also, as described above, when vibration is applied, the bubbles gradually become smaller, so the vibration frequency may be set to gradually increase accordingly.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the vibration can be controlled by the vibration time or the number of vibrations. The vibration time is not particularly limited, but can be in the range of about 10 seconds to 10 minutes, for example. When the fluid solidifies, it is necessary to set the vibration conditions so that the micronization of the bubbles is completed before the solidification reaction is completed. Even if the vibration is continued for a certain period of time, depending on the conditions, there may be bubbles that do not disappear and continue to remain, which will lead to a loss of the energy input, so it is preferable to stop the vibration for about the required time.

In this way, the vibration is controlled according to one or more conditions selected from the amplitude, frequency, and vibration time, depending on the type of fluid and/or the size of the bubbles. When bubbles are split by vibration and become smaller than a certain size, the previous amplitude and frequency may not be able to further reduce the size of the bubbles. Therefore, it is possible to simultaneously control the amplitude and frequency according to the passage of vibration time, and apply an acceleration G that sufficiently exceeds the collapse resistance of the bubbles, even to small bubbles.

So far, we have taken the example of producing processed concrete bodies, but of course the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be applied to things other than the production of concrete. The present invention is not limited in any way by the type of fluid, the mixing ratio, the production volume, etc., and it is sufficient to add a configuration that can impart an appropriate variable inertial force to the equipment and tools used depending on the type of fluid.

The concrete mentioned above includes concrete that can be hardened by adding water, fillers (filling materials), and ordinary aggregates to cement, as well as concretes such as Roman concrete, fiber-reinforced concrete, and polymer concrete. It also includes mortar that uses only fine aggregates, and cement paste that does not use aggregates. The aggregates can be any of those that are normally used in concrete or that are conventionally known, and can include sand, gravel, crushed stone, crushed glass, rubble, artificial materials, and waste materials. Furthermore, the cement is not particularly limited, and for example, Portland cement, Roman cement, resin cement, etc. can be used.

The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be suitably used for so-called secondary concrete products. For example, it can be applied to piles, pipes, flat plates, retaining walls, decks, floor panels, wall parapets, concrete blocks, box culverts, arch culverts, culverts, Hume pipes (pipes made of reinforced concrete), flumes, cable troughs, utility conduits, curtain walls, exterior walls, concrete bridges, bridge beams, tunnel segments (shield tunnels), water pipes, drainage pipes, storage tanks, water tanks, drainage manholes, street drainage manholes, radioactive waste containers, nuclear shelters, utility poles, pavement (roads), gutters, gutter covers, manholes, assembled manholes, manhole covers, box manholes, boundary blocks, curbs, car stopper blocks, root fixing blocks, interlocking blocks, vegetation blocks, protective fences, sheet piles, soundproofing materials, wave-dissipating blocks, revetment blocks, sleepers, and objets d'art (statues). In addition to the above examples, the method can be suitably applied to various other products, such as products molded using a mold (precast products). For example, the method can be applied to artificial stone, artificial marble, tiles, pottery, porcelain, gutter components, covers, toilets, gravestones, torii gates, bronze statues, Buddhist statues, plaster statues and plaster products, glass products, castings of various metals such as iron, aluminum, and copper, and die-cast products, as well as anything manufactured by solidifying and molding a fluid. By applying the bubble miniaturization method according to one embodiment of the present invention to remove bubbles, not only can the appearance be improved, but a decrease in strength due to the generation of cavities can be prevented, and a high-quality product can be provided.

Furthermore, the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention can also be applied to chemical products such as two-liquid mixed resins such as epoxy resins, silicone, rubber, cosmetics such as lipstick and mascara, soap, colored pencils, paints such as paints, sealants, lubricants, and conductive agents. In other words, it is not limited to only those that solidify, but can also be applied to those that have a viscosity sufficient to hold air bubbles inside.

Furthermore, the air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be applied not only to industrial products but also to the manufacturing process of food. For example, the air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a process in which ingredients are mixed and solidified, such as when manufacturing tofu by adding bittern to soy milk, and it is possible to provide foods such as tofu that have a fine surface and excellent appearance without depressions or cavities caused by air bubbles mixed in when solidified. In addition to tofu, it can also be applied to the manufacture of food products such as kamaboko and other pastes, konjac, candy, and honey. By applying the air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention to remove air bubbles, not only can the appearance be improved, but the distribution of volume and mass can be improved and high quality products can be provided, such as preventing oxidative deterioration caused by the mixing of air bubbles.

In this way, the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be applied in the manufacture of various fluid processed products such as those described above.

<2. Air bubble miniaturization and defoaming device>
Next, an air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 5A (A) is a schematic diagram showing an example of an air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. One aspect of the present invention is an air bubble micronizing and defoaming device 50a that imparts a fluctuating inertial force to a fluid, and includes at least a receiving section 53a as a formwork for receiving the fluid, and a fluctuating inertial force imparting mechanism 54a that imparts a fluctuating inertial force to the received fluid, and the fluctuating inertial force imparting mechanism 54a is characterized in that the fluctuating inertial force is controlled by one or more conditions selected from the fluctuating width of the fluctuating inertial force, the number of fluctuations per unit time, the time for which the fluctuating force is repeatedly fluctuated, or the number of fluctuations, depending on the type of fluid and/or the size of the bubbles.

The variable inertial force can be applied in the vertical direction (up and down direction) with respect to the fluid, i.e., in the z-axis direction in FIG. 5A(A) as in the embodiment described later, but this does not exclude the variable inertial force in the horizontal direction. As shown in FIG. 5A(B), the variable inertial force may be applied in the x-axis direction or y-axis direction, or in a direction combining the x-axis and y-axis. Furthermore, the composite direction of these variable inertial forces may be a combination of front and back (x-axis direction), left and right (y-axis direction), and up and down (z-axis direction), and these do not have to be reciprocating motions. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5B(C), in addition to the application of the variable inertial force in the vertical and/or horizontal directions, or separately, the receiving part may be rotated in a vertical plane or a horizontal plane. The rotational motion may be an elliptical motion, or a similar rotational motion when viewed from the front. In both motions, the receiving part moves while maintaining its posture, so-called translational motion, but it does not have to be translational motion.

By driving the receiver 53a using the bubble refinement and defoaming device 50a according to one embodiment of the present invention, and applying a fluctuating inertia to the entire fluid in the receiver 53a almost uniformly and almost evenly, and imparting an inertial force to the entire object that constitutes the fluid, it is possible to refine or defoam the bubbles on the surface and inside of the fluid, and to efficiently manufacture a high-quality product with a good appearance. On the other hand, there are many large concrete products formed in formwork that are large in mass, weighing nearly 20 tons. If an attempt is made to shake the entire ready-mix concrete using the formwork with the above-mentioned bubble refinement and defoaming device 50a for such a large mass, a huge device is required, and there is a risk that the vibrations from the device will propagate to the surrounding area and cause vibration damage to the surrounding area.

Therefore, the bubble micronization defoaming device 50 according to one embodiment of the present invention can have a supply section 51 to which a fluid is supplied and/or a discharge section 52 to which the fluid is discharged, as shown in FIG. 5B (D). For example, if the bubble micronization defoaming device 50 according to one embodiment of the present invention has a function as a form such as a bottomed shape with an open top, it has only the supply section 51 (the bubble micronization defoaming device 50a described above). Also, if the bubble micronization defoaming device 50 according to one embodiment of the present invention has a function of storing a fluid like a reservoir, it has only the discharge section 52. Alternatively, the bubble micronization defoaming device 50 according to one embodiment of the present invention has both the supply section 51 and the discharge section 52. Below, an example of a bubble micronization defoaming device 50 used when having both the supply section 51 and the discharge section 52, that is, when a variable inertial force is applied mainly when a fluid is sent and/or when a fluid is poured into a form, etc., will be described. Of course, for example, in the case of an embodiment of the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device 50 of the invention that has only a supply unit 51, the variable inertial force is applied after the fluid is poured into the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device 50 as a mold.

For example, the fluid is fed into the supply section 51 of the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device 50, passes through the receiver section 53 between the supply section 51 and the discharge section 52, and is given a variable inertial force by the variable inertial force imparting mechanism 54 for a certain period of time until it is discharged from the discharge section 52. As described above, by imparting a variable inertial force to the fluid, the bubbles in the fluid can be made finer.

The variable inertial force imparting mechanism 54 may include, for example, a drive unit, a connection unit that connects the drive unit and the receiving unit 53, and a control unit that controls the movement of the drive unit. The drive unit is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, an electromagnetic drive source. If it is an electromagnetic drive source, it is relatively easy to control the fluctuation range of the variable inertial force, the number of fluctuations per unit time, and the time or number of fluctuations for which it is repeatedly changed. The control unit may be able to change these parameters as appropriate depending on the state of the bubbles contained in the fluid and the elapsed time. Of course, the drive unit according to one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to only those using an electromagnetic drive source, and may be configured to mechanically impart variable inertial force using a spring, motor, hydraulic system, pneumatic system, hydraulic system, or a combination of these.

The driving action of the receiving part 53 for applying a fluctuating inertial force to the fluid may be the action generated by the driving part transmitted directly to the receiving part 53, or the action of the driving part may be converted to a predetermined action by the connection part and transmitted to the receiving part 53. For example, if an oscillation is caused in the receiving part 53 and the driving part outputs a linear reciprocating action, the connection part may directly connect the driving part and the receiving part 53, or if the driving part outputs a rotational action, the connection part may include a conversion mechanism for converting rotational motion into linear motion and be connected to the receiving part. Furthermore, when changing the oscillation width of the oscillation, the action of the driving part may be changed in a controlled manner, or may be changed mechanically by the connection part.

The receiving section may have an expandable structure, or may be made of a flexible material. FIG. 6(A) is a schematic diagram showing another example of an air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Similarly, the air bubble micronizing and defoaming device 60a according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a receiving section 63a that receives a fluid, and a variable inertial force imparting mechanism 64a that imparts a variable inertial force to the received fluid. The receiving section 63a can include a supply section 61a to which the fluid is supplied, and an exhaust section 62a to which the fluid is exhausted. The receiving section 63a can be formed of an expandable material and/or a flexible material. This configuration makes it easier to guide the fluid to the desired exhaust location, and is efficient because the air bubbles in the fluid can be micronized by imparting a variable inertial force to the fluid during induction.

Figure 6 (B) shows another example of an air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The receiving portion 63b may have a configuration that allows it to be connected to fixed passages 67 and 68, respectively, via, for example, expandable movable passages 65 and 66. The receiving portion 63b has, for example, a desired rigidity. The receiving portion 63b includes a supply portion 61b to which the fluid is supplied and a discharge portion 62b from which the fluid is discharged, and the supply portion 61b and/or the discharge portion 62b are each connected to the fixed passages 67 and 68 via movable passages 65 and 66 formed, for example, by bellows or the like.

Figures 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views illustrating several aspects of the supply section of the air bubble micro-micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The supply section 71a of the air bubble micro-micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention has a supply port 710a, as shown in Figure 7A (A), for example, and the fluid is introduced from the supply section 71a into the interior of the air bubble micro-micronizing and defoaming device. Then, a variable inertial force is imparted to the fluid by the variable inertial force imparting mechanism for a certain period of time until the fluid is discharged from the discharge section of the air bubble micro-micronizing and defoaming device.

The supply section 71b of the bubble miniaturization defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a planar bottom section 711b, a side section 712b erected vertically from its periphery, a supply port 713b penetrating vertically near the center of the bottom section 711b, and an inlet 710b extending vertically from the periphery of the supply port 713b into the receiving section, as shown in FIG. 7A(B). With this configuration, the supply section 71b can receive a wide range of fluid, and the amount of fluid flowing into the receiving section can be adjusted, preventing the fluid from scattering to the outside. The side section 712b and/or the inlet 710b are not essential components, or the side section 712b and/or the inlet 710b may be inclined relative to the vertical direction.

The supply section 71c of the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a planar opening 710c that is inclined and widens so that the diameter expands upward and outward from the periphery of the supply port 712c, as shown in FIG. 7A (C). The supply section 71c may have an inlet 711c. With this configuration, the supplied fluid is easily guided into the receiving section. The angle of the opening 710c is not particularly limited, and it may be steeply inclined.

The supply section 71d of the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a substantially bowl-shaped opening 710d that curves upward and outward from the periphery of the supply port 712d, as shown in FIG. 7A (D). The supply section 71d may have a side section and/or an inlet 711d erected at its end. With this configuration, the supplied fluid is easily guided into the receiving section along the substantially bowl-shaped opening 710d. The curved line may be selected as the brachistochrone line to promote a faster flow.

The supply section 71e of the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a substantially trumpet-shaped opening 710e that curves upward and outward from the periphery of the supply port 711e, as shown in FIG. 7A (E). The supply section 71e may have a side portion and/or an inlet that is erected at its end. Alternatively, the inlet may be configured to curve along the opening 710e. With this configuration, the supplied fluid is more easily guided into the receiving section along the substantially trumpet-shaped opening 710e.

Alternatively, the supply section 71f of the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have an opening 710f that narrows from the periphery of the supply port 712f upward to approximately the same diameter as the inlet 711f, as shown in FIG. 7A (F). Such an opening 710f may further have a connection mechanism that can be connected to a liquid delivery pipe or the like (piping, hose, etc.). With such a configuration, the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention can introduce a fluid directly from, for example, a reservoir that stores the fluid, and can control the amount of the fluid flowing down. The inlet 711f may not be required.

Also, the supply port does not necessarily have to be one. For example, as shown in FIG. 7B(G), the supply section 71g of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have two or more supply ports 710g1, 710g2. Such a configuration is effective, for example, when it is necessary to mix and supply multiple fluids. Or, it is possible to exclude elements of inappropriate size. As another configuration, the supply section 71h of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured to have a division section 711h as shown in FIG. 7B(H), dividing one opening into multiple openings 710h1, 710h2, and each opening may be connected to each of the supply ports 712h1, 712h2.

Next, the connection mode between the supply section and the receiving section in the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 7B (I), the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be configured such that the side portion 711i of the supply section 71i and the side portion 731i of the receiving section 73i have approximately the same width, and the supply section 71i and the receiving section 73i are connected without any gaps. Alternatively, the width of the side portion 731i of the receiving section 73i may be narrower than the width of the side portion 711i of the supply section 71i. This is because the fluid flows in from the supply port 710i of the supply section 71i, so the opening side of the receiving section 73i does not necessarily have to have a width equal to or greater than the supply port 710i. Therefore, the width of the side portion 731i on the supply section side of the receiving section 73i may be approximately the same as the width of the supply port 710i of the supply section 71i. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7B(J), the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be formed such that the width of the side portion 731j of the receiver 73j on the supply portion side is wider than the width of the side portion 711j of the receiver 71j. In this case, a gap is formed between the receiver 73j and the supply portion 71j. This configuration can be applied, for example, to a case where the width of the side portion 731j of the receiver 73j is wide and the width of the supply portion 71j does not need to be so wide. By forming a gap between the receiver 73j and the supply portion 71j, air or the like can be introduced through the gap. Furthermore, gas that escapes from the fluid that is oscillated in the receiver can be discharged through the gap. Such a gap may be formed between the supply portion and the receiver, for example, when the width of the side portion 731j of the receiver 73j is narrower than the width of the side portion 711j of the receiver 71j, or when the width of the side portion 731j of the receiver 73j on the supply portion side is approximately the same as the width of the supply port 710j of the receiver 71j. In addition, as shown in Figures 7B (I) and (J), the supply ports 710i and 710j are provided in the vicinity of the center of the upper surface of the receiving portion 73i and 73j so that the width is narrower than the width of the side portions 731i and 731j of the receiving portion 73i and 73j. This reduces or eliminates adhesion of the fluid supplied from the supply ports 710i and 710j to the inner surfaces of the side portions 731i and 731j of the receiving portion 73i and 73j, thereby preventing the drawback that the fluid becomes difficult to discharge, and also provides the advantage of being able to smoothly apply a fluctuating inertial force to the fluid in a short time. In this case, the shape of the side portions 711i and 711j of the supply portions 71i and 71j may be an inclined shape or a curved shape as shown in Figures 7A (C) to (E).

Next, the mode of the receiving section in the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. The receiving section 73k of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention is hollow so that the fluid can pass through, and is formed by a side section 731k of approximately the same width, for example, as shown in FIG. 7B (K). Then, for example, a variable inertial force is applied to the fluid in the receiving section 73k by a variable inertial force applying mechanism. The receiving section 73l of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a cone shape whose width increases toward the discharge section, as shown in FIG. 7B (L). At this time, the side section 731l of the receiving section 73l has a cross-sectional area in the horizontal direction of the lower end opening larger than the cross-sectional area in the horizontal direction of the upper end opening. Alternatively, the cross-sectional area of the lower end opening may be smaller than the upper end, but in this case, it is necessary to prevent the fluid from clogging the discharge section, as described later.

The receiving section 73m of the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be expanded so that the side portion 731m on the discharge section side of the receiving section 73m is wider, as shown in FIG. 7C (M). In this way, clogging of the fluid in the discharge section can be more effectively prevented. Of course, a configuration in which the supply section side is wider is also not excluded.

In addition, the receiving section 73n of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a substantially zigzag side so that the side section 731n repeatedly shrinks and expands in diameter, as shown in FIG. 7C (N). Alternatively, the receiving section 73o of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a substantially wavy side so that the side section 731o repeatedly shrinks and expands in diameter, as shown in FIG. 7B (O). With this configuration, the fluid passes through the receiving section gently, so that a fluctuating inertial force can be applied for a relatively long period of time. The shape of the side section may also be substantially barrel-shaped, substantially drum-shaped, or substantially bellows-shaped. Also, the sizes of the upper end opening and the lower end opening may be different.

In addition, the receiving section 73p of the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be formed with the side section 731p inclined relative to the vertical plane, as shown in FIG. 7C (P). In this case, the upper side section 732p and the lower side section 731p can be formed so as to at least partially overlap in the vertical direction (between the perpendicular lines P1-P2) in the vertical cross section. With this configuration, the supplied fluid is not discharged directly from the outlet, but is guided along the side section, and the path length from the upper opening to the lower opening of the receiving section can be lengthened without changing the height from the upper opening to the lower opening, so that a fluctuating inertial force can be applied for a relatively long period of time.

Furthermore, the receiving portion 73q of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a step-like side portion 731q as shown in FIG. 7C (Q). At this time, the horizontal flat portion 732q may be inclined. The receiving portion 73r of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be formed so that the widths of the side portions 731r and 732r on both sides gradually increase as shown in FIG. 7C (R). Alternatively, the receiving portion 73s of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be curved as a whole as shown in FIG. 7D (S), so that the widths of the side portions 731s and 732s on both sides gradually increase from one side to the other. The receiving portion 73t of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a part of the receiving portion 73t curved in the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. 7D (T). By adopting such a configuration, the flow of the fluid can be diverted, and a fluctuating inertial force can be applied for a relatively long period of time.

In addition, the receiving portion 73u of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be formed in a cylindrical shape with a spiral slope 733u formed inside, as shown in FIG. 7D (U). In addition, the receiving portion 73v of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be formed with eaves 733v and 734v that are inclined from the inner circumference of the receiving portion 73v toward the center and protrude alternately from the left and right, as shown in FIG. 7D (V). The tips of the left and right eaves 733v and 734v may not extend beyond the center, or may extend beyond it. In other words, the left and right eaves 733v and 734v may not overlap when viewed vertically, or may overlap.

The receiving section 73w of the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured so that the lower part of the receiving section 73w is branched into two, as shown in FIG. 7D (W). Of course, the number of branches may be two or more. The receiving section 73x of the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured so that a partition wall 733x is provided between both side sections 731x, 732x of the receiving section 73x, as shown in FIG. 7D (X), to divide the fluid path into two. In this case, the lower part of the partition wall 733x may be shorter or longer than the side sections 731x, 732x.

8A and 8B are cross-sectional views for explaining some aspects of the discharge part of the air bubble micro-defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The discharge part 82a of the air bubble micro-defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be formed horizontally with a bottom part 822a having a discharge port 820a at the lower end of the side part 821a, as shown in FIG. 8A(A), for example. At this time, the bottom part 822a may be inclined downward, or the inclination angle may be made larger. In addition, such a discharge part 82a may have a connection mechanism that can be connected to a liquid delivery pipe (piping, hose, etc.). Alternatively, the bottom part may be inclined upward, that is, toward the inside of the receiving part, or a configuration without a bottom part may be used. For example, by setting the size of the discharge port 820a so that the discharge amount (volume flow rate) of the fluid from the discharge part 82a is smaller than the introduction amount (volume flow rate) from the supply part, the fluid can be sufficiently filled in the receiving part and retained in the air bubble micro-defoaming device for a required predetermined time, and a variable inertial force can be applied during this time.

As shown in FIG. 8A(B), the discharge section 82b of the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a configuration in which the end of the discharge section 82b is expanded outward. By having an expanded section 822b without forming a bottom surface at the lower end of the side section 821b in this manner, it is possible to prevent the fluid from clogging the discharge section. In this case, the expanded section 822b may be formed so as to be horizontal on the outside, or the expanded section 822b may be inclined so as to be curved upward.

Alternatively, the discharge section 82c of the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have an opening 822c in the shape of a generally inverted bowl that curves downward and outward from the lower end of the side section 821c, as shown in FIG. 8A(C). The opening 822c can be designed to fit the shape of a protruding opening, for example, when the destination of the fluid to be discharged has a protruding opening.

The discharge section 82d of the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be configured to have a planar bottom portion 822d at the lower end of the side portion 821d, as shown in FIG. 8A (D). By having the planar bottom portion 822d, the discharge section 82d of the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be made to be self-supporting, for example, or the opening 820d can be stably held near the bottom surface of the discharge destination.

In the case where the bottom surface portion 822a is not provided as in FIG. 8A(A), or in the configurations where the bottom surface portion is not provided as in FIG. 8A(B) to (D), the cross-sectional area and cross-sectional shape of the receiving portion can be set to the desired size and shape taking into consideration the viscosity of the fluid and its adhesion to the inner surface of the side portion of the receiving portion, thereby causing the fluid that flows into the receiving portion to adhere to the inner surface of the side portion of the receiving portion, thereby reducing the falling speed and causing the fluid to remain near the outlet, making it possible to impart a substantially uniform and substantially uniform fluctuating inertial force to the entire retained fluid in response to the oscillation of the receiving portion.

In addition, the discharge section 82e of the bubble miniaturization defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a plurality of discharge ports 820e1, 820e2 formed on the bottom surface 822e, as shown in FIG. 8A (E). Of course, the positions and the number of the discharge ports 820e1, 820e2 are not limited to this embodiment. With such a configuration, the fluid can be dispersed and discharged from the plurality of discharge ports, so that the fluid can be prevented from concentrating in one place. The bottom surface 822e may be approximately V-shaped with the center protruding upward (toward the inside of the receiving section), or the protrusion may be curved and convex upward. By making it into such a shape, it is possible to prevent the fluid from accumulating on the bottom surface 822e. Of course, it is not excluded that the bottom surface 822e is curved and convex downward.

In addition, the discharge section 82f of the bubble micronization defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a discharge port 820f formed below the side portion 821f, as shown in FIG. 8A (F). The bottom surface portion 822f may have a curved shape in which the center portion protrudes upward and the inclination gradually becomes gentler toward the outside. Discharge ports 823f are also formed on both sides of the bottom surface portion 822f. With this configuration, the fluid is distributed to the left and right or to the periphery at the bottom surface portion 822f, and is discharged from the side surface portion side discharge port 820f and the bottom surface portion side discharge port 823f formed on the left and right, respectively. Alternatively, the discharge section 82g of the bubble micronization defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a configuration in which both ends of the bottom surface portion 822g extend to the discharge port 820g on the side surface portion 821g side, and no discharge port is formed on the bottom surface, as shown in FIG. 8B (G). Furthermore, the discharge section 82h of the bubble miniaturization defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured such that both ends of the bottom surface section 822h extend beyond the discharge port 820h on the side surface section 821h side, and no discharge port is formed on the bottom surface, as shown in FIG. 8B(H). In this case, the bottom surface sections 822f, 822g, and 822h may be substantially flat in the horizontal direction. By adopting such a structure, for example, when discharging a fluid near the bottom surface of a mold, it is possible to retain the fluid in the receiving section, and it is possible to apply a predetermined or greater amount of oscillation to the fluid, and since the fluid is discharged from the side surface, it is possible to more effectively prevent the inclusion of entrapped air due to falling. A fluctuating inertial force may be applied, for example, in the horizontal direction.

The discharge section 82i of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have two discharge ports 820i1 and 820i2, as shown in FIG. 8B(I). With such a configuration, for example, the fluid can be discharged evenly in multiple directions. The cross-sectional area of each of the two separated discharge ports 820i1 and 820i2 in the horizontal direction can be the same as or larger than the cross-sectional area before separation. Alternatively, the discharge section 82j of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a horizontal bottom surface of the branching section 822j, a curved shape in which the central part protrudes upward and the upper part is gradually curved toward the outside, and the side part 821j around the branching section 822j is curved so as to bulge outward along the branching section 822j, as shown in FIG. 8B(J). Also, depending on the shape of the branching section, it may be curved inward. Of course, the number of discharge ports in each form may be three or more, or may be formed over the entire circumference.

As shown in FIG. 8B(K), the discharge section 82k of the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured, for example, by forming the receiving section into a cylindrical shape, forming the bottom surface of the bottom surface 822k horizontally and forming the central portion so that it protrudes upward, and forming discharge outlets 820k on the left and right sides or all around the bottom surface of the side surface 821k. In this case, discharge outlets 823k may also be formed on the left and right sides or all around the bottom surface of the bottom surface 822k.

Specific examples of such discharge parts are shown in Fig. 8C (L) to (O). For example, the discharge part 82l of the air bubble micro-refining defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be formed with discharge ports 820l on both sides of the bottom by making the receiving part 83l cylindrical and making the bottom part 822l shaped like a substantially horizontal triangular prism, as shown in Fig. 8C (L). With such a configuration, the fluid is distributed to the left and right at the bottom part 822l, and is discharged from the bottom part both side side discharge ports 820l formed on the left and right, respectively. The left and right sides of the bottom part 822l may be shorter than the both sides of the receiving part 83l to form the discharge port 823l. Alternatively, the discharge part 82m of the air bubble micro-refining defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be formed with the receiving part 83m shaped like a square tube and the bottom part 822m shaped like a substantially horizontal triangular prism, as shown in Fig. 8C (M).

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8C (N), the discharge section 82n of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention can form the discharge outlet 820n in all directions in the circumferential direction of the bottom of the receiving section 83n by making the bottom surface portion 822n conical when the receiving section 83n is cylindrical. With this configuration, the fluid is distributed in all directions in the circumferential direction at the bottom surface portion 822n and discharged from the discharge outlet 820n formed in the all-circumferential direction. Also, as shown in FIG. 8C (O), the discharge section 82o of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention can form the discharge outlet 820o in all directions in the circumferential direction of the bottom of the receiving section 83o by making the bottom surface portion 822o pyramidal when the receiving section 83o is rectangular cylindrical. With this configuration, the fluid is distributed in all directions in the circumferential direction at the bottom surface portion 822o and discharged from the discharge outlet 820o formed in the all-circumferential direction. Of course, it is also possible to make the receiving part cylindrical and the bottom part pyramidal, or vice versa. Each bottom part may be formed so that the inclination is gentle from the apex to the outside, or may be configured so that multiple grooves extend from the apex to the outer periphery in a spiral or gradually increasing width. In addition, as shown in FIG. 8C (P), each surface of the bottom part may be curved inwardly or outwardly. The cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical part in the receiving part and the bottom shape of the bottom part may be the same shape or similar shapes. In addition, when the cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical part and the bottom shape of the bottom part are polygonal, the number of corners of each part may not necessarily be the same, and the circumferential positions of each corner may correspond or may be offset.

In FIG. 8C(O), the receiving section is shown in a cross-sectional view in which the bottom surface portion 822o is separated from the receiving section main body 821o consisting of the side surface portion, etc., but the bottom surface portion 822o may be fixed to the receiving section main body 821o by hanging it from the center of the receiving section main body 821o, or may be supported by extending support pieces from the tops of the lower end of the bottom surface portion 822o toward the tops of the lower end of the receiving section main body 821o, or may be supported by extending support pieces from the center of each side of the bottom surface of the bottom surface portion 822o toward the center of each piece of the lower end of the receiving section main body 821o, or may be extended so as to sag downward. There is no particular limitation as long as the bottom surface portion 822o can be fixed to the receiving section main body 821o. Alternatively, the bottom surface portion 822o may not be connected to the receiving section main body 821o and may be driven separately. The receiving unit main body 821o (receiving unit + supply unit, or only the receiving unit) may be driven without moving the bottom surface portion 822o, the bottom surface portion 822o and the receiving unit main body 821o may be driven separately, or only the bottom surface portion 822o may be driven.

So far, several examples of the discharge section have been explained, but when designing the discharge section, it is important to make the structure such that the fluid can be retained but will not become clogged. As mentioned above, the fluid may contain solids in the form of fine aggregate or coarse aggregate, and if the size of the discharge side opening is smaller than the size of the supply side opening of the receiving section, the gap between the solids that was large near the supply side opening will no longer be large near the discharge side opening, and the solids will come into contact with each other and become clogged. Therefore, for example, as shown in Figure 8D (Q) to (S), if the size of the discharge side opening is the same or larger than the size of the supply side opening of the receiving section, the gap between the solids near the supply side opening will be the same or larger near the discharge side opening, and the gap between the solids will be maintained and will not become clogged. In addition, if an opening is provided on the side side, the fluid will be discharged from the side side as well, which will make it less likely for the fluid to become clogged. Even if the size of the discharge side opening is smaller than the size of the supply side opening of the receiving part, if there is sufficient space between the solids near the supply side opening, the solids will be spaced apart near the discharge side opening and will not become clogged. The inner and outer surfaces of the receiving part may be provided with a coating or fine irregularities to give them water repellency, hydrophilicity, lipophilicity, or other properties, thereby improving the fluidity of the fluid when it is attached.

In addition, one aspect of the present invention may have a support part that supports the air bubble micro-micronizing defoaming device. The support part is used, for example, when a filling device equipped with the air bubble micro-micronizing defoaming device is inserted into a formwork or the like for use. Figures 9 (A) to (C) are cross-sectional views illustrating several aspects of the support part of the air bubble micro-micronizing defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The support part 91a of the air bubble micro-micronizing defoaming device 90a according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured to be suspended from a ceiling C, for example, as shown in Figure 9 (A). Alternatively, it may be configured to be suspended from a loading device such as a bucket during concrete production, or may be configured to be suspended from a hanging machine such as a crane. Alternatively, the support part 91b of the air bubble micro-micronizing defoaming device 90b according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured to be supported on a formwork 92b, for example, as shown in Figure 9 (B), and the support part 91c of the air bubble micro-micronizing defoaming device 90c according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured to be supported against the ground G, for example, as shown in Figure 9 (C).

By having a support section, it becomes easy to adjust the position of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device. It is preferable that the discharge section of the bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention is supported close to the bottom surface of a mold or the like. This is because the falling distance of the fluid discharged from the discharge section can be shortened as much as possible, and the inclusion of entrapped air can be prevented. In addition, if the fluid is being discharged, the discharge section can be arranged so as to contact the fluid in the mold, so that the fluid discharged from the discharge section can be discharged without falling into the mold. At this time, the discharge section may be raised in the same way in accordance with the rise in the liquid level of the fluid in the mold. Of course, if a liquid supply pipe such as a tube is connected to the discharge section, the tip of the liquid supply pipe may be similarly brought into contact with the fluid in the mold.

The bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have an avoidance section for avoiding contact with structures in the formwork. FIG. 10A is a schematic diagram showing an example of an air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention having an avoidance section. For example, in the case of concrete production, structures such as reinforcing bars may be arranged in the formwork. The air bubble micronizing and defoaming device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention may have an avoidance section 105 for avoiding such structures. With this configuration, it is possible to insert the air bubble micronizing and defoaming device 100 closer to the bottom surface of the formwork while avoiding structures such as reinforcing bars and piping, so that the falling distance of the fluid discharged from each discharge section 1021, 1022, 1023 can be shortened as much as possible, and the inclusion of entrapped air can be prevented.

Figure 10B shows another modified example of the bubble micronization defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Up to now, the receiving part has mainly been described as having a side part, but the receiving part does not necessarily need a side part. For example, the bubble micronization defoaming device 100a according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a bottom part 101a and an axis part 102a as shown in Figure 10B (A), and a variable inertial force can be applied by swinging the axis part 102a. Such a bubble micronization defoaming device 100a can be applied, for example, to a fluid that has a high viscosity and does not easily flow outward even without a side part, and the movement of the highly viscous fluid is not hindered by the side part. Alternatively, the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device 100b according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a side portion 103b only near the bottom portion 101b, as shown in FIG. 10B (B). In this case, one or more holes 104b may be provided in the side portion 103b so that the fluid to which the fluctuating inertial force has been applied can be discharged to the outside.

Also, as shown in FIG. 10B(C), the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device 100c according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a roof portion 103c in addition to the bottom portion 101c and the shaft portion 102c. The roof portion 103c has, for example, a through hole for passing the fluid and is arranged so as to cover the upper portion of the bottom portion 101c. This configuration is effective in preventing the fluid from scattering upward when, for example, the fluid is swung up and down to impart a fluctuating inertial force, and can also apply a fluctuating inertial force to the fluid in the space between the roof portion 103c and the bottom portion 101c.

In addition, the air bubble micronization defoaming device 100d according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a bottom surface portion 101d and a shaft portion 102d, as shown in FIG. 10B (D), and a rotating portion 103d formed to rotate around the shaft portion 102d from the bottom surface portion 101d upward. Alternatively, the air bubble micronization defoaming device 100e according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a configuration in which a plurality of hollow disks 103e, 105e are attached to the shaft portion 102e by a plurality of spokes 104e, 106e, respectively, above the bottom surface portion 101e, as shown in FIG. 10B (E). Alternatively, the air bubble micronization defoaming device 100f according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a cylindrical portion 103f that covers at least a part of the shaft portion 102f, as shown in FIG. 10B (F), in addition to the bottom surface portion 101f and the shaft portion 102f. These configurations can also function as guides and/or to prevent excessive scattering of fluids, for example, when applying a fluctuating inertial force in the rotational direction in addition to or solely in addition to the vertical oscillation.

In addition, in one aspect of the present invention, the fluctuating inertia force may be controlled by setting conditions other than those described above in the fluctuating inertia force imparting mechanism. For example, the fluctuating inertia force may be controlled so that the interfacial tension of the internal bubbles or the internal pressure of the bubbles can be changed by heating or cooling the fluid, and the fluctuating inertia force can be controlled so that the bubbles can be easily miniaturized. Alternatively, the pressure may be increased or decreased when the fluctuating inertia force is imparted. Furthermore, an impact may be applied to the fluid by applying an impulse and/or an impact to the fluid when the fluctuating inertia force is imparted. When an impact is applied to the fluid, the bubbles in the fluid are subjected to a shock pressure, and therefore are more likely to collapse. The impulse can be generated by applying a vibration to the fluid with a waveform such as a square wave or a sawtooth wave. Alternatively, a shock wave may be applied. The impact can also be realized by configuring a system so that an object vibrating with the fluid causes a collision between the fluid in the vibrated state and an object displaced relatively.

Here, we will explain the usage of the air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a process for applying a fluctuating inertial force to a fluid in the air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Here, as an example, we will take the case where fresh concrete is solidified in a formwork to produce concrete. Note that Figure 11A is a diagram for explaining the usage, and the size, shape, and scale between the components are not necessarily limited to the contents of Figure 11A.

The prepared fluid 111 is injected, for example, into a formwork 113. That is, ready-mix concrete 111 is poured from a bucket 112 into a metal mold 113. Conventionally, the fluid (ready-mixed concrete) 111 was poured from a specified height, resulting in entrapped air being generated when the fluid (ready-mixed concrete) 111 fell into the formwork 113.

Therefore, when the fluid 111 is injected into the formwork 113, a variable inertial force F is applied to the fluid 111 while it is being introduced into the formwork 113 using the air bubble micronizing and defoaming device 114 according to one embodiment of the present invention. That is, the air bubble micronizing and defoaming device 114 introduces the fluid (fresh concrete) 111 from the inlet 115 of the bucket 112 to near the bottom surface 116 inside the mold 113, and applies a variable inertial force F to the fluid 111 until the fluid 111 is discharged from the air bubble micronizing and defoaming device 114. It is preferable that the air bubble micronizing and defoaming device 114 is designed so that the most suitable variable inertial force is applied to the bubbles contained in the fluid 111 based on the above-mentioned conditions. The air bubble micronizing and defoaming device 114 may also be appropriately changed depending on the degree of filling of the fluid 111 into the formwork 113. This allows the air bubbles on the surface and inside of the fluid to be finely divided, and also prevents the inclusion of entrapped air, resulting in an efficient production of a high-quality product with a good appearance. In addition, such an air bubble fine-dividing device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be suitably applied in cases where the volume and weight of the formwork are large, such as in the production of precast concrete, and it is difficult to apply a variable inertial force to the formwork itself. Furthermore, in addition to the variable inertial force, the receiver can be locally vibrated to reduce the sliding resistance between the inner circumferential surface of the receiver and the fluid 111, thereby improving the fluidity of the fluid 111 relative to the receiver. As a configuration for locally vibrating and/or impacting the receiver, a configuration in which a local vibration and/or impact applying device is provided at one or more locations on the outer circumferential surface of the receiver can be considered. For example, a vibration motor or the like can be provided on the outer circumferential surface. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11B, the local vibration and/or impact applying device 110b can be configured to include a hollow bottomed cylinder 111b and a movable body 113b accommodated in the hollow portion 112b. The tube portion 111b is, for example, cylindrical, and the movable body 113b is, for example, spherical. The tube portion 111b is attached to the outer peripheral surface 115b of the receiving portion on the side opposite to the bottom portion 114b, and is attached with the longitudinal direction of the tube portion 111b inclined with respect to the outer peripheral surface 115b of the receiving portion so that the bottom portion 114b side is located above the mounting portion 116b. A wall portion 117b parallel to the bottom portion 114b is formed on the mounting portion 116b side of the hollow portion 112b. The movable body 113b is formed to have a slightly smaller diameter than the hollow portion 112b, and is movable in the longitudinal direction of the tube portion 111b within the hollow portion 112b between the bottom portion 114b and the wall portion 117b. By providing such a local vibration and/or impact applying device 110b, for example, the receiving part can be swung up and down and/or left and right, etc., to move the movable body 113b inside the tube part 111b, thereby applying local vibration and/or impact. The position of the local vibration and/or impact applying device may be above, below, or in the center of the receiving part, and the number of devices may be one or more, and if there are more than one, they may be arranged so as to surround the outer periphery of the receiving part.

Of course, the air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the production of precast concrete. For example, even in the case of on-site casting, air bubbles can be micronized by introducing a fluid (fresh concrete) through a means for applying a variable inertial force as described above, and a high-quality concrete product with a good appearance can be produced. In addition, the air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention can also be applied to products molded using a formwork other than the above-mentioned concrete. Depending on the type and properties of the fluid, the air bubble micronizing and defoaming device may be equipped with a mechanism for degassing or pumping the fluid when introducing it into the formwork.

12 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a process of applying a fluctuating inertial force to a fluid in an air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the air bubble micronizing and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention, when the fluid 121 is poured from the storage section 122 into the mold 123 through the introduction pipe 125 by the liquid delivery mechanism 124, a fluctuating inertial force F can be applied to the introduction pipe 125. For example, the storage section 122 is a mixer truck, the liquid delivery mechanism 124 is a pump truck, and the introduction pipe 125 is a pressure delivery pipe. The liquid delivery mechanism 124 is not necessarily required, and in some cases, the fluid 121 may be delivered by the action of gravity based on a difference in elevation or the like. The fluctuating inertial force F by the air bubble micronizing and defoaming device may be applied to the fluid 61 in the introduction pipe 125 from the outside, or the introduction pipe 125 itself may be operated to apply the fluctuating inertial force F to the internal fluid 121. As long as it can impart a variable inertial force F to the internal fluid 121, the material of the introduction pipe 125 is not particularly limited, and it may be a flexible tube, a steel pipe, or a plastic pipe. Furthermore, the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to concrete floor casting as shown in FIG. 12, but can also be used for casting on walls and ceilings.

The present invention will be described in more detail below using examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

The following describes the procedure for producing a specimen, the vibration procedure, and the recording and photographing procedure when fresh concrete is selected as the fluid. Of course, as mentioned above, the present invention is not limited in any way by the type of fluid, mixing ratio, production volume, etc. in the examples, and the fluid may be produced appropriately in accordance with ISO, JIS, or other standards, work instructions, protocols, recipes, etc. according to the type of fluid. The vibration procedure and recording procedure are also merely examples. Note that in this example, the formwork is replaced with an air bubble miniaturization and defoaming device.

[Step 1]
Cement, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate, and water were thoroughly mixed in the weight ratios shown in Table 1 to prepare ready-mix concrete.
[Step 2]
A cylindrical concrete specimen molding form having a diameter of 100 mm and a height of 100 mm was placed in a dedicated form holder.
[Step 3]
The required weight of about 2 kg of fresh concrete that had been thoroughly mixed in advance was poured into the formwork.
[Step 4]
The conventional procedure is to use a tamping rod to thoroughly level the poured fresh concrete, but when using a tamping rod to mix and level the concrete, some air bubbles remain depending on the mixing method, and it also affects the difference in the size of the remaining air bubbles, making quantification difficult. In addition, when measuring the miniaturization of air bubbles, if the original air bubbles are too much defoamed by mixing, the purpose of measuring the effect of miniaturizing and defoaming the air bubbles cannot be achieved, so the mixing process with a tamping rod was not implemented. Therefore, in step 4, a piece of polystyrene foam was sandwiched between the formwork and a special formwork holder, and the outer surface of the special formwork holder was struck with a mallet to indirectly apply a small impact vibration to the fresh concrete, which is a fluid material injected into the formwork, so that the fresh concrete was generally distributed inside the formwork.
[Step 5]
This uncured state was used as a test specimen. When vibration or the like was applied, the test specimen was placed together with the form on the vibration stage of a vibrator and fixed to the vibration stage.
[Step 6]
In this state, a simple harmonic motion in the vertical direction was applied to the test specimen in accordance with preset vibration conditions.
[Step 7]
After the vibration, the fluid was promptly removed from the vibration stage together with the formwork, and left to stand in a non-vibrating system for the necessary and sufficient curing period.
[Step 8]
When removing the specimen from the mold, the mold was placed on a table and the mold was split along the half cut of the mold while removing the specimen from the mold.
[Step 9]
The demolded specimen was placed at the center of a rotating stage, and while the rotating stage was rotated in a horizontal plane by a specified number of rotation angles, the peripheral surface of the specimen was photographed from a fixed point from the front each time, and photographs were taken and recorded over more than the equivalent of the entire circumference.
[Step 10]
Of the images taken around the entire circumference of each test specimen, the peripheral images from the phase in which the largest bubbles remained in greatest number were organized in a table for each vibration condition.

The time was kept constant, and vibration was applied in 0.5 mm increments from 1.0 to 5.0 mm for each vibration frequency condition of 10, 20, and 30 Hz. The results are summarized in Figure 13. As can be seen from Figure 13, under vibration conditions of 1 [G] or less or close to 1 [G], the bubbles are hardly broken down into fine bubbles, and remain in their original form. Furthermore, when an acceleration of a certain level or more is applied, the large bubbles that should have been present originally disappear, while relatively small bubbles that have been broken down remain. Note that the amplitude here means the total amplitude (peak to peak), which is equivalent to twice the amplitude in the usual sense.

Next, for vibration conditions of 20 Hz and 30 Hz with a total amplitude of 3.5 mm, which are the conditions under which the bubbles were relatively finely reduced in size in Figure 13, vibration times were varied from 30 to 60 seconds in 30-second intervals, and from 60 to 300 seconds in 60-second increments. The results are summarized in Figure 14. As can be seen from Figure 14, for the 20 Hz condition, bubbles of a size remaining at 30 seconds remain almost uniformly from 60 to 300 seconds thereafter. In other words, even if vibrations of a certain constant amplitude and acceleration are continued to be applied at a certain corresponding constant frequency, it can be seen that bubbles of a larger size than those originally present (relatively large bubbles targeted before vibration) are uniformly eliminated, but smaller bubbles of a certain size or less may remain.

Next, the previous process was performed for 30 seconds under vibration conditions of 30 Hz frequency and 3.5 mm total amplitude, which is the condition in Figure 13 that relatively cleanly refined the bubbles, and then the total amplitude was reduced to 0.4 mm and the vibration frequency was set to an appropriate value from 30 Hz to 262 Hz for 30 seconds in the post-process. The results are summarized in Figure 15. As can be seen from Figure 15, although it appears that some of the bubbles have been refined or eliminated, it is believed that the bubbles of the same size that remained in the previous process remain after the post-process. In other words, if the amplitude of the vibration is too small compared to the bubble size, the bubbles will not be refined or eliminated even if vibration with a significantly large frequency or acceleration is applied.

Furthermore, in Fig. 13, the bubbles were relatively finely divided under vibration conditions of a total amplitude of 3.5 mm at a frequency of 20 Hz, i.e., an acceleration of 2.8 [G], and the vibration conditions in Fig. 14, which were sufficient vibration time, i.e., 180 seconds, were used as the pre-processing conditions. In the post-processing, the total amplitude was reduced from 1.8 mm to 1.0 mm in 0.2 mm increments, and vibration was continued for an additional 120 seconds under vibration conditions where the acceleration was constant at 2.8 [G]. The results are summarized in Fig. 16. As can be seen from Fig. 16, the acceleration was set to 2.8 [G], which is moderately larger than 1 [G], in both the pre-processing and the post-processing, and the amplitude in the post-processing was set to about half that of the pre-processing. As a result, although the bubbles were finer than the maximum size bubbles that would have remained in the pre-processing without vibration, the bubbles of the size that remained as fine bubbles were further finely divided almost uniformly after the post-processing. On the other hand, it can be seen that even finer bubbles remain in all the specimens that have been through the other processes. In other words, it can be said that there are still small bubbles remaining that are not reactive under vibration conditions with an amplitude of about 1.0 mm to 1.8 mm. In order to further refine these fine bubbles, it is sufficient to apply vibrations with an even smaller amplitude and an acceleration above a certain level.

In FIG. 16, the relatively large air bubbles in the specimen with an amplitude of 1.8 mm in the latter process are residual air bubbles that remain after the former and latter processes. Such air bubbles that remain without being broken down are rarely found, particularly when the fluid that is the vibrating body contains fine aggregate and coarse aggregate in a paste-like fluid. In order to collapse this type of residual air bubbles, it is effective to destroy the air bubble capture structure formed by the aggregate surrounding the residual air bubbles, especially the coarse aggregate. For this purpose, it is preferable to apply vibrations at the natural frequency of the coarse aggregate, which is an element of the air bubble capture structure, to cause it to resonate.

Next, in the previous step, vibration was applied for 180 seconds under the condition of a total amplitude of 3.5 mm at a frequency of 30 Hz, i.e., an acceleration of 6.3 [G], which is the condition in which the bubbles were relatively finely fined in Figure 13. The total amplitude was then reduced to 1.8 mm, which is about half of the amplitude in the previous step, and the vibration frequency was set to 42 Hz to maintain the acceleration at 6.3 [G] for 120 seconds in the subsequent step. The results are summarized in Figure 17. As can be seen from Figure 17, the acceleration was set to 6.3 [G], which is sufficiently larger than 1 [G], in both the previous and subsequent steps, and the amplitude in the subsequent step was set to about half that of the previous step. As a result, although the bubbles were finer than the maximum size bubbles that would have remained in the previous step without vibration, the bubbles of the size that remained as fine bubbles were further fined and almost uniformly fined after the subsequent step. Of course, if you look closely at the surface, you can see the remaining fine bubbles that are the result of sufficient refinement. The size of these remaining fine bubbles is less than 0.7 mm, which is fully acceptable for a concrete product. Also, as can be seen from the results of Figures 16 and 17, assuming that the vibration conditions are appropriate, it can be said that it is effective to reduce the vibration conditions, i.e., the amplitude, over the course of the vibration time in accordance with the target bubble size while transitioning the vibration frequency so as to maintain the acceleration at a constant level or higher.

As another example, a fluid consisting only of cement, fine aggregate, and water, but not containing coarse aggregate, was poured into a rectangular formwork, and immediately thereafter vertical vibrations with a total amplitude of 2.0 mm and a frequency of 30 Hz were input to each formwork to vibrate it. The results are summarized in Figure 18. In this example, since there is no coarse aggregate in the fluid, it can be seen that if vibration is continued for a certain period of time or longer, the air bubbles are broken down to an almost invisible size and disappear.

11 Fluid, 12 Air bubbles, 13 Formwork, 20 (20A, 20B) Air bubbles, 30 Fluid, 31 Coarse aggregate, 32 Fine aggregate, 33 Mortar, 34 Air bubbles, 40 Fluid, 41 Air bubbles, 42 Coarse aggregate, 43 Mortar, 50, 60a, 60b, 100 Air bubble fineness defoaming device, 51, 61a, 61b, 101 Supply section, 52, 62a, 62b, 1021, 1022, 1023 Discharge section, 53, 63a, 63b, 103 Induction section, 54, 64a, 64b, 104 Variable inertia force imparting mechanism, 65, 66 Movable passage, 67, 68 Fixed passage, 71a-d Supply section, 82a-d Discharge section, 90a-c Air bubble miniaturization and defoaming device, 91a-c support parts, 92a-c formwork, 105 avoidance part, 111 fluid (fresh concrete), 112 bucket, 113 formwork (mold), 114 means for applying variable inertial force, 115 inlet, 116 bottom surface, 121 fluid, 122 storage part, 123 formwork, 124 liquid delivery mechanism, 125 introduction pipe

Claims (18)

A bubble miniaturization and defoaming device that imparts a fluctuating inertial force to a fluid,
a receiving portion having at least a bottom portion and a side portion for receiving the fluid, and having a supply portion to which the fluid is supplied and a discharge portion to which the fluid is discharged;
a variable inertial force imparting mechanism that imparts a variable inertial force exceeding twice the gravitational acceleration of the earth to the fluid by applying an acceleration that acts almost uniformly on the entirety of the received fluid,
The bottom surface is inclined downward,
The device for miniaturizing and defoaming air bubbles is characterized in that the receiving section has the discharge section around at least a portion of the periphery of the bottom section. The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to claim 1, characterized in that the supply section is disposed upstream of the receiving section and the discharge section is disposed downstream of the receiving section. The variable inertia force imparting mechanism includes:
3. The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to claim 2, characterized in that a fluctuating inertial force is applied mainly in the vertical direction. The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to claim 1, characterized in that the discharge section has multiple discharge ports. The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to claim 1, characterized in that the end of the bottom surface of the receiving section extends to the side surface. The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to claim 1, characterized in that the end of the bottom surface of the receiving section does not extend to the side surface. The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to claim 1, characterized in that the discharge section of the receiving section is formed in all directions in the circumferential direction. The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to claim 1, characterized in that the receiving section is formed so that the center of the bottom surface protrudes upward. The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to claim 8, characterized in that the bottom surface of the receiving section is formed so that the protruding surface is curved inward. The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to claim 1, characterized in that the receiving section is formed in a cylindrical shape. The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to claim 1, characterized in that the receiving section is formed so that its width increases toward the discharge section. The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of the receiving section on the supply section side is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the discharge section side. The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the supply section and the discharge section of the receiving section is connected to a fixed passage via a movable passage. The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving section has a receiving section body having a side section through which the fluid can pass, and a bottom section formed separately from the receiving section body. The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to claim 14, in which a gap is formed between the receiving body and the bottom surface portion which is separate from the receiving body, forming a discharge portion through which the fluid is discharged. The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to claim 15, characterized in that the bottom surface is supported by a support piece at the lower end of the receiving body. The variable inertia force imparting mechanism includes:
The bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to claim 14, wherein a fluctuating inertial force is applied to the fluid by driving the receiver body and/or the bottom surface portion. A filling device comprising the bubble miniaturization and defoaming device according to any one of claims 1 to 17,
A filling device that fills a formwork with fluid from the discharge portion or a passage connected to the discharge portion.