JP7728112B2 - Liquid Amplifier - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid amplification device.

Conventionally, amplification devices are known that amplify the flow rate of air flowing inside a pipe or transport workpieces inside the pipe using vacuum flow (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP 2016-60006 A U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0115709

With this type of amplifier, there was a demand for an amplifier that could assist the flow of liquid inside the tube. Specifically, there was a need for an amplifier that could smooth the flow of liquid inside the tube and stabilize the flow rate and speed.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a liquid amplification device that can smooth the flow of liquid within a pipe and stabilize the flow rate and flow velocity.

One aspect of the present invention is a liquid amplification device that is provided in a pipe through which a liquid flows and assists the flow of the liquid, and includes an annular device main body centered on a central axis, a liquid flow path that penetrates the device main body in the axial direction and through which the liquid flows, and an air flow path that injects air from an inner periphery of the device main body into the liquid flow path, the air flow path being disposed on the inner periphery and forming an annular shape extending around the central axis, and having an air injection slit that opens toward the downstream side in the axial direction, and the device main body is an annular device centered on the central axis. and a tubular portion inserted into the main body portion, the air injection slit is located in the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion and the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion, the main body portion is plate-shaped and extends in a direction perpendicular to the central axis, the tubular portion has a portion that fits into the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion, the liquid flow path has a spiral flow path whose circumferential position changes as it extends in the axial direction, the spiral flow path has a cross section perpendicular to the central axis that is approximately fan-shaped, and a plurality of the spiral flow paths are provided at intervals from each other in the circumferential direction.

This liquid amplifier is installed midway through a pipe through which a liquid, such as industrial water, flows. The liquid amplifier of the present invention injects air in a circular pattern from the air injection slits in the air flow path toward the downstream axial direction into the liquid in the liquid flow path. This assists the liquid to flow smoothly and stably through the pipe, stabilizing the liquid's flow rate and flow velocity. By stably amplifying the liquid flow, the present invention can prevent problems such as the liquid slowing down and stagnating midway through the pipe, or turbulence or backflow.

Specifically, in the present invention, a thin, high-speed air curtain, known as an air knife, is supplied from the air injection slit into the liquid. The injected air and the liquid containing the air flow along the inner periphery of the device body and the inner periphery of the pipe due to the Coanda effect, allowing the liquid to be smoothly sent downstream of the liquid amplification device.
Furthermore, the air injection slit injects fine air in a circular pattern on the inner periphery of the device body, i.e., over the entire 360° circumference around the central axis, so that the above-mentioned effects can be obtained over a wide range across the entire circumferential area.

Furthermore, the fine air (bubbles) injected into the liquid from the air injection slits contain microbubbles. The microbubbles in the liquid have the functions of removing deposits that have adhered to the inner walls of pipes and suppressing the adhesion of new deposits. Therefore, a cleaning effect can be obtained throughout the entire liquid distribution system, including the pipes through which the liquid flows. This effect also stabilizes the flow of the liquid and reduces the frequency of maintenance, etc.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, air is injected into the liquid from the air injection slit at a high flow rate but at a low flow rate, thereby making it possible to efficiently generate microbubbles while keeping the amount of air supplied to the liquid low.

In addition, because the air injection slit injects air in the direction of the liquid flow, i.e., downstream, it also prevents liquid from flowing back into the air injection slit. This prevents deposits from adhering to the air injection slit, and maintains the functionality of the air injection slit as described above.

The liquid amplifier of the present invention has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture, and can be produced at low cost. Furthermore, the external dimensions of the liquid amplifier, particularly the axial dimensions, can be easily kept small, making it easy to achieve a compact design, so it does not require a large installation space when installed midway through a pipe. This increases the degree of freedom in the design of the pipe as a whole. Furthermore, the liquid amplifier of the present invention can easily be installed midway through an existing pipe, making it highly versatile.

As described above, the liquid amplification device of the present invention can smooth the flow of liquid within the pipe and stabilize the flow rate and flow velocity.

In the above-mentioned liquid amplification device, the device main body has a ring-shaped main body portion centered on the central axis and a cylindrical portion inserted into the main body portion, and the air injection slit is arranged in the gap between the inner surface of the main body portion and the outer surface of the cylindrical portion .

In this case, the slit width (thickness) of the air ejection slit can be adjusted by appropriately adjusting the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the main body and the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion by replacing or additionally machining components. This makes it easy to fine-tune the size of the slit width of the air ejection slit and to uniform the slit width accurately over the entire circumferential direction. Therefore, the above-described effects of the present invention can be achieved more stably.
In the above liquid amplifying device, the liquid flow path has a spiral flow path whose circumferential position changes along the axial direction.
In this case, a spiral swirling flow is generated as the liquid passes through the spiral flow path, and this swirling flow flows in a spiral pattern inside the pipe downstream of the liquid amplifier. This makes it easier for the liquid to reach parts of the pipe far from the liquid amplifier, allowing the liquid inside the pipe to flow more smoothly. In addition, microbubbles are more likely to be distributed stably even to parts of the pipe far from the liquid amplifier, improving the cleaning effect throughout the entire liquid distribution system.
In the above liquid amplifying device, it is preferable that an end surface of the cylindrical portion facing downstream in the axial direction contacts an end surface of the main body portion facing upstream in the axial direction.

In the above-mentioned liquid amplification device, it is preferable that the air injection slit opens in a portion of the liquid flow path that is axially downstream of the spiral flow path.

In this case, the air injection slit opens into the liquid flow path downstream in the axial direction from the spiral flow path, so the air injected from the air injection slit and the liquid containing the air tend to flow more stably along the inner periphery of the device body and the inner surface of the pipe due to the Coanda effect. In other words, the effects of the spiral flow path and the air injection slit are synergistically effective, resulting in an even more exceptional result.

One aspect of the liquid amplification device of the present invention makes it possible to smooth the flow of liquid within the pipe and stabilize the flow rate and flow velocity.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a liquid amplification device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the II-II cross section of FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a liquid amplification device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the liquid amplification device of the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the V-V cross section of FIG.

First Embodiment
A liquid amplification device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.
As shown in Fig. 2, the liquid amplifier 10 of this embodiment is provided in a pipe 100 through which a liquid flows, and assists the flow of the liquid within the pipe 100. Specifically, the liquid amplifier 10 is provided midway through the pipe (piping) 100 through which service water flows, for example, in a can manufacturing factory, and forms part of the pipe 100. The liquid flowing through the pipe 100 is, for example, an alkaline slaked lime solution. The liquid amplifier 10 amplifies the flow of the liquid within the pipe 100. The liquid amplifier 10 of this embodiment is a type of piping member (joint member).

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the liquid amplification device 10 includes an annular device body 1 centered on a central axis O, a liquid flow path 2 through which liquid flows, an air flow path 3 through which air is injected into the liquid flow path 2, and a check valve (non-return valve) 4.
The liquid flows through the liquid flow path 2 from one end to the other end in the direction along the central axis O of the device body 1 .

In this embodiment, the direction in which the central axis O of the device body 1 extends is referred to as the axial direction. The axial direction corresponds to the Z-axis direction shown in each drawing. Within the axial direction, the direction in which the liquid flows is referred to as the downstream axial side (+Z side) or simply the downstream side. The downstream axial side is the direction from one end of the device body 1 in the axial direction to the other end. Within the axial direction, the direction opposite to the direction in which the liquid flows is referred to as the upstream axial side (-Z side) or simply the upstream side. The upstream axial side is the direction from the other end of the device body 1 in the axial direction to one end.
A direction perpendicular to the central axis O is called a radial direction. Of the radial directions, a direction approaching the central axis O is called a radially inner direction, and a direction away from the central axis O is called a radially outer direction.
The direction going around the central axis O is called the circumferential direction.

Although not specifically shown, in this embodiment, the liquid amplifier 10 is installed in the pipe 100 with the downstream axial side facing upward in the vertical direction. This makes it easier for microbubbles to flow downstream of the liquid amplifier 10 along with air (air bubbles).

The device body 1 is made of a synthetic resin such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW). The device body 1 is plate-shaped and extends in a direction perpendicular to the central axis O, and in this embodiment is an annular plate. The axial dimension (plate thickness) of the device body 1 is, for example, 30 mm or less, and in this embodiment is 25 mm.

The device main body 1 has an annular main body portion 11 centered on a central axis O, and a cylindrical portion 12 inserted into the main body portion 11 .
The main body 11 has a plate shape extending in a direction perpendicular to the central axis O, and in this embodiment has an annular plate shape. A pair of plate surfaces facing the axial direction of the main body 11 are each flat and extend in a direction perpendicular to the central axis O.

The main body 11 has a large-diameter inner peripheral portion 11a, a medium-diameter inner peripheral portion 11b, a small-diameter inner peripheral portion 11c, and a fastening hole 11d.
The large-diameter inner peripheral portion 11a is disposed at the upstream end of the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 11. The large-diameter inner peripheral portion 11a has an annular shape extending in the circumferential direction and faces inward in the radial direction. In the vertical cross-sectional view shown in Figure 2, the large-diameter inner peripheral portion 11a extends along the axial direction.

The medium-diameter inner peripheral portion 11b is located on the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 11 downstream of the large-diameter inner peripheral portion 11a. The medium-diameter inner peripheral portion 11b is annular and extends circumferentially, facing radially inward. The medium-diameter inner peripheral portion 11b has a smaller inner diameter than the large-diameter inner peripheral portion 11a. In the longitudinal cross-sectional view shown in Figure 2, the medium-diameter inner peripheral portion 11b extends along the axial direction.

The small-diameter inner peripheral portion 11c is located downstream of the medium-diameter inner peripheral portion 11b on the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 11. The small-diameter inner peripheral portion 11c is located at the downstream end of the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 11. The small-diameter inner peripheral portion 11c is annular and extends circumferentially, facing radially inward. The small-diameter inner peripheral portion 11c has the smallest inner diameter of all the inner peripheral surfaces of the main body portion 11. In the longitudinal cross-sectional view shown in Figure 2, the small-diameter inner peripheral portion 11c extends along the axial direction.

The small-diameter inner peripheral portion 11c has a portion located downstream of the downstream end of the tubular portion 12. In the illustrated example, approximately half of the axial area of the small-diameter inner peripheral portion 11c, including the downstream end, i.e., the downstream portion, protrudes and extends downstream in the axial direction beyond the tubular portion 12.

The downstream portion of the small-diameter inner circumferential portion 11c guides the air injected from the air injection slits 33 (described later) toward the downstream side in the axial direction by the Coanda effect. For this reason, the small-diameter inner circumferential portion 11c may also be referred to as the air guide portion 11c.
The upstream portion of the small-diameter inner peripheral portion 11c constitutes one of a pair of opposing slit inner walls spaced apart in the radial direction, which define an air injection slit 33, which will be described later.

The fastening holes 11d penetrate the main body 11 in the axial direction. As shown in FIG. 1, multiple fastening holes 11d are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, four fastening holes 11d are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Bolt members (not shown) or the like are inserted into the fastening holes 11d.

As shown in Figure 2, the liquid amplification device 10 is fastened to pipe flanges 101, etc., arranged on both sides of the axial direction of the liquid amplification device 10 by bolt members, etc., inserted into the fastening holes 11d, and fixed to the pipe 100.
Although not specifically shown, sealing members such as disc-shaped packings are interposed between a pair of plate surfaces facing the axial direction of the device body 1 and a pair of pipe flanges 101, etc.

The tubular portion 12 is cylindrical and centered on the central axis O, and in this embodiment is a multi-stage cylindrical shape. The tubular portion 12 has a portion that fits into the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 11, and a portion that faces the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 11 with a radial gap. More specifically, the upstream end of the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 12 in the axial direction fits into the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 11. Furthermore, the downstream end of the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 12 in the axial direction faces the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 11 with a radial gap.

The end face of the tubular portion 12 facing the upstream side in the axial direction is flat and extends in a direction perpendicular to the central axis O. The end face of the tubular portion 12 facing the upstream side in the axial direction is disposed flush with the plate surface of the main body portion 11 facing the upstream side in the axial direction, i.e., they are at the same axial position.
The end face of the tubular portion 12 facing the downstream side in the axial direction is a flat surface extending in a direction perpendicular to the central axis O. The end face of the tubular portion 12 facing the downstream side in the axial direction is located upstream of the plate surface of the main body portion 11 facing the downstream side in the axial direction.

The cylindrical portion 12 has a large diameter outer peripheral portion 12a, a medium diameter outer peripheral portion 12b, a small diameter outer peripheral portion 12c, an upstream inner peripheral portion 12d, a downstream inner peripheral portion 12e, and a middle inner peripheral portion 12f.
The large-diameter outer peripheral portion 12a is disposed at the upstream end of the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 12. The large-diameter outer peripheral portion 12a is annular and extends in the circumferential direction, facing radially outward. In the vertical cross-sectional view shown in Figure 2, the large-diameter outer peripheral portion 12a extends along the axial direction. The large-diameter outer peripheral portion 12a contacts the large-diameter inner peripheral portion 11a.

The medium-diameter outer portion 12b is located on the outer surface of the tubular portion 12 downstream of the large-diameter outer portion 12a. The medium-diameter outer portion 12b is annular and extends circumferentially, facing radially outward. The medium-diameter outer portion 12b has a smaller outer diameter than the large-diameter outer portion 12a. In the vertical cross-sectional view shown in Figure 2, the medium-diameter outer portion 12b extends along the axial direction. The medium-diameter outer portion 12b contacts the upstream end of the medium-diameter inner portion 11b.

In this embodiment, the tubular portion 12 is positioned radially relative to the main body portion 11 by the engagement between the large-diameter outer peripheral portion 12a and the large-diameter inner peripheral portion 11a, and the engagement between the medium-diameter outer peripheral portion 12b and the medium-diameter inner peripheral portion 11b. However, this is not limited to this, and the tubular portion 12 and the main body portion 11 may be positioned radially by only one of the engagement between the large-diameter outer peripheral portion 12a and the large-diameter inner peripheral portion 11a and the engagement between the medium-diameter outer peripheral portion 12b and the medium-diameter inner peripheral portion 11b.

The end face facing downstream in the axial direction, located between the large-diameter outer peripheral portion 12a and the medium-diameter outer peripheral portion 12b, comes into contact with the end face facing upstream in the axial direction, located between the large-diameter inner peripheral portion 11a and the medium-diameter inner peripheral portion 11b. This restricts the tubular portion 12 from moving downstream in the axial direction relative to the main body portion 11. The tubular portion 12 is also positioned axially relative to the main body portion 11.

The small diameter outer peripheral portion 12c is located on the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 12 downstream of the medium diameter outer peripheral portion 12b. The small diameter outer peripheral portion 12c is located at least on the downstream end of the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 12. In the illustrated example, the small diameter outer peripheral portion 12c is located in approximately half of the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 12, including the downstream end, i.e., the downstream portion. The small diameter outer peripheral portion 12c has an annular shape extending circumferentially and faces radially outward. The small diameter outer peripheral portion 12c has a smaller outer diameter than the medium diameter outer peripheral portion 12b. In this embodiment, the small diameter outer peripheral portion 12c has the smallest outer diameter of all the outer peripheral surfaces of the tubular portion 12. In the longitudinal cross-sectional view shown in Figure 2, the small diameter outer peripheral portion 12c extends along the axial direction.

The upstream portion of the small diameter outer peripheral portion 12c is disposed radially inwardly and spaced apart from the downstream portion of the medium diameter inner peripheral portion 11b.
The downstream portion of the small-diameter outer circumferential portion 12c faces the upstream portion of the small-diameter inner circumferential portion 11c with a radial gap therebetween, and also constitutes the other of a pair of opposing slit inner walls with a radial gap therebetween that define the air injection slit 33 (described later).

The upstream inner peripheral portion 12d is located at least at the upstream end of the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 12. The upstream inner peripheral portion 12d is annular and extends circumferentially, facing radially inward. The upstream inner peripheral portion 12d has a tapered surface that tapers radially inward as it extends axially downstream.

The downstream inner peripheral portion 12e is disposed at the downstream end of the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 12. The downstream inner peripheral portion 12e is annular and extends in the circumferential direction, facing radially inward. The downstream inner peripheral portion 12e has a tapered surface that extends radially outward as it extends axially downstream.
The downstream inner circumferential portion 12e guides the air so that it draws in the liquid when air is injected downstream from the air injection slits 33, which will be described later. For this reason, the downstream inner circumferential portion 12e can also be referred to as a liquid drawing guide portion 12e.

The intermediate inner peripheral portion 12f is disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 12 between the upstream inner peripheral portion 12d and the downstream inner peripheral portion 12e in the axial direction. The intermediate inner peripheral portion 12f has an annular shape extending in the circumferential direction and faces radially inward. In the vertical cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate inner peripheral portion 12f extends along the axial direction.
In this embodiment, the axial dimension of the downstream inner circumferential portion 12e increases in this order, followed by the axial dimension of the intermediate inner circumferential portion 12f and the axial dimension of the upstream inner circumferential portion 12d.

The liquid flow path 2 is provided so as to penetrate the device main body 1 in the axial direction. The liquid flow path 2 is arranged radially inside the device main body 1 and is located on the central axis O. In this embodiment, the liquid flow path 2 is in the form of a circular hole that extends in the axial direction around the central axis O. Liquid flows inside the liquid flow path 2.
The liquid flow path 2 has a narrowing diameter flow path 2a, an expanding diameter flow path 2b, a small diameter straight flow path 2c, and a large diameter straight flow path 2d.

The reduced-diameter flow path 2a is located at the upstream end of the liquid flow path 2. The reduced-diameter flow path 2a is located radially inside the upstream inner circumferential portion 12d of the tubular portion 12. The diameter of the reduced-diameter flow path 2a decreases as it moves downstream in the axial direction. In other words, the diameter of the reduced-diameter flow path 2a decreases as it moves downstream in the axial direction.

The expanding diameter flow path 2b is located downstream of the reducing diameter flow path 2a within the liquid flow path 2. The expanding diameter flow path 2b is located radially inside the downstream inner circumferential portion 12e of the cylindrical portion 12. The diameter of the expanding diameter flow path 2b increases as it moves axially downstream. In other words, the diameter of the expanding diameter flow path 2b increases as it moves axially downstream.

The small-diameter straight flow path 2c is located in the liquid flow path 2 between the narrowing-diameter flow path 2a and the widening-diameter flow path 2b in the axial direction. The small-diameter straight flow path 2c is located radially inside the intermediate inner peripheral portion 12f of the cylindrical portion 12. The small-diameter straight flow path 2c is the portion of the liquid flow path 2 with the smallest diameter. The small-diameter straight flow path 2c extends linearly along the axial direction. The small-diameter straight flow path 2c has a constant diameter along the axial direction.

The large-diameter straight flow path 2d is located downstream of the expanded-diameter flow path 2b in the liquid flow path 2. The large-diameter straight flow path 2d is located at the downstream end of the liquid flow path 2. The large-diameter straight flow path 2d is located radially inside the downstream portion of the small-diameter inner circumferential portion 11c of the main body 11. The large-diameter straight flow path 2d is the portion of the liquid flow path 2 with the largest diameter. The large-diameter straight flow path 2d extends linearly along the axial direction. The large-diameter straight flow path 2d has a substantially constant diameter along the axial direction.

The air flow path 3 injects air, which is supplied to the inside of the device body 1 through a check valve 4 from an air supply source (not shown) outside the device body 1 , from the inner periphery of the device body 1 into the liquid flow path 2 .
The air flow path 3 has an air introduction hole 31 , an air supply path 32 , and an air injection slit 33 .

The air introduction hole 31 penetrates the main body 11 in the radial direction. The radially outer end of the air introduction hole 31 opens onto the outer peripheral surface of the main body 11. The radially inner end of the air introduction hole 31 opens onto the inner peripheral surface of the main body 11. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the radially inner end of the air introduction hole 31 opens onto the medium-diameter inner peripheral portion 11b.

The air supply passage 32 is disposed radially between the main body portion 11 and the tubular portion 12. The air supply passage 32 is an annular flow path centered on the central axis O. The air supply passage 32 is connected to the radially inner end of the air introduction hole 31 and communicates with the air introduction hole 31. The air supply passage 32 is an annular chamber (space) defined by an end face facing the upstream axial direction and disposed between the medium-diameter inner circumferential portion 11b and the small-diameter inner circumferential portion 11c, the medium-diameter inner circumferential portion 11b, an end face facing the downstream axial direction and disposed between the medium-diameter outer circumferential portion 12b and the small-diameter outer circumferential portion 12c, and the small-diameter outer circumferential portion 12c.

The air injection slit 33 is located on the inner periphery of the device main body 1. The air injection slit 33 is located radially between the main body 11 and the tubular portion 12. The air injection slit 33 is annular and extends around the central axis O, and opens toward the downstream side in the axial direction. The air injection slit 33 is a cylindrical flow path that extends axially around the central axis O. The air injection slit 33 is a cylindrical gap (space) defined radially between the small-diameter inner periphery 11c and the small-diameter outer periphery 12c. More specifically, the air injection slit 33 is located between the upstream portion of the small-diameter inner periphery 11c and the downstream end of the small-diameter outer periphery 12c. In other words, the air injection slit 33 is located in the gap between the inner periphery of the main body 11 and the outer periphery of the tubular portion 12.

The air injection slit 33 is located downstream in the axial direction of the air supply path 32. The upstream end of the air injection slit 33 in the axial direction is connected to the air supply path 32. The downstream end of the air injection slit 33 in the axial direction opens into the liquid flow path 2 toward the downstream side in the axial direction. Specifically, the air injection slit 33 opens toward the large-diameter straight flow path 2d. The air injection slit 33 opens toward the downstream side in the axial direction over the entire 360° circumference around the central axis O.

The radial dimension of the air injection slit 33, i.e., the slit width dimension (thickness dimension) S, is 0.1 mm or less. Preferably, the slit width dimension S of the air injection slit 33 is 0.05 mm or less, and more preferably, 0.03 mm or less. Furthermore, it is preferable that the slit width dimension S is, for example, 0.01 mm or more.

In this embodiment, a check valve 4 is provided in the main body 11 of the device main body 1. The check valve 4 is fixed to the air inlet hole 31 by screwing or the like. The check valve 4 allows the flow of air from an air supply source (not shown) toward the air inlet hole 31, and blocks the flow of air and liquid from the air inlet hole 31 toward the air supply source.

Although not specifically shown, the air supply source is connected to the check valve 4 via piping, tubing, etc. The air supply source is, for example, an air compressor. The air supply source supplies compressed air to the check valve 4.

The liquid amplification device 10 of this embodiment, as described above, injects air in a circular pattern from the air injection slits 33 of the air flow path 3 into the liquid in the liquid flow path 2, toward the downstream axial direction. This assists the liquid to flow smoothly and stably within the pipe 100, stabilizing the flow rate and flow velocity of the liquid. According to this embodiment, by stably amplifying the flow of liquid, problems such as the liquid slowing down and stagnating midway through the pipe 100, or the occurrence of turbulence or backflow, can be suppressed.

More specifically, in this embodiment, a thin, high-speed air curtain, known as an air knife or the like, is supplied into the liquid from the air injection slit 33. The air injected in this manner and the liquid containing the air flow along the inner periphery of the device main body 1 and the inner periphery of the pipe 100 due to the Coanda effect, allowing the liquid to be smoothly sent downstream of the liquid amplification device 10.
Furthermore, the air injection slit 33 injects fine air in a circular pattern around the inner periphery of the device body 1, i.e., over the entire 360° circumference around the central axis O, so that the above-mentioned effects can be obtained over a wide range across the entire circumferential area.

Furthermore, the fine air (air bubbles) injected into the liquid from the air injection slits 33 include microbubbles. The microbubbles in the liquid have the function of removing deposits adhering to the inner walls of the pipe 100 and the function of suppressing the adhesion of new deposits. Therefore, a cleaning effect can be obtained over the entire liquid flow system, including the pipe 100 through which the liquid flows, and this effect also stabilizes the flow of the liquid and reduces the frequency of maintenance, etc.
Furthermore, according to this embodiment, air is injected into the liquid from the air injection slits 33 at a high flow rate but at a low flow rate, thereby making it possible to efficiently generate microbubbles while keeping the amount of air supplied to the liquid low.

In addition, because the air injection slits 33 inject air in the direction of the liquid flow, i.e., downstream, backflow of liquid into the air injection slits 33 is also suppressed. This prevents deposits from adhering to the air injection slits 33, and maintains the functionality of the air injection slits 33 described above.

The liquid amplifier 10 of this embodiment has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture, and can be produced at low cost. Furthermore, the external dimensions of the liquid amplifier 10, particularly the axial dimensions, can be easily kept small, making it easy to achieve a compact design, so it does not require a large installation space when installed midway through the pipe 100. This increases the degree of freedom in the design of the pipe 100 as a whole. Furthermore, the liquid amplifier 10 of this embodiment can easily be installed midway through an existing pipe 100, making it highly versatile.

As described above, the liquid amplification device 10 of this embodiment can smooth the flow of liquid within the tube 100 and stabilize the flow rate and flow velocity.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, because the device main body 1 is plate-shaped, the liquid amplification device 10 can be made more compact in the axial direction. For example, the device main body 1 can be easily fixed with a clamping bolt member or the like to a connection portion, such as between a pair of pipe flanges 101 midway along the pipe 100, making it easier to install the liquid amplification device 10.

In this embodiment, the device main body 1 has a main body portion 11 and a cylindrical portion 12 , and the air injection slit 33 is disposed in the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 12 .
In this case, the slit width dimension (thickness dimension) of the air injection slit 33 can be adjusted by appropriately adjusting the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the main body 11 and the outer circumferential surface of the tubular portion 12 by replacing components, performing additional processing, etc. This makes it easy to fine-tune the slit width of the air injection slit 33 and to accurately equalize the slit width over the entire circumferential direction. Therefore, the above-described effects of this embodiment are more stably achieved.

Second Embodiment
Next, a liquid amplification device 40 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5. In this embodiment, the same components as those in the previous embodiment are given the same names and reference numerals, and their description may be omitted. Note that in Figure 5, the pipe 100 and pipe flange 101 are not shown.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in this embodiment, a specific circumferential direction around the central axis O is referred to as one circumferential side θ1, and the direction opposite to the specific direction is referred to as the other circumferential side θ2. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, when viewing the device main body 1 from the downstream side in the axial direction, one circumferential side θ1 is the clockwise direction around the central axis O, and the other circumferential side θ2 is the counterclockwise direction around the central axis O.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, in this embodiment, the tubular portion 12 has a dividing plate portion 12g that protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion 12. The dividing plate portion 12g is arranged to circumferentially divide (sever) a circular hole-shaped space located radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion 12. The dividing plate portion 12g extends radially, with a pair of plate surfaces facing circumferentially. In the illustrated example, the axial upstream end of the dividing plate portion 12g is tapered so that the plate thickness becomes thinner toward the upstream side. Furthermore, the axial downstream end of the dividing plate portion 12g is tapered so that the plate thickness becomes thinner toward the downstream side.

The divided plate portion 12g has a pair of stepped wall portions 12h. The pair of stepped wall portions 12h are arranged on a pair of plate surfaces facing the circumferential direction of the divided plate portion 12g. The stepped wall portions 12h are stepped wall portions whose circumferential position changes in stages as they extend in the axial direction. Specifically, in this embodiment, the stepped wall portions 12h extend in a stepped manner toward one circumferential side θ1 as they extend downstream in the axial direction.
More specifically, the stepped wall portion 12h has a plurality of first flat portions oriented in the circumferential direction and extending in the radial direction, and a plurality of second flat portions oriented in the axial direction and extending in the radial direction. The stepped wall portion 12h has a staircase shape due to the plurality of first flat portions and the plurality of second flat portions being alternately arranged in the axial direction.

A plurality of divided plate portions 12g are provided, lined up in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, three divided plate portions 12g are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The radially inner ends of each divided plate portion 12g are connected to each other. Therefore, when viewed in the axial direction, the multiple divided plate portions 12g extend radially from the central axis O.

In this embodiment, the liquid flow path 2 has a spiral flow path 2e. The spiral flow path 2e is arranged radially inward on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 12. The spiral flow path 2e is arranged upstream of the large-diameter linear flow path 2d within the liquid flow path 2. The circumferential position of the spiral flow path 2e around the central axis O changes as it moves axially. Specifically, the spiral flow path 2e has a spiral shape that extends toward one circumferential side θ1 as it moves axially downstream. In this embodiment, the spiral flow path 2e is a stepped spiral flow path whose circumferential position changes in stages as it moves axially. The spiral flow path 2e is defined by the plate surfaces of a pair of circumferentially adjacent dividing plate portions 12g and the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 12. The cross section of the spiral flow path 2e perpendicular to the central axis O is approximately fan-shaped. The spiral flow path 2e has a portion defined by a stepped wall portion 12h.

Multiple spiral flow paths 2e are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction. In other words, multiple spiral flow paths 2e are provided lined up in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, three spiral flow paths 2e are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the air injection slit 33 opens into a portion of the liquid flow path 2 that is located axially downstream of the spiral flow path 2e. In this embodiment, the air injection slit 33 opens downstream into the large-diameter straight flow path 2d of the liquid flow path 2.

The liquid amplification device 40 of this embodiment described above provides the same effects as the previously described embodiment.

In this embodiment, the liquid flow path 2 has a spiral flow path 2e.
In this case, a spiral swirling flow is generated by the liquid passing through the spiral flow path 2e, and this swirling flow flows while spirally swirling inside the pipe 100 downstream of the liquid amplifier 40. This makes it easier for the liquid to reach parts of the pipe 100 that are far away from the liquid amplifier 40, allowing the liquid to flow more smoothly inside the pipe 100. In addition, microbubbles are more likely to stably reach parts of the pipe 100 that are far away from the liquid amplifier 40, and the cleaning effect can be improved throughout the entire liquid distribution system.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the air injection slit 33 opens into the liquid flow path 2 downstream in the axial direction from the spiral flow path 2e, so the air injected from the air injection slit 33 and the liquid containing the air tend to flow more stably along the inner periphery of the device main body 1 and the inner surface of the pipe 100 due to the Coanda effect. In other words, the effects of the spiral flow path 2e and the air injection slit 33 are synergistically effective, resulting in an even more exceptional effect.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and configuration changes, etc., are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention, as described below, for example.

In the second embodiment described above, as shown in FIG. 4, when the device main body 1 is viewed from the downstream side in the axial direction, one circumferential side θ1 is a clockwise direction around the central axis O, and the other circumferential side θ2 is a counterclockwise direction around the central axis O. However, this is not limited to this. In other words, when the device main body 1 is viewed from the downstream side in the axial direction, one circumferential side θ1 may be a counterclockwise direction around the central axis O, and the other circumferential side θ2 may be a clockwise direction around the central axis O. In this case, the twist direction of the spiral flow path 2e around the central axis O will be opposite to that in the second embodiment described above.

The present invention may be modified by combining the various components described in the above embodiments and variations, and by adding, omitting, substituting, or otherwise modifying components, without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but is limited only by the claims.

The liquid amplification device of the present invention can smooth the flow of liquid within the pipe and stabilize the flow rate and flow velocity. Therefore, it has industrial applicability.

1...Device body, 2...Liquid flow path, 2e...Spiral flow path, 3...Air flow path, 10, 40...Liquid amplifier, 11...Main body, 12...Cylinder, 33...Air injection slit, 100...Tube, O...Central axis

Claims (3)

A liquid amplification device that is provided in a pipe through which a liquid flows and assists the flow of the liquid,
an annular device body centered on a central axis;
a liquid flow path that passes through the device body in the axial direction and through which a liquid flows;
an air flow path that injects air from an inner circumferential portion of the device body into the liquid flow path,
the air flow path is disposed in the inner peripheral portion, has an annular shape extending around the central axis, and has an air injection slit that opens toward a downstream side in the axial direction,
The device body includes:
an annular main body portion centered on the central axis;
a cylindrical portion inserted into the main body portion,
the air injection slit is disposed in a gap between an inner circumferential surface of the main body portion and an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion,
the main body portion has a plate shape extending in a direction perpendicular to the central axis,
the cylindrical portion has a portion that fits into an inner circumferential surface of the main body portion,
the liquid flow path has a spiral flow path whose circumferential position changes along the axial direction,
The spiral flow path has a cross section perpendicular to the central axis that is substantially fan-shaped,
The spiral flow path is provided in plurality at intervals in the circumferential direction.
Liquid amplifier. an end surface of the cylindrical portion facing the downstream side in the axial direction contacts an end surface of the main body portion facing the upstream side in the axial direction;
The liquid amplification device according to claim 1 . the air injection slit opens in a portion of the liquid flow path that is located downstream in the axial direction from the spiral flow path.
3. A liquid amplification device according to claim 1 or 2 .