JPH04134416U - Drain discharge device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] (with amendments) [Purpose] Simple structure, capable of automatically and continuously discharging condensate, no condensate scattering or noise during discharge, and highly reliable compression with no gas leakage. To provide a drain discharge device for discharging condensate contained in air. [Structure] A porous body 2 is provided inside to partition a drain inlet 6 and a drain outlet 7. The bubble point pressure of the porous body 2 is set to be greater than the pressure of the gas that the inlet 6 receives. A drain reservoir T is provided between the porous body 2 and the discharge port 7, and the porous body 2 and the discharge port 7 are communicated with the drain reservoir T below the drain overflow surface A of the discharge port 7. A partition member 3 is provided with a partitioning configuration.

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea]

0001

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a drain discharge device, and more specifically, for example, an air compressor (compressor). In the process of supplying compressed air from the server to air tools and terminal equipment through designated piping. It is used to remove moisture and oil (drainage) contained in the air. The air dryer is used to discharge condensate that is condensed and separated to the outside. Regarding the device.

0002

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in this type of drain discharge device (hereinafter also simply referred to as "device"), the so-called A float type is well known as a typical example of an auto drain. This is inside The float is moved up and down by the buoyancy of the condensate accumulated in the area, and this movement is used to drain the water. It is configured to open and close the port (discharge valve) and automatically discharge drain.

0003

[Problem that the idea aims to solve]

Although this type of conventional equipment can automatically discharge condensate, it does not require a valve opening/closing mechanism. Since there are mechanically moving parts, the structure tends to become complicated. Therefore, within the device Iron rust, dirt, and other foreign matter that accumulates in the chamber can clog it, causing a decline in the discharge function and a breakdown. There were problems with the reliability and durability of the device.

0004 Furthermore, these devices discharge condensate all at once under pressure once it reaches a certain amount. Because of this, there are problems such as scattering and contaminating the surrounding area and making loud exhaust noise. Ta. Furthermore, when the discharge is finished, air (hereinafter also referred to as gas) is also discharged along with the drain. This led to waste of gas (pressure loss).

[0005] Under these circumstances, the applicant has developed a method for drain drainage using the bubble point pressure of porous materials. We are proposing a device. This is internally located between the drain inlet and outlet. The bubble point pressure is greater than the gas pressure at the inlet. It is constructed by providing a body.

[0006] This device discharges (extrudes) the condensate that has penetrated (absorbed) into the pores of the porous body. In order for gas to pass through, the gas pressure that the inlet receives must be higher than the capillary action. The pressure must be greater than the absorption capacity of the resin, that is, the bubble point pressure of the porous material. This takes advantage of the fact that According to this device, the inlet As long as the applied gas pressure is lower than the bubble point pressure of the porous material, gas leakage will occur. Without rubbing, the condensate continuously penetrates into the pores of the porous material, and connects to the inlet side. It passes through the pores as if being pushed out due to the pressure difference with the outlet side, and continuously It is automatically discharged from the discharge port.

[0007] Therefore, although this device has a simple structure with no mechanically moving parts, Despite this, the drain can be discharged automatically and continuously, and there is no scattering during discharge. While it has excellent effects such as no noise, in principle the porous body is wet; In other words, the pores must be filled with liquid (water or oil). If it's dry If it does, gas will leak through the pores and it will lose its function as an auto drain. This is because it will be put away. In other words, if the amount of condensate discharged is extremely small or if it is ) If the porous material dries out after not being used for a period of time, gas leakage (pressure loss) may occur. ).

[0008] The present invention is based on the features of a drain discharge device that utilizes the bubble point pressure of a porous material. In view of these issues, we aimed to provide a highly reliable device that prevents porous materials from drying out. purpose.

[0009]

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above purpose, the present invention aims to solve the problem of drain contained in compressed gas such as compressed air. This is a drain discharge device for discharging drain water, and there is a drain inlet and drain inside. A porous body is provided to partition between the outlet and the bubble point. The gas pressure is set higher than the gas pressure received by the inlet, and the porous A drain reservoir is provided between the body and the outlet, and the drain reservoir is provided with the drain reservoir. The porous body and the discharge port are configured to communicate with each other below the drain overflow surface of the discharge port. A partition member is provided for partitioning.

0010 Here, the bubble point pressure P is the interfacial tension between the liquid, porous body, and gas (air). The pressure is determined by the relationship between and the pore diameter of the porous body, and is derived from the following equation. Cause In general, the surface tension σ of the oil contained in these gases is smaller than that of water. Therefore, the bubble point pressure P is lower when impregnated with oil than when impregnated with water. descend. Therefore, even in that case, the bubble point can sufficiently withstand the gas pressure used. A porous material with a pressure of P must be used. P=K・4πσ cosθ・1/d (K: correction coefficient of pore shape, σ: surface tension, θ: solid-liquid contact angle, d: porous material pore size).

[0011]

[Effect]

With the above configuration, the drain inlet of this device can be connected to the drain outlet of an air dryer, for example. It is connected to the outlet, and when it is operated (operated), it is condensed, separated and generated. The drain flows into the device while being subjected to a predetermined air pressure. The inflowing drain is It penetrates into the pores of the porous material and is pushed out by the air pressure. It passes through and collects in the drain. Then, the accumulated drain raises the liquid level and opens the drain. exceeds the overflow surface of the drain and is discharged to the outside in the form of an overflow from the outlet. Served.

0012 In other words, if condensate flows into this device and the porous body is wet, the bubble point Since the air pressure is set higher than the air pressure, the compressed air cannot pass through it. On the other hand, due to the pressure difference between the inlet side and the outlet side, only the drain can penetrate the porous body. It passes through and is continuously discharged outside.

[0013] In addition, after this discharge starts, the drain that has passed through the porous body is separated from the drain reservoir partition. Underneath the part that communicates with the lower part of the member, that is, below the overflowing surface of the drain at the outlet. The oil reaches the outlet side in such a way that the water flows through the water, but at this time, the water has a higher specific gravity than the oil. Minutes, get through with priority. Therefore, the inside of the partition member in the drain reservoir is The oil content gradually increases until it is almost filled with oil. Then, in this state, air When the dryer stops operating, the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet ends, and the partition closes. The oil inside the filter member is kept in contact with the porous body.

[0014] By the way, if the stoppage becomes long (period), the moisture inside will decrease due to evaporation, etc. However, the decrease due to oil volatilization is minimal. Therefore, it has penetrated into the porous body. Even if the water content decreases, the oil that is in contact with it will penetrate and close the pores. As a result , the porous body is kept in a wet state substantially all the time. Thus, for long periods of time, air dryer Effectively prevents the porous material from drying out even if you stop using earphones, etc. Therefore, there is no risk of unexpected problems such as gas leaks (pressure loss) when restarting operation. Troubles are avoided.

[0015]

【Example】

-First Example- Next, the first embodiment embodying the device according to the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to FIG. Explain. 1 in the figure is the main body of the device (simply referred to as the main body), which has a pair of left and right hatches. The flanges provided on the periphery of the housings 1a and 1b, which are formed in a rectangular shape, are jutted against each other. and assemble the porous body 2 and partition member 3 inside while maintaining watertightness as described later. The bolt 4 and nut 5 are tightened to form a drum shape. In this example, on the other hand Connect the piping to the air dryer (not shown) on the top of the housing (left side in Figure 1) 1a. The other side (right side in Figure 1) is equipped with an inlet 6 that introduces (inflows) the drain into the main body 1. is equipped with a discharge port 7 for discharging condensate at approximately the same level.

[0016] On the other hand, a recess is provided on the inner circumferential edge of the flange of the main body 1, and an annular pad is inserted into this recess. A circular plate made of ceramic, which will be described later, is partitioned vertically along the mating surface through the packing 8. A plate-shaped porous body 2 is provided, and the interior is divided into left and right parts, with the left side being a drain receiving space U. The right side is the drain reservoir T. Also, on the side of the drain tank T, there is a plate-shaped The partition member 3 has a convex portion facing outward (toward the discharge port 7 side) in the middle portion, The peripheral flange is fitted into the recess through packings 8, 8. just However, the partition member 3 in this example is provided with an opening 3a at the bottom, and the drain reservoir T is It connects the left and right spaces. In this example, as air bleed or excess oil bleed, An opening 3b of an appropriate size is provided at the top of the partition member 3 above the overflow surface A of the discharge port 7. I'm being kicked.

[0017] By the way, the bubble point pressure of a porous material is greater than the gas pressure received by the inlet. However, we will now exemplify the manufacturing method for the disc-shaped material used in this example.

[0018] First, the following two types of alumina slurries, A and B, are prepared. A: 150 g of alumina (purity 99.9%, average particle size 1.2 μm), carboxylic acid 18g of dimethylcellulose, 1.5g of polycarboxylic acid surfactant, 830ml of water 1 was mixed and ground using an alumina pot and an alumina ball. B: Alumina (purity 99.9%, average particle size 0.4 μm) 150 g, carboxylic acid 10.5 g of dimethyl cellulose, 1.5 g of polycarboxylic acid surfactant, 84 g of water 0ml was mixed and ground using an alumina pot and an alumina ball.

[0019] Next, slurry A was applied to an alumina porous substrate with an average pore diameter of 3.4 μm, and dried. After drying, it is baked at 1400°C for 2 hours to form a thin film. After that, the board Slurry B was applied to the substrate, dried and then baked at 1300°C for 2 hours to form a thin film. Then, in order to repair this film, apply slurry B to the substrate again in the same manner. After drying, the film was baked at 1300°C for 2 hours to form another thin film.

The bubble point pressure of the porous body 2 manufactured in this way and used in this example is approximately 12 kg/cm 2 for water and approximately 12 kg/cm ² for compressor oil (trade name: oil for Hitachi Bebicon) as measured values. It was 5.5 kg/cm ² .

Next, the operation or effect of the device of this example will be explained. However, the porous body 2 is kept in a wet or wet state by being immersed in water in advance, and the inside of the pores are in a state of being blocked with water. When a refrigerating air dryer (not shown) (air pressure is 5 kg/cm ² or less) operates and drain flows into the drain receiving space U, the drain permeates into the pores of the porous body 2 by capillary action. It passes through the porous body 2 as it is gradually pushed out by air pressure and accumulates in the drain reservoir T. There, the liquid level of the drain rises, exceeds the drain overflow surface A of the discharge port 7, and is discharged. The arrows in the figure indicate the drain flow. During such operation, since the bubble point pressure of the porous body 2 is greater than the air pressure, only the drain passes through the porous body 2 and is discharged, and no gas leakage occurs.

[0022] By the way, the behavior of the drain after passing through the porous body 2 is as follows: It passes through a and reaches the discharge port 7 side. At this time, water is better than oil. Get through first. Therefore, the inside of the partition member 3 (porous body side) gradually becomes oily. Filled in minutes. Then, the oil and water are separated into approximately two upper and lower layers. partition The inside of member 3 has more oil than the outside, so the liquid level becomes higher due to the pressure difference, and the upper At the level of the opening 3b, excess oil flows to the outlet 7 side as shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure. It is discharged to the outside.

[0023] In this way, when the partition member 3 is used for a certain period of time, the inside of the partition member 3 is filled with oil O. The porous body 2 is placed in a state where it is in active contact with the oil O. As a result, the air dryer If the operation stops and the moisture in the porous body 2 and drain reservoir T evaporates and decreases, As oil content O permeates into the pores, gas leakage will not occur even when operation resumes. Only the drain is automatically and continuously discharged.

[0024] In this example, when starting the operation, the porous body 2 is soaked in water in advance to close the pores. However, the inside of the device on the discharge port 7 side (drain reservoir T) was initially filled with appropriate oil. You can stay there. In this case, the opening 3b in the upper part of the partition member 3 is not particularly required.

[0025] -Second example- Next, regarding the second embodiment of the device according to the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are shown. As will be explained with reference to this example, in this example, the drain is roughly separated into water and oil and then discharged to the outside. Since this is an improvement on the previous example, there is no improvement. We will mainly explain the differences.

[0026] In this example, the main body 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and a lid 12 is attached to the upper part of the body 11 outside the lower part. It is fitted airtightly through an O-ring packing 13 attached to the periphery, and is placed under the lid 12. A flange provided around the upper end of the main body 11 is engaged with the outer periphery of the cap nut 14. is screwed to fix the lid 12 to the main body 11. One side of this lid 12 (left side in Figure 2) side) is equipped with a drain inlet 15, from which it is connected to the central lower surface via a conduit 16. It is open to In this example, in order to connect piping to an air dryer (not shown), The inlet 15 is machined with a pipe taper thread.

[0027] Further, on the lower surface of the lid 12, a ceramic porous body 17 formed in a cylindrical shape is provided. , are arranged in a hanging manner on the upper and lower end surfaces with ring packings 18, 18 interposed therebetween, and the lower end thereof The surface side is held in a raised manner by the upper surface of the disc-shaped flange 19, and the center Pass the bolt 20 through the hole as a tie rod, screw it into the screw hole at the bottom center of the lid 12, and then close the lid. 12 and the porous body 17 as well as between the porous body 17 and the flange 19 in an airtight state. are doing. The porous body 17 is concentric with the inside of the main body 11 and the porous body A partition member formed in a cylindrical shape with respect to the lower surface of the lid 12, approximately halfway between the outside of the lid 17 and the outside of the lid 17. 21 is installed vertically. However, in this example, its height is set to be the same as that of porous body 17. has been done.

[0028] On the other hand, discharge pipes 22 and 23 are provided inside and outside the partition member 21 at the upper end thereof. Keeping a slight gap above, the lower end is passed through the bottom of the main body 11 while keeping the bottom airtight, and the lower end is inserted vertically. It is arranged in a straight line. However, as described later, the outer discharge pipe 23 mainly contains water. This is for draining the drain that is mainly oil. The upper ends are used as discharge ports 22a and 23a, respectively. ing. Note that the upper end surface of the outer discharge pipe 23, that is, the overflow surface A, is better than that of the inner one. It is said to be slightly lower.

[0029] As a result, in this example, the inside of the main body 11 has an inlet 15 and an outlet 22a, 23a. A porous body 17 is provided to partition the space, and the inside of the porous body 17 is a drain receiver. A storage space U is provided, and a drain reservoir T is provided outside and below the porous body 17.

[0030] Now, in this example as well, drain flows into the drain receiving space U inside the porous body 17. Then, it continuously penetrates into the pores of the porous body 17 due to capillary action, and due to the air pressure. Therefore, it is gradually pushed out and passes through the porous body 17, and the outside or bottom part of the porous body 17 is gradually pushed out. It collects in the drain tank T. Then, as the drain flows in, the liquid level rises and the partition Check the level of the discharge port 23a of the discharge pipe 23 outside the drain member 21 (drain overflow surface A). The excess amount will be discharged.

[0031] Further, since the drain that has passed through the porous body 17 is provided with the partition member 21, It passes through its lower edge and reaches the outer discharge port 23a, but in the process, the difference in specific gravity The water is separated into the lower layer and the oil is separated into the upper layer, which collects in the drain tank T. However, since it is difficult for oil to get under the partition member 21, if the partition member is used continuously, the partition member The inside of 21 gradually becomes more oily, and finally it is almost filled with oil O, so Therefore, the porous body 17 is in contact with a large amount of oil O. In addition, the oil content O inside it is at the liquid level. becomes higher, but the amount exceeds the level (overflow surface) of the outlet 22a of the inner discharge pipe 22. is discharged from.

[0032] In this way, the drain mainly consisting of water flows from the outer discharge pipe 23 to the inner discharge pipe 22. The drains containing mainly oil are separated from each other and drained out as shown by the arrows in the figure. It drips or flows down and is discharged.

[0033] In this example, as in the previous example, when operating as an auto drain, the air pressure As long as the pressure is lower than the bubble point pressure of the porous body 17, gas leakage will not occur. Also, since the porous body 17 is wet with oil, it is difficult to use it for a long time. It also prevents the gas from drying out, effectively preventing gas leaks.

[0034] In addition, in this example, water and oil can be actively separated and discharged separately, so subsequent Drainage becomes easier to dispose of. Normal drain contains less oil than water, but This is particularly suitable for drains containing a large amount of .

[0035] -Third Example- Next, a third embodiment of the device according to the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG. However, in this example, contrary to the previous example, the outside of the cylindrical porous body 37 is used as the drain receiving space U. The difference is that there is a drain T on the inside, but water and oil can be drained separately. This is basically the same as the previous example, such as the fact that it is now possible to do so, so I will mainly explain the differences.

[0036] In this example, as in the previous example, a bottomed cylindrical main body 31 has a lid 32 and an O-ring packing 33. , and is fixed to the main body 31 by screwing a cap nut 34. A drain inlet 35 is provided on one side of the lid 32 (left side in FIG. 4), and a drain inlet 35 is provided on the right side. , equipped with a discharge port 36 for discharging oil (drainage mainly composed of oil) on the central lower surface. It's open.

[0037] Further, a hollow tie rod 41 is screwed into the center of the lower surface of the lid 32. , inside thereof, there is a discharge pipe 43 for discharging moisture (drainage mainly composed of water), which will be described later. It is inserted from below to maintain watertightness. In this example, the tie rod 41 constitutes a partition member. This tie rod (hereinafter referred to as the partition member) c) On the outside of 41, a concentric cylindrical porous body 37 is provided with ring pads on the upper and lower end surfaces. The lower end surface is held by a disc-shaped flange 39. The threaded portion of the lower part of the tie rod is passed through the central hole, and the nut 42 is screwed. like this Then, the lid 32 and the porous body 37, and the porous body 37 and the flange 39 are set in an airtight manner. has been done. Although not shown in the drawings, an appropriate thread is attached to the threaded portion at the bottom of the partition member 41. A sealing material is applied to maintain watertightness between the flange 39 and the flange 39.

[0038] On the other hand, the partition member 41 is provided with an opening 41a at the bottom, and as described above. Inside the sea urchin, a discharge pipe 43 is inserted, keeping a slight gap above the upper end, and The bottom end of the main body 31 is kept sealed at the center of the bottom of the main body 31, and is disposed in a penetrating manner. instructor The inside of the porous body 37 and the outside of the discharge pipe 43 is used as a drain reservoir T, and the discharge pipe The upper end of 43 is the discharge port 43a, but the upper end surface (overflow surface A) is It is set slightly below that of the minute discharge port 36.

[0039] When the drain flows into the drain receiving space U, the liquid level rises. The water penetrates into the porous body 37, passes through it, and accumulates in the inner drain reservoir T, but the Through the lower opening 41a of the cutting member 41 and above the outlet 43a of the inner outlet pipe 43. Overflow occurs from the part that exceeds the drain surface level (drain overflow surface A), as shown by the arrow in the diagram. It drips or flows down and is discharged. At this time, the drain that has passed through the porous body 37 The oil passes through the opening 41a and reaches the outlet 43a, but since oil is difficult to penetrate, When continuously used, the outside of the partition member 41 is almost filled with oil O, and therefore, The porous body 37 is placed in contact with a large amount of oil. Note that the oil content O is high when the liquid level is high. If the amount exceeds the overflow level of the discharge port 36, that amount will be discharged to the outside.

[0040] In this example, the outside of the cylindrical porous body 37 is the drain receiving space U (inlet side). Therefore, the porous body 37 is pressurized from the outer periphery. Therefore, ceramics etc. This is suitable for materials whose tensile strength is lower than their compressive strength.

[0041] Although the porous body used in each of the above examples was made of ceramic, it is not limited to this. It is not something that will be done. Appropriate selection and use shall be made depending on the purpose, use, etc. of the device. must have an affinity for drain and allow it to easily penetrate into the pores. , is preferable in terms of improving its discharge efficiency. In addition, the average pore diameter and porosity are An appropriate one may be selected and used depending on the pressure, bubble point pressure, etc.

[0042] In addition, in order to efficiently bring oil into contact with the porous body, the partition member must be used, for example. It should be made of a material that does not allow oil to permeate (penetrate), such as stainless steel plate, but there are If you can tolerate a certain degree of deterioration in performance, use a material that can completely isolate the inside and outside. It is not necessary. For example, use a porous material or one formed like a fine network. It is also possible to

[0043] Furthermore, the overflow surface of the discharge port (water discharge port for those that separate and discharge water and oil) The lower portion that communicates between the porous body and the discharge port is Depending on the drain flow rate, it is best to install a partition member as far down as possible. . If you do so, it will be easier to retain oil inside the partition member (on the porous body side). be.

[0044] In addition, in the above example, the case where this device is attached to an air dryer is illustrated. , various types of air that use compressed air as a power source, such as air brake systems. Needless to say, it can be used by being attached to equipment, pneumatic piping, etc. natural However, the applicable compressed gas is not limited to air.

[0045]

[Effect of the idea]

As is clear from the above explanation, the drain discharge device according to the present invention Auto drain uses bull point pressure, so it has a simple structure. It operates as. Moreover, gas leakage is effectively prevented while operating as an auto drain. Since there is no waste of gas (pressure loss), it is also effective in preventing noise. Furthermore, since the drain is continuously discharged, it does not scatter and is effective in preventing pollution of the surrounding area. be.

[0046] In addition, oil can be retained inside the partition member, so it can be used as a device. Even if the operation of the porous body is stopped and the water content decreases, the oil in contact with it will close the pores of the porous body. . Therefore, even if operation starts, problems such as gas leaks (pressure loss) will occur. This is effective in preventing the occurrence of such problems, and it is possible to improve the reliability of the device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional front view showing a first embodiment of a drain discharge device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional front view showing a second embodiment of the drain discharge device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a central longitudinal sectional front view showing a third embodiment of the drain discharge device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 11, 31 Drain discharge device body 2,17,37 Porous body 3, 21, 41 Partition member 6,15,35 Inlet 7, 23a, 43a outlet T Drain reservoir A Drain overflow surface of the outlet

──────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Creator Mitsufumi Okada 14-18 Takatsuji-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya Japan Special Inside Togyo Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Claim 1: A drain discharge device for discharging condensate contained in compressed gas such as compressed air, in which a porous body is provided to partition a condensate inlet and a discharge port. In addition, the bubble point pressure of the porous body is set to be higher than the pressure of the gas that the inlet receives, and a drain reservoir is provided between the porous body and the outlet, and the drain reservoir is provided with the A drain discharge device comprising a partition member that partitions the porous body and the discharge port so as to communicate with each other below the drain overflow surface of the discharge port.