JPH09131522A - Mixing element - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mixing element having high fluid mixing efficiency by providing the inside of a cylindrical passage tube with plural helical blades for forming fluid passages so that none of each of the helical blades exists in the axial center section of the passage tube of the element. SOLUTION: This mixing element 1 has a cylindrical passage tube 2 and the inside of the cylindrical passage tube 2 is integrally provided with helical blades 3 and 4 so that the blades 3 and 4 are twisted clockwise or counterclockwise to form fluid passages 5 and 6. In the axial center section of the passage tube 2, none of each of the helical blades 3 and 4 exists, however, an opening 7 is formed. Thus, the streams of fluids to be mixed are joined and divided not only at one edge of each of the blades 3 and 4, that is located at the end of the passage tube 2 but also at the other edge of each of the blades 3 and 4, that is located on the side of the axial center section. Therefore, the fluids can be mixed with high mixing efficiency.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a mixing element used in a static mixer for mixing two or more fluids.

[0002]

Static mixers have no mechanical moving parts,
Spiral blades are arranged in the passage pipe, and the fluid is mixed by flowing the fluid in the passage pipe. FIG.
2 is a perspective view showing a conventional mixing element (JP-A-59-102430). In this mixing element 100, spiral blades 105 are provided inside the passage pipe 103 integrally with the passage pipe.
The blade 105 partitions the inside of the passage pipe 103 to form fluid passages 107 and 108.
The upper end of the passage tube 103 has an annular protrusion 11 on the inner peripheral side.
1a is formed, and an annular projection 1 is formed at the lower end on the outer peripheral side.
11b is formed. Thus, when the mixing elements 100 are connected to each other, the annular projections 11a of one mixing element are fitted to the annular projections 111b of the other mixing element, so that the arrangement of the two can be easily adjusted.

In the conventional mixing element configured as described above, the mixing elements 100 are connected to each other such that the edges of the blades 105 are orthogonal to 90 °, and the fluid flows inside. Then, the fluid flowing through one fluid passage of the conventional mixing element is divided into two at the edge of the blade 105, and the fluid flowing through the other fluid passage is also divided into two at the edge of the blade 105. You. Then, one of the two fluids merges into the fluid passages 107, 10 of the mixing element 100 in the next order.
8 is spirally flowed and mixed. As described above, while the fluid flows through the plurality of connected mixing elements, the fluid is repeatedly divided and merged and mixed.

[0004]

However, this conventional mixing element is satisfactory for fluid mixing in the turbulent flow region, but in the laminar flow region (especially when the Reynolds number is 100 or less), The fluid mixing efficiency was low and it was necessary to connect a large number of mixing elements. For this reason, there has been a problem that the flow resistance of the fluid is increased and the size of the static mixer is increased.
As a result, the residence time is prolonged. For example, when this mixing element is used for mixing a two-part reaction type liquid resin, the resin is likely to solidify, so that it is impossible to use a resin having a short pot life. Further, the mixed composition has a mixed form such as a ribbon shape or a stripe shape, and the mixed state is not perfect.

Similarly, when this conventional mixing element is used for mixing powder particles, the mixing state is not perfect.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a mixing element with improved fluid mixing efficiency.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A mixing element according to the present invention comprises a tubular passage pipe through which a fluid flows, and an inside of the passage pipe provided integrally with the passage pipe. It is characterized in that there are no spiral blades forming a plurality of fluid passages and the blades do not exist in the axial center portion of the passage tube.

Further, in this mixing element, the number of the blades is two, and the blades extend spirally facing each other, or the number of the blades is three, and the number of the blades in the passage pipe is three.
It can be configured to be provided at evenly distributed positions.

[0009] The fluid to be mixed includes powder and granules in addition to liquids and gases.

[0010]

In the present invention, there is a portion where the blade does not exist in the axial center portion of the passage tube, and the fluid is restricted by the blade and moves spirally in the vicinity of the inner peripheral surface of the passage tube. The axial center portion of the blade is divided by the edge of the blade on the axial center side. In other words, the fluid is spirally regulated by the blade near the inner peripheral surface of the passage tube and advances in a spiral manner. At the axial end of the blade, the fluid merges with the fluid flowing through the other fluid passage. Fluid flowing through the core is divided at the axial end of the blade. In this manner, the fluid is subjected to the merging and division at the blade edge at the end of the passage pipe, as well as the mixing and division at the axial center edge of the blade, similarly to the conventional mixing element. receive. Therefore, the fluid is mixed under the action of division by the end of the blade in the direction of the passage pipe axis, movement of the position along the blade surface, and merging (overlapping), and the fluid is also mixed at the end of the blade on the passage pipe axis side. Receive the same mixing action, the mixing efficiency is extremely high. In addition, in the present invention, since the axial center side edge of the blade exists in the entire area in the flow direction, the fluid is always subjected to the split shearing action during the flow, and therefore, the split shear action always occurs. And the mixing efficiency is dramatically increased.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a 90 ° rotating type mixing element of the present embodiment, and FIGS.
FIG. 2 is a side view of a static mixer using the mixing element. The mixing elements 1 and 8 have cylindrical passage tubes 2 and 9, respectively, and spiral blades 3, 4 and 10, 11 provided in the passage tubes 2 and 9, respectively. The blades 3, 4 and 10, 11 are twisted by 90 ° clockwise (clockwise) and counterclockwise (counterclockwise), respectively. And fluid passages 12 and 13 are formed.
The blades 3, 4 and 10, 11 do not exist in the axial center portions of the passage tubes 2, 9 and are missing in this portion. As a result, openings 7 and 14 having no blades are formed at the axial centers of the passage tubes 2 and 9 in plan view. Therefore, the fluid passages 5 and 6 and the fluid passages 12 and 13 are connected to each other through the openings 7 and 14.
They communicate with each other over the entire length of the passage tubes 2 and 9.

Such mixing elements 1 and 8
Are alternately fitted into a cylindrical casing 15, and the blades 3, 4, and 10, 1 of the mixing elements 1 and 8 are respectively fitted.
When the first and second edges are arranged orthogonally, the static mixer 3
0 is assembled.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views showing 180 ° rotating type mixing elements 16 and 23. Fluid passages 20, 21 and fluid passages 27, 28 are respectively formed on the inner portions of the passage pipes 17 and 24 by vanes 18, 19, which rotate 180 degrees clockwise to the right, and blades 25, 26, which similarly rotate left 180 degrees. Is formed. This fluid passage 20,
21 and 27, 28 communicate with each other through the openings 22 and 29 over the entire length of the passage tubes 17 and 24.
Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the mixing elements 16 and 23 are alternately fitted into the casing 15, and the end greens of the blades 18, 19 and 25, 26 at the connection points thereof are arranged so as to be orthogonal to each other. The mold mixer 31 is assembled.

The static mixer 30, constructed as described above,
While the two kinds of fluids FA and FB flow through the 31 fluid passages, a part of the fluid spirally rotates 90 ° or 180 °,
A portion is sheared at the opening, merges with the fluid flowing through the other fluid passage, is further divided, and then spirally rotates 90 ° or 180 ° in the opposite direction. Rotating, shearing, like this
The fluids are mixed while the joining and dividing are repeated.

Next, a method of manufacturing the mixing element 8 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 will be described. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a manufacturing apparatus for the 90 ° left-rotating mixing element 8,
FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the mixing element 8, and FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the mixing element 8. This manufacturing device is composed of three split molds made of aluminum or cast iron material, etc.
That is, it has an upper mold 32, a middle mold 33, and a lower mold 34. The upper mold 32 has a metal plate 35 and protrusions 37 and 38 protruding below the metal plate 35. The bottom surface of the metal plate 35 is provided with a recess 36 that is hollowed out in the shape of a thin disk. A pair of protrusions 37 and 38 provided in the recess 36 are formed so as to occupy half of the fluid passages 12 and 13, respectively. The middle die 33 has a circular hole 39 having a diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the mixing element 8 and formed in the thickness direction.
And a runner 39a having an opening on the peripheral surface of the circular hole 39. The lower mold 34 has a metal plate 40 and protrusions 42 and 43 protruding above the metal plate 40. A thin disk-shaped protrusion 41 is provided on the upper surface of the metal plate 40. The protrusion 42 provided on the protrusion 41 is formed into a shape occupying the fluid passage 13 and the opening 14 together with the protrusion 37 when the plane side surface 42 a is overlapped with the plane side surface 37 a of the protrusion 37. ing. Similarly, the protruding portion 43 is formed into a shape occupying the fluid passage 12 and the opening 14 together with the protruding portion 38 when the flat side surface 43a is overlapped with the flat side surface 38a of the protruding portion 38. The peripheral side diameters of the recess 36 and the protrusion 41 are substantially the same, and are slightly smaller than the diameter of the circular hole 39. Thus, the mold 32, the middle mold 33, and the lower mold 34
Sets the protrusions 37 and 38 and the protrusions 42 and 43 to the protrusion 3
7 and 38 and the protruding portions 42 and 43
The circular hole 39 is fitted into the circular hole 39 so that the flat side surfaces 42a and 43a of the above-mentioned contact each other. Then, the protrusion 3
Blades 10 and 11 having openings 14 are formed between the spiral side surfaces 7 and 43 and between the spiral side surfaces of the protrusions 38 and 42. Further, the passage pipe 9 portion is formed between the circumferential side surfaces of the projecting portions 37, 38, 42, 43 and the circumferential surface of the circular hole 39. Furthermore, the side surfaces of the recess 36 and the projections 37
Between the circumferential side surfaces of 8, 42, 43, an inner annular protrusion 9a portion is formed on one longitudinal end surface of the passage tube 9. Further, an outer annular projection 9b at the other end in the longitudinal direction of the passage tube 9 is formed between the intermediate side surface of the projection 41 and the circumferential side surface of the circular hole 39. The mold (upper mold 3) assembled as described above
2. When a molten material or a liquid material is injected into the cavity of the middle mold 33 and the lower mold 34) through the runner 39a, this material is formed into a shape shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 and solidified.

Next, a process of manufacturing the mixing element 8 by the lost wax casting method using the split mold as described above will be described. First, the split mold shown in FIG. 7 is assembled as described above. The molten wax is injected into the cavity in the mold via the runner 39a. Then, the injected wax solidifies to form a raw model having the shape shown in FIG. Take this raw model out of the mold,
A plurality is connected so as to be suitable for casting. The assembled raw model is immersed in a refractory latex, sand is sprinkled on the raw model to which the refractory latex has adhered, and the raw model is covered with a sand layer. In this way, the dipping in the refractory emulsion and the coating with the sand layer are repeated to form the refractory layer on the surface of the raw model. Next, the whole wax model is heated to elute the wax. When the remaining sand mold is fired at a high temperature, a mold having a space having a shape corresponding to the shape of the mixing element 8 is manufactured. A molten material of a constituent material of the mixing element such as aluminum, stainless steel, nickel, iron and copper is poured into this mold. After this injection material has solidified,
When the sand mold is broken, the 90 ° counterclockwise rotation type mixing element 8 having the shape shown in FIG. 8 is taken out. In the case where the constituent material of the mixing element is plastic or ceramic, instead of the lostwax method, instead of wax, a molten plastic material, a ceramic-like ceramic material, or a two-component curable liquid material is directly used in the divided mold shown in FIG. The mixing element may be manufactured by injection.

When manufacturing the 180 ° counterclockwise mixing element 23 (see FIG. 5), first, a raw model for the 90 ° counterclockwise mixing element 8 is formed as described above. Then, when two 90 ° rotation type row models are connected and bonded in the longitudinal direction, a row model for the 180 ° rotation type mixing element 23 having a shape as shown in FIG. 5 is obtained. A sand mold is manufactured from the raw model as described above, and a molten material of a mixing element constituting material such as aluminum is poured into the sand mold to obtain a 180 ° rotary mixing element having a shape shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. Is manufactured.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view showing the 90 ° right-rotating type mixing element 1. This 90 ° clockwise rotation type mixing element 1 can also be manufactured by the lost wax casting method using a split mold in the same manner. 1
Similarly, the mixing element 16 of the 80 ° right-rotating type is similarly manufactured by connecting two row models for the 90 ° right-rotating mixing element in the longitudinal direction to produce a row model. It may be manufactured and a melt of the mixing element constituent material may be injected into the sand mold.

As shown in a perspective view in FIG. 11, a mixing element 44 having three blades and formed with three fluid passages 45, 46, 47 can be easily manufactured by a split mold. it can.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since there is a portion where the blade does not exist at the axial center portion of the passage tube, the fluid is always subjected to the mixing action by the split shearing and the merging during the flow, and the mixing efficiency is significantly improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a 90 ° clockwise rotation type mixing element according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a 90 ° counterclockwise rotation type mixing element according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an axial cross-sectional view of a static mixer.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a 180 ° right-rotating mixing element according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a 180 ° counterclockwise rotation type mixing element according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an axial cross-sectional view of a static mixer.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an apparatus for manufacturing the mixing element of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of a 90 ° counterclockwise rotation type mixing element.

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the same.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a 90 ° right-rotating mixing element.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a mixing element having three fluid passages according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a conventional mixing element.

[Explanation of symbols]

1,8,16,23,44; mixing element 2,9,17,24; passage tube 3,4,10,11,18,19,25,26; vane 5,6,12,13,20,21 , 27, 28; fluid passages 7, 14, 22, 22, 29, 48; openings 32, 33, 34; molds 35, 40; metal plates 36; recesses 37, 38, 42, 43; protrusions 39; circles Hole 41; protrusion

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A cylindrical passage pipe through which a fluid flows, and a spiral blade provided integrally with the passage pipe inside the passage pipe to form a plurality of fluid passages inside the passage pipe. And the vane does not exist in the axial center portion of the passage tube. 2. The mixing element according to claim 1, wherein the number of the blades is two, and the blades face each other and extend in a spiral shape. 3. The mixing element according to claim 1, wherein the number of the vanes is three, and the vanes are provided at three equidistant positions in the passage pipe.