Filtration apparatus and filtration method

Abstract

The present invention provides a filtration apparatus and filtration method that can efficiently remove solid matter from a surface to which it is attached while preventing the filter material from expanding inward within the containment space. [Solution] The filtration device 10 comprises a container 12 having a wall portion 44 that constitutes a containment space S for containing a material to be processed, including solids and liquids; a filter portion 18 having a filter material 124 that captures solids and allows liquids to pass through; a liquid material outlet 40 for discharging liquids that have passed through the filter material 124 to the outside of the containment space S; and a peeling means 16 for peeling off solids that have been captured by the filter material 124 and adhered to the inner surface of the wall portion 44. The peeling means 16 has a gas injection port 110 for injecting gas onto solids adhered to the inner surface of the wall portion 44, and at least one gas injection port 110 is opened into a solid material adhesion area F on the inner surface of the wall portion 44 where solids are expected to adhere.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a filtering device and a filtering method for filtering an object to be processed.

Background Art

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a conventional filtering device. The sealed filtering and drying device (filtering device) of Patent Document 1 includes a vessel (container) having a storage space for storing a slurry (object to be processed), a filter plate (filter medium) horizontally provided at the lower part of the vessel, and a smoothing arm for scraping and discharging the cake (solid matter) adhering to the upper surface of the filter plate. A liquid supply port for supplying the slurry to the storage space is provided at the upper part of the vessel. At the bottom of the vessel, a supply port for supplying drying gas to the storage space and a filtrate discharge port for discharging the filtrate (liquid matter) passing through the filter plate to the outside are provided.

[0003] In the sealed filtering and drying device of Patent Document 1, when filtering the slurry, the slurry is supplied from the liquid supply port to the storage space, and the slurry is filtered by the filter plate. When drying the cake adhering to the filter plate, the drying gas is sprayed from the supply port through the filter plate onto the cake.

[0004] In the sealed filtering and drying device of Patent Document 1, although the cake can be dried by the drying gas, peeling off the cake adhering to the inner surface of the vessel or the upper surface of the filter plate before the drying process is not considered. Therefore, in the drying process, it is difficult to sufficiently transfer heat to the inside of the cake, and there is a problem that the drying efficiency is not good.

[0005] Note that it may be considered possible to peel off the cake from the filter plate by injecting the drying gas from below the filter plate to the cake at high pressure. However, in this case, there is a risk of causing another problem that the filter plate bulges inside the storage space due to the pressure of the drying gas.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-29611 [Overview of the Initiative]

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a filtration device and a filtration method that can efficiently remove solid matter from a material while preventing the filter material from expanding inward within the containment space.

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the filtration apparatus according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a container having a wall portion that constitutes a containment space for containing a material to be processed, including solids and liquids; a filter portion provided in the container and having a filter material that captures the solids and allows the liquids to pass through; a liquid discharge port provided in the wall portion for discharging the liquids that have passed through the filter material to the outside of the containment space; and a peeling means for peeling off the solids that have been captured by the filter material and adhered to the inner surface of the wall portion, wherein the peeling means has a gas injection port for injecting gas onto the solids adhered to the inner surface of the wall portion, and at least one of the gas injection ports is opened into a solids adhesion area on the inner surface of the wall portion where the solids are expected to adhere.

[0009] In this configuration, the gas injected from the gas nozzle opened in the area where solid matter is to adhere directly to the solid matter without passing through the filter material. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently detach the solid matter from the inner surface of the wall while preventing the filter material from expanding inward due to the gas pressure.

[0010] Another feature of the filtration apparatus according to the present invention is that it comprises a container having a wall portion that constitutes a containment space for containing a material to be processed, including solids and liquids; a filter portion provided in the container and having a filter material that captures the solids and allows the liquids to pass through; a liquid discharge port provided in the wall portion for discharging the liquids that have passed through the filter material to the outside of the containment space; a peeling means having at least one gas injection port on the inner surface of the wall portion that opens facing the containment space, and performing a peeling step for peeling off the solids that have been captured by the filter material and adhered to the inner surface of the wall portion or the surface of the filter material with gas injected from the gas injection port; a drying means performing a drying step for drying the solids peeled off by the peeling means; and a control unit that controls the peeling means and the drying means to perform the peeling step and the drying step in this order.

[0011] In this configuration, the gas injection port opens onto the inner surface of the wall, i.e., the surface that is not the filter material, so the gas injected from the gas injection port does not directly hit the filter material. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently peel off solid material from the inner surface of the wall while preventing the filter material from expanding inward into the containment space due to gas pressure. In addition, the control unit performs a peeling process before the drying process to peel off solid material adhering to the inner surface of the wall or the surface of the filter material, so that the entire solid material can be efficiently dried by the drying means during the drying process.

[0012] Another feature of the filtration apparatus according to the present invention is that it comprises a container having a wall portion that constitutes a containment space for containing a material to be processed, including solids and liquids; a filter portion provided in the container and having a filter material that captures the solids and allows the liquids to pass through; a liquid discharge port provided in the wall portion for discharging the liquids that have passed through the filter material to the outside of the containment space; and a peeling means having at least one gas injection port for peeling off the solids that have been captured by the filter material and adhered to the inner surface of the wall portion or the surface of the filter material with gas injected from the gas injection port, wherein the wall portion has a first portion and a second portion provided adjacent to the first portion at a certain angle to the first portion, the liquid discharge port is provided in the first portion or the second portion, and at least one of the gas injection ports opens facing the containment space at the boundary portion between the first portion and the second portion of the wall portion or in the vicinity thereof.

[0013] In this configuration, the liquid discharge port is provided in either the first or second section, so solid matter captured by the filter material tends to adhere to either the first or second section. At least one gas injection port opens facing the containment space at or near the boundary between the first and second sections in the wall, so that the gas injected from the gas injection port can easily flow along the inner surface of at least one of the first and second sections. Therefore, solid matter adhering to either the first or second section can be efficiently removed while preventing the filter material from expanding inward into the containment space due to gas pressure.

[0014] Another feature of the filtration apparatus according to the present invention is that the liquid discharge port is provided at or near the boundary between the first and second portions of the wall, the filter material is provided in the liquid discharge passage including the liquid discharge port, and the gas injection port, which opens at or near the boundary between the first and second portions of the wall, is located near the liquid discharge port.

[0015] In this configuration, solid matter captured by the filter material in the liquid discharge channel accumulates on the inner surface of the boundary between the first and second parts of the wall, or the area near it. Therefore, the solid matter can be efficiently detached from the inner surface of at least one of the first and second parts by gas injected from a gas injection port opened at the boundary between the first and second parts of the wall, or the area near it.

[0016] Another feature of the filtration apparatus according to the present invention is that it comprises a container state changing unit for holding the container and changing the state of the container, and a control unit for controlling the container state changing unit, wherein the container has a cylindrical peripheral wall portion that constitutes the first part and a lower wall portion that constitutes the second part by closing the lower opening of the peripheral wall portion, the liquid discharge port is provided at the lower part of the peripheral wall portion, and the control unit controls the container state changing unit to hold the container in a state in which the inner surfaces of the peripheral wall portion and the lower wall portion are lower toward the liquid discharge port during the filtration process of filtering the material to be processed.

[0017] In this configuration, the inner surfaces of the peripheral and lower walls in the filtration process are lower towards the liquid discharge port. As a result, when the solid material captured and accumulated by the filter media is cut by a vertical plane passing through the center of the peripheral wall, the cross-sectional shape is a triangle with two sides that are in contact with the peripheral and lower walls. Therefore, the contact area between the inner surfaces of the peripheral and lower walls and the solid material becomes longer in the direction along these two sides, and the gas injected from the gas injection port and flowing along these two sides can efficiently detach the solid material from the inner surfaces of the peripheral and lower walls.

[0018] Another feature of the filtration apparatus according to the present invention is that the gas injection port is covered with a porous body having strength that does not deform under the pressure of the gas and having a number of vents of a size that does not allow solid matter to pass through.

[0019] In this configuration, the porous material prevents foreign matter from entering the gas injection port. Because the porous material has sufficient strength to not deform under gas pressure, it does not expand inward into the containment space due to gas pressure.

[0020] To achieve the above objective, the filtration method according to the present invention is characterized by a filtration device comprising: a container having a wall portion that constitutes a containment space for containing a material to be processed, including a solid and a liquid; a filter portion provided in the container and having a filter material that captures the solid and allows the liquid to pass through; a liquid discharge port provided in the wall portion for discharging the liquid that has passed through the filter material to the outside of the containment space; and a peeling means having at least one gas injection port opened on the inner surface of the wall portion, wherein the filtration method comprises: a filtration step of capturing the solid with the filter material to deposit the solid on the inner surface of the wall portion such that it covers at least one of the gas injection ports, and discharging the liquid that has passed through the filter material from the liquid discharge port; and a peeling step of operating the peeling means to inject the gas from at least the gas injection port covered with the solid to peel the solid from the inner surface of the wall portion.

[0021] In this configuration, the gas injected from the gas nozzle covered with solid material hits the solid material directly without passing through the filter material. This prevents the filter material from expanding inward due to the gas pressure while efficiently removing the solid material from the inner surface of the wall.

[0022] Another feature of the filtration method according to the present invention is that the wall portion has a first portion and a second portion provided adjacent to the first portion at a certain angle to the first portion, the liquid discharge port is provided in the first portion or the second portion, at least one gas injection port is opened facing the containment space at the boundary portion or near the boundary portion of the wall portion between the first portion and the second portion, and in the filtration step, the solid material is deposited on the inner surface of the wall portion so as to cover the gas injection port opened at the boundary portion or near the boundary portion.

[0023] In this configuration, at least one gas injection port of the peeling means is opened facing the accommodation space at the boundary between the first part and the second part or in the vicinity thereof on the wall part. Therefore, the gas injected from the gas injection port can be made to flow between the inner surface of at least one of the first part and the second part and the solid matter adhering to the inner surface. Accordingly, while preventing the filter medium from swelling inside the accommodation space due to the pressure of the gas, the solid matter can be efficiently peeled off from the inner surface of at least one of the first part and the second part.

[0024] Another feature of the filtration method according to the present invention is that it includes a container state change part for holding the container and changing the state of the container. The liquid discharge port is provided at the boundary between the first part and the second part or in the vicinity thereof on the wall part. The filter medium is provided in the liquid discharge path including the liquid discharge port. In the filtration step, the container state change part is operated so as to hold the container in a state where the positions of the inner surfaces of the first part and the second part are lowered toward the liquid discharge port.

[0025] In this configuration, since the positions of the inner surfaces of the first part and the second part in the filtration step are lowered toward the liquid discharge port, the cross-sectional shape of the solid matter captured and deposited by the filter medium becomes a triangle having two sides that are the portions in contact with the peripheral wall part and the bottom wall part. Accordingly, the contact region where the inner surfaces of the first part and the second part contact the solid matter becomes long in the direction along the two sides, and the solid matter can be efficiently peeled off from the inner surfaces of the first part and the second part by the gas injected from the gas injection port and flowing along the two sides.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1] It is a front view showing the configuration of the filtration device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a rear view showing the configuration of the filtration device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a piping system diagram showing the piping system of the filtration device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] (A) is a plan view showing the main components of the filtration device, (B) is a cross-sectional view of the line VB-VB in Figure 5(A), and (C) is an enlarged view of the K1 section in Figure 5(B). [Figure 6] (A) is a plan view cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of gas injection ports, and (B) is an enlarged view of the K2 portion in Figure 5(B). [Figure 7] This is a process diagram showing each step of the filtration method according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] (A) is a diagram showing the input process, and (B) is a diagram showing the filtration preparation process. [Figure 9] (C) is a diagram showing the filtration process, and (D) is a diagram showing the peeling process. [Figure 10] (E) is a diagram showing the drying process, and (F) is a diagram showing the discharge process. [Figure 11] (A) is a diagram showing a first modified example of the peeling process, and (B) is a diagram showing a second modified example of the peeling process. [Figure 12] (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a filtration device according to another embodiment, and (B) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the discharge process. [Figure 13] (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a filtration apparatus according to yet another embodiment, and (B) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the discharge process. [Figure 14] (A) is a plan view cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the peeling means according to the first modified example, and (B) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the peeling means according to the second modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] Hereinafter, a filtration apparatus and filtration method according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0028] (Filtration device according to the embodiment) Figure 1 is a front view showing the configuration of the filtration device 10 according to the embodiment. Figure 2 is a rear view showing the configuration of the filtration device 10. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 1, showing the configuration of the filtration device 10. Figure 4 is a piping diagram showing the piping system of the filtration device 10. Figure 5(A) is a plan view showing the configuration of the main part of the filtration device 10, Figure 5(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VB-VB in Figure 5(A), and Figure 5(C) is an enlarged view of the K1 portion in Figure 5(B). Figure 6(A) is a plan view cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of the gas injection port 110, and Figure 6(B) is an enlarged view of the K2 portion in Figure 5(B). Note that the height of the cut surface (surface indicated by solid hatching) in the plan view cross-sectional view of Figure 6(A) coincides with the height of the upper surface of the lower wall portion 30. The area F indicated by dashed hatching in Figure 6(A) is the "planned solid matter adhesion area" where solid matter W1 is expected to adhere in the filtration process shown in Figure 9(C).

[0029] Note that the directions "front, back, left, right, up, and down" used in the following explanation correspond to the directions indicated by arrows in the diagrams. The front view (Figure 1) shows the filtration device 10 as seen from the front, and the rear view (Figure 2) shows the filtration device 10 as seen from the rear.

[0030] The filtration apparatus 10 shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 is a device for performing each step (Figure 7) of the filtration method described later in a chemical plant or the like. As shown in Figure 3, the filtration apparatus 10 comprises a container 12 having a containment space S for containing the material to be processed W (Figure 8(A)) containing solid and liquid substances, a peeling means 16, a filter section 18, and a stirring device 20. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the filtration apparatus 10 comprises a container state changing section 22 and a control section 24.

[0031] The state of the material to be processed W can include a state containing both solid and liquid, a state containing only solid, or a state containing only liquid. The state containing only solid will be specifically referred to as "solid W1".

[0032] As shown in Figure 5(B), the container 12 has a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 26 extending in the vertical direction, a disc-shaped upper wall portion 28 provided at the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 26 to close the upper opening, and a disc-shaped lower wall portion 30 provided at the lower end of the peripheral wall portion 26 to close the lower opening. The peripheral wall portion 26, the upper wall portion 28, and the lower wall portion 30 are made of a metal such as stainless steel, and together they constitute the bottomed cylindrical wall portion 44 of the container 12. In other words, in this embodiment, each of the peripheral wall portion 26, the upper wall portion 28, and the lower wall portion 30 is part of the wall portion 44 that constitutes the storage space S.

[0033] Here, "up and down direction" refers to the up and down direction defined by focusing on the state of the container 12 when its center line L is positioned parallel to the vertical direction, and does not refer to the vertical direction itself. Therefore, if the container 12 is tilted with respect to the vertical direction, the "up and down direction" becomes the direction intersecting the vertical direction.

[0034] A solid matter discharge port 32 is formed in the forward-facing portion of the lower part of the peripheral wall 26 for discharging solid matter W1 (Figure 10(F)) captured by the filter material 124 to the outside of the containment space S. A cylindrical solid matter discharge nozzle 34 made of metal such as stainless steel is provided at the solid matter discharge port 32 so as to protrude outward. In this embodiment, the "solid matter discharge section" that constitutes the solid matter discharge path U for discharging solid matter W1 to the outside of the containment space S is composed of the solid matter discharge nozzle 34, and the opening on the upstream side of the solid matter discharge path U is composed of the solid matter discharge port 32.

[0035] A lid portion 36 is detachably attached to the solid waste discharge nozzle 34. The lid portion 36 has a disc-shaped lid plate portion 36a and a bottomed cylindrical core 36b joined to the lid plate portion 36a. The core 36b is configured to fill the internal space of the solid waste discharge nozzle 34. The lid plate portion 36a is fixed to a flange 34a provided at the tip of the solid waste discharge nozzle 34 using a clamp 38.

[0036] A liquid discharge port 40 is formed in the rearward-facing portion of the lower part of the peripheral wall portion 26 for discharging the liquid (filtrate) of the material to be processed W that has passed through the filter material 124 of the filter portion 18 to the outside of the containment space S. A cylindrical liquid discharge nozzle 42 made of a heat-conducting metal such as stainless steel is provided at the liquid discharge port 40 so as to protrude outward. A flange 42a is formed at the tip of the liquid discharge nozzle 42. In this embodiment, the "liquid discharge section" that constitutes the liquid discharge passage V for discharging the liquid (filtrate) to the outside of the containment space S is composed of the liquid discharge nozzle 42, and the inlet (upstream opening) of the liquid discharge passage V is composed of the liquid discharge port 40. Therefore, the liquid discharge passage V includes the liquid discharge port 40.

[0037] As shown in Figure 5(C), the base end of the liquid discharge nozzle 42 is joined to the inner circumference of the liquid discharge port 40 by welding or the like. An annular projection 42b is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the base end of the liquid discharge nozzle 42 to position the tip of the support 126 that constitutes the filter portion 18. The projection 42b is connected to the peripheral wall portion 26 via the base end of the liquid discharge nozzle 42 and is part of the wall portion 44 that constitutes the containment space S.

[0038] As shown in Figure 5(B), a shaft through-hole 52 is formed in the center of the upper wall 28 through which the drive shaft 144 of the agitator 20 is inserted. An inlet 54 for introducing the material to be processed W (Figure 8(A)) into the containment space S and an instrument mounting hole 56 are formed in the portion of the upper wall 28 that is not in the center. A cylindrical nozzle 58 is connected to the inlet 54, and a lid 60 is detachably attached to the tip of the nozzle 58. An instrument 62, such as a pressure gauge, is mounted in the instrument mounting hole 56.

[0039] As shown in Figure 5(A), two peephole mounting holes 64a, 64b and two hose connection holes 66a, 66b are formed in the portion of the upper wall 28 that is off-center. Peepholes 68a, 68b are installed in the peephole mounting holes 64a, 64b.

[0040] As shown in Figure 4, the downstream ends of the gas supply hoses 70a and 70b are connected to the hose connection holes 66a and 66b. The upstream ends of the gas supply hoses 70a and 70b are connected to a gas source 74 that discharges high-pressure gas such as nitrogen gas via an on-off valve 72. A control unit 24 is electrically connected to the on-off valve 72, and the on-off valve 72 is controlled according to a control signal provided by the control unit 24.

[0041] The peeling means 16 shown in Figure 5(B) is a means for peeling off solid matter W1 (Figure 9(D)) that has been captured by the filter material of the filter section 18 and adhered to the inner surface of the wall section 44, and has a first jacket 46 and a second jacket 48. Also, as shown in Figure 5(A), the peeling means 16 has gas injection nozzles 50a and 50b.

[0042] The first jacket 46 and the second jacket 48 are "peeling heating devices" for heating the contact area X of the solid matter W1 (Figure 9(D)) adhering to the inner surface of the wall portion 44 to peel off the solid matter W1, and are also "drying heating devices" for drying the peeled-off solid matter W1.

[0043] As shown in Figure 5(B), the first jacket 46 has a jacket body 46a formed along the outer surface of the peripheral wall portion 26, and a heat medium flow path 76 is formed between the peripheral wall portion 26 and the jacket body 46a through which the heat medium flows. As shown in Figure 5(A), the jacket body 46a is provided with a heat medium inlet 80a and a heat medium outlet 80b spaced apart from each other.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4, the downstream end of the heat medium supply pipe 82a is connected to the heat medium inlet 80a, and the upstream end of the heat medium discharge pipe 82b is connected to the heat medium outlet 80b. The upstream end of the heat medium supply pipe 82a is connected to the discharge port 84a of the pump 84. A hot water source 88 is connected to the suction port 84b of the pump 84 via an on-off valve 86, and a cold water source 92 is connected via an on-off valve 90, etc. Therefore, when the on-off valve 86 is open and the on-off valve 90 is closed, hot water can be supplied to the first jacket 46 (Figure 5(B)), while when the on-off valve 86 is closed and the on-off valve 90 is open, cold water can be supplied to the first jacket 46.

[0045] As shown in Figure 4, the control unit 24 is electrically connected to the pump 84, and the pump 84 is driven or stopped according to the control signal provided by the control unit 24. Similarly, the control unit 24 is electrically connected to the on-off valves 86 and 90, and the on-off valves 86 and 90 are controlled according to the control signal provided by the control unit 24. Note that the type of heat transfer medium is not limited to hot water and cold water; steam, temperature-controlled oil, gas, etc., may also be used.

[0046] As shown in Figure 5(B), the second jacket 48 has a jacket body 48a formed along the outer surface of the lower wall portion 30, and a heat medium flow path 78 through which the heat medium flows is formed between the lower wall portion 30 and the jacket body 48a. The jacket body 48a is provided with a heat medium inlet 98a and a heat medium outlet 98b spaced apart from each other, as shown in Figure 5(A).

[0047] As shown in Figure 4, the downstream end of the heat medium supply pipe 100a is connected to the heat medium inlet 98a, and the upstream end of the heat medium discharge pipe 100b is connected to the heat medium outlet 98b. The upstream end of the heat medium supply pipe 100a is connected to the discharge port 84a of the pump 84. Therefore, the pump 84 can simultaneously supply the same type of heat medium to the first jacket 46 and the second jacket 48.

[0048] When the heat transfer fluid is supplied to the first jacket 46 and the second jacket 48 shown in Figure 5(B), the peripheral wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 30 of the container 12 are heated or cooled by the heat transfer fluid. In addition, the upper wall portion 28 connected to the peripheral wall portion 26, the base end and protrusion 42b of the liquid discharge nozzle 42 are heated or cooled. In other words, the entire wall portion 44 that constitutes the containment space S is heated or cooled. As a result, heat exchange occurs between the object to be processed W contained in the containment space S and the wall portion 44, and the object to be processed W is heated or cooled.

[0049] The gas injection nozzles 50a and 50b shown in Figure 5(A) are "peeling gas injection devices" for peeling off solid matter W1 (Figure 9(D)) that has been captured by the filter material 124 of the filter section 18 and is adhering to the inner surface of the wall section 44 or the surface of the filter material 124 by injecting gas into the solid matter W1. The configuration of the two gas injection nozzles 50a and 50b is the same.

[0050] As shown in Figure 6(B), one gas injection nozzle 50a has a nozzle body 102, a porous body 104, a sheath tube 106, and a nut 108.

[0051] The nozzle body 102 is a cylindrical member that constitutes the gas flow path R. A gas injection port 110 is formed at the tip of the nozzle body 102, and a gas supply port 112 is formed at the base end of the nozzle body 102. An annular recess 102a is formed on the tip surface (upper end surface) of the nozzle body 102, into which a porous body 104 is fitted. An annular groove 102b is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the tip of the nozzle body 102, into which an O-ring 114 is fitted. A female thread 102c is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the base end of the nozzle body 102, into which the male thread of the gas supply hose 120a (Figure 4) is joined. A flange 102d is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the base end of the nozzle body 102, which abuts against the base end surface (lower end surface) of the sheath pipe 106.

[0052] The porous body 104 is a component having numerous ventilation holes of a size that does not allow solid matter W1 to pass through, and has the strength to not deform under the pressure of the gas supplied from the gas source 74. In this embodiment, the porous body 104 is a sintered wire mesh formed in the shape of a disc, and is fitted and fixed into the recess 102a of the nozzle body 102. In other words, the gas injection port 110 of the nozzle body 102 is covered with the porous body 104. Note that the type of porous body 104 is not limited to sintered wire mesh; for example, a filter cloth made of woven or non-woven fabric reinforced with a reinforcing material may be used. The porous body 104 may also be fixed by welding.

[0053] The sheath tube 106 is a cylindrical member into which the nozzle body 102 can be freely inserted and removed, and a male thread 106a is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the base end of the sheath tube 106. The sheath tube 106 is inserted through a through hole 116 formed in the lower wall portion 30 and a through hole 118 formed in the jacket body 48a of the second jacket 48, and is joined to the lower wall portion 30 and the jacket body 48a by welding or the like. In this state, the tip surface (upper end surface) of the sheath tube 106 is flush with the upper surface of the lower wall portion 30.

[0054] The nut 108 has a female thread 108a that is screwed onto the male thread 106a of the sheath tube 106, and a contact portion 108b that abuts against the flange 102d of the nozzle body 102. When the nozzle body 102 is inserted into the sheath tube 106, the female thread 108a of the nut 108 is screwed onto the male thread 106a of the sheath tube 106, and the flange 102d of the nozzle body 102 is clamped between the base end face (lower end face) of the sheath tube 106 and the contact portion 108b of the nut 108, thereby fixing the nozzle body 102 to the sheath tube 106.

[0055] With the nozzle body 102 fixed to the sheath tube 106, the tip surface (upper end surface) of the nozzle body 102 and the upper surface of the porous body 104 are flush with the upper surface of the lower wall portion 30, and the gas injection port 110 opens onto the upper surface of the lower wall portion 30, i.e., the inner surface of the wall portion 44, facing the containment space S. The gap between the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle body 102 and the inner circumferential surface of the sheath tube 106 is sealed with an O-ring 114.

[0056] As shown in Figure 4, the downstream ends of the gas supply hoses 120a and 120b are connected to the gas injection nozzles 50a and 50b. The upstream ends of the gas supply hoses 120a and 120b are connected to a gas source 74 that discharges high-pressure gas such as nitrogen gas via an on-off valve 122. A control unit 24 is electrically connected to the on-off valve 122, and the on-off valve 122 is controlled according to a control signal provided by the control unit 24.

[0057] As shown in Figure 6(A), the gas injection ports 110 of the gas injection nozzles 50a and 50b constituting the peeling means 16 are opened into the solid matter adhesion area F on the upper surface (inner surface) of the lower wall portion 30 (wall portion 44). As described above, the solid matter adhesion area F is the area where solid matter W1 is expected to adhere in the filtration process shown in Figure 9(C). The range of the solid matter adhesion area F varies depending on the amount of material W to be processed, the shape and size of the container 12, and the inclination angle of the container 12 with respect to the horizontal plane in the filtration process, but it can be determined in advance through prior experiments or calculations.

[0058] For example, in an experimental machine (modified version) in which the upper wall 28 is formed in a dome shape, if the diameter D1 of the lower wall 30 is 45 cm, the height of the peripheral wall 26 is 60 cm, and the volume of the container 12 (container space S) including the inner space of the dome-shaped upper wall 28 is 108 L, then the amount of material to be processed W to be input is a lower limit of 4200 cm³. 3 ~Upper limit 35800cm 3This is determined within the range of 3.89% to 33.15% of the volume of the container 12 (container space S). The lower limit of the amount of material to be processed W is approximated by the minimum amount that the filter media 124 is covered by solid matter W1 in the material to be processed W and not exposed to the containment space S when the filtration process is performed with the container 12 tilted at 45 degrees. Therefore, it is possible to prevent pressure from escaping from exposed parts of the filter media 124 during the filtration process and to improve filtration efficiency. The upper limit of the amount of material to be processed W is the amount that the material to be processed W does not come into contact with the filter media 124 when the container 12 is tilted at the tilt angle of the container 12 in the filtration preparation process shown in Figure 8(B) (for example, -45 degrees), and approximates the amount that can secure the minimum necessary clean area Q at the top of the containment space S when the container 12 is tilted in the range of -45 degrees to +45 degrees. The user can pre-calculate the range of the area F where solid matter is expected to adhere, based on the amount of material to be processed W input within the above range, the amount of solid matter W1 captured by the filter media 124, and the inclination angle of the container 12 during the filtration process (for example, 45 degrees).

[0059] As shown in Figure 6(A), when the peripheral wall portion 26 of the wall portion 44 of the container 12 is referred to as the "first portion" and the lower wall portion 30 as the "second portion", the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion) and the lower wall portion 30 (second portion) are provided adjacent to each other at a certain angle (90 degrees in this embodiment), and the liquid discharge port 40 is provided in the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion). The gas injection ports 110 of the gas injection nozzles 50a and 50b are opened facing the containment space S at the boundary portion E between the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion) and the lower wall portion 30 (second portion) of the wall portion 44 or a nearby portion (in this embodiment, a nearby portion of the boundary portion E in the lower wall portion 30) from the viewpoint of making it easier to direct the injected gas along at least one of the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion) and the lower wall portion 30 (second portion). At least one gas injection port 110, which opens into or near the boundary portion E, is located near the liquid discharge port 40.

[0060] As shown in Figure 6(A), when a virtual circle T with a diameter D2 that is half the diameter D1 of the lower wall portion 30 is assumed to be centered on the center line L of the container 12, in this embodiment, the area outside the virtual circle T in the lower wall portion 30 is considered to be the vicinity of the boundary portion E, and the gas injection port 110 is opened there.

[0061] The portion of the wall portion 44 near the boundary portion E is preferably such that the shortest distance from the boundary portion E to the inner periphery of the gas injection port 110 is 20 cm or less, more preferably 10 cm or less, and most preferably 5 cm or less. The inner periphery of the gas injection port 110 may be in contact with the wall portion 44 (the peripheral wall portion 26 in this embodiment), may be 1 cm or more away from the wall portion 44, or may be 3 cm or more away.

[0062] As shown in Figure 6(B), the gas flow path R of the nozzle body 102 constituting the gas injection nozzle 50a is perpendicular to the upper surface of the lower wall portion 30 and extends parallel to the axis of the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion), i.e., the center line L of the container 12. Furthermore, as described above, the gas injection port 110 opens into the containment space S in the vicinity of the boundary portion E in the lower wall portion 30. Therefore, the gas injected from the gas injection port 110 flows easily in the axial direction along the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion), and easily peels off solid matter W1 adhering to the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion) and the surface of the filter material 124.

[0063] Furthermore, the direction in which the gas flow path R of the nozzle body 102 extends does not necessarily have to be parallel to the center line L of the container 12, and may be appropriately changed within the range in which the gas discharged from the gas injection port 110 forms a flow along the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion).

[0064] The filter section 18 shown in Figure 5(B) is provided in the container 12 and is a component for filtering the material to be processed W (Figure 8(A)). As shown in Figure 5(C), the filter section 18 has a filter material 124 provided in the liquid discharge passage V at the base end opening of the liquid discharge nozzle 42, and a support 126 that supports the filter material 124 inside the liquid discharge nozzle 42. The filter material 124 is a component having numerous holes that capture solid matter W1 and allow liquid matter to pass through. The type of filter material 124 is not particularly limited, and filter cloth (woven fabric, nonwoven fabric) and sintered wire mesh can be appropriately selected and used.

[0065] The support 126 has a filter plate portion 128 that contacts the surface of the filter material 124 facing outward into the containment space S, and a cylindrical clamping portion 130 that is fitted inside the liquid discharge nozzle 42 and cooperates with the protrusion 42b of the liquid discharge nozzle 42 to clamp the outer circumference of the filter material 124. The entire support 126 is made of a heat-conducting metal such as stainless steel.

[0066] The filter plate portion 128 is formed to a size that can block the opening of the liquid discharge nozzle 42, and the filter plate portion 128 has a number of through holes 128a formed therein to allow the liquid (filtrate) contained in the material to be processed W to pass through.

[0067] The clamping portion 130 is integrally formed with the filter plate portion 128, and a groove 132 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the clamping portion 130. An O-ring 134 is fitted into the groove 132 to seal the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the liquid discharge nozzle 42 and the outer circumferential surface of the clamping portion 130. An annular recess 136 is formed on the tip surface of the clamping portion 130, and the outer circumferential portion of the filter material 124 is pressed into and fixed into the recess 136 by a PTFE spacer (a rod with a square cross-section) 138.

[0068] As shown in Figure 5(B), a lid portion 140 having a discharge pipe connection hole 140a and a handle 140b is joined to the base end of the clamping portion 130, and the lid portion 140 is fixed to the flange 42a of the liquid discharge nozzle 42 via a clamp 142. Therefore, after removing the clamp 142, the operator can remove the entire support 126 and filter material 124 from the liquid discharge nozzle 42 by pulling the handle 140b by hand.

[0069] The stirring device 20 shown in Figure 5(B) is a device for stirring the material to be processed W in the containment space S, and has a drive shaft 144, a stirring blade 146, and a drive motor 148.

[0070] The drive shaft 144 is a rod-shaped member positioned in the containment space S, extending in the axial direction of the container 12. A stirring blade 146 is attached to the lower end of the drive shaft 144. The rotation shaft (not shown) of the drive motor 148 is connected to the upper end of the drive shaft 144. As shown in Figure 4, the control unit 24 is electrically connected to the drive motor 148, and the drive motor 148 rotates or stops according to the control signals provided by the control unit 24.

[0071] The container state changing unit 22 shown in Figure 1 is a component for changing the state of the container 12, and includes a pair of frames 150a, 150b arranged on both the left and right sides of the container 12, a pair of bearing parts 152a, 152b, a pair of pivot shafts 154a, 154b, and a pivot operation unit 156.

[0072] Each of the pair of frames 150a and 150b is constructed by joining rod-shaped bases 158a and 158b, which have a square cross-section, and rod-shaped support columns 160a and 160b, which also have a square cross-section, in an inverted T-shape. The bases 158a and 158b are arranged to extend in the front-to-back direction, and the support columns 160a and 160b are arranged to extend in the vertical direction. Bearing portions 152a and 152b are provided at the upper ends of the support columns 160a and 160b.

[0073] Each of the pair of pivot shafts 154a and 154b is a rod-shaped member having a common pivot center extending in the left-right direction in the horizontal plane. The left end of the right pivot shaft 154a is joined to the right side of the container 12, and the right end of the left pivot shaft 154b is joined to the left side of the container 12. Furthermore, the right end of the right pivot shaft 154a is rotatably supported by a bearing portion 152a, and the left end of the left pivot shaft 154b is rotatably supported by a bearing portion 152b.

[0074] The rotating operation unit 156 is the part that changes the tilt angle of the container 12 by rotating the right-side rotating shaft 154a, and has a gear unit 162 incorporated in the right-side bearing 152a, a drive motor 164 for inputting rotational force to the input terminal of the gear unit 162, and a manual handle 166 for inputting rotational force to the input terminal of the gear unit 162. The output terminal of the gear unit 162 is connected to the right-side rotating shaft 154a.

[0075] As shown in Figure 4, the drive motor 164 is electrically connected to the control unit 24, and the drive motor 164 rotates or stops according to the control signals provided by the control unit 24. The container state changing unit 22 in this embodiment is configured to execute each holding step shown in Figure 7 according to the control signals provided by the control unit 24.

[0076] The rotating operation unit 156 may be configured to change the tilt angle of the container 12 by rotating the left rotating shaft 154b. Alternatively, the user may change the tilt angle of the container 12 by rotating the rotating shaft 154a by turning the manual handle 166.

[0077] The control unit 24 shown in Figure 4 is a device that controls each electrical component for operating the filtration device 10, and is composed of a microcomputer (not shown) consisting of a CPU, ROM, RAM, and timer. The ROM stores the operating programs for each electrical component.

[0078] (Filtration method according to the embodiment) Figure 7 is a process diagram showing each step of the filtration method according to the embodiment. Figure 8(A) is a diagram showing the input step, and Figure 8(B) is a diagram showing the filtration preparation step. Figure 9(C) is a diagram showing the filtration step, and Figure 9(D) is a diagram showing the peeling step. Figure 10(E) is a diagram showing the drying step, and Figure 10(F) is a diagram showing the discharge step.

[0079] As shown in Figure 7, when filtering the material to be processed W using the filtration device 10, the processing of the material to be processed W is carried out in the following order: input step, filtration preparation step (dissolution step and crystallization step), filtration step, peeling step, drying step, and discharge step. Furthermore, the holding of the container 12 is carried out in the following order: input holding step, filtration preparation holding step, filtration holding step, peeling holding step, drying holding step, and discharge holding step. In other words, the filtration method according to this embodiment comprises six processing steps related to the processing of the material to be processed W and six holding steps related to holding the container 12. Each processing step and each holding step are carried out in parallel and correspond to each other. Therefore, the input step, filtration preparation step, filtration step, peeling step, drying step, and discharge step may be recognized as a broader concept that includes the input holding step, filtration preparation holding step, filtration holding step, peeling holding step, drying holding step, and discharge holding step.

[0080] The "container state" shown in Figure 7 refers to the orientation of the container 12, and the state of the container 12 corresponding to each processing step is shown conceptually in Figure 7. In each holding step, the control unit 24 (Figure 4) controls the drive motor 164 of the container state changing unit 22 to appropriately switch the state of the container 12 and hold the container 12 in the switched state.

[0081] The "state of the stirring device" shown in Figure 7 refers to the state of the stirring blade 146, specifically, either rotating or stopped. The control unit 24 (Figure 4) controls the drive motor 148 of the stirring device 20 to appropriately switch the state of the stirring device 20 according to each processing step and to maintain the switched state.

[0082] The "heat transfer medium supply state" shown in Figure 7 refers to the supply state of the heat transfer medium (hot water or cold water) to the first jacket 46 and the second jacket 48. The control unit 24 (Figure 4) controls the pump 84 and the on-off valves 86 and 90 to appropriately switch the heat transfer medium supply state according to each processing step and to maintain the switched state.

[0083] The "filtration preparation step" shown in Figure 7 is a step in which the material to be processed W, which contains solid and liquid substances, is prepared in the filtration preparation area M (Figure 8(B)) of the container 12 that is in a filtration preparation state, and includes a dissolution step and a crystallization step. In other words, in this embodiment, the material to be processed W, which contains solid and liquid substances, is prepared by the dissolution step and the crystallization step.

[0084] The following describes each processing step and each holding step based on Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10. The areas indicated by dashed hatching in the figures represent clean areas Q where the material to be processed W is not present in all steps from the input step to the discharge step, and at all transitions between these steps. In other words, the filtration device 10 is configured to perform all steps from the input step to the discharge step while ensuring a clean area Q within the containment space S. The amount of material to be processed W input in the input step is determined to ensure a clean area Q.

[0085] As shown in Figures 5(A) and (B), in this embodiment, a shaft through hole 52, an input port 54, an instrument mounting hole 56, viewing window mounting holes 64a and 64b, and hose connection holes 66a and 66b are formed in the upper wall portion 28 of the container 12, so it is necessary to prevent the material to be processed W from adhering to these. Therefore, in each holding process, the control unit 24 (Figure 4) controls the drive motor 164 of the container state changing unit 22 so as to secure a clean area Q in the area where these are located in the containment space S.

[0086] The control unit 24 (Figure 4) starts control operations for each processing step and each holding step in response to input signals from the drive switch operated by the user, and stops control operations for each processing step and each holding step in response to input signals from the stop switch operated by the user. The user operates the drive switch and stop switch while visually checking the conditions inside the storage space S through the viewing windows 68a and 68b.

[0087] (Input process) The loading process shown in Figure 7 is the process of loading the material to be processed W into the storage space S of the container 12. When the loading process is executed, the loading and holding process starts before the loading process.

[0088] As shown in Figure 8(A), during the loading and holding process, the control unit 24 (Figure 4) controls the drive motor 164 of the container state changing unit 22 to hold the container 12 in the loading state. Here, the loading state is the state in which the center line L extends in the vertical direction of the container 12. In this embodiment, the loading process is performed with the container 12 in the loading state.

[0089] As shown in Figure 7, during the input process, the control unit 24 (Figure 4) controls the drive motor 148 to stop the stirring device 20, and controls the pump 84 and on-off valves 86 and 90 to stop the supply of the heat transfer medium. As indicated by the arrows in Figure 8(A), the user puts the material to be processed W into the containment space S from the nozzle 58 of the container 12, and then attaches the lid 60 (Figure 5(B)) to the nozzle 58. In this embodiment, the material to be processed W put into the containment space S includes both liquid and solid matter.

[0090] (melting process) The dissolution process shown in Figure 7 is a process of dissolving the solid material W to be processed, which is introduced into the containment space S, into a liquid to create a solution. When the dissolution process is performed, the filtration preparation and holding process is started before the dissolution process.

[0091] As shown in Figure 8(B), during the filtration preparation and holding process, the control unit 24 (Figure 4) controls the drive motor 164 of the container state changing unit 22 to switch the state of the container 12 from the input state to the filtration preparation state and to hold the container 12 in the filtration preparation state. In this embodiment, the control unit 24 controls the drive motor 164 of the container state changing unit 22 to rotate the container 12, which is in the input state shown in Figure 8(A), 45 degrees counterclockwise from the state shown in the figure and then stop it. Therefore, the inclination angle of the container 12 with respect to the horizontal plane becomes 45 degrees.

[0092] Here, the filtration preparation state refers to the state of the container 12 in which a filtration preparation area M for preparing the material to be processed W (object to be filtered) containing solid matter is secured in the area vertically below the filter section 18 in the containment space S, and a clean area Q is secured in the area vertically above the filter section 18 in the containment space S. In the filtration preparation state, the stirring blade 146 of the stirring device 20 is positioned in the filtration preparation area M. The dissolution process is performed in the container 12 in the filtration preparation state.

[0093] Furthermore, "vertically below the filter section 18" means below the filter section 18 in the vertical direction, and does not mean only directly below the filter section. Also, "vertically above the filter section 18" means above the filter section 18 in the vertical direction, and does not mean only directly above the filter section.

[0094] As shown in Figure 7, during the dissolution process, the control unit 24 (Figure 4) controls the drive motor 148 to rotate the stirring device 20, and controls the pump 84 and on-off valves 86 and 90 to supply hot water. As a result, the material to be processed W in the filtration preparation area M shown in Figure 8(B) is heated by the hot water supplied to the first jacket 46 and the second jacket 48 and stirred by the stirring blade 146, and the solids contained in the material to be processed W are efficiently dissolved into the liquid.

[0095] Furthermore, the inclination angle of the container 12 in the filtration preparation and holding step is not limited to 45 degrees and can be changed as appropriate. However, in order to prevent solid matter contained in the material to be processed W from adhering to the filter section 18 in the subsequent crystallization step, it is necessary to set the inclination angle so that a filtration preparation area M is secured in the area vertically below the filter section 18. In addition, in order to prevent the material to be processed W from adhering to the shaft through hole 52, input port 54, instrument mounting hole 56, viewing window mounting holes 64a, 64b and hose connection holes 66a, 66b formed in the upper wall section 28, it is necessary to set the inclination angle so that a clean area Q is secured in the area where these are located. In other words, it is necessary to set the inclination angle so that a clean area Q is secured in the area where it is undesirable for the material to be processed W to adhere.

[0096] (Crystallization process) The crystallization process shown in Figure 7 is a process of precipitating solid matter from the liquid substance W to be treated. When the crystallization process is performed, the filtration preparation and holding process, which was started before the dissolution process, continues. The crystallization process is performed in container 12, which is in a filtration preparation state.

[0097] As shown in Figure 7, in the crystallization process, the control unit 24 (Figure 4) controls the drive motor 148 to rotate the agitator 20, and controls the pump 84 and on-off valves 86 and 90 to supply cold water to the heat transfer medium. As a result, the solution in the filtration preparation area M is cooled and solid matter precipitates. In other words, the control unit 24 in this embodiment performs "cooling crystallization," which crystallizes solid matter by cooling the material to be processed W.

[0098] (filtration process) The filtration process shown in Figure 7 is a process of filtering the material to be processed W, which contains both solid and liquid matter, through the filter section 18. In the filtration process, the liquid matter contained in the material to be processed W is discharged from the liquid matter discharge nozzle 42, and the solid matter contained in the material to be processed W is captured. When the filtration process is executed, the filtration holding process is started before the filtration process.

[0099] As shown in Figure 9(C), during the filtration and holding process, the control unit 24 (Figure 4) controls the drive motor 164 of the container state changing unit 22 to switch the state of the container 12 from the filtration preparation state to the filtration state and to hold the container 12 in the filtration state. In this embodiment, the control unit 24 controls the drive motor 164 of the container state changing unit 22 to rotate the container 12, which is in the filtration preparation state shown in Figure 8(B), 90 degrees clockwise from the state shown in the figure and stop it. Therefore, the container 12 is tilted to the opposite side from the filtration preparation state, and the tilt angle of the container 12 with respect to the horizontal plane becomes 45 degrees.

[0100] Here, the filtration state refers to the state of the container 12 in which the filter unit 18 is positioned vertically below the container 12, and a clean area Q is secured in the area vertically above the filter unit 18 within the containment space S. The filtration process is performed in the container 12 in the filtration state.

[0101] As shown in Figure 7, during the filtration process, the control unit 24 (Figure 4) controls the drive motor 148 to stop the agitator 20, and controls the pump 84 and on-off valves 86 and 90 to stop the supply of the heat transfer medium. The control unit 24 also controls the on-off valve 72 to supply pressurizing gas from the gas source 74 to the containment space S through the hose connection holes 66a and 66b. As a result, the material to be processed W is pressed against the filter media 124 of the filter section 18 by the pressurizing gas, and the liquid material (filtrate) of the material to be processed W passing through the filter media 124 is discharged to the outside of the containment space S from the liquid material discharge port 40. In addition, solid material W1 contained in the material to be processed W is captured by the filter media 124.

[0102] As shown in Figure 9(C), the solid matter W1 captured by the filter media 124 adheres to the adhesion surface 168, which includes the inner surfaces of the filter section 18 and the container 12, respectively. Here, the inner surface of the filter section 18 is mainly the surface facing inward into the containment space S of the filter media 124, and the inner surface of the container 12 is the inner surface of the wall section 44. The adhesion surface 168 does not refer to a narrow area of ​​surface to which the solid matter W1 actually adheres, but rather to a wide area of ​​surface to which the solid matter W1 is expected to adhere.

[0103] In order to perform the second peeling step described later, at least one gas injection port 110 must be covered with solid material W1. Therefore, in the filtration step, the solid material W1 is captured by the filter material 124 and deposited on the inner surface of the wall portion 44 so as to cover at least one of the gas injection ports 110. Specifically, the control unit 24 controls the container state changing unit 22 to hold the container 12 in a state where the inner surfaces of the peripheral wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 30 are positioned lower toward the liquid discharge port 40. As a result, the gas injection port 110 opening at or near the boundary portion E is covered with solid material W1.

[0104] The inclination angle of the container 12 in the filtration and holding process is not limited to 45 degrees and can be changed as appropriate. However, in order to prevent the material to be processed W from adhering to the shaft through hole 52, inlet 54, instrument mounting hole 56, viewing window mounting holes 64a, 64b, and hose connection holes 66a, 66b formed in the upper wall portion 28, the inclination angle must be set so that a clean area Q is secured in the area where these are located. In other words, the inclination angle must be set so that a clean area Q is secured in the area where it is undesirable for the material to be processed W to adhere. For example, the inclination angle may be set in the range of greater than 0 degrees and less than or equal to 45 degrees, or between 10 degrees and 30 degrees.

[0105] (Peeling process) The peeling process shown in Figure 7 comprises a first peeling step in which solid matter W1 captured by the filter material 124 and adhering to the surface to be adhered 168 is peeled off the surface to be adhered 168 in a stationary state, and a second peeling step in which solid matter W1 captured by the filter material 124 and adhering to the surface to be adhered 168 is peeled off the surface to be adhered 168 with gas injected from the gas injection port 110. Here, "stationary state" means a state in which the material is left in a stationary state without being stirred. When the peeling process is executed, the peeling and holding process is started before the peeling process.

[0106] As shown in Figure 9(D), during the peeling and holding process, the control unit 24 (Figure 4) controls the drive motor 164 of the container state changing unit 22 to switch the state of the container 12 from the filtration state to the peeling state and to hold the container 12 in the peeling state. In this embodiment, the control unit 24 controls the drive motor 164 of the container state changing unit 22 to rotate the container 12, which is in the filtration state shown in Figure 9(C), 90 degrees counterclockwise from the state shown in the figure and stop it. Therefore, the container 12 is tilted to the opposite side from the filtration state, and the tilt angle of the container 12 with respect to the horizontal plane becomes 45 degrees. The tilt angle may be set in a range of, for example, greater than 0 degrees and 45 degrees or less, or between 10 degrees and 30 degrees.

[0107] Here, the peeled state refers to the state of the container 12 in which at least a portion of the drying region N for containing the solid W1 during the drying process is secured in the region vertically below the filter portion 18 in the containment space S, the lower wall portion 30 is positioned vertically below the filter portion 18, and the clean region Q is secured in the region vertically above the filter portion 18 in the containment space S. In this embodiment, at least a portion of the drying region N is secured in the region vertically below the filter portion 18 in the containment space S. The peeling process is performed in the container 12 in the peeled state.

[0108] As shown in Figure 7, in the first peeling step, the control unit 24 (Figure 4) controls the drive motor 148 to stop the stirring device 20, and controls the pump 84 and on-off valves 86 and 90 to supply hot water. As a result, the heat medium supplied to the first jacket 46 and the second jacket 48 shown in Figure 9(D) heats the surface to be adhered 168, and the contact area X on the surface of the solid W1 that is in contact with the surface to be adhered 168 is heated and dried. In other words, the peeling step includes a step of heating and drying the contact area X on the surface of the solid W1 that is in contact with the surface to be adhered 168.

[0109] When the contact area X dries, the liquid is removed from the contact area X, and the solid W1 is peeled off from the surface to be attached 168 and falls towards the area vertically below the containment space S, or slides along the surface to be attached 168. When a gap is created between the surface to be attached 168 and the solid W1 due to the drying of the contact area X, in the subsequent second peeling step, the gas injected from the gas injection port 110 enters this gap, allowing the solid W1 to be peeled off efficiently.

[0110] In this embodiment, hot water is supplied to the first jacket 46 and the second jacket 48 provided outside the container 12, and the inner surface of the container 12 is heated by the hot water heating the walls of the container 12 from the outside. In other words, the first peeling step in this embodiment includes an "internal heating step" in which the inner surface of the container 12, which will become the surface to be adhered to 168, is heated by heating the walls of the container 12 from the outside. Focusing on the filtration device 10, the first jacket 46 and the second jacket 48 are an "internal heating device" configured to heat the inner surface of the container 12, which will become the surface to be adhered to 168, by heating the walls of the container 12 from the outside.

[0111] After the completion of the first peeling step, or in parallel with the first peeling step, the second peeling step is performed. As shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 9(D), the second peeling step is a step of peeling the solid W1 from the adhered surface 168, including the inner surface of the wall portion 44, by operating the peeling means 16 to inject gas from the gas injection port 110 which is covered with at least the solid W1. In the second peeling step, the control unit 24 (Figure 4) operates the on-off valve 122 to supply gas from the gas source 74 to the gas injection nozzles 50a and 50b from the gas supply hoses 120a and 120b. As for the gas supply method, a method of supplying high-pressure gas instantaneously, a method of supplying high-pressure gas intermittently, a method of supplying high-pressure gas continuously, or a method of supplying gas to multiple gas injection ports 110 in sequence may be appropriately selected.

[0112] When gas is blown from a gas injection port 110, which is opened at or near the boundary E between the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion) and the lower wall portion 30 (second portion) of the wall portion 44, onto the solid object W1 covering the gas injection port 110, the pressure of the gas causes the solid object W1 to peel off from the surface to be adhered to 168. At this time, the gas enters the gap between the surface to be adhered to 168 and the solid object W1, which promotes the peeling of the solid object W1, allowing for efficient peeling.

[0113] (drying process) The drying process shown in Figure 7 is a process of heating and drying the solid material W1 that has been peeled off from the adhered surface 168, i.e., the inner surface of the wall portion 44, while stirring it. When the drying process is performed, the drying and holding process is started before the drying process.

[0114] As shown in Figure 10(E), during the drying and holding process, the control unit 24 (Figure 4) controls the drive motor 164 of the container state changing unit 22 to switch the state of the container 12 from the peeled state to the dried state and to hold the container 12 in the dried state. In this embodiment, the control unit 24 controls the drive motor 164 of the container state changing unit 22 to rotate the container 12, which is in the peeled state shown in Figure 9(D), 45 degrees clockwise from the state shown in the figure and stop it.

[0115] Here, the dry state refers to the state of the container 12 in which a dry area N for containing solid material W1 is secured in the vertically lower area of ​​the storage space S, a lower wall portion 30 is positioned vertically below the container 12, and a clean area Q is secured in the area vertically above the dry area N in the storage space S. The dry state in this embodiment coincides with the loading state. In the dry state, the stirring blade 146 of the stirring device 20 is positioned in the dry area N. The drying process is performed in the container 12 in the dry state.

[0116] As shown in Figure 7, during the drying process, the control unit 24 (Figure 4) controls the drive motor 148 to rotate the agitator 20, and controls the pump 84 and on-off valves 86 and 90 to supply hot water. As a result, the solid material W1 in the drying region N shown in Figure 10(E) is heated by the hot water supplied to the first jacket 46 and the second jacket 48 and agitated by the agitator blade 146.

[0117] (discharge process) The discharge process shown in Figure 7 is a process in which the solid matter W1 of the processed material W, which has been captured in the filtration process and dried in the drying process, is discharged from the solid matter discharge nozzle 34. When the discharge process is executed, the discharge holding process is started before the discharge process.

[0118] As shown in Figure 10(F), during the discharge and holding process, the control unit 24 (Figure 4) controls the drive motor 164 of the container state changing unit 22 to switch the state of the container 12 from a dry state to a discharge state and to hold the container 12 in the discharge state. In this embodiment, the control unit 24 controls the drive motor 164 of the container state changing unit 22 to rotate the container 12, which is in the dry state shown in Figure 10(E), 45 degrees counterclockwise from the state shown in the figure and stop it. Therefore, the inclination angle of the container 12 with respect to the horizontal plane becomes 45 degrees.

[0119] Here, the discharge state refers to the state of the container 12 in which a solid waste discharge port 32 is located at the vertical lower part of the container 12, and a clean area Q is secured in the area vertically above the solid waste discharge port 32 in the containment space S. The discharge process is performed on the container 12 in a dry state.

[0120] As shown in Figure 10(F), during the discharge process, the user removes the lid 36 (Figure 5(B)) from the tip of the solid waste discharge nozzle 34. As shown in Figure 7, during the discharge process, the control unit 24 (Figure 4) controls the drive motor 148 to bring the stirring device 20 into a rotating state, and controls the pump 84 and on-off valves 86 and 90 to stop the supply of the heat transfer medium.

[0121] (Effects of the embodiment) The filtration device 10 and filtration method of this embodiment can achieve the following effects with the above configuration. Specifically, the gas injected from the gas injection port 110 opened in the area F where solid matter is to adhere (Figure 6(A)) directly hits the solid matter W1 without passing through the filter material 124. This prevents the filter material 124 from expanding inward into the containment space S due to the gas pressure, while efficiently peeling the solid matter W1 from the inner surface of the wall portion 44.

[0122] Since the gas injection port 110 of the peeling means 16 opens onto the inner surface of the wall portion 44, that is, the surface that is not the filter material 124, the gas injected from the gas injection port 110 does not directly hit the filter material 124. Therefore, the solid material W1 can be efficiently peeled off from the inner surface of the wall portion 44 while preventing the filter material 124 from expanding inward into the containment space S due to the pressure of the gas.

[0123] As shown in Figure 7, the control unit 24 performs a peeling process before the drying process to peel off the solid matter W1 adhering to the inner surface of the wall portion 44 or the surface of the filter material 124. This allows the entire solid matter W1 to be efficiently dried by the drying means (first jacket 46 and second jacket 48) during the drying process.

[0124] The gas injection port 110 of the peeling means 16 opens facing the containment space S at the boundary E between the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion) and the lower wall portion 30 (second portion) of the wall portion 44 or in its vicinity. This makes it easy to direct the gas injected from the gas injection port 110 along the inner surface of at least one of the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion) and the lower wall portion 30 (second portion). Therefore, solid matter W1 adhering to the inner surfaces of the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion) and the lower wall portion 30 (second portion) can be efficiently peeled off.

[0125] The solid matter W1 captured by the filter material 124 provided in the liquid discharge passage V is deposited on the inner surface of the boundary E or nearby portion of the wall portion 44 between the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion) and the lower wall portion 30 (second portion). Therefore, the solid matter W1 can be efficiently detached from the inner surfaces of the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion) and the lower wall portion 30 (second portion) by the gas injected from the gas injection port 110 opened in or near the boundary portion E.

[0126] As shown in Figure 9(C), in the filtration process, the inner surfaces of the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion) and the lower wall portion 30 (second portion) become lower toward the liquid discharge port 40. Therefore, when the solid material W1 captured and accumulated by the filter material 124 is cut by a vertical plane passing through the center line L of the peripheral wall portion 26, the cross-sectional shape is a triangle with two sides that are in contact with the peripheral wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 30. Consequently, the contact area where the inner surfaces of the peripheral wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 30 contact the solid material W1 becomes longer in the direction along these two sides, and the gas injected from the gas injection port 110 and flowing along these two sides can efficiently detach the solid material W1 from the inner surfaces of the peripheral wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 30.

[0127] The porous body 104 shown in Figure 6(B) prevents foreign matter from entering the gas injection port 110. The porous body 104 has sufficient strength to not deform under gas pressure, and therefore does not expand inward into the containment space S due to gas pressure.

[0128] In each processing step, a clean area Q is secured in the region where the material to be processed W is not to be attached, thereby preventing the material to be processed W from adhering to that region.

[0129] (Variations of filtration methods) In carrying out the present invention, the filtration method is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications are possible as long as they do not deviate from the purpose of the present invention.

[0130] Figure 11(A) shows a first modified example of the peeling process. In the filtration method of the above embodiment, the drying process is performed after the peeling process shown in Figure 7, but as shown in 11(A), the peeling process and the drying process may be performed in parallel in part. In other words, the drying process only needs to start after the start of the peeling process, and the end of the drying process may be after the end of the peeling process, or it may be at the same time as the end of the peeling process.

[0131] For example, if solid matter W1 remains attached to the surface 168 during the drying process, a first peeling step may be continued in which the solid matter W1 is peeled off the surface 168 while it is standing. Alternatively, a second peeling step may be continued in which the solid matter W1 is peeled off the surface 168 by gas injection. The peeling step, which is performed in parallel with the drying process, may be carried out in the container 12 while it is in a dry state.

[0132] Figure 11(B) shows a second modified example of the peeling process. In the filtration method of the above embodiment, the peeling process shown in Figure 7 is performed in a container 12 that is in a peeled state. However, as shown in Figure 11(B), the peeling process may be performed in a container 12 in a state where a drying region N is not secured in the region vertically below the filter section 18 (for example, the same state as the input state). Even in this case, the solid W1 can be peeled off from the adhered surface 168 by the first peeling process and the second peeling process.

[0133] In the filtration method of the above embodiment, the peeling step includes a first peeling step in which the solid W1 is peeled off from the surface to be adhered to 168 in a stationary state, and a second peeling step in which the solid W1 is peeled off from the surface to be adhered to 168 with gas injected from the gas injection port 110. However, the first peeling step may be omitted.

[0134] (Variation of filtration device) In carrying out the present invention, the invention is not limited to the filtration device 10 of the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible as long as they do not depart from the purpose of the present invention.

[0135] Figure 12(A) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a filtration device 170 according to another embodiment, and Figure 12(B) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the discharge process. In the filtration device 10 of the above embodiment, a solid matter discharge nozzle 34 as a "solid matter discharge section" constituting the solid matter discharge passage U and a liquid matter discharge nozzle 42 as a "liquid matter discharge section" constituting the liquid matter discharge passage V are provided independently of each other. However, the liquid matter discharge nozzle 42 may serve as both a "liquid matter discharge section" and a "solid matter discharge section".

[0136] In the filtration device 170 shown in Figure 12(A), the solid matter discharge nozzle 34 is omitted, and the liquid matter discharge nozzle 42 serves as both the "liquid matter discharge section" and the "solid matter discharge section." That is, when the liquid matter discharge nozzle 42 is used as the "liquid matter discharge section," the filter media 124 and support 126 of the filter section 18 are inserted into the liquid matter discharge nozzle 42, and the lid 140 of the filter section 18 is fixed to the flange 42a of the liquid matter discharge nozzle 42 via a clamp 142. When the liquid matter discharge nozzle 42 is used as the "solid matter discharge section," the clamp 142 is removed, and the filter media 124 and support 126 are pulled out from inside the liquid matter discharge nozzle 42.

[0137] As shown in Figure 12(B), when the filter section 18 is removed from the liquid discharge nozzle 42, the liquid discharge nozzle 42 becomes the "solid discharge section," and the internal space of the liquid discharge nozzle 42 becomes the solid discharge passage U. In the filtration device 170, the liquid discharge nozzle 42 serves as both the "liquid discharge section" and the "solid discharge section," so the filtration state and the discharge state coincide.

[0138] Figure 13(A) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a filtration device 172 according to yet another embodiment, and Figure 13(B) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the discharge process. In the filtration device 170 shown in Figure 12(A), the filter media 124 is attached to and detached from the liquid discharge nozzle 42 by the operator, but the attachment and detachment of the filter media 124 may be performed by machine operation. For example, as in the filtration device 172 shown in Figure 13(A), the filter media 174 may be attached and detached using a hydraulic cylinder device 176.

[0139] The hydraulic cylinder device 176 shown in Figure 13(A) has a cylinder 178 and a piston rod 180, and a bellows 182 is provided around the piston rod 180. A frustoconical filter media support portion 184 is provided at the tip of the piston rod 180, and a filter media 174 is attached to the tip surface of the filter media support portion 184. Furthermore, the piston rod 180 and the filter media support portion 184 are provided with a filtrate channel J for discharging the liquid substance (filtrate) separated from the solid substance. Although not shown, the liquid substance (filtrate) flowing through the filtrate channel J is discharged to a drain tank via a drain pipe.

[0140] An outlet 186 is formed at the lower part of the peripheral wall 26 of the container 12, and a cylindrical seat portion 188 made of metal such as stainless steel is provided at the outlet 186 so as to protrude outward. The inner circumferential surface 188a of the seat portion 188 is tapered so that the filter media support portion 184 abuts against it without any gaps, and the space inside the seat portion 188 serves as a liquid discharge passage V or a solid discharge passage U. Below the seat portion 188, a receiving member 190 is provided to guide the solid material discharged from the solid discharge passage U downward.

[0141] In the filtration process, the filter media 174 is positioned in the liquid discharge channel V by the hydraulic cylinder device 176, and the solid matter of the material to be processed W is captured by the filter media 174. As shown in Figure 13(B), in the discharge process, the filter media 174 is detached from the liquid discharge channel V by the hydraulic cylinder device 176, and the liquid discharge section is switched to the solid matter discharge section. The solid matter W1 captured by the filter media 174 is then discharged from the solid matter discharge channel U toward the receiving member 190. In the filtration device 172, the seat portion 188 serves as both the "liquid discharge section" and the "solid matter discharge section," so the filtration state and the discharge state coincide with each other.

[0142] The filtrate channel J formed inside the piston rod 180 may be used exclusively for flowing liquids, but it may also be used to direct the gas injected into the filter media 174 in the opposite direction to the liquid. When gas is flowed through the filtrate channel J, the gas pressure can blow away solid matter W1 and foreign matter adhering to the filter media 174 into the containment space S. The type of filter media 174 is not particularly limited, and filter cloth (woven or non-woven) and sintered wire mesh can be appropriately selected and used. If a porous material with sufficient strength to not deform under gas pressure, such as sintered wire mesh, is used, it is possible to prevent the filter media 174 from expanding into the containment space S due to gas pressure.

[0143] In the filtration apparatus 10 of the embodiment shown in Figure 5(B), the container 12 is formed in the shape of a bottomed cylinder, but the shape of the container 12 is not limited to a bottomed cylinder, and may be formed in the shape of a sphere, ellipsoid, rectangular parallelepiped, or other irregular shapes.

[0144] In the filtration device 10 of the embodiment shown in Figure 5(B), the solid matter outlet 32 ​​and the liquid matter outlet 40 are formed to face opposite sides of each other. However, they may be formed to face the same direction, or they may be formed to face directions that intersect each other in a plan view. In the latter case, in the container state changing section 22, the two pivot centers for rotating the container 12 may be arranged to intersect each other in a plan view.

[0145] In the filtration apparatus 10 of the embodiment shown in Figure 5(B), the first jacket 46 and the second jacket 48 are used as a "peeling heating device" and a "drying heating device," but these heating devices are not limited to jackets, and for example, electric heaters, electromagnetic induction heating devices and microwave heating devices may be used. Furthermore, two or more of these may be used in combination, or at least one of these may be used in combination with a jacket. In addition, in the drying process, high-temperature gas may be supplied into the container to dry the solid W1.

[0146] In the filtration device 10 of the embodiment shown in Figure 5(B), the liquid discharge port 40 is provided in the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion), but the liquid discharge port 40 may also be provided in the lower wall portion 30 (second portion), or at the boundary portion E between the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion) and the lower wall portion 30 (second portion) in the wall portion 44.

[0147] In the filtration device 10 of the embodiment shown in Figure 6(A), two gas injection ports 110 are opened near the boundary E in the lower wall portion 30 (second portion). However, at least one gas injection port 110 may be opened near the boundary E in the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion), or it may be opened at the boundary E.

[0148] In the filtration apparatus 10 of the embodiment shown in Figures 6(A) and (B), the peeling means 16 is equipped with gas injection nozzles 50a and 50b having a cylindrical nozzle body 102. However, the cylindrical nozzle body 102 is not necessarily required and may be changed to another configuration having a gas injection port 110. Also, the number of gas injection nozzles may be one or three or more. In other words, the peeling means 16 only needs to have at least one gas injection port 110.

[0149] Figure 14(A) is a plan view cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the peeling means 192 according to the first modified example. The peeling means 192 shown in Figure 14(A) has six gas injection ports 110 that are opened in the area F where solid matter is to be attached. Four of the gas injection ports 110 are opened in the vicinity of the boundary E in the lower wall portion 30 (second portion) facing the containment space S. The remaining two gas injection ports 110 are opened in the vicinity of the boundary E in the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion) facing the containment space S, and are open opposite each other.

[0150] According to the first modified peeling means 192, the gas flows injected from the six gas injection ports 110 can be crossed, making it possible to spread the gas over a wider area and improve the peeling efficiency of the solid W1.

[0151] In the peeling means 16 shown in Figure 5(B) and the peeling means 192 shown in Figure 14(A), the operation of injecting and stopping the gas injected from each of the multiple gas injection ports 110 may be performed individually using on-off valves provided in the gas flow path corresponding to each gas injection port 110. The control unit 24 may identify the gas injection port 110 to which solid matter W1 is attached by analyzing images sent from a camera that photographs each gas injection port 110, and control the on-off valve to inject gas from that gas injection port 110. As a method for identifying the gas injection port 110 to which solid matter W1 is attached, in addition to the method of identification by image analysis, methods such as identification using a contact sensor or ultrasonic level sensor or visual identification may be used.

[0152] Figure 14(B) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the peeling means 194 according to the second modified example. The peeling means 194 shown in Figure 14(B) has one gas injection port 110 opened in the area F where solid matter is to be attached in the lower wall portion 30 (second portion), one gas injection port 110 opened in an area outside the area F where solid matter is to be attached in the peripheral wall portion 26 (first portion), and one gas injection port 110 opened in an area outside the area F where solid matter is to be attached in the upper wall portion 28.

[0153] According to the second modified peeling means 194, although the two gas nozzles 110 are not open to the area F where solid matter is to adhere, gas can still be injected onto the solid matter W1 from these nozzles 110. Therefore, by appropriately determining the direction of gas injection, the peeling efficiency can be increased. For example, as shown in Figure 14(B), the solid matter W1 can be effectively peeled off by injecting gas into the gap between the inner surface of the wall portion 44 and the solid matter W1.

[0154] In the second modified peeling means 194, the operation of injecting and stopping the gas injected from each of the multiple gas injection ports 110 may be performed individually using on-off valves provided in the gas flow path corresponding to each gas injection port 110. Furthermore, in the second modified peeling means 194, one gas injection port 110 is opened in the area F where solid matter is to be deposited in the lower wall portion 30 (second portion), but all gas injection ports 110 may be opened in an area outside the area F where solid matter is to be deposited in the wall portion 44. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0155] E...boundary, F...area where solid matter is expected to adhere, L...center line, M...filtration preparation area, N...drying area, Q...clean area, R...gas flow path, S...containment space, T...virtual circle, U...solid matter discharge path, V...liquid matter discharge path, W...object to be processed, W1...solid matter, X...contact area, 10...filtration device, 12...container, 16...peeling means, 18...filter section, 20...stirring device, 22...container state changing section, 24...control section, 26...peripheral wall section, 28...upper wall section, 30...lower wall section, 32...solid matter discharge port, 34...solid matter discharge nozzle, 34a...flange, 36...lid section, 36a...lid plate section, 36b...core, 38...clamp 40…Liquid discharge port, 42…Liquid discharge nozzle, 42a…Flange, 42b…Protrusion, 44…Wall, 46…First jacket, 46a…Jacket body, 48…Second jacket, 48b…Jacket body, 50a, 50b…Gas injection nozzle, 52…Shaft through hole, 54…Inlet, 56…Instrument mounting hole, 58…Nozzle, 60…Lid, 62…Instrument, 64a, 64b…Viewing window mounting hole, 66a, 66b…Hose connection hole, 68a, 68b…Viewing window, 70a, 70b…Gas supply hose, 72…On / off valve, 74…Gas source, 76, 78…Heat transfer fluid flow path, 80a…Heat transfer fluid inlet, 80b… Heat transfer fluid outlet, 82a… Heat transfer fluid supply pipe, 82b… Heat transfer fluid discharge pipe, 84… Pump, 84a… Discharge port, 84b… Suction port, 86… On / off valve, 88… Hot water source, 90… On / off valve, 92… Cold water source, 98a… Heat transfer fluid inlet, 98b… Heat transfer fluid outlet, 100a… Heat transfer fluid supply pipe, 100b… Heat transfer fluid discharge pipe, 102… Nozzle body, 102a… Recess, 102b… Groove, 102c… Female thread, 102d… Flange, 104… Porous body, 106… Sheath pipe, 106a… Male thread, 108… Nut, 108a… Female thread, 108b… Contact part, 110… Gas injection port, 112… Gas supply port, 114, 116… O-ring O-ring, 118...through hole, 120a,120b...gas supply hose, 122...on-off valve, 124...filter material, 126...support, 128...filter plate section, 128a...through hole, 130...clamping section, 132...groove, 134...O-ring, 138...PTFE spacer, 136...recess, 140...lid section, 140a...discharge pipe connection hole, 140b...handle, 142...clamp, 144...drive shaft, 146...agitating blade, 148...drive motor, 150a,150b...frame, 152a,152b...bearing section, 154a,154b...rotating shaft, 156...rotating operation section, 158a,158b...base, 160a,160b…Support column, 162…Gear unit, 164…Drive motor, 166…Manual handle, 168…Surface to be attached, 170,172…Filtration device, 174…Filter media, 176…Hydraulic cylinder device, 178…Cylinder, 180…Piston rod, 182…Bellows, 184…Filter media support part, 186…Discharge port, 188…Seat part, 188a…Inner circumferential surface, 190…Receiving member, 192,194…Peeling means.

Claims

1. A container having walls that constitute a containment space for a material to be processed, which includes solids and liquids, The container is provided with a filter section having a filter material that captures the solid matter and allows the liquid matter to pass through, A liquid discharge port is provided in the wall portion for discharging the liquid that has passed through the filter material to the outside of the containment space, The system includes a peeling means for peeling off the solid matter that has been captured by the filter material and adhered to the inner surface of the wall portion, The peeling means has a gas nozzle for injecting gas onto the solid matter adhering to the inner surface of the wall portion. A filtration device wherein at least one of the gas injection ports is opened into a solid matter adhesion region on the inner surface of the wall portion where the solid matter is expected to adhere.

2. A container having walls that constitute a containment space for a material to be processed, which includes solids and liquids, The container is provided with a filter section having a filter material that captures the solid matter and allows the liquid matter to pass through, A liquid discharge port is provided in the wall portion for discharging the liquid that has passed through the filter material to the outside of the containment space, The peeling means has at least one gas injection port on the inner surface of the wall portion that is open to the containment space, and performs a peeling process for peeling off the solid matter that has been captured by the filter material and adhered to the inner surface of the wall portion or the surface of the filter material by gas injected from the gas injection port, A drying means for performing a drying process to dry the solid material peeled off by the peeling means, A filtration apparatus comprising a control unit that controls the peeling means and the drying means so that the peeling step and the drying step are performed in that order.

3. A container having walls that constitute a containment space for a material to be processed, which includes solids and liquids, The container is provided with a filter section having a filter material that captures the solid matter and allows the liquid matter to pass through, A liquid discharge port is provided in the wall portion for discharging the liquid that has passed through the filter material to the outside of the containment space, The device comprises at least one gas injection port and a peeling means for peeling off the solid matter that has been captured by the filter material and adhered to the inner surface of the wall or the surface of the filter material by gas injected from the gas injection port, The wall portion has a first portion and a second portion provided adjacent to the first portion at a certain angle to the first portion. The liquid discharge port is provided in the first portion or the second portion. A filtration device wherein at least one of the gas injection ports is opened facing the containment space at or near the boundary between the first portion and the second portion of the wall.

4. The liquid discharge port is provided at the boundary between the first portion and the second portion of the wall or in the vicinity thereof. The filter material is provided in the liquid discharge passage including the liquid discharge port. The filtration apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the gas injection port, which is opened at or near the boundary between the first portion and the second portion in the wall, is located near the liquid discharge port.

5. A container state changing unit for holding the container and changing the state of the container, The system includes a control unit that controls the container state changing unit, The container has a cylindrical peripheral wall portion that constitutes the first part, and a lower wall portion that closes the lower opening of the peripheral wall portion and constitutes the second part. The liquid discharge port is provided at the lower part of the peripheral wall, The filtration apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit controls the container state changing unit to hold the container in a filtration step of filtering the material to be processed such that the inner surfaces of the peripheral wall and the lower wall are positioned lower toward the liquid discharge port.

6. The filtration apparatus according to claims 3 to 5, wherein the gas injection port is covered with a porous body having strength that does not deform under the pressure of the gas and having a number of vents of a size that does not allow the solid matter to pass through.

7. A container having walls that constitute a containment space for a material to be processed, which includes solids and liquids, The container is provided with a filter section having a filter material that captures the solid matter and allows the liquid matter to pass through, A liquid discharge port is provided in the wall portion for discharging the liquid that has passed through the filter material to the outside of the containment space, A filtration method using a filtration device comprising a peeling means having at least one gas injection port opened in the inner surface of the wall portion, A filtration step in which the solid matter is captured by the filter material, thereby accumulating on the inner surface of the wall portion such that it covers at least one of the gas injection ports, and the liquid matter that has passed through the filter material is discharged from the liquid matter outlet, A filtration method comprising a peeling step of peeling the solid material from the inner surface of the wall by operating the peeling means to inject the gas from the gas injection port which is covered with at least the solid material.

8. The wall portion has a first portion and a second portion provided adjacent to the first portion at a certain angle to the first portion. The liquid discharge port is provided in the first portion or the second portion. At least one of the gas injection ports is opened facing the containment space at or near the boundary between the first portion and the second portion of the wall, The filtration method according to claim 7, wherein in the filtration step, the solid material is deposited on the inner surface of the wall portion so as to cover the gas injection port opened in the boundary portion or a portion near the boundary portion.

9. The container is held and the container state changing unit is provided for changing the state of the container, The liquid discharge port is provided at the boundary between the first portion and the second portion of the wall, or in the vicinity thereof. The filter material is provided in the liquid discharge passage including the liquid discharge port. The filtration apparatus according to claim 8, wherein in the filtration step, the container state changing unit is operated to hold the container in a state where the position of the inner surfaces of the first and second parts is lower toward the liquid discharge port.

Images