An aerogel production system and method

Abstract

The present invention provides an aerogel production system and method, which relates to the mechanical field and solves the problem that aerogels cannot be produced efficiently in the prior art. The aerogel production system includes: a feeding component, a conveying component, and a gel storage component; the conveying component includes a driving part and a conveyor belt, the conveyor belt rolls under the drive of the driving part, and a plurality of gel receiving grids are distributed on the surface of the conveyor belt; the feeding component has a discharging part, and the discharging part is arranged to face at least one gel receiving grid on the surface of the conveyor belt; the gel storage component is arranged to face the conveyor belt to receive the gel from the gel receiving grids on the surface of the conveyor belt.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of machinery, and particularly to an aerogel production system and method. Background Art

[0002] As a heat-insulating and heat-preserving filler, aerogel has excellent properties such as low density, low thermal conductivity, and fire resistance, and can be applied to coatings, insulation boards, foaming materials, adsorbents, sound insulation materials, thermal insulation clothes, etc. In recent years, the application development of aerogel has become more and more extensive;

[0003] Currently, the preparation of aerogel is basically limited to laboratory or pilot production, and there is basically no equipment for large-scale production of aerogel;

[0004] In view of this, there is a need for a system and method for efficiently producing aerogel in order to solve the above technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides an aerogel production system and method, which can be used to solve the technical problem that aerogel cannot be produced on a large scale in the prior art.

[0006] An embodiment of the present invention provides an aerogel production system, which includes: a feeding component, a conveying component, and a gel storage component; the conveying component includes a driving part and a conveyor belt, the conveyor belt rolls under the drive of the driving part, and a plurality of gel receiving grids are distributed on the surface of the conveyor belt; the feeding component has a discharging part, and the discharging part is arranged to face at least one gel receiving grid on the surface of the conveyor belt; the gel storage component is arranged to face the conveyor belt to receive the gel from the gel receiving grid on the surface of the conveyor belt.

[0007] Optionally, in one embodiment, a plurality of first support parts extending in a first direction and a plurality of second support parts extending in a second direction are arranged on the surface of the conveyor belt, and the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular;

[0008] The plurality of first support parts and the plurality of second support parts intersect with each other to form the plurality of gel receiving grids, and the gel receiving grid is a groove structure.

[0009] Optionally, in one embodiment, the area of the bottom region of the gel receiving grid is smaller than the area of the top region.

[0010] Optionally, in one embodiment, the materials of the first support part and the second support part are latex.

[0011] Optionally, in one embodiment, the gel storage assembly includes a screen tray, the screen tray includes a screen portion and a wall portion surrounding the screen portion, and the wall portion extends relative to the screen portion such that the screen portion and the wall portion form a receiving space.

[0012] Optionally, in one embodiment, the screen tray further includes a hollow column, and the hollow column extends relative to the screen portion;

[0013] The gel storage assembly further includes: a bracket, the bracket includes: a support base and a straight rod, and the straight rod is fixedly connected to the support base;

[0014] The size of the straight rod matches the aperture of the hollow column of the screen tray, and the straight rod passes through the hollow column of the screen tray.

[0015] Optionally, in one embodiment, the bracket is in an inverted T shape, and the length of the straight rod is greater than the height of the wall portion of the screen tray.

[0016] Optionally, in one embodiment, the hollow column is located at the central position of the screen tray, and the wall portion is annular.

[0017] Optionally, in one embodiment, the feeding assembly includes a first container, a second container, a pipeline and a syringe, the first container and the second container are connected and communicated through the pipeline, the first container carries sodium silicate, and the second container carries a catalyst; the syringe is arranged at the end of the pipeline.

[0018] Optionally, in one embodiment, the discharging component is movable, and the surface of the discharging component faces the central position in the width direction of the conveyor belt.

[0019] Optionally, in one embodiment, the aerogel production system further includes: a processing component, the processing component includes: an input pipeline, an output pipeline, a reaction tank, a circulation pump and a circulation pipeline; both ends of the reaction tank are communicated with the circulation pipeline to form a loop; the circulation pump is arranged on the loop; both the input pipeline and the output pipeline are communicated with the circulation pipeline; wherein, at least one of the screen trays is arranged in the reaction tank.

[0020] Optionally, in one embodiment, the processing component further includes a first valve, a second valve and a third valve; wherein, the first valve is arranged on the input pipeline, the second valve is arranged on the output pipeline, the third valve is arranged on the circulation pipeline, the setting position of the third valve corresponds to that of the first valve, and the distance between the third valve and the first valve is less than the distance between the third valve and the second valve.

[0021] Optionally, a method for producing aerogel applied to an aerogel production system is provided, including: generating a solution to be gelled by the feeding assembly and sending the solution to be gelled to the conveying assembly; forming a gel block in the gel-containing grid of the conveying assembly; sending the gel block to the gel storage assembly by the conveyor belt of the conveying assembly; sending at least one sieve tray of the gel storage assembly into a reaction tank, and conveying a target gas or a target liquid into the reaction tank to produce an aerogel block; grinding the aerogel block to obtain aerogel powders of different specifications.

[0022] Optionally, in one embodiment, conveying a target gas or a target liquid into the reaction tank to produce an aerogel block includes:

[0023] Opening the first valve and the second valve, and closing the third valve at the same time, and conveying an aging liquid with a temperature higher than a threshold value into the reaction tank through the input pipeline until the entire circulation system is filled, then closing the first valve and the second valve, opening the third valve and the circulation pump for a water washing step, and after sufficient water washing, opening the first valve to discharge the aging liquid from the input pipeline;

[0024] Closing the third valve and opening the second valve, and conveying an alcohol solvent into the reaction tank through the input pipeline until the entire circulation system is filled, then closing the first valve and the second valve, opening the third valve and the circulation pump for an alcohol washing step, and after sufficient alcohol washing, opening the first valve to discharge the alcohol solvent from the input pipeline;

[0025] Closing the third valve and opening the second valve, and conveying a modification liquid into the reaction tank through the input pipeline until the entire circulation system is filled, then closing the first valve and the second valve, opening the third valve and the circulation pump for a modification step, and after sufficient modification, opening the first valve to discharge the modification liquid from the input pipeline;

[0026] Closing the third valve and opening the second valve, and introducing hot air into the reaction tank through the input pipeline for a drying step, and the hot air is discharged from the output pipeline until the gel block is completely dried to obtain the aerogel block.

[0027] The beneficial effects brought by the present invention are as follows:

[0028] The aerogel production system provided by the present invention includes: a feeding component, a conveying component, and a gel storage component; the conveying component includes a driving part and a conveyor belt, the conveyor belt rolls under the drive of the driving part, and a plurality of gel receiving grids are distributed on the surface of the conveyor belt; the feeding component has a discharging part, and the discharging part is arranged to face at least one gel receiving grid on the surface of the conveyor belt; the gel storage component is arranged to face the conveyor belt to receive the gel from the gel receiving grids on the surface of the conveyor belt. In this way, by continuously supplying raw materials through the feeding component, the gel receiving grids in the conveying component can accommodate a sufficient amount of solution to be gelled, and the storage component centrally collects the gel blocks, achieving the effect of efficient aerogel production. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the following drawings are some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings. In the drawings:

[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an aerogel production system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the conveyor belt of the conveying component provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a screen tray in a gel storage component provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a bracket in a gel storage component provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of an aerogel production system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a processing component in an aerogel production system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 7 is a schematic flow chart of an aerogel production method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 8 is a process structure diagram of an aerogel production method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Reference numerals:

[0039] 110 - Feeding assembly, 111 - Discharging component, 120 - Conveying assembly, 121 - Driving component, 122 - Conveyor belt, 1211 - Driving power source, 1212 - Roller, 1221 - Gel accommodating grid, 130 - Gel storage assembly, 1222 - First support part, 1223 - Second support part, 1224 - Conveyor belt turning point, 131 - Screen tray, 1311 - Screen part, 1312 - Wall part, 1313 - Hollow column, 132 - Bracket, 1321 - Support base, 1322 - Straight rod, 1323 - Annular hole, 112 - First container, 113 - Second container, 114 - Pipe, 115 - Syringe, 116 - Valve switch, 1141 - First branch pipe, 1142 - Second branch pipe, 1143 - Main pipe, 116 - Discharging component, 140 - Processing assembly, 141 - Input pipeline, 142 - Output pipeline, 143 - Reaction tank, 144 - Circulation pump, 145 - Circulation pipeline, 146 - First valve, 147 - Second valve, 148 - Third valve, 149 - Grid layer, 1401 - Heater, 1451 - First pipeline, 1452 - Second pipeline, 1453 - Third pipeline, 1454 - Fourth pipeline. Detailed implementation manners

[0040] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments of the present invention and the corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0041] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationships indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation to the present application.

[0042] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0043] In addition, although the terms used in the present invention are selected from well-known and commonly used terms, some of the terms mentioned in the specification of the present invention may be selected by the applicant according to his or her judgment, and their detailed meanings are described in the relevant parts of the description herein.

[0044] In addition, it is required to understand the present invention not only through the actual terms used, but also through the meanings implied by each term.

[0045] As described in the background art of the present invention, the preparation of aerogel in the prior art is basically limited to laboratory or pilot production, and there is basically no equipment for large-scale production of aerogel.

[0046] In response to this, the embodiments of the present application provide an aerogel production system and method, which can be used for the efficient production of aerogel. As Figure 1 shown, the aerogel production system includes a feeding component 110, a conveying component 120, and a gel receiving component 130; the conveying component includes a driving component 121 and a conveyor belt 122, the conveyor belt 122 rolls under the drive of the driving component 121, and a plurality of gel receiving grids 1221 are distributed on the surface of the conveyor belt 122; the feeding component 110 has a discharging component 111, and the discharging component 111 is arranged to face at least one gel receiving grid 1221 on the surface of the conveyor belt 122; the gel receiving component 130 is arranged to face the conveyor belt 122 to receive the gel from the gel receiving grid 1221 on the surface of the conveyor belt 122.

[0047] It can be understood that the feeding component 110 can be one or more containers containing the solution to be reacted. The feeding component 110 can be located directly above one end of the conveyor belt 122. The bottom of the feeding component 110 can be the discharging component 111. The discharging component 111 faces at least one gel receiving grid 1221 on the surface of the conveyor belt 122. The distance from the discharging component 111 to the surface of the conveyor belt 122 can be 5-10 cm, and it should not be too high. In this way, the feeding component 110 can stably convey the solution to be gelled to the gel receiving grid 1221.

[0048] The transmission component 120 may include a driving part 121 and a conveyor belt 122. The driving part 121 may include a power source 1211 and rollers 1212 for driving the conveyor belt to move. The driving power source 1211 may be a stepper motor or an electric motor, etc. The type of the driving power source may be selected according to actual application situations and is not limited herein. The rollers 1212 may be located at both ends of the transmission component. The material of the rollers 1212 may be corrosion-resistant metal, and the outer surface of the rollers 1212 may be treated to be rough by polishing. The power source 1211 may be located at one end inside the transmission component 120 to drive the roller 1212 at this end to move. The conveyor belt 122 may be located on the outermost side of the entire transmission component 120, with both ends wrapping the rollers 1212. By driving the rollers 1212 to rotate through the driving power source 1211, the rollers 1212 drive the conveyor belt 122 to continuously move, so that the transmission component 120 can continuously transport the solution to be gelled, and the solution to be gelled can form gel blocks during the transportation process.

[0049] The gel storage component 130 may be arranged to face the conveyor belt 122 to receive the gel in the gel receiving grid 1221 on the surface of the conveyor belt 122. The gel storage component 130 may be less than 20 cm directly below one end of the conveyor belt 122 to prevent the gel blocks from being broken too much and the particles being too small to block the sieve mesh when they fall. The gel storage component 130 may also be placed in a tank containing a buffer solution such as water or an alcohol solution. This buffer solution will not affect the internal structure of the gel blocks and the subsequent reactions and steps. The buffer solution mainly plays a buffering role for the gel blocks to reduce the situation of the gel blocks being broken. The gel storage component 130 may be placed on an automatically rotating platform. The platform is driven by a motor to rotate. The platform can drive the gel storage component 130 to slowly rotate by friction, so that the gel blocks can be evenly spread on the sieve tray.

[0050] The aerogel production system provided by the present invention includes: a feeding component, a transmission component, and a gel storage component. The transmission component includes a driving part and a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt rolls under the drive of the driving part, and a plurality of gel receiving grids are distributed on the surface of the conveyor belt. The feeding component has a discharging part, and the discharging part is arranged to face at least one gel receiving grid on the surface of the conveyor belt. The gel storage component is arranged to face the conveyor belt to receive the gel from the gel receiving grid on the surface of the conveyor belt. In this way, by continuously supplying raw materials through the feeding component, a plurality of gel receiving grids in the transmission component can hold a sufficient amount of the solution to be gelled, and the storage component centrally collects the gel blocks, so as to achieve the effect of efficient production of gel blocks.

[0051] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the conveyor belt 122 provided with a plurality of gel receiving grids according to an embodiment of the present invention. AsFigure 2 As shown, considering that the conveyor belt 122 needs to accommodate the solution to be gelled and transport the gel blocks, a plurality of first support portions 1222 extending in the first direction and a plurality of second support portions 1223 extending in the second direction can be provided on the surface of the conveyor belt 122. The first direction and the second direction can be perpendicular; the plurality of first support portions 1222 and the plurality of second support portions 1223 can intersect with each other to form the plurality of gel accommodation grids 1221. The gel accommodation grid 1221 is a groove structure, and through the groove structure of the gel accommodation grid 1221, it is convenient to store the solution to be gelled.

[0052] In the embodiment of the present application, the first direction can be the horizontal direction, and the second direction can be the vertical direction.

[0053] An aerogel production system provided by the present invention, through a sufficient number of gel accommodation grids formed by the intersection of a plurality of support portions on the conveyor belt, the gel accommodation grids can store and transport a sufficient amount of gel solution, thereby improving the production efficiency of the aerogel production system.

[0054] It should be understood that the area of the bottom region of the gel accommodation grid 1221 can be smaller than the area of the top region. When the gel is injected into the gel accommodation grid 1221, the gel accommodation grid 1221 filled with the gel continues to move to the turning point 1224 at one end of the conveyor belt 122. The upper and lower openings of the gel accommodation grid 1221 can undergo a certain deformation, the upper opening expands, and the lower opening shrinks. The gel block in the gel accommodation grid 1221 can fall into the gel storage assembly 130 at one end under the action of extrusion at the lower opening and gravity. Specifically, the gel accommodation grid 1221 can be a grid with a large upper opening and a small lower opening. The grid can be one or a combination of a frustum, a cone, or a hemisphere of any shape with a large upper opening and a small lower opening. The length of the upper opening can be 10 - 50 mm, the length of the lower bottom can be 0 - 45 mm, and the depth of the grid can be 20 mm. In the embodiment of the present application, through this grid structure design with a large upper opening and a small lower opening, it is convenient for the gel block to fall off smoothly when the gel accommodation grid 1221 moves to the turning point 1224 of the conveyor belt 122.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present application, the solution for forming the gel carried in the gel accommodation grid 1221 may also contain an acidic catalyst. During the process of the gel accommodation grid 1221 transporting the solution for forming the gel, considering that the solution to be gelled contains an acidic catalyst, the materials of the first support portion 1222 and the second support portion 1223 can be corrosion-resistant latex, thereby increasing the service life of the first support portion 1222 and the second support portion 1223.

[0056] In the embodiment of the present application, the gel storage assembly can include a screen tray. The following is a reference Figure 3A description will be given.

[0057] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of a screen tray provided by an embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 3 shown, the screen tray 131 may include a screen part 1311 and a wall part 1312 surrounding the screen part. The wall part 1312 may extend relative to the screen part 1311 such that the screen part 1311 and the wall part 1312 may form an accommodation space. The diameter of the screen holes of the screen tray 131 may be 80 - 200 mesh, the wall height of the screen tray 131 may be greater than the maximum diameter of the gel block, and the wall height may be 10 - 25 cm; a support structure may be provided at the lower part of the screen tray 131 to prevent the gel block from deforming the screen part 1311 under the action of gravity. The support structure may be a plate-like grid structure distributed longitudinally, so as not to affect the passage of fluid.

[0058] Optionally, as Figure 3 shown, the screen tray 131 may include a hollow column 1313, and the hollow column 1313 may extend relative to the screen part 1311; the hollow column 1313 may be located at the center of the screen tray 131, and the hollow column 1313 may be an open-hole structure.

[0059] In the embodiments of the present application, the gel storage assembly may include not only a screen tray but also a bracket.

[0060] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of a bracket 132 provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The bracket 132 may include a support base 1321 and a straight rod 1322, and the straight rod 1322 and the support base 1321 are fixedly connected.

[0061] In the embodiments of the present application, the hollow column 1313 may be an open-hole structure. Through this open-hole structure design, the straight rod 1322 of the bracket 132 can pass through the hollow column 1313 smoothly. The shape of the hollow column 1313 may be one of a circle, a quadrilateral, and other polygons.

[0062] The support base 1321 is a plate-like grid structure, so as not to affect the passage of fluid. The shape of the support base 1321 may be similar to that of the screen tray 131, so that the support base 1321 can support the screen tray 131; the shape and size of the straight rod 1322 may match the shape and size of the hollow column 1313 of the screen tray 131, so that the screen tray 131 can be sleeved on the straight rod 1322 and stacked layer by layer. There may be an annular hole 1323 at the top position of the straight rod 1322, and the bracket 132 can be lifted through the annular hole 1323, which is beneficial to the transportation of the bracket 132.

[0063] Optionally, as Figure 4 shown, the bracket 132 may be in an inverted T shape, and the length of the straight rod 1322 may be greater than the height of the wall portion 1312 of the screen tray 131, so that a plurality of screen trays 131 can be placed on the bracket 132 in a stacked manner, and the total height after stacking the plurality of screen trays 131 may be lower than the height of the position of the annular hole 1323, thereby facilitating the transportation of the bracket 132.

[0064] Optionally, as Figure 3 shown, the hollow column 1313 may be located at the central position of the screen tray 131, and the wall portion may be annular 1312, thereby facilitating the stacking of the screen trays 131.

[0065] It should be understood that the shape of the support base 1321 in the present invention may match the shape of the wall portion 1312, and its specific shape may be selected according to actual needs and is not limited herein.

[0066] Aerogel production system provided by the present invention collects a sufficient amount of gel blocks through a screen tray, and the bracket stably stacks the screen trays, which can improve the production efficiency of the aerogel production system.

[0067] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the aerogel production system. As Figure 5 shown, the feeding assembly 110 may include a first container 112, a second container 113, a pipeline 114, and a syringe 115. The first container 112 and the second container 113 may be connected through the pipeline 114. The first container 112 may carry the sol, the second container 113 may carry the catalyst, and the syringe 115 may be provided at the end of the pipeline 114; by providing the first container 112, the second container 113, and the pipeline 114, a stable feeding structure can be formed.

[0068] The first container 112 may be filled with sol. The sol may be a water glass solution (water glass is a thick aqueous solution of liquid sodium silicate obtained by melting silicon dioxide and alkali), or other types of sol. The second container 113 may be filled with an acid catalyst. The lower end of the first container 112 may be connected to a branch pipe 1141 through which the solution can flow, and the lower end of the second container 113 may be connected to a branch pipe 1142 through which the solution can flow. The tails of the two branch pipes may be joined, and a main pipeline 1143 may be led downward at the joining point. The sol in the first container 112 and the catalyst in the second container 113 may converge in the main pipeline 1143, and a discharging component 111 may be connected to the tail of the main pipeline 1143. The discharging component 111 may inject the gel solution into the gel receiving grid 1221.

[0069] In the embodiment of the present application, the connection part between the discharging component 111 and the main pipeline 1143 can be a movable component, and the surface of the discharging component 111 can face the central position in the width direction of the conveyor belt 122; the discharging component 111 can include an injector 115 and a valve switch 116. The shape of the injector 115 can be a nozzle capable of lateral movement (lateral refers to perpendicular to the movement direction of the conveyor belt), and the injector 115 can also be a structure of a horizontally long pipe connected with multiple nozzles. The direction of the nozzles can be perpendicular to the central position of the gel accommodating grid 1221, and the number of nozzles can correspond one by one to the number of horizontal row grids, so that the amount of solution injected into each gel accommodating grid 1221 can be the same. The valve switch 116 can control the start and end of the feeding.

[0070] Aerogel production system provided by the present invention stores a sufficient amount of solution through the first container and the second container, the main pipeline collects the solution, and the discharging component stably produces a sufficient amount of solution to be gelled, which can improve the production efficiency of the aerogel production system.

[0071] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of a processing component 140 in an aerogel production system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 6 shown, the processing component 140 can include: an input pipeline 141, an output pipeline 142, a reaction tank 143, a circulation pump 144 and a circulation pipeline 145; both ends of the reaction tank 143 can be communicated with the circulation pipeline 145 to form a loop; the circulation pump 144 can be arranged on the loop; the input pipeline 141 and the output pipeline 142 can be communicated with the circulation pipeline 145. Specifically, the input pipeline 141 can be parallel to the horizontal ground, the input pipeline 141 can communicate with the first pipeline 1451 of the circulation pipeline 145, and a third pipeline 1453 leading to the bottom of the reaction tank can be led out at the communicating place. The output pipeline 142 can be perpendicular to the horizontal ground, the output pipeline 142 can communicate with the fourth pipeline 1454 at the head outlet of the reaction tank 143, and a second pipeline 1452 extending horizontally to the right can be led out at the communicating place. The led-out pipeline can be the second pipeline 1452 of the circulation pipeline 145; through the mutual communication of each pipeline, a circulable pipeline system can be formed.

[0072] Optionally, as Figure 6As shown, the processing component 140 may further include a first valve 146, a second valve 147, and a third valve 148. Among them, the first valve 146 may be disposed on the input pipeline 141, the second valve 147 may be disposed on the output pipeline 142, and the third valve 148 may be disposed on the circulation pipeline 145. The setting position of the third valve 148 may correspond to that of the first valve 146, and the distance between the third valve 148 and the first valve 146 may be less than the distance between the third valve 148 and the second valve 147. By setting multiple valves, the working state of the circulation pipeline 145 can be controlled.

[0073] Optionally, as Figure 6 shown, the processing component 140 may further include a heater 1401. The heater 1401 may be disposed between the circulation pump 144 and the third valve 148, or may be disposed at other positions on the circulation pipeline 145. The heater 1401 can heat the circulating liquid in the circulation pipeline 145. A target temperature may be set for the liquid to be heated by the heater 1401, and the target temperature may be the same as the initial temperature of the circulating liquid. The heater 1401 can adjust the heating power by monitoring the temperature of the circulating liquid and comparing it with the target temperature, thereby maintaining the stability of the temperature of the circulating liquid.

[0074] Optionally, as Figure 6 shown, a grid layer 149 may be disposed at a position near the bottom inside the reaction tank 143, and the grid layer 149 can prevent small gel blocks from entering the pipeline and blocking the valve.

[0075] An aerogel production system provided by the present invention can efficiently process a sufficient amount of gel blocks through the design of the circulation pipeline and the reaction tank in the processing component. By controlling the opening state of the valves in the processing component, different processing environments can be quickly switched, thereby improving the production efficiency of the aerogel production system.

[0076] Figure 7 It is a schematic flowchart of an aerogel production method provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 It is a process structure diagram of an aerogel production method provided by an embodiment of the present invention, which illustrates the whole process of aerogel from solution to powder. For the convenience of understanding the aerogel production method of the present application in detail, the following combines Figure 7 and Figure 8 to further introduce in detail an aerogel production method provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0077] The aerogel production method may include the following steps:

[0078] Step 701: Generate a solution to be gelled using the feeding component and send the solution to be gelled to the conveying component.

[0079] Among them, the feeding component may include a first container, a second container, a syringe and a valve switch; first, a water glass solution can be poured into the first container, and an acid catalyst can be poured into the second container. The two solutions are mixed in a certain proportion. The water glass solution can obtain the solution to be gelled under the action of the acid catalyst. Then, open the valve switch of the syringe, and the solution to be gelled can be vertically injected into the gel-containing grid on the surface of the lower conveyor belt.

[0080] Step 702: The solution to be gelled forms a gel block in the gel-containing grid of the conveying component, and the conveyor belt in the conveying component is used to send the gel block to the gel storage component.

[0081] Among them, the conveying component may include a conveyor belt and a driving motor; the gel-containing grid on the surface of the conveyor belt can hold the solution to be gelled and move with the conveyor belt. The gel time of the solution to be gelled is very short. By adjusting the length of the conveyor belt and the rotation speed of the motor, the solution to be gelled can be gelled before reaching the corner of the conveyor belt. After gelling, the gel block can fall into the storage component under the action of gravity and the extrusion force at the bottom of the grid.

[0082] The storage component may include a screen tray and a bracket; the screen tray can be placed on a rotating platform 20 cm below the conveyor belt. The screen tray rotates at a certain speed so that the gel blocks falling on its surface can be evenly spread on the screen tray. When the surface of the screen tray is covered with gel blocks, the screen tray can be transferred and assembled layer by layer on the bracket.

[0083] Step 703: Send at least one screen tray of the gel storage component into the reaction tank of the processing component, and transport a target gas or a target liquid into the reaction tank to produce an aerogel block.

[0084] Among them, the processing component may include a reaction tank, a circulation pipeline, a circulation pump and valves; the bracket with the screen tray assembled can be lifted into the reaction tank, the first valve and the second valve of the reaction tank can be opened, the third valve of the reaction tank can be closed, and hot water can be added from the inlet / outlet at the bottom of the reaction tank until the entire circulation system is filled. Then the heater can be turned on, a target temperature can be set, and then the first valve and the second valve can be closed, the third valve and the circulation pump can be opened to perform the water washing step. The main purpose of the water washing step can be to wash away the inorganic salts in the gel, and it can also play a role in aging and increasing the hardness of the gel block. After sufficient water washing, the first valve can be opened to discharge the washing liquid from the inlet / outlet at the lower part. After the washing liquid is emptied, the third valve can be closed and the second valve can be opened, and an ethanol solution with a certain concentration can be injected from the inlet / outlet at the bottom of the reaction tank. When the ethanol solution fills the circulation system, the first valve and the second valve can be closed, the third valve and the circulation pump can be opened to perform the alcohol washing step. The main purpose of the alcohol washing is to replace the water originally in the pores of the aerogel skeleton with the ethanol solution. After sufficient alcohol washing, the first valve can be opened to discharge the alcohol washing waste liquid from the inlet / outlet at the bottom of the reaction tank. When the alcohol washing waste liquid is emptied from the bottom of the reaction tank, the second valve of the reaction tank can be opened, the third valve can be closed, and the modification liquid can be injected from the inlet / outlet at the bottom. In the same steps as the alcohol washing, after the modification is completed, the waste liquid is discharged. After the waste liquid is emptied, hot air can be introduced from the inlet / outlet at the bottom of the reaction tank to perform the drying step. During the drying process, the third valve needs to be closed, the first valve and the second valve need to be opened, and the hot air is discharged from the output pipeline at the top of the reaction tank until the gel block is completely dry, and then the bracket can be lifted out of the tank opening of the reaction tank, and the aerogel block in the screen tray can be poured out;

[0085] Step 704, grinding the dried aerogel block to obtain aerogel powders of different specifications.

[0086] It should also be noted that the term "including", "comprising" or any other variant thereof is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, commodity or device including a series of elements not only includes those elements, but also includes other elements not expressly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, commodity or device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the statement "including one..." does not exclude the existence of another identical element in the process, method, commodity or device including the said element.

[0087] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An aerogel production system, characterized in that, Comprising: A feeding component, a conveying component, and a gel storage component; The conveying component includes a driving part and a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt rolls under the drive of the driving part. A plurality of gel receiving grids are distributed on the surface of the conveyor belt. A plurality of first supporting parts extending in a first direction and a plurality of second supporting parts extending in a second direction are arranged on the surface of the conveyor belt. The first direction and the second direction are perpendicular; The plurality of first supporting parts and the plurality of second supporting parts intersect with each other to form the plurality of gel receiving grids. The gel receiving grids are groove structures; The feeding component has a discharging part, and the discharging part is arranged to face at least one gel receiving grid on the surface of the conveyor belt; The gel storage component is arranged to face the conveyor belt to receive the gel from the gel receiving grids on the surface of the conveyor belt. The gel storage component includes a screen tray. The screen tray includes a screen part and a wall part surrounding the screen part. The wall part extends relative to the screen part such that the screen part and the wall part form a receiving space; The screen tray further includes a hollow column, and the hollow column extends relative to the screen part; The gel storage component further includes: a bracket, and the bracket includes: a supporting base and a straight rod. The straight rod is fixedly connected to the supporting base. The size of the straight rod matches the aperture of the hollow column of the screen tray. The straight rod passes through the hollow column of the screen tray. The bracket is in an inverted T shape, and the length of the straight rod is greater than the height of the wall part of the screen tray. The hollow column is located at the central position of the screen tray, and the wall part is annular.

2. The aerogel production system according to claim 1, wherein The area of the bottom region of the gel receiving grid is smaller than the area of the top region; The materials of the first supporting part and the second supporting part are latex.

3. The aerogel production system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding component includes a first container, a second container, a pipeline, and a syringe. The first container and the second container are connected and communicated through the pipeline. The first container carries the sol, and the second container carries the catalyst. The syringe is arranged at the end of the pipeline; The discharging part is movable, and the surface of the discharging part faces the central position in the width direction of the conveyor belt.

4. The aerogel production system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aerogel production system further includes: a processing component, and the processing component includes: an input pipeline, an output pipeline, a reaction tank, a circulation pump, and a circulation pipeline. Both ends of the reaction tank are communicated with the circulation pipeline to form a loop. The circulation pump is arranged on the loop. The input pipeline and the output pipeline are both communicated with the circulation pipeline; Wherein, at least one of the screen trays is arranged in the reaction tank.

5. The aerogel production system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The processing component further includes a first valve, a second valve, and a third valve. Among them, the first valve is arranged on the input pipeline, the second valve is arranged on the output pipeline, the third valve is arranged on the circulation pipeline, the setting position of the third valve corresponds to that of the first valve, and the distance between the third valve and the first valve is less than the distance between the third valve and the second valve.

6. A method for producing aerogel applied to the aerogel production system according to claim 5, characterized in that, Comprising: Use the feeding component to generate a solution to be gelled, and send the solution to be gelled to the conveying component; The solution to be gelled forms gel blocks within the gel-containing grid of the conveying component, and the conveyor belt of the conveying component is used to send the gel blocks to the gel storage component; Send at least one sieve tray of the gel storage component into the reaction tank, and convey a target gas or a target liquid into the reaction tank to produce aerogel blocks; Grind the aerogel blocks to obtain aerogel powders of different specifications.

7. The aerogel production method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The conveying a target gas or a target liquid into the reaction tank to produce aerogel blocks includes: Open the first valve and the second valve, and at the same time close the third valve. Convey an aging liquid with a temperature higher than the threshold into the reaction tank through the input pipeline until the entire circulation system is filled. Then close the first valve and the second valve, open the third valve and the circulation pump to perform a water washing step. After sufficient water washing, open the first valve to discharge the aging liquid from the input pipeline; Close the third valve and open the second valve. Convey an alcohol solvent into the reaction tank through the input pipeline until the entire circulation system is filled. Then close the first valve and the second valve, open the third valve and the circulation pump to perform an alcohol washing step. After sufficient alcohol washing, open the first valve to discharge the alcohol solvent from the input pipeline; Close the third valve and open the second valve. Convey a modification liquid into the reaction tank through the input pipeline until the entire circulation system is filled. Then close the first valve and the second valve, open the third valve and the circulation pump to perform a modification step. After sufficient modification, open the first valve to discharge the modification liquid from the input pipeline; Close the third valve and open the second valve. Pass hot air into the reaction tank through the input pipeline to perform a drying step. The hot air is discharged through the output pipeline until the gel blocks are completely dried to obtain the aerogel blocks.

Images