A rigid-flexible composite chaotic stirring device and method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a rigid-flexible composite chaotic stirring device and method, comprising a sleeve for connection to a drive device, with a plurality of inflatable soft paddles with cavities fixedly connected circumferentially to the sleeve's outer wall; an inflatable assembly is installed within the sleeve and paddles. The present invention utilizes the inflatable assembly to inflate the paddles, varying the gas flow rate and thereby regulating the paddle's rigidity and flexibility, thereby achieving turbulent flow and chaotic stirring. This device effectively addresses issues such as uneven material mixing, low paddle efficiency, and high specific power consumption in large-volume mixing tanks, ensuring uniform material flow within the tank and improving stirring efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of stirring equipment, and in particular to a rigid-flexible composite chaotic stirring device and method. Background Art

[0002] Mixing is a typical unit operation in process industries such as chemical, food, biological, and pharmaceutical industries. Mixing equipment is widely used in fields such as petrochemicals, pharmaceutical chemicals, papermaking, food processing, and bioengineering. Mechanical stirred tanks are the most widely used due to their stable operation, large contact area, high heat and mass transfer efficiency, and stable operation. With the increasing depletion of non-renewable energy, the necessity of process intensification has become a consensus, and enhancing the mixing effect of fluids within stirred vessels has become a research focus. To this end, research focuses on developing efficient, energy-saving, and reliable fluid mixing technologies, such as chaotic mixing, which is considered the only effective way to efficiently mix fluids at low and medium Reynolds numbers. This technology, in particular, involves variable-speed mixing, eccentric mixing, side-entry mixing, and reciprocating mixing, which are used in almost every field of mixing. Furthermore, research is also focused on developing new impellers for various industrial mixing systems, such as spiral arc impellers, flexible blade impellers, rigid-flexible combination impellers, "butterfly" impellers, fractal impellers, and flexible shaft seal impellers. As the core component of the mixing equipment, the agitator provides the energy and appropriate flow state required by the fluid during the mixing process. Reasonable design of its structure, shape and softness is an important way to achieve efficient and energy-saving mixing of fluids. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a rigid-flexible composite chaotic stirring device and method, which aims to solve or improve technical problems such as uneven material mixing, low blade efficiency, and high unit power consumption in large-volume stirring tanks, so as to make the material flow in the tank uniform and improve the stirring efficiency.

[0004] The present invention discloses the following technical effects:

[0005] The present invention provides a rigid-flexible composite chaotic stirring device, comprising a shaft sleeve for connecting to a driving device, wherein a plurality of inflatable soft blades with cavities are fixedly connected to the outer wall of the shaft sleeve in a circumferential direction; an inflation component is installed in the shaft sleeve and the blades, and the blades are inflated by the inflation component to change the gas flow rate so as to regulate the rigidity and flexibility of the blades and thereby realize turbulence to achieve chaotic stirring.

[0006] Preferably, the inflation assembly includes several transverse air pipes and one vertical air pipe, several of the transverse air pipes are connected to the vertical air pipe, the vertical air pipe is installed in the shaft sleeve, and the end of the vertical air pipe away from the transverse air pipe is connected to an external air pump, the transverse air pipe is fixedly installed in the blade, and the end of the transverse air pipe away from the vertical air pipe is connected to the cavity of the blade.

[0007] Preferably, the shaft sleeve is cylindrical, a mounting hole is provided in the axial direction of the cylinder, a key groove is provided in the side wall of the mounting hole, and the key groove is provided along the axial direction of the shaft sleeve.

[0008] Preferably, the blade is in the shape of a fan blade as a whole, the horizontal torsion angle of the blade root is greater than the horizontal torsion angle of the blade tip, and the horizontal angle range of the blade root is 35° to 45°.

[0009] Preferably, the blade tip is rounded.

[0010] Preferably, the material of the blade is LCP (industrial liquid crystal polymer) or PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) plastic.

[0011] Preferably, the rigid-flexible composite chaotic stirring device is applied, and the specific steps are as follows:

[0012] Step 1: Connect the inflation component to the external air pump;

[0013] Step 2: Place the blade in the working position;

[0014] Step 3: Inflate the inflatable component through an air pump to change the gas flow inside the blade, adjust the rigidity and flexibility of the blade, and then achieve turbulence to achieve chaotic stirring. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0016] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the device of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 A top view of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 It is a partial cross-sectional view of the front view of the present invention;

[0019] In the figure: 1-shaft sleeve, 2-blade, 3-trachea, 11-through hole, 12-keyway, 21-trachea opening, 31-transverse trachea, 32-vertical trachea. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0022] Reference Figure 1-3 The present invention provides a rigid-flexible composite chaotic stirring device, comprising a sleeve 1 for connecting to a driving device, with a plurality of blades 2 fixedly connected circumferentially to the outer wall of the sleeve 1; the blades 2 are inflatable soft blades with cavities, and an inflatable component is installed in the sleeve 1 and the blades 2.

[0023] In the specific implementation process, the paddle 2 can be inflated through the inflation component according to the viscosity of the stirring object, and the gas flow rate can be changed to adjust the rigidity and flexibility of the paddle to achieve turbulence and chaotic stirring.

[0024] To further optimize the solution, the inflation component includes several transverse air pipes 31 and one vertical air pipe 32. The several transverse air pipes 31 are connected to the vertical air pipe 32. The vertical air pipe 32 is installed in the shaft sleeve 1. The end of the vertical air pipe 32 away from the transverse air pipe 31 is connected to an external air pump. The transverse air pipe 31 is fixedly installed in the blade 2. The end of the transverse air pipe 31 away from the vertical air pipe 32 is connected to the cavity of the blade 2, so that the external air pump can transport gas to the blade cavity through the inflation component, and the hardness and softness of the blade can be controlled by adjusting the gas flow, thereby achieving the best stirring effect.

[0025] According to a further optimization scheme, the sleeve 1 is cylindrical, a mounting hole 11 is provided in the axial direction of the cylinder, a key slot 12 is provided in the side wall of the mounting hole 11, and the key slot 12 is provided along the axial direction of the sleeve 1 for connecting to an external drive device to realize device driving.

[0026] A further optimization scheme features impeller 2 in a fan-shaped configuration. The horizontal angle of the impeller surface decreases gradually from root to tip, with a spiral pitch gradient. The horizontal twist angle at the root is greater than that at the tip, ranging from 35° to 45°. During rotation, the radial direction of liquid discharge varies from root to tip, while the axial direction varies depending on the twist angle of impeller 2. Overall, the material is pushed downward and forward of the impeller, creating turbulent flow throughout the agitator tank. The curved surface of impeller 2's backflow surface effectively reduces liquid discharge resistance, lowers unit power consumption, and improves agitation. At the same time, the low shear properties of the blades reduce the impact of the liquid flow, improving their corrosion and wear resistance. By optimizing the structure and shape of blade 2, especially the geometry and parameters of its upstream and downstream surfaces, the power quasi-speed Np of blade 2 is reduced, thereby improving the stirring performance of blade 2 and reducing unit power consumption. The horizontal angle of the upstream surface of blade 2 from root to tip is a spiral with a gradually decreasing pitch, ensuring that the stirring intensity of blade 2 is consistent from root to tip and the mixing effect of the entire tank is consistent. The upstream and downstream surfaces form a hollow cavity structure, and the downstream surface is airfoil-shaped, so that during the stirring process, the material flows along the curved surface of blade 2, which effectively enhances the corrosion and wear resistance of blade 2. It can be widely used in stirring processes such as solid-liquid suspension, reaction mixing, mass transfer and heat transfer, crystallization extraction, etc. with highly corrosive and highly abrasive media such as strong acids and strong bases. This is an innovation in stirring blades.

[0027] To further optimize the solution, the tip of blade 2 is rounded, so that the linear speed of blade 2 increases while the resistance it encounters gradually decreases.

[0028] Further optimizations have been made of LCP (industrial liquid crystal polymer) or PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) plastic, making it suitable for extreme environments such as high temperatures and corrosion. By optimizing the structure, shape, and material of blade 2, particularly the geometry and parameters of its upstream and downstream surfaces, the power quasi-speed Np of blade 2 is reduced, thereby improving the stirring performance of blade 2 and reducing specific power consumption. The horizontal angle of the upstream surface of blade 2 gradually decreases from root to tip, maintaining consistent stirring intensity from root to tip and achieving consistent mixing throughout the entire tank. The upstream and downstream surfaces form a hollow cavity structure, with the downstream surface shaped like an airfoil. This ensures that materials flow along the curved surface of blade 2 during stirring, effectively enhancing the corrosion and wear resistance of blade 2. This innovation is suitable for a wide range of stirring processes, including solid-liquid suspension, reaction mixing, mass transfer, heat transfer, and crystallization extraction, involving highly corrosive and abrasive media such as strong acids and alkalis.

[0029] The rigid-flexible composite chaotic stirring device used in the present invention has the following specific steps:

[0030] The shaft sleeve 1 is connected to the driving device through the keyway 12 and the mounting hole 11. The driving device can be driven by a component with a rotational drive such as a motor.

[0031] Step 1: Connect the vertical air pipe 32 of the inflation assembly to the external air pump;

[0032] Step 2: Place the blade (2) in the operating position;

[0033] Step 3: Inflate the inflatable component through an air pump to change the gas flow inside the blade 2, adjust the rigidity and flexibility of the blade 2, and then achieve turbulence to achieve chaotic stirring.

[0034] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "transverse", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention, 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 therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0035] The embodiments described above are merely descriptions of preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Without departing from the spirit of the present invention, various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by persons skilled in the art should fall within the scope of protection defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rigid-flexible composite chaotic stirring device, characterized by: It comprises a shaft sleeve (1) detachably connected to a driving device, wherein a plurality of blades (2) are fixedly connected to the outer wall of the shaft sleeve (1) in a circumferential direction; The blade (2) is an inflatable blade with a cavity; The blade (2) is a soft blade; the blade (2) is in the shape of a fan blade, the horizontal torsion angle of the blade root of the blade (2) is greater than the horizontal torsion angle of the blade tip, and the horizontal angle range of the blade root of the blade (2) is 35° to 45°; An inflatable component is installed in the shaft sleeve (1) and the blade (2); The inflation assembly comprises a plurality of transverse air pipes (31) and a vertical air pipe (32), wherein the plurality of transverse air pipes (31) are connected to the vertical air pipe (32), the vertical air pipe (32) is installed in the shaft sleeve (1), and one end of the vertical air pipe (32) away from the transverse air pipe (31) is connected to an external air pump, the transverse air pipe (31) is fixedly installed in the blade (2), and one end of the transverse air pipe (31) away from the vertical air pipe (32) is connected to the cavity of the blade (2).

2. The rigid-flexible composite chaotic stirring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shaft sleeve (1) is cylindrical, and a mounting hole (11) is provided at the top end of the shaft sleeve (1) along the axial direction. A key groove (12) is provided on the side wall of the mounting hole (11), and the key groove (12) is provided along the axial direction of the shaft sleeve (1).

3. The rigid-flexible composite chaotic stirring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The blade (2) has a rounded tip.

4. The rigid-flexible composite chaotic stirring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the blade (2) is LCP or PPS plastic.

5. A rigid-flexible composite chaotic stirring method, characterized by: The rigid-flexible composite chaotic stirring device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is applied, and the specific steps are as follows: Step 1: Connect the inflation assembly to the external air pump; Step 2: placing the blade (2) in an operating position; Step three: inflating the inflatable component through an air pump to change the internal gas flow of the blade (2), regulating the rigidity and flexibility of the blade (2), thereby achieving turbulence and chaotic stirring.

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