Process and apparatus for the production of lubricating oils

Abstract

The application provides a preparation method and device of lubricating oil, wherein the method comprises the following steps: obtaining the use parameters of the lubricating oil; setting the mixing ratio of base lubricating oil and high molecular elastomer based on the use parameters of the lubricating oil, and setting the feeding flow of the homogenizer, the entering amount of high-pressure airflow and the piston power; adding a set amount of base lubricating oil into the working cavity of the opposed piston, starting the homogenizer, conveying a set amount of high molecular elastomer into the homogenizer, dispersing and forming high-pressure airflow in the homogenizer, spraying the high-pressure airflow into the working cavity of the opposed piston to mix with the base lubricating oil, and starting the piston to work to high-pressure shear the base lubricating oil to obtain lubricating oil with a set viscosity. By adding nano high molecular polyurethane elastomer into the base lubricating oil, the nano high molecular polyurethane elastomer has an elastic modulus, and the nano high molecular polyurethane elastomer plays a role in buffering mechanical contact in the mechanical lubrication process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of lubricant preparation technology, specifically a method and apparatus for preparing lubricant. Background Technology

[0002] Lubricating oil, as a mechanical lubricant, is widely used in industries such as aerospace, machinery manufacturing, and automobiles. Currently, the preparation methods for lubricating oil all involve stirring to achieve a certain kinematic viscosity, thereby meeting the usage requirements for different purposes.

[0003] Furthermore, some lubricants on the market currently incorporate nano-copper particles to enhance wear resistance and repair during lubrication. For example, patent application CN112480994A discloses a lubricant, its preparation method, and its application. This method uses oleic acid to disperse the added nano-copper particles, which are then added to the lubricant. This improves the lubrication performance of the lubricant, effectively reducing friction and wear between friction pairs. Furthermore, it allows for the repair of worn areas after wear occurs, extending the service life of the friction pairs. Adding soft metal nano-copper particles to the lubricant of the main drive sealing structure allows for lubrication and self-repair of the wear-resistant slideways and sealing lips in the main drive sealing structure. This effectively extends the service life of the sealing components, reduces the frequency of sealing structure replacement during construction, and lowers construction costs.

[0004] For example, publication number CN107118826A discloses a composite lubricating oil friction-reducing and anti-wear additive, a composite lubricating oil, and its preparation method. The composite lubricating oil friction-reducing and anti-wear additive provided by this invention includes: organic molybdenum, graphene, nano-copper, serpentine, and polyester. This invention uses organic molybdenum, nano-copper, and serpentine as the main additive components, utilizes graphene to improve the friction-reducing and anti-wear effect of the lubricating oil under high temperature and high load, utilizes polyester to improve the friction-reducing and anti-wear effect of the lubricating oil at low temperature, and uses synthetic oil to improve the solubility of organic molybdenum in the lubricating oil and improve the low-temperature flow performance of the lubricating oil. Simultaneously, the above-mentioned additives provided by this invention have good solubility in lubricating oil and are not prone to agglomeration. The prepared composite lubricant exhibits excellent high and low temperature lubrication performance.

[0005] All of the above methods utilize the addition of copper ions for wear resistance and repair. To achieve good kinematic viscosity and uniform mixing, stirring is employed in all these methods. However, stirring is unlikely to achieve suitable kinematic viscosity, and it also fails to achieve thorough mixing. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the main objective of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for preparing lubricating oil.

[0007] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows:

[0008] This invention provides a method for preparing a lubricating oil, comprising the following steps:

[0009] Obtain the usage parameters of the lubricating oil;

[0010] The mixing ratio of base lubricating oil and polymer elastomer is set based on the lubricating oil's usage parameters, as well as the feed flow rate, high-pressure airflow inlet, and piston power of the homogenizer.

[0011] The set amount of base lubricating oil is added to the working chamber of the opposed piston. At the same time, the homogenizer is started, and the set amount of polymer elastomer is delivered into the homogenizer. After high-pressure airflow is introduced, it is dispersed inside the homogenizer and forms a high-pressure airflow that is sprayed into the working chamber of the opposed piston to mix with the base lubricating oil. The piston is started to do work to perform high-pressure shearing on the base lubricating oil to obtain lubricating oil with the set viscosity.

[0012] Furthermore, the polymeric elastomer is selected from nano-polymer polyurethane elastomers.

[0013] The present invention also provides an apparatus for preparing lubricating oil, comprising:

[0014] A opposed linear piston device is provided with a working chamber. A base lubricating oil inlet, a polymer elastomer inlet, and a gas outlet are provided in the upper part of the working chamber, and a synthetic lubricating oil outlet is provided in the lower part of the working chamber. A first electronic valve is provided at the base lubricating oil inlet, a second electronic valve is provided at the polymer elastomer inlet, a third electronic valve is provided at the gas outlet, and a fourth electronic valve is provided at the synthetic lubricating oil outlet.

[0015] The first material storage tank is connected to the first electronic valve via a first pipeline and a first lift pump, a first metering pump and a first switch valve installed on the first pipeline;

[0016] The second material storage tank is connected to the homogenizer via a second pipeline and a second lift pump, a second metering pump, and a second switching valve installed on the second pipeline.

[0017] The control device is used to set the mixing ratio of base lubricating oil and polymer elastomer based on the lubricating oil usage parameters; set the feed flow rate and high-pressure airflow during each homogenization of the homogenizer; set the piston power; and set the opening and closing of the third electronic valve during the high-pressure shearing process and the exhaust volume after each piston completes the high-pressure shearing.

[0018] The set amount of base lubricating oil is added to the working chamber of the opposed piston. At the same time, the homogenizer is started, and the set amount of polymer elastomer is delivered into the homogenizer. After high-pressure airflow is introduced, it is dispersed inside the homogenizer and forms a high-pressure airflow that is sprayed into the working chamber of the opposed piston to mix with the base lubricating oil. The piston is started to do work to perform high-pressure shearing on the base lubricating oil to obtain lubricating oil with the set viscosity.

[0019] Furthermore, the opposed linear piston device includes:

[0020] The piston cylinder has auxiliary frames on both sides.

[0021] A cylinder is provided along the inner wall of each auxiliary frame, a push rod is provided on the cylinder, and a piston head is provided at the front end of the push rod, and the piston head is located inside the piston cylinder.

[0022] Each piston head reciprocates inside the piston cylinder, and the sealed space formed between two piston heads is the working chamber.

[0023] Furthermore, the homogenizer includes a homogenizer housing, an upper material flow channel inside the homogenizer housing, a spiral homogenizing channel coaxial with the material flow channel at the lower part of the material flow channel, and a gas flow channel on one side of the material flow channel. The gas flow channel is connected to a gas cylinder through a third switching valve. The spiral homogenizing channel is connected to a second electronic valve through a connecting pipe.

[0024] Furthermore, the opening and closing of the third electronic valve during the high-pressure shearing process and the exhaust volume after each piston completes the high-pressure shearing are designed to achieve gradual pressure reduction shearing during the high-pressure shearing process.

[0025] Furthermore, the synthetic lubricating oil outlet is connected to the finished oil tank via a fourth electronic valve.

[0026] Furthermore, the gas outlet is connected to the gas recovery tank via a third electronic valve and a reverse valve.

[0027] This application introduces nano-polymer polyurethane elastomer into base lubricating oil. The nano-polymer polyurethane elastomer does not dissolve in the lubricating oil. Compared to adding copper particles, the nano-polymer polyurethane elastomer has an elastic modulus. During mechanical lubrication, the nano-polymer polyurethane elastomer acts as a buffer for mechanical contact, effectively preventing friction between machines and preventing wear.

[0028] In this application, during the preparation process, nano-polymer polyurethane elastomers are homogenized and dispersed using a homogenizer to prevent agglomeration. A high-pressure gas flow is then injected into the working chamber to mix with the base lubricating oil within. A shear pressure is then set, thereby setting the cylinder power. A control device activates a opposed linear piston assembly, with the two piston heads moving towards each other at the set power, undergoing high-pressure shearing in an inert gas atmosphere. After each shearing cycle, the control device momentarily opens and then closes the third electronic valve. A portion of the high-pressure gas inside the working chamber is recovered to a gas recovery tank via the gas outlet, the third electronic valve, and a reverse valve. This process of pressurized shearing continues until the gas is expelled, completing the entire mixing process. During this process, high-pressure shearing ensures the lubricating oil achieves suitable kinematic viscosity and promotes material movement, resulting in thorough mixing. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The following figures are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, wherein:

[0030] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the method of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the device provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the objectives, technical solutions, design methods, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0033] Reference Figures 1 to 2 This invention provides a method for preparing a lubricating oil, comprising the following steps:

[0034] Obtain the usage parameters of the lubricating oil;

[0035] The mixing ratio of base lubricating oil and polymer elastomer is set based on the lubricating oil's usage parameters, as well as the feed flow rate, high-pressure airflow inlet, and piston power of the homogenizer.

[0036] A set amount of base lubricating oil is added to the working chamber 107 of the opposed piston. At the same time, the homogenizer is started, and a set amount of polymer elastomer is transported into the homogenizer. After high-pressure airflow is introduced, it is dispersed inside the homogenizer and forms a high-pressure airflow that is sprayed into the working chamber of the opposed piston to mix with the base lubricating oil. The piston is started to perform work to perform high-pressure shearing on the base lubricating oil to obtain lubricating oil with a set viscosity.

[0037] Furthermore, the polymeric elastomer is selected from nano-polymer polyurethane elastomers.

[0038] In the above, the usage parameters of the base lubricating oil can be understood as its specific kinematic viscosity. Kinematic viscosity is crucial for mechanical lubrication in various fields, and it can be obtained through thorough mixing and high-pressure shearing. In this application, during the preparation process, the nano-polymer polyurethane elastomer is homogenized and dispersed using a homogenizer to prevent agglomeration. It is then injected into the working chamber 107 by a high-pressure airflow to mix with the base lubricating oil within the chamber. The shearing pressure is then set, thereby setting the cylinder power. The control device 1 controls the opposing linear piston device to start operation. The two piston heads 103 move towards each other according to the set power, undergoing high-pressure shearing in an inert gas atmosphere. After each shearing operation, the control device controls the third electronic valve to open instantaneously and then close. A portion of the high-pressure gas inside the working chamber is recovered to the gas recovery tank via the gas outlet, the third electronic valve, and the reverse valve. This forms a pressurized shearing process until the gas is expelled, completing the entire mixing process. During this process, high-pressure shearing allows the lubricating oil to achieve a suitable kinematic viscosity, and it also promotes material movement, achieving thorough mixing.

[0039] In the above, by adding nano-polymer polyurethane elastomer to the base lubricating oil, the nano-polymer polyurethane elastomer will not dissolve in the lubricating oil. Compared with adding copper particles, the nano-polymer polyurethane elastomer has an elastic modulus. During mechanical lubrication, the nano-polymer polyurethane elastomer acts as a buffer for mechanical contact, which can effectively prevent friction between machines and prevent wear.

[0040] The present invention also provides an apparatus for preparing lubricating oil, comprising:

[0041] A opposed linear piston device is provided, which has a working chamber 107. A base lubricating oil inlet 108, a polymer elastomer inlet 111, and a gas outlet 113 are provided in the upper part of the working chamber, and a synthetic lubricating oil outlet 105 is provided in the lower part of the working chamber. A first electronic valve 109 is provided at the base lubricating oil inlet 107, a second electronic valve 110 is provided at the polymer elastomer inlet, a third electronic valve 112 is provided at the gas outlet, and a fourth electronic valve 106 is provided at the synthetic lubricating oil outlet.

[0042] The first material storage tank 300 is connected to the first electronic valve via a first pipeline and a first lifting pump 301, a first metering pump 302 and a first switching valve 303 installed on the first pipeline;

[0043] The second material storage tank 600 is connected to the homogenizer via a second pipeline and a second lift pump 601, a second metering pump 602, and a second switching valve 603 installed on the second pipeline.

[0044] Control device 1 is used to set the mixing ratio of base lubricating oil and polymer elastomer based on the lubricating oil usage parameters; set the feed flow rate and high-pressure airflow during each homogenization of the homogenizer; set the piston power; and set the opening and closing of the third electronic valve during the high-pressure shearing process and the exhaust volume after each piston completes the high-pressure shearing.

[0045] The set amount of base lubricating oil is added to the working chamber of the opposed piston. At the same time, the homogenizer is started, and the set amount of polymer elastomer is delivered into the homogenizer. After high-pressure airflow is introduced, it is dispersed inside the homogenizer and forms a high-pressure airflow that is sprayed into the working chamber of the opposed piston to mix with the base lubricating oil. The piston is started to do work to perform high-pressure shearing on the base lubricating oil to obtain lubricating oil with the set viscosity.

[0046] Furthermore, the opposed linear piston device includes:

[0047] Piston cylinder 104, with auxiliary frames 100 on both sides of the piston cylinder;

[0048] A cylinder 101 is provided along the inner wall of each auxiliary frame, a push rod 102 is provided on the cylinder, and a piston head 103 is provided at the front end of the push rod, and the piston head is located inside the piston cylinder.

[0049] Each piston head reciprocates inside the piston cylinder, and the sealed space formed between two piston heads is the working chamber 107.

[0050] Furthermore, the homogenizer includes a homogenizer housing 400, a material flow channel 401 at the upper end inside the homogenizer housing, a spiral homogenizing channel 403 coaxial with the material flow channel at the lower part of the material flow channel, and a gas flow channel 402 on one side of the material flow channel. The gas flow channel is connected to a gas cylinder 500 through a third switching valve 501. The spiral homogenizing channel is connected to a second electronic valve through a connecting pipe.

[0051] Furthermore, the opening and closing of the third electronic valve during the high-pressure shearing process and the exhaust volume after each piston completes the high-pressure shearing are designed to achieve gradual pressure reduction shearing during the high-pressure shearing process.

[0052] Furthermore, the synthetic lubricating oil outlet is connected to the finished oil tank 200 via a fourth electronic valve.

[0053] Furthermore, the gas outlet 113 is connected to the gas recovery tank 700 via the third electronic valve 112 and the reverse valve 701.

[0054] The specific principles of this invention are as follows:

[0055] Reference Figure 2 Before preparation, the kinematic viscosity and usage requirements of the lubricating oil are obtained. Kinematic viscosity is also known as the kinematic viscosity index. Currently, there are different types of kinematic viscosity index values ​​such as 20, 30, 40, and 60. Among the synthetic lubricating oils on the market, the higher the number, the greater the kinematic viscosity, which means better lubrication in high-temperature environments.

[0056] The mixing ratio of the base lubricating oil and the polymer elastomer is set based on the kinematic viscosity of the lubricating oil, as well as the feed flow rate, high-pressure airflow rate, and piston power of the homogenizer. These preset instructions or values ​​are then input into the control device for storage, and the control device performs corresponding control operations according to the preset instructions or values.

[0057] Specifically, taking the lubricating oil with a kinematic viscosity of 60 as an example, the mixing ratio of the base lubricating oil and the polymer elastomer is set to 50:1 (mass ratio);

[0058] The control device controls the opening of the first and second electronic valves, and controls the closing of the third and fourth electronic valves;

[0059] The control device controls the opening of the first booster pump, the first metering pump, and the first switching valve to obtain 50 units (e.g., 50 units can be set to 1 kg) of basic lubricating oil from the first material storage tank and deliver it to the working chamber. Simultaneously, the control device controls the opening of the second booster pump, the second metering pump, and the second switching valve to obtain 1 unit of nano-polymer polyurethane elastomer to the homogenizer. The homogenizer is also controlled to operate, with the nano-polymer polyurethane elastomer being fed into the material channel according to the set feed rate. At the same time, the high-pressure gas cylinder is opened, and inert high-pressure gas is introduced through the gas channel via the third switching valve. Nanopolymer polyurethane elastomer and high-pressure gas are fused and injected into a spiral homogenizing channel. Homogenization and dispersion are completed on the inner wall of the spiral homogenizing channel. Then, the gas is injected into the working chamber through the polymer elastomer inlet. In the above process, the purpose of homogenization is to prevent the nanopolymer polyurethane elastomer from agglomerating. Then, the control device controls the first electronic valve and the second electronic valve to close, and simultaneously controls the first lift pump, the first metering pump, and the first switching valve to close. At the same time, the control device controls the second lift pump, the second metering pump, and the second switching valve to close. Simultaneously, the control device controls the high-pressure gas cylinder and the third switching valve to close, and simultaneously controls the homogenizer to shut down.

[0060] Then, the shearing pressure is set, thereby setting the cylinder power. The control device controls the opposing linear piston device to start working. The two piston heads move towards each other according to the set power, and high-pressure shearing is performed in an inert gas atmosphere. After each shearing operation, the control device controls the third electronic valve to open momentarily and then close. The high-pressure gas inside the working chamber is recovered to the gas recovery tank through the gas outlet, the third electronic valve, and the reverse valve. This forms pressurized shearing until the gas is expelled, completing the entire mixing process. During this process, high-pressure shearing can give the lubricating oil suitable kinematic viscosity, and high-pressure shearing promotes the movement of substances, achieving the purpose of thorough mixing. The lubricating oil that has completed high-pressure shearing is transported to the finished oil tank through the synthetic lubricating oil outlet and the fourth electronic valve.

[0061] As mentioned above, the maximum operating temperature of lubricating oil is generally 110℃, while nano-polymer polyurethane elastomers have good stability below 100℃. Therefore, when the operating temperature is below 100℃, adding an appropriate amount of nano-polymer polyurethane elastomer will not cause it to dissolve in the lubricating oil. Compared to adding copper particles, nano-polymer polyurethane elastomers have an elastic modulus. During mechanical lubrication, nano-polymer polyurethane elastomers act as a buffer for mechanical contact, effectively preventing friction between machines and preventing wear.

[0062] The various embodiments of the present invention have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvements to the embodiments in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An apparatus for preparing lubricating oil, characterized in that, include: A opposed linear piston device is provided with a working chamber. A base lubricating oil inlet, a polymer elastomer inlet, and a gas outlet are provided in the upper part of the working chamber, and a synthetic lubricating oil outlet is provided in the lower part of the working chamber. A first electronic valve is provided at the base lubricating oil inlet, a second electronic valve is provided at the polymer elastomer inlet, a third electronic valve is provided at the gas outlet, and a fourth electronic valve is provided at the synthetic lubricating oil outlet. The first material storage tank is connected to the first electronic valve via a first pipeline and a first lift pump, a first metering pump and a first switch valve installed on the first pipeline; The second material storage tank is connected to the homogenizer via a second pipeline and a second lift pump, a second metering pump, and a second switching valve installed on the second pipeline. The control device is used to set the mixing ratio of base lubricating oil and polymer elastomer based on the lubricating oil usage parameters; set the feed flow rate and high-pressure airflow during each homogenization of the homogenizer; set the piston power; and set the opening and closing of the third electronic valve during the high-pressure shearing process and the exhaust volume after each piston completes the high-pressure shearing. The set amount of base lubricating oil is added to the working chamber of the opposed piston. At the same time, the homogenizer is started, and the set amount of polymer elastomer is delivered into the homogenizer. After high-pressure airflow is introduced, it is dispersed inside the homogenizer and forms a high-pressure airflow that is sprayed into the working chamber of the opposed piston to mix with the base lubricating oil. The piston is started to do work to perform high-pressure shearing on the base lubricating oil to obtain lubricating oil with the set viscosity.

2. The lubricating oil preparation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The opposed linear piston device includes: The piston cylinder has auxiliary frames on both sides. A cylinder is provided along the inner wall of each auxiliary frame, a push rod is provided on the cylinder, and a piston head is provided at the front end of the push rod, and the piston head is located inside the piston cylinder. Each piston head reciprocates inside the piston cylinder, and the sealed space formed between two piston heads is the working chamber.

3. The apparatus for preparing lubricating oil according to claim 1, characterized in that, The homogenizer includes a homogenizer housing, a material flow channel at the upper end inside the homogenizer housing, a spiral homogenizing channel coaxial with the material flow channel at the lower part of the material flow channel, and a gas flow channel on one side of the material flow channel. The gas flow channel is connected to a gas cylinder through a third switching valve. The spiral homogenizing channel is connected to a second electronic valve through a connecting pipe.

4. The apparatus for preparing lubricating oil according to claim 1, characterized in that, The opening and closing of the third electronic valve during the high-pressure shearing process and the exhaust volume after each piston completes the high-pressure shearing are set to achieve the purpose of gradually reducing pressure during the high-pressure shearing process.

5. The apparatus for preparing lubricating oil according to claim 1, characterized in that, The synthetic lubricating oil outlet is connected to the finished oil tank via a fourth electronic valve.

6. The lubricating oil preparation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas outlet is connected to the gas recovery tank via a third electronic valve and a reverse valve.

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