Homogenizer, vacuum processing equipment and vacuum processing method

Abstract

The invention relates to a homogenizer (1) for the homogenization, dispersion or general treatment of flowable products, comprising: a mixing chamber (3) having a product inlet (4) and a product outlet (5), in which a rotor shaft (7) is arranged, which is rotatably supported and is driven in rotation by a controllable drive, which rotor shaft carries a rotor (6) and interacts with a stator (8); the rotor (6) comprises a rotor disc (9) coaxially mounted on a rotor shaft (7), the rotor disc is provided with a rotor tooth structure (10), and the rotor tooth structure is radially arranged on the inner side of a stator tooth structure (12) of the stator (8) and forms a shearing gap (11); defining an axial product flow direction (L) downstream of the product inlet (4) in the direction of the rotor shaft (7) towards the rotor disc (9), while defining a radial product flow direction (R) extending radially from the rotor shaft (7) along the rotor disc (9), through channels between the rotor tooth structures (10) and the stator tooth structures (12) and leading to the product outlet (5); wherein the transition region of the rotor shaft (7) to the rotor disk (9) is provided with a groove-like structure (13) surrounding the rotor shaft, which structure forms an at least approximately flush transition surface with the rotor shaft (7) and the rotor disk (9) such that the flow of product to be treated is diverted from the axial flow direction (L) through the groove-like structure (13) continuously or via at least one inclined surface to the radial flow direction (R) during operation of the homogenizer (1). The invention also relates to a vacuum processing apparatus and to a method for the homogenization, dispersion or general processing of a flowable product using such a homogenizer (1).

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a homogenizer, a vacuum treatment device, and a method for homogenizing or dispersing or generally treating a flowable product, each method using such a homogenizer. Background Art

[0002] DE 102009047777 A1 discloses a homogenizer for homogenizing or dispersing a flowable substance (i.e., liquid and paste products), which includes a mixing chamber having a product inlet and a product outlet, and a rotor shaft rotatably supported in the mixing chamber and driven to rotate by a controllable driver. The rotor shaft carries a rotor and interacts with a stator. The rotor includes a rotor disk coaxially mounted on the rotor shaft, and rotor teeth located on the rotor disk. The rotor teeth are arranged radially inside the stator teeth of the stator to form a shear gap, thereby forming a shear gap between the rotor and the stator. Along the rotor shaft in the direction towards the rotor disk, an axial product flow direction is defined downstream of the product inlet, and a radial product flow direction is defined in the radial direction of the rotor disk between the rotor teeth and the stator teeth, through which the product can flow towards the product outlet. Such a homogenizer is also called a rotor-stator homogenizer or a toothed-ring homogenizer, which precisely introduces shear energy into the product and promotes the product flow, i.e., drives the product flow.

[0003] Such homogenizers are particularly suitable for the food industry, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industry, for producing hot-processed or cold-processed products such as ketchup, mayonnaise, sauces, salad dressings, etc., as well as lotions, creams, gels, ointments, etc. in the form of emulsions and suspensions. The homogenizer is usually integrated into a vacuum treatment device, installed below the process container and equipped with mixing / conveying blades. This configuration can ensure that the dry powder from the process container and / or the feed tank is fully premixed and uniformly wetted in the liquid phase before the material passes through the homogenizer. A circulation pipeline can be connected downstream of the homogenizer to force the product to flow back to the process container, thereby forming a closed product cycle and ensuring the vertical mixing effect in the process container. In addition, this structure also supports the functions of sampling and product discharge.

[0004] The structural forms of the homogenizer and the vacuum treatment device with the above technologies adopted in practical applications have been widely used and basically operate well. However, for a long time, their structural designs have reached their limits in aspects such as throughput, addition of oil agents for liquid and paste products, etc., and such products need to comply with special hygiene specifications for sustainable development. Based on these specification requirements, the homogenizer must be easy to clean, but the existing known structural forms have significant defects.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to improve the prior art, especially to increase the throughput and achieve fast, simple, and thorough cleaning ability.

[0006] This object is achieved by the homogenizer according to claim 1, the vacuum treatment device having such a homogenizer according to claim 11, and the method according to claim 12. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention provides a homogenizer for homogenizing, dispersing or generally treating a flowable product, comprising: a mixing chamber having a product inlet and a product outlet, and a rotor shaft disposed in the mixing chamber, rotatably supported and driven to rotate by a controllable drive, the rotor shaft carrying a rotor and cooperating with a stator; the rotor includes a rotor disk coaxially mounted on the rotor shaft, the rotor disk being provided with rotor teeth, and a radially arranged shear gap is formed between the rotor teeth and the stator teeth of the stator; an axial product flow direction is defined downstream of the product inlet along the axial direction of the rotor disk, and at the same time, a radial product flow channel is defined in the radial direction of the rotor disk, between the rotor teeth and the stator teeth, through which the product can flow to the product outlet; characterized in that: a groove-like structure surrounding the rotor shaft is provided in the transition region between the rotor shaft and the rotor disk, and this structure preferably forms at least an approximately flush transition surface with the rotor shaft and the rotor disk, so that when the homogenizer is operating, the flowable product to be treated can be guided and converted from the axial flow direction through the groove-like structure - in particular via a continuous transition or at least one inclined surface - to the radial flow direction.

[0008] The groove-like structure at the transition between the rotor shaft and the rotor disk realizes a continuous, low-interference, non-retention and non-turbulent turning of the product flow from the axial flow along the rotor shaft to the radial flow along the rotor disk through its negative or concave annular fillet, thereby optimizing the product throughput. At the same time, by eliminating the corner at the transition between the rotor shaft and the rotor disk, the dead space in the product flow is avoided. This space is prone to accumulating product residues, which not only requires a large amount of cleaning work to remove pollutants before and after each start and stop of the homogenizer, but also causes product flow retention or turbulent interference here. This optimized design - that is, it improves the throughput compared to the solution without the groove-like structure of the present invention and reduces or simplifies the cleaning requirements - significantly improves the production efficiency of the homogenizer.

[0009] The present invention realizes a low-loss guiding and turning of the product flow from axial to radial through the radial pump principle. In the prior art, the suction vane structure located at the front end of the rotor tooth structure essentially belongs to an axial pump, and its characteristic of axially transporting fluid results in extremely low turning efficiency from axial to radial. In contrast, the present invention essentially constructs a radial centrifugal pump through the innovative design of the rotor.

[0010] Preferably, the groove-like structure is provided on an inner ring protruding in the direction opposite to the product flow in the axial direction of the rotor, thus forming a part of the rotor, in particular integrally formed with the rotor disk and / or the rotor shaft. The groove-like structure preferably transitions to the rotor shaft at least approximately flush at its radially narrowest end and extends to the rotor disk at least approximately flush at the other end.

[0011] In particular, when combined with any other configuration of the homogenizer, the grooved structure can be further configured as follows:

[0012] a) A partially circular groove with a constant radius, having a partially circular cross-section, the radius being particularly in the range of 10 mm to 100 mm, preferably in the range of 30 mm to 80 mm, and particularly preferably in the range of 40 mm to 65 mm; or

[0013] b) A partially elliptical groove with a varying radius, having a partially elliptical cross-section with a continuously varying radius of curvature, the radius of the partially elliptical cross-section being particularly in the range of 10 mm to 100 mm, preferably in the range of 30 mm to 80 mm, and particularly preferably in the range of 40 mm to 65 mm; or

[0014] c) A frustoconical structure having at least one inclined surface formed by at least one frustum.

[0015] Preferably, it can be further provided that: a mixing / conveying blade and / or a dispersion disc are coaxially arranged upstream of the rotor in the axial product flow direction, wherein the mixing / conveying blade is preferably drivingly connected to the rotor shaft, and / or the dispersion disc is coaxially arranged with the rotor shaft; if both are provided, the dispersion disc is located downstream of the mixing / conveying blade in the axial product flow direction.

[0016] Another preferred embodiment is that: the rotor tooth structure includes a plurality of rotor teeth coaxially arranged around the rotor shaft along the rotor tooth circle line and connected to the rotor disc, the rotor teeth being particularly integrally formed with the rotor disc and extending axially against the product flow direction from the rotor disc. In particular, the integral structural design of the rotor teeth and the rotor disc has advantages in terms of rotor cleanliness and structural compactness.

[0017] Preferably, on the radially inner side of the rotor disk and within the inner region of the rotor teeth, suction vanes are arranged coaxially around the rotor shaft in the axial direction against the product flow direction. These suction vanes are located on the suction vane circumference line and are particularly of an integrally formed structure; and / or on the radially outer side of the rotor disk and in the outer regions of the rotor teeth and stator teeth, discharge vanes are arranged coaxially around the rotor shaft in the axial direction against the product flow direction. These discharge vanes are located on the discharge vane circumference line and are particularly of an integrally formed structure. This configuration is also beneficial for simplifying and improving the cleaning performance, while enhancing the structural compactness of the entire homogenizer. By reducing the number of components from three (separate suction vane, rotor, and discharge vane parts) to one integral part, the number of parts can be effectively reduced, manufacturing, assembly, cleaning, and maintenance costs can be lowered, and the hygienic performance can be improved. This advantage is not only reflected in avoiding the existence of multiple connection parts between the rotor shaft and / or various components, but also achieved by eliminating the seals (especially O-ring seals) required for such parts, thereby having a positive effect on hygienic performance, manufacturing cost, and operating cost.

[0018] In particular, when combined with any other configuration of the homogenizer, the grooved structure can be further arranged as follows:

[0019] a) A partially circular groove with a constant radius, whose cross-section is partially circular, and the radius is determined by the following ratio:

[0020] Outer diameter of the suction vane / Radius of the groove

[0021] And this ratio is 0.2 to 5, preferably 0.4 to 3, particularly preferably 0.5 to 1.5; or

[0022] b) A partially elliptical groove with a varying radius, whose cross-section is partially elliptical and the radius of curvature varies continuously, and the radius is determined by the following ratio:

[0023] Outer diameter of the suction vane / Local radius of the groove

[0024] And this ratio is 0.2 to 5, preferably 0.4 to 3, particularly preferably 0.5 to 1.5.

[0025] By adopting a new and efficient manufacturing process, the production process of the present invention can be greatly simplified. Traditional manufacturing methods require processing up to three independent parts, and the total amount of stainless steel cutting is far more than that of an integrated rotor with suction and discharge vanes. Moreover, each part needs to be repeatedly clamped in a turning and milling machine tool multiple times. After adopting the new rotor design, the material usage and processing operations are minimized, and at the same time, the cumulative manufacturing tolerances are eliminated.

[0026] Preferably, the rotor teeth and any possible suction vanes and / or discharge vanes (collectively referred to as the rotor vane group) all adopt a hydrodynamically optimized curved shape. The tooth profile or vane profile curvature of each vane (i.e., rotor teeth, suction vanes and / or discharge vanes) is determined based on the velocity vector calculation.

[0027] Preferably, the curvature of the rotor teeth is characterized in that: in the rotor rotation direction, the tooth surface cross-section of the radial end region near the stator is convex, and preferably smoothly transitions in a sharp form along the rotor rotation direction without a sharp corner. The rotor tooth cross-section is preferably a trapezoidal structure. Another preferred embodiment is that: if the tooth surface (also known as the leading tooth surface) of the rotor teeth in the rotation direction is curved by itself, the included angle formed by its end connection line and the rotor disk radius is smaller than that of the trailing tooth surface; if the trailing tooth surface is curved by itself, the same angle relationship also applies.

[0028] This configuration particularly includes the hydrodynamical optimization of the rotor tooth profile to achieve an optimized directional flow turning of the product flowing towards the stator. This optimization not only involves the tooth surface of the rotor teeth on the front side in the rotor rotation direction (i.e., the leading tooth surface), but also the tooth surface on the rear side (i.e., the trailing tooth surface), and preferably avoids the product flowing through any sharp rotor edges. The product flow can flow towards the shear gap with substantially no turbulence.

[0029] Preferably, in the homogenizer of the present invention, the rotor teeth can be lengthened along the axial product flow direction to increase the flow area (slot or groove area), and match the corresponding length of the stator slot or the axial extension of the stator ring perforation, thus being superior to the prior art structural forms.

[0030] Another advantageous configuration is that: the rotor teeth are continuously and preferably curved radially tapered towards the stator side (i.e., the pressure side). This structure can generate an increasing stagnation pressure towards the stator (especially the slot between the stator teeth) during the operation of the homogenizer, thereby increasing the stretching effect and shearing action of the product droplets. In other words, the outer diameter of each rotor tooth decreases along the rotation direction, thereby forming a wedge-shaped tapered gap between the rotor teeth and the stator teeth. Through this rotor tooth structure design, an increasing stagnation pressure towards the slot between the stator teeth (also known as the stator slot) can be generated during the operation, thereby enhancing the stretching effect and shearing action of the droplets.

[0031] It can also be preferably set that: the suction vane group (i.e., each independent suction vane) is combined with each rotor tooth, such as fused or integrally connected by a connecting rib in particular. Specifically, every other rotor tooth is combined, fused or integrally connected with a suction vane. In addition to the manufacturing process advantages, this configuration also advantageously realizes a seamless joint surface or any gap between the suction vane and the corresponding rotor tooth, thus avoiding corresponding hygiene hazards. In addition, this structure can achieve an efficient, low-vortex and low-loss flow guidance of the product in the front and rear regions of the suction vane.

[0032] Preferably, the suction blade group of the homogenizer of the present invention is designed based on the principle of a centrifugal pump, so as to achieve efficient product transportation at a larger volume flow rate and higher pressure.

[0033] Preferably, compared with the prior art structure, the novel discharge blade group (i.e., the discharge blade) around the rotor teeth is lengthened along the axial product flow direction, thereby improving the pumping efficiency and increasing the product transportation volume.

[0034] Preferably, the entire side surface of the discharge blade facing the rotor rotation direction (also known as the leading blade surface) is convexly curved in cross-section, especially tapering gradually along the rotor rotation direction, or alternatively / additionally having a trapezoidal cross-section. Another preferred embodiment is that the angle between the leading blade surface of the discharge blade (if the surface itself is curved, it is the connecting line of its ends) and the radius of the rotor disk is greater than the corresponding angle of the trailing blade surface (if the surface itself is curved, it is the connecting line of its ends). In a further configuration, the cross-section of the trailing blade surface of the discharge blade can be particularly convex along the entire cross-section length.

[0035] Preferably, the blade profile geometry of the discharge blade is optimized hydrodynamically so that the product can flow into the recirculation pipeline, the pressure pipeline or the product outlet optimally, and particularly has a curved shape.

[0036] The preferred embodiment shows that by reducing the number of discharge blades and shortening their arc lengths, the degree to which the stator slots are covered by the discharge blades can be reduced, thereby increasing the cross-sectional area for the product to freely pass through at the stator (more precisely, the stator slots), and further reducing the pressure loss.

[0037] Another preferred embodiment is that the stator tooth structure includes a plurality of stator teeth arranged coaxially around the rotor shaft along the circumferential line. The stator teeth preferably extend from the stator base ring along the axial product flow direction and define stator slots penetrating in the radial product flow direction therebetween.

[0038] Preferably, the ends of the stator teeth facing away from the stator base ring are connected by a stator end ring, and this end ring forms a stator stabilizing ring, so that the stator slots are defined by the stator teeth in the circumferential direction and bounded by the stator base ring and the stator stabilizing ring in the axial direction.

[0039] Preferably, the stator tooth structure adopts a helical tooth configuration relative to the axial product flow direction, so that the length of the stator slot is extended compared with the straight tooth configuration, thereby increasing the flow cross-sectional area of the stator slot, and thus obtaining the advantage of expanding the shear zone. Experiments have confirmed that the emulsion processed by the homogenizer with a helical tooth structure can obtain a better droplet size distribution, indicating that the helical tooth stator has a better shear effect than the straight tooth structure. Further tests show that the helical tooth structure has a positive impact on the shearing effect. Compared with the straight tooth configuration, the helical tooth structure can achieve a higher oil agent addition rate (kg / s), which is attributed to the stronger shearing effect (tensile flow) of the helical tooth configuration on the microemulsion particles than the straight tooth configuration. Final experiments prove that the helical tooth structure has a positive impact on the sound intensity index. Figuratively speaking, when the rotor cuts into the helical tooth stator structure, the pressure impact generated by flowing through the shearing edge of the stator tooth is significantly reduced.

[0040] This preferred embodiment is further configured such that the side wall of the stator tooth (i.e., the side wall of the stator slot) always maintains a radial extension along the circumferential direction of the stator tooth structure. This configuration can also be described as: the slot or groove guiding line is always perpendicular to the central axis (i.e., the axial product flow direction). Thus, a spiral or twisted milling structure is formed, or the stator slot exhibits a spiral / twisted longitudinal trend, which is preferably manufactured by a five-axis milling machine or 3D printing method. This structure advantageously achieves a uniform distribution of the shearing effect along the length of the stator slot.

[0041] As an alternative, the stator tooth structure can be composed of a perforated stator ring coaxially mounted on the stator base ring, and the ring contains stator holes penetrating along the radial product flow direction to form a perforated structure. By adopting a perforated stator ring design with drilled holes instead of slots, the ratio of the shearing edge to the flow cross-sectional area can be increased, thereby having a positive impact on the formation of the emulsion.

[0042] Preferably, the stator slot or stator hole and / or the clearance between the rotor teeth can be designed to taper gradually along the radial product flow direction to enhance the microdroplet stretching effect, thereby improving the shearing effect.

[0043] To improve the stability of the stator teeth, rotor teeth and possibly existing suction / discharge vanes (reduce flexural deformation and bending stress), it is preferred to design their profiles or thicknesses as tapered strengthening structures, so that the ends of the stator teeth facing away from the stator base ring, the rotor teeth and the possible tooth ends / blade ends of the suction / discharge vanes facing away from the rotor disk gradually become thinner. Especially in the case of the described tooth shapes and the possible axial lengthening of the vanes, the generated centrifugal force will cause increased flexural deformation and critical increase in bending stress in the root region, and the tapered strengthening structure towards the tooth root / blade root can effectively offset this effect.

[0044] Preferably, the number of stator slots is not a multiple of the number of rotor teeth and the number of discharge vanes that may exist. It is confirmed by testing with a sound spectrum analyzer that this design can significantly reduce the sound intensity at specific frequencies. As a non-limiting example, a combined structure of 10 rotor slots (i.e., 10 rotor teeth), 5 discharge vanes, and 27 stator slots was used in the test.

[0045] Another preferred embodiment of the homogenizer of the present invention is that: the homogenizer includes a housing that expands spirally around the discharge vane according to the principle of a centrifugal pump housing, so that the annular clearance chamber of the pump vane between the homogenizer housing and the discharge vane gradually increases during rotation until the product is discharged into the recirculation interface, the recirculation pipeline, the pressure pipeline, or the product outlet (5), thereby advantageously increasing the throughput and reducing the internal pressure loss in the annular clearance of the pump vane.

[0046] The recirculation interface of the homogenizer is used to output the product to the circulation loop to return to the homogenizer for re-treatment of the rotor-stator combination, and its structure is similar to that of a centrifugal pump. The recirculation interface is composed of a tubular connector, preferably having an oval cross-section to achieve a more optimized flow at the inlet of the downstream recirculation pipeline. Alternatively or additionally, the recirculation interface and / or at least its adjacent recirculation pipeline area taper in the flow direction.

[0047] Through the various embodiments and their combinations, the homogenizer of the present invention particularly realizes the reflux from the homogenizer to other containers of the vacuum treatment equipment (the homogenizer is preferably integrated therein), and there is basically no eddy current in the recirculation interface and / or at least its adjacent recirculation pipeline area, thereby further improving the product throughput and product quality.

[0048] Preferably, the homogenizer of the present invention can adopt a two-stage or multi-stage rotor-stator combination structure, that is, a circumferential array of rotor teeth and an adjacent outer stator ring are arranged again on the radially outer side of the innermost stator ring, and this structure can be repeatedly configured to improve the shearing effect.

[0049] The object of the present invention is also achieved by a vacuum treatment equipment having a homogenizer and a method for homogenizing, dispersing, or generally treating a flowable product using the homogenizer, wherein the homogenizer preferably adopts one or more of the foregoing embodiments.

[0050] This document also discloses the advantageous operation and manufacturing methods based on the homogenizer and the corresponding vacuum treatment equipment of the present invention, as well as the application solutions of such inventive homogenizers and vacuum treatment equipment for specific product types, products, and treatment results. Description of the Drawings

[0051] The present invention will be described in detail by way of examples with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0052] Figure 1Schematic side view of the homogenizer of the first embodiment,

[0053] Figure 2 is Figure 1 Schematic front view of the homogenizer of the first embodiment shown,

[0054] Figure 3 is Figure 1 and 2 Schematic sectional view of the rotor-stator assembly area of the homogenizer of the first embodiment shown along the Figure 1 A-A cutting line in,

[0055] Figure 4 is Figures 1 to 3 Enlarged schematic side view (blade / impeller structure hidden) of the rotor disk of the homogenizer of the first embodiment shown,

[0056] Figure 5 is Figures 1 to 4 Schematic longitudinal sectional view of the homogenizer of the first embodiment shown,

[0057] Figure 6 Schematic perspective view of the rotor of the first embodiment of the homogenizer,

[0058] Figure 7 Schematic partial perspective view of the rotor of the second embodiment of the homogenizer for showing specific details,

[0059] Figure 8 Schematic partial perspective view of the rotor of the third embodiment of the homogenizer for showing another detail,

[0060] Figure 9 Schematic partial sectional perspective view of another embodiment of the homogenizer for showing yet another detail,

[0061] Figure 10 Schematic perspective view of the stator of the first embodiment of the homogenizer,

[0062] Figure 10A is Figure 10 Schematic perspective view of the variant of the first embodiment of the stator of the homogenizer shown,

[0063] Figure 11 Schematic perspective view of the stator of the second embodiment of the homogenizer,

[0064] Figure 12 Schematic perspective view of the stator of the third embodiment of the homogenizer,

[0065] Figure 13 Schematic partial perspective view of the stator of the fourth embodiment of the homogenizer,

[0066] Figure 14 is Figure 13 Schematic side view of the stator of the fourth embodiment of the homogenizer shown,

[0067] Figure 15 For Figure 13 and 14 a schematic partial perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a homogenizer stator as shown,

[0068] Figure 16 a schematic partial view of a fifth embodiment of a homogenizer stator,

[0069] Figure 17 According to Figure 8 a schematic partial perspective view of a third embodiment of a homogenizer rotor as shown,

[0070] Figure 18 According to Figure 17 as shown by the A-A cutting line in Figure 17 a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a third embodiment homogenizer in

[0071] Figure 19 a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment homogenizer,

[0072] Figure 20 a schematic cross-sectional view of a fifth embodiment homogenizer,

[0073] Figure 21 a schematic cross-sectional view of a sixth embodiment homogenizer,

[0074] Figure 22 a schematic partial view of a key detail of a homogenizer,

[0075] Figure 23A For Figure 4 an enlarged partial side view of a homogenizer rotor disk of a first embodiment as shown (blade / impeller structure hidden), showing a first variant structure,

[0076] Figure 23B For Figure 4 an enlarged partial side view of a homogenizer rotor disk of a first embodiment as shown (blade / impeller structure hidden), showing a second variant structure. Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments

[0077] The present invention will be described in exemplary detail below in conjunction with the embodiments and application examples shown in the accompanying drawings of the specification, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, application examples or combinations of their technical features. Method features and device features can be analogously derived by referring to the device description and method description.

[0078] A single technical feature described and / or shown in a specific embodiment is not limited to that embodiment or a combination with other features of that embodiment, and within the scope of technical feasibility, it can be combined with any other variant solution, even if such a combination is not specifically described in this document.

[0079] In the respective drawings, the same reference signs denote identical, similar or functionally identical / similar components. By way of illustration, features not marked with reference signs are also clearly shown, whether or not they are described hereinafter. Conversely, features mentioned in the present specification but not shown in the drawings can also be directly understood by those skilled in the art.

[0080] Figures 1 to 5 Schematically shows a first embodiment of a homogenizer 1 for homogenizing, dispersing or generally treating a flowable product, presented in a side view, a front view, a sectional view, a partial enlarged view and a central longitudinal sectional view, wherein Figure 3 is a sectional view along the Figure 1 section line A-A in. The homogenizer 1 includes a mixing chamber 3 provided in a housing 2, the mixing chamber is provided with a product inlet 4 and a product outlet 5, and a rotatably supported rotor shaft 7 is provided in the mixing chamber 3, the rotor shaft is driven to rotate by a controllable drive (not shown) and carries a rotor 6, and a stator 8 that cooperates with the rotor 6.

[0081] As Figure 1 , 2 , 3 and 5 show, in addition to the product inlet 4, the first embodiment of the homogenizer 1 is also provided with a product outlet 5, product discharge outlets 5a and 5b, and four additional product inlets 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d, through which the respective components of the product to be treated can be injected from the corresponding storage tanks (not shown) during the first filling. In addition, in addition to the product outlet 5 leading to a process vessel (not shown) (the product can return to the inlet 4 of the homogenizer 1 through a circulation loop after other treatments), two product discharge outlets 5a and 5b are provided for discharging the residual product in the mixing chamber 3 after the product treatment is completed, so as to clean the mixing chamber 3 and its internal components and prepare for treating other products.

[0082] The rotor 6 includes a rotor disk 9 coaxially mounted on the rotor shaft 7, the rotor disk is provided with rotor teeth 10, and a radially arranged shear gap 11 is formed between the rotor teeth and the stator teeth 12 of the stator 8. Along the direction of the rotor shaft 7 towards the rotor disk 9, an axial product flow direction L is defined downstream of the product inlet 4 (see Figure 22 ), and at the same time, a radial product flow direction R is defined as extending radially from the rotor shaft 7 along the rotor disk 9 and passing through the channel between the rotor teeth 10 and the stator teeth 12, and the product can flow through this to the product outlet 5.

[0083] In the transition region between the rotor shaft 7 and the rotor disk 9, a grooved structure 13 surrounding the rotor shaft is provided, and this structure forms a transition surface that is at least approximately flush with the rotor shaft 7 and the rotor disk 9, so that when the homogenizer 1 is operating, the flowable product to be treated can continuously turn from the axial flow direction L to the radial flow direction R through this grooved structure (as Figure 22As shown in particular). Through its negative curvature or concave annular fillet, the grooved structure 13 enables the product flow to continuously, with low disturbance and without retention and eddy current, turn from the axial direction L of the rotor shaft 7 to the radial direction R of the rotor disk 9 along the arrow S direction, thereby optimizing the product throughput. At the same time, by eliminating the fold angle at the transition between the rotor shaft 7 and the rotor disk 9, the product flow dead zone (where product residues are likely to accumulate and cause flow blockage or turbulent interference) is avoided, thus achieving a low-loss guiding turn of the product flow from the axial direction L to the radial direction R based on the principle of a radial pump or a radial centrifugal pump.

[0084] Figure 4 shows in an enlarged schematic view Figures 1 to 3 the rotor disk 9 of the homogenizer 1 of the first embodiment shown (the blade / impeller structure is hidden), in which the grooved structure 13 from the rotor shaft 7 to the rotor disk 9 is clearly shown. The grooved structure 13 is a partial circular groove 13a with a constant radius, and its cross-section is partially circular, with a radius preferably of 10 mm to 100 mm, more preferably of 30 mm to 80 mm, and particularly preferably of 40 mm to 65 mm. Alternatively, the constant radius of the partial circular groove 13a can be determined by the following ratio:

[0085] Suction blade outer diameter / Groove radius

[0086] and this ratio is 0.2 to 5, preferably 0.4 to 3, and particularly preferably 0.5 to 1.5. Each of the above embodiments can be implemented alone or in combination with any other features of the present invention other than the combination of the features of claim 1. In particular, the above size and ratio limitations can be directly combined with the features of claim 1 without any other improvements.

[0087] Figure 23A shown in dashed lines Figure 4 a first variant of the first embodiment of the homogenizer 1 shown, which is an enlarged partial side view of the rotor disk 9, showing a grooved structure 13 that uses a partial elliptical groove 13b with a continuously varying radius, and its cross-section is partially elliptical, with a curvature radius preferably of 10 mm to 100 mm, more preferably of 30 mm to 80 mm, and particularly preferably of 40 mm to 65 mm. Alternatively, the continuously varying radius of the partial elliptical groove 13b can be determined by the following ratio:

[0088] Suction blade outer diameter / Local groove radius

[0089] and this ratio is 0.2 to 5, preferably 0.4 to 3, and particularly preferably 0.5 to 1.5. Each of the above embodiments can be implemented alone or in combination with any other features of the present invention other than the combination of the features of claim 1, as an alternative to the partial circular groove solution. In particular, the above size and ratio limitations can be directly combined with the features of claim 1 without any other improvements.

[0090] Figure 23B shown in dashed lines Figure 4 A second variant of the first embodiment of the homogenizer 1 shown, which is an enlarged partial side view of the rotor disk 9, showing a grooved structure 13 formed by an inclined surface 13c composed of at least one frustum. This structure can also be composed of a plurality of consecutive different inclined surfaces 13c (not shown), each inclined surface being a segmented chord of an imaginary partial circular groove, and the grooved structure 13 is formed by the corresponding consecutive frustums. Each of the above embodiments can be implemented alone or in combination with any other features of the present invention other than the features of claim 1, as an alternative to the partial circular or partial elliptical groove solution.

[0091] The grooved structure 13 is provided on the inner ring 14 that protrudes axially against the product flow direction L of the rotor 6, forms a part of the rotor 6, and is particularly integrally formed with the rotor disk 9. Preferably, the grooved structure 13 transitions at least approximately flush with the rotor shaft 7 at its radially narrowest end and extends at least approximately flush with the rotor disk 9 at the other end.

[0092] A mixing / conveying blade 15 and a dispersion disk 16 are coaxially provided upstream of the rotor 6 in the axial product flow direction. The mixing / conveying blade 15 is drivingly connected to the rotor shaft 7, the dispersion disk 16 is coaxially arranged with the rotor shaft 7, and the dispersion disk 16 is located downstream of the mixing / conveying blade 15 in the axial product flow direction L.

[0093] In the first embodiment of the homogenizer 1, as Figure 1 clearly shown in the enlarged schematic partial perspective view, the rotor tooth structure 10 includes a plurality of rotor teeth 17 coaxially arranged around the rotor shaft 7 along the circumferential line of the rotor teeth. The rotor teeth are connected to the rotor disk 9 and are particularly integrally formed, and extend axially against the product flow direction L from the rotor disk 9. The integral structure design of the rotor teeth 17 and the rotor disk 9 has advantages in terms of the cleanliness and structural compactness of the rotor 6.

[0094] In the first embodiment of the homogenizer 1 (best shown in Figure 6 ), a suction blade 18 coaxially arranged with the rotor shaft 7 is provided on the radially inner side of the rotor disk 9. The suction blade is arranged along the inner circumferential circle of the rotor teeth 17, extends axially against the product flow direction L, and is integrally formed with the rotor disk. In addition (also best shown in Figure 6 ), a discharge blade 19 is provided on the radially outer side of the rotor disk 9. The blade is located outside the rotor teeth 17 and the stator teeth 12, extends axially against the product flow direction L, is coaxially arranged with the rotor shaft 7, and is integrally formed.

[0095] This construction significantly improves the overall cleaning performance and structural compactness of the homogenizer. By integrating the number of components from three separate parts (suction vane, rotor, and discharge vane) into a single part, the number of parts is effectively reduced, manufacturing, assembly, cleaning, and maintenance costs are lowered, while hygienic performance is improved. This advantage is achieved not only by avoiding the connection parts between components on the rotor shaft 7 but also further enhanced by eliminating seals such as O-rings, thus generating positive benefits in terms of hygiene standards, production costs, and operating expenses.

[0096] By designing the rotor disk 9, rotor teeth 17, suction vane 18, and discharge vane 19 as a single integral part and adopting a new and efficient manufacturing process, the production process can be greatly simplified. Traditional manufacturing methods require machining up to three separate parts, with much more stainless steel material cut than the integrated rotor with suction and discharge vanes, and each part needs to be repeatedly clamped on a lathe and milling machine multiple times. The new rotor design reduces both material consumption and processing procedures and eliminates cumulative manufacturing tolerances.

[0097] The rotor teeth 17, suction vane 18, and discharge vane 19 (collectively referred to as the impeller group 20 of the rotor 6) adopt a hydrodynamically optimized curved structure, and their tooth shapes and blade curvatures are determined based on velocity vector calculations.

[0098] The curvature of the rotor teeth 17 is characterized in that the cross-section of the leading tooth surface 22 (i.e., the end region 21 radially adjacent to the stator 8) in the rotation direction D of the rotor 6 is convex and preferably tapers gradually along the rotation direction D without a sharp corner (as shown in the local schematic diagram, which also shows the product flow state in this area through the arrow S1). As clearly shown in the local schematic diagram, the cross-section of the rotor teeth 17 is a trapezoidal structure. With particular reference to, the included angle between the leading tooth surface 22 of the rotor teeth 17 and the radius of the rotor disk 9 is smaller than the corresponding included angle of the trailing tooth surface 23. If the leading tooth surface 22 itself is curved, the included angle between the end connection line of the leading tooth surface 22 and the radius of the rotor disk 9 is also smaller than the corresponding included angle of the end connection line of the trailing tooth surface 23. Figure 7 As shown in the local schematic diagram, which also shows the product flow state in this area through the arrow S1. Figure 8 As clearly shown in the local schematic diagram, the cross-section of the rotor teeth 17 is a trapezoidal structure. With particular reference to Figure 8 , the included angle between the leading tooth surface 22 of the rotor teeth 17 and the radius of the rotor disk 9 is smaller than the corresponding included angle of the trailing tooth surface 23. If the leading tooth surface 22 itself is curved, the included angle between the end connection line of the leading tooth surface 22 and the radius of the rotor disk 9 is also smaller than the corresponding included angle of the end connection line of the trailing tooth surface 23.

[0099] The resulting product flow state is marked by the arrows S2, S3, and S4 in Figure 8 .

[0100] This construction particularly includes the hydrodynamical optimization of the rotor teeth 10 to achieve an optimized directional flow of the product towards the stator 8. This optimization not only involves the leading tooth surface 22 in the rotation direction D of the rotor but also the trailing tooth surface 23 - preferably avoiding any sharp rotor edges through which the product flows. The product flow can reach the shear gap 11 with substantially no turbulence (see Figure 3 and 5 ).

[0101] Another configuration is as follows Figure 9 As shown: The rotor teeth 17 are continuously and preferably curved radially tapered towards the stator 8 side (i.e., the pressure side). This structure can generate an increasing stagnation pressure towards the stator 8 (especially the slots between its stator teeth) during the operation of the homogenizer 1, thereby enhancing the stretching effect and shearing action of the product droplets. In other words, the outer diameter of each rotor tooth 17 decreases along the rotation direction D, forming a wedge-shaped tapered shear gap 11 between the rotor teeth 17 and the stator teeth 12. This rotor tooth structure generates an increasing stagnation pressure towards the grooves between the stator teeth 12 (also known as stator slots) during operation, thereby enhancing the droplet stretching effect and shearing action. The flow state of the product in the wedge-shaped shear gap 11 is indicated by the arrow S5.

[0102] As Figure 3 , 6 and as shown in 8, the suction vane group (i.e., each independent suction vane 18) is combined with the rotor teeth 17, for example, fused or integrally connected particularly through the connecting ribs 24. In particular, every other rotor tooth 17 is combined, fused or integrally connected with a suction vane 18. In addition to the manufacturing process advantages, this configuration advantageously achieves a seamless joint surface or any gap between the suction vane 18 and the corresponding rotor tooth 17, thereby avoiding corresponding hygiene hazards. In addition, this structure can achieve efficient, low-vortex and low-loss flow guidance of the product in the regions before and after the suction vane 18.

[0103] Preferably, the suction vane group (i.e., the suction vane 18) of the homogenizer 1 is designed based on the principle of a centrifugal pump, thereby achieving efficient product delivery at a larger volume flow rate and higher pressure.

[0104] With particular reference to Figure 6 , the overall leading vane surface (also known as the leading pump vane surface 25) of the discharge vane 19 has a convex cross-section in the rotor rotation direction, preferably tapering gradually along the rotation direction of the rotor 6, or alternatively / additionally having a trapezoidal cross-section. In addition, the angle between the leading vane surface 25 of the discharge vane 19 and the radius of the rotor disk 9 is greater than the corresponding angle of the trailing vane surface 26. If the leading vane surface 25 itself is curved, the angle between the end connection line thereof and the radius of the rotor disk 9 is also greater than the corresponding angle of the end connection line of the trailing vane surface 26.

[0105] The cross-section of the trailing vane surface 26 of the discharge vane 19 can be specifically designed to be convex along the entire cross-section length.

[0106] Preferably, the blade profile geometry of the discharge vane 19 is optimized hydrodynamically to ensure the best inflow of the product into the recirculation pipeline, and the leading pump vane surface 25 is particularly designed with a curved shape.

[0107] The following refers to Figure 10 , 10A, a schematic perspective view of 11 and 12, detailing other embodiments of the homogenizer 1 related to the stator 8.

[0108] As Figure 10 shown, in the first embodiment of the stator 8 of the homogenizer 1, the stator tooth structure 12 includes a plurality of stator teeth 27 coaxially arranged around the rotor shaft 7 along a circumferential line. The stator teeth extend from the stator base ring 28 along the axial product flow direction L and define stator slots 29 penetrating therethrough along the radial product flow direction R therebetween. Figure 10A Showing its variant structure, a stator end ring constituting the stator stabilizing ring 30 is added, so that the stator slot 29 is defined by the stator teeth 27 in the circumferential direction and jointly defined by the stator base ring 28 and the stator stabilizing ring 30 in the axial direction.

[0109] As Figure 11 shown in the second embodiment of the homogenizer 1, the stator teeth 27 are connected at their ends facing away from the stator base ring 28 by a stator end ring 30, which constitutes the stator stabilizing ring 30, such that the stator slot 29 is defined by the stator teeth 27 in the circumferential direction and jointly defined by the stator base ring 28 and the stator stabilizing ring 30 in the axial direction. The stator tooth structure 12 adopts a helical tooth configuration with respect to the axial product flow direction L, so that the length of the stator slot 29 is extended compared to the straight tooth configuration, thereby increasing the cross-sectional area of the slot flow and obtaining the advantage of expanding the shear zone 11. Experiments have confirmed that the helical tooth structure enables the emulsion treated by the homogenizer 1 to obtain a better droplet size distribution, indicating that the helical tooth stator 8 has a better shear effect than the straight tooth configuration. Tests further show that the helical tooth structure has a positive impact on the shear effect and can achieve a higher oil agent addition rate (kg / s) compared to the straight tooth configuration, which is attributed to the stronger shear effect (tensile flow) of the helical tooth configuration on the microemulsion particles than the straight tooth configuration. Final experiments have proved that the helical tooth structure can reduce the sound intensity index - figuratively speaking, when the rotor 6 cuts into the helical tooth stator structure, the pressure impact generated by flowing through the shear edge of the stator teeth 12 is significantly weakened.

[0110] As an alternative, according to Figure 12 shown in the third embodiment, the stator tooth structure 12 can be composed of a perforated stator ring 31, which is coaxially installed on the stator base ring 28 and contains stator holes 32 penetrating along the radial product flow direction to form a perforated structure. The design of the perforated stator ring 31 using drilled holes 32 instead of slots 29 can increase the ratio of the shear edge to the cross-sectional area of the flow, thereby having a positive impact on the formation of the emulsion.

[0111] Returning to Figure 11 shown in the second embodiment of the homogenizer 1 (with a closed helical tooth stator structure 12), as Figure 13 , 14 and 15 ( Figure 15 is along Figure 14As shown in the view of the H-H cutting line (in the middle), the side wall 33 of the stator tooth 27 (i.e., the side wall of the stator slot 29) always maintains a radial extension along the circumferential direction of the stator tooth structure 12. This configuration can also be described as: the slot or groove guiding line is always perpendicular to the central axis (i.e., the axial product flow direction L, see Figure 22 ), as Figure 13 shown. Thus, a helical or twisted milling structure is formed, or the stator slot 29 presents a helical / twisted longitudinal trend, which is preferably manufactured by a five-axis or multi-axis milling machine or a 3D printing method. This structure advantageously realizes the uniform distribution of the shearing action along the length of the stator slot 29.

[0112] As Figure 16 shown in the fourth embodiment of the homogenizer 1, the stator slot 29 or the stator hole 32 is designed to taper in the radial product flow direction to enhance the micro-droplet stretching effect, thereby improving the shearing action.

[0113] To improve the stability (reduce flexural deformation and bending stress) of the stator teeth 27, rotor teeth 17, and possibly the suction blades 18 and / or discharge blades 19 ( Figure 6 ), it is preferred to design their profiles or thicknesses as tapered strengthening structures, so that the profiles gradually become thinner along the reverse flow direction L. Especially when the tooth shapes 17, 27 and possibly the blades 18, 19 are axially lengthened, the centrifugal force generated will cause the flexural deformation in the root area to increase and the bending stress to critically increase, while the tapered strengthening structures towards the tooth roots 17, 27 and blade roots 18, 19 can effectively offset this effect (as Figure 17 and along Figure 17 the A-A cutting line in Figure 18 shown, taking the rotor tooth 17 as an example for illustration).

[0114] Preferably, the number of slots of the stator 8 is not a common multiple of the number of rotor teeth 17 and possibly the discharge blades 19. It is confirmed by testing with a sound spectrum analyzer that this design can significantly reduce the sound intensity at specific frequencies. As a non-limiting example, in another corresponding embodiment of the homogenizer 1, a combined structure of ten rotor slots (i.e., ten rotor teeth 17), five discharge blades 19 and twenty-seven stator slots 18 is adopted.

[0115] The preferred implementation shows that: in another embodiment of the homogenizer 1, by reducing the number of discharge blades 19 and shortening their arc lengths, the degree to which the stator slot 29 is covered by the discharge blades 19 can be reduced, thereby increasing the cross-sectional area for the product to freely pass through at the stator 8 (more precisely, the stator slot 29), and further reducing the pressure loss (as Figure 19 shown).

[0116] Another preferred implementation of the homogenizer 1 of the present invention (refer to Figure 20The circular flared replacement spiral embodiment shown schematically lies in that: the homogenizer includes a housing 2 which expands spirally around the discharge blade 19 according to the principle of a centrifugal pump housing (as shown in another homogenizer embodiment), such that the pump blade annular gap 34 chamber between the housing 2 of the homogenizer 1 and the discharge blade 19 gradually expands during rotation until the product is discharged into the recirculation interface 35 leading to the recirculation line (not shown), thereby increasing the throughput and reducing the internal pressure loss in the pump blade annular gap 34.

[0117] The product outlet 5 of the homogenizer 1 serves as the recirculation interface 35 and is constructed similar to a centrifugal pump for outputting the product to a circulation loop (not shown) to return to the homogenizer 1 for further treatment by the rotor-stator combination. The recirculation interface 35 is composed of a tubular connector and optionally has an elliptical cross-section to achieve a more optimized inlet flow for the downstream recirculation line (not shown). Alternatively or additionally, the recirculation interface 35 and / or the area of its adjacent recirculation line 35 taper in the flow direction (as Figure 21 shown in the example).

[0118] The homogenizer 1 of the present invention, through its various embodiments and combinations, particularly achieves the pumping performance from the homogenizer 1 to other containers of the vacuum treatment equipment (not shown, the homogenizer is preferably integrated therein), and substantially achieves eddy-free flow in the recirculation interface 35 and / or the area of its adjacent line 35, thereby further increasing the product throughput and product quality.

[0119] Preferably, the homogenizer 1 of the present invention can adopt a two-stage or multi-stage rotor-stator combination structure, that is, a circumferential array of rotor teeth 17 and an adjacent outer stator ring are arranged again on the radially outer side of the innermost stator ring, and this structure can be repeatedly configured to improve the shearing effect.

[0120] Preferably, the rotor teeth 17 of the homogenizer 1 of the present invention can be lengthened along the axial product flow direction L to increase the flow area (slot or groove area) and match the corresponding length of the stator slot 29 or the axial extension degree of the perforations of the stator ring 31, thus being superior to the prior art structure. Similarly advantageously, relative to the rotor teeth 17, the extension length of the discharge blade group (i.e., the discharge blade 19) along the axial product flow direction L on the radially outer side of the stator 8 can also be superior to the prior art, thereby enhancing the pumping efficiency and increasing the product throughput.

[0121] The homogenizer 1 adopting one or more of the foregoing embodiments can be a component of a vacuum treatment equipment (not shown).

[0122] This document also discloses the advantageous operation and manufacturing methods of the homogenizer 1 and the corresponding vacuum treatment equipment according to the present invention, as well as the application solutions of such homogenizers 1 and vacuum treatment equipment for specific product types, products, and treatment results. These solutions are based on one or more embodiments shown in the drawings and detailed above, and can be directly deduced by those skilled in the art.

[0123] The following provides several details, possibilities, examples, and application solutions of the homogenizer 1 and the vacuum treatment equipment configured with this homogenizer for understanding and illustration, but the present invention should not be limited to any specific embodiment.

[0124] Such a homogenizer 1 is not limited to being used as a component of a vacuum treatment equipment, but can also be designed as an independent unit, an immersion homogenizer, or applied as an in-line disperser (DIL). The homogenizer 1 can also be directly installed in the process vessel in a suspended structure without the need for a circulation pipeline.

[0125] Such a homogenizer 1 is particularly suitable for the process requirements of the food industry (such as hot / cold processed products like ketchup, mayonnaise, sauces, salad dressings, etc.) and the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries (such as the preparation of high-quality emulsions and suspensions like lotions, creams, gels, ointments, etc.).

[0126] In the vacuum treatment equipment, the homogenizer 1 is preferably installed below the process vessel. This configuration ensures that the dry powder components and the liquid phase are fully premixed and uniformly wetted before the product enters the homogenizer 1. The toothed-ring homogenizer 1 precisely introduces shear energy into the product and promotes its flow. The circulation pipeline downstream of the homogenizer forces the product to return to the process vessel, forming a closed loop and ensuring the vertical mixing effect in the vessel, while providing sampling and product discharge functions. The scraping agitator installed in the process vessel can prevent the product from adhering to the inner wall of the vessel during the heating / cooling stage and effectively promote the macroscopic mixing of the product. The integrated vacuum system assists in sucking the liquid and dry components into the homogenizer 1, and the product quality and characteristics can be regulated by precisely controlling the process vacuum degree.

[0127] Multiple tests were conducted using the homogenizer 1 of the present invention and the following results were obtained:

[0128] The tests show that the oil addition rate (taking mayonnaise as the test object) can be significantly increased by optimizing the homogenizer 1. The oil addition rate is a key time factor in mayonnaise production. It was found that the best results can be obtained by using the new rotor and inclined groove stator design (especially with the grooved structure 13) compared to the existing technology structure (especially the solution without the grooved structure 13).

[0129] The homogenizer 1 with a discharge blade 19 having an outer diameter of 158 mm can achieve an oil agent addition rate of up to 3.04 kg / s (1.21 kg / s when the design of the present invention is not adopted). The droplet distribution under the microscope is comparable to that of the traditional structure. This device can produce various products such as 80% mayonnaise, 30% cold-soluble mayonnaise, and 30% cooking mayonnaise, and there is no significant difference among products with different viscosities.

[0130] Qualitative measurement of the acoustic performance shows that during the emulsification process, the homogenizer 1 of the present invention has lower noise than the structure of the prior art. Further spectral analysis shows that the inclined groove stator has a significant attenuation effect on the sound intensity at specific frequency points.

[0131] When tested with water as the medium, the delivery volume increases significantly with the increase in rotational speed (the amplification factor is 1.3 - 3 times), and at the same time, the pressure increase factor is about 1.1 times, while the power consumption of the homogenizer drive device remains basically unchanged.

[0132] The significant efficiency improvement of the homogenizer 1 of the present invention is summarized as follows:

[0133] Number of stator assemblies: 1

[0134] Number of rotor assemblies: 1 (rotor - pump wheel)

[0135] Pumping performance (flow rate / pressure): Significantly improved

[0136] Shearing energy input: Significantly increased

[0137] Motor power requirement: Remains the same or decreases

[0138] Noise emission: Remains the same or decreases

[0139] Emulsification quality: Comparable

[0140] Hygiene performance: Better

[0141] Energy consumption per unit batch: Significantly reduced

[0142] Ecological balance: Significantly improved

[0143] Flow optimization: Greatly improved

[0144] Component manufacturing quality: Significantly improved

[0145] Mayonnaise oil agent addition rate [kg / s]: Greatly optimized

[0146] This document also discloses the advantageous operation and manufacturing methods based on the homogenizer 1 of the present invention and the corresponding vacuum treatment equipment (including its variants), as well as the application solutions of such homogenizer 1 and vacuum treatment equipment for specific product types, products, and treatment results.

[0147] The embodiments shown in the specification and drawings of the present invention are only illustrative, and its protection scope is not limited thereto. Instead, it should cover all variations, modifications, substitutions, and combination schemes that those skilled in the art can derive based on the claims, the overview in the introduction part of the specification, the description of the embodiments, and the drawings, combined with their professional knowledge and the prior art. In particular, the individual technical features and implementation manners in each embodiment can be combined with each other. For example, a rotor structure with an alternating distribution of tooth-shaped structures and perforations can be adopted.

[0148] List of reference numerals

[0149] 1 Homogenizer

[0150] 2 Housing

[0151] 3 Mixing chamber

[0152] 4 Product inlet

[0153] 4a, b, c, d Product inlets

[0154] 5 Product outlet

[0155] 5a, b Product discharge outlets

[0156] 6 Rotor

[0157] 7 Rotor shaft

[0158] 8 Stator

[0159] 9 Rotor disc

[0160] 10 Rotor tooth structure

[0161] 11 Shearing gap

[0162] 12 Stator tooth structure

[0163] 13 Grooved structure

[0164] 13a Constant radius partial circular groove

[0165] 13b Variable radius partial elliptical groove

[0166] 13c Truncated conical structure with at least one inclined surface

[0167] 14 Inner ring

[0168] 15 Mixing / conveying blade

[0169] 16 Dispersion disc

[0170] 17 Rotor teeth

[0171] 18 Suction blade

[0172] 19 Discharge blade

[0173] 20 Impeller group

[0174] 21 End region of 17

[0175] 22 Leading rotor tooth surface

[0176] 23 Following rotor tooth surface

[0177] 24 Connecting rib

[0178] 25 Leading pump vane surface

[0179] 26 Following pump vane surface

[0180] 27 Stator tooth

[0181] 28 Stator base ring

[0182] 29 Stator slot

[0183] 30 Stator end ring

[0184] 31 Perforated stator ring

[0185] 32 Stator hole

[0186] 33 Side wall

[0187] 34 Pump vane annular clearance

[0188] 35 Recirculation interface

[0189] D Rotation direction

[0190] L Axial product flow direction

[0191] R Radial product flow direction

[0192] S Product flow

[0193] S1,2,3,4 Product flow

[0194] S5 Product flow.

Claims

1. A homogenizer (1) for homogenizing, dispersing or generally treating a flowable product, comprising: A mixing chamber (3) having a product inlet (4) and a product outlet (5), provided therein with a rotor shaft (7) rotatably supported and driven to rotate by a controllable drive, the rotor shaft carrying a rotor (6) and cooperating with a stator (8); the rotor (6) includes a rotor disk (9) coaxially mounted on the rotor shaft (7), the rotor disk being provided with a rotor tooth structure (10), the rotor tooth structure being radially arranged inside the stator tooth structure (12) of the stator (8) and forming a shear gap (11); an axial product flow direction (L) is defined downstream of the product inlet (4) along the rotor shaft (7) towards the rotor disk (9), and at the same time a radial product flow direction (R) is defined as extending radially from the rotor shaft (7) along the rotor disk (9), passing through the channel between the rotor tooth structure (10) and the stator tooth structure (12) and leading to the product outlet (5); wherein a groove-like structure (13) is provided around the rotor shaft in the transition region between the rotor shaft (7) and the rotor disk (9), the structure forming at least an approximately flush transition surface with the rotor shaft (7) and the rotor disk (9), such that when the homogenizer (1) operates, the product flow to be processed turns from the axial flow direction (L) to the radial flow direction (R) continuously or via at least one inclined surface through the groove-like structure (13).

2. The homogenizer (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the groove-like structure (13) at the transition between the rotor shaft (7) and the rotor disk (9) has a negative curvature or a recessed annular fillet; and / or the groove-like structure (13) is provided on an inner ring (14) protruding axially against the product flow direction (L) of the rotor (6), forming a part of the rotor (6) and being integrally formed with the rotor disk (9) and / or the rotor shaft (7) in particular, and preferably transitioning to the rotor shaft (7) at least approximately flush at its radially narrowest end and extending to the rotor disk (9) at least approximately flush at the other end; and / or the groove-like structure (13) is: a) a partially circular groove (13a) with a constant radius, the radius preferably being 10 - 100 mm, more preferably 30 - 80 mm, particularly preferably 40 - 65 mm; or b) a partially elliptical groove (13b) with a varying radius, the cross-sectional radius preferably being 10 - 100 mm, more preferably 30 - 80 mm, particularly preferably 40 - 65 mm; or c) a frustoconical structure (13c) having at least one inclined surface, the inclined surface being composed of at least one frustum.

3. The homogenizer (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, A mixing / conveying blade (15) and / or a dispersion disk (16) are coaxially provided upstream of the rotor (6) in the axial product flow direction (L), wherein the mixing / conveying blade (15) is preferably drivingly connected to the rotor shaft (7), and / or the dispersion disk (16) is coaxially arranged with the rotor shaft (7), and the dispersion disk (16) is located downstream of the mixing / conveying blade (15) in the axial product flow direction (L).

4. The homogenizer (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The rotor tooth structure (10) includes a plurality of rotor teeth (17) coaxially arranged around the rotor shaft (7) along the circumferential line of the rotor teeth. The rotor teeth are connected to the rotor disk (9) and are particularly integrally formed, and extend axially against the product flow direction (L) from the rotor disk (9); preferably, suction vanes (18) coaxially arranged with the rotor teeth (17) are provided on the radially inner side of the rotor disk (9). The suction vanes extend axially against the product flow direction (L) and are integrally formed on the rotor disk; and / or discharge vanes (19) are provided on the radially outer side of the rotor disk (9). The vanes are located outside the rotor teeth (17) and the stator tooth structure (12), extend axially against the product flow direction (L), are coaxially arranged with the rotor shaft (7) and are integrally formed; The grooved structure (13) is as follows: a) A partial circular groove (13a) with a constant radius, the radius of which is determined by the following ratio: Outer diameter of the suction vane / Radius of the groove and this ratio is 0.2 to 5, preferably 0.4 to 3, particularly preferably 0.5 to 1.5; or b) A partial elliptical groove (13b) with a varying radius, the radius of which is determined by the following ratio: Outer diameter of the suction vane / Local radius of the groove and this ratio is 0.2 to 5, preferably 0.4 to 3, particularly preferably 0.5 to 1.

5.

5. The homogenizer (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the rotor teeth (17) and the possible suction vanes (18) and / or discharge vanes (19), collectively referred to as the impeller group (20) of the rotor (6), adopt a hydrodynamically optimized curved shape, wherein the tooth profile / blade profile curvature of each rotor tooth (17), suction vane (18) and / or discharge vane (19) is preferably determined based on the calculation of the velocity vector; preferably, in the radially end region (21) of the rotor tooth (17) close to the stator (8), the cross-section of the tooth surface (22) on the rotation direction (D) side is convex, and preferably tapers gradually along the rotor rotation direction without a sharp corner; and / or the cross-section of the rotor tooth (17) is preferably trapezoidal; and / or the included angle between the leading tooth surface (22) of the rotor tooth (17), if this surface itself is curved, then the end connection line thereof, and the radius of the rotor disk (9) is smaller than the corresponding included angle of the trailing tooth surface (23), if this surface itself is curved, then the end connection line thereof; and / or preferably, the side of the rotor tooth (17) facing the stator (8), i.e., the pressure side, is continuously and preferably curved radially tapered, or the outer diameter of each rotor tooth (17) decreases along the rotation direction, so as to form a wedge-shaped tapered gap between the rotor tooth (17) and the stator tooth (27); and / or preferably, the suction vane group, i.e., each suction vane (18), is combined with the rotor tooth (17), in particular fused or integrally connected by a connecting rib (24), wherein in particular every other rotor tooth (17) is combined, fused or integrally connected with a suction vane (18).

6. The homogenizer (1) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that The overall leading vane surface on the rotation direction side of the discharge vane (19), also known as the leading pump vane surface (25), has a convexly curved cross-section, and in particular tapers gradually along the rotation direction (D) of the rotor (6), or alternatively / additionally has a trapezoidal cross-section; Preferably, for the leading vane surface (25) of the discharge vane (19), if the surface itself is curved, the included angle between the connecting line of its ends and the radius of the rotor disk (9) is greater than that of the trailing vane surface (26), if the surface itself is curved, the included angle between the connecting line of its ends; and / or Preferably, the cross-section of the trailing vane surface (26) of the discharge vane (19) is convex along the entire cross-section length; and / or Preferably, the blade profile geometry of the discharge vane (19) is optimized hydrodynamically to ensure the best inflow of the product into the recirculation line, the pressure line or the product outlet (5), and in particular has a curved shape; and / or By reducing the number of discharge vanes (19) and shortening their arc lengths, the coverage of the stator slot (29) is reduced, thereby increasing the free flow cross-sectional area at the stator (8), more precisely at the stator slot (29), and reducing the pressure loss.

7. The homogenizer (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The stator tooth structure (12) comprises a plurality of stator teeth (27) arranged coaxially around the rotor shaft (7) along a circumferential line, the stator teeth extending from the stator base ring (28) in the axial product flow direction (L) and defining a stator slot (29) penetrating therebetween in the radial product flow direction (R); or the stator tooth structure (12) consists of a perforated stator ring (31) coaxially mounted on the stator base ring (28) and containing stator holes (32) penetrating in the radial product flow direction (R); Preferably, the stator teeth (27) are connected at their ends facing away from the stator base ring (28) by a stator end ring (30), which forms a stator stabilizing ring (30), so that the stator slot (29) is defined by the stator teeth (27) in the circumferential direction and jointly defined by the stator base ring (28) and the stator stabilizing ring (30) in the axial direction; Preferably, the stator tooth structure (12) has a helical tooth configuration with respect to the axial product flow direction (L); and / or Preferably, the side walls (33) of the stator teeth (27) (i.e., the side walls of the stator slot (29)) always remain radially extended along the circumferential direction of the stator tooth structure (12); More preferably, the stator slot (29) or the stator holes (32) and / or the rotor tooth gaps taper in the radial product flow direction (R).

8. The homogenizer (1) according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that The profiles or thicknesses of the stator teeth (27), the rotor teeth (17) and the possible suction vanes (18) and / or discharge vanes (19) adopt a tapered strengthening structure, so that the stator teeth (27) gradually become thinner towards the ends facing away from the stator base ring (28), and the rotor teeth (17) and the possible vane ends / (19) facing away from the rotor disk (9) gradually become thinner; and / or Preferably, the number of slots in the stator (8) is not a multiple of the number of rotor teeth (17) and any possible discharge vanes (19).

9. The homogenizer (1) according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that, The homogenizer (1) comprises a housing (2) which expands helically around the discharge vane (19) according to the centrifugal pump housing principle, such that the chamber of the pump vane annular gap (34) between the homogenizer (1) housing (2) and the discharge vane (19) gradually expands during rotation until the product is discharged into the product outlet (5) or enters the recirculation line, the pressure line or the product outlet (5) through the recirculation interface (35).

10. The homogenizer (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the recirculation interface (35) of the homogenizer (1) is configured similarly to a centrifugal pump for outputting the product to a circulation loop for re-treatment by the rotor-stator combination in the homogenizer (1), wherein preferably the recirculation interface (35) is formed by a tubular connection piece and has an oval cross-section; and / or preferably the recirculation interface (35) and / or the adjacent recirculation line area tapers in the flow direction; and / or the rotor-stator combination has a two-stage or multi-stage structure.

11. A vacuum processing apparatus having a homogenizer (1), characterized in that, The homogenizer (1) has the structure according to any one of the preceding claims.

12. A method for homogenizing, dispersing or generally treating a flowable product using a homogenizer (1), characterized in that, The homogenizer (1) has the structure according to any one of the preceding claims.

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