Activated carbon cleaning and drying integrated equipment based on pH monitoring

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of industrial washing and drying equipment, and particularly relates to activated carbon cleaning and drying integrated equipment based on pH monitoring. According to the equipment, activated carbon materials are primarily washed through the first-stage washing module, the second-stage fine washing module is matched with a pH detector to monitor the pH value of washing liquid in real time to accurately grasp the washing process, draining, penetrating drying and pneumatic discharging of carbon paste are achieved through the drying and collecting module, and closed transferring of the materials is achieved through the connecting and conveying module. And the intelligent control system realizes full-process automation. Compared with the prior art, the problems that a traditional intermittent washing process is low in efficiency, unstable in quality, high in energy consumption and the like are solved, accurate judgment of the washing end point is achieved through pH detection and intelligent control, the production efficiency is improved through the two-stage washing design and integrated continuous operation, and material loss is prevented through whole-process closed operation. The equipment is suitable for a post-treatment process for preparing activated carbon by a chemical activation method, and has the advantages of stable product quality, low energy consumption, high recovery rate and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of industrial washing and drying equipment, and particularly relates to an integrated activated carbon cleaning and drying equipment based on pH monitoring. Background Technology

[0002] Activated carbon is a material with an extremely high specific surface area and a well-developed pore structure, and its preparation process utilizes chemical activation methods. After the activation reaction, the resulting carbon material needs to be thoroughly washed to remove residual activating agents and reaction byproducts until the washing solution is neutral, in order to ensure the chemical purity and adsorption performance of the final product. This washing process is usually time-consuming and water-intensive, and the washing effect directly affects the quality grade and market value of the product.

[0003] Currently, the industry primarily employs intermittent tank washing or canning processes for washing activated carbon. Operators must place the material in corrosion-resistant containers and repeatedly cycle through water injection, stirring, settling, and drainage, relying on manual sampling and pH testing to determine the washing endpoint. This method has significant drawbacks: First, the entire process depends on manual experience and operation, resulting in low production efficiency and difficulty in ensuring consistent product quality across different batches; second, repeated material transfers and open operations easily lead to the scattering and loss of ultrafine carbon powder, and pose a safety hazard due to corrosive liquid splashing; finally, the washed wet carbon needs to be transferred to separate drying equipment for drying, further increasing material loss, energy consumption, and production cycle time.

[0004] Patent CN103848422A discloses an activated carbon cleaning system comprising a first cleaning machine, a second cleaning machine, a first filter press, a second filter press, and a drying device. This system uses stirring and ultrasonic technology to dissolve alkali or acid in the cleaning machines, and combines this with a filter screen and wastewater treatment device for solid-liquid separation, achieving efficient removal of metal impurities and reducing wastewater discharge through water recycling. However, this technology suffers from limitations in both system integration and process control precision. Firstly, it relies on the series combination of multiple independent devices such as the cleaning machine, filter press, and drying device, requiring multiple material transfers between units, which not only reduces overall efficiency but also easily leads to material loss and dust pollution. Secondly, determining the cleaning endpoint depends on manual sampling and pH testing, making real-time process monitoring and feedback adjustment impossible. This can easily lead to insufficient or excessive cleaning due to untimely responses, making it difficult to guarantee the stability and consistency of product quality.

[0005] Therefore, in order to solve the current technical problems, this application proposes an integrated activated carbon cleaning and drying device based on pH monitoring. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to solve the defects of traditional intermittent washing processes in the prior art, such as low efficiency, unstable quality and high energy consumption. It designs an integrated activated carbon cleaning and drying equipment based on pH monitoring that can realize automated continuous production, integrate washing and drying functions, and accurately control the washing endpoint through real-time monitoring.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: An integrated activated carbon cleaning and drying device based on pH monitoring includes: a primary cleaning module, a secondary fine cleaning module, a drying and collection module, a connection and transmission module, and an intelligent control system; wherein the secondary fine cleaning module is equipped with a pH meter for real-time monitoring of the pH value of the cleaning solution; The secondary fine washing module, located below the primary washing module, is used for fine washing of carbon materials. The drying and collection module, also located below the secondary fine washing module, is the unit that completes the final treatment. The primary washing module, secondary fine washing module, and drying and collection module are connected by a connection and transmission module to achieve closed and lossless transfer of materials between the modules. The activated carbon to be cleaned is sequentially cleaned through the primary washing module and the secondary fine washing module, and then the carbon slurry is drained, penetrated and dried, and pneumatically discharged through the drying and collection module. The material is transferred in a closed manner throughout the entire process through the connection and transmission module. The pH value of the cleaning solution is monitored in real time by a pH meter and fed back to the intelligent control system to achieve accurate determination of the washing endpoint. The use of two-stage washing and integrated continuous operation improves production efficiency and achieves full-process automation.

[0008] Furthermore, the primary cleaning module includes a primary cleaning chamber, a primary stirring mechanism, a primary water inlet valve, and a primary drain valve with a primary drain filter, used for primary washing of the activated carbon to be cleaned and discharging high-concentration waste liquid. The secondary fine washing module includes a pH meter, a secondary fine washing chamber, a secondary stirring mechanism, a secondary water inlet valve, and a secondary drain valve with a secondary drain filter; The drying and collection module includes a drying and collection chamber and a gas-liquid distribution chamber connected to the bottom of the drying and collection chamber, which is used to receive the washed carbon slurry and perform dewatering, through drying and final pneumatic discharge. The connection and transmission module is used for material transfer, including a primary discharge valve and a material transfer pipe connecting the primary cleaning chamber and the secondary fine cleaning chamber. The primary cleaning chamber, the primary discharge valve, the material transfer pipe, and the secondary fine cleaning chamber are connected in sequence. The module also includes a secondary discharge valve connecting the secondary fine cleaning chamber and the drying and collection chamber. This module enables the closed and lossless transfer of materials between the modules.

[0009] The primary and secondary drainage filters are used to filter ultrafine carbon powder in wastewater to prevent material loss.

[0010] Furthermore, the primary stirring mechanism includes a primary stirring motor and a primary stirring paddle; the primary stirring motor is fixed to the top cover of the primary cleaning chamber; the output shaft of the primary stirring motor extends into the primary cleaning chamber and is connected to the primary stirring paddle.

[0011] Furthermore, the secondary stirring mechanism includes a secondary stirring motor and a secondary stirring paddle; the secondary stirring motor is fixed on the top cover of the secondary fine washing chamber; the output shaft of the secondary stirring motor extends into the secondary fine washing chamber and is connected to the secondary stirring paddle.

[0012] Furthermore, the gas-liquid distribution chamber is funnel-shaped. Its tapering shape effectively guides and rectifies the hot air, ensuring uniform airflow through the carbon powder layer and avoiding localized overheating or drying dead zones. This results in gentle and efficient drying while protecting the pore structure of the activated carbon. Simultaneously, the sloping inner wall facilitates rapid collection and complete drainage of liquid during the draining stage, minimizing residual moisture, preventing secondary contamination, and shortening drying time. The gas-liquid distribution chamber has two interfaces: one connected to a hot air valve for introducing hot air to dry the carbon powder; and the other connected to a drain valve for discharging drained wastewater.

[0013] Furthermore, both the primary cleaning chamber and the secondary fine cleaning chamber are made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

[0014] Furthermore, the top of the primary cleaning chamber is also equipped with a feed inlet for adding wet carbon material; And / or, the drying collection chamber is also equipped with a vent valve for discharging humid air.

[0015] Furthermore, the pH meter is installed on the top cover of the secondary rinsing chamber, with its probe submerged below the liquid surface, for real-time monitoring of the pH value of the cleaning solution. The pH meter is equipped with a removable protective cover or grille.

[0016] The pH meter technology of this invention is positioned as a "control system sensor." It not only needs to perform the basic function of pH value detection, but also serves as a key sensing component of the automatic control system. It is the input source and decision-making basis of the automatic control system, and all system control actions (such as parameter adjustment, process start / stop, etc.) must be generated based on its real-time data. Furthermore, it constitutes the core component of the entire unmanned control system. Based on this positioning, this invention constructs a closed-loop automatic control process centered on the pH meter: detection data can be transmitted to the control unit in real time, directly driving subsequent actions without manual intervention, ultimately achieving a fully automated connection between "detection-judgment-control." This is fundamentally different from the existing technology that relies on manual operation and worker experience intervention.

[0017] Furthermore, the activated carbon cleaning and drying integrated equipment based on pH monitoring also includes an intelligent control system. The hardware foundation of this intelligent control system includes a core control unit, a sensing and detection unit, and an execution drive unit. Through the coordinated operation of these units, a fully automated closed-loop control is achieved from cleaning, monitoring, drying to discharge, offering advantages such as precise execution and scientific control logic. Specifically, the intelligent control system is based on a programmable logic controller (PLC) and integrates the following devices: 1. Sensing and detection unit: including a pH meter for real-time monitoring of the washing liquid's acidity and alkalinity, an ultrasonic level sensor for sensing the liquid level in the chamber, a hot air temperature sensor for detecting the hot air temperature, and a humidity sensor in the drying collection chamber for determining the drying progress. 2. Execution drive unit: including a stirring drive motor and various solenoid valves (specifically including a primary water inlet valve, a primary drain valve, a primary discharge valve, a secondary water inlet valve, a secondary drain valve, a secondary discharge valve, a drain valve, a hot air valve, and a discharge valve).

[0018] Furthermore, the control logic of the intelligent control system is configured as follows to achieve precise fully automatic closed-loop control: During the feeding and primary cleaning stage, the activated carbon to be cleaned enters the chamber through the feed inlet. The intelligent control system controls the opening of the primary water inlet valve, detects the liquid level through an ultrasonic level sensor, and controls the water inlet volume. After water injection, the stirring motor is started to stir at the set speed and duration. After stirring, the system is allowed to settle, and then the primary drain valve is opened to discharge the high-concentration waste liquid before the drain valve is closed.

[0019] During the material transfer and secondary fine washing stages, the system controls the opening of the primary discharge valve and the primary drain valve to inject pressurized water flow, transferring the carbon slurry to the secondary fine washing chamber. The secondary water inlet valve is opened, and after adding the predetermined amount of water, the secondary stirring motor is started to carry out fine washing. The washing liquid is monitored in real time through a pH meter.

[0020] During the washing and testing phase, the PLC processes and analyzes the pH data. When the pH meter detects that the pH value of the washing liquid remains stable within the range of 6.5-7.5 for 5 minutes, the washing is deemed to have met the standards.

[0021] During the penetration drying stage, the PLC starts the drying program, controls the hot air valve to open, and introduces hot air at 50~100℃ to penetrate and dry the toner. The hot air temperature sensor monitors the inlet air temperature in real time to ensure that the hot air temperature is accurately controlled within the set temperature range.

[0022] During the finished product discharge stage, the PLC judges the drying progress based on the humidity sensor signal in the silo, the drying time, and the temperature curve in the silo. After drying is completed, the hot air valve is kept open, and the discharge valve is opened at the same time to blow the dried carbon powder into the collection bucket.

[0023] This invention employs a "penetration drying" method, where hot air passes through the toner layer. This significantly increases the contact area between the hot air and the wet toner, resulting in superior mass and heat transfer. Compared to traditional oven drying, which requires operating temperatures above 120°C (relying on hot air circulating around and on the material's surface), penetration drying only requires hot air at 50-100°C to achieve efficient drying. Furthermore, this penetration drying technology uniformly introduces hot air from the bottom of the toner layer, allowing it to penetrate the layer. The continuous airflow accelerates moisture evaporation and removes moisture before capillary action occurs, reducing stress on the toner's pore walls. Simultaneously, it avoids temperature gradients and uneven drying, preventing localized over-wetting or overheating of the toner, effectively protecting the toner's pore structure. This not only shortens drying time but also mitigates potential damage to the material during the drying process.

[0024] This invention provides an integrated continuous cleaning and drying system for activated carbon, based on pH monitoring and automatic control, combining cleaning, dehydration, drying, and collection functions. The system employs a primary cleaning module for initial washing of the activated carbon material, a drying and collection module for draining, penetrating drying, and pneumatic discharge of the carbon slurry, a connection and transmission module for closed-loop material transfer, and an intelligent control system for full-process automation. This invention solves the problems of low efficiency, unstable quality, and high energy consumption associated with traditional intermittent washing processes. It achieves accurate determination of the washing endpoint through pH detection and intelligent control, improves production efficiency through a two-stage washing design and integrated continuous operation, and prevents material loss through a fully closed-loop operation. This equipment is suitable for the post-processing of activated carbon prepared by chemical activation methods, offering advantages such as stable product quality, low energy consumption, and high recovery rate.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. Activated carbon, as a highly efficient adsorbent material, typically boasts a specific surface area of ​​500-1500 m² / g (some modified products can reach over 3000 m² / g). Its pore structure is primarily composed of micropores (<2 nm), with mesopores (2-50 nm) and macropores (>50 nm) working together to form a three-dimensional adsorption network. The particle size of ultrafine carbon powder is generally controlled within the range of 10-50 μm. Two major technical challenges arise during the cleaning process: firstly, ultrafine particles easily form suspended agglomerates in the liquid phase, leading to uneven penetration of the cleaning agent and reduced efficiency; secondly, surface tension during drying may cause pore collapse, resulting in a permanent loss of specific surface area (up to 20%), requiring special drying processes such as supercritical carbon dioxide or azeotropic distillation to avoid this. This invention utilizes continuous mechanical stirring to generate strong shear force, effectively breaking down agglomerates formed by ultrafine carbon powder, allowing them to be fully exposed in the cleaning liquid as single particles, ensuring the uniformity and efficiency of cleaning for each particle's surface and pores. Simultaneously, during material transportation, the pressurized water flow's fluid shearing and dispersion further disrupts potential agglomeration, ensuring the carbon slurry enters the fine washing stage in a uniform suspension state, thereby significantly improving the cleaning effect and process stability. Regarding the issue of specific surface area loss, this invention first allows the material to drain under static conditions before drying, removing most of the free water through a bottom drain valve. Then, a penetration drying technology evenly introduces hot air from the bottom of the carbon powder layer, penetrating it. The continuous airflow accelerates moisture evaporation, carrying away moisture before capillary action forms, reducing the destructive stress on the carbon powder pore walls. This also avoids temperature gradients and uneven drying, preventing localized over-wetting or overheating of the carbon powder, effectively protecting the carbon powder's pore structure, shortening drying time, and mitigating potential damage to the material during the drying process.

[0026] 2. The core of this invention, an integrated activated carbon cleaning and drying equipment based on pH monitoring, lies in its highly integrated continuous process and closed-loop control. Compared to CN103848422A, which employs a multi-machine, intermittent operation mode of "cleaner + filter press + drying equipment," requiring multiple material transfers and restarts, this invention integrates multi-stage cleaning, real-time pH monitoring, sedimentation and dewatering, and through-drying into a single vertical device. It achieves closed-loop material transport and fully automated control through gravity flow and an intelligent system. This architecture fundamentally solves the problems of low efficiency, high energy consumption, significant material loss, and unstable quality caused by manual operation and filtration, realizing a paradigm shift from intermittent production to continuous and automated production.

[0027] 3. High degree of automation and intelligence: By integrating pH detection and automatic control, it achieves accurate and objective judgment of the washing endpoint and fully automatic control of the entire washing-drying process, completely eliminating the reliance on human experience and ensuring stable product quality.

[0028] 4. High production efficiency: The two-stage washing design and integrated continuous operation avoid the turnover time of materials between different equipment, making the washing, dehydration and drying processes seamlessly connected, greatly shortening the production cycle and improving production efficiency.

[0029] 5. This invention uses water as the cleaning agent, which has several significant advantages: First, the main impurities remaining in the preparation of activated carbon are soluble inorganic salts, which have high solubility in water and can be removed from the pores through physical dissolution and diffusion. Furthermore, this invention generates strong shear force through continuous mechanical stirring, combined with the fluid shearing and dispersion effect of pressurized water flow during material transportation, preventing activated carbon agglomeration and ensuring it fully contacts the cleaning solution in single-particle form, achieving good cleaning results with only water. Second, traditional cleaning methods often add strong acids or alkalis to shorten neutralization time, but this damages the pore structure of the carbon material and affects its performance. Water cleaning completely avoids this problem, maximizing the protection of the original properties of the activated carbon. Third, from a cost and safety perspective, water cleaning eliminates the need to purchase strong acid / alkali reagents, saving on subsequent neutralization reactions and wastewater treatment costs. Moreover, water is non-corrosive and highly safe, and the wastewater after cleaning has a simple composition and is easy to treat, better meeting the needs of green production.

[0030] 6. High material recovery rate and environmental safety: The entire process is a closed operation, combined with a high-efficiency filtration design, which effectively prevents the flying and loss of ultrafine carbon powder. This not only improves the material recovery rate but also creates a dust-free working environment, while avoiding the risk of operators coming into contact with waste liquid. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an integrated activated carbon cleaning and drying device based on pH monitoring according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; The components are as follows: 1- Primary stirring motor; 2- Feed inlet; 3- Primary water inlet valve; 4- Primary cleaning chamber; 5- Primary stirring paddle; 6- Primary drainage filter; 7- Primary discharge valve; 8- Material transfer pipe; 9- Secondary fine washing chamber; 10- Secondary drainage filter; 11- Secondary drainage valve; 12- Gas-liquid distribution chamber; 13- Drain valve; 14- Hot air valve; 15- Discharge valve; 16- Drying collection chamber; 17- Vent valve; 18- Secondary discharge valve; 19- Secondary stirring paddle; 20- pH meter; 21- Secondary water inlet valve; 22- Secondary stirring motor; 23- Primary drainage valve; 24- Top cover; 25- Temperature sensor; 26- Humidity sensor; 27- Ultrasonic liquid level sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0032] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0033] Example like Figure 1 As shown, an integrated activated carbon cleaning and drying device based on pH monitoring mainly includes a primary cleaning module, a secondary fine cleaning module, a drying and collection module, a connection and transmission module, and an intelligent control system. Among them: The primary cleaning module mainly consists of a primary cleaning chamber 4, a primary stirring motor 1, a primary stirring paddle 5, a primary water inlet valve 3, a primary drain valve 23, and a primary drain filter 6. The primary cleaning chamber 4 is made of polytetrafluoroethylene and has a feed inlet 2 at its top. The primary stirring motor 1 is fixed to the top cover 24 of the primary cleaning chamber 4, and its output shaft extends into the chamber and connects to the primary stirring paddle 5.

[0034] The secondary cleaning module is located below the primary module. It includes a secondary cleaning chamber 9, a secondary stirring motor 22, a secondary stirring paddle 19, a secondary water inlet valve 21, a secondary drain valve 11, and a secondary drain filter 10. The secondary stirring motor 22 is fixed to the top cover of the secondary cleaning chamber 9; the output shaft of the secondary stirring motor 22 extends into the secondary cleaning chamber 9 and connects to the secondary stirring paddle 19. A pH meter 20 is installed on the top cover of the secondary cleaning chamber 9, with its probe submerged below the liquid surface for real-time monitoring of the pH value of the cleaning solution. The secondary cleaning chamber 9 is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). pH meter 20 is a corrosion-resistant embedded pH meter. Its installation position is selected in a relatively stable area of ​​the chamber (in this embodiment, it is set on the side wall of the chamber, about 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 of the chamber height from the bottom), avoiding the turbulent area of ​​the stirring blade and the impact area directly opposite the discharge port; the insertion depth is controlled in a representative liquid layer, avoiding being too close to the bottom precipitated solid phase or the surface foam layer (in this embodiment, the pH meter probe insertion depth is set according to the following principle: its sensor sensitive part should be submerged below the liquid surface, and the vertical distance h from the liquid surface should be controlled within the range of 1 / 3 to 2 / 3 of the total liquid level height H). Furthermore, addressing the issue that traditional pH glass electrodes are fragile and cannot withstand continuous erosion by activated carbon particles, this invention selects an antimony electrode or a composite electrode (such as a composite glass electrode; in this embodiment, a commercially available composite glass pH electrode from Mettler Company is selected). This electrode is not only wear-resistant and structurally robust, capable of withstanding particulate impacts, but also equipped with a removable protective cover (made of wear-resistant materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene), which allows liquids and ions to pass through while blocking direct impacts from larger particles.

[0035] The drying and collection module, located below the secondary module, is the unit that completes the final treatment. It includes a drying and collection chamber 16, the bottom of which is connected to a funnel-shaped gas-liquid distribution chamber 12. The drying and collection chamber 16 is equipped with a vent valve 17 and a discharge valve 15. The bottom of the gas-liquid distribution chamber 12 has interfaces: one interface is connected to a hot air valve 14 for introducing hot air to dry the toner; the other interface is connected to a drain valve 13 for discharging the drained wastewater.

[0036] The connection and transmission module is used for material transfer: This module includes a material transfer pipe 8 connecting the primary cleaning chamber 4 and the secondary fine cleaning chamber 9, and a primary discharge valve 7 is provided between the primary cleaning chamber 4 and the material transfer pipe 8. The module also includes a secondary discharge valve 18 that directly connects the bottom of the secondary fine cleaning chamber 9 to the top of the drying and collection chamber 16.

[0037] The intelligent control system consists of a programmable logic controller (PLC), a pH meter, an ultrasonic level sensor 27 installed on the wall of the secondary washing chamber 9, a hot air temperature sensor 25 and a humidity sensor 26 located on the side wall of the drying and collection chamber 16, a stirring drive motor, and various solenoid valves (primary water inlet valve 3, primary drain valve 23, primary discharge valve 7, secondary water inlet valve 21, secondary drain valve 11, secondary discharge valve 18, drain valve 13, hot air valve 14, and discharge valve 15). The system uses the PLC as its core, collecting and processing multi-source sensor data in real time: the pH meter 20 continuously monitors the pH of the washing liquid in the secondary washing chamber 9; the ultrasonic level sensor 27 dynamically tracks the liquid level in each chamber; and the hot air temperature sensor 25 and humidity sensor 26 accurately detect the hot air temperature and drying progress, respectively. When the pH value stabilizes within the range of 6.5-7.5 for 5 minutes, the washing is deemed satisfactory, triggering the opening of the secondary discharge valve; the water inlet / drain valve is controlled by liquid level feedback to prevent overflow or idling. At the execution level, the PLC precisely drives the stirring motor to run at a set speed (such as 200r / min) to ensure uniform cleaning, and opens and closes the solenoid valves in sequence to seamlessly connect the material transfer, penetration drying and pneumatic discharge processes.

[0038] The working process of the device of this invention is as follows: 1. Primary cleaning: Wet carbon to be cleaned (in this embodiment, a specific area ≥1200 m² is selected). 2 Activated carbon (with an average pore size of 1.8 nm) is added to the primary cleaning chamber 4 through inlet 2. The PLC controls the opening of the primary water inlet valve 3 to inject water, maintaining a water-to-activated carbon mass ratio of 10:1. The primary stirring motor 1 is then started and stirred at 200 r / min for 30 minutes to ensure the water flow shear force fully breaks down carbon particle agglomerates and promotes the dissolution of residual activator in the pores. Stirring is then stopped, and the mixture is allowed to settle for 10 minutes. The PLC then controls the opening of the primary drain valve 23, and the high-concentration wastewater is discharged through the primary drain filter 6. Potential clogging of the filter can be addressed through backwashing or periodic ultrasonic cleaning.

[0039] 2. Transfer and Secondary Cleaning: The PLC controls the simultaneous opening of the primary discharge valve 7 and the primary water inlet valve 3, pressurized water (0.3MPa) flushing the carbon slurry into the secondary cleaning chamber 9 via the material transfer pipe 8. The secondary stirring motor 22 is started at a low speed of 150 r / min (to minimize interference with pH monitoring), maintaining the water-to-activated carbon ratio at 8:1, and the pH value is read in real time via the pH meter 20. Afterwards, the mixture is allowed to settle, and the secondary drain valve 11 is opened to drain the water. This "stirring-sedimentation-drainage" cycle takes approximately 20 minutes (including 10 minutes of settling). Soluble impurities (such as inorganic salt ions) in the pores can be effectively removed simply by multiple water replacements, without relying on strong acid / alkali cleaning agents.

[0040] 3. Endpoint Judgment and Final Transfer: The pH meter 20 feeds back the detection signal to the PLC. When the signal remains stable within the range of 6.5-7.5 for 5 minutes, the washing is deemed to have met the standard. Subsequently, the PLC controls the opening of the secondary discharge valve 18, and the carbon slurry falls into the drying collection chamber 16 under gravity.

[0041] 4. Draining and Drying: The PLC starts the drying program. The carbon slurry is left to drain in the drying collection chamber 16 for 15 minutes, and the liquid is discharged through the drain valve 13. After draining, the drain valve 13 is closed, and the hot air valve 14 is opened (hot air temperature: 50~100℃, hot air velocity: 0.8m / s). The hot air enters the gas-liquid distribution chamber 12 and evenly penetrates the carbon powder layer for drying. The vent valve 17 has a built-in multi-layer stainless steel wire mesh (5 μm pore size) filter structure, which effectively prevents carbon powder from escaping while ensuring that humid air is discharged smoothly.

[0042] During the settling and draining process of the carbon slurry in the drying and collection chamber 16, other modules are not in a waiting state but continue to operate. The system employs a parallel design for primary cleaning, secondary washing, and draining / drying operations. While the drying and collection chamber 16 processes the carbon slurry draining and drying, the secondary washing chamber can simultaneously perform the next batch of agitation and cleaning, while the primary washing chamber simultaneously carries out the settling and sedimentation of a particular batch. The intelligent control system coordinates the operation of each unit, effectively hiding the settling time within the continuous process, preventing it from becoming a bottleneck restricting the overall production rhythm.

[0043] When hot air penetrates the toner layer for drying, for large particle clusters, the hot air first contacts the outer layer of the cluster, causing it to quickly lose moisture and dry. The dried outer layer peels off from the main body, and the particle volume gradually decreases. When the particle cluster reaches a state where it can be blown away by the airflow, it will move with the airflow. During this process, it inevitably collides with other particles. This mechanical collision effectively breaks up the agglomerated particles, exposing new, moist inner surfaces. For the dried toner, the vent valve 17 has a built-in multi-layer filter structure that effectively prevents the escape of ultrafine toner.

[0044] 5. Material collection: After drying is completed, the PLC controls the hot air valve 14 to remain open, and at the same time opens the discharge valve 15. The dried toner is blown out by the airflow and enters the collection bag, completing the entire process.

[0045] Comparative example (CN103848422A process) The system strictly adheres to the "washing machine + filter press + drying equipment" multi-machine, intermittent operation mode described in the patent specification and embodiments. Its core features are: manual sampling and offline pH value testing to determine the endpoint; reliance on the filter press for solid-liquid separation; material transfer via pumping between independent equipment; and the use of independent drying equipment (such as an oven) for drying.

[0046] The activated carbons of the examples and comparative examples were compared, and the comparison data are shown in Table 1. Table 1. Comparison of main technical indicators between the embodiment (this invention) and the comparative example (CN103848422A) In contrast, the method provided in this invention has a shorter production time, uses less water, and produces highly stable and uniform activated carbon products. Due to the use of a gentle through-drying technology, it effectively avoids the damage to the nanoporous structure of activated carbon caused by traditional pressure filtration and oven drying, thus better preserving its core functional value. The closed material transfer makes the material recovery rate of this invention high and also achieves dust-free clean production.

[0047] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An integrated activated carbon cleaning and drying device based on pH monitoring, characterized in that, include: The system consists of a primary cleaning module, a secondary fine cleaning module, a drying and collection module, and a connection and transmission module. The secondary fine washing module is located below the primary washing module, and the drying and collection module is located below the secondary fine washing module. The primary washing module, the secondary fine washing module, and the drying and collection module are connected to each other through the connection and transmission module. The secondary fine cleaning module is equipped with a pH meter (20) for real-time monitoring of the pH value of the cleaning solution. The activated carbon to be cleaned is sequentially cleaned through a primary cleaning module and a secondary fine cleaning module. Then, it is drained, thoroughly dried, and pneumatically discharged through a drying and collection module. Finally, a connection and transmission module enables the closed transfer of materials.

2. The integrated activated carbon cleaning and drying equipment based on pH monitoring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The primary cleaning module includes a primary cleaning chamber (4), a primary stirring mechanism, a primary water inlet valve (3), and a primary drain valve (23) with a primary drain filter (6). And / or, the secondary fine washing module also includes a secondary fine washing chamber (9), a secondary stirring mechanism, a secondary water inlet valve (21), and a secondary drain valve (11) with a secondary drain filter (10). And / or, the drying collection module includes a drying collection chamber (16) and a gas-liquid distribution chamber (12) connected to the bottom of the drying collection chamber (16); And / or, the connection and transmission module includes a primary discharge valve (7) and a material transfer pipe (8) connecting the primary cleaning chamber (4) and the secondary fine washing chamber (9), and a secondary discharge valve (18) connecting the secondary fine washing chamber (9) and the drying collection chamber (16).

3. The integrated activated carbon cleaning and drying equipment based on pH monitoring according to claim 2, characterized in that, The primary stirring mechanism includes a primary stirring motor (1) and a primary stirring paddle (5); the primary stirring motor (1) is fixed on the top cover (24) of the primary cleaning chamber (4); the output shaft of the primary stirring motor (1) extends into the primary cleaning chamber (4) and is connected to the primary stirring paddle (5).

4. The integrated activated carbon cleaning and drying equipment based on pH monitoring according to claim 2, characterized in that, The secondary stirring mechanism includes a secondary stirring motor (22) and a secondary stirring paddle (19); the secondary stirring motor (22) is fixed on the top cover of the secondary fine washing chamber (9); the output shaft of the secondary stirring motor (22) extends into the secondary fine washing chamber (9) and is connected to the secondary stirring paddle (19).

5. The integrated activated carbon cleaning and drying equipment based on pH monitoring according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gas-liquid distribution chamber (12) is funnel-shaped and has two interfaces, which are connected to the hot air valve (14) and the drain valve (13) respectively.

6. The integrated activated carbon cleaning and drying equipment based on pH monitoring according to claim 2, characterized in that, Both the primary cleaning chamber (4) and the secondary fine cleaning chamber (9) are made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

7. The integrated activated carbon cleaning and drying equipment based on pH monitoring according to claim 2, characterized in that, The top of the primary cleaning chamber (4) is also provided with a feed inlet (2); And / or, the drying collection chamber (16) is also provided with a vent valve (17).

8. The integrated activated carbon cleaning and drying equipment based on pH monitoring according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The pH meter (20) is installed on the top cover of the secondary fine cleaning tank (9). The probe of the pH meter (20) is submerged below the liquid surface and is used to monitor the pH value of the cleaning solution in real time.

9. The integrated activated carbon cleaning and drying equipment based on pH monitoring according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes an intelligent control system, which includes a programmable logic controller (PLC) as the core control unit, and the PLC is connected to the following devices: The sensing and detection unit includes a pH meter (20) for real-time monitoring of the acidity and alkalinity of the washing liquid, an ultrasonic liquid level sensor (27) for detecting the liquid level in the chamber, a hot air temperature sensor (25) for monitoring the hot air temperature, and a humidity sensor (26) in the drying collection chamber for determining the drying progress. The execution drive unit includes a stirring motor that drives the primary stirring mechanism and the secondary stirring mechanism, and a solenoid valve that controls the operation of the primary water inlet valve (3), the primary drain valve (23), the primary discharge valve (7), the secondary water inlet valve (21), the secondary drain valve (11), the secondary discharge valve (18), the drain valve (13), the hot air valve (14), and the discharge valve (15).

10. The integrated activated carbon cleaning and drying equipment based on pH monitoring according to claim 9, characterized in that, The intelligent control system is configured as follows: During the water intake stage, the opening and closing of the first-stage water intake valve (3) and the second-stage water intake valve (21) are controlled based on the feedback of the ultrasonic level sensor (27). When the pH meter (20) detects that the pH value of the washing liquid is stable in the range of 6.5~7.5 for 5 minutes, it is determined that the washing meets the standard, and the secondary discharge valve (18) is opened to transfer the carbon slurry to the drying collection chamber (16). The hot air valve (14) is opened to introduce hot air at 50~100℃ to penetrate and dry the toner, and the air temperature is monitored by the hot air temperature sensor (25). After drying is completed, the drying process is judged to be over based on the humidity sensor signal (26), drying time and temperature curve in the silo. The discharge valve (15) is opened to blow the dried carbon powder into the collection bucket.

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