Mixing control method and device of double-cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloy

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of vanadium-aluminum alloy smelting, and discloses a mixing control method and device of a double-cone mixer for a vanadium-aluminum alloy. The method comprises the following steps: S100, loading an original material into the biconical barrel; s200, driving the biconical barrel to rotate around the horizontal axis of the biconical barrel in a first direction for a first preset mixing time; s300, the double-cone-shaped barrel is driven to rotate around the horizontal axis of the double-cone-shaped barrel in the second direction for the second preset material mixing time, and the second direction is opposite to the first direction; s400, the step S200 and the step S300 are repeated, so that the double-cone-shaped barrel rotates forwards and backwards alternately for multiple periods; and S500, stopping rotating, and collecting the mixed material. According to the method, the uniform mixing of the double-cone mixer is realized according to the characteristics of the vanadium-aluminum alloy raw material, and the unloading weight deviation is reduced within an allowable range, so that the operation sticking point of the vanadium-aluminum alloy automatic mixing system is broken through.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vanadium-aluminum alloy smelting technology, specifically to a mixing control method for a double cone mixer used in vanadium-aluminum alloy smelting. Background Technology

[0002] Vanadium-aluminum alloys, smelted from vanadium oxide and metallic aluminum, are key intermediate alloys in the production of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloys. Currently, the requirements for the quality uniformity of intermediate alloys in titanium alloy production are becoming increasingly stringent. Since batches of vanadium-aluminum alloy products need to be packaged using multiple furnace batches of alloy cakes, controlling the stability of the vanadium content in the alloy cakes is crucial. From a process traceability perspective, it is essential to ensure the uniformity of the charge mixture after preparation, while strictly controlling the unloading weight deviation. This is to avoid agglomeration caused by uneven charge mixing, thereby preventing violent explosion reactions and ensuring that the designed composition of the alloy remains consistent with the actual test results.

[0003] A double-cone mixer is a powder or granular material mixing device. Its cylinder is symmetrically shaped into two cones, with the upper and lower cone valves on the same vertical dimension and capable of 360-degree rotation. It is suitable for automatic batching systems and is often used in the furnace charge preparation stage of metallurgical intermediate alloys such as vanadium-aluminum alloys due to its excellent mixing uniformity. Existing automatic batching and mixing systems for vanadium-aluminum alloys, which use a cavity double-cone mixer to mix the furnace charge, still have some operational problems: First, during the mixing process, due to the difference in specific gravity and particle size between vanadium pentoxide and aluminum particles, and the unidirectional rotation of the mixer, the furnace charge is not easily mixed evenly, resulting in violent local reactions. Second, in the vanadium pentoxide raw material, powder with a particle size ≤1mm accounts for 20%~30% of the total powder. During the unloading process after mixing, some powder adheres to the bin wall, causing a weight deviation of ≥1.0kg. The weight fluctuation is even greater after consecutive furnace mixing cycles, affecting the stability control of the alloy vanadium content. The issues of mixing uniformity and unloading weight deviation in double cone mixers are not only bottlenecks in the operation of automatic batching systems for vanadium-aluminum alloys, but also key control points for meeting customer needs and improving product uniformity.

[0004] Patent application CN117380036A discloses a multi-alloy double-cone mixer and mixing equipment, including a supporting vertical plate shaft, a mixer body, and a guiding mixing component. By incorporating the guiding mixing component, when the mixer body is driven by the shaft, the internal materials collide and contact with the guiding mixing component, thereby increasing the disorder during material mixing and improving the mixing effect when mixing multiple materials, achieving a more uniform mixing result. This technical solution improves mixing uniformity by incorporating the guiding mixing component and utilizing its collision and contact with the internal materials.

[0005] Patent CN221753056U discloses a mixing cylinder and a double-cone mixer. When materials need to be mixed, the mixing cylinder can be rotated. The aggregated powder inside the cylinder falls from the top inlet onto the stirring disc, where it is better dispersed through the perforations, and then aggregates back to the bottom of the cylinder. The powder repeatedly tumbles up and down in a "aggregate → disperse, disperse → aggregate" motion, causing it to continuously aggregate and disperse within the mixing cylinder, thereby achieving a more uniform mixing and effectively improving mixing efficiency. This technical solution achieves more uniform mixing by setting a stirring disc inside the mixing cylinder and utilizing its perforations to disperse the powder.

[0006] Patent CN213221977U discloses a mixing cylinder for a double-cone mixer. The cylinder contains blades arranged in a spiral longitudinal pattern along the inside of the cylinder. As the material rotates within the cylinder, it falls onto the blades, breaking up any clumps. The spiral arrangement of the blades along the cylinder creates a spiral material channel between adjacent blades. During cylinder rotation, the material spirals along this channel to the lower cone section, where smaller particles are screened out through the circular holes. This technical solution improves mixing uniformity by using blades inside the mixing cylinder to strike the material falling onto it during rotation.

[0007] The double-cone mixers described above, while improving mixing uniformity through internal structural modifications, all increase production costs. Therefore, achieving low-cost, uniform mixing has become a pressing technical problem to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To address the problems of uneven mixing and large deviations in unloading weight in existing technologies, this invention proposes a mixing control method for a double-cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloys. Based on the characteristics of vanadium-aluminum alloy raw materials, this method achieves uniform mixing of the double-cone mixer and reduces the unloading weight deviation within an allowable range, thereby overcoming the operational bottlenecks of the automatic batching and mixing system for vanadium-aluminum alloys.

[0009] To solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: According to one aspect of the present invention, a mixing control method for a double-cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloys is provided. The double-cone mixer includes a double-cone cylinder having an upper cone and a lower cone. The control method includes the following steps: S100, loading raw materials into the double-cone cylinder; S200, driving the double-cone cylinder to rotate about its own horizontal axis in a first direction for a first predetermined mixing time, wherein the horizontal axis is perpendicular to the center line connecting the upper cone and the lower cone; S300, driving the double-cone cylinder to rotate about its own horizontal axis in a second direction for a second predetermined mixing time, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction; S400, repeating steps S200 and S300 to cause the double-cone cylinder to rotate alternately in both directions for multiple cycles; S500, stopping the rotation and collecting the mixed materials.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, step S200 includes: S210, the double-cone cylinder accelerates from the origin to a first maximum rotational speed; S220, the double-cone cylinder rotates at the first maximum rotational speed for a first predetermined mixing time; S230, the double-cone cylinder decelerates from the first maximum rotational speed and stops at the origin; wherein, the first maximum rotational speed is 9~12 rpm, and the acceleration time and deceleration time are 20~30 seconds.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in step S200, the first predetermined mixing time is 3 to 5 minutes.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, step S300 includes: S310, the double-cone cylinder accelerates from the origin to the second maximum rotational speed; S320, the double-cone cylinder rotates at the second maximum rotational speed for the second predetermined mixing time; S330, the double-cone cylinder decelerates from the second maximum rotational speed and stops at the origin; wherein, the second maximum rotational speed is 9~12 revolutions per minute, and the acceleration time and deceleration time are 20~30 seconds.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in step S300, the second predetermined mixing time is 3 to 5 minutes.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, step S400 includes: driving the double conical cylinder to rotate alternately in both directions for 2 to 4 cycles.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, step S500 includes: S510, opening the outlet valve to allow the first part of the mixture to fall into the collection device; S520, closing the outlet valve, driving the double conical cylinder to rotate around its own horizontal axis several times and then stopping and opening the outlet valve to allow the second part of the mixture to fall into the collection device.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, step S500 includes: S530, repeatedly opening and closing the outlet valve to allow the third part of the mixture to fall into the collection device.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control method includes: S600, calculating the unloading weight deviation, and selectively repeating at least one of steps 400, S520, and S530 based on the comparison result of the unloading weight deviation with a predetermined threshold range; wherein, the unloading weight deviation = |original material weight - total weight of mixture|.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, a mixing device for a double-cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloys is provided, comprising: a double-cone cylinder having an upper cone and a lower cone; a rotation drive module configured to drive the double-cone cylinder to rotate about its own horizontal axis; and a control module communicatively connected to the double-cone cylinder and the rotation drive module, configured to control the double-cone cylinder and the rotation drive module to perform the method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has at least one of the following advantages compared with the prior art: (1) According to the control method of the present invention, based on the characteristics of vanadium-aluminum alloy raw materials, by adjusting the rotation speed of the double cone mixer, the material deposited at the bottom of one cone can follow the mixer cone to rotate to the highest point and then quickly fall into the other cone, increasing the material impulse in the mixer, so that the material generates a large-scale non-directional movement or tumbling during the alternating falling between the two cones, increasing the probability of uniform mixing of the material.

[0020] (2) According to the control method of the present invention, the rotation direction of the double cone mixer is alternately adjusted during the mixing process, which can avoid the small particles at the bottom of the cone from separating from the large particles at the top when rotating in one direction. Moreover, the multi-cycle forward and reverse operation increases the probability of uniform mixing of materials.

[0021] (3) In the case of a small amount of powder remaining on the bin wall after the initial discharge of the mixer, the mixer is rotated again by closing the lower cone valve so that the powder remaining on the bin wall can obtain a larger impulse and then gather to the bottom of the lower cone. At this time, the lower cone outlet valve is opened and closed multiple times, and the powder can be discharged by gravity, so that the discharge weight deviation is less than the predetermined value. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a front view of a double cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloys; Figure 2 This is a side view of a double cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloys; Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a mixing control method for a double cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloy according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a mixing control method for a double cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloys according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] In the picture, 100. Double conical cylinder; 110. Cylindrical body; 120. Upper cone; 121. Feed inlet; 122. Inlet valve; 130. Lower cone; 131. Discharge outlet; 132. Outlet valve. 200. Bracket. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific examples and the accompanying drawings.

[0026] It should be understood that the embodiments of the invention shown in the exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this invention, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that various modifications are possible without substantially departing from the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, all such modifications should be included within the scope of the invention. Other substitutions, modifications, variations, and deletions can be made to the design, operating conditions, and parameters of the following exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0027] According to one aspect of the present invention, a mixing control method for a double cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloys is provided. This control method is applicable to double cone mixers, such as... Figure 1-2 As shown, it may include a double-conical cylinder 100 and a support 200 for supporting it. The double-conical cylinder 100 may be formed by welding an upper cone 120 and a lower cone 130, which are symmetrically arranged, to a central cylinder 110. The upper cone 120 has a feed inlet 121 at its top, which is selectively opened and closed by an inlet valve 122 disposed thereon; the lower cone 130 has a discharge outlet 131 at its bottom, which is selectively opened and closed by an outlet valve 132 disposed thereon.

[0028] In an embodiment of the invention, both ends of the double-conical cylinder 100 are pivotally connected to the columns of the support 200 via journals or bearing rings, allowing it to rotate about its own horizontal central axis. In the description of the invention, the horizontal central axis of the double-conical cylinder 100 is perpendicular to the center line connecting the upper cone 120 and the lower cone 130. Thus, the axis of rotation of the double-conical cylinder 100 can be a horizontal line passing through the geometric center of the cylinder, just passing through the center point of symmetry of the double-conical structure. When the double-conical cylinder 100 rotates about its horizontal axis, the material inside the cylinder is continuously carried to the upper part of the cylinder, and after reaching a certain height, falls freely to the bottom of the cylinder under gravity. Due to the cone angle design of the double cones, the landing point and trajectory of the falling material continuously change with the rotation of the cylinder, forming a continuous "lifting-falling-interlacing" cycle inside the cylinder, ultimately achieving uniform mixing of the various component materials.

[0029] like Figure 3 A flowchart of a mixing control method for a double cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloys according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The method generally includes the following steps: S100, loading raw materials into the double-cone cylinder; S200, drive the double conical cylinder to rotate about its own horizontal axis in a first direction for a first predetermined mixing time; S300, drive the double conical cylinder to rotate about its own horizontal axis in a second direction for a second predetermined mixing time, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction; S400, repeat steps S200 and S300 to make the double conical cylinder rotate alternately in both directions for multiple cycles; S500, stop rotating, collect the mixture.

[0030] In step S100, after the batching and weighing are completed, the inlet valve 122 of the upper cone 120 can be opened, the material can be loaded, and then the inlet valve 122 of the upper cone 120 can be closed.

[0031] Step S200 may further include: S210, the double-cone cylinder accelerates from the origin to the first maximum speed; S220, the double-conical cylinder rotates at a first maximum speed for a first predetermined mixing time; S230, the double-cone cylinder decelerates from the first maximum speed and stops at the origin; The first maximum rotational speed is 9-12 rpm, the acceleration and deceleration time is 20-30 seconds, and the first predetermined mixing time is 3-5 minutes.

[0032] Specifically, when starting the double cone mixer, the mixer can be slowly rotated from the origin in the reverse (or forward) direction to the maximum speed. The purpose is to reduce the starting torque of the motor rotor and protect the motor. Further, the maximum speed is 9-12 rpm, and the mixing time is 3-5 minutes. By controlling the speed, the centrifugal force of the material during the high-speed rotation of the double cone mixer is made less than the force of gravity. This allows the material to follow the mixer cones to their highest point and then quickly fall into the other cone, increasing the material impulse within the mixer. This results in a large-scale, non-directional movement or tumbling of the material as it alternately falls between the two cones, achieving the purpose of mixing the materials.

[0033] Step S300 may further include: S310, the double-cone cylinder accelerates from the origin to the second maximum speed; S320, the double-cone cylinder rotates at the second maximum speed for the second predetermined mixing time; S330, the double-cone cylinder decelerates and stops at the origin after the second maximum speed; The second maximum rotational speed is 9-12 rpm, the acceleration and deceleration time is 20-30 seconds, and the second predetermined mixing time is 3-5 minutes.

[0034] Specifically, after the first predetermined mixing time in either the forward or reverse direction, the mixer decelerates and stops at the origin. Then, it slowly rotates forward (or reverse) again from the origin to the maximum speed. Further, the maximum speed is 9-12 rpm, and the mixing time is 3-5 minutes. By alternating forward and reverse rotation of the double-cone mixer, the stratification of small particles at the bottom of the cone with larger particles at the top during unidirectional rotation can be avoided, reducing the probability of powder deposition at the bottom. After the second predetermined mixing time in either the forward or reverse direction, the mixer decelerates and stops at the origin.

[0035] In step S400, it is preferable to drive the double conical cylinder to rotate alternately in both directions for 2 to 4 cycles, so as to further increase the probability of uniform material mixing through multiple cycles of forward and reverse rotation.

[0036] like Figure 4 As shown, step S500 may include: S510, open the outlet valve to allow the first part of the mixture to fall into the collection device. At this time, most of the material falls and is discharged by gravity, and a small amount of powder remains on the silo wall. S520, close the outlet valve, drive the double cone cylinder to rotate around its own horizontal axis several times and then stop and open the outlet valve, so that the second part of the mixture falls into the collection device. After the mixer rotates in one direction for 1-2 revolutions, the residual powder is collected at the bottom of the cone and falls into the collection device as the mixer rotates. S530, by repeatedly opening and closing the outlet valve, the third part of the powder that gathers around the outlet falls into the collection device by gravity, thereby minimizing the amount of powder residue at the bottom of the cone.

[0037] See Figure 3-4 In embodiments of the present invention, the mixing control method of the double cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloys may further include: S600, calculate the unloading weight deviation, and selectively repeat at least one of steps 400, S520, and S530 based on the comparison result of the unloading weight deviation with a predetermined threshold range; wherein, unloading weight deviation = weight of original material - total weight of mixture.

[0038] Example 1 (1) Weigh 403.0 kg of vanadium-aluminum alloy, open the upper cone inlet valve, load the furnace charge, and then close the upper cone inlet valve.

[0039] (2) Start the double cone mixer. The mixer starts from the origin and slowly rotates in the opposite direction to the maximum speed. The maximum speed is 10 revolutions per minute, and the mixing time is 4 minutes.

[0040] (3) After running in reverse for 4 minutes, the mixer slows down and stops at the origin. Then it slowly rotates forward from the origin to the maximum speed of 10 revolutions per minute. The mixing time is 4 minutes.

[0041] (4) After running in the forward mixing direction for 4 minutes, the mixer decelerates and stops at the origin.

[0042] (5) Repeat steps (3) and (4) above twice.

[0043] (6) After mixing is completed, the mixer stops at the origin, the lower cone outlet valve is opened, and the unloading weight is 400.2 kg.

[0044] (7) Close the lower cone outlet valve, start the mixer to run forward for 2 revolutions, and then stop at the origin.

[0045] (8) Open and close the lower cone outlet valve twice.

[0046] (9) Repeat steps (7) and (8) above twice, accumulating a total weight of 402.9 kg of mixed materials. According to the unloading weight deviation = |original material weight - total weight of mixed materials|, the unloading weight deviation is calculated to be 0.1 kg. The unloading weight deviation should be strictly controlled to be ≤0.2 kg.

[0047] According to one aspect of the present invention, a mixing device for a double-cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloys is provided, comprising: a double-cone cylinder, a rotary drive module, and a control module. The double-cone cylinder has an upper cone and a lower cone; the rotary drive module is configured to drive the double-cone cylinder to rotate about its own horizontal axis; the control module is communicatively connected to the double-cone cylinder and the rotary drive module, and is configured to control the double-cone cylinder and the rotary drive module to execute the control method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0048] The mixing control method for a double-cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloys provided by this invention can solve the problems of uneven mixing and large deviations in unloading weight in existing technologies. By controlling the rotation speed and direction of the double-cone mixer alternately, the probability of uniform material mixing can be increased. By rotating the mixer in one direction after the initial unloading and then repeatedly opening and closing the lower cone outlet valve, the powder can be collected and unloaded, controlling the unloading weight deviation to be less than a predetermined value. This not only removes the bottleneck in the operation of the automatic batching system for vanadium-aluminum alloys but also provides quality assurance for improving the compositional uniformity of vanadium-aluminum products by controlling the stability of the alloy cake composition. This invention can also be extended to other automatic batching systems for alloys, and is particularly valuable for automated production lines that require precise batching of powder materials.

[0049] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Any modifications or equivalent substitutions made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof should be covered within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

[0050] Those skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely exemplary and is not intended to imply that the scope of the disclosed embodiments of the present invention is limited to these examples; within the framework of the embodiments of the present invention, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, and there are many other variations of different aspects of the embodiments of the present invention as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the embodiments of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mixing control method for a double cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloys, characterized in that, The double-cone mixer includes a double-cone cylindrical body with an upper cone and a lower cone, and the control method includes the following steps: S100, loading raw materials into the double-conical cylinder; S200, drive the double conical cylinder to rotate about its own horizontal axis in a first direction for a first predetermined mixing time, wherein the horizontal axis is perpendicular to the center line connecting the upper cone and the lower cone; S300, drive the double conical cylinder to rotate about its own horizontal axis in a second direction for a second predetermined mixing time, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction; S400, repeat steps S200 and S300 to make the double conical cylinder rotate alternately in both directions for multiple cycles; S500, stop rotating, collect the mixture.

2. The mixing control method for the double cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloy according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S200 includes: S210, the double-cone cylinder accelerates from the origin to the first maximum rotational speed; S220, the double-cone cylinder rotates at the first maximum speed for the first predetermined mixing time; S230, the double-conical cylinder is decelerated and stops at the origin by the first maximum rotational speed; The first maximum speed is 9-12 rpm, and the acceleration and deceleration times are 20-30 seconds.

3. The mixing control method for the double cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloy according to claim 2, characterized in that, In step S200, the first predetermined mixing time is 3 to 5 minutes.

4. The mixing control method for the double cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloy according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S300 includes: S310, the double-cone cylinder accelerates from the origin to the second maximum rotational speed; S320, the double-cone cylinder rotates at the second maximum speed for the second predetermined mixing time; S330, the double-cone cylinder is decelerated and stops at the origin by the second maximum rotational speed; The second maximum speed is 9-12 rpm, and the acceleration and deceleration times are 20-30 seconds.

5. The mixing control method for the double cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloys according to claim 4, characterized in that, In step S300, the second predetermined mixing time is 3 to 5 minutes.

6. The mixing control method for the double cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloy according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S400 includes: The double conical cylinder is driven to rotate alternately in both directions for 2 to 4 cycles.

7. The mixing control method for the double cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloy according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S500 includes: S510, open the outlet valve to allow the first part of the mixture to fall into the collection device; S520, close the outlet valve, drive the double conical cylinder to rotate around its own horizontal axis several times and then stop and open the outlet valve, so that the second part of the mixture falls into the collection device.

8. The mixing control method for the double cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloy according to claim 7, characterized in that, Step S500 includes: S530, the outlet valve is opened and closed multiple times to allow the third part of the mixture to fall into the collection device.

9. The mixing control method for the double cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloy according to claim 8, characterized in that, The control method includes: S600, calculate the unloading weight deviation, and selectively repeat at least one of steps 400, S520, and S530 based on the comparison result of the unloading weight deviation with a predetermined threshold range. Among them, the unloading weight deviation = |original material weight - total weight of mixture|.

10. A mixing device for a double cone mixer for vanadium-aluminum alloys, characterized in that, include: A double-conical cylinder, consisting of an upper cone and a lower cone; The rotation drive module is configured to drive the double-conical cylinder to rotate about its own horizontal axis. A control module, communicatively connected to the double-conical cylinder and the rotary drive module, is configured to control the double-conical cylinder and the rotary drive module to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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