Metal granulation system and granulation process

Abstract

The metal granulation system comprises a metal granulation assembly, a solid-liquid separator and a metal particle drying chamber which are sequentially connected, and a cooling tower is connected between the metal granulation assembly and the solid-liquid separator; the metal granulating assembly comprises a barrel, a metal liquid tundish assembly and a metal liquid blanking assembly which are sequentially arranged at the upper part of the barrel, a rotating disc rotationally arranged in the barrel, a conical body which is arranged at the central position of the upper end surface of the rotating disc and is provided with an upward top, and a plurality of chutes which are arranged on the periphery of the central part of the conical body and are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction; a plurality of annular water curtains used for forming downward spraying are arranged on the upper portion of the interior of the barrel and located on the periphery of the rotary disc, the lower portion of the barrel serves as a cooling water pond, and a discharging opening used for discharging water and solid metal particle mixtures is formed in the bottom of the barrel. A steam exhaust pipe is arranged at the top of the barrel. According to the invention, the utilization of waste heat of granulation is realized, and the granulation uniformity is good.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of metal material preparation technology, specifically to a metal granulation system and granulation process. Background Technology

[0002] In the metallurgical industry, granulation of molten metal facilitates transportation, storage, and subsequent smelting. Traditional granulation methods have the following main drawbacks: Water quenching: This method involves directly immersing molten metal into a large volume of cooling water, using thermal shock to break it up and solidify it. While simple, this method produces particles with irregular shapes, wide particle size distribution, and high pulverization rate, and poses a safety hazard of "steam explosion" due to rapid water vaporization. Furthermore, it consumes a large amount of cooling water, and the treated water contains a significant amount of fine metal powder, creating considerable environmental pressure.

[0003] Blob casting (such as Mintek Blobulator): This method produces large, flat, ellipsoidal blobs through co-current water flow coupling. It is relatively safe and produces more uniform particle size, but the resulting particles are typically larger than 20mm, falling into the category of "large particles." This cannot meet market demand for smaller metal particles (e.g., 1-10mm), and the process is lengthy.

[0004] Ingot crushing method: Metal is first cast into ingots, and then crushed using mechanical equipment. This process is energy-intensive, cumbersome, and produces serious noise and dust pollution.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for an apparatus and process that can efficiently and controllably produce small-to-medium-sized metal particles with good sphericity and uniform particle size. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention proposes a metal granulation system and granulation process, aiming to provide a metal granulation scheme based on centrifugal crushing and controllable cooling to produce metal particles with uniform particle size and high sphericity, while also utilizing waste heat from the granulation process. The specific technical solution is as follows: A metal granulation system includes a metal granulation component for forming solid metal particles from liquid metal. The metal granulation component includes a cylinder, a liquid metal intermediate ladle component disposed on the upper part of the cylinder for receiving liquid metal, a liquid metal discharge component disposed at the lower end of the liquid metal intermediate ladle component and located inside the cylinder, a turntable rotatably disposed inside the cylinder and located below the discharge port of the liquid metal discharge component, and a cone-shaped body disposed at the center of the upper end face of the turntable with its top facing upward. The cone-shaped body includes a smooth cone-shaped region at the center of the cone-shaped body and a slotted cone-shaped region at the periphery of the center of the cone-shaped body. Multiple chutes are arranged circumferentially at intervals on the slotted cone-shaped region. An annular water curtain for forming downward spray is disposed at the upper part of the cylinder, and the annular water curtain is located around the turntable. The lower part of the cylinder serves as a cooling water pool, and a discharge port for discharging a mixture of water and solid metal particles is disposed at the bottom.

[0007] Preferably, the chute is an arc-shaped chute.

[0008] Preferably, the cooling water pool at the bottom of the cylinder is a conical funnel-shaped water pool.

[0009] In this invention, a liquid level pipe is connected to the cylinder, and a liquid level sensor for monitoring the liquid level of the cooling water tank is installed on the liquid level pipe. A water supply pipe for maintaining the liquid level of the cooling water tank is also installed on the cylinder.

[0010] In this invention, there are multiple annular water curtains arranged at intervals.

[0011] In this invention, an annular spray pipe for forming the annular water curtain is provided at the upper part of the cylinder body, and the lower end of the annular spray pipe is provided with an annular spray slit or densely provided with spray holes along the circumference.

[0012] Preferably, an annular cooling water distribution box can also be provided at the top of the cylinder. The annular cooling water distribution box is connected to the annular spray pipe through a plurality of cooling water distribution pipes distributed at intervals along the circumference, so as to improve the uniformity of the water curtain.

[0013] Preferably, the top of the cylinder is provided with a steam exhaust pipe for discharging steam.

[0014] Preferably, the cylinder is provided with an overflow pipe.

[0015] The metal granulation system of the present invention further includes a solid-liquid separator for separating metal particles from water. The solid-liquid separator includes a water tank and an inclined filter assembly disposed inside the water tank. The filter assembly divides the interior of the water tank into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. A cooling water pool at the bottom of the cylinder is connected to the upper chamber of the solid-liquid separator through a conveying pipe connected to the discharge port. A two-phase flow pump is provided on the conveying pipe. A metal particle discharge port is provided at the lower position of the inclined filter assembly on the water tank.

[0016] Preferably, the filter assembly includes a filter support frame and a filter screen disposed on the filter support frame.

[0017] Preferably, there are multiple filter screen assemblies arranged in layers inside the water tank, with the mesh diameter of the filter screen in the upper layer being larger than that in the lower layer, thereby forming a metal particle classification, and metal particles of different diameter ranges are discharged separately through the classification outlet.

[0018] The metal granulation system of the present invention further includes a cooling tower for realizing water circulation cooling, the cooling tower being connected to an annular spray pipe inside the cylinder via a first circulation pipeline, and the lower chamber of the solid-liquid separator being connected to the cooling tower via a second circulation pipeline.

[0019] Preferably, a turntable rotation drive device is provided inside the cylinder below the turntable. The turntable rotation drive device includes a sealed protective cylinder and a gear transmission box disposed inside the sealed protective cylinder. The output shaft of the gear transmission box passes through the sealed protective cylinder and connects to the turntable. A dynamic sealing assembly is provided between the output shaft of the gear transmission box and the sealed protective cylinder. The turntable rotation drive device also includes a transverse protective sleeve that connects to the sealed protective cylinder and passes through and extends to the outside of the cylinder. A transverse input shaft is provided on the gear transmission box and is placed inside the transverse protective sleeve.

[0020] Preferably, the upper end of the sealed protective cylinder is provided with a sealing cover plate, the output shaft of the gear transmission box passes through the sealing cover plate of the sealed protective cylinder and connects to the turntable, and a dynamic sealing assembly is provided between the output shaft of the gear transmission box and the sealing cover plate of the sealed protective cylinder.

[0021] As a further improvement, the metal granulation system of the present invention also includes a metal liquid column crushing enhancer for accelerating the crushing of the metal liquid column. The metal liquid column crushing enhancer includes a pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet disposed at the end of the sealed protective cylinder and located directly below the turntable. The water outlet direction of the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet is inclined upward towards the outside of the turntable. An annular valve core is disposed inside the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet. A plurality of reciprocating lifters are disposed inside the sealed protective cylinder. The lifting shaft of the reciprocating lifters is connected to the annular valve core inside the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet.

[0022] Preferably, the reciprocating lifter is installed inside the sealed protective cylinder and fixed to the sealing cover plate. The telescopic rod of the reciprocating lifter passes upward through the sealing cover plate of the sealed protective cylinder and connects to the annular valve core. A dynamic sealing assembly is provided between the telescopic rod of the reciprocating lifter and the sealing cover plate of the sealed protective cylinder.

[0023] Preferably, the reciprocating lifter is a servo electric push rod.

[0024] In this invention, the annular housing of the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet is fixed to the upper end face of the sealing cover plate of the sealed protective cylinder; an annular outlet inclined outward is provided at the outer edge of the upper end of the annular housing of the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet; the outer circle of the annular valve core is slidably connected to the annular inner wall of the annular housing at the outer position; the upper end of the annular valve core is concave conical in shape, and its conical end is close to the annular outlet of the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet; when the annular valve core is subjected to the action of the reciprocating lifter and makes a certain frequency of up-and-down reciprocating motion, the water flow rate (flow area) between the annular valve core and the annular outlet of the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet changes periodically, thereby forming an intermittent conical pulse water curtain.

[0025] The aforementioned pulsed high-pressure annular water jet can provide a high-pressure pulsed undulating water flow sprayed onto the molten metal column, accelerating the breakage of the molten metal column ejected from the turntable and improving the uniformity of metal particles; by controlling the pulse frequency, the size of the metal particles can be optimized. The working principle of the pulsed high-pressure annular water jet is as follows: before the molten metal column ejected from the chute breaks into droplets, it is subjected to a high-pressure pulsed impact from a cone-shaped water curtain that is inclined upward from below. This impact can break and disturb the liquid column in segments, causing it to break at a shorter distance and a more consistent time point, thereby reducing the final particle size distribution range.

[0026] The pulsed water flow of the aforementioned pulsed high-pressure annular water jet is achieved through the reciprocating motion of the annular valve core: the opening degree and opening and closing frequency of the valve core are precisely controlled by a servo electric push rod, and the continuous water flow is modulated into a high-frequency pulsed water flow. This pulse impact can be matched with the rotation frequency of the turntable, so as to achieve precise intervention and optimization of the crushing process.

[0027] Preferably, the pulsed high-pressure annular water jet is connected to the cooling tower via a cooling water supply pipeline, and a booster pump for increasing water pressure is installed on the cooling water supply pipeline.

[0028] The molten metal from the smelting furnace flows into the molten metal discharge assembly through a special conveying trough and falls freely downwards. After hitting the turntable below, it disperses into the conical body and then into the various chutes of the turntable, forming a column of molten metal. Due to the high-speed rotation of the turntable, the molten metal column is centrifugally thrown out and dispersed into droplets. After being cooled by the annular water curtain, it becomes soft metal particles, which then fall into the cooling water pool at the bottom of the cylinder and are transformed into solid metal particles. These solid metal particles are then pumped to the solid-liquid separator by a two-phase flow pump. The solid metal particles are discharged through the graded discharge port on the solid metal particles. The hot water in the solid-liquid separator is transported to the cooling tower through the second circulation pipeline. The circulating water cooled by the cooling tower is then transported to the annular spray pipe through the second circulation pipeline to form a circulating cooling system.

[0029] The aforementioned arc-shaped chute design allows for smoother flow of molten metal, reduces flow resistance and splashing, and helps to form more uniform droplets.

[0030] In this invention, the annular spray pipe forms a continuous, downward-spraying annular water curtain. When the molten metal droplets pass through the water curtain, they undergo intense convective heat exchange with the cold water, rapidly carrying away heat and achieving initial cooling. They then enter the water pool for secondary cooling. This staged cooling avoids the risk of violent contraction, deformation, or explosive scattering of droplets caused by sudden entry into deep water, and is beneficial for obtaining more regular spherical metal particles.

[0031] A metal granulation system of the present invention further includes a metal particle conveyor belt disposed at the metal particle discharge outlet of the solid-liquid separator. The metal particle conveyor belt is connected to a metal particle drying chamber, and a heat exchanger for drying metal particles is disposed in the metal particle drying chamber. The heat exchanger includes a steam heat exchanger and a hot water heat exchanger. The exhaust pipe at the top of the cylinder is connected to the steam heat exchanger to realize the utilization of waste heat from the steam. A hot water circulation pipeline is connected between the lower chamber of the solid-liquid separator and the hot water heat exchanger to realize the utilization of waste heat from the hot water.

[0032] A granulation process for a metal granulation system includes the following steps: S1. Melt preparation and conveying: Molten metal in the smelting furnace is introduced into the molten metal intermediate ladle assembly of the device through the diversion channel. By controlling the valve or stopper, a stable and continuous flow of molten metal is formed and enters the molten metal discharge assembly. S2. Centrifugal dispersion and primary forming: The molten metal falls freely and impacts the central cone of the high-speed rotating turntable, where it is evenly dispersed into each arc-shaped chute to form a molten metal column. Under the action of centrifugal force, the molten metal column is thrown out from the end of the chute, stretches and breaks to form molten metal droplets of relatively uniform size. S3. Controlled cooling and solidification: The molten metal droplets thrown from the turntable immediately pass through the annular water curtain formed by the annular spray pipe; the annular water curtain rapidly cools the high-temperature droplets, causing their surface to solidify and their shape to be fixed, forming soft particles. The high-pressure steam generated during the cooling process is discharged through the exhaust port at the end of the cylinder to avoid the risk of high-pressure steam explosion. S4. Cryogenic and Collection: The initially solidified particles fall into the cooling water pool at the bottom of the cylinder, where they undergo final cooling as they settle to the bottom of the pool, completely solidifying into solid metal particles. The mixture of particles and water forms a two-phase flow, which is pumped to the subsequent solid-liquid separator by a two-phase flow pump through the discharge port at the bottom of the pool. S5. Grading and Circulation: In the solid-liquid separator, particles are graded by size through a multi-layer inclined filter screen assembly and discharged from different grading outlets. The separated hot water flows into the lower chamber of the water tank, is transported to the cooling tower for cooling through pipelines, and is then used as cooling circulating water to resupply the annular spray pipe and pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet, realizing closed-loop utilization of water resources.

[0033] Preferably, a liquid column crushing and enhancement process is added between the centrifugal dispersion and primary forming process in step S2 and the controllable cooling and solidification process in step S3. The liquid column crushing and enhancement process utilizes a pulsed high-pressure annular water jet below the turntable. The annular valve core inside the pulsed high-pressure annular water jet is driven to reciprocate and rise at a certain frequency by a reciprocating lifter. This causes the flow rate of the pulsed high-pressure annular water jet nozzle to change periodically, generating a pulsed high-pressure cutting water flow at a certain frequency. This impacts the metal liquid column thrown out from the turntable, assisting in its fracture, thereby further refining and homogenizing the size of the final generated metal particles.

[0034] Preferably, after the grading and cycling in step S5, the following steps are further provided: S6. Waste Heat Recovery and Particle Drying: The solid metal particles with surface moisture adhering to their surface, which have been classified in step S5 and discharged from the metal particle outlet, are conveyed into the metal particle drying chamber via a metal particle conveyor belt. Inside the drying chamber, the particles are dried using the waste heat recovered by the system. Waste heat utilization of steam: High-temperature saturated steam discharged from the exhaust pipe at the top of the cylinder is transported to the steam heat exchanger in the drying chamber to release the latent heat of vaporization, which serves as the main heat source for drying. Waste heat utilization of hot water: A portion of the medium-temperature hot water drawn from the lower chamber of the solid-liquid separator is transported to the hot water heat exchanger in the drying chamber through the hot water circulation pipeline to release sensible heat as an auxiliary heat source for drying. Hot air drying: The heat generated by the two heat exchangers mentioned above is used to heat the circulating air in the drying chamber to form medium-low temperature hot air; the metal particles are evenly and slowly passed through the hot air area on the conveyor belt, and the moisture attached to the surface is effectively evaporated; Finished product: After drying, the moisture content of the metal particles is reduced to below 0.5%, resulting in a dry, clean final product with a metallic luster, which is then cooled and packaged.

[0035] The beneficial effects of this invention are: First, the present invention provides a metal granulation system and granulation process, wherein a turntable is provided with a conical body and an arc-shaped chute, which can disperse the liquid metal into a liquid column. The high-speed rotating turntable further disperses the liquid column into droplets. Solid metal spherical particles are obtained through secondary cooling by an annular water curtain and a cooling water pool, and the metal particles have good uniformity. Secondary staged cooling also helps to suppress segregation within the metal particles, thereby improving product purity and quality.

[0036] Secondly, the metal granulation system and granulation process of the present invention, with its enhanced pulsed high-pressure annular water jet combined with the centrifugal dispersion effect of the rotary table, can achieve segmented crushing and disturbance of the liquid column, thereby more effectively controlling the degree of crushing of the metal liquid column, ensuring that the generated metal particles are of uniform size, and avoiding the appearance of excessively large blocky metal.

[0037] Third, the metal granulation system and granulation process of this invention integrate centrifugal granulation, cooling, and collection into a compact structure. Cooling water is recycled within the system, resulting in significantly lower water consumption compared to traditional water quenching methods. Compared to ingot crushing processes, it eliminates high-energy-consuming steps such as ingot casting, demolding, and crushing, significantly reducing overall energy consumption. The device is equipped with a liquid level sensor and a PLC control system, enabling real-time monitoring and automatic adjustment of key parameters such as metal flow rate, turntable speed, water curtain intensity, and pulse water jet frequency, achieving stable production and online control of product particle size.

[0038] Fourth, the metal granulation system and granulation process of the present invention integrates a waste heat recovery and drying system, which recovers two types of waste heat generated during the granulation process—high-temperature steam and medium-temperature hot water—and uses them for subsequent drying of metal particles. This not only reduces the load on the cooling tower, but also realizes closed-loop and cascaded utilization of energy, thereby greatly reducing the overall energy consumption per unit product. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a metal granulation system according to the present invention; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the metal granulation component in the diagram; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the external structure of the turntable and the sealed protective cylinder; Figure 4 Is Figure 2 A further improved structural diagram based on the existing design (with the addition of a metal liquid column crushing enhancer). Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A magnified view of a portion of the image; Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the solid-liquid separator in the image.

[0040] In the diagram: 1. Metal granulation assembly; 2. Cylinder; 3. Liquid metal tundish assembly; 4. Turntable; 5. Conical body; 6. Chute; 7. Annular water curtain; 8. Discharge port; 9. Cooling water tank; 10. Level pipe; 11. Level sensor; 12. Filter support frame; 13. Annular spray pipe; 14. Liquid metal discharge assembly; 15. Exhaust pipe; 16. Filter screen; 17. Solid-liquid separator; 18. Water tank; 19. Filter assembly; 20. Upper chamber; 21. Lower chamber; 22. Conveying pipeline; 23. Two-phase flow pump; 24. Metal particle discharge port; 25. Cooling tower. 26. First circulation pipeline; 27. Second circulation pipeline; 28. Turntable rotation drive device; 29. ​​Sealed protective cylinder; 30. Gear transmission box; 31. Output shaft; 32. Lateral protective sleeve; 33. Lateral input shaft; 34. Metal liquid column crushing enhancer; 35. Pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet; 36. Annular valve core; 37. Reciprocating lifter; 38. Cooling water supply pipeline; 39. Booster pump; 40. Metal particle conveyor belt; 41. Metal particle drying chamber; 42. Steam heat exchanger; 43. Hot water heat exchanger; 44. Hot water circulation pipeline; 45. Circulation pump. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] Example 1: like Figures 1 to 6The illustration shows an embodiment of a metal granulation system according to the present invention, comprising a metal granulation component 1 for forming solid metal particles from liquid metal. The metal granulation component 1 includes a cylinder 2, a liquid metal intermediate ladle component 3 disposed on the upper part of the cylinder 2 for receiving liquid metal, a liquid metal discharge component 14 disposed at the lower end of the liquid metal intermediate ladle component 3 and located inside the cylinder 2, a turntable 4 rotatably disposed inside the cylinder 2 and located below the discharge port of the liquid metal discharge component 14, and a plate disposed on the upper surface of the turntable 4. The cone 5 is located at the center and faces upward. The cone 5 includes a smooth cone area at the center and a slotted cone area around the center. Multiple chutes 6 are arranged circumferentially on the slotted cone area. An annular water curtain 7 for forming downward spray is provided at the upper part of the cylinder 2. The annular water curtain 7 is located around the turntable 4. The lower part of the cylinder 2 serves as a cooling water pool 9, and a discharge port 8 for discharging a mixture of water and solid metal particles is provided at the bottom.

[0043] Preferably, the chute 6 is an arc-shaped chute.

[0044] Preferably, the cooling water pool 9 at the lower part of the cylinder 2 is a cone-shaped funnel-shaped water pool.

[0045] In this embodiment, a liquid level pipe 10 is connected to the cylinder 2, and a liquid level sensor 11 for monitoring the liquid level height of the cooling water tank 9 is provided on the liquid level pipe 10. A water supply pipe for maintaining the liquid level height of the cooling water tank 9 is also provided on the cylinder 2.

[0046] In this embodiment, there are multiple annular water curtains 7 arranged at intervals.

[0047] In this embodiment, an annular spray pipe 13 for forming the annular water curtain 7 is provided at the upper position inside the cylinder 2. The lower end of the annular spray pipe 13 is provided with an annular spray slit or densely provided with spray holes along the circumference.

[0048] Preferably, an annular cooling water distribution box can also be provided at the top of the cylinder 2. The annular cooling water distribution box is connected to the annular spray pipe 13 through a plurality of cooling water distribution pipes distributed circumferentially to improve the uniformity of the water curtain.

[0049] Preferably, the top of the cylinder 2 is provided with a steam exhaust pipe 15 for discharging steam.

[0050] Preferably, the cylinder 2 is provided with an overflow pipe.

[0051] The metal granulation system of this embodiment also includes a solid-liquid separator 17 for separating metal particles from water. The solid-liquid separator 17 includes a water tank 18 and a filter screen assembly 19 disposed inside the water tank 18 and arranged at an angle. The filter screen assembly 19 divides the interior of the water tank 18 into an upper chamber 20 and a lower chamber 21. The cooling water pool 9 at the bottom of the cylinder 2 is connected to the upper chamber 20 of the solid-liquid separator 17 through a conveying pipe 22 connected to the discharge port 8. A two-phase flow pump 23 is provided on the conveying pipe 22. A metal particle discharge port 24 is provided at the lower position of the inclined filter screen assembly 19 on the water tank 18.

[0052] Preferably, the filter assembly 19 includes a filter support frame 12 and a filter 16 disposed on the filter support frame 12.

[0053] Preferably, there are multiple filter screen assemblies 19 arranged in layers inside the water tank 18, and the mesh diameter of the filter screen 16 of the filter screen assembly 19 located in the upper layer is larger than the mesh diameter of the filter screen 16 of the filter screen assembly 19 located in the lower layer, thereby forming a metal particle classification, and metal particles of different diameter ranges are discharged separately through the classification outlet.

[0054] The metal granulation system of this embodiment also includes a cooling tower 25 for realizing water circulation cooling. The cooling tower 25 is connected to the annular spray pipe 13 inside the cylinder 2 through a first circulation pipe 26. The lower chamber 21 of the solid-liquid separator 17 is connected to the cooling tower 25 through a second circulation pipe 27.

[0055] Preferably, a turntable rotation drive device 28 is provided inside the cylinder 2, located below the turntable 4. The turntable rotation drive device 28 includes a sealed protective cylinder 29 and a gear transmission box 30 disposed inside the sealed protective cylinder 29. The output shaft 31 of the gear transmission box 30 passes upward through the sealed protective cylinder 29 and connects to the turntable 4. A dynamic sealing assembly is provided between the output shaft 31 of the gear transmission box 30 and the sealed protective cylinder 29. The turntable rotation drive device 28 also includes a transverse protective sleeve 32 that connects to the sealed protective cylinder 29 and passes through and extends to the outside of the cylinder 2. A transverse input shaft 33 is provided on the gear transmission box 30 and is placed inside the transverse protective sleeve 32.

[0056] Preferably, a sealing cover is provided at the upper end of the sealed protective cylinder 29, the output shaft 31 of the gear transmission box 30 passes upward through the sealing cover of the sealed protective cylinder 29 and connects to the turntable 4, and a dynamic sealing assembly is provided between the output shaft 31 of the gear transmission box 30 and the sealing cover of the sealed protective cylinder 29.

[0057] As a further improvement, the metal granulation system of this embodiment also includes a metal liquid column crushing enhancer 34 for accelerating the crushing of the metal liquid column. The metal liquid column crushing enhancer 34 includes a pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet 35 disposed at the end of the sealed protective cylinder 29 and located directly below the turntable 4. The water outlet direction of the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet 35 is inclined upward towards the outside of the turntable 4. An annular valve core 36 is disposed inside the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet 35. A plurality of reciprocating lifters 37 are disposed inside the sealed protective cylinder 29. The lifting shaft of the reciprocating lifter 37 is connected to the annular valve core 36 inside the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet 35.

[0058] Preferably, the reciprocating lifter 37 is installed inside the sealed protective cylinder 29 and fixed on the sealing cover plate. The telescopic rod of the reciprocating lifter 37 passes upward through the sealing cover plate of the sealed protective cylinder 29 and connects to the annular valve core 36. A dynamic sealing assembly is provided between the telescopic rod of the reciprocating lifter 37 and the sealing cover plate of the sealed protective cylinder 29.

[0059] Preferably, the reciprocating lifter 37 is a servo electric push rod.

[0060] In this embodiment, the annular box of the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet 35 is fixed to the upper end face of the sealing cover plate of the sealed protective cylinder 29; an annular outlet inclined outward is provided at the outer edge of the upper end of the annular box of the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet 35; the outer circle of the annular valve core 36 is slidably connected to the annular inner wall of the annular box at the outer position; the upper end of the annular valve core 36 is concave cone-shaped, and its cone end is close to the annular outlet of the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet 35; when the annular valve core 36 is subjected to the action of the reciprocating lifter 37 and makes a certain frequency of up-and-down reciprocating motion, the water flow rate (flow area) between the annular valve core 36 and the annular outlet of the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet 35 changes periodically, thereby forming an intermittent conical pulse water curtain.

[0061] The aforementioned pulsed high-pressure annular water jet 35 can provide a high-pressure pulsed undulating water flow sprayed onto the metal liquid column, accelerating the breakage of the metal liquid column ejected from the turntable 4 and improving the uniformity of metal particles; by controlling the pulse frequency, the size of the metal particles can be optimized. The working principle of the pulsed high-pressure annular water jet 35 is as follows: before the metal liquid column ejected from the chute 6 breaks into droplets, it is subjected to a high-pressure pulsed impact from a cone-shaped water curtain that is inclined upward from below. This impact can play a role in segmenting and disturbing the liquid column, enabling it to break at a shorter distance and a more consistent time point, thereby reducing the final particle size distribution range.

[0062] The pulsed water flow of the aforementioned pulsed high-pressure annular water jet 35 is achieved through the reciprocating motion of the annular valve core 36: the opening degree and opening and closing frequency of the valve core are precisely controlled by the servo electric push rod, and the continuous water flow is modulated into a high-frequency pulsed water flow. This pulse impact can be matched with the rotation frequency of the turntable 4, so as to achieve precise intervention and optimization of the crushing process.

[0063] Preferably, the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet 35 is connected to the cooling tower 25 through a cooling water supply pipeline 38, and a booster pump 39 for increasing water pressure is provided on the cooling water supply pipeline 38.

[0064] The molten metal from the smelting furnace flows into the molten metal intermediate ladle assembly 3 through a special conveying trough and falls freely downwards. After hitting the turntable 4 below, it disperses into the cone 5 and then into the chutes 6 of the turntable 4 to form a column of molten metal. Due to the high-speed rotation of the turntable 4, the molten metal column is centrifugally thrown out and dispersed into droplets. After being cooled by the annular water curtain 7, it becomes soft metal particles and then falls into the cooling water pool 9 at the bottom of the cylinder 2, transforming into solid metal particles. The two-phase flow pump 23 then delivers the solid metal particles to the solid-liquid separator 17. The solid metal particles are discharged through the graded discharge port on the solid metal particles. The hot water in the solid-liquid separator 17 is delivered to the cooling tower 25 through the second circulation pipeline 27. The circulating water cooled by the cooling tower 25 is delivered to the annular spray pipe 13 through the second circulation pipeline 27 to form a circulating cooling.

[0065] The aforementioned arc-shaped chute 6 design allows for smoother flow of molten metal, reduces flow resistance and splashing, and helps to form more uniform droplets.

[0066] In this embodiment, the annular spray pipe 13 forms a continuous, downward-spraying annular water curtain. When the molten metal droplets pass through the water curtain, they undergo intense convective heat exchange with the cold water, rapidly carrying away heat and achieving initial cooling. They then enter the water pool for secondary cooling. This staged cooling avoids the risk of drastic contraction, deformation, or explosive scattering of droplets due to sudden entry into deep water, and is beneficial for obtaining more regular spherical metal particles.

[0067] The metal granulation system of this embodiment also includes a metal particle conveyor belt 40 disposed at the metal particle outlet 24 of the solid-liquid separator 17. The metal particle conveyor belt 40 is connected to the metal particle drying chamber 41, and a heat exchanger for drying metal particles is disposed in the metal particle drying chamber 41. The heat exchanger includes a steam heat exchanger 42 and a hot water heat exchanger 43. The exhaust pipe 15 at the top of the cylinder 2 is connected to the steam heat exchanger 42 to realize the utilization of waste heat of steam. A hot water circulation pipeline 44 is connected between the lower chamber 21 of the solid-liquid separator 17 and the hot water heat exchanger 43 to realize the utilization of waste heat of hot water. A circulation pump 45 is disposed on the hot water circulation pipeline 44.

[0068] Example 2: A granulation process for a metal granulation system includes the following steps: S1. Melt preparation and conveying: Molten metal in the smelting furnace is introduced into the molten metal intermediate ladle assembly 3 of the device through the guide channel. By controlling the valve or stopper, a stable and continuous flow of molten metal is formed and enters the molten metal discharge assembly 14. S2. Centrifugal dispersion and primary forming: The molten metal falls freely and impacts the central cone 5 of the high-speed rotating turntable 4. It is evenly dispersed into each arc-shaped chute 6 to form a molten metal column. Under the action of centrifugal force, the molten metal column is thrown out from the end of the chute 6, stretches and breaks to form molten metal droplets of relatively uniform size. S3. Controllable cooling and solidification: The metal droplets thrown out from the turntable 4 immediately pass through the annular water curtain 7 formed by the annular spray pipe 13; the annular water curtain 7 rapidly cools the high-temperature droplets, causing their surface to solidify and their shape to be fixed, forming soft particles. The high-pressure steam generated during the cooling process is discharged through the exhaust pipe 15 at the end of the cylinder 2 to avoid the risk of high-pressure steam explosion. S4. Deep cooling and collection: The initially solidified particles fall into the cooling water pool 9 at the bottom of the cylinder 2. During the process of settling to the bottom of the pool, the particles are finally cooled and completely solidified into solid metal particles. The mixture of particles and water forms a two-phase flow and is pumped to the subsequent solid-liquid separator 17 by the two-phase flow pump 23 through the discharge port 8 at the bottom of the pool. S5. Grading and Circulation: In the solid-liquid separator 17, particles are graded according to particle size by the multi-layer inclined filter screen assembly 19 and discharged from different grading outlets respectively; the separated hot water flows into the lower chamber 21 of the water tank, is transported to the cooling tower 25 through pipelines for cooling, and is then used as cooling circulating water to resupply the annular spray pipe 13 and the pulse high-pressure annular water jet 35, realizing the closed-loop utilization of water resources.

[0069] Preferably, a liquid column crushing and enhancement process is added between the centrifugal dispersion and primary molding in step S2 and the controllable cooling and solidification process in step S3. The liquid column crushing and enhancement process utilizes the pulsed high-pressure annular water jet 35 below the turntable 4. The annular valve core 36 inside the pulsed high-pressure annular water jet 35 is driven to reciprocate and rise at a certain frequency by the reciprocating lifter 37. This causes the flow rate of the pulsed high-pressure annular water jet 35 nozzle to change periodically, generating a pulsed high-pressure cutting water flow at a certain frequency. This impacts the metal liquid column thrown out from the turntable 4, assisting in its fracture, thereby further refining and homogenizing the size of the final generated metal particles.

[0070] Preferably, after the grading and cycling in step S5, the following steps are further provided: S6. Waste Heat Recovery and Particle Drying: After being classified in step S5, the solid metal particles with moisture adhering to their surface, which are discharged from the metal particle discharge port 24, are conveyed into the metal particle drying chamber 41 via the metal particle conveyor belt 40; in the drying chamber 41, the particles are dried using the waste heat recovered by the system. Waste heat utilization of steam: High-temperature saturated steam discharged from the top exhaust pipe 15 of the cylinder 2 is transported to the steam heat exchanger 42 in the drying chamber 41 to release the latent heat of vaporization as the main heat source for drying. Hot water waste heat utilization: A portion of the medium-temperature hot water drawn from the lower chamber 21 of the solid-liquid separator 17 is transported to the hot water heat exchanger 43 in the drying chamber 41 through the hot water circulation pipeline 44 to release sensible heat as an auxiliary heat source for drying. Hot air drying: The heat generated by the two heat exchangers mentioned above is used to heat the circulating air in the drying chamber 41 to form medium-low temperature hot air; the metal particles are evenly and slowly passed through the hot air area on the conveyor belt 40, and the moisture attached to the surface is effectively evaporated; Finished product obtained: After drying, the moisture content of the metal particles is reduced to below 0.5%, resulting in a dry, clean final product with a metallic luster, which is then cooled and packaged.

[0071] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A metal granulation system, characterized in that, The system includes a metal granulation assembly, a solid-liquid separator, and a metal particle drying chamber, arranged and connected sequentially according to the metal granulation process. A cooling tower, with a circulation pipeline, is installed between the metal granulation assembly and the solid-liquid separator to cool the interior of the metal granulation assembly. The metal granulation assembly includes a cylinder, a molten metal intermediate ladle assembly located at the upper part of the cylinder for receiving molten metal, a molten metal discharge assembly located at the lower end of the molten metal intermediate ladle assembly and inside the cylinder, a turntable rotatably disposed inside the cylinder and located below the discharge port of the molten metal discharge assembly, and a center position on the upper surface of the turntable. The cone-shaped body with its top facing upwards includes a smooth cone-shaped area at the center and a slotted cone-shaped area around the center. Multiple chutes are spaced circumferentially on the slotted cone-shaped area. An annular water curtain for downward spraying is positioned above the interior of the cylinder, located around the turntable. The lower part of the cylinder serves as a cooling water pool, with a discharge port at its bottom for discharging a mixture of water and solid metal particles. The chutes are arc-shaped. Multiple annular water curtains are arranged at intervals. A steam exhaust pipe is located at the top of the cylinder for discharging steam.

2. The metal granulation system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The solid-liquid separator includes a water tank and an inclined filter assembly disposed inside the water tank. The filter assembly divides the interior of the water tank into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The cooling water pool at the bottom of the cylinder is connected to the upper chamber of the solid-liquid separator through a conveying pipe connected to the discharge port. A two-phase flow pump is installed on the conveying pipe. A metal particle discharge port is provided at the lower position of the inclined filter assembly on the water tank.

3. The metal granulation system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The filter screen assemblies are multiple and arranged in layers inside the water tank. The mesh diameter of the filter screen in the upper layer is larger than that in the lower layer, thereby creating a metal particle classification. Metal particles of different diameter ranges are discharged separately through the classification outlet.

4. A metal granulation system according to claim 2, characterized in that, An annular spray pipe for forming the annular water curtain is provided at the upper part of the cylinder body. The lower end of the annular spray pipe is provided with an annular spray slit or densely provided with spray holes along the circumference.

5. A metal granulation system according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a metal particle conveyor belt located at the metal particle discharge outlet of the solid-liquid separator. The metal particle conveyor belt is connected to the metal particle drying chamber, and a heat exchanger for drying metal particles is installed in the metal particle drying chamber. The heat exchanger includes a steam heat exchanger and a hot water heat exchanger. The exhaust pipe at the top of the cylinder is connected to the steam heat exchanger to realize the utilization of waste heat from the steam. A hot water circulation pipeline is connected between the lower chamber of the solid-liquid separator and the hot water heat exchanger to realize the utilization of waste heat from the hot water.

6. A metal granulation system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The cooling tower is connected to the annular spray pipe inside the cylinder via a first circulation pipeline, and the lower chamber of the solid-liquid separator is connected to the cooling tower via a second circulation pipeline.

7. A metal granulation system according to claim 1, characterized in that, A turntable rotation drive device is provided inside the cylinder, located below the turntable. The turntable rotation drive device includes a sealed protective cylinder and a gear transmission box disposed inside the sealed protective cylinder. The output shaft of the gear transmission box passes through the sealed protective cylinder and connects to the turntable. A dynamic sealing assembly is provided between the output shaft of the gear transmission box and the sealed protective cylinder. The turntable rotation drive device also includes a transverse protective sleeve that connects to the sealed protective cylinder and passes through and extends to the outside of the cylinder. A transverse input shaft is provided on the gear transmission box and is placed inside the transverse protective sleeve.

8. A metal granulation system according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a metal liquid column crushing enhancer for accelerating the crushing of the metal liquid column. The metal liquid column crushing enhancer includes a pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet disposed at the end of the sealed protective cylinder and located directly below the turntable. The water outlet direction of the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet is inclined upward towards the outside of the turntable. An annular valve core is disposed inside the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet. Several reciprocating lifters are disposed inside the sealed protective cylinder. The lifting shaft of the reciprocating lifters is connected to the annular valve core inside the pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet.

9. A granulation process using the metal granulation system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Melt preparation and conveying: Molten metal in the smelting furnace is introduced into the molten metal intermediate ladle assembly of the device through the diversion channel. By controlling the valve or stopper, a stable and continuous flow of molten metal is formed and enters the molten metal discharge assembly. S2. Centrifugal dispersion and primary forming: The molten metal falls freely and impacts the central cone of the high-speed rotating turntable, where it is evenly dispersed into each arc-shaped chute to form a molten metal column. Under the action of centrifugal force, the molten metal column is thrown out from the end of the chute, stretches and breaks to form molten metal droplets of relatively uniform size. S3. Controlled cooling and solidification: The molten metal droplets thrown from the turntable immediately pass through the annular water curtain formed by the annular spray pipe; the annular water curtain rapidly cools the high-temperature droplets, causing their surface to solidify and their shape to be fixed, forming soft particles. The high-pressure steam generated during the cooling process is discharged through the exhaust port at the end of the cylinder to avoid the risk of high-pressure steam explosion. S4. Cryogenic and Collection: The initially solidified particles fall into the cooling water pool at the bottom of the cylinder, where they undergo final cooling as they settle to the bottom of the pool, completely solidifying into solid metal particles. The mixture of particles and water forms a two-phase flow, which is pumped to the subsequent solid-liquid separator by a two-phase flow pump through the discharge port at the bottom of the pool. S5. Grading and Circulation: In the solid-liquid separator, particles are graded by size through a multi-layer inclined filter screen assembly and discharged from different grading outlets. The separated hot water flows into the lower chamber of the water tank, is transported to the cooling tower for cooling through pipelines, and is then used as cooling circulating water to resupply the annular spray pipe and pulse-type high-pressure annular water jet, realizing closed-loop utilization of water resources.

10. The granulation process of a metal granulation system according to claim 9, characterized in that, A liquid column crushing and enhancement process is added between the centrifugal dispersion and primary forming process in step S2 and the controllable cooling and solidification process in step S3. The liquid column crushing and enhancement process utilizes a pulsed high-pressure annular water jet below the turntable. The annular valve core inside the pulsed high-pressure annular water jet is driven to reciprocate and rise at a certain frequency by a reciprocating lifter. This causes the flow rate of the pulsed high-pressure annular water jet nozzle to change periodically, generating a pulsed high-pressure cutting water flow at a certain frequency. This impacts the metal liquid column thrown out from the turntable, assisting in its fracture, thereby further refining and homogenizing the size of the final generated metal particles.

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