Air-cooled spheroidizing chamber for plasma spheroidizing powder
By designing an air-cooled spherical chamber and using the combined structure of the air-cooled passage and the air outlet passage, the problems of large size, complex structure and high energy loss in the traditional spherical chamber are solved, and a low-cost and high-efficiency powder spherical process is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202520153284.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-23
- Publication Date
- 2025-03-18
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-01-23
AI Technical Summary
The existing plasma spheroidization chamber has problems such as large size, complex structure and high energy loss, which affects its construction cost and energy utilization efficiency.
An air-cooled spherical chamber is designed, and a combined structure of air-cooled passage branch and air outlet passage is adopted. The cooling air is provided through the air-cooled mechanism to ensure that the cooling air is consistent with the movement direction of the powder and reduce the chance of the powder adhering to the inner wall of the spherical chamber.
The cooling of the spheroidization chamber and the efficient operation of the powder spheroidization process are achieved, the construction cost and energy loss are reduced, and the energy utilization efficiency is improved.
Smart Images
Figure CN222626189U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of metal powder processing, and in particular relates to an air-cooled spheroidization chamber for plasma spheroidization of powder. Background Art
[0002] Plasma technology, with its high energy density, large processing capacity and significant temperature gradient, is particularly suitable for converting irregularly shaped powders, especially those with high melting points, into spherical particles. In this process, the spheroidization chamber spheroidizes the powder. Traditional spheroidization chambers usually contain three layers: the inner layer is refractory to resist high temperatures, the middle layer is used for heat preservation, and the outer layer is a water-cooled steel frame to maintain structural stability and cooling.
[0003] However, this traditional design has some disadvantages. First, due to its large size and complex structure, the construction cost is relatively high. Secondly, although the use of refractory materials ensures the heat resistance of the equipment, it may also affect the cleanliness of the inner wall of the spheroidizing chamber, which is a disadvantage for the manufacture of high-quality, high-purity spherical powders. Finally, although the water cooling system effectively reduces the external temperature, it also causes a certain degree of energy loss, which is an issue that needs to be considered in terms of energy efficiency. Utility Model Content
[0004] The embodiment of the present application solves the problems of large volume and complex structure of the existing spheroidizing chamber by providing an air-cooled spheroidizing chamber for plasma spheroidizing powder.
[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the embodiment of the utility model provides an air-cooled spheroidizing chamber for plasma spheroidizing powder, comprising a spheroidizing cylinder, a top cover, a flange and a powder feeding pipe;
[0006] The spheroidizing cylinder is a cylindrical structure with openings at both ends. The top cover is provided at the upper end of the spheroidizing cylinder, a plasma torch installation port is provided at the center of the top cover, the flange is provided at the lower end of the spheroidizing cylinder, and the lower end of the spheroidizing cylinder and the center hole of the flange form a spheroidizing powder outlet; the spheroidizing cylinder, the top cover and the flange form a spheroidizing chamber cavity;
[0007] The side wall of the spheroidizing cylinder is provided with a powder delivery pipe, and the powder delivery pipe is connected with the cavity of the spheroidizing chamber;
[0008] An air cooling channel branch is arranged in the side wall of the spheroidizing cylinder, an air inlet channel of the air cooling channel branch is connected to the output end of the air cooling mechanism, and the air cooling channel branch is connected to the spheroidizing chamber cavity through a plurality of air outlet channels;
[0009] The plurality of air outlet channels are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the spheroidizing cylinder, and the air flow direction of the air outlet channels is consistent with the powder movement direction.
[0010] In a possible implementation, the spheroidizing cylinder is a frustoconical cylindrical structure, the upper end of the spheroidizing cylinder is a large mouth end, the lower end of the spheroidizing cylinder is a small mouth end, and the angle between the inner wall of the spheroidizing cylinder and the axis of the spheroidizing cylinder is 1° to 10°.
[0011] In a possible implementation, the angle between the airflow direction of the air outlet channel and the axis of the spheroidizing cylinder is 85° to 89°.
[0012] In a possible implementation, a plurality of the air cooling channel branches are provided in the side wall of the spheroidizing cylinder, and the plurality of the air cooling channel branches are evenly distributed along the circumference of the spheroidizing cylinder.
[0013] In a possible implementation, a main air cooling channel is provided at the top of the side wall of the spheroidizing cylinder. The main air cooling channel is an annular structure, and the air inlet ends of the plurality of air cooling channel branches are connected to the main air cooling channel.
[0014] In a possible implementation, the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the plurality of air outlet channels is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the corresponding air cooling channel branches, and the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the plurality of air cooling channel branches is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the total air cooling channel.
[0015] In a possible implementation, the bottom surface of the top cover, the inner wall of the spheroidizing cylinder, and the inner wall of the center hole of the flange are all provided with a heat insulation coating.
[0016] In a possible implementation, the material of the thermal insulation coating is consistent with the material of the random powder to be processed.
[0017] In a possible implementation, the thermal insulation coating is made of aluminum oxide or zirconium oxide.
[0018] In a possible implementation, the spheroidizing cylinder includes an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder;
[0019] The outer cylinder is mounted on the inner cylinder, the outer wall of the inner cylinder is provided with a groove, the groove and the inner wall of the outer cylinder form the air cooling channel branch, the air outlet channel is provided on the side wall of the inner cylinder, and the air inlet channel is provided on the side wall of the outer cylinder.
[0020] One or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present utility model have at least the following technical effects or advantages:
[0021] The embodiment of the utility model provides an air-cooled spheroidizing chamber for plasma spheroidizing powder. When the air-cooled spheroidizing chamber is working, the air-cooling mechanism is first started, the air source of the air-cooled spheroidizing chamber is started, and then the plasma torch is started. Then the powder feeding mechanism is opened to output the powder through the powder feeding pipe to start the spheroidizing work. The output end of the air-cooling mechanism conveys the cooling air to the air-cooling channel branch through the air inlet channel, and then conveys it to the spheroidizing chamber cavity through multiple air outlet channels. The airflow direction of the air outlet channel is consistent with the powder movement direction, so the cooling airflow blows slightly downward, which is conducive to the collection of spherical powder. When closing, the powder feeding mechanism is first closed, then the plasma torch is closed, then the air source of the air-cooled spheroidizing chamber is closed, and finally the air-cooling mechanism is closed. The spheroidizing chamber adopts an air-cooling method, which can not only complete the cooling work of the spheroidizing chamber, but also reduce the probability of powder adhering to the inner wall surface of the spheroidizing chamber due to the existence of the airflow. The gas flow of plasma is much smaller than that of the flame method, so the gas flow brought in by the air-cooling method meets the process requirements. The air-cooled spheroidizing chamber is small in size and simple in structure, so the construction cost is relatively low. The energy loss caused by the air cooling mechanism is low, so the air-cooled spheroidizing chamber has high energy utilization efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in the present application, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.
[0023] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an air-cooled spheroidizing chamber for plasma spheroidizing powder provided in an embodiment of the utility model.
[0024] Figure markings: 1-spheroidizing cylinder; 2-top cover; 3-plasma torch mounting port; 4-flange; 5-spheroidizing powder outlet; 6-spheroidizing chamber cavity; 7-air cooling channel branch; 8-air inlet channel; 9-air outlet channel; 10-air cooling channel main circuit; 11-thermal insulation coating; 12-inner cylinder; 13-outer cylinder. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the utility model to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the utility model, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the utility model.
[0026] In the description of the embodiments of the present utility model, it should be noted that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc. are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present utility model and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limitations on the present utility model. The terms "first", "second", and "third" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. In addition, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be a connection between the two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present utility model can be understood according to the specific circumstances.
[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the air-cooled spheroidizing chamber for plasma spheroidizing powder provided by the embodiment of the utility model comprises a spheroidizing cylinder 1, a top cover 2, a flange 4 and a powder feeding pipe.
[0028] The spheroidizing cylinder 1 is a cylindrical structure with openings at both ends. A top cover 2 is provided at the top end of the spheroidizing cylinder 1, a plasma torch installation port 3 is provided at the center of the top cover 2, a flange 4 is provided at the lower end of the spheroidizing cylinder 1, and the lower end of the spheroidizing cylinder 1 and the center hole of the flange 4 form a spheroidizing powder outlet 5. The spheroidizing cylinder 1, the top cover 2 and the flange 4 form a spheroidizing chamber cavity 6.
[0029] The side wall of the spheroidizing cylinder 1 is provided with a powder delivery pipe, and the powder delivery pipe is communicated with the spheroidizing chamber cavity 6 .
[0030] An air cooling channel branch 7 is provided in the side wall of the spheroidizing cylinder 1 , an air inlet channel 8 of the air cooling channel branch 7 is connected to the output end of the air cooling mechanism, and the air cooling channel branch 7 is connected to the spheroidizing chamber cavity 6 through a plurality of air outlet channels 9 .
[0031] A plurality of air outlet channels 9 are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the spheroidizing cylinder 1 , and the air flow direction of the air outlet channels 9 is consistent with the powder movement direction.
[0032] It should be noted that the flange 4, the top cover 2 and the spheroidizing tube 1 can be made of metals such as stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum alloy or titanium alloy, and stainless steel is preferred. The flange 4, the top cover 2 and the spheroidizing tube 1 are connected by welding. There are two powder delivery pipes, which are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the spheroidizing tube 1. The air-cooling channel branch 7, the air inlet channel 8 and the air outlet channel 9 are connected, and the air-cooling outlet of the air outlet channel 9 is arranged on the inner side wall of the spheroidizing tube 1.
[0033] When the air-cooled spheroidizing chamber is working, the air-cooling mechanism is first started, then the air source of the air-cooled spheroidizing chamber is started, then the plasma torch is started, and then the powder feeding mechanism is opened to output the powder through the powder feeding pipe to start the spheroidizing work. The output end of the air-cooling mechanism delivers the cooling air to the air-cooling channel branch 7 through the air inlet channel 8, and then delivers it to the spheroidizing chamber cavity 6 through multiple air outlet channels 9. The airflow direction of the air outlet channel 9 is consistent with the powder movement direction, so the cooling airflow blows slightly downward, which is conducive to the collection of spherical powder. When closing, first close the powder feeding mechanism, then close the plasma torch, then close the air source of the air-cooled spheroidizing chamber, and finally close the air-cooling mechanism. The spheroidizing chamber adopts an air-cooling method, which can not only complete the cooling work of the spheroidizing chamber, but also reduce the probability of powder adhering to the inner wall of the spheroidizing chamber due to the presence of airflow. The gas flow of plasma is much smaller than that of the flame method, so the gas flow brought in by the air-cooling method meets the process requirements. The air-cooled spheroidizing chamber is small in size and simple in structure, so the construction cost is relatively low. The energy loss caused by the air cooling mechanism is low, so the air-cooled spheroidizing chamber has high energy utilization efficiency.
[0034] In this embodiment, the spheroidizing cylinder 1 is a frustoconical cylindrical structure, the upper end of the spheroidizing cylinder 1 is a large mouth end, the lower end of the spheroidizing cylinder 1 is a small mouth end, and the angle between the inner wall of the spheroidizing cylinder 1 and the axis of the spheroidizing cylinder 1 is 1° to 10°.
[0035] It should be noted that the angle between the inner wall of the spheroidizing cylinder 1 and the axis of the spheroidizing cylinder 1 is the angle β shown in the figure. If the angle β is zero, the airflow blows from top to bottom, and a boundary layer will be formed on the inner wall of the spheroidizing cylinder 1, and the boundary layer will become thicker from top to bottom. The existence of the boundary layer will cause powder to adhere. The angle β of this embodiment will reduce the thickness of the boundary layer, and the effect of the air outlet channel 9 will be superimposed to prevent the powder from adhering to the wall surface.
[0036] In this embodiment, the angle between the airflow direction of the air outlet channel 9 and the axis of the spheroidizing cylinder 1 is 85° to 89°.
[0037] It should be noted that the cooling air flow is blown slightly downward, which is conducive to the collection of spherical powders. The angle between the air flow direction of the air outlet channel 9 and the axis of the spheroidizing cylinder 1 is the angle α shown in the figure.
[0038] The direction of the powder is from top to bottom, and the speed of the airflow coming out of the air outlet channel 9 is relatively small, and the direction is slightly downward along the direction of the powder. On the one hand, an airflow layer with a downward flow direction can be formed near the wall to prevent the powder from adhering to the wall. On the other hand, the airflow coming out of the air outlet channel 9 and the airflow coming out of the plasma are prevented from blowing against the powder mixed gas, thereby preventing the airflow coming out of the air outlet channel 9 from interfering with the plasma, thereby affecting the effect of powder spheroidization.
[0039] In this embodiment, a plurality of air cooling channel branches 7 are arranged in the side wall of the spheroidizing cylinder 1 , and the plurality of air cooling channel branches 7 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the spheroidizing cylinder 1 .
[0040] It should be noted that, on the one hand, the provision of multiple air-cooling channel branches 7 allows all areas of the spheroidizing cylinder 1 to be cooled, thereby avoiding excessive temperatures in some areas due to lack of airflow; on the other hand, the air-cooling channel branch 7 is not only a confluence chamber, but also a buffer chamber. Each air-cooling channel branch 7 has only a limited air outlet channel 9, so that airflow can pass through each air outlet channel 9.
[0041] In this embodiment, a main air cooling channel 10 is provided at the top of the side wall of the spheroidizing cylinder 1 . The main air cooling channel 10 is an annular structure, and the air inlet ends of the plurality of air cooling channel branches 7 are connected to the main air cooling channel 10 .
[0042] It should be noted that the main air-cooling channel 10 is equivalent to a buffer chamber. The gas first enters the chamber and then flows into the air-cooling channel branch 7 to ensure that there is airflow passing through all the air-cooling channel branches 7, thereby avoiding the situation where some air-cooling channel branches 7 have no airflow or a small flow rate.
[0043] In this embodiment, the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the plurality of air outlet channels 9 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the corresponding air cooling channel branches 7 , and the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the plurality of air cooling channel branches 7 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the total air cooling channel 10 .
[0044] It should be noted that the air outlet effects of the multiple air outlet channels 9 are thereby ensured.
[0045] In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the top cover 2 , the inner wall of the spheroidizing cylinder 1 , and the inner wall of the center hole of the flange 4 are provided with a heat insulation coating 11 .
[0046] It should be noted that the utility model adopts a spraying process to spray a dense heat-insulating coating 11 on the inner wall of the spheroidizing chamber, which can not only provide a relatively clean environment for powder spheroidization, but also avoid excessive heat loss. Therefore, the spheroidizing chamber of the utility model can be directly processed by metal, without the need for a refractory layer and a heat-insulating layer, with a simple structure and low cost.
[0047] In this embodiment, the material of the thermal insulation coating 11 is consistent with the material of the random powder to be processed.
[0048] It should be noted that the advantage of this is to prevent the irregular powder from being contaminated during the spheroidization process and to ensure the purity of the obtained spherical powder.
[0049] In this embodiment, the material of the thermal insulation coating 11 is aluminum oxide or zirconium oxide.
[0050] It should be noted that the advantage of this is that alumina or zirconia has excellent thermal insulation properties and is relatively low in price.
[0051] In this embodiment, the spheroidizing cylinder 1 includes an inner cylinder body 12 and an outer cylinder body 13 .
[0052] The outer cylinder 13 is mounted on the inner cylinder 12 , and a groove is provided on the outer wall of the inner cylinder 12 . The groove and the inner wall of the outer cylinder 13 form an air cooling channel branch 7 . The air outlet channel 9 is provided on the side wall of the inner cylinder 12 , and the air inlet channel 8 is provided on the side wall of the outer cylinder 13 .
[0053] It should be noted that an annular groove is provided on the top of the outer wall of the inner cylinder 12 , and the annular groove and the inner wall of the outer cylinder 13 form a main air cooling channel 10 .
[0054] The inner cylinder 12 and the outer cylinder 13 are both cylindrical structures with openings at both ends. The inner cylinder 12 and the outer cylinder 13 are connected by welding. After welding, the spheroidizing cylinder 1, the top cover 2 and the flange 4 are connected by welding.
[0055] In this embodiment, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the above exemplary embodiment, and that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or basic features of the present invention. Therefore, no matter from which point of view, the embodiment should be regarded as exemplary and non-restrictive, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description, and therefore it is intended that all changes falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims are included in the present invention.
Claims
1. An air-cooled spheroidizing chamber for plasma spheroidizing powder, characterized in that: It comprises a spheroidizing cylinder (1), a top cover (2), a flange (4) and a powder delivery pipe; The spheroidizing cylinder (1) is a cylindrical structure with openings at both ends. The top cover (2) is provided at the upper end of the spheroidizing cylinder (1), a plasma torch mounting opening (3) is provided at the center of the top cover (2), the flange (4) is provided at the lower end of the spheroidizing cylinder (1), and the lower end of the spheroidizing cylinder (1) and the center hole of the flange (4) form a spheroidizing powder outlet (5); the spheroidizing cylinder (1), the top cover (2) and the flange (4) form a spheroidizing chamber cavity (6); The side wall of the spheroidizing cylinder (1) is provided with a powder delivery pipe, and the powder delivery pipe is in communication with the spheroidizing chamber cavity (6); An air cooling channel branch (7) is provided in the side wall of the spheroidizing cylinder (1); an air inlet channel (8) of the air cooling channel branch (7) is connected to the output end of the air cooling mechanism; and the air cooling channel branch (7) is connected to the spheroidizing chamber cavity (6) via a plurality of air outlet channels (9); The plurality of air outlet channels (9) are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the spheroidizing cylinder (1), and the air flow direction of the air outlet channels (9) is consistent with the powder movement direction.
2. The air-cooled spheroidizing chamber for plasma spheroidizing powder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spheroidizing cylinder (1) is a frustoconical cylindrical structure, the upper end of the spheroidizing cylinder (1) is a large-mouth end, the lower end of the spheroidizing cylinder (1) is a small-mouth end, and the angle between the inner wall of the spheroidizing cylinder (1) and the axis of the spheroidizing cylinder (1) is 1° to 10°.
3. The air-cooled spheroidizing chamber for plasma spheroidizing powder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The angle between the airflow direction of the air outlet channel (9) and the axis of the spheroidizing cylinder (1) is 85° to 89°.
4. The air-cooled spheroidizing chamber for plasma spheroidizing powder according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of air cooling channel branches (7) are arranged in the side wall of the spheroidizing cylinder (1), and the plurality of air cooling channel branches (7) are evenly distributed along the circumference of the spheroidizing cylinder (1).
5. The air-cooled spheroidizing chamber for plasma spheroidizing powder according to claim 4, characterized in that: A main air cooling channel (10) is provided at the top of the side wall of the spheroidizing cylinder (1); the main air cooling channel (10) is an annular structure; and the air inlet ends of the plurality of branch air cooling channels (7) are connected to the main air cooling channel (10).
6. The air-cooled spheroidizing chamber for plasma spheroidizing powder according to claim 5, characterized in that: The sum of the cross-sectional areas of the plurality of air outlet channels (9) is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the corresponding air cooling channel branch (7), and the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the plurality of air cooling channel branch (7) is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the air cooling channel main channel (10).
7. The air-cooled spheroidizing chamber for plasma spheroidizing powder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the top cover (2), the inner wall of the spheroidizing cylinder (1), and the inner wall of the center hole of the flange (4) are all provided with a heat insulation coating (11).
8. The air-cooled spheroidizing chamber for plasma spheroidizing powder according to claim 7, characterized in that: The material of the heat-insulating coating (11) is consistent with the material of the irregular powder to be processed.
9. The air-cooled spheroidizing chamber for plasma spheroidizing powder according to claim 7, characterized in that: The material of the thermal insulation coating (11) is aluminum oxide or zirconium oxide.
10. The air-cooled spheroidizing chamber for plasma spheroidizing powder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spheroidizing cylinder (1) comprises an inner cylinder (12) and an outer cylinder (13); The outer cylinder (13) is sleeved on the inner cylinder (12); the outer wall of the inner cylinder (12) is provided with a groove; the groove and the inner wall of the outer cylinder (13) form the air cooling channel branch (7); the air outlet channel (9) is provided on the side wall of the inner cylinder (12); and the air inlet channel (8) is provided on the side wall of the outer cylinder (13).