A bottom flow regulator with a gear and a hydrocyclone

Abstract

This invention provides a geared underflow regulator and a hydrocyclone. The underflow regulator includes an upper inlet fixing member, an elastic hose for connecting to the underflow outlet of the hydrocyclone, a telescopic mechanism, and a movable lower inlet. Both ends of the elastic hose are fixedly connected to the upper inlet fixing member and the movable lower inlet, respectively. The upper inlet fixing member and the movable lower inlet are connected by the telescopic mechanism. The telescopic mechanism includes a rack and a gear. The upper end of the rack is connected to the upper inlet fixing member, and the gear is fixedly connected to the movable lower inlet. The gear meshes with the rack. The telescopic mechanism drives the movable lower inlet to move down or up, causing the elastic hose to stretch or release, thereby changing the cross-sectional diameter of the elastic hose and regulating the underflow. Using the technical solution of this invention, the underflow of the hydrocyclone can be easily regulated with minimal turbulence, minimizing wear on the underflow regulator and providing a self-cleaning function, reducing the risk of clogging.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of hydrocyclone technology, and in particular to a geared underflow regulator and a hydrocyclone. Background Technology

[0002] Hydrocyclones are currently the mainstream equipment for efficient separation and classification of particulate suspensions. Their working principle is as follows: the feed suspension is injected tangentially into the hydrocyclone cavity. Under the action of centrifugal force, the heavier components move towards the wall and are discharged through the underflow port, while the lighter components migrate towards the center and are discharged through the overflow port. The separation performance of the hydrocyclone, especially the distribution ratio of underflow and overflow, is affected by various factors. Among them, the diameter of the underflow nozzle and the underflow head loss are key parameters. It is worth noting that fluctuations in feed solid concentration, particle size distribution, fluid viscosity, or feed pressure will significantly affect the distribution balance of underflow and overflow by changing the underflow head loss. Regarding underflow control, existing technologies mainly have the following limitations:

[0003] (1) Traditional valves (such as knife valves): These are usually installed on extended underflow nozzle pipes and the head loss is adjusted by opening and closing to control the underflow. However, such rigid valves are prone to severe wear and clogging, and the opening and closing process can cause severe turbulence, affecting the stability of the flow field.

[0004] (2) Pneumatic ring valve: This type of valve uses an elastic material to create a ring structure. By adjusting the internal air pressure, the size of the ring is changed, thereby reducing the flow cross-sectional area to control the flow rate. Although this method can alleviate valve wear and extend equipment life, the sudden change in flow diameter caused by its structure can still induce significant turbulence. This turbulence can easily lead to the breakage of flocs or aggregates of light components, affecting separation accuracy or subsequent processing.

[0005] (3) Closed pressure vessel control: The underflow is discharged into a closed container, and the flow rate is controlled by adjusting the back pressure inside the container. This method is widely used in oil-water separation, but when used with suspended solids, the underflow status cannot be observed in real time, which significantly increases the risk of blockage and operational failure, and makes operation and maintenance inconvenient.

[0006] In summary, existing underflow control technologies generally suffer from significant drawbacks: traditional valves are prone to wear and blockage, and they disturb the flow field; while pneumatic ring valves improve wear, turbulence problems persist, damaging flocs; and closed containers lack visibility, posing high operational risks. These shortcomings all challenge the long-term stable operation, separation efficiency, and operational reliability of hydrocyclones. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a novel underflow control device that features low wear, stable flow, good visibility, and convenient operation to improve the overall performance of hydrocyclones. Utility Model Content

[0007] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this utility model discloses a geared underflow regulator and a hydrocyclone, which are convenient and quick to adjust, can rapidly respond to adjust the underflow, reduce wear on the underflow regulator, and lower the risk of blockage.

[0008] The technical solution of this utility model is as follows:

[0009] A geared underflow regulator includes an upper inlet fixing member, an elastic hose for connecting to the underflow outlet of a hydrocyclone, a telescopic mechanism, and a movable lower inlet. The two ends of the elastic hose are fixedly connected to the upper inlet fixing member and the movable lower inlet, respectively. The upper inlet fixing member and the movable lower inlet are connected by the telescopic mechanism. The telescopic mechanism includes a rack and a gear. The upper end of the rack is connected to the upper inlet fixing member, and the gear is fixedly connected to the movable lower inlet. The gear meshes with the rack. The telescopic mechanism drives the movable lower inlet to move down or up, causing the elastic hose to stretch or release, thereby changing the cross-sectional diameter of the elastic hose and thus adjusting the underflow head loss and controlling the underflow rate.

[0010] This technical solution utilizes the material properties of elastic hoses. Elastic materials are incompressible, meaning their volume remains constant during elastic deformation. Utilizing this Poisson effect, the diameter and flow cross-section of the elastic hose can be reduced by stretching it along its length. Specifically, by using a gear and rack mechanism to change the fixed position of the movable lower inlet, the elastic hose is stretched or released, thereby adjusting the underflow head loss and controlling the underflow rate.

[0011] As a further improvement of this utility model, the elastic hose is made of rubber. More specifically, the elastic hose is made of fluorinated rubber or natural rubber.

[0012] As a further improvement of this utility model, it includes a handle, which is connected to a gear. By rotating the handle, the gear is driven to rotate, thereby causing the movable lower insertion port to move downward, thus stretching the elastic hose.

[0013] As a further improvement of this utility model, the upper insertion port fixing member is provided with an upper insertion port, the movable lower insertion port is provided with a lower insertion port, and the two ends of the elastic hose are respectively fixedly connected to the upper insertion port and the lower insertion port.

[0014] As a further improvement of this utility model, the gear is located inside the gearbox, and the gearbox is fixedly connected to the movable lower insertion port.

[0015] As a further improvement of this utility model, the lower end of the elastic hose is connected to a nozzle.

[0016] This utility model discloses a hydrocyclone, which includes a geared underflow regulator as described above.

[0017] As a further improvement of this utility model, the hydrocyclone includes a hydrocyclone body, a hydrocyclone inlet, a hydrocyclone overflow outlet, and a hydrocyclone underflow outlet. The elastic hose is connected to the hydrocyclone underflow outlet, and the upper insertion fastener is fixedly connected to the hydrocyclone body.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0019] The technical solution of this utility model utilizes a gear and rack transmission to move the movable lower inlet downwards or upwards, thereby stretching or releasing the elastic hose. This allows for convenient and quick adjustment of the underflow during operation, making it particularly suitable for situations where the quality of the feed suspension frequently changes. Furthermore, it minimizes turbulence, thus reducing shear stress on fragile suspended solids such as activated sludge, reducing damage to these fragile materials and minimizing wear on the underflow regulator. The device also features a self-cleaning function, reducing the risk of clogging. Additionally, there are no dead zones inside, at the front, or at the rear of the underflow regulator, preventing the gradual accumulation of solids. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the underflow regulator structure with gears in Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the gearbox in Embodiment 2 of this utility model.

[0022] The reference numerals in the figures include:

[0023] 1-Hydrocyclone body, 2-Hydrocyclone underflow outlet, 3-Underflow regulator;

[0024] 31-Upper insertion fastener, 32-Elastic flexible hose, 33-Modible lower insertion port, 34-Rack and pinion, 35-Gearbox, 36-Handle, 37-External connecting gear, 38-Transmission gear. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Example 1

[0027] like Figure 1As shown, a geared underflow regulator includes an upper connector fixing member 31, an elastic hose 32 for connecting to the underflow outlet 2 of a hydrocyclone, a telescopic mechanism, and a movable lower connector 33. The two ends of the elastic hose 32 are fixedly connected to the upper connector fixing member 31 and the movable lower connector 33, respectively. The upper connector fixing member 31 is fixed to the hydrocyclone body 1. The upper connector fixing member 31 and the movable lower connector 33 are connected by the telescopic mechanism. The telescopic mechanism is used to stretch or release the elastic hose 32, thereby changing the cross-sectional area of ​​the elastic hose 32.

[0028] The telescopic mechanism includes a rack 34 and a gear. The upper end of the rack 34 is fixedly connected to the upper insertion port fixing member 31, and the gear is fixedly connected to the movable lower insertion port 33. The gear meshes with the rack 34, and the gear is connected to a handle 36. The gear is located inside a gearbox 35, which is fixedly connected to the movable lower insertion port 33. By rotating the handle 36, the gear is rotated, thereby causing the movable lower insertion port 33 to move, thus stretching or releasing the elastic hose 32. The distance H between the upper insertion port fixing member 31 and the movable lower insertion port 33 is increased. x The diameter of the flexible hose 32 is reduced from an ever-expanding diameter D0 to a reduced diameter D. x .

[0029] By fixing the flexible hose 32 between the upper insertion fixing member 31 and the movable lower insertion port 33, the diameters of the inlet and outlet are fixed, and maintenance can be performed quickly without disassembling the hydrocyclone. When the flexible hose 32 is stretched, a gradual diameter change process is formed from the initial diameter to the final stable diameter. This minimizes turbulence and reduces material abrasion and shear forces in the suspension. Therefore, damage to fragile agglomerates and flocs in the suspension is also reduced. The smooth transition of the nozzle diameter from the initial diameter to the operating state avoids the risk of gradual solid accumulation. If large foreign objects enter the underflow, the nozzle's elasticity allows larger foreign objects to pass through in a self-cleaning manner.

[0030] The telescopic mechanism uses a gear and rack transmission method, which is convenient and quick to adjust. It can quickly respond to adjust the underflow, making it particularly suitable for situations where the quality of the feed suspension changes frequently.

[0031] Furthermore, the material of the flexible hose 32 determines its elongation at break. The material of the flexible hose 32 can be either fluorinated rubber or natural rubber. Fluorinated rubber has an elongation at break of 3 times its original length, while natural rubber has an elongation at break of more than 5 times its original length. The normal operating range of the flexible hose 32 used in the underflow regulator 3 is an elongation between 1 and 2.5, which corresponds to a change in cross-sectional flow area between 100% and 50%.

[0032] Example 2

[0033] Based on Example 1, such as Figure 2 As shown, the gearbox 35 is provided with an external connecting gear 37 and a transmission gear 38. The handle 36 is fixedly connected to the shaft of the external connecting gear 37. The external connecting gear 37 meshes with the transmission gear 38, and the transmission gear 38 meshes with the rack 34.

[0034] Example 3

[0035] A hydrocyclone includes a hydrocyclone body, a hydrocyclone inlet, a hydrocyclone overflow outlet, a hydrocyclone underflow outlet, and a geared underflow regulator as described in Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2. The flexible hose is connected to the hydrocyclone underflow outlet, and the upper insertion fastener is fixedly connected to the hydrocyclone body.

[0036] As should be understood in the description of this utility model, terms such as "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", and "outer" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0037] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0038] The specific embodiments described above are preferred embodiments of this utility model, and are not intended to limit the specific scope of this utility model. The scope of this utility model includes, but is not limited to, these specific embodiments. All equivalent changes made in accordance with the shape and structure of this utility model are within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A geared underflow regulator, characterized in that: It includes an upper connector fixing component, an elastic hose for connecting to the underflow outlet of a hydrocyclone, a telescopic mechanism, and a movable lower connector. Both ends of the elastic hose are fixedly connected to the upper connector fixing component and the movable lower connector, respectively. The upper connector fixing component and the movable lower connector are connected by the telescopic mechanism. The telescopic mechanism includes a rack and a gear. The upper end of the rack is connected to the upper connector fixing component, and the gear is fixedly connected to the movable lower connector. The gear meshes with the rack. The telescopic mechanism drives the movable lower connector to move down or up, causing the elastic hose to stretch or release, thereby changing the cross-sectional diameter of the elastic hose, adjusting the underflow head loss, and controlling the underflow rate.

2. The geared underflow regulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible hose is made of rubber.

3. The geared underflow regulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The device includes a handle, which is connected to a gear.

4. The geared underflow regulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper insertion port fixing component has an upper insertion port, the movable lower insertion port has a lower insertion port, and the two ends of the elastic hose are respectively fixedly connected to the upper insertion port and the lower insertion port.

5. The geared underflow regulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gear is located inside the gearbox, and the gearbox is fixedly connected to the movable lower insertion port.

6. A hydrocyclone, characterized in that: It includes a geared underflow regulator as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The hydrocyclone according to claim 6, characterized in that: It includes a hydrocyclone body, a hydrocyclone inlet, a hydrocyclone overflow outlet, and a hydrocyclone underflow outlet. The flexible hose is connected to the hydrocyclone underflow outlet, and the upper insertion fastener is fixedly connected to the hydrocyclone body.

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