Evaporator and evaporation system using the same

Abstract

To provide an evaporator capable of suppressing a size in a height direction and achieving high evaporation efficiency with respect to a raw material liquid, and an evaporation system using the same.SOLUTION: This evaporator comprises: a lid body; an agitation tank which includes a heatable agitation tank body and a volatile component outlet and into which a raw material liquid is supplied; a rotary shaft vertically disposed in the agitation tank; and a liquid spraying unit attached to the rotary shaft to spray the agitation tank with the raw material liquid. The agitation tank includes a first storage and a second storage. The liquid spraying unit includes at least one first liquid spraying device having a first flow path through which the raw material liquid stored in the first storage is sucked from a first lower end and discharged from a first upper end following rotation of the rotary shaft, and at least one second liquid spraying device having a second flow path through which the raw material liquid stored in the second storage is sucked from a second lower end and discharged from a second upper end following rotation of the rotary shaft.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an evaporation device and an evaporation system using the same, and more particularly to an evaporation device capable of efficiently recovering and concentrating a solvent from a liquid, and an evaporation system using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] In the fields of food industry and chemical industry, an evaporator called a "falling film evaporator" is used for recovering or concentrating a solvent from a liquid containing contaminants or impurities.

[0003] In this falling thin film evaporator, when the raw material liquid is sprayed from above into the stirring vessel toward the inner wall of the stirring vessel and flows down, a roller or wiper moves along the inner wall of the stirring vessel to form a thin film of the raw material liquid. After that, the volatile components in the thin film are evaporated by the heat previously applied to the inner wall and discharged outside the stirring vessel.

[0004] However, it has been pointed out that in such falling film evaporators, the raw material liquid flows through the inner wall (heat transfer surface) of the mixing vessel in a single pass, which results in insufficient evaporation efficiency. It has also been pointed out that the rollers and wipers used in this equipment are prone to wear.

[0005] In response to this, an evaporation device has been provided that is equipped with a trough-shaped member that can tilt and rotate inside the stirring tank instead of rollers or wipers (Patent Document 1). In this evaporation device, the trough-shaped member and the inner wall of the stirring tank are kept out of contact with each other, so there is no particular need to replace the trough-shaped member due to wear.

[0006] Furthermore, in recent years, multi-stage evaporators have been proposed in which the gutter-shaped members are arranged in multiple stages in the height direction (Patent Documents 2 to 4). In a multi-stage evaporator, multiple inclined and rotatable gutter-shaped members are arranged vertically side by side in one communicating stirring tank, and the lower ends of the gutter-shaped members are arranged in storage sections that are provided separately in the vertical direction in the stirring tank and that store the raw material liquid. This makes it possible to more efficiently evaporate the volatile components contained in the raw material liquid by using multiple stages and multiple gutter-shaped members.

[0007] However, such multi-stage evaporators tend to be large in height, which can limit the space available for installation.It has also been pointed out that the height of the evaporators can make cleaning and maintenance of the inside of the mixing vessel more difficult. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2003 / 022389 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2016 / 143776 [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2017 / 043368 [Patent Document 4] JP 2019-217450 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The present invention is directed to solving the above problems, and has an object to provide an evaporation device that can reduce the size in the vertical direction and achieve excellent evaporation efficiency for the raw material liquid, and an evaporation system using the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention relates to a stirring vessel having a lid, a heatable stirring vessel body, and a volatile component outlet, into which a raw material liquid is supplied, A rotating shaft disposed vertically in the mixing vessel; a dispersion unit attached to the rotating shaft and dispersing the raw material liquid into the mixing tank; An evaporation device comprising: The stirring tank comprises: a first reservoir disposed at the bottom of the agitation tank body and capable of accommodating the raw material liquid that has flowed down from the inner wall of the agitation tank body; a second storage section that is disposed in the agitation tank body above the first storage section and annularly around the axis of the rotation shaft, and that is capable of storing the raw material liquid that has flowed down from an internal heating body provided in the agitation tank body; and The liquid dispersion unit is At least one first liquid-spraying device having a first flow path that absorbs the raw material liquid stored in the first storage section from a first lower end and discharges it from a first upper end as the rotating shaft rotates; at least one second liquid-spraying device having a second flow path that absorbs the raw material liquid stored in the second storage section from a second lower end and discharges it from a second upper end as the rotating shaft rotates; The evaporation device comprises:

[0011] In one embodiment, the first and second sprinkling devices each independently have a cylindrical or trough shape.

[0012] In a further embodiment, the first and second sprinkling devices are each independently mounted at an angle to the axis of rotation.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first upper end of the first liquid-spraying device is arranged to discharge the raw material liquid absorbed from the first lower end toward the inner wall of the stirring tank body, and The second upper end of the second liquid sprinkling device is disposed so as to spout the raw material liquid absorbed from the second lower end toward the internal heating body.

[0014] In a further embodiment, the internal heating body includes a shielding portion that shields the raw material liquid discharged from the second upper end portion constituting the second liquid spraying device and allows it to flow downward, and a heating means that is provided below the shielding portion and heats the raw material liquid that flows downward from the shielding portion.

[0015] In one embodiment, a temperature control jacket for heating the inner wall is provided on the outer periphery of the stirred vessel body.

[0016] The present invention also provides a method for producing a liquid feedstock, comprising: the evaporator for treating the raw material liquid supplied from the raw material tank; a condenser for condensing the volatile components discharged from a volatile component outlet of the evaporator; An evaporation system comprising: Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, a multi-stage evaporator with a reduced height can be provided. This allows the evaporator to be easily installed in a factory or the like with height restrictions. The evaporator of the present invention also allows efficient maintenance or cleaning of the inside of the stirring tank. This makes it easy to switch between different types of raw material liquids that require evaporation. This allows, for example, multiple types of raw material liquids to be efficiently evaporated using a single multi-stage evaporator. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an evaporation device of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2(a) is a schematic diagram showing a second reservoir constituting the stirring tank of the evaporator shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the second reservoir shown in FIG. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2(a) is a side view of a heating means constituting an internal heating body disposed in the evaporator shown in FIG. 1, and (b) is a top view of the heating means shown in (a). [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view of a cylindrical first liquid-spraying device constituting the liquid-spraying section of the evaporation apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic diagram of another example of an evaporation device of the present invention. [Figure 6] 6 is a perspective view of a trough-shaped first liquid-spraying device constituting the liquid-spraying section of the evaporator shown in FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic diagram of another example of an evaporation device of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic diagram of still another example of an evaporation device of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a rotating disk attached around the rotation shaft of the evaporator shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an evaporation system including an evaporation device of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to designate similar features as shown in the other drawings.

[0020] 1. Evaporation device As shown in FIG. 1, an evaporation apparatus 100 of the present invention includes a stirring tank 110, a rotating shaft 140, and a liquid scattering section 150.

[0021] (1) Mixing tank The stirring tank 110 is a sealable tank that includes a lid 102, a heatable stirring tank body 104, and a volatile component outlet 106, and is supplied with a raw material liquid 108 inside. The stirring tank 110 can accommodate and stir various liquids such as aqueous solutions and slurries as the raw material liquid 108 in the stirring tank body 104. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the volatile component outlet 106 is provided in a part of the lid 102 arranged above the stirring tank body 104. The volatile components evaporated from the raw material liquid 108 in the stirring tank 110 can be discharged to the outside through the volatile component outlet 106.

[0022] The lid 102 may be provided with a raw material liquid supply port 107. The raw material liquid supply port 107 can continuously or intermittently supply raw material liquid 108 from an external tank (not shown) into the stirring tank body 104 (specifically, into a second storage section 120 described below). In the evaporation device 100 of the present invention, the raw material liquid supply port 107 may be provided at an appropriate position on the inner wall 112 or bottom 114 of the stirring tank body 104 instead of the lid 102.

[0023] The size (capacity) of the stirring tank body 104 constituting the stirring tank 110 can be appropriately set depending on the application of the evaporation apparatus 100 (the type of raw material liquid provided) and the processing amount of the raw material liquid 108, and is not necessarily limited thereto, but is, for example, 0.1 liters to 100,000 liters.

[0024] The stirred tank body 104 constituting the stirred tank 110 also includes a first storage section 116 disposed at the bottom of the stirred tank body 104, and a second storage section 120 disposed annularly within the stirred tank body 104 above the first storage section 116 and around the axis of the rotation shaft 140.

[0025] 1, the first reservoir 116 is located at the lowest part of the stirring tank 110 or the stirring tank body 104, and is surrounded by the inner wall 112 and the bottom 114 of the stirring tank body 104 and is configured as an area with an open upper part. The first reservoir 116 can store the raw material liquid 108 that has flowed down from the inner wall 112 of the stirring tank body 104.

[0026] The first storage section 116 may be provided with an outlet 118 for discharging the raw material liquid 108. Here, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the outlet 118 constitutes the upper end of an outlet pipe 119 disposed penetrating the bottom 114 of the stirring tank body 104. As a result, when the liquid level of the raw material liquid 108 contained in the first storage section 116 is located below the outlet 118, the raw material liquid 108 is contained in the first storage section 116. On the other hand, when the liquid level of the raw material liquid 108 contained in the first storage section 116 exceeds the outlet 118, the raw material liquid 108 overflows and flows from the outlet 118 into the outlet pipe 119, and is discharged to the outside of the stirring tank body 104. In FIG. 1, the outlet 118 is disposed above the bottom 114 of the stirring tank body 104, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, discharge port 118 may be disposed at the same height as bottom 114 of mixing tank body 104. In this case, discharge pipe 119 can be closed by a valve (not shown), and the amount of raw material liquid 108 contained in first reservoir 116 can be controlled by opening and closing the valve.

[0027] On the other hand, in FIG. 1, the second storage section 120 can accommodate the raw material liquid 108 that flows down from the internal heating body 130 provided in the stirred tank body 104, and is disposed above the first storage section 116 at a predetermined distance within the stirred tank body 104.

[0028] FIG. 2(a) is a schematic diagram showing the second storage section 120 provided in the stirring vessel main body 104 of the evaporation apparatus 100 shown in FIG.

[0029] The second storage section 120 shown in Fig. 2(a) is composed of an annular bottom surface section 122, an inner cylindrical partition section 124 and an outer cylindrical partition section 126 each extending vertically from the edge of the annular bottom surface section 122, and an annular groove 127 that is open at the top. An annular hole 128 is provided inside the inner cylindrical partition section 124, and a first flow path 158 of a first liquid-spraying device 152 that constitutes a rotating shaft 140 and a liquid-spraying section 150 described later can rotate horizontally within the hole 128.

[0030] FIG. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view of the second storage section 120 shown in FIG. 2(a) taken along line AA.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2(b), the second storage section 120 can store the raw material liquid 108 in a portion (groove 127) surrounded by the annular bottom surface portion 122, the inner cylindrical partition portion 124, and the outer cylindrical partition portion 126. In the present invention, the second lower end portion 164 of the second sprinkling device 162 constituting the sprinkling section 150 can move along the inside of the groove 127 of the second storage section 129. Here, the inner cylindrical partition portion 124 and the outer cylindrical partition portion 126 are preferably designed so that their upper ends have a predetermined step t1. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2(b), such a step t1 is provided, so that when the raw material liquid 108 contained in the second storage section 120 is contained up to the upper end of the inner cylindrical partition section 124, it can overflow from the upper end of the inner cylindrical partition section 124 and fall through the hole 128 into the first storage section 116 located below and be contained therein.

[0032] 1 again, the evaporation device 100 of the present invention is described with respect to an example in which one second storage section 120 is arranged above the first storage section 116 (an example of a two-stage storage section), but the present invention is not necessarily limited to only such an embodiment. That is, in the present invention, one or more storage sections having, for example, a shape similar to that of the second storage section 120 may be arranged above the second storage section 120.

[0033] In FIG. 1, the internal heating body 130 includes a shielding plate 132 extending vertically within the stirred vessel body 104 , and a heating means 134 provided below the shielding plate 132 .

[0034] The shielding plate 132 has, for example, a tubular, preferably cylindrical, shape arranged around the axis of the rotating shaft 140, and serves to shield the raw material liquid discharged from the second upper end of the second liquid-spraying device described later and allow it to flow directly down in the direction of the heating means 134. The shielding plate 132 does not need to have a continuous surface around the axis of the rotating shaft 140, and may be provided intermittently around the axis of the rotating shaft 140, for example.

[0035] The heating means 134 is a heating element having a hollow portion and wound in a spiral shape, as shown in (a) of Fig. 3, and the rotating shaft 140 and the liquid sprinkler 150 can be rotatably housed inside the hollow portion, as shown in (b) of Fig. 3. The heating means 134 has the form of, for example, a tube into which steam or a heat medium can be introduced, a cable heater, or the like, and can volatilize the volatile components contained in the raw material liquid that has flowed down from the shielding plate 132, and heat the raw material liquid to a temperature at which the raw material liquid can be discharged from the volatile component outlet 106 of the evaporator 100 shown in Fig. 1 into the stirring tank 110.

[0036] The lid 102 , which constitutes a part of the stirring tank 110 , can cover the upper opening of the stirring tank main body 104 , and can also be removed from the stirring tank main body 104 .

[0037] 1, the volatile component outlet 106 is provided in a part of the lid 102 facing the vertical direction of the stirring tank 110, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the volatile component outlet may be provided in the horizontal direction above the stirring tank body 104 (for example, near the connection part between the stirring tank body 104 and the lid 102) as long as it does not affect the function of the dispersion part 150.

[0038] In the evaporation device 100 of the present invention, a temperature control jacket 136 for heating the inner wall 112 of the stirring tank body 104 may be provided on the outer periphery of the stirring tank body 104 constituting the stirring tank 110. The temperature control jacket 136 is arranged so as to cover the entire outer side surface of the stirring tank body 104 continuously or intermittently, for example, so as to make the entire surface of the inner wall 112 heatable. Alternatively, the temperature control jacket 136 may be arranged so as to cover the outer bottom surface and the entire outer side surface of the stirring tank body 104. The type and shape of the temperature control jacket 136 are not particularly limited as long as it can heat the raw material liquid flowing down the surface of the inner wall 112 to a temperature at which the volatile components in the raw material liquid can be volatilized. For such a temperature control jacket 136, a heating means known to those skilled in the art (for example, a heating medium into which steam or a heat medium can be introduced, a cable heater, and a combination thereof) can be used.

[0039] (2) Rotation axis In the evaporation apparatus 100 of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, a rotating shaft 140 is disposed in a stirring tank 110 along the vertical direction.

[0040] Rotating shaft 140 is a shaft made of a rigid material and has, for example, a cylindrical or columnar shape. The thickness of rotating shaft 140 is not necessarily limited, but is, for example, 8 mm to 200 mm. The length of rotating shaft 140 varies depending on the size of stirring vessel body 104 used, and an appropriate length can be selected by a person skilled in the art.

[0041] An upper portion of the rotating shaft 140 is connected to a rotating means such as a motor 142 arranged on the lid 102. A lower portion of the rotating shaft 140 may or may not be in contact with the bottom 114 of the stirred tank body 104. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the lower portion of the rotating shaft 140 may be arranged at a position spaced a certain distance from the bottom of the stirred tank body 104.

[0042] The rotation speed of the rotating shaft 140 varies depending on the viscosity of the raw material liquid used, the size of the stirring tank body 104, the remaining amount of raw material liquid remaining in the first storage section 116 and the second storage section 120 of the stirring tank body 104, etc., and is not necessarily limited thereto, but is, for example, 30 rpm to 500 rpm.

[0043] (3) Scattering section The liquid scattering unit 150 shown in FIG. 1 is capable of scattering the raw material liquid 108 into the stirring tank 110, and is attached to the rotating shaft 140 via attachments 151 and 153, for example.

[0044] The sprinkling section 150 comprises at least one first sprinkling device 152 having a first lower end 154, a first upper end 156, and a first flow path 158, and at least one second sprinkling device 162 having a second lower end 164, a second upper end 166, and a second flow path 168.

[0045] The first sprinkling device 152 can absorb the raw material liquid 108 stored in the first storage section 116 from the first lower end 154 as the rotating shaft 140 rotates, and discharge the raw material liquid 108 from the first upper end 156 through the first flow path 158. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the first sprinkling device 152 is designed to have a length such that the first upper end 156 is disposed near the inner wall 112 of the stirring tank body 104 by attachment to the rotating shaft 140. As a result, the raw material liquid 108 absorbed from the first lower end 154 through the rotation of the rotating shaft 140 is discharged toward the inner wall 112 of the stirring tank body 104, and can collide with the inner wall 122. After that, the raw material liquid that has collided with the inner wall 112 flows down on the inner wall 112 as it is, and the volatile components in the raw material liquid can be effectively volatilized by the heat generated from the inner wall 112 during that time. On the other hand, the raw material liquid after the volatile components have evaporated further flows down the inner wall 112 and is stored again in the first reservoir 116 .

[0046] The second liquid-spraying device 162 can absorb the raw material liquid 108 stored in the second storage section 120 from the second lower end 164 as the rotating shaft 140 rotates, and discharge it from the second upper end 166 through the second flow path 168. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the second liquid-spraying device 162 is designed to have a length such that the second upper end 166 is disposed near the shielding plate 132 of the inner heating body 130 provided in the stirring tank body 104 by attachment to the rotating shaft 140. As a result, the raw material liquid 108 absorbed from the second lower end 164 through the rotation of the rotating shaft 140 is discharged toward the inner heating body 130 in the stirring tank body 104, and can collide with the inner heating body 130. Thereafter, the raw material liquid that has collided with the shielding plate 132 of the internal heating body 130 flows directly downward from the shielding plate 132 toward the heating means 134, during which the volatile components in the raw material liquid can be effectively volatilized by the heat generated from the heating means 134. Meanwhile, the raw material liquid after the volatile components have been volatilized further flows downward through the heating means 134 and is stored again in the second reservoir 120.

[0047] In the sprinkling section 150 (first sprinkling device 152 and second sprinkling device 162) shown in Figure 1, the first lower end 154 of the first sprinkling device 152 and the second lower end 164 of the second sprinkling device 162 are inclined relative to the axis of the rotating shaft 140 so that they are located closer to the respective first upper end 156 and second upper end 166. That is, in the sprinkling section 150, the first sprinkling device 152 and the second sprinkling device 162 are each independently arranged at an angle relative to the rotating shaft 140 so that the shortest distance between the first lower end 154 of the first sprinkling device 152 and the axis of the rotating shaft 140 is shorter than the shortest distance between the first upper end 156 and the axis of the rotating shaft 140, and the shortest distance between the second lower end 164 of the second sprinkling device 162 and the axis of the rotating shaft 140 is shorter than the shortest distance between the second upper end 166 and the axis of the rotating shaft 140.

[0048] Alternatively, in the sprinkling section 150 shown in FIG. 1, the first sprinkling device 152 and the second sprinkling device 162 are mounted at predetermined angles (also called mounting inclination angles) θ1 and θ2 with respect to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 140. The mounting inclination angles θ1 and θ2 can be set to any angle by those skilled in the art, but are each independently set to, for example, 10° to 45°, preferably 15° to 25°. The mounting inclination angle θ1 of the first liquid flow member 123a and the mounting inclination angle θ2 of the second liquid flow member 123b may be the same or different from each other.

[0049] In FIG. 1, the first and second sprinkling devices 152 and 162 are provided facing each other through the axis of the rotating shaft 140. Here, the number of the first sprinkling devices 152 that can be provided in the evaporation apparatus 100 of the present invention is not necessarily limited, but is, for example, at least one, preferably two to eight, and more preferably two to six. The number of the second sprinkling devices 162 that can be provided in the evaporation apparatus 100 of the present invention is not necessarily limited, but is, for example, at least one, preferably two to eight, and more preferably two to six. When a plurality of the first and second sprinkling devices 152 and 162 are used, the first and second sprinkling devices 152 may be provided facing each other through the axis of the rotating shaft, and the second sprinkling devices 162 may be provided facing each other through the axis of the rotating shaft. In addition, it is preferable that the first and second sprinkling devices 152 and 162 are each mounted at an approximately equal angle around the axis of the rotating shaft 140.

[0050] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the second sprinkling device 162 constituting the sprinkling section 150 of the evaporation apparatus 100 shown in Fig. 1. The first sprinkling device 152 shown in Fig. 1 may have a similar structure to the second sprinkling device 162, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0051] In FIG. 4, the second sprinkling device 162 may be, for example, processed into a cylindrical shape (e.g., a cylindrical, elliptical or angular cylindrical shape) as a whole, or may be processed into a so-called gutter shape in which the second lower end portion 164 and the second upper end portion 166 have a semi-cylinder shape, semi-angular cylindrical shape, V-shape or the like, and the intermediate portion therebetween is processed into a cylindrical shape (e.g., a cylindrical, elliptical or angular cylindrical shape), or may be processed into a cylindrical shape in which only the second lower end portion 164 has such a gutter shape, and the other portions are processed into a cylindrical shape (e.g., a cylindrical, elliptical or angular cylindrical shape).

[0052] The size of the second sprinkling device 162 is not particularly limited, but for example, when the second sprinkling device 162 is an entirely cylindrical member as shown in FIG. 4, the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion is, for example, 2 mm to 200 mm. The length from the second lower end 164 to the second upper end 166 (i.e., the length of the second passage 168) is not necessarily limited, and an appropriate length can be selected by a person skilled in the art depending on, for example, the length selected for the first sprinkling device 152, the size of the stirring tank to be incorporated, the size of the mounting inclination angles θ1 and θ2, etc. In addition, in FIG. 4, the inner diameter of the second lower end 164, the inner diameter of the second passage 168, and the inner diameter of the second upper end 166 are described as if they were approximately the same size, but the present invention is not limited to only such a form. For example, the inner diameter of the second sprinkling device 162 (the inner diameter of the second passage 168) may be gradually or stepwise narrowing from the second lower end 164 to the second upper end 166, or the inner diameter of the second sprinkling device 162 (the inner diameter of the second passage 168) may be gradually or stepwise expanding from the second lower end 164 to the second upper end 166.

[0053] (4) Materials of the evaporator Agitation tank 110 (e.g., the lid 102, the agitation tank body 104, and the shield plate 132) The materials constituting the rotating shaft 140 and the liquid-spraying section 150 (the first liquid-spraying device 152 and the second liquid-spraying device 162) are not particularly limited, but may be, for example, metals such as iron, stainless steel, titanium, Hastelloy, or copper; synthetic resins such as polylactic acid, polypropylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, acrylate resin, ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) resin, epoxy resin, urea resin, Teflon (registered trademark), and combinations thereof. Furthermore, among these components, coatings known in the art, such as Teflon (registered trademark) or rubber lining, may be applied to the parts that may come into contact with the raw material liquid 108, in particular, to enhance chemical resistance.

[0054] (5) Separation of volatile components from the raw liquid Using the evaporation apparatus 100 of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, a volatile component can be separated from a raw material liquid as follows.

[0055] First, the raw material liquid supplied from a raw material tank (not shown) attached to the outside of the stirring tank 110 is supplied into the stirring tank body 104 from the raw material liquid supply port 107 of the lid 102. At that time, the supplied raw material liquid 108 falls as it is and is stored in the second reservoir 120.

[0056] Thereafter, when the motor 142 is rotated, the first sprinkling device 152 and the second sprinkling device 162 constituting the sprinkling section 150 rotate around the axis of the rotation shaft 140 in conjunction with the rotation of the rotation shaft 140 .

[0057] Here, in the second sprinkling device 152, the second lower end 164 rotates along the annular groove 127 of the second storage section 120, and the raw material liquid 108 contained in the second storage section 120 is scooped up from the second lower end 164. Next, the raw material liquid scooped up from the second lower end 164 moves from the bottom to the top in the second passage 168 by the centrifugal force accompanying the rotation of the second sprinkling device 162, and is discharged from the second upper end 166 toward the shielding plate 132 of the inner heating body 130. Thereafter, as described above, the raw material liquid flows down from the shielding plate 132 to the heating means 134, and the volatile components in the raw material liquid evaporate through the heating means 134, and are discharged outside the stirring tank 110 from the volatile component outlet 106 provided in the lid body 102. On the other hand, the raw material liquid from which the volatile components have been removed further flows down through the heating means 134 and is again contained in the second reservoir 120.

[0058] Furthermore, when the second reservoir 120 is filled with the raw material liquid 108, the raw material liquid 108 overflows from the upper end of the inner cylindrical partition 124 and falls through the hole 128 into the first reservoir 116 located below, where it is stored.

[0059] On the other hand, the first sprinkling device 152 also rotates together with the rotating shaft 140, and the raw material liquid 108 contained in the first storage section 116 is scooped up by the first lower end 154. Next, the raw material liquid scooped up from the first lower end 154 moves from the bottom to the top in the first passage 158 by the centrifugal force accompanying the rotation of the first sprinkling device 152, and is discharged from the first upper end 156 toward the inner wall 112 of the stirring tank body 104. Thereafter, as described above, when the raw material liquid flows down the inner wall 112 heated by the temperature control jacket 136, the volatile components remaining in the raw material liquid evaporate through the inner wall 112, and are discharged outside the stirring tank 110 from the volatile component outlet 106 provided in the lid body 102. Meanwhile, the remaining components of the raw material liquid further flow down the inner wall 112 and are again contained in the first storage section 116.

[0060] Furthermore, when the first reservoir 116 is filled with the raw material liquid 108, the raw material liquid 108 overflows from the discharge port 118 and is discharged to the outside of the stirring tank 110 through the discharge pipe 109 located downstream.

[0061] In this manner, the evaporator 100 of the present invention can be used to easily separate volatile components from the raw material liquid.

[0062] As described above, the evaporation apparatus 100 of the present invention does not arrange the first and second sprinkling devices 152 and 164 that scoop up the raw material liquid side by side in the vertical direction, but rather arranges them at approximately the same height around the axis of the rotating shaft 140, and can evaporate the volatile components contained in the raw material liquid as efficiently as or more efficiently than a conventional multi-stage evaporation apparatus. On the other hand, the height of the entire evaporation apparatus can be kept low, and it can be installed in places where it was difficult to install a conventional multi-stage evaporation apparatus due to height restrictions.

[0063] (6) Other embodiments FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic diagram of another example of the evaporation device of the present invention.

[0064] The evaporation apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 5 is similar to the evaporation apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1, except that the first sprinkling device 252 and the second sprinkling device 262 constituting the sprinkling section 250 both have a trough-shaped structure.

[0065] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a gutter-shaped first sprinkling device 252 constituting the sprinkling section 250 of the evaporation apparatus 200 shown in Fig. 5. The second sprinkling device 262 shown in Fig. 5 may have a similar structure to the first sprinkling device 252, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0066] In FIG. 6, the first sprinkling device 252 is composed of a first lower end 254, a first upper end 256, and a first flow path 258 therebetween. The first flow path 258 may have a so-called half-pipe shape, such as a semi-cylindrical shape, a semi-rectangular tubular shape, or a V-shape. The length from the first lower end 254 to the second upper end 256 (i.e., the length of the first passage 258) is not necessarily limited, and an appropriate length can be selected by a person skilled in the art depending on, for example, the length selected for the second sprinkling device 262, the size of the stirring tank to be incorporated, the size of the mounting inclination angles θ1 and θ2, and the like.

[0067] 5, the materials constituting the first and second liquid-spraying devices 252 and 262 are also not particularly limited, and may include, for example, metals such as iron, stainless steel, titanium, Hastelloy, or copper; synthetic resins such as polylactic acid, polypropylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, acrylate resin, ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) resin, epoxy resin, urea resin, and Teflon (registered trademark); and combinations thereof. The first and second liquid-spraying devices 252 and 262 may also be provided with a coating known in the art to enhance chemical resistance.

[0068] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic diagram of another example of the evaporation device of the present invention.

[0069] The evaporation apparatus 300 shown in Figure 7 is similar to the evaporation apparatus 100 shown in Figure 1, except that the first dispersion device 352 constituting the dispersion section 350 has a portion bent toward the inner wall 112 of the stirring tank body 104 at a portion P of the first flow path 358.

[0070] By having such a bent portion in the first sprinkling device 352, the first upper end portion 354 can be brought closer to the inner wall 112 of the stirring tank body 104. The number of bends that can be provided in one sprinkling device is not limited to one. For example, the number of bends may be two, three, or four. Also, the sprinkling device may be curved with a predetermined curvature instead of such a bend.

[0071] As a result, the raw material liquid discharged from the first upper end portion 354 collides with the inner wall 121 in a more uniform manner, and is easily allowed to flow down on the inner wall 121. The first sprinkling device 352 is made of the same material as the first sprinkling device 152 constituting the evaporation apparatus 100 shown in FIG.

[0072] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic diagram of still another example of the evaporation device of the present invention.

[0073] The evaporation apparatus 400 shown in FIG. 8 includes a first sprinkling device 152, a second sprinkling device 162, a third sprinkling device 452, and a fourth sprinkling device 462 that constitute a sprinkling section 450 attached to the rotating shaft 140 via mounting fixtures 451 and 453. The evaporation apparatus 400 also includes an annular third storage section 416 and an annular fourth storage section 420 on the first storage section 116 and the second storage section 120. Furthermore, a second inner heating body 430 is disposed on the fourth storage section 420, and the second inner heating body 430 includes a second shielding plate 432 and a second heating means 434 disposed below the second shielding plate.

[0074] In the evaporation device 400 shown in Fig. 8, two rotating disks 472, 474 are fixed in line in the vertical direction around the axis of the rotating shaft 140. Here, the rotating disk 472 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The rotating disk 472 is designed to have a relatively thin shape, and has a flat surface 473 extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotating shaft 140. Alternatively, the rotating disk 472 may have a conical side surface that is slightly inclined from the central portion toward the circumferential portion.

[0075] The rotating disk 472 can rotate together with the rotating shaft 140. As a result, when the raw material liquid falls onto the flat surface 473 of the rotating disk 472 while the rotating shaft 140 is rotating, the raw material liquid moves on the flat surface 473 by centrifugal force and can disperse toward the outside of the rotating disk 472. In the present invention, the rotating disk 474 can also function in the same manner as the rotating disk 472.

[0076] Referring again to FIG. 8, the evaporation apparatus 400 of the present invention can be used to separate volatile components from the feed liquid as follows.

[0077] First, the raw material liquid supplied from a raw material tank (not shown) attached to the outside of the stirring tank 410 is supplied into the stirring tank main body 404 from the raw material liquid supply port 107 of the lid 102. At that time, the supplied raw material liquid falls directly onto the rotating disk 472, and when the motor 142 is rotated, the raw material liquid moves radially outward on the rotating disk 472 due to the centrifugal force accompanying the rotation of the rotating shaft 140, and after colliding with the second shielding plate 432, flows down over the second heating means 434 and is stored in the fourth storage section 420.

[0078] Meanwhile, as the rotating shaft 140 rotates, the first sprinkling device 152, the second sprinkling device 162, the third sprinkling device 452 and the fourth sprinkling device 462 constituting the sprinkling section 450 each rotate around the axis of the rotating shaft 140.

[0079] Here, in the fourth liquid-spraying device 462, the fourth lower end 464 rotates along the annular groove of the fourth storage section 420, and the raw material liquid contained in the fourth storage section 420 is scooped up from the fourth lower end 464. Next, the raw material liquid scooped up from the fourth lower end 464 moves from the bottom to the top in the fourth passage 468 by the centrifugal force accompanying the rotation of the fourth liquid-spraying device 462, and is discharged from the fourth upper end 466 toward the second shielding plate 432 of the second inner heating body 430. Thereafter, the raw material liquid flows down from the second shielding plate 432 to the second heating means 434, and the volatile components in the raw material liquid evaporate through the second heating means 434, and are discharged outside the stirring tank 410 from the volatile component outlet 106 provided in the lid body 102. On the other hand, the raw material liquid from which the volatile components have been removed further flows down through the second heating means 434 and is again stored in the fourth reservoir 420.

[0080] Furthermore, when fourth reservoir 420 is filled with the raw material liquid, the raw material liquid overflows from the upper end of fourth inner cylindrical partition portion 424 and falls into third reservoir 416 disposed below to be stored therein.

[0081] Meanwhile, the third sprinkling device 452 also rotates together with the rotating shaft 140, and the raw material liquid contained in the third storage section 416 is scooped up by the third lower end 454. Next, the raw material liquid scooped up from the third lower end 454 moves from the bottom to the top in the third passage 458 by the centrifugal force accompanying the rotation of the third sprinkling device 452, and is discharged from the third upper end 456 toward the second inner wall 412 of the mixing tank body 404. Thereafter, when the discharged raw material liquid flows down the second inner wall 412 heated by the second temperature control jacket 436, the volatile components remaining in the raw material liquid evaporate through the second inner wall 412, and are discharged to the outside of the mixing tank 410 from the volatile component outlet 106 provided in the lid 102. On the other hand, the remaining components of the raw material liquid further flow down the second inner wall 412 and are again contained in the third reservoir 416 .

[0082] Furthermore, when the third storage section 416 is filled with the raw material liquid, the raw material liquid overflows from the upper end of the third inner cylindrical partition section 418 and falls directly onto the rotating disk 474. The centrifugal force accompanying the rotation of the rotating shaft 140 causes the raw material liquid to move radially outward on the rotating disk 474, and after colliding with the shielding plate 132, it flows down over the heating means 134 and is contained in the second storage section 120.

[0083] In the evaporation apparatus 400 of the present invention, the raw material liquid contained in the second storage section 120 and / or the first storage section 116 is ejected toward the inner wall 112 of the stirring tank body 404 or the shielding plate 132 of the inner heating body 130 as the first spraying device 152 and the second spraying device 164 rotate, in a manner similar to that of the evaporation apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1, thereby promoting the evaporation of volatile components remaining in each raw material liquid.

[0084] Ultimately, the raw material liquid 108 contained in the first reservoir 116 overflows from the discharge port 118 and is discharged to the outside of the stirring tank 410 through the discharge pipe 109 located downstream.

[0085] In this manner, the evaporator 400 of the present invention can be used to easily separate volatile components from the raw material liquid.

[0086] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an evaporation system including an evaporation device of the present invention.

[0087] The evaporation system 900 of the present invention includes a raw material tank 910 that contains a raw material liquid as a raw material, the evaporation device 100 described above, a vacuum pump 920, and a condenser 930.

[0088] The raw material liquid is fed from a raw material tank 910 to the evaporator 100 through a pipe 904 by driving a pump 902. In the distillation apparatus 100, for example, an internal heater (not shown) is heated by steam (STM) supplied from a pipe 905, while the inner wall of the stirring vessel body is heated through a temperature control jacket (not shown) by steam (STM) supplied from a pipe 906. The volatile components evaporated in the evaporator 100 are supplied from a volatile component outlet of the evaporator 100 through a pipe 907 to a condenser 930, where they are cooled and then liquefied. Meanwhile, the residue (concentrate of the raw material liquid) in the first reservoir of the evaporator 100 is discharged to the outside through a pipe 908 as necessary.

[0089] The evaporation apparatus of the present invention is useful, for example, in purifying and concentrating liquids containing impurities, such as methyl esters, lactic acid, fish oils, fats and oils, glycerin, etc.; removing water, ethanol, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), hexane, toluene, acetone, ethylene glycol, etc. from chemical products, such as inks, paints, chemicals, etc.; and removing volatile impurities from monomers and polymers, etc., used in paint and resin manufacturing applications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 100,200,300,400 Evaporation device 102 Lid 104,404 Mixing tank body 106 Volatile component outlet 107 Raw material liquid supply port 108 Raw material liquid 110,410 Mixing tank 112 Inner wall 114 Bottom 116 First Reservoir 118 Outlet 119 Discharge pipe 120 Second Reservoir 122 Circular bottom part 124 Inner cylindrical bulkhead 126 Outer cylindrical bulkhead 127 Circular Groove 128 Circular Hole 130 Internal heating element 132 Shielding plate 134 Heating means 136 Temperature Control Jacket 140 Rotational Axis 142 Motor 150,250,350,450 Scattering section 152,252,352 First water-dispersing device 151,153,451,453 Fixtures 154,254,354 First lower end 156,256 First top end 158,258,358 First Channel 162,262,362 Second dispersing device 164 Second Lower End 166 Second upper end 168 Second Stream 412 Second Inner Wall 416 Third Reservoir 418 Third inner cylindrical partition 420 4th Reservoir 430 Second inner heating element 432 Second Shield 434 Second Heating Means 436 Second temperature control jacket 452 Third Sprinkler Device 454 Third Lower End 456 Third Top End 458 Third Passage 462 Fourth Sprinkling Device 464 4th Lower End 466 Fourth Upper End 468 Fourth Passage 472,474 Rotating disc 900 Evaporation System 902 Pump 904,905,906,907,908 tube 910 Raw material tank 920 Vacuum Pump 930 Condenser

Claims

1. a stirring vessel including a lid, a heatable stirring vessel body, and a volatile component outlet, into which a raw material liquid is supplied; A rotating shaft disposed vertically in the mixing vessel; a dispersion unit attached to the rotating shaft and dispersing the raw material liquid into the mixing tank; An evaporation device comprising: The stirring tank comprises: a first reservoir disposed at the bottom of the agitation tank body and capable of accommodating the raw material liquid that has flowed down from the inner wall of the agitation tank body; a second storage section that is disposed in the stirring tank body above the first storage section and annularly around the axis of the rotation shaft, and that is capable of storing the raw material liquid that has flowed down from an internal heating body provided in the stirring tank body; and The liquid dispersion unit is At least one first liquid-spraying device having a first flow path that absorbs the raw material liquid stored in the first storage section from a first lower end and discharges it from a first upper end as the rotating shaft rotates; at least one second liquid-spraying device having a second flow path for absorbing the raw material liquid stored in the second storage section from a second lower end and discharging it from a second upper end as the rotating shaft rotates; An evaporation device comprising:

2. The evaporation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sprinkling devices each independently have a cylindrical or trough shape.

3. The evaporation apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first and second sprinkling devices are independently mounted at an angle to the rotation axis.

4. The first upper end of the first liquid sprinkling device is disposed so as to spout the raw material liquid absorbed from the first lower end toward the inner wall of the agitation tank body, and The evaporation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second upper end of the second liquid-spraying device is arranged to discharge the raw material liquid absorbed from the second lower end toward the internal heating body.

5. The evaporation apparatus described in claim 4, wherein the internal heating body comprises a shielding section that shields the raw material liquid discharged from the second upper end portion constituting the second liquid spraying device and allows it to flow down as it is, and a heating means that is provided below the shielding section and heats the raw material liquid that flows down from the shielding section.

6. The evaporation apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a temperature control jacket provided around the outer periphery of the stirring vessel body for heating the inner wall.

7. A raw material tank containing a raw material liquid; an evaporation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which treats the raw material liquid supplied from the raw material tank; a condenser for condensing the volatile components discharged from a volatile component outlet of the evaporator; An evaporation system comprising:

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