Compressed pneumatic circuit structure

Abstract

To provide a compressed pneumatic circuit structure which sprays washing water to compressed air containing foreign matter, combines foreign matter with moisture so as to remove foreign matter from the compressed air, separates foreign matter from the washing water containing foreign matter, and reuses the washing water.SOLUTION: A compressed pneumatic circuit structure with a foreign matter removal function in compressed air includes spray units 2 on a rear stage of an air compressor 9 and a front stage of an air dryer 3, respectively. Each of spray units has a spray tank 10 having a hollow section, a separation tank 20 which removes foreign matter of washing water and supplies purified washing water to a pump, and the pump which supplies the purified washing water to a spray nozzle 12. The spray tank has a discharge port 11 for discharging the compressed air supplied from the front stage through a ventilation pipe, an air supply port which has the spray nozzle incorporated therein so as to spray the washing water in a mist state toward the compressed air discharged from the discharge port and feeds out the compressed air after the washing water is sprayed to the rear stage through the ventilation pipe, and an exhaust port 14 which discharges contaminated washing water to the separation tank.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a compressed air pressure circuit, and more particularly to a technique for removing foreign matter from compressed air in a compressed air pressure circuit. [Background technology]

[0002] Compressed air generated by an air compressor contains foreign matter such as dust, oil mist, etc. Conventionally, in order to separate and remove such foreign matter from compressed air, it has been common to use mist filters made of woven glass fiber or resin or made of hollow fiber membranes at a certain intermediate point in the compressed air circuit, especially at the terminal point.

[0003] However, the above-mentioned conventional mist filters have problems such as being easily clogged with oil droplets and sludge, and the above-mentioned conventional mist filters have problems such as being unable to completely remove the oil mist because the distance that the compressed air has to pass is short, and the compressed air is discharged with a large amount of oil mist remaining.

[0004] Therefore, the applicant developed a technology for removing oil mist and dust in compressed air by providing a spray unit downstream of the air compressor, and proposed the technology described in Patent Publication No. 7253839 (Patent Document 1). According to this technical proposal, a spray unit that sprays water sent from a water supply device is provided downstream of the air compressor, and the mist of water is combined with the oil mist and dust in the compressed air to purify the compressed air, which is an excellent effect.

[0005] However, according to the technical proposal in the above Patent Document 1, although it is useful for the purpose of removing foreign matter from compressed air, the water sprayed by the spray unit is removed from the compressed air by a cyclone separator or the like after combining with the foreign matter, and then is discharged outside the device as drain. Therefore, it was necessary to constantly supply new water for spraying while the air compressor was operating.

[0006] The applicant focused on the water supply method in conventional spray units as described above, and came up with the idea of ​​reusing the water discharged from the spray unit as water for spraying. He developed a structure in which foreign matter is removed from the compressed air, water recovered from the spray unit is sent to a separation tank to separate the foreign matter, and the water is then re-flowed into the spray unit as water for spraying, which has led to the proposal of the "compressed air pressure circuit structure" of the present invention. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7253839 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a compressed air pressure circuit structure in which cleaning water is sprayed onto compressed air containing foreign matter, thereby binding the foreign matter with the moisture and removing the foreign matter from the compressed air, and also in which the foreign matter is separated from the cleaning water containing the foreign matter and reused as cleaning water to be sprayed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a compressed air pressure circuit structure having a function of removing foreign matter from compressed air, in which compressed air generated by an air compressor is sent through a ventilation pipe, and which is provided with a spray unit at a predetermined intermediate location downstream of the air compressor and upstream of an air dryer. The spray unit is composed of a spray tank having a hollow portion, a separation tank that removes foreign matter contained in contaminated cleaning water and supplies the purified cleaning water to the pump, and a pump that supplies the purified cleaning water to the spray nozzle. The spray tank has a discharge port that discharges the compressed air sent from the upstream stage through the ventilation pipe, and a spray nozzle that sprays cleaning water in a mist toward the compressed air discharged from the discharge port, and is provided with an air supply port that sends the compressed air after the cleaning water has been sprayed to the downstream stage through the ventilation pipe, and a discharge port that discharges the contaminated cleaning water to the separation tank.

[0010] The present invention also employs a means in which the separation tank comprises two chambers, a foreign matter removal tank and a storage tank.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means for introducing wash water and contaminated wash water into the separation tank, and for providing a level gauge for visually observing the inside of the tank from the outside.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means in which the washing water comprises fresh water and a neutral detergent.

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means in which a cyclone separator is provided downstream of the spray unit.

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means in which a foreign matter removing zone is provided in the hollow portion of the spray tank.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means in which the foreign matter removal zone is made of stainless steel and formed into a steel wool shape. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the compressed air pressure circuit structure of the present invention, foreign matter contained in contaminated cleaning water is removed to produce purified cleaning water, and this is reused as the cleaning water to be sprayed from the spray nozzle, thereby contributing to a reduction in the amount of pollutants emitted and achieving a reduction in the amount of cleaning water used to clean the compressed air.

[0017] Furthermore, according to the compressed air circuit structure of the present invention, the separation tank has a two-chamber structure consisting of a foreign matter removal tank and a storage tank, which makes it possible to flow purified cleaning water into the storage tank while leaving the foreign matter separated from the contaminated cleaning water stored in the foreign matter removal tank, thereby providing the excellent effect of preventing foreign matter from becoming mixed into the cleaning water flowing into the spray unit by the pump.

[0018] Furthermore, the compressed air circuit structure of the present invention is provided with a level gauge that allows the inside of the separation tank to be visually observed from the outside, making it easy to visually check the level of contamination of the wash water stored in the tank and the amount of wash water, which has the excellent effect of helping to understand the operating status of the separation tank, the timing of disposing of retained foreign matter, and the necessary work in the separation tank, such as adding additional wash water.

[0019] Furthermore, according to the compressed air pressure circuit structure of the present invention, the cleaning water consists of clean water and neutral detergent, which has the excellent effect of preventing deterioration and corrosion of the spray unit, downstream equipment, piping, etc. due to contact with or inclusion of the cleaning water, and also contributing to the safety of compressed air.

[0020] Furthermore, according to the compressed air pressure circuit structure of the present invention, by arranging a cyclone separator downstream of the spray unit, it is possible to remove the combination of moisture and foreign matter that has not been completely removed in the spray unit in the cyclone separator, and it is possible to supply purified compressed air to downstream equipment such as an air dryer, providing the excellent effect of:

[0021] Furthermore, according to the compressed air pressure circuit structure of the present invention, a foreign matter removal zone is provided in the hollow portion of the spray tank, so that the mist of cleaning water comes into contact with the foreign matter removal zone and adheres to the surface of the foreign matter removal zone, making it easier for the cleaning water to remain in the hollow portion of the spray tank and facilitating contact between the compressed air passing through the foreign matter removal zone and the cleaning water, thereby providing the excellent effect of improving the efficiency of foreign matter removal from the compressed air. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a compressed air pressure circuit structure according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of a compressed air pressure circuit structure according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The greatest feature of the compressed air pressure circuit structure of the present invention is that cleaning water is sprayed from a spray nozzle into the compressed air to remove foreign matter in the compressed air, and the contaminated cleaning water is recovered and returned to purified cleaning water by removing the foreign matter, thereby reusing the purified cleaning water as the cleaning water to be sprayed from the spray nozzle. Hereinafter, an embodiment of a compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] The compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 according to the present invention is not particularly limited to the embodiment described below, and can be modified as appropriate within the technical scope of the present invention, i.e., within the range of shapes, dimensions, materials, etc. that can achieve the same functional effects.

[0025] Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 according to the present invention. The compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 according to the present invention comprises at least an air compressor 9, a spray unit 2, a separation tank 20, a pump 30, and an air dryer 3. Compressed air generated by the air compressor 9 flows into the spray unit 2, and foreign matter contained in the compressed air is combined with and separated from the cleaning water, and then sent to the air dryer 3, where it is dried to be supplied to downstream equipment using compressed air as clean and dry compressed air. In addition, the cleaning water that has combined with foreign matter in the spray unit 2 and is contaminated passes through the separation tank 20 to separate the foreign matter and be purified, and then sent to the spray unit 2 by the pump 30 to be used again as cleaning water.

[0026] First, the air compressor 9 that generates compressed air will be described. The air compressor 9 draws in atmospheric air from an air intake port, boosts the pressure to a specified level (for example, 0.7 MPa), and compresses it. The atmosphere contains water vapor and foreign matter (dust, sludge, microorganisms, nitrogen oxides, oil mist, etc.), and if an oil-lubricated air compressor 9 is used, a large amount of oil mist will be mixed into the compressed air.

[0027] The ventilation pipe 4 is a hollow tube for supplying compressed air, and is a pipe that allows the compressed air to flow from the air compressor 9 through the spray unit 2 to the downstream air dryer 3 and from the air dryer 3 to the downstream stage. The material of the ventilation pipe 4 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a substantially rigid material made mainly of a metal material such as copper or iron, or a substantially flexible material such as a resin pipe made of rubber, polyethylene, or PVC, or a fiber pipe made of a carbon material or glass material. The same applies to the material of the cleaning water pipe 5 described later.

[0028] The spray unit 2 is a unit for spraying a mist of cleaning water toward compressed air to combine with foreign matter, and is mainly composed of a spray tank 10, an outlet 11 for discharging compressed air into the tank, a spray nozzle 12 for spraying cleaning water into the tank, an air supply port 13 for sending compressed air to the subsequent stage, and an outlet 14 for discharging the cleaning water accumulated in the tank. The spray unit 2 separates and removes foreign matter from the compressed air that flows in through the ventilation pipe 4a, and then sends the air to the subsequent stage through the ventilation pipe 4b, and also sprays cleaning water that flows in through the cleaning water pipe 5c to combine with the foreign matter in the compressed air, and then discharges the water into the separation tank 20 through the cleaning water pipe 5a.

[0029] The spray tank 10 is composed of a hollow cylindrical body with closed top and bottom, and is disposed at a predetermined intermediate position downstream of the air compressor 9 and upstream of the air dryer 3. The compressed air generated by the air compressor 9 is fed through the ventilation pipe 4a, and compressed air is fed to the downstream air dryer 3 through the ventilation pipe 4b. For this reason, the spray tank 10 is provided with a built-in discharge port 11 for discharging the fed compressed air, and an air feed port 13 for sending the compressed air to the downstream. In addition, in consideration of promoting the bonding of foreign matter in the compressed air with the cleaning water, it is preferable that the discharge port 11 is disposed opposite the spray nozzle 12 described later with a predetermined interval therebetween.

[0030] It is desirable that the compressed air sent from the air compressor 9 be discharged upward inside the spray tank 10, and therefore it is preferable that the discharge port 11 be oriented upward as shown in the figure. Furthermore, contaminated cleaning water (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "contaminated water") formed by combining foreign matter in the compressed air with the cleaning water sprayed from the spray nozzle 12 will accumulate in the lower area of ​​the spray tank 10, but in order to prevent the discharge port 11 from being submerged in the contaminated water, it is necessary to provide a predetermined gap below the discharge port 11 in the tank. Therefore, the discharge port 11 needs to be disposed at a height position that will not be submerged. Furthermore, it is preferable that the air supply port 13 be provided in the upper area of ​​the spray tank 10 so that contaminated water accumulated in the spray tank 10 is not sent to the subsequent stage together with the compressed air.

[0031] The spray nozzle 12 is a nozzle built into the spray tank 10 for spraying a mist of cleaning water toward the compressed air discharged from the discharge port 11. The spray nozzle 12 sprays cleaning water supplied from a pump 30 (described later) via a cleaning water pipe 5c, thereby combining foreign matter in the compressed air in the spray tank 10 with the sprayed cleaning water. The shape and structure of the spray nozzle 12 are appropriately determined in consideration of the amount of water and particle size when spraying, and are not particularly limited, but a mode in which the spray nozzle 12 can spray while spreading radially downward so that the cleaning water comes into contact with the compressed air widely is preferable. Regarding the direction and arrangement of the spray nozzle 12, in consideration of promoting the bonding between the foreign matter in the compressed air and the cleaning water, a mode in which the spray nozzle 12 is arranged opposite the discharge port 11 with a predetermined distance therebetween is preferable, and if the discharge port 11 is arranged facing upward as shown in the figure, the spray nozzle 12 is arranged facing downward. In this mode, the cleaning water from the spray nozzle 12 is sprayed downward against the compressed air discharged upward from the discharge port 11, and the foreign matter and the cleaning water collide with each other to promote bonding between them.

[0032] As shown in another embodiment in Figure 2, it is also preferable to provide a foreign matter removal zone 15 at a predetermined central location within the spray tank 10, which can contact the cleaning water sprayed from the spray nozzle 12 above and through which compressed air discharged from below can pass. By adopting this embodiment, the sprayed cleaning water adheres to the surface of the foreign matter removal zone 15 upon contact with the zone, making it easier for the cleaning water to remain in the hollow portion of the spray tank, increasing the opportunity for the cleaning water to come into contact with the compressed air passing through the zone 15, and improving the efficiency of removing foreign matter contained in the compressed air. The foreign matter removal zone 15 is made of fibrous materials intertwined in a complex manner, and is provided in the vicinity of the approximate center of the discharge port 11 and the spray nozzle 12, as shown in Fig. 2. There are no particular limitations on the material, shape, or thickness of the foreign matter removal zone 15, and it may be made of a structure in which multiple sheets of nonwoven fabric made of chemical fibers or glass fibers are laminated, or a structure in which multiple sheets of scrubbing brush-shaped or nonwoven fabric-shaped metal materials are laminated. In addition, since the foreign matter removal zone 15 is constantly subjected to pressure from compressed air and cleaning water adheres to it, when a metal material is used, it is also preferable to form the foreign matter removal zone 15 from a material such as stainless steel, which is strong and highly corrosion-resistant, in the shape of steel wool.

[0033] The air supply port 13 is provided at the upper part of the spray tank 10, and is connected to the ventilation pipe 4b to supply compressed air to the subsequent stage. There is no particular limitation on the installation position of the air supply port 13, but for example, as shown in Fig. 1, if the discharge port 11 is disposed at approximately the center of the lower part of the spray tank 10, the air supply port 13 is disposed at approximately the center of the top surface of the spray tank 10. In the spray tank 10, the purified compressed air after the cleaning water sprayed from the spray nozzle 12 is sufficiently combined with the foreign matter is sent from the air supply port 13 to the subsequent stage via the ventilation pipe 4b. In addition, there is no particular limitation on the diameter of the air supply port 13, but by setting it to, for example, approximately the same diameter as the caliber of the discharge port 11, it is possible to supply air to the ventilation pipe 4b without causing pressure loss in the compressed air flowing into the spray tank 10.

[0034] The discharge port 14 is provided at a predetermined position below the spray tank 10, and discharges the contaminated water in the tank through the cleaning water piping 5a to the separation tank 20. The cleaning water sprayed from the spray nozzle 12 combines with foreign matter in the compressed air and is then stored as contaminated water below the tank. The discharge port 14 discharges the contaminated water. The location of the outlet 14 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the outlet 14 be provided at the very bottom of the spray tank 10 in order to discharge contaminated water stored below the spray tank 10. There is also no particular limitation on the diameter of the outlet 14, but it is desirable for the diameter to be large enough to smoothly discharge at least the amount of cleaning water sprayed from the spray nozzle 12 so that the accumulated contaminated water does not submerge the discharge outlet 11.

[0035] It is also preferable to provide a drain trap 7 at a predetermined location of the cleaning water pipe 5a connected to the discharge port 14. By providing the drain trap 7, it is possible to prevent leakage of compressed air, to discharge only the contaminated water discharged from the discharge port 14 into the separation tank 20, and to prevent the compressed air that has flowed in from the discharge port 14 together with the contaminated water from flowing into the separation tank 20. The type of drain trap is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, an electromagnetic type, a float type, a disk type, or the like.

[0036] The separation tank 20 separates foreign matter from the contaminated water, purifies the water, and discharges the purified washing water to the pump 30. The separation tank 20 receives the contaminated water discharged from the discharge port 14 of the spray tank 10 through the inlet 22 and the cleaning water piping 5a, separates and removes foreign matter from the contaminated water, and then discharges the purified cleaning water from the outlet 22 to the pump 30 through the cleaning water piping 5b. The specific structure of the separation tank 20 is not particularly limited, and any structure capable of separating and removing only foreign matter from the contaminated water in which the foreign matter and the cleaning water are combined may be used. For example, although not shown, a mode is conceivable in which the contaminated water is passed through an oil filter, a dust filter, or the like to separate the foreign matter, and the purified cleaning water is stored in the separation tank 20. Alternatively, as shown in the figure, a mode is conceivable in which the separation tank 20 is divided into a two-chamber structure of a foreign matter separation tank 23 and a storage tank 24 by a partition plate 25 that penetrates from the top surface to the bottom surface of the separation tank 20, which is a single tank, and divides the tank. By adopting such a mode, the contaminated water discharged from the discharge port 14 is temporarily stored in the foreign matter separation tank 23, and the foreign matter contained in the contaminated water floats and sinks in the water due to its density, and the foreign matter is separated by being released from the cleaning water, and the contaminated water is purified. For example, oil with a low density rises toward the water surface, and dust with a high density sinks toward the water bottom. Thereafter, by means of a suction pipe 26 penetrating the partition plate 25, only the cleaning water from which foreign matter has been separated and purified flows into the storage tank 24, where it is stored.

[0037] The inlet 21 allows the contaminated water discharged from the spray tank 10 to flow into the separation tank 20 via the cleaning water piping 5a. There is no particular limitation on the location where the inlet 21 is installed, but in the case of an embodiment in which the foreign matter separation tank 23 shown in Fig. 1 is installed, it is preferable to install the inlet 21 on the upper side or top surface of the foreign matter separation tank 23, or at least above the water level of the stored contaminated water. By adopting such an embodiment, it is possible to prevent the contaminated water from flowing back from inside the foreign matter separation tank 23.

[0038] The outlet 22 allows the cleaning water purified in the separation tank 20 to flow out to the pump 30 via the cleaning water pipe 5b. There is no particular limitation on the location where the outlet 22 is installed, but in the case where the storage tank 24 is provided as shown in Fig. 1, it is preferable to install the outlet 22 below the approximate center of the side surface of the storage tank 24, at least below the surface of the stored cleaning water. By adopting such an embodiment, it becomes possible to cause only the cleaning water stored in the storage tank 24 to flow out to the pump 30.

[0039] When the illustrated embodiment is adopted, a suction pipe 26, which allows the cleaning water from which foreign matter has been separated in the foreign matter separation tank 23 to flow into the storage tank 24, is provided so as to penetrate the partition plate 25 which is the boundary between the foreign matter separation tank 23 and the storage tank 24. The shape of the suction pipe 26 is not particularly limited as long as it is possible to cause the clean wash water stored in the foreign matter separation tank 23 to flow into the storage tank 24, and may be formed, for example, in an inverted L shape as shown in the drawing. This embodiment makes it possible for the wash water present below the water surface of the wash water stored in the foreign matter separation tank 23 to flow into the suction pipe 26, and the clean wash water can be discharged to the pump 30 without being mixed with foreign matter such as oil floating on the water surface of the foreign matter separation tank 23 or dust remaining on the water bottom, thereby achieving the excellent effect of realizing the circulation of the wash water.

[0040] The cleaning water inlet 27 is used to replenish the cleaning water that has been sent from the air supply port 13 to the rear stage of the spray tank 10 due to the combination of compressed air and cleaning water, and is a water source that supplies unused cleaning water to the separation tank 20. The cleaning water supplied by the cleaning water inlet 27 is not particularly limited, and in addition to water supplied from an existing water facility, a mixture of clean water and a neutral detergent is also suitable. By mixing a neutral detergent, it becomes easy to separate oil mist, which is difficult to combine with water, from the compressed air, and it has the excellent effects of preventing deterioration and corrosion caused by the cleaning water coming into contact with the spray unit 2 and other equipment and piping, and ensuring the safety of the compressed air.

[0041] There is no particular limitation on the location of the cleaning water inlet 27, but a location where the cleaning water is stored after the separation of foreign matter by the separation tank 20, where clean cleaning water can flow into the spray tank 10, is preferable. For example, when the separation tank 20 adopts a two-chamber structure as shown in the figure, a mode in which the cleaning water inlet 27 is installed in the storage tank 24 is preferable. In this case, a mode in which the cleaning water inlet 27 is provided on the top surface or upper part of the storage tank 24 so that the cleaning water stored in the storage tank 24 does not flow back into the cleaning water inlet 27 is preferable. In addition, by providing an automatic or manual adjustment valve 28 that can adjust the amount of water input from the cleaning water inlet 27 at the connection point between the cleaning water inlet 27 and the storage tank 24, it contributes to a stable supply of cleaning water to the pump 30. Furthermore, although not shown, a mode in which a check valve that prevents backflow of cleaning water or compressed air from the storage tank 24 side is provided is also conceivable.

[0042] In the separation tank 20, a nozzle 8 as shown in the figure is provided at a predetermined position in the foreign matter separation tank 23 and the storage tank 24 to adjust the water level in each tank. In this case, there is no particular limitation on the installation position of the nozzle 8, but by providing it near the lower part of the side of each tank as shown in the figure, it becomes possible to discharge foreign matter that has settled at the bottom to the outside in conjunction with the adjustment of the water level in the tank.

[0043] Although not shown, a suitable embodiment is one in which measuring instruments such as a water level sensor and a level gauge are provided in the separation tank 20 when opening and closing the cleaning water inlet 27, the adjustment valve 28, and the nozzle 8, and the opening and closing operations are performed automatically in conjunction with the measurement results. When adopting such an embodiment, it is sufficient to use a conventionally known measuring instrument, and there is no particular limitation on the type of measuring instrument selected for each opening and closing operation, such as using a water level sensor to open and close the adjustment valve 28 and using a level gauge to open and close the nozzle 8. Furthermore, when a level gauge is used in such an embodiment, by using a graduated tube-type level gauge, the degree of contamination in the relevant tank can be visually observed from the outside, which contributes to maintaining the quality of the cleaning water, such as discovering abnormalities in the tank and determining the timing of maintenance.

[0044] The pump 30 sucks in the cleaning water purified by the upstream separation tank 20 via the cleaning water pipe 5b, and sends it out toward the spray tank 10 via the cleaning water pipe 5c. There are no particular limitations on the discharge rate or shape of the pump 30, and any conventionally known technology may be used. There are also no limitations on the installation location of the pump 30, and for example, the pump 30 may be installed in the vicinity of the separation tank 20 as shown in the figure.

[0045] The compressed air flowing out of the spray tank 10 has increased humidity due to the cleaning water sprayed inside the tank, and the compressed air needs to be dried. For this reason, an air dryer 3 is provided downstream of the spray tank 10 as shown in the figure. The air dryer 3 is a device for drying compressed air to remove moisture, and there are refrigeration types, hollow fiber membrane types, adsorption types, etc., depending on the moisture removal method. The air dryer 3 used in the present invention may be any of the refrigeration types, hollow fiber membrane types, and adsorption types, and is not particularly limited, but the most commonly used is the refrigeration type air dryer 3. The refrigeration type air dryer 3 is a device for cooling compressed air and condensing and removing contained moisture by utilizing the latent heat of evaporation of a refrigerant, and is preferable because it can be introduced relatively inexpensively.

[0046] Most of the cleaning water that has come into contact with the compressed air in the spray tank 10 and combined with foreign matter falls downward due to its own mass, or hangs down due to gravity after hitting the inner wall of the spray tank 10, and is stored as contaminated water in the lower area of ​​the spray tank 10. However, some of it remains in the compressed air and is sent out from the air supply port 13 of the spray tank 10, proceeds through the ventilation pipe 4b, and flows into the air dryer 3. For this reason, as shown in Figure 1, it is also preferable to provide a cyclone separator 6 at a predetermined position of the ventilation pipe 4b connecting the spray tank 10 and the air dryer 3, and to separate and remove the cleaning water combined with foreign matter in advance. By adopting this configuration, the compressed air that flows into the cyclone separator 6 through the ventilation pipe 4b undergoes high-speed rotational motion within the housing, and the wash water combined with the foreign matter due to centrifugal force is slammed against the inner wall of the housing and drops, and only the compressed air from which the foreign matter and wash water have been separated and removed is sent out from the exhaust port via the cartridge provided in the center, and flows into the air dryer 3 through the ventilation pipe 4c.

[0047] Although not shown, the air dryer 3 and the cyclone separator 6 are naturally equipped with a drain discharge structure using piping, a drain trap, etc., that can discharge the separated and removed cleaning water and foreign matter (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "drain, etc.") to the outside. The drain discharge structure is disposed below the air dryer 3 and the cyclone separator 6, and discharges the drainage accumulated at the bottom of each device to the outside. The type of drain trap is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, an electromagnetic type, a float type, or a disk type.

[0048] The main operations and functions of the compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 configured as above will be described with reference to FIG. First, the flow of compressed air in the compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 will be described. First, compressed air is generated by the air compressor 9, and is discharged from the outlet 11 into the spray tank 10 through the ventilation pipe 4a extending from the air compressor 9 to the spray tank 10. The compressed air at this time contains dust and water vapor from the atmosphere. Then, mist-like cleaning water is sprayed from the spray nozzle 12 onto the compressed air discharged into the spray tank 10, and foreign matter in the compressed air combines with the sprayed cleaning water.

[0049] Most of the cleaning water combined with the foreign matter falls downward due to its own mass, or hangs down due to gravity after hitting the inner wall of the spray tank 10 and is stored as contaminated water in the lower area of ​​the spray tank 10, but a part of it remains in the compressed air and is sent out from the air supply port 13 of the spray tank 10, proceeds through the ventilation pipe 4b, and flows into the cyclone separator 6. The compressed air that flows into the cyclone separator 6 rotates at high speed inside the housing, and the cleaning water combined with the foreign matter is struck against the inner wall of the housing by centrifugal force and falls, and only the compressed air from which the foreign matter and cleaning water have been separated and removed is sent out from the exhaust port via a cartridge provided in the center.

[0050] The compressed air sent out from the cyclone separator 6 flows into the air dryer 3 via the ventilation pipe 4c. At this time, the compressed air is in a nearly clean state with foreign matter having been removed by the preceding cyclone separator 6, but since the relative humidity of the air is high due to the cleaning water sprayed from the spray nozzle 12, the compressed air is dried in the air dryer 3 to remove contained moisture. The dried compressed air from which moisture has been removed is sent from the air dryer 3 to the ventilation pipe 4d and flows out to the equipment that uses compressed air, which is connected in the subsequent stage.

[0051] Next, the flow of cleaning water in the compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 will be described. The cleaning water that flows into the spray unit 2 is sprayed from the spray nozzle 12 and combines with foreign matter contained in the compressed air discharged from the discharge port 11, and then falls downward due to its own mass, or hangs down due to gravity after hitting the inner wall of the spray tank 10, is stored in the lower area of ​​the spray tank 10, and flows into the foreign matter separation tank 23 from the discharge port 14 via the cleaning water piping 5a.

[0052] The contaminated water that flows into and is stored in the foreign matter separation tank 23 floats and sinks depending on the density of the bound foreign matter, and the bound matter breaks, and the water is separated into the foreign matter and the cleaning water. The cleaning water from which the foreign matter has been separated flows into the storage tank 24 through the suction pipe 26 provided through the partition plate 25, and is stored while merging with the cleaning water replenished from the cleaning water inlet 27. The cleaning water stored in the storage tank 24 flows into the pump 30 through the cleaning water piping 5b by the suction force of the pump 30, and then flows under pressure through the cleaning water piping 5c ​​and is sent to the spray nozzle 12, where it is sprayed again into the spray tank 10.

[0053] Although the embodiment of the compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 according to the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, a dust filter may be provided in front of the separation tank 20 to prevent dust from being contained in the cleaning water even when contaminated water containing a large amount of dust is discharged from the spray tank 10. In addition, various devices such as an air filter may be disposed between the air compressor 9 and the spray unit 2, or between the spray unit 2 and the air dryer 3, as necessary.

[0054] As described above, according to the compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 of the present invention, the spray unit 2 is configured by the spray tank 10 incorporating the discharge port 11 for discharging compressed air and the spray nozzle 12 for spraying cleaning water in a mist, the separation tank 20 for separating foreign matter from contaminated water in which the foreign matter has been combined, and the pump 30 for sending the cleaning water into the spray tank 10. This makes it possible to combine foreign matter contained in the compressed air with the sprayed cleaning water to separate and remove it, while circulating the cleaning water from which the foreign matter has been separated from the contaminated water and reusing it as cleaning water again, thereby making it possible to provide a compressed air pressure circuit structure that contributes to the generation of clean compressed air and can reduce consumption by reusing the cleaning water used to purify the compressed air. [Industrial Applicability]

[0055] The present invention combines foreign matter in compressed air with mist-like cleaning water, making it easier to separate and remove the foreign matter, and by separating and removing the foreign matter from cleaning water contaminated by the foreign matter, it also makes it possible to recycle and reuse the cleaning water, which contributes to the generation of clean compressed air and to the reduction of cleaning water used to purify compressed air. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to a specific field and can be used in compressed air circuits in all fields, and the "compressed air circuit structure" of the present invention has great industrial applicability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1 Compressed air pressure circuit structure 2 Spray unit 3. Air dryer 4. Ventilation piping 4a Ventilation pipe 4b Ventilation pipe 4c Ventilation pipe 4d Ventilation pipe 5. Cleaning water piping 5a Cleaning water piping 5b Cleaning water piping 5c Cleaning water piping 5d Cleaning water piping 6. Cyclone separator 7 Drain Trap 8 Nozzles 9. Air Compressor 10 Spray Tank 11 Discharge port 12 Spray nozzle 13 Air outlet 14 Outlet 15 Foreign body removal zone 20 Separation tank 21 Inlet 22 Outlet 23 Foreign matter separation tank 24 Reservoir 25 Partition 26 Suction pipe 27 Cleaning water inlet 28 Adjustment valve 30 Pump

Claims

1. A compressed air pressure circuit structure having a function of removing foreign matter from compressed air, In a compressed air circuit in which compressed air generated by an air compressor is sent through a ventilation pipe, The spray unit is provided at a predetermined intermediate position downstream of the air compressor and upstream of the air dryer, The spray unit is composed of a spray tank having a hollow portion, a separation tank for removing foreign matter contained in contaminated cleaning water and supplying the purified cleaning water to the pump, and a pump for supplying the purified cleaning water to the spray nozzle. A compressed air pressure circuit structure characterized in that the spray tank has a discharge port that discharges compressed air supplied from a previous stage through an air vent pipe, and a spray nozzle that sprays cleaning water in a mist toward the compressed air discharged from the discharge port, and is also equipped with an air supply port that sends the compressed air after the cleaning water has been sprayed to the subsequent stage through the air vent pipe, and a discharge port that discharges contaminated cleaning water into a separation tank.

2. 2. The compressed air circuit structure according to claim 1, wherein the separation tank comprises two chambers, a foreign matter removal tank and a storage tank.

3. 2. The compressed air pressure circuit structure according to claim 1, wherein the separation tank is charged with cleaning water and contaminated cleaning water, and has a level gauge for visually observing the inside of the tank from the outside.

4. 2. The compressed air circuit structure according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning water is made of fresh water and a neutral detergent.

5. 2. The compressed air circuit structure according to claim 1, further comprising a cyclone separator disposed downstream of the spray unit.

6. 2. The compressed air circuit structure according to claim 1, wherein a foreign matter removing zone is provided in the hollow portion of the spray tank.

7. 7. The compressed air circuit structure according to claim 6, wherein the foreign matter removing zone is made of stainless steel and formed into a steel wool shape.

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