Solid-liquid centrifugal classification device

Abstract

To provide a solid-liquid centrifugal classification device that may improve processing capacity such as accuracy of classification and dramatic reduction of processing time.SOLUTION: A solid-liquid centrifugal classification device for classifying to a solid matter and liquid with centrifugal force inside a rotary cylinder part and individually collecting the classified solid matter and liquid includes: a hollow rotary cylinder part 1 of which both ends are open in a rotary shaft direction; a fluid to be treated supply part 31 for supplying a fluid to be treated from above the rotary cylinder part 1; and an impeller part 43 installed so as to be rotatable on one open port 5 of the rotary cylinder part 1 and providing initial centrifugal force to the fluid to be treated that is supplied from the fluid to be treated supply part 31 to transport the fluid to be treated into the rotary cylinder part 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a solid-liquid centrifugal classification device capable of classifying solids and liquids by centrifugal force. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in the recent years, the demand for smartphones and electronic devices equipped with artificial intelligence has been increasing, and the electronic components used inside are becoming denser and more integrated to meet the needs for miniaturization and high performance. This demand for electronic materials used for high density and high integration also requires miniaturization and homogenization at the material particle level.

[0003] Since the material particles of electronic materials are, for example, submicron size (less than 1 μm), wet classification by centrifugal separation is also an effective method. However, since the particles separated and precipitated in a high centrifugal field tend to become solid matter with a certain degree of hardness, conventional centrifuges cannot automatically discharge them due to their structure, and from the viewpoint of productivity, there is a growing need for a device that can achieve high-precision wet classification while also having an automatic discharge function.

[0004] As a solid-liquid centrifugal classifier, for example, a solid-liquid centrifugal classifier is disclosed in Patent Document 1, and this type of classifier is almost always used at present. The device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has four rectangular fins arranged in a cross shape in a plan view that rotate in sync with a rotating cylindrical portion, the fins being mounted inside a rotating cylindrical portion that is rotatable around a vertical axis. The fluid to be treated is supplied vertically from below the rotating tubular section, and is rotated by the centrifugal force of the rapidly rotating tubular section and fins, and is separated into solids and liquid while being sent to the top of the tubular section against gravity. At this time, a difference in centrifugal force occurs due to the difference in specific gravity between the solids and the liquid, and solids with a relatively high specific gravity adhere to the inner surface of the rotating tubular section, while liquids with a relatively low specific gravity are recovered to the outside from the rotating tubular section. In other words, particles with a large particle size are pressed against and adhere to the inner surface of the tubular section. On the other hand, liquids containing fine particles are recovered from the upper part of the tubular section. After the liquid is recovered, the solids adhering to the inner surface of the rotating tubular section are scraped off and recovered.

[0005] However, in the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, centrifugal force acts on the fluid to be treated after it is supplied into the rotating cylinder section, resulting in poor processing efficiency and making it impossible to achieve the expected classification, i.e., separating particles with particle sizes greater than 100 nm from those with particle sizes smaller than that, and therefore unable to provide something that could meet the needs. Furthermore, if the rotating cylinder is enlarged, the time for which centrifugal force is applied to the treated fluid will be longer, making it possible to classify the particles into smaller particle sizes than desired. However, if the rotating cylinder is enlarged, the high speed rotation of the rotating cylinder at 20,000 rpm will cause severe wear to the bearings and other parts, drastically shortening its lifespan, so enlarging the rotating cylinder is not recommended.

[0006] In addition, in the solid-liquid centrifugal classification device of Patent Document 1, the fins are installed inside the rotating cylinder as described above, and the solid matter cannot be collected in this state. Therefore, first, a disassembly work is required to remove the fins from inside the rotating cylinder. To briefly explain this work process, the rotating cylinder is removed from the main body of the device, the removed rotating cylinder is placed on a predetermined installation stand, and the fins are removed from inside the cylinder. Then, after the fins are removed, a predetermined scraping tool is inserted into the rotating cylinder to scrape out and collect all the solid matter attached to the inner surface of the cylinder. Since solid matter is often attached to the removed fins, all the solid matter attached to the fins is also collected. Then, after the solid matter collection work is completed, the inner surface of the rotating cylinder and the fins are washed, and the fins are assembled into the rotating cylinder, and the next classification work is started.

[0007] In the case of the solid-liquid centrifugal classifier of Patent Document 1 and the like, the capacity of the rotating cylinder is reduced due to the above-mentioned problems, so the time it takes for solids to accumulate in the cylinder is extremely short, and scraping work must be done, for example, in about 30 minutes. In other words, the work process of disassembly, scraping, cleaning, and assembly is required every 30 minutes. Since the above-mentioned disassembly work, scraping work, cleaning work, and assembly work must be done every 30 minutes, not only is it labor-intensive, but there is also a lot of time lost, resulting in a decrease in operating time.

[0008] Furthermore, since it required at least two dedicated workers, this was also a factor in causing personnel costs to rise. In addition, some of the solids being scraped off emit highly toxic, volatile gases. Exposing workers to such an environment multiple times a day is not a desirable situation, as it could pose a health hazard.

[0009] In addition, because the treated fluid was supplied from below the rotating cylinder against gravity, the connection structure (piping structure) between the supply part of the treated fluid and the rotating cylinder had to be complex and large-scale to prevent contamination of the surrounding area due to leakage or splashing of the treated fluid. During the recovery work, the sheet attached to the inner surface of the rotating cylinder was removed, spread out, and scraped off the solid matter with a scraper to recover it. After the recovery work was completed, the sheet was washed or replaced with a new sheet, the inside of the rotating cylinder and the fins were cleaned, and then reassembled. The device was started up, and production operation was possible after the designated rotation speed was reached.

[0010] Also, a solid-liquid centrifugal classifier of the type shown in Patent Document 2 is provided. In the prior art shown in Patent Document 2, a scraping part is provided inside the rotating cylinder. That is, in the prior art shown in Patent Document 2, a scraping unit is installed inside the rotating tubular part, and after separating solids from liquid, the scraping unit is operated to scrape off and recover solids adhering to the inner surface of the rotating tubular part, so there is no need for disassembling and assembling the rotating tubular part, fins, etc. as in Patent Document 1. Also, in Patent Document 2, the supply unit for the treated fluid is provided above the rotating tubular part, and a configuration is adopted in which the treated fluid is supplied from above the rotating tubular part, so problems such as leakage and splashing of the treated fluid are unlikely to occur, and the connecting structure between the supply unit for the treated fluid and the rotating tubular part does not need to be complex and large-scale.

[0011] However, in the prior art shown in Patent Document 2, the scraping of solid matter and cleaning of the rotating cylinder and scraping part must be performed with the scraping part installed inside the rotating cylinder, making it difficult to perform the scraping and cleaning operations (poor workability).

[0012] Furthermore, since the scraping and cleaning workability is poor, solid matter is likely to remain on the inner surface of the rotating cylinder and on the scraping portion (cleaning failure is likely to occur). If solid matter remains on the inner surface of the rotating cylinder or in the scraping area, it may cause vibrations due to loss of balance during the next classification operation, resulting in rotational wobble. There is also a risk of contamination.

[0013] Furthermore, although the solid matter adhering to the inside of the rotating cylinder also has commercial value, the cleaning work is performed with the scraping part installed, so even if solid matter is adhering to the scraping part, it may be washed away as it is, resulting in a low recovery yield of solid matter.

[0014] In addition, classification work cannot be performed while the scraping section is being cleaned, resulting in a loss of work time and ultimately in a decrease in processing capacity.

[0015] In addition, in the prior art shown in Patent Document 2, the upper part of the device is supported by bearings for rotation, but the lower part of the device is not supported by bearings, which means that the device is in a cantilevered state, which may cause vibration during classification work. Therefore, it is not suitable for high-speed rotation (high G). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0016] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5634377 [Patent Document 2] JP 2016-203166 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0017] The present invention has been made to solve the problems associated with the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a solid-liquid centrifugal classifier which can improve processing capacity, such as by improving classification accuracy and greatly shortening processing time. Another object of the present invention is to provide a solid-liquid centrifugal classifier in which the operations of scraping off solids and washing can be performed easily and reliably, and which can automatically recover both solids and liquids. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] The technical means of the first invention to solve the above problems is a centrifugal classification device that separates solids and liquids in a rotating cylinder by centrifugal force and collects the classified liquid and solids separately, a hollow rotating cylinder portion having both ends open in the direction of the rotation axis; a treated fluid supply section that supplies the treated fluid from above the rotating cylinder section; an impeller section rotatably provided on one open end of the rotating cylinder section, and applying an initial centrifugal force to the fluid to be treated supplied from the fluid to be treated supply section to send the fluid to be treated into the rotating cylinder section.

[0019] The second invention is the first invention, which provides a solid-liquid centrifugal classification device comprising: a scraping and recovery section which is disposed outside the other end open port of the rotating cylinder section and which, after completion of the classification operation, is inserted into the rotating cylinder section from the other end open port and scrapes and recovers solid matter adhering to the inner surface of the rotating cylinder section.

[0020] The third invention is the solid-liquid centrifugal classification device according to the second invention, characterized in that the impeller portion is integrally formed on one end opening of the rotating cylinder portion and rotates in synchronization with the rotating cylinder portion.

[0021] The fourth aspect of the present invention is the third aspect of the present invention, wherein the impeller portion is A main body portion formed into a truncated cone shape by cutting the upper end horizontally in the vertical direction; a plurality of spline protrusions formed on an outer surface of the main body in a curved shape from an upper end of the main body toward a bottom end thereof, The spline protrusion is The spline protrusions are curved so that the fluid to be treated, which is sent into the rotating cylinder along the protrusions, collides with the inner surface of the rotating cylinder while avoiding a specified region at the upper end of the inner surface of the rotating cylinder, and thereby the specified region becomes a solid matter adhesion suppression region to which the solid matter is less likely to adhere.

[0022] The fifth invention is the solid-liquid centrifugal classification device of the second invention, characterized in that the scraping and recovery section is formed to have a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the other end opening of the rotating cylinder section and the inner diameter of the solid layer adhering to the inner surface of the rotating cylinder section, and is configured to be deformable so that when it is inserted into the rotating cylinder section and reaches the solid adhesion suppression region, it can come into sliding contact with or approach the inner surface of the rotating cylinder section in the solid adhesion suppression region.

[0023] The sixth aspect of the present invention is a solid-liquid centrifugal classification device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, characterized in that the scraping and recovery section is configured to be capable of ascending and descending in the vertical direction, and the rotating cylinder section rotates or descends while rotating, thereby scraping and recovering the solid matter.

[0024] The seventh aspect of the present invention is a solid-liquid centrifugal classification device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects of the present invention, characterized in that the rotating cylinder portion is supported at both upper and lower positions in the vertical direction by bearings. Effect of the Invention

[0025] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a solid-liquid centrifugal classifier that can improve processing capacity, such as by improving classification accuracy and greatly shortening processing time. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a solid-liquid centrifugal classifier in which the operations of scraping off solids and washing can be performed easily and reliably, and in which the solids and liquid can be automatically collected, respectively. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of an entire system including a solid-liquid centrifugal classification device of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1A is a schematic diagram showing the operating state of the solid-liquid centrifugal classification device of this embodiment, in which (a) shows the state before operation, (b) shows the classification operation state, (c) shows the state in which the classification operation has stopped, solid matter is attached to the inner surface of the cylindrical main body, and the scraping part is waiting below the cylindrical part, and (d) shows the state in which the scraping part has been raised to scrape off the solid matter. [Diagram 3] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of a characteristic component of the present invention in an upper region of a rotating cylinder portion. FIG. [Figure 4] 4A is a plan view of an impeller portion which is one of the components of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is an enlarged partial view of the area enclosed by the line IVb in FIG. 4A, showing an enlarged view of one end (upper end) of a spline protrusion. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an impeller portion which is one of the constituent elements of the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a partially enlarged view showing the inclination state of one end (upper end) of a spline projection. [Figure 6] 5A and 5B are schematic cross-sectional views partially illustrating an operating state of a scraping unit, in which FIG. 5A illustrates a scraping unit of a first embodiment, and FIG. 5B illustrates a scraping unit of a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a scraping unit according to a third embodiment, partially illustrating the operation of the scraping unit; [Figure 8] 10A is a schematic oblique view showing the operating state of the scraping unit of the fourth embodiment with some parts omitted, FIG. 10B is a schematic plan view showing the scraping unit of the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 10C is a schematic view showing the scraping trajectory when each scraper of the scraping unit of the fourth embodiment is shifted in position so as to form a step in the vertical direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] An embodiment of the classification device of the present invention will be described below. It should be noted that this embodiment is merely one embodiment of the classification device of the present invention, and should not be construed as being limited to this embodiment in any way, and appropriate design changes are possible within the scope of the present invention. "First embodiment"

[0028] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an entire system incorporating a solid-liquid centrifugal classifier of this embodiment, which classifies solids K1 and liquid R1 in a rotating cylinder by centrifugal force and collects the classified liquid R1 and solids K1 separately.

[0029] The solid-liquid centrifugal classification device of this embodiment is configured to include, for example, a hollow rotating tube section 1 with both ends open in the direction of the rotation axis, a treated fluid supply section 31 that supplies the treated fluid from above the rotating tube section 1, an impeller section 43 that is rotatably provided on one end open port (upper end open port) 5 of the rotating tube section 1 and applies an initial centrifugal force to the treated fluid supplied from the treated fluid supply section 31 to send the treated fluid into the rotating tube section 1, and a scraping and recovery section 65 that is disposed outside the other end open port (lower end open port) 7 of the rotating tube section 1 and is inserted into the rotating tube section 1 from the other end open port 7 after the classification operation is completed, and scrapes and recovers solid matter K1 adhering to the inner surface of the rotating tube section 1 (see Figures 1 and 2).

[0030] The rotating cylinder section 1 is composed of a cylinder main body 3 with its lower end positioned in the vertical direction H1, an impeller accommodating section 33 which is integral with the upper end of the cylinder main body 3 and accommodates an impeller section 43, a cover section 37 which is provided on the outer periphery of the impeller accommodating section 33, and a main shaft 39 which is integral with the impeller accommodating section 33. In this embodiment, the treated fluid supply section 31 is formed in a thin tube shape and is housed within a through passage 41 provided in the main shaft 39 in a non-contact state (see Figure 3).

[0031] In this embodiment, the rotating cylinder 1 is supported at both upper and lower positions in the vertical direction H1 by bearings (see FIG. 1). In this embodiment, a rolling bearing 19 is disposed around the main shaft 39 at an upper position in the vertical direction H1, and a plain bearing 21 is disposed around the cylinder main body 3 at a lower position in the vertical direction. The bearings arranged in each position are not to be construed as being limited, and the design can be changed appropriately according to the specifications.

[0032] 1, the rotational power transmission mechanism to the rotating cylinder portion 1 is provided with a first pulley 23 on the upper end side of the main shaft 39, and a mechanism is adopted in which rotational power is transmitted to the second pulley 25 provided on the motor 27 via a timing belt 29. The power transmission mechanism is not limited to the configuration of this embodiment, and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the present invention.

[0033] In this embodiment, the cylindrical body 3, the impeller accommodating portion 33, the impeller portion 43, and the main shaft 39 are molded separately and are firmly fixed to each other so as to be able to withstand high speed rotation. Since this is a schematic diagram, the cylindrical main body 3, the impeller accommodating portion 33 and the main shaft 39 are indicated by the same hatching. In this embodiment, the rotating cylinder portion 1 is made of, for example, a Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy as a main material, and has a laminated structure with carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) or magnesium (Mg) alloy, so as to be able to handle high specific gravity treated fluids (specific gravity greater than 2 and less than 9 is referred to as high specific gravity). By adopting such a structure, it is possible to reduce the weight without reducing the strength. Also, CFRP or magnesium alloy itself may be used for the main shaft 39, etc., and by reducing the weight of the entire device, it is possible to realize high G and also to reduce power consumption.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1, the tubular body 3 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape whose upper and lower ends in the vertical direction H1 are open and communicated with each other. The internal space of the tubular body 3 has a first inner surface 11 formed in a cylindrical straight tube shape from the one end opening 5 downward in the vertical direction H1, a second inner surface 13 formed in a downwardly sloping funnel shape continuing from the lower end of the first inner surface 11, and a third inner surface 15 formed over the other end opening 7 of the tubular body 3 with the same inner diameter as the inner diameter of the lower end region of the second inner surface 13 (see Figs. 1 and 2). In Fig. 1, the inner diameter of the lower end region of the second inner surface 13 and the inner diameter of the third inner surface 15 are the same inner diameter, but for example, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the inner diameter of the lower end region of the second inner surface 13 may be larger than the inner diameter of the third inner surface 15. Therefore, the other end open port 7 (open area) is formed with an opening diameter smaller than the first inner surface 11 (the inner diameter of the cylindrical main body 3) (see Figs. 1 and 2). The second inner surface 13 functions as a dam for the accumulated solid matter K1 and liquid R1. In the figure, the symbol 17 denotes a liquid R1 (separated liquid) recovery path that is continuously provided in the circumferential direction of the tube between the lower end of the second inner surface 13 and the third inner surface 15, and is connected to a liquid recovery mechanism (not shown) arranged outside the tube main body 3.

[0035] The impeller accommodating portion 33 is formed to have the same outer diameter as the tubular main body 3, and an accommodating space 35 is provided integrally with and communicates with the internal space of the tubular main body 3 in an open area at the upper end of the tubular main body 3. The accommodating space 35 is formed, for example, as a space of similar shape but slightly larger than the main body portion 45 of the impeller portion 43 (see FIG. 3).

[0036] 1 to 3, the impeller portion 43 is provided integrally with the impeller accommodating portion 33 and the upper end of the tubular main body 3 in the accommodation space 35 of the impeller accommodating portion 33. In this embodiment, the impeller portion 43 is integrally formed on one end opening 5 of the tubular main body 3 and rotates in synchronization with the rotating tubular portion 1.

[0037] The impeller portion 43 is composed of a main body portion 45 having an upper end in the vertical direction H1 cut horizontally to form a truncated cone shape, and a plurality of spline protrusions 53 integrally molded in a curved shape from the upper end of the main body portion 45 toward the bottom end on the outer surface of the main body portion 45 (see Figures 4 and 5).

[0038] The spline projections 53 are formed in a curved shape in a continuous ridge (protrusion) from the small diameter upper end face 47 of the main body 45 to the large diameter lower end edge 49 (bottom portion) on the side face 51 of the main body 45, and eight of them, for example, are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction (see Figs. 4 and 5). The spline projections 53 are all formed at the same height from the respective surfaces of the small diameter upper end face 47 and the side face 51 of the main body 45. The number of spline projections 53 is not limited to eight.

[0039] The portion of the spline projection 53 that protrudes upward in the vertical direction H1 from the small diameter upper end surface 47 is called one end 55 (upper end), the portion located on the side surface 51 is called the main body 54, and the portion located on the large diameter lower end edge 49 is called the other end 57 (tip). The one ends 55 of the spline projections 53 are each disposed on a concentric circle at a predetermined distance from the center of the small diameter upper end surface 47, and equal gaps 59 are formed between adjacent one ends 55 (upper ends) (see FIGS. 4 and 5). At the center of the small diameter upper end surface 47, a circle space 61 of a predetermined size is formed surrounded by the end faces of one ends 55 (upper ends) of each of the spline projections 53 (see Figs. 4 and 6). This circle space 61 functions as a region for receiving the treated fluid that is dropped and supplied from the treated fluid supply part 31, and the treated fluid that is dropped and supplied into this circle space 61 passes through a gap 59 between the one ends 55 (upper ends) of each of the spline projections 53, down a guide region 63 between the adjacent spline projections 53, and is sent out from the other end 57 (tip) into the tubular main body 3.

[0040] In this embodiment, the spline protrusion 53 is designed to be curved at a predetermined angle so that the fluid to be treated sent into the rotating cylinder 1 along the spline protrusion 53 can collide with the cylinder inner surface 9 while avoiding a predetermined region at the upper end of the inner surface of the rotating cylinder 1, thereby forming a region where the solid matter K1 does not adhere to the upper predetermined region of the cylinder inner surface 9. In addition, since the impeller part 43 rotates at high speed (for example, about 20,000 rpm) in synchronization with the rotating cylinder 1, the fluid to be treated that is dropped and supplied from the fluid to be treated supply part 31 is guided while colliding with one end 55 (upper end) of the spline protrusion 53 protruding from the small diameter upper end surface 47, and flows down on the main body part 45. At this time, there is a risk that the properties of the solvent will change if it collides with the one end 55 (upper end). Therefore, it is desired to guide the fluid to be treated that is dropped and supplied from the fluid to be treated supply part 31 onto the small diameter upper end surface 47 as smoothly as possible to the gap 59 between the one ends 55 (upper ends) of the adjacent spline protrusions 53. In this embodiment, the spline projection 53 is set as follows.

[0041] The spline protrusion 53 is curved with a predetermined angle α1 formed by an imaginary extension line L1 of the upper edge 54a of the main body 54 and an imaginary extension line L2 of the upper edge 55a of one end 55 (upper end). The angle α1 is, for example, in the range of 20 degrees to 40 degrees, and is particularly preferably 20 degrees to 30 degrees (see FIG. 4(b)). In this embodiment, the one end 55 (upper end) is configured to be in a predetermined inclined state. For example, the angle α2 formed by the tangent L3 passing through the center of the imaginary state in which the one end 55 is erected vertically in the vertical direction H1 and the tangent L4 passing through the center of the one end 55 formed in the inclined state is formed to be a predetermined angle (see FIG. 5(b)). The angle α2 can be selected in the range of 3 degrees to 15 degrees depending on the physical properties of the fluid to be treated. The angle α2 is set to function as a guide that guides the fluid to be treated, which is dropped and supplied into the circle space 61 of the small diameter upper end surface 47, to between the one ends 55 (upper ends) of the adjacent spline protrusions 53. This has the effect of suppressing the scattering of the fluid to be treated into the through passage 41. The angles α1 and α2 are appropriately designed and changed depending on the hardness and viscosity of the solid matter.

[0042] The treated fluid advances along the spline projection 53 and reaches the tip 57 (large diameter lower end edge 49). The treated fluid is then sent into the rotating cylinder 1 and shoots out from the tip 57 (large diameter lower end edge 49) at an angle θ (see FIG. 5(a)). The angle θ is set to, for example, 30 to 45°. This treated fluid collides with the inner surface of the rotating cylinder 1, avoiding a specified area at the upper end of the inner surface of the rotating cylinder 1. As a result, the predetermined area becomes a solid matter adhesion prevention area A1 where the solid matter K1 is less likely to adhere (see FIGS. 1 to 3).

[0043] The impeller section 43 configured as in this embodiment is provided, so that it is possible to prevent scattering of the treated fluid and provide the solid matter adhesion suppression area A1 as described above. Therefore, when scraping and collecting solid matter K1 using the scraping and collecting section 65 described later, the scraping and collecting section 65 can be set in the solid matter adhesion suppression area A1 as shown in FIG. 2(d). In this way, since the scraping operation can be started from the upper end of the adhesion area of ​​the solid matter K1, the amount of solid matter K1 remaining inside the cylindrical main body 3 is extremely small, and the operational reliability of the scraping and collecting portion 65 can be improved.

[0044] The impeller portion 43 may be rotatably operated by a rotation mechanism separate from the rotating cylinder portion 1, and the design may be modified as appropriate according to the specifications. The rotation of the impeller portion 43 may be made different from that of the rotating cylinder portion 1.

[0045] The cover portion 37 adopts a structure in which it is detachably screwed to the outer periphery of the impeller accommodating portion 33, but this is not to be interpreted as being particularly limited, and other structures may be adopted.

[0046] The main shaft 39 is formed in a cylindrical shape that penetrates the upper central region of the cover portion 37 and is provided integrally with the impeller accommodating portion 33 in communication with the accommodating space 35 of the impeller accommodating portion 33 at the upper central region of the impeller accommodating portion 33 (see FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 3, a through passage 41 is formed inside the main shaft 39, penetrating in the axial direction and housing the treated fluid supply portion 31.

[0047] The treated fluid supply part 31 is disposed so that its tip is located near the small diameter upper end surface 47 of the impeller part 43. In this embodiment, the tip of the treated fluid supply part 31 is cut at an angle (see FIG. 3). This prevents the treated fluid from expanding beyond the diameter of the treated fluid supply part 31 when the treated fluid is dropped and supplied into the circle space 61 of the small diameter upper end surface 47 of the impeller part 43, so that the through passage 41 can be kept clean.

[0048] The scraping and recovery section 65 is formed with a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the other end opening 7 of the rotating cylinder section 1 and the inner diameter of the layer of solid matter K1 adhering to the inner surface of the rotating cylinder section 1, and the scraping section is configured to be deformable so that it can slide into or come close to the inner surface of the rotating cylinder section 1 in the solid matter adhesion suppression region A1 when it reaches the solid matter adhesion suppression region A1.

[0049] The scraping and collecting section 65 is configured to be capable of ascending and descending in the vertical direction H1, and rotates the rotating tube section 1 at a low speed and descends while scraping off the solid matter K1, thereby collecting the solid matter K1 from the other end open port 7 of the tube main body 3 (see Figures 2 and 6(a)).

[0050] The scraping and collecting section 65 of this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 6(a), the scraping and collecting unit 65 employs a tube-type configuration in which an expandable and contractable scraping unit 71 is disposed at the tip of a cylinder rod 67 that can move up and down in the vertical direction H1. The scraping portion 71 of this embodiment is useful for solid matter that has high viscosity and is as hard as clay, for example.

[0051] The scraping portion 71 has a main body 73 formed in the shape of a hollow ring that can expand and contract, for example made of high-elongation rubber, and as shown in Figure 6(a), a lip portion 75 that functions to scrape off solid matter K1 is continuously protruded horizontally at a predetermined height along the circumferential side of the main body 73. As shown in FIG. 6(a), the thicknesses of the upper surface region 77 and the lower surface region 79 of the main body 73 are shown to be the same for drawing purposes, but it is preferable to make the thicknesses of the upper surface region 77 and the lower surface region 79 thin and to make the thickness of the side region 81 provided with the lip portion 75 thick. 6(a), the main body 73 is designed so that when contracted, its diameter becomes smaller than the inner diameter of the other end open port 7 of the tubular main body 3, and in this contracted state, it is inserted into the tubular part through the other end open port 7 of the tubular main body 3 and rises inside the tubular part to reach the solid matter adhesion suppression area A1 of the tubular main body 3, and when expanded, the lip 75 comes into light contact with the tubular inner surface 9 of the solid matter adhesion area A1. Note that the contraction method can be not only a method of removing the supplied air, but also a method of sucking the main body 73 with a vacuum, etc.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 6( a ), the cylinder rod 67 is formed with a passage 69 for circulating an expansion medium that expands the main body portion 73 , and the passage 69 is connected to the inside of the main body portion 73 . Reference numerals 83 and 85 in the drawing denote restricting portions for restricting the expansion of the main body portion 73 in the vertical direction H1 and for expanding the main body portion 73 in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 6(a)). The degree of expansion of the main body portion 73 is set to a degree such that the lip portion 75 lightly contacts the inner surface 9 of the tube portion, for example.

[0053] The expansion medium can be designed to suit the physical properties of the solid, such as hardness and viscosity, and can be, for example, air or fluid. The contact pressure on the inner surface 9 of the cylinder can be controlled by changing the supply pressure of air or supplying a fluid.

[0054] The degree of contact of the lip portion 75 is arbitrary and can be modified as appropriate. Also, the lip portion 75 can be modified in design so as to be close to the cylindrical inner surface 9 but not in contact with it.

[0055] According to the scraping portion configuration of this embodiment, the scraping portion is easy to clean because it is a simple annular shape made of rubber material. In addition, since there is no electrical or mechanical contact, there is no generation of sparks, for example. Since the solid matter K1 is scraped off by the lip portion made of a rubber material, there is no risk of damaging the inner surface 9 of the cylindrical portion during the scraping of the solid matter. Note that the materials of the main body 73 and the lip portion 75 are not limited to any particular material.

[0056] Here, an embodiment of the scraping timing detection system for the solid matter K1 in this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, a system is adopted that detects the scraping timing based on the turbidity of the liquid R1 (separated liquid) separated in the rotating cylinder section 1. When detecting the scraping timing based on the turbidity, it is possible to sense the turbidity of the liquid R1 (separated liquid) in the rotating cylinder section 1, but since this lacks accuracy, in this embodiment, the liquid R1 (separated liquid) is extracted outside the device, and the turbidity of the extracted liquid R1 (separated liquid) is sensed. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 87 denotes a storage / drain tank, which is connected to a detection liquid recovery channel 101 and a circulation channel 103 .

[0057] One end of the detection liquid recovery flow path 101 faces the storage / drain tank 87, and the other end faces a temporary detection liquid storage section 105. The temporary detection liquid storage section 105 is connected to a detection liquid withdrawal flow path 109 provided in communication with a detection liquid withdrawal port 107 opening in a midway position of the second inner surface 13 of the tubular body 3. That is, the liquid R1 that has reached the second inner surface 13 is extracted, and the turbidity of the liquid R1 is sensed in the storage / drainage tank 87. The signal is sent to the control unit 113 to determine whether or not a predetermined turbidity has been reached, and the control unit 113 sends respective determination signals to the opening / closing valve 115, the motor 27, and the scraping unit control unit 117. For example, if the turbidity exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control unit 113 sends a valve closing signal to the on-off valve 115, and further sends a stop signal to the motor 27, thereby stopping the supply of the fluid to be treated. The control unit 113 sends a signal to the scraping unit control unit 117 to raise the scraping and collecting unit 65 , which raises the cylinder rod 67 and inserts the scraping and collecting unit 65 into the cylindrical main body 3 .

[0058] In this embodiment, the storage / drainage tank 87 has a predetermined size and is divided into a defoaming tank 89 and a receiving tank 91 by a defoaming plate 95, and into a recovery tank 93 by a threshold 99. One end of a detection liquid recovery path 101 faces the receiving tank 91 and is configured to receive the detection liquid. A turbidity sensor 111 linked to a control unit 113 is disposed in the defoaming tank 89. A communication path 97 is provided in the defoaming plate 95 near the bottom of the tank, and the defoaming tank 89 and the receiving tank 91 are connected to each other. The turbidity sensor 111 may not be able to perform accurate sensing if bubbles are present in the liquid to be detected, so the liquid to be detected is designed to be degassed. The threshold 99 has a predetermined height that is lower than the bubble removing plate 95 , and the detection liquid containing bubbles that flows over this threshold 99 into the recovery tank 93 is sucked up by the drain pump 119 and sent to the circulation flow path 103 . In FIG. 1, reference numeral 121 denotes a rotary nozzle for cleaning the inside of the storage / drainage tank 87 with a cleaning liquid.

[0059] The scraping timing detection system for the solid matter K1 can use a suspended solid (SS) sensor, a resistivity sensor, or the like in addition to the turbidity sensor 111. Also, by detecting the strain of the tubular body 3 with the non-contact strain sensor 161, it is possible to measure the timing for scraping the solid matter K1 (the timing suitable for scraping off the solid matter K1 accumulated in the tubular body 3). Furthermore, when the amount (concentration) of particles contained in the treated fluid is constant, it is also within the scope of the present invention to detect it with a flow meter (totalizer) 123 and determine that it is the timing for scraping off the solid matter K1 when it is detected that a predetermined amount of the treated fluid has been supplied. Any of the above systems indirectly detects the timing of scraping off the solid matter K1, and various detection systems can be applied according to the properties of the fluid to be treated (liquid to be treated) and the solid matter.

[0060] Classification by the solid-liquid centrifugal classifier of this embodiment will now be described. In Fig. 1, reference numeral 115 denotes an on-off valve, 123 denotes a flow meter (integrator), 125 denotes a flow rate control valve, 127 denotes a flow meter, 131 denotes a damper, 133 denotes an air supply unit, 135 denotes a check valve, and 137 denotes a pressure gauge.

[0061] The rotating cylinder portion 1 rotates at a predetermined rotation speed (for example, 20,000 rpm) via a timing belt 29. The treated fluid is dropped and supplied from the treated fluid supply passage 163 through the treated fluid supply section 31 into the circle space 61 of the small diameter upper end surface 47 of the impeller section 43 arranged in the impeller accommodating section 33 .

[0062] The treated fluid that has been dropped onto the circle space 61 flows through the gaps 59 between the ends 55 (upper ends) of the respective splined projections 53, down the guide region 63 between the adjacent splined projections 53, and is sent out from the tip 57 (large-diameter lower edge 49) into the tubular body 3. At this time, the treated fluid being sent out is in a state in which it has been accelerated by the initial rotational force imparted to it by the impeller portion 43, which rotates at high speed in synchronization with the tubular body 3, so that when it is sent into the tubular body 3 rotating at high speed, it is exposed to an even greater centrifugal force and falls in a spiral shape, resulting in a longer residence time (see FIG. 3). Then, solid matter K1 adheres from the solid matter adhesion suppression region A1 on the cylindrical inner surface 9 in the vertical direction H1 from the lower region to the second inner surface 13. Furthermore, the liquid R1 (separated liquid) flows along the taper of the second inner surface 13, and when it passes the edge (dam) of the second inner surface 13, it is forced by centrifugal force to flow into the liquid R1 (separated liquid) recovery path 17 and is recovered as it is outside the device (see FIG. 2(b)).

[0063] Then, when the detection system detects the timing to scrape off the solid matter K1, the on-off valve 115 is closed and the motor 27 is stopped to stop the supply of the fluid to be treated (see FIG. 2(c)).

[0064] Thereafter, the cylinder rod 67 is raised to insert the scraping and collecting part 65 into the rotating cylinder 1. When the scraping part 71 is positioned in the solid matter adhesion suppression area A1, air is supplied into the scraping part 71, causing the scraping part 71 to expand horizontally, and the lip part 75 to come into contact with the cylinder inner surface 9 of the solid matter adhesion suppression area A1 (see FIG. 2(d)). It is also possible for the expansion operation of the scraping part 71 to start before it reaches the solid matter adhesion suppression area A1. Then, the rotation speed of the rotating cylinder 1 is reduced and the cylinder rod 67 is lowered, so that the lip 75 scrapes off the solid matter K1 adhering to the inner surface 9 of the cylinder, drops it, and collects it (see FIG. 2(d)). According to the solid-liquid centrifugal classification device of this embodiment configured as described above, the fluid to be treated is accelerated and sent into the rotating cylinder section 1 by the impeller section 43, which rotates at high speed in synchronization with the rotating cylinder section 1, and falls in a spiral manner over a long period of time. As a result, solid matter K1 having a particle size larger than 100 nm, for example, adheres to the inner surface 9 of the cylinder section, and solid matter K1 having a finer particle size than that is recovered outside the device together with the liquid R1 (separation liquid). As a result, solid matter having a fine particle size, for example, less than 100 nm, can be obtained in the liquid R1 (separation liquid).

[0065] After the scraping operation of the solid matter K1 is completed, the scraping and collecting part 65 is again positioned outside the rotating cylinder part 1, and the process proceeds to a cleaning process of the scraping and collecting part 65. At this time, the next classification process can be started inside the rotating cylinder part 1. Therefore, the classification process time can be shortened, and it is possible to efficiently mass-produce the liquid R1 (separated liquid) or the solid matter K1.

[0066] In addition, the tubular main body 3, impeller accommodating portion 33, impeller portion 43, and main shaft 39 can also be integrally molded using a 3D printer, and the design can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. Second Embodiment

[0067] FIG. 6(b) is an embodiment showing another embodiment of the scraping and collecting portion, and in this embodiment, another example of the expansion and contraction type scraping and collecting portion as in the first embodiment is shown.

[0068] The scraping and collecting section 65 has a configuration almost identical to that of the scraping and collecting section 65 of the first embodiment, but differs in that, instead of the lip portion 75 of the first embodiment, the scraping and collecting section 65 of this embodiment has a tread pattern-like uneven portion 139 formed on the side surface of the main body portion 73, and this uneven portion 139 scrapes off the solid matter K1 from the inner surface 9 of the tube portion and drops it. Furthermore, the scraping portion 71 of this embodiment is configured such that the main body portion 73 is inserted into the rotating cylinder portion 1 in a state in which it is contracted into an elongated shape in the vertical direction H1, the upper end portion of the main body portion 73 is abutted against the upper end region inside the cylinder portion, and an expansion medium (air, liquid, etc.) is injected into the hollow interior to expand it toward the solid adhesion suppression region A1. The other configurations and effects are similar to those of the scraping and collecting section of the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted. "Third embodiment"

[0069] FIG. 7 is an embodiment showing another embodiment of the scraping and collecting unit 65. In this embodiment, an example of a scraping and collecting unit having a mechanical configuration is shown. This embodiment is suitable for the case where the solid matter adhering to the cylindrical inner surface 9 is hard and has high viscosity.

[0070] In this embodiment, the scraping and collecting unit 65 is provided as in the first embodiment, but the configuration of the scraping unit 71 is different. The scraping section 71 in this embodiment is composed of a tip drive section 145 that is arranged to be movable up and down at the tip of the rod body 143 of the cylinder rod 67, and a plurality of scrapers 147 that are stretched across the upper end of the rod body 143 and the tip drive section 145 and are configured to be movable horizontally.

[0071] In this embodiment, the scrapers 147 are disposed at three locations at equal intervals. The scraper 147 is composed of a first arm 149 having one end pivotally supported on the upper end of the rod body 143 of the cylinder rod 67, a second arm 151 having one end pivotally supported on the side of the tip drive part 145, and a scraper body 153 having the other end of the first arm 149 and the other end of the second arm 151 pivotally supported at predetermined positions.

[0072] The scraper body 153 is, for example, trapezoidal with a predetermined thickness, and has a scraping portion 154 on the surface facing the cylindrical inner surface 9. The scraping portion 154 has a plurality of grooves (not shown) cut diagonally, which scrape and drop the solid matter K1 from the cylindrical inner surface 9. It is possible to provide protrusions instead of the grooves, and this is within the scope of the present invention. The scraping portion 154 is assumed to be made of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), for example, "Teflon (registered trademark)" or the like.

[0073] The tip drive portion 145 is configured to be movable up and down by, for example, a cylinder (not shown) separate from the rod main body 143 .

[0074] In this embodiment, a dust cover 155 is provided to cover the entire area from the rod main body 143 to the tip drive portion 145 .

[0075] Therefore, outside the other end opening 7 of the rotating cylinder 1, the tip drive part 145 is raised so that the tip drive part 145 and the rod body 143 are separated in the vertical direction H1, and the scraping part 71 is shortened vertically and put into standby. Then, in the vertically shortened state, it is inserted into the cylinder from the other end opening 7 of the rotating cylinder 1. Then, the tip drive part 145 is lowered around the solid adhesion suppression region A1, and the scraper body part 153 is moved outward in the horizontal direction to position the scraper body part 153 in a non-contact state near the solid adhesion suppression region A1. Then, it is lowered inside the cylinder to scrape off and drop the solid matter K1 adhering to the inner surface 9 of the cylinder. The other configurations and effects are similar to those of the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described. "Fourth embodiment"

[0076] FIG. 8 is an embodiment showing another embodiment of the scraping and collecting unit 65. In this embodiment, another example of a scraping and collecting unit having a mechanical configuration is shown.

[0077] In this embodiment, the scraping and collecting unit 65 is provided as in the first embodiment, but the configuration of the scraping unit 71 is different. The scraping portion 71 of the present embodiment is configured by arranging a plurality of scrapers 157 at the tip of the rod body 143 of the cylinder rod 67 .

[0078] In this embodiment, the scrapers 157 are disposed at three locations at equal intervals. The scraper 157 is linked to a built-in drive gear (not shown) and is configured to be rotatable horizontally by a predetermined angle about a vertical shaft 159 as its axis. The scraper 157 of this embodiment is formed in a so-called claw shape that is curved inward from a base portion 157a fixed to a vertical shaft 159 to a tip portion 157b. In addition, at least the inner surface portion is preferably coated with Teflon (registered trademark).

[0079] Therefore, each scraper 157 is stored and kept on standby outside the other end open port 7 of the rotating cylinder 1. In this stored state, it is inserted into the cylinder from the other end open port 7 of the rotating cylinder 1. Then, each scraper 157 is rotated outward in the horizontal direction around the vertical axis 159 around the solid matter adhesion suppression region A1 to be positioned in a non-contact state near the solid matter adhesion suppression region A1. Then, it is lowered inside the cylinder to scrape off and drop the solid matter K1 adhering to the inner surface 9 of the cylinder. The other configurations and effects are similar to those of the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described.

[0080] In addition, during the scraping operation of the solid matter K1, the solid matter K1 may remain in a spiral shape on the inner surface 9 of the tube. In order to deal with such a situation, it is possible to arrange the scrapers 157 of this embodiment in a stepped manner in the vertical direction H1. That is, a form in which three scrapers 157 are arranged in a stepped manner is adopted. When the first scraper 157 operates, two spiral scraping residues are generated on the upper and lower surfaces of the scraper. Here, the spiral scraping residue on the upper side of the first scraper is scraped off by the second scraper 157 arranged above the first scraper 157, and the spiral scraping residue on the lower side is scraped off by the third scraper 157 arranged below the first scraper 157. This reduces the amount of scraping residue, which leads to the suppression of abnormal vibration.

[0081] In the above embodiments, the scraping and collecting unit 65 itself is described as descending without rotating, but the scraping and collecting unit 65 may be configured to descend while rotating, which is within the scope of the present invention. A known rotation mechanism may be used as the rotation mechanism for transmitting the rotational motion to the scraping and collecting unit 65, and the design may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0082] The present invention can also be used in solid-liquid centrifugal classifiers other than those shown in this embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1 Rotating cylinder 3. Main body of the barrel 5 One end open port 7 Opening at the other end 9. Inside of the cylinder 31 Treated fluid supply unit 39 Main shaft 43 Impeller section 53 Spline protrusion 65 Scraping and collecting section 71 Scraping section

Claims

1. A centrifugal classification device that separates solids and liquids in a rotating cylinder by centrifugal force and collects the classified liquid and solids separately, a hollow rotating cylinder portion having both ends open in the direction of the rotation axis; a treated fluid supply section that supplies the treated fluid from above the rotating cylinder section; an impeller section rotatably mounted on one end opening of the rotating cylinder section, and which applies an initial centrifugal force to the fluid to be treated supplied from the fluid to be treated supply section to send the fluid to be treated into the rotating cylinder section.

2. 2. The solid-liquid centrifugal classification device according to claim 1, further comprising a scraping and recovery section which is disposed outside the other end open port of the rotating cylinder section and which is inserted into the rotating cylinder section from the other end open port after completion of the classification operation to scrape and recover solid matter adhering to the inner surface of the rotating cylinder section.

3. 3. The solid-liquid centrifugal classification device according to claim 2, wherein the impeller portion is integrally formed on one open end of the rotating cylinder portion and rotates in synchronization with the rotating cylinder portion.

4. The impeller portion is A main body portion formed into a truncated cone shape by cutting the upper end horizontally in the vertical direction; a plurality of spline protrusions formed on an outer surface of the main body in a curved shape from an upper end of the main body toward a bottom end thereof, The spline protrusion is 4. The solid-liquid centrifugal classification device according to claim 3, wherein the spline protrusions are curved so that the fluid to be treated that is sent into the rotating cylinder along the protrusions collides with the inner surface of the rotating cylinder while avoiding a specified region at an upper end of the inner surface of the rotating cylinder, thereby making the specified region a solid-matter adhesion suppression region to which the solids are less likely to adhere.

5. 3. The solid-liquid centrifugal classification device according to claim 2, wherein the scraping and recovery section is formed to have a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the other end opening of the rotating cylinder section and the inner diameter of the solid layer adhering to the inner surface of the rotating cylinder section, and is configured to be deformable so that when the scraping and recovery section is inserted into the rotating cylinder section and reaches the solid adhesion suppression region, it can come into sliding contact with or approach the inner surface of the rotating cylinder section in the solid adhesion suppression region.

6. 6. The solid-liquid centrifugal classification device according to claim 5, wherein the scraping and recovery section is configured to be movable up and down in a vertical direction, and the solid matter is scraped and recovered by the rotating cylinder section rotating or descending while rotating.

7. 7. The solid-liquid centrifugal classifier according to claim 1, wherein the rotating cylinder is supported by bearings at both upper and lower ends in the vertical direction.

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