Processing agent supply device

Abstract

In a treatment agent supply device that supplies powdered treatment agents to a water tank, solidification of the treatment agent in the transport path and clogging of the treatment agent in the transport path are suppressed. [Solution] The treatment agent supply device 10 is a treatment agent supply device that supplies powdered treatment agent to a water tank, and comprises a sealed container 21 for storing powdered treatment agent, a powder transfer pipe 30 whose inlet is connected to the bottom of the sealed container 21 and whose outlet opens above the water surface of the water tank 11, an on-off valve 36 attached to the upstream transfer pipe 31 of the powder transfer pipe 30 that extends downward from the bottom of the sealed container, an upper air supply pipe 42 connected to the upper part of the section of the upstream transfer pipe 31 below the on-off valve 36, and a gas supply unit 40 that supplies dry air to the powder transfer pipe 30 through a lower air supply pipe 41 connected to the upstream end of an intermediate transfer pipe 33 that extends laterally from the lower end of the upstream transfer pipe 31 of the powder transfer pipe 30.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a treatment agent supply device that supplies a treatment agent to a water tank such as a stirring tank.

Background Art

[0002] A treatment agent supply device for supplying a powdery treatment agent to a water tank is used for coagulation treatment using a coagulant as the treatment agent. Coagulation treatment is performed to separate solid and liquid in treated water during water treatment such as wastewater treatment or turbid water treatment, and is used in combination with pressure floatation separation or sedimentation separation.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a coagulant automatic supply device. In this coagulant automatic supply device, the bottom of a hopper for injecting a powdery polymer coagulant serves as a metering port, and a screw feeder is arranged in a horizontal posture at this metering port. Blades extend spirally with a constant pitch on the rotating shaft of the screw feeder, and since the amount of the polymer coagulant transferred per unit time is determined in advance, the polymer coagulant supplied to the dissolution stirring tank can be metered by controlling the driving time of the motor with a timer.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, powders such as flocculants easily solidify due to moisture in the air. Conventional treatment agent supply devices (automatic flocculant supply device described in Patent Document 1) are prone to clogging at the inlet and outlet of the screw feeder due to the solidification of polymer flocculants, which forms bridges. For this reason, a stirrer for breaking bridges at the inlet is provided, which is activated in sync with the start of the screw feeder, and an air nozzle for air blowing is provided at the outlet to eject air. However, conventional treatment agent supply devices do not consider suppressing solidification in the transport path of the treatment agent.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and aims to suppress solidification of the treatment agent in the transfer path and clogging of the treatment agent in the transfer path in a treatment agent supply device that supplies powdered treatment agent to a water tank. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the first invention is a treatment agent supply device for supplying a powdered treatment agent to a water tank, comprising: a sealed container for storing the powdered treatment agent; a powder transfer pipe whose inlet is connected to the bottom of the sealed container and whose outlet opens above the water surface of the water tank; an on / off valve attached to the upstream transfer pipe of the powder transfer pipe that extends downward from the bottom of the sealed container; an upper air supply pipe connected to the upper part of the section of the upstream transfer pipe below the on / off valve; and a gas supply unit that supplies dry air to the powder transfer pipe through a lower air supply pipe connected to the upstream end of an intermediate transfer pipe that extends laterally from the lower end of the upstream transfer pipe.

[0008] The second invention is that, in the first invention, the lower air supply pipe has a smaller minimum flow path cross-sectional area than the upper air supply pipe.

[0009] The third invention is the first invention, wherein a flow control valve is provided in the lower air supply pipe.

[0010] The fourth invention is that, in the first invention, the water stored in the water tank is stirred by rotating the stirring body of the agitator, and in the water tank, an injection pipe is provided above the water surface in the water tank, the direction of water discharge from the outlet of the injection pipe is in the direction of rotation of the stirring body, and the water discharged from the outlet of the injection pipe hits the powder discharged from the outlet of the downstream transfer pipe of the powder transfer pipe above the water surface.

[0011] The fifth invention is that, in the fourth invention, the outlet of the downstream transfer pipe is angled downward so that the powder is discharged at an angle along the rotation direction of the agitator.

[0012] The sixth invention is that, in the fourth invention, the outlet of the injection tube is formed in a horizontally elongated shape.

[0013] The seventh invention is that, in the first invention, the downstream portion of the powder transfer pipe is composed of a downstream transfer pipe that is detachably attached to the side wall of the water tank. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] In this invention, the container for storing the powder processing agent is a sealed container, and a powder transfer pipe extends from the bottom of the sealed container to a water tank. In addition to the sealed container, an upper air supply pipe and a lower air supply pipe for supplying dry air are connected to the powder transfer pipe. The upper air supply pipe is connected to the upper part of the upstream transfer pipe below the on-off valve, and the lower air supply pipe is connected to the upstream end of an intermediate transfer pipe that extends laterally from the lower end of the upstream transfer pipe. The powder transfer pipe can be configured so that almost no moisture-containing air enters, for example, when using a sealed container with a lid, as long as moisture does not enter when the lid is opened.

[0015] Furthermore, when the valve is open, the treatment agent can be introduced from the sealed container into the upstream transfer pipe. By setting the valve to closed, the treatment agent in the section of the upstream transfer pipe below the valve (hereinafter referred to as the "light section") is separated from the sealed container. In this state, by supplying dry air to the upstream end of the intermediate transfer pipe through the lower air supply pipe, the treatment agent in the light section is drawn downstream, and by supplying dry air to the upper part of the light section through the upper air supply pipe, the treatment agent in the light section is pushed downstream. According to the present invention, solidification of the treatment agent in the transfer path and clogging of the treatment agent in the transfer path can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] Figure 1(A) is a schematic diagram of the treatment agent supply device according to an embodiment, Figure 1(B) is a front view of the storage case and sealed container of the treatment agent supply device, and Figure 1(C) is a side view of the storage case and sealed container. [Figure 2] Figure 2(A) shows a cross-sectional view with the downstream transfer pipe removed from the side wall of the tank, Figure 2(B) shows a side view of the downstream transfer pipe, Figure 2(C) shows the downstream transfer pipe after installation but before fixing, and Figure 2(D) shows the downstream transfer pipe fixed to the cylindrical member with a ring clamp. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the processing operation of the control unit of the processing agent supply device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4(A) shows the state of the treatment agent supply device according to the embodiment before the treatment agent introduction operation is performed, Figure 4(B) shows the state during the execution of the treatment agent introduction operation, Figure 4(C) shows the state immediately after the start of the treatment agent transfer operation, and Figure 4(D) shows the state during the transfer of the coagulant in the treatment agent transfer operation. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a different configuration of the treatment agent supply device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6(A) is a plan view of a modified water tank according to the embodiment, and Figure 6(B) is a perspective view of the water tank viewed from above the water surface.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments are merely examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, its applicable objects, or its uses.

[0018] This embodiment is a processing agent supply device 10 according to the present invention. The processing agent supply device 10 is provided with a water tank 11 for obtaining a liquid coagulant from the coagulant powder input from the processing agent supply device 10. The liquid coagulant is used for coagulation treatment in a water purification plant or the like.

[0019] [Configuration of the Processing Agent Supply Device] As shown in FIG. 1(A), the processing agent supply device 10 includes a sealed container 21, a powder transfer pipe 30, an on-off valve 36, a gas supply unit 40, and a control unit 50.

[0020] The sealed container 21 is a container for storing the powder of the coagulant as a processing agent. The sealed container 21 includes a container body 22 and a lid 23 that closes the upper opening of the container body 22. The container body 22 includes a cylindrical container upper part 22a and a container lower part 22b that functions as a hopper. The inner surface of the container lower part 22b is a tapered surface that narrows as it approaches the lower end. The upstream end of the powder transfer pipe 30 is connected to the lower end of the container lower part 22b.

[0021] In the sealed container 21, a sealing material is attached over the entire circumference of the edge of the upper opening of the container body 22 (not shown). Therefore, the lid 23 adheres to the container body 22, and the sealing performance of the sealed container 21 is improved. A sealing material may be attached over the entire circumference of the contact portion of the edge of the upper opening on the inner surface of the lid 23.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1(B)-(C), the treatment agent supply device 10 further includes a storage case 25 that covers the sealed container 21. The storage case 25 is not shown in Figure 1(A). The storage case 25 is a roughly rectangular box. A through hole is formed in the bottom of the storage case 25 into which the container body 22 fits. The front of the storage case 25 is provided with, for example, a double-hinged door 26. By opening the door 26 and removing the lid 23, the coagulant can be replenished in the sealed container 21. Closing the lid 23 seals the sealed container 21, and closing the door 26 seals the storage case 25. The treatment agent supply device 10 is configured for outdoor use, and even if the storage case 25 is exposed to wind and rain, the sealed container 21 will remain sealed.

[0023] The powder transfer pipe 30 has an inlet connected to the bottom of the lower part 22b of the sealed container 21, and an outlet that opens above the water surface L of the water tank 11. The powder transfer pipe 30 includes an upstream transfer pipe 31 extending downward (for example, straight down) from the bottom of the lower part 22b of the container, a downstream transfer pipe 32 extending laterally at the upper part of the side wall of the water tank 11, and an intermediate transfer pipe 33 connecting the upstream transfer pipe 31 and the downstream transfer pipe 32. For example, rigid pipe material can be used for the upstream transfer pipe 31 and the downstream transfer pipe 32, and flexible pipe material (for example, transparent pipe material) can be used for the intermediate transfer pipe 33.

[0024] An on-off valve 36 is provided in the upstream transfer pipe 31. The on-off valve 36 is a valve that closes the upstream side of the upstream transfer pipe 31. The on-off valve 36 is made up of an electrically operated ball valve. In the upstream transfer pipe 31, the section between the closed position by the on-off valve 36 and the bottom surface where the falling powder hits (the dead end surface of the T-junction 35 in Figure 1(A)) becomes the lightweight section 38 which defines the amount of flocculant to be delivered at one time. The upstream transfer pipe 31 is also provided with a window (not shown) for visualizing the inside of the lightweight section 38.

[0025] The downstream transfer pipe 32 penetrates the upper part of the side wall of the tank 11 and extends laterally above the water surface L of the tank 11. The downstream end of the downstream transfer pipe 32 is curved so that its outlet faces downward.

[0026] In this embodiment, the downstream transfer pipe 32 is detachably attached to the side wall 11s of the water tank 11. The mounting structure for detachably attaching the downstream transfer pipe 32 to the side wall 11s comprises a ring clamp 55, a first large-diameter portion 61 held by the ring clamp 55 in the closed state, and a second large-diameter portion 62 held by the ring clamp 55 in the closed state. The first large-diameter portion 61 is provided on one end of a cylindrical member 60 fixed to the side wall 11s of the water tank 11, as shown in Figure 2(A). Figure 2(A) is a cross-sectional view of the downstream transfer pipe 32 removed from the side wall 11s of the water tank 11. The second large-diameter portion 62 is attached to the downstream transfer pipe 32. Figure 2(B) is a side view of the downstream transfer pipe 32 with the second large-diameter portion 62 attached. A joint 63 is provided at the upstream end of the downstream transfer pipe 32.

[0027] When attaching the downstream transfer pipe 32 to the side wall 11s of the water tank 11, in the state shown in Figure 2(A), the downstream transfer pipe 32 is passed through the cylindrical member 60 from the outside of the side wall 11s, the second large diameter portion 62 is placed on top of the first large diameter portion 61, and the flexible intermediate transfer pipe 33 is connected to the joint 63 (see Figure 2(C)). In this state, the first large diameter portion 61 and the second large diameter portion 62 are fitted inside the open ring clamp 55, and the downstream transfer pipe 32 can be fixed to the side wall 11s by closing the ring clamp 55.

[0028] The upstream end of the intermediate transfer pipe 33 is connected to the downstream end (lower end) of the upstream transfer pipe 31. The intermediate transfer pipe 33 extends laterally from the downstream end of the upstream transfer pipe 31. The lower air supply pipe 41, described later, is connected laterally to the bend at the connection point between the upstream transfer pipe 31 and the intermediate transfer pipe 33 (the upstream end of the intermediate transfer pipe 33). A T-junction 35 is formed at the connection point between the upstream transfer pipe 31, the intermediate transfer pipe 33, and the lower air supply pipe 41. The downstream end of the intermediate transfer pipe 33 is connected to the upstream end (joint 63) of the downstream transfer pipe 32 near the side wall of the water tank 11.

[0029] The gas supply unit 40 includes a pump 43 for discharging air, a discharge-side air supply pipe 39 extending from the outlet of the pump 43 to a branching point where it splits into two, an upper-side air supply pipe 42 branching from the discharge-side air supply pipe 39 and connected to the upper part of the lightweight section 38 below the on-off valve 36 of the upstream-side transfer pipe 31, a lower-side air supply pipe 41 branching from the discharge-side air supply pipe 39 and connected to the upstream end of the intermediate transfer pipe 33 (lower part of the lightweight section 38), and an air drying unit 44 located upstream of the branching point between the upper-side air supply pipe 42 and the lower-side air supply pipe 41 in the discharge-side air supply pipe 39. A flow rate control valve 16 is provided in the lower-side air supply pipe 41. The upper-side air supply pipe 42 and the lower-side air supply pipe 41 use pipe material with the same inner diameter.

[0030] An air dryer can be used in the air drying section 44 to dry the air discharged from the pump 43. In this case, the air dryer may be equipped with a filter to remove foreign matter from the air passing through it. In this embodiment, the discharge-side air supply pipe 39 is branched into two, but a second pump may be prepared and the upper air supply pipe 42 and the lower air supply pipe 41 may be made into independent pipes. In this case, the upper air supply pipe 42 is connected to the first pump and the lower air supply pipe 41 is connected to the second pump.

[0031] The water tank 11 is equipped with a stirring device 45 for agitating the liquid inside the water tank 11. The stirring device 45 comprises a motor 46, a shaft 47 connected to the rotating shaft of the motor 46, and a stirring element (rotating blade) 48 attached to the tip of the shaft 47. The water tank 11 is also equipped with an injection pipe 18 for injecting water and a discharge pipe 19 for discharging the liquid coagulant. Pumps are provided in both the injection pipe 18 and the discharge pipe 19 (not shown).

[0032] [Operation of the processing agent supply device] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the operation of the processing unit 50 and the operation of the processing agent supply device 10 will be explained. The control unit 50 performs processing agent introduction and processing agent transfer operations as processing to transfer the coagulant in the sealed container 21 to the water tank 11. Since the flow control valve 16 is set to an opening less than fully open, the minimum value of the flow path cross-sectional area is smaller for the lower air supply pipe 41 than for the upper air supply pipe 42.

[0033] In this liquid coagulant manufacturing system, which consists of a treatment agent supply device 10 and a water tank 11, the pump connected to the discharge pipe 19 and the agitator 45 are operated continuously. As a result, the liquid coagulant is continuously discharged from the discharge pipe 19 and supplied to a predetermined destination. The water tank 11 is equipped with an upper water level detection sensor 27 and a lower water level detection sensor 28 that detects water levels below the upper water level detection sensor 27. In the liquid coagulant manufacturing system, when the lower water level detection sensor 28 detects that the water level has dropped to a predetermined height, the pump connected to the injection pipe 18 starts operating, and the treatment agent supply device 10 also starts operating. Conversely, when the upper water level detection sensor 27 detects that the water level has risen to a predetermined height, the pump connected to the injection pipe 18 and the treatment agent supply device 10 stop operating.

[0034] Before the start of operation of the processing agent supply device 10, the on-off valve 36 is in the closed state, as shown in Figure 4(A). In this state, when the lower water level detection sensor 28 detects that the water level has dropped to a predetermined height, the control unit 50 sets the on-off valve 36 to the open state, thereby executing the processing agent introduction operation to drop the coagulant from the sealed container 21 into the lightweight section 38. Specifically, the control unit 50 sends a switching signal (open signal) to the on-off valve 36 to the open state (step ST1). As a result, as shown in Figure 4(B), the on-off valve 36 is switched to the open state, and the coagulant is dropped and introduced from the sealed container 21 into the lightweight section 38 of the powder transfer pipe 30, filling the lightweight section 38 with the coagulant.

[0035] Next, the control unit 50 sets the on-off valve 36 to the closed state after the processing agent introduction operation, and sends dry air from the gas supply unit 40 to the upper and lower parts of the lightweight section 38, thereby executing a processing agent transfer operation to transfer the coagulant in the lightweight section 38 to the water tank. Specifically, the control unit 50 sends a switching signal (closed signal) to the on-off valve 36 to the closed state (step ST2). Then, it sends ON signals to the pump 43 and the air drying unit 44 of the gas supply unit 40, respectively (step ST3). As a result, the coagulant in the lightweight section 38 is separated from the sealed container 21 (see Figure 4(C)). Then, in this state, as shown in Figure 4(D), dry air is sent to the lower part of the lightweight section 38 through the lower air supply pipe 41, drawing the coagulant in the lightweight section 38 downstream, and dry air is sent to the upper part of the lightweight section 38 through the upper air supply pipe 42, pushing the coagulant in the lightweight section 38 downstream.

[0036] The coagulant that flows out from the lightweight section 38 passes through the intermediate transfer pipe 33 and the downstream transfer pipe 32, and is introduced into the water tank 11 from the outlet of the downstream transfer pipe 32. In the water tank 11, the coagulant mixed with water is stirred by the agitator 48 of the agitator 45, and the coagulant dissolves in the water. As a result, liquid coagulant is produced.

[0037] After the processing agent transfer operation is completed, the control unit 50 sends an OFF signal to the pump 43 and the air drying unit 44 (step ST4). This returns the system to the state before the processing agent introduction operation was performed. The control unit 50 repeatedly performs the processing shown in Figure 3 until the upper water level detection sensor 27 detects that the water level has risen to a predetermined height.

[0038] The control unit 50 also performs a moisture control operation by supplying dry air from the pump 43 to the downstream transfer pipe 32 during periods when the treatment agent introduction operation and treatment agent transfer operation are not being performed. Specifically, the control unit 50 performs the moisture control operation each time a set time has elapsed, for example, within the range of 1 minute to 180 minutes. As a moisture control operation, the control unit 50 performs a control operation to operate the pump 43 for a predetermined operating time (for example, a period of 10 seconds or less (a few seconds, etc.)). The moisture control operation is performed not only when there is liquid in the water tank 11 (for example, during stirring), but also when there is no liquid in the water tank 11. This makes it possible to suppress the solidification of the coagulant in the downstream transfer pipe 32 due to the intrusion of moisture into the downstream transfer pipe 32. The set time is preferably selected from the range of 15 minutes to 40 minutes, and more preferably from the range of 20 minutes to 30 minutes.

[0039] [Effects of the Embodiment] In this embodiment, the container for storing the powdered flocculant is a sealed container 21, and a powder transfer pipe 30 extends from the bottom of the sealed container 21 to the water tank 11. In addition to the sealed container 21, the powder transfer pipe 30 has an upper air supply pipe 42 and a lower air supply pipe 41 for supplying dry air, which are connected to the upper and lower parts of the lightweight section 38, respectively. The powder transfer pipe 30 is configured so that as long as moisture-containing air does not enter the sealed container 21 when the lid 23 is opened, almost no moisture-containing air enters.

[0040] Furthermore, with the coagulant in the lightweight section 38 separated from the sealed container 21, dry air is supplied to the lower part of the lightweight section 38 through the lower air supply pipe 41, causing the coagulant in the lightweight section 38 to be drawn downstream. By supplying dry air to the upper part of the lightweight section 38 through the upper air supply pipe 42, the coagulant in the lightweight section 38 is pushed downstream. According to this embodiment, solidification in the transfer path of the coagulant and clogging of the transfer path of the coagulant can be suppressed.

[0041] In this case, if only dry air is supplied to the lightweight section 38 through the upper air supply pipe 42, the coagulant in the lightweight section 38 is introduced into the water tank 11 from the outlet of the downstream transfer pipe 32 in a clumped state. In this case, clumps of coagulant are likely to form in the liquid of the water tank 11, and fluctuations in the coagulant concentration are likely to occur. In contrast, in this embodiment, dry air is also supplied to the lower part of the lightweight section 38 through the lower air supply pipe 41, so that the coagulant in the lightweight section 38 is dispersed and supplied to the water tank 11, and clumps are less likely to form in the liquid of the water tank 11. In particular, the inventors of this application have found that by making the minimum cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path smaller in the lower air supply pipe 41 than in the upper air supply pipe 42, the flow rate of the coagulant during the period in which the coagulant in the lightweight section 38 is supplied becomes uniform. In this embodiment, a flow rate control valve 16 is provided in the lower air supply pipe 41, and the flow rate control valve 16 is set to an opening smaller than fully open, so that the flow rate of the coagulant can be made uniform. In this embodiment, fluctuations in the concentration of the coagulant in the liquid of the water tank 11 can be suppressed.

[0042] In this embodiment, in order to define the lightweight section 38 that specifies the amount of coagulant to be delivered in one go, an on-off valve 36 is provided only on the upper side of the lightweight section 38. However, as shown in Figure 5, it is conceivable to also provide an on-off valve 37 on the lower side of the lightweight section 38. In this case as well, solidification in the coagulant transfer path and clogging of the coagulant in the transfer path can be suppressed, similar to this embodiment, but two on-off valves would be required. The inventors of this application have confirmed that when an on-off valve 36 is provided only on the upper side of the lightweight section 38, the amount of coagulant delivered in one go fluctuates somewhat compared to when two on-off valves are provided, but this is still within a sufficiently acceptable range for the variation in the concentration of the liquid coagulant obtained in the water tank 11. According to this embodiment, it is possible to simplify the configuration of the treatment agent supply device 10 while obtaining liquid coagulant within the required concentration range.

[0043] The present invention includes the treatment agent supply device shown in Figure 5. In this treatment agent supply device, the treatment agent introduction operation involves switching the on-off valve 36 to the open state while the on-off valve 37 is closed. After the treatment agent introduction operation, the treatment agent transfer operation involves returning the on-off valve 36 to the closed state and switching the on-off valve 37 to the open state, and switching the pump 43 and the air drying unit 44 to ON.

[0044] In this embodiment, since the downstream transfer pipe 32 is detachably attached to the side wall 11s of the water tank 11, if the downstream transfer pipe 32 becomes clogged, the clogged downstream transfer pipe 32 can be removed and a replacement downstream transfer pipe 32 can be installed. Furthermore, since the attachment structure of the downstream transfer pipe 32 to the side wall 11s of the water tank 11 uses a ring clamp, the downstream transfer pipe 32 can be replaced quickly. Therefore, the clogging of the downstream transfer pipe 32 can be resolved without stopping the liquid coagulant manufacturing system.

[0045] [Modified examples of embodiments] In this modified configuration, the injection pipe 18 and the downstream transfer pipe 32 are configured to prevent the formation of powder clumps in the water tank 11. In a plan view of the water tank 11, the shaft 47 and the agitator 48 rotate in the first rotational direction (clockwise in Figure 6(A)). A flow occurs in the water stored in the water tank 11 in the first rotational direction.

[0046] The injection pipe 18 comprises a base injection pipe 18a extending from the side wall 11s of the water tank 11, an intermediate injection pipe 18b connected to the base injection pipe 18a via a first bend, and an outlet injection pipe 18c connected to the intermediate injection pipe 18b via a second bend. The outlet injection pipe 18c and the second bend are rotatably mounted relative to the joint 17 at the tip of the intermediate injection pipe 18b. Therefore, the inclination angle of the outlet injection pipe 18c can be adjusted by rotating the outlet injection pipe 18c and the second bend relative to the intermediate injection pipe 18b. The outlet injection pipe 18c has a flattened shape as if it has been crushed vertically, and the outlet 18e of the outlet injection pipe 18c is formed in a horizontally elongated shape.

[0047] The outlet injection pipe 18c extends straight and approximately parallel to the side wall 11s of the water tank 11 on which the downstream transfer pipe 32 is installed. The outlet 18e of the outlet injection pipe 18c faces the first rotational direction in a plan view. The outlet 32e of the downstream transfer pipe 32 is located at the end of the extension direction of the outlet injection pipe 18c from the outlet 18e of the outlet injection pipe 18c.

[0048] A nozzle member 34, bent at approximately 90 degrees, is attached to the outlet side of the downstream transfer pipe 32. One opening of the nozzle member 34 is rotatably attached to the straight metal pipe that constitutes the downstream transfer pipe 32. The other opening of the nozzle member 34 constitutes the outlet 32e. The nozzle member 34 can be rotated relative to the metal pipe of the downstream transfer pipe 32. In this embodiment, in Figure 6(B), the outlet 32e is rotated slightly counterclockwise from a state where it is facing directly downwards. In Figure 6(B), the thick dashed line represents the powder discharged from the outlet 32e.

[0049] In this modified configuration, the water discharge direction from the outlet 18e of the injection pipe 18 is aligned with the rotation direction (first rotation direction) of the agitator 48, and the water discharged from the outlet 18e of the injection pipe 18 hits the powder discharged from the outlet 32e of the downstream transfer pipe 32 above the water surface in the tank 11. If the water discharged from the outlet 18e of the injection pipe 18 does not hit the powder discharged from the outlet 32e of the downstream transfer pipe 32 above the water surface in the tank 11, the powder immediately after falling onto the water surface will be carried away by the water flow, but its movement speed will be slow, making it prone to forming clumps (small lumps). In contrast, in this modified configuration, the influence of the water hitting the powder above the water surface in the tank 11 increases the movement speed of the powder immediately after falling onto the water surface, suppressing the formation of clumps. In particular, the direction of water discharge from outlet 18e is aligned with the rotation direction of the agitator 48, and furthermore, the powder is discharged diagonally from outlet 32e of the downstream transfer pipe 32 along the rotation direction of the agitator 48. As a result, the movement speed of the powder immediately after it falls onto the water surface increases, suppressing the formation of clumps.

[0050] [Other embodiments] In the above-described embodiment, the treatment agent supply device 10 may be used to supply treatment agents other than the flocculant.

[0051] In the above-described embodiment, the treatment agent supply device 10 may be used indoors.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the flow control valve 16 may be omitted from the lower air supply pipe 41, and the inner diameter of the lower air supply pipe 41 may be made smaller than the inner diameter of the upper air supply pipe 42. [Industrial applicability]

[0053] The present invention is applicable to treatment agent supply devices and the like that supply treatment agents to water tanks such as stirring tanks. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10. Processing agent supply device 11 Aquariums 16 Flow control valve 18 Injection tube 21. Airtight container 30 Powder transfer tube 31 Upstream transfer pipe 32 Downstream transfer pipe 33 Intermediate transfer pipe 36. Shut-off valves 40 Gas supply unit 41 Lower air supply tube 42 Upper air supply tube 43 pumps 44 Air drying section

Claims

1. A treatment agent supply device that supplies powdered treatment agent to a water tank, A sealed container for storing the powdered processing agent, A powder transfer pipe whose inlet is connected to the bottom of the sealed container and whose outlet opens above the water surface of the tank, An on / off valve attached to the upstream transfer pipe of the powder transfer pipe, which extends downward from the bottom of the sealed container, A processing agent supply device comprising an upper air supply pipe connected to the upper part of the section of the upstream transfer pipe below the on-off valve, and a gas supply unit that supplies dry air to the powder transfer pipe through a lower air supply pipe connected to the upstream end of an intermediate transfer pipe that extends laterally from the lower end of the upstream transfer pipe.

2. The processing agent supply device according to claim 1, wherein the lower air supply pipe has a smaller minimum flow path cross-sectional area than the upper air supply pipe.

3. The processing agent supply device according to claim 1, wherein a flow control valve is provided in the lower air supply pipe.

4. In the aforementioned water tank, the water stored in the tank is agitated by rotating the agitator of the agitator. In the aforementioned tank, an injection pipe for injecting water is provided above the water surface in the tank. The processing agent supply device according to claim 1, wherein the direction of water discharge from the outlet of the injection pipe is aligned with the direction of rotation of the agitator, and the water discharged from the outlet of the injection pipe strikes the powder discharged from the outlet of the downstream transfer pipe of the powder transfer pipe above the water surface.

5. The processing agent supply device according to claim 4, wherein the outlet of the downstream transfer pipe is angled downward so that the powder is discharged at an angle along the rotation direction of the agitator.

6. The treatment agent supply device according to claim 4, wherein the outlet of the injection pipe is formed in a horizontally elongated shape.

7. The processing agent supply device according to claim 1, wherein the downstream portion of the powder transfer pipe is composed of a downstream transfer pipe that is detachably provided to the side wall of the water tank.

Images