Micronization device

Abstract

To provide a pulverization device which can clearly count the number of times of processing of a fluid with a simple device configuration, and can efficiently manage a processing step and a processing state.SOLUTION: A pulverization device includes a first tank 1A for supplying a fluid to a pulverization processing part 10, and a second tank 1B which is arranged above the first tank, recovers and stores a treated fluid discharged from the pulverization processing part, and sends the treated fluid to the first tank through a connection pipe H, wherein opening / closing means 7 is provided in the connection pipe H, liquid level detection means 6 is provided in a supply pipe LS, a control part includes count means for deciding the repeated number of a process of recovering the treated fluid that has been supplied to the pulverization processing part from the first tank and discharged from the pulverization processing part to the second tank, and performs opening / closing of the opening / closing means according to a timing from the count means, and the count means measures the opening / closing timing of the opening / closing means on the basis of a signal from the liquid level detection means, and decides a period of each processing step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an atomization device which, while having a simple device configuration, can clearly count the number of times the atomization process is performed on a fluid to be treated while continuously repeating the process, and which can manage the process and the processing state more efficiently than ever before. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in atomization devices, a fluid containing a material to be processed is pressurized to 100 to 245 MPa, and the high-pressure fluid is collided with the material to atomize, disperse, emulsify, etc. the material.

[0003] However, the degree of atomization, dispersion, emulsification, etc. of the raw material before the treatment is not necessarily uniform, and even after the treatment, it does not become uniform after just one treatment. In fact, when raw material particles with a relatively large diameter are to be finely divided, the collision treatment between high-pressure fluids is repeated multiple times, for example 10 to 20 times, to uniformly generate particles of the desired diameter.

[0004] As an example of an atomization device, for example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a cellulose nanofiber production device that performs multiple mechanical processes of colliding the slurry against each other to finely process pulp fibers in a slurry. In this device, the cellulose fibers are finer with each mechanical process, but in order to avoid the problem that the viscosity of the cellulose fiber slurry increases and the fluidity deteriorates, which reduces the productivity of the cellulose nanofibers, inlet and outlet pipes for the slurry to flow in and out are arranged at the bottom of two tanks in which the slurry is alternately stored. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-044274 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the conventional atomization devices as described above, the number of collision processes between high-pressure fluids containing raw material was measured by supplying a fluid containing the raw material to be processed from a tank and increasing the number of subsequent processes while appropriately checking the condition of the raw material returned to the tank, or by converting it into the number of processed times based on the processing time determined in a preliminary test stage, and there was no clear definition for determining the number of processing times.

[0007] Furthermore, even if the raw material to be treated is the same, the number of treatments required varies depending on the blending conditions between the raw material and the liquid medium in which it is mixed, suspended or dispersed, such as the level of viscosity, the size of the raw material particle size, the properties of the additive solvent (e.g. pH, volatility, toxicity), etc., as well as the degree of atomization, dispersion, emulsification, etc. required for the raw material to be treated for commercialization, so there is a demand for a system that can uniformly and correctly count the number of treatments. By determining the period for each treatment step of the target raw material and correctly counting the number of times treatment has been completed, it is possible to efficiently repeat the required number of treatment steps and manage the treatment status.

[0008] Furthermore, by clearly determining the duration of each processing step and correctly counting the number of times processing has been completed, the efficiency of processing by the atomization device can be improved. However, at the same time, in order to realize the efficiency of the entire atomization device, including peripheral equipment such as various pumps, heat exchangers, and piping, it is also desirable to reduce the space required for the device configuration.

[0009] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide an atomization device that is simple in configuration but has a tank unit that can accurately determine the duration of each processing step for the target raw material and correctly count the number of times it has been processed, thereby achieving greater efficiency than conventional devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The atomization device according to the invention described in claim 1 of the present invention is an atomization device comprising: an atomization processing section for pressurizing a fluid containing a raw material to be processed by a pressure booster and spraying the fluid at high pressure from a high-pressure nozzle in an injection chamber to atomize the raw material; a tank unit for storing the fluid and supplying the fluid to the atomization processing section by driving a liquid supply pump and recovering the fluid after high-pressure spray discharged from the atomization processing section; and a control section for controlling the driving of the pressure booster and the liquid supply pump, The tank unit includes: a first tank in which the fluid is stored and in which the fluid is supplied from a supply port formed on a bottom surface of the tank through a supply pipe to the atomization processing unit by driving the supply pump; a second tank disposed above the first tank, for collecting and storing the fluid discharged from the atomization processing unit after high-pressure injection, and for sending the fluid to the first tank through a connecting pipe extending downward from a discharge port formed on the bottom surface of the tank and connecting to the first tank; an opening / closing means provided in the connecting pipe for opening and closing a flow path in the connecting pipe; a liquid level detection means provided in the supply pipe and configured to detect the presence or absence of a fluid in the supply pipe at a predetermined position near the supply port; The control unit is a counting means for counting, as one processing step, each period during which the steps of supplying the fluid from the first tank to the atomization processing unit, high-pressure spraying of the fluid, and recovering the fluid after high-pressure spraying into the second tank are repeated after the fluid recovered and stored in the second tank has been completely discharged into the first tank, and determining the number of times processing has been completed, and opening and closing the opening / closing means is performed in accordance with the timing indicated by the counting means; the counting means measures a predetermined elapsed time t1 from the acquisition of a signal indicating the absence of fluid from the liquid level detection means and a predetermined elapsed time t2 from the point in time when t1 has elapsed, to measure the timing of opening and closing of the opening / closing means, and automatically updates the number of times the processing has been performed, using the time when the opening / closing means is closed based on t2 as the counting timing, to determine the number of times the processing has been performed; The period t1 is a period during which the fluid discharged from the first tank for the previous treatment step and the fluid returned from the second tank for the next treatment step and introduced from the first tank into the supply pipe are continuous, ensuring continuity when switching to the next treatment step. the law of nature, The time t2 is a period measured from the time when the time period t1 has elapsed and the opening and closing means is opened to the time when the opening and closing means is closed as the start of fluid supply for the next processing step when all of the fluid in the second tank has been drained into the first tank. It is characterized by the above.

[0011] With the above-mentioned configuration, in the atomization device of the present invention, the counting means measures a predetermined elapsed time from the time when all the fluid in the first tank is discharged and a detection signal indicating the absence of fluid is obtained from the liquid level detection means, and indicates the timing to open the opening / closing means. However, by setting the elapsed time as the time from when the liquid level detection means detects the absence of fluid to the time when the fluid recovered in the second tank after high-pressure injection processing in the atomization processing unit is returned to the first tank for the next processing, it is possible to reliably count the number of processing processes being performed at that time by counting each time the opening / closing means is opened during the repeated processing steps.

[0012] Therefore, the counting means can automatically update the number of treatments performed at the timing when the opening / closing means is opened in each treatment step, and determine the number of treatments performed. Then, when a count number equivalent to a preset number of treatments is obtained, the control unit can stop driving each unit of the device thereafter and automatically end the atomization treatment.

[0013] The flow of this processing step is shown below along with a schematic conceptual diagram showing the movement state of the fluid M in each step (a) to (g) in the processing step in Fig. 1. From the initial state (Fig. 1(a)) in which the fluid M to be processed is input and stored in the first tank 1A with the opening / closing means 7 such as an opening / closing valve provided in the connecting pipe connecting the second tank 1B and the first tank 1A closed, the control unit starts driving the liquid supply pump to start supplying the fluid M from the first tank 1A to the atomization processing unit in response to a command to start the atomization processing step, and starts driving the pressure booster of the atomization processing unit to start high-pressure injection processing of the fluid M supplied to the atomization processing unit. This starts the first processing step (first processing step).

[0014] As the first processing step progresses, the supply of fluid M from the first tank 1A progresses and at the same time the fluid M after the high pressure injection processing is collected into the second tank 1B (FIG. 1(b)). As the first processing step progresses further, all of the fluid M is discharged from the first tank 1A, and when the liquid level of the fluid M reaches a position downstream of the detection position by the liquid level detection means 6 installed in the supply piping near the supply port on the bottom of the tank, a detection signal indicating no fluid is generated from the liquid level detection means (FIG. 1(c)).

[0015] The counting means in the control unit measures the elapsed time from when the detection signal indicating no fluid is obtained until a predetermined period t1 is reached. During this time, the high-pressure injection process of all the fluid M in the atomization processing unit progresses, and the fluid M finally discharged from the first tank moves further inside the supply pipe toward the atomization processing unit (FIG. 1(d)). Then, at the point when the period t1 has elapsed, the counting means issues a signal to the control unit indicating that it is time to open the opening / closing means 7 to return the fluid M collected in the second tank 1B back to the first tank 1A, and counts that the currently performed processing step is the first time (first pass).

[0016] When the control unit receives a signal indicating the timing to open the opening / closing means 7 from the counting means, the control unit drives the opening / closing means 7 to the open state. By opening the opening / closing means 7, the return of the fluid M that has been collected and stored in the second tank 1B after the previous processing step to the first tank 1A begins (FIG. 1(e)). Therefore, the opening period t2 of the opening / closing means 7 is set to the time when all of the fluid M in the second tank 1B has been drained into the first tank 1A, and by setting this period t2 in advance, the counting unit can indicate to the control unit the timing to close the opening / closing means 7 when this opening period t2 has elapsed.

[0017] When the opening / closing means 7 is opened, the fluid M returned from the second tank 1B to the first tank 1A flows from the supply port at the bottom of the tank to the supply pipe, and reaches the rear end of the fluid M that was last discharged from the first tank 1A for the first processing step, and continues to flow, filling the supply pipe, and moves uninterrupted toward the atomization processing unit for the next second processing step. Therefore, after the opening / closing means 7 is opened, the liquid level detection means 6 eventually detects the presence of the fluid M (FIG. 1(f)).

[0018] Furthermore, the fluid M returned from the second tank 1B starts to be supplied to the atomization processing section while accumulating in the first tank 1A (FIG. 1(g)). Then, when all the fluid has been drained from the second tank 1B, the first processing step is considered to be completed and the second processing step is considered to start, and the opening and closing means is closed at this point (FIG. 1(a)). Therefore, the point when the period t2 has passed, all the fluid M has been drained from the second tank 1B, and the opening and closing means 7 is closed can be identified as the substantial completion of the previous processing step and the start of the next processing step.

[0019] Then, with the gating means 7 closed, the second high pressure injection process of the fluid M is carried out in the atomization processing unit in the same manner as the first time, while the supply from the first tank 1A to the atomization processing unit progresses, and when the fluid is completely discharged from the first tank, the liquid level detection means 6 detects the absence of fluid for the second time. Then, based on this detection signal of the absence of fluid, the counting means measures the elapsed time of a predetermined period t1, and when the period t1 has elapsed, a signal is generated indicating the timing to open the gating means 7 for the second time. Here, the number of times of processing is counted, and when the current processing step is the second time (second pass), the count number is updated.

[0020] In the present invention, the above steps are repeated until a preset number of times is counted, but each time the opening / closing means is opened based on detection information from the liquid level detection means that there is no fluid, the number of times that processing step has been performed is automatically and reliably counted, so that the number of times that the opening / closing means is opened is essentially counted as the number of times processing has been completed. Therefore, the number of times processing has been determined and the efficiency of management of the processing state is remarkably improved compared to the conventional method.

[0021] Moreover, according to the present invention, efficient management of such atomization processing can be achieved without the need for a complex device configuration, with a simple configuration in which the first and second tanks are arranged one above the other, and the opening and closing of the opening / closing means installed in the connecting pipe connecting both tanks is controlled based on detection information on the presence or absence of fluid from a liquid level detection means installed near the supply port of the first tank.

[0022] In addition, since the first tank and the second tank are used to transfer the same target fluid between them in a batchwise manner, they may have the same volume, and therefore it is most convenient for them to have the same shape, and this is likely to be adopted in the present invention. In this case, since the upper openings of the tanks into which the fluid is introduced also have the same area, if the tanks are arranged above each other with their vertical central axes aligned, particularly when the distance between the tanks is not large in order to reduce the space occupied by the device, most of the area of ​​the upper opening of the first tank will be covered by the second tank above, which may make it difficult to initially introduce the fluid.

[0023] Therefore, it is desirable that the first tank and the second tank be arranged so that the vertical central axis of the second tank is horizontally offset from the vertical central axis of the first tank. This offset arrangement ensures a large open area at the top opening of the first tank, making it easy to pour in the fluid. Furthermore, the vertical arrangement of the first tank and the second tank promotes the return of the fluid from the second tank to the first tank by falling due to gravity.

[0024] In addition, the counting means measures the passage of a predetermined period t1 from when a detection signal indicating no fluid is obtained from the liquid level detection means to the timing at which the opening / closing means is opened. The timing at which the opening / closing means is opened is determined so that there is good continuity between the fluid that has been discharged from the first tank for the previous processing step and the fluid that has been returned from the second tank for the next processing step and is introduced from the first tank into the supply piping, thereby ensuring continuity when switching to the next processing step.

[0025] The period t1 [s] for this purpose can be determined by the formula t1 = (W1 / Q) × 60 ... (1) when the supply piping is configured with a vertical piping section extending vertically downward from the supply port of the first tank, a bent piping section at the lower end of the vertical piping section, and a horizontal piping section extending horizontally from the bent piping section toward the feed pump, and the fluid has no viscosity or a low viscosity of 0 to 100 cP or less.

[0026] Here, Q [L / min] is the supply flow rate of the fluid M from the first tank 1A, and corresponds to the processing capacity of the atomization processing unit. W1 [L] is the internal volume of the pipe from the detection position A by the liquid level detection means 6 in the vertical pipe section LS1 of the supply pipe to the horizontal plane position B where the fluid M is filled in the horizontal pipe section LS2 that is continuous with the upper end of the bent pipe section LSb between the vertical pipe section LS1 and the horizontal pipe section LS2, as shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b).

[0027] When the fluid M has a low viscosity of 0 to 100 cP or no viscosity, the level of the fluid M that descends inside the vertical piping section LS1 of the supply piping as it is supplied to the atomization processing section remains horizontal, and the detection result of the presence or absence of the fluid M by the liquid level detection means 6 is based on the actual liquid level position of the fluid surface. Therefore, the period t1 [s] determined by the above formula (1) is the time it takes for the fluid M to descend from position A to position B. Therefore, when the opening and closing means 7 is opened at the time when the period t1 has elapsed immediately after the liquid level reaches position A, the fluid M returned from the second tank 1B is additionally introduced into the fluid M whose liquid level is at position B, so that the supply of the fluid M continues while the horizontal piping section LS2 remains filled with the fluid M.

[0028] For example, if fluid M is not introduced even when the liquid level of fluid M reaches position B, a gap (air layer) will be formed in the upper part of the horizontal pipe LS2, and if fluid M is introduced when it reaches position C, which is lower than position B, air will mix with the fluid M in the supply pipe LS, and there is a risk that a good supply of fluid M cannot be maintained. In addition, the fluid supply for the previous processing step and the fluid supply for the next processing step will be interrupted, disrupting the continuity of the repeated processing steps and causing a decrease in overall work efficiency. Furthermore, the mixed air may cause malfunctions in the booster that take time to recover from.

[0029] In the atomization device of the present invention, the transfer of the fluid M from the second tank 1B to the first tank 1A is repeated in a batch manner in order to repeat the atomization process, but by appropriately setting the above-mentioned period t1 [s], the fluid M supplied from the first tank 1A to the atomization processing section moves stably while always filling the inside of the piping well without air getting in on the way. Therefore, the fluid supply for starting the next process from the end of the previous process can be switched smoothly, so the continuity of the repeated process is secured and the high efficiency of the entire work can be maintained.

[0030] On the other hand, when the fluid M has a medium to high viscosity exceeding 100 cP, the period t1 [s] is set to 0. This is because, as shown in FIG. 2(c), when the highly viscous fluid M advances through the vertical pipe section LS1, the fluid M that moves along the pipe wall adheres to the wall, so that the liquid level detection means 6 determines that there is fluid based on the fluid M that adheres to the wall even if the actual liquid level, which is the center, moves further downward beyond the liquid level detection position A. Therefore, even if the opening and closing means 7 is opened after a predetermined period as in the case of FIG. 2(b) has elapsed since the time when the liquid level detection means 6 detected the absence of fluid, and additional fluid M is introduced from the second tank 1B, an air layer has already formed in the horizontal pipe section LS2, and air has entered the fluid M to be supplied for the next processing step.

[0031] Therefore, when the liquid level detection means 6 detects the absence of fluid, the center of the liquid level can be considered to have already almost reached position B. Therefore, by setting the period t1 to 0, when the liquid level detection means 6 detects the absence of fluid, the opening and closing means 7 is immediately opened without any elapsed time to introduce additional fluid M from the second tank 1B, so that it is possible to prevent air from entering the fluid due to a gap in the horizontal piping section LS2. As a result, even if the fluid is highly viscous, the fluid M moves stably from the first tank 1A to the atomization processing section while filling the piping. As a result, the fluid supply is smoothly switched from the end of the previous processing step to the start of the next processing step, so that even if the fluid M is highly viscous, the continuity of the repeated processing steps is ensured and high efficiency of the entire work can be maintained.

[0032] Furthermore, as described above, the counting means may measure the elapsed time from the time when the opening / closing means 7 is opened after the lapse of the period t1 to the time when the opening / closing means 7 is closed, which determines the completion of the previous processing step and the start of the next processing step, as period t2.

[0033] This period t2 (s) can be determined by the formula t2 = (W2 / Q) x 60 ... (2), where W2 (L) is the total volume inside the device and the piping in the path from when the fluid M leaves the first tank 1A to when it returns to the second tank 1B.

[0034] Therefore, when the period t2 (s) has elapsed since the opening / closing means 7 was opened, the fluid M that had been recovered in the second tank 1B after the high-pressure injection process in the previous treatment step has been returned to the first tank 1B and has been completely discharged. Then, by closing the opening / closing means 7 at this point, the second tank 1B is ready for the next treatment step to proceed and for the treated fluid M to be recovered again, so the time when the opening / closing means 7 is closed can be determined as the actual start time of the next treatment step. As a result, as the treatment steps are repeated, the start of the second or subsequent treatment steps can be determined each time the opening / closing means 7 is closed after the period t2 has elapsed after the period t1.

[0035] The opening and closing means of the present invention may be any mechanism that allows the control unit to easily perform automatic ON / OFF control to open and close the flow passage in the connecting pipe, such as various electromagnetic or electric opening and closing valves.

[0036] In addition, as the liquid level detection means of the present invention, various existing liquid level sensors can be widely used as long as they have a mechanism that can detect the presence or absence of liquid in the supply pipe at a specified position, but it is desirable to use one that is as lightweight, small, and easy to handle as possible, such as a capacitance type level switch or a tuning fork type level switch, which is a vibration type level sensor.

[0037] The first tank and the second tank of the present invention may be made of a material appropriately selected according to the physical properties of the raw material and the fluid containing the raw material, and may have a size appropriately selected to correspond to the amount of material to be processed at one time, which is determined according to the physical properties of the raw material and the fluid containing the raw material.

[0038] In addition, the control unit of the present invention is a unit in which the processing conditions required for the atomization process, such as the number of times of processing, the injection pressure, and the injection speed, which are set in advance, are input and stored in the storage unit, and the driving of each driving unit of the atomization device is controlled according to these set conditions during the processing steps. In addition, as the number of processing steps progresses, it may be desirable to change the processing conditions according to the state of the object to be processed, such as increasing or decreasing the injection pressure or injection speed of the fluid from the initial processing conditions. Therefore, the control unit may have a function of performing feedback control so that the processing conditions are changed in the set number of processing steps by setting in advance at least one of the injection pressure and the injection speed to be changed to different processing conditions in a predetermined number of processing steps. Effect of the Invention

[0039] As explained above, the present invention detects the presence or absence of fluid in the supply pipe near the supply port of the first tank by detecting the liquid level, and measures a preset elapsed time based on the detection information of the absence of fluid using a counting means while controlling the opening and closing of the connecting pipe connecting the first tank (supply tank) and the second tank (recovery tank) located above it, thereby making it possible to reliably count the number of times each process is performed while determining the completion of the previous process and the start of the next process. This has the effect of efficiently managing the process status and managing the implementation of continuous repetition of the process. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0040] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing in a simplified manner the movement of a fluid during a processing step in a tank unit of the atomization apparatus according to the present invention, showing the states in each step (a) to (g). [Diagram 2]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method for determining the set period t1 measured by the counting means of the atomization device according to the present invention, in which (a) is a schematic diagram of the supply piping portion showing the piping volume W1 [L] used to determine the period t1 [s], (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion within the dashed circle Z in FIG. (a), showing the state of the fluid when the fluid has no viscosity or low viscosity, and (c) shows the state inside the supply piping at the detection position by the liquid level detection means when the fluid has high viscosity. [Diagram 3] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing an atomization device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A shows a schematic overall configuration, and FIG. 1B shows a more detailed configuration of a tank unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a control operation in the atomization device of FIG. [Diagram 5] 3 is a time chart showing a control operation when the atomization device of FIG. 1 performs atomization processing with five passes. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0041] As an embodiment of the present invention, a schematic diagram of an atomization device is shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 3(a) shows a schematic overall configuration, and Fig. 3(b) shows a more detailed configuration of a tank unit. The atomization device 100 of this embodiment is mainly composed of an atomization processing unit 10 that performs atomization processing by high-pressure injection of a fluid M, which is a slurry containing raw material particles to be processed, a tank unit 1 that stores the fluid M and supplies the fluid M to the atomization processing unit 10 by driving a feed pump 2, and collects the fluid M after high-pressure injection discharged from the atomization processing unit 10, and a control unit 20 that controls the driving of each drive unit of the atomization processing unit 10 and the feed pump 2.

[0042] The atomization processing unit 10 includes a spray chamber 5 having a processing space therein, and a pressure booster (3, 3) that pressurizes the fluid M supplied from the tank unit 1 side and sends it to the spray chamber 5. In this embodiment, a pair of pressure boosters (3, 3) is provided, and a high-pressure fluid is alternately discharged by a hydraulic device 11 driven and controlled by a control unit 20. Each pressure booster (3, 3) has a piston rod that reciprocates within a cylinder by supplying and discharging hydraulic oil from the hydraulic device 11, and boosts the pressure of the sucked fluid M and discharges it. The high-pressure fluid alternately discharged from these pressure boosters (3, 3) is filtered through an ultra-high pressure filter 4 and then sent to the spray chamber 5. In this embodiment, the atomization processing by high-pressure spray of the fluid is performed by collision processing between jets, and a pair of high-pressure nozzles are arranged in the spray chamber 5 so that the jets of the fluid M collide with each other in the internal processing space.

[0043] The tank unit 1 is vertically configured and includes a first tank 1A which is a supply tank for storing fluid M containing raw material particles and supplying it to the atomization processing unit 10, and a second tank 1B which is disposed above the first tank 1A and serves as a recovery tank for recovering the fluid M which is cooled and discharged after the high-pressure injection processing is completed in the atomization processing unit 10.

[0044] The first tank 1A has a funnel-shaped bottom with a supply port formed in the center. A supply pipe LS extends from the supply port toward the atomization processing unit 10. The supply pipe LS includes a vertical pipe section LS1 extending vertically downward from the supply port, a bent pipe section LSb at the lower end of the vertical pipe section LS1, and a horizontal pipe section LS2 extending horizontally from the bent pipe section LSb, and a liquid supply pump 2 is disposed downstream of the horizontal pipe section LS2.

[0045] The second tank 1B is the same shape, size, and material as the first tank 1A. That is, the tank bottom is funnel-shaped with a discharge port formed in the center. A connecting pipe H extends downward from the discharge port, and the second tank 1B communicates with the upper opening of the first tank 1A through the connecting pipe H.

[0046] In this embodiment, the second tank 1B is disposed such that its vertical central axis is horizontally offset from the vertical central axis of the first tank 1A. This arrangement ensures that the area of ​​the top opening of the first tank 1A that is covered by the second tank 1B is small and the open area is large, making it easy and efficient to pour the fluid M containing the raw material particles into the first tank 1A.

[0047] The connecting pipe H is provided with a liquid delivery valve 7 as an opening / closing means for opening and closing the flow path in the pipe by drive control from the control unit 20. This liquid delivery valve 7 is preferably a high-response valve that is immediately driven to an open state by power ON based on an open command from the control unit 20 at a predetermined timing, and immediately driven to a closed state by power OFF based on a close command. When the liquid delivery valve 7 is in a closed state, the fluid is delivered from the second tank 1B to the first tank 1A through the connecting pipe H, and when in a closed state, the fluid M collected from the atomization processing unit 10 is stored in the second tank 1B.

[0048] Furthermore, the vertical pipe section LS1 of the supply pipe LS is provided with a liquid level sensor 6 as a liquid level detection means for detecting the presence or absence of a fluid at a downstream position near the supply port of the first tank 1A. In this embodiment, a capacitance type level switch or a tuning fork type level switch is used as this liquid level sensor 6, and when the fluid M is present at the detection position, an ON signal is sent indicating the presence of a fluid, and when the fluid M is no longer present at the detection position, the ON signal is turned OFF indicating the absence of a fluid.

[0049] The flow of operation of the atomization device 100 according to this embodiment having the above-mentioned configuration will be described below with reference to the flow chart of Fig. 4. Note that the control unit 20 has a memory unit (not shown) inputting and storing necessary processing conditions such as the number of atomization processes Y set in advance for the fluid M (slurry containing raw material particles) input and stored in the first tank 1A, the injection pressure and injection speed in the atomization processing unit 10, and the period t1 and period t2. The counting means utilizes these periods t1 and t2 stored in the memory unit.

[0050] 4, when an atomization process start command is input to the control unit 20, the control unit 20 enters an operation start mode of the atomization device 100 while the liquid level sensor 6 is in an operating state (S100), and firstly, the liquid supply pump 2 is turned on to start operation (S101), and then the hydraulic device 11 is turned on to start operation (S102).Then, the control unit 20 turns off the liquid supply valve 7 to close it, thereby making it possible for the recovered fluid M to be stored in the second tank 1B (S103).

[0051] At this time, the supply of the fluid M from the first tank 1A to the atomization processing unit 10 has begun, the pressure booster (3, 3) is driven by the hydraulic device 11, the high-pressure injection processing of the supplied fluid M in the injection chamber 5 has also begun, and the first processing step has started. Therefore, since the supply of the fluid M from the first tank 1A to the supply pipe LS has begun, the liquid level sensor 6 has detected the presence of fluid and is sending an ON signal, and in the control unit 20, the counting means is monitoring the detection signal from this liquid level sensor 6 during the injection processing step (S104).

[0052] As the high-pressure injection process progresses, the first tank 1A is exhausted of fluid M, and when the level of fluid M in the supply pipe LS falls below the detection position of the liquid level sensor 6, the liquid level sensor 6 switches the fluid presence ON signal to OFF. In the control unit 20, the counting means measures the elapsed time a after receiving this signal OFF, and when a period t1 as a no-liquid delay time has elapsed, the current processing step is considered to be the first one, and the number of processing passes (number of passes) X is counted as 1. At the same time, if the number of passes X has not reached the set total number of processing passes Y, the counting means issues a signal to the control unit 20 indicating that it is time to open the liquid delivery valve 7, and determines the number of passes (S106).

[0053] The control unit 20 receives the signal from the counting means and drives the liquid delivery valve 7 to the open state (S107). This causes the fluid M to be returned from the second tank 1B to the first tank 1A and further introduced into the supply pipe LS from the supply port, ensuring smooth and continuous supply of the fluid for the next processing step.

[0054] The counting means measures the elapsed time b from the timing at which the liquid supply valve 7 is opened until the period t2 is reached (S108). When the elapsed time b reaches the period t2, the counting means issues a signal to the control unit 20 indicating that it is time to close the liquid supply valve 7, and determines the number of passes (S109). At this time, the control unit 20 determines that the processing steps up to that point have been completed, and that the next processing step (determined pass count + 1) will begin. The control unit 20 then drives the liquid supply valve to the OFF position, returning to the step of closing the valve (S103), and thereafter similarly updates the count of the number of processes (number of passes) while measuring the periods t1 and t2 based on the detection information from the liquid level sensor 6.

[0055] When the count number of the counting means reaches a preset total number of processing times Y, the control unit 20 transitions to an end mode of the atomization processing step (S110) and issues an OFF drive command to both the supply pump 2 and the hydraulic device 11 to stop operation (S111). EXAMPLES

[0056] As one embodiment of the present invention, an example in which the atomization process is repeatedly and continuously performed for a total of 5 passes (5 passes) on a slurry fluid containing raw material particles by the atomization device 100 shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to the time chart of FIG. In this embodiment, the fluid to be treated has a low viscosity of 100 cP or less, the required piping volume W1 = 130 ml, the piping volume W2 = 1100 ml, and the flow rate Q = 0.86 L / min, so t1 = 9 s, t2 = 77 s ≒ 80 s are set. Also, a delay of 3 s is set from the start of operation of the feed pump 2 to the start of operation of the hydraulic device 11.

[0057] In this embodiment, the surface of the housing covering the entire atomization device is provided with an operation start button and a stop button for sending operation start and stop command signals to the control unit. Then, after the operation start button is pressed and the atomization device enters the operation start mode and the liquid supply pump 2 is driven to start operation, if an abnormality occurs in the device or if the stop button is pressed during each of the periods before the hydraulic device 11 starts operation, or after the hydraulic device 11 starts operation and until the liquid level sensor 6 detects the absence of fluid, during the subsequent period t1, and during the subsequent period t2, the operation of the liquid supply pump 2 is stopped. After that, if operation can be resumed, the operation of the liquid supply pump 2 is resumed by pressing the operation start button again, and the treatment process is resumed.

[0058] In the above setting, after the fluid has been charged into the first tank 1A, the atomization device 100 enters an operation start mode by pressing the operation start button from the initial state in which the liquid feed valve 7 is closed, as shown in Fig. 5. First, the operation of the liquid supply pump 2 is started, but if the stop button is pressed due to some problem occurring before the operation of the hydraulic device 11 is started, the operation of the liquid supply pump 2 is stopped.

[0059] Thereafter, if the problem is resolved and operation can be resumed, the operation start button is pressed again, and based on this, operation of the liquid feed pump 2 is resumed and operation of the hydraulic device 11 is started. This also starts driving the booster 3, and the fluid supplied via the liquid feed pump 2 is pressurized and sent to the injection chamber 5, where the high-pressure injection process is performed.

[0060] As the processing process progresses and the processed fluid is collected in the second tank 1B while the fluid is completely discharged from the first tank 1A, the liquid level sensor 6 switches from an ON state indicating the presence of fluid to an OFF state indicating the absence of fluid, a detection signal is generated indicating this state change, and the counting means measures the elapsed time of 9 seconds (period t1) from that point on. When the period t1 = 9 s has elapsed, the counting means counts the number of processing times for the first time, and sets the count to 1. Based on this count 1, the control unit determines in the memory unit that the processing process currently being carried out is the first time (first pass). Meanwhile, when the period t1 = 9 s has elapsed, the liquid delivery valve 7 is opened (ON).

[0061] The counting means measures the elapsed time of 80 seconds (period t2) from the timing when the liquid supply valve 7 is opened (ON). During this time, the fluid that was collected in the second tank 1B is returned to the first tank 1A via the connecting pipe H by opening the liquid supply valve 7, so that the fluid in the supply pipe LS is filled, and the liquid level sensor 6 becomes ON, indicating the presence of fluid.

[0062] Thereafter, when the counting means measures the passage of 80 seconds as period t2, it indicates to the control unit 20 that it is time to close the liquid delivery valve 7, and the control unit closes the liquid delivery valve 7 and confirms the completion of the previous processing step and the start of the next processing step.

[0063] Thereafter, the counting means similarly counts the number of processes and sequentially updates the count number every time a period t1 elapses from when the liquid level sensor 6 detects the absence of fluid. The control unit updates and determines the number of processes (number of passes) in the memory unit based on the count number updated by the counting means, while controlling the opening and closing of the liquid delivery valve 7 to determine the completion and start of each processing step.

[0064] When the count by the counting means reaches the preset final number of processing times 5, after the period t1 has elapsed, the control unit 20 enters the operation stop mode of the atomization device, and stops the operation of the liquid supply pump 2 and the hydraulic device 11 while keeping the liquid supply valve 7 closed without opening it. The control unit also determines that all the processing steps for the set number of times have been completed by the end of the operation stop mode. At this point, the fluid remaining in the circuit is pushed out and recovered with a solvent or the like to prevent air from being mixed into the atomization device, particularly the circuit of the atomization processing unit 10.

[0065] When the above five passes of processing steps are completed, all of the processed fluids collected and stored in the second tank 1B are collected from the atomization device 100 to the outside of the device, and the counting means and the count number in the memory unit are reset in the control unit 20.

[0066] As described above, according to the atomization device 100 of this embodiment, while the atomization processing steps are repeatedly and continuously performed, the number of processing steps (number of passes) is reliably determined for each processing step, and the completion and start of each processing step are reliably determined, so that the continuous repetition of the processing steps is efficiently managed.

[0067] In the above examples, the fluid to be treated has a low viscosity. However, when the fluid has a medium viscosity exceeding 100 cP, or even a high viscosity of up to 1000 cP, the number of treatments can be reliably counted and the treatment process can be efficiently managed in the same manner by simply setting the period t1 to 0 seconds or a short period close to 0 seconds. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 100: Atomization device 1: Tank unit 1A: First tank 1B: Second tank 2: Liquid supply pump 3: Booster 4: Ultra-high pressure filter 5: Injection chamber 6: Liquid level detection means (liquid level sensor) 7: Opening and closing means (liquid supply valve) 10: Atomization processing section 11: Hydraulic system 20: Control unit H: Connecting piping LS: Supply piping LS1: Vertical piping section LS2: Horizontal piping section LSb: Bent piping section M:Fluid

Claims

1. An atomization apparatus comprising: an atomization processing section for pressurizing a fluid containing a raw material to be processed by a pressure booster and spraying the fluid at high pressure from a high-pressure nozzle in an injection chamber to atomize the raw material; a tank unit for storing the fluid, supplying the fluid to the atomization processing section by driving a liquid supply pump, and recovering the fluid after high-pressure spray discharged from the atomization processing section; and a control section for controlling the operation of the pressure booster and the liquid supply pump, The tank unit includes: a first tank in which the fluid is stored and in which the fluid is supplied from a supply port formed on a bottom surface of the tank through a supply pipe to the atomization processing unit by driving the supply pump; a second tank disposed above the first tank, for collecting and storing the fluid discharged from the atomization processing unit after high-pressure injection, and for sending the fluid to the first tank through a connecting pipe extending downward from a discharge port formed on the bottom surface of the tank and connecting to the first tank; an opening / closing means provided in the connecting pipe for opening and closing a flow path in the connecting pipe; a liquid level detection means provided in the supply pipe and configured to detect the presence or absence of a fluid in the supply pipe at a predetermined position near the supply port; The control unit is a counting means for counting, as one processing step, each period during which the steps of supplying the fluid from the first tank to the atomization processing unit, high-pressure spraying of the fluid, and recovering the fluid after high-pressure spraying into the second tank are repeated after the fluid recovered and stored in the second tank has been completely discharged into the first tank, and determining the number of times processing has been completed, and opening and closing the opening / closing means is performed in accordance with the timing indicated by the counting means; the counting means measures a predetermined elapsed time t1 from the acquisition of a signal indicating the absence of fluid from the liquid level detection means and a predetermined elapsed time t2 from the point in time when t1 has elapsed, to measure the timing of opening and closing of the opening / closing means, and automatically updates the number of times the processing has been performed, using the time when the opening / closing means is closed based on t2 as the counting timing, to determine the number of times the processing has been performed; The atomization apparatus is characterized in that t1 is a period during which the fluid discharged from the first tank for the previous processing step and the fluid returned from the second tank for the next processing step and introduced from the first tank into the supply piping are continuous, ensuring continuity when switching to the next processing step, and t2 is a period measured from the point at which the opening and closing means is opened after the period t1 has elapsed, to the timing at which the opening and closing means is closed to start supplying fluid for the next processing step when all of the fluid in the second tank has been discharged into the first tank.

2. The first tank and the second tank have upper openings into which the fluid is poured that have the same area, 2. The atomization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second tank is disposed at a position where a vertical central axis of an upper opening of the second tank is horizontally shifted from a vertical central axis of an upper opening of the first tank.

3. the supply piping includes a vertical piping section extending vertically downward from a supply port of the first tank, a bent piping section at a lower end of the vertical piping section, and a horizontal piping section extending horizontally from the bent piping section toward the supply pump, The counting means is a time period t1 [s] is preset for measuring the time from when the fluid is supplied from the first tank to the atomization processing unit and a signal indicating the absence of fluid is output from the liquid level detection means of the supply pipe to the timing for opening the opening / closing means to start sending the fluid recovered and stored in the second tank to the first tank, and a signal indicating the timing for opening the opening / closing means is generated when the time period t1 [s] has elapsed; The period t1[s] is When the fluid has no viscosity or a low viscosity of 0 to 100 cp or less, the following formula (1) is calculated based on the supply flow rate Q [L / min] of the fluid from the first tank and the pipe internal volume W1 [L] from the detection position of the vertical pipe section by the liquid level detection means to the horizontal plane position where the fluid is filled in the horizontal pipe section connected to the upper end of the bent pipe section: t1=(W1 / Q)×60...(1) is determined by 3. The atomization device according to claim 1, wherein the viscosity is set to 0 when the fluid has a medium to high viscosity exceeding 100 cp.

4. The counting means is a period t2 [s] is set in advance for measuring the time from when the opening and closing means is opened after the period t1 [s] has elapsed to the timing for closing the opening and closing means as the start of fluid supply from the first tank for the next processing step, and a signal indicating the timing for closing the opening and closing means is generated at the time when the period t2 [s] has elapsed; The period t2 [s] is calculated based on the Q [L / min] and the total volume W2 [L] inside the device and in the piping in the path in which the fluid leaves the first tank and returns to the second tank, using the following formula (2): t2=(W2 / Q)×60...(2) 4. The atomizing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the above formula is determined by:

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