Liquid mixing device

Abstract

To provide a liquid mixing device that can easily control a mixture ratio of first liquid and second liquid.SOLUTION: A slug flow generating device is provided, comprising: a first member 11a having a first flow path through which first liquid is flown and a second flow path through which second liquid is flown, and a second member 12a having a slit hole 121a through which the first liquid supplied through the first flow path is mixed with the second liquid supplied through the second flow path. The first flow path and the second flow path comprise main flow paths extending in one direction and a plurality of branch flow paths branching from the main flow paths and extending in a direction crossing the one direction, wherein the branch flow paths of the first flow path and the branch flow paths of the second flow path are alternately arranged with respect to the one direction without communicating with each other on the first member. The slit hole of the second member is arranged along the one direction in such a manner that the branch flow paths of the first flow path and the branch flow paths of the second flow path alternately arranged are communicated with each other through the slit hole, wherein the number of the branch flow paths of the first flow path and the number of the branch flow paths of the second flow path are equal to each other, the first flow path facing the second flow path each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid mixing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a mixing device configured by stacking a base plate, a distribution plate, a merging plate, and a top plate in this order from bottom to top. As shown in FIG. 4, the base plate has two through-holes. As shown in FIG. 7, one through-hole supplies a liquid from system A, and the other through-hole supplies a liquid from system B. The liquids from system A and system B flow into multiple comb-shaped channels in the distribution plate and merge in multiple slit grooves in the merging plate. During this process, the liquids from system A and system B are mixed. The mixed liquid is discharged to the outside of the device through a discharge hole that connects a small-diameter cylindrical through-hole and a large-diameter cylindrical through-hole in the top plate. The comb-shaped channels consist of a main channel and multiple branch channels branching off from the main channel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4286895 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The device of Patent Document 1 uses a comb-tooth-shaped flow channel and a slit groove to mix a liquid in system A and a liquid in system B, and is an excellent device that can efficiently mix liquids.

[0005] In the device of Patent Document 1, as shown in Figure 22 described below, the comb-tooth-shaped flow path is composed of a flow path with 12 tributary flow paths 81 on only the other side of the longitudinal direction, a flow path with 11 tributary flow paths 82 along one side of the longitudinal direction and 12 tributary flow paths 81 on the other side of the longitudinal direction, and a flow path with 11 tributary flow paths 82 on only one side of the longitudinal direction.

[0006] The mixing ratio of the liquid supplied from system A and the liquid supplied from system B is affected by the ratio between the number of tributary channels through which the liquid from system A flows into the slit groove and the number of tributary channels through which the liquid from system B flows into the slit groove, when the areas of the openings through which the slit groove 83 indicated by the dashed dotted line in Fig. 22 and each tributary channel communicate are the same. In the device of Patent Document 1, the total number of tributary channels in system A is 80, and the total number of tributary channels in system B is 81. This poses a problem in that it is difficult to control the mixing ratio of the liquid supplied from system A and the liquid supplied from system B.

[0007] For example, even if the flow rates are set so that the flow rates of the liquid in system A and the liquid in system B are the same, the mixing ratio of the liquid in system A and the liquid in system B will not be 1:1.

[0008] For example, if the mixing ratio of the liquid in system A to the liquid in system B is 1:1, the mixing ratio can be easily changed by changing the flow rate of system A and the flow rate of system B. In the device of cited document 1, the number of branch channels in system A is different from the number of branch channels in system B, so when adjusting the mixing ratio by changing the flow rate, calculations must be performed, which is cumbersome.

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a liquid mixing device that mixes a first liquid and a second liquid through a slit hole, in which a first flow path having a main flow path extending in one direction and a plurality of branch flow paths branching from the main flow path and extending in a direction intersecting the main flow path is arranged opposite a second flow path having a similar configuration, and in which the mixing ratio of the first liquid and the second liquid can be easily controlled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The above-mentioned problem is solved by a liquid mixing device comprising: a first member having a first flow path through which a first liquid flows and a second flow path through which a second liquid flows; and a second member having slit holes through which the first liquid supplied from the first flow path and the second liquid supplied from the second flow path are mixed, wherein the first flow path and the second flow path each have a main flow path extending in one direction and a plurality of tributaries branching from the main flow path and extending in a direction intersecting the one direction, wherein the tributaries of the first flow path and the tributaries of the second flow path do not communicate with each other on the first member but are arranged alternately with respect to the one direction, and the slit holes in the second member are arranged along the one direction so as to communicate the tributaries of the first flow path and the tributaries of the second flow path that are arranged alternately via the slit holes, and wherein the number of tributaries of the first flow path and the number of tributaries of the second flow path are the same in the first flow path and the second flow path that are opposed to each other.

[0011] With the above device, for example, when the flow rate of the first liquid flowing through the first flow path and the flow rate of the second liquid flowing through the second flow path are made equal, the first liquid and the second liquid can be mixed in equal amounts by volume. Furthermore, for example, when the flow rate of the first liquid flowing through the first flow path and the flow rate of the second liquid flowing through the second flow path are made 4:6, the first liquid and the second liquid can be mixed in a volume ratio of 40% and 60%, respectively. With the above device, the mixing ratio of the first liquid and the second liquid can be easily controlled by controlling the flow rates.

[0012] In the above-mentioned device, the number of branch channels provided on one side of the main channel is preferably the same as the number of slits. By comparing the number of slits in the second member of the device currently being used with the number of slits in the second member of another device different from the device, the user can easily determine the appropriate scale-up or scale-down ratio. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, a liquid mixing device is provided in which a first flow path, which includes a main flow path extending in one direction and a plurality of branch flow paths branching from the main flow path and extending in a direction intersecting the one direction, and a second flow path having a similar configuration are arranged opposite to each other, and a first liquid and a second liquid are mixed through a slit hole, and the mixing ratio of the first liquid and the second liquid can be easily controlled. thing can be done. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an exploded state of the liquid mixing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a first member that constitutes the liquid mixing device of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the area indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing the bottom side of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a second member that constitutes the liquid mixing device of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the area indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a liquid mixing device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the liquid mixing device according to the first embodiment taken along line CC in FIG. 3. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view equivalent to FIG. 3, showing a first member that constitutes a liquid mixing device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view equivalent to FIG. 6, showing a second member that constitutes the liquid mixing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the number of slit holes and the number of branch channels for the liquid mixing device according to the first embodiment and the liquid mixing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an enlarged plan view equivalent to FIG. 3, showing a first member that constitutes a liquid mixing device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13]FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view equivalent to FIG. 6, showing a second member that constitutes the liquid mixing device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is an enlarged plan view equivalent to FIG. 3, showing a first member that constitutes a liquid mixing device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of the area indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is an enlarged plan view equivalent to FIG. 6, showing a second member that constitutes the liquid mixing device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 8, showing a cross section of a liquid mixing device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 8, showing a cross section of a liquid mixing device according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an exploded state of the liquid mixing device according to the seventh embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the liquid mixing device of the seventh embodiment is cut in the vertical direction. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is an enlarged plan view equivalent to FIG. 3, showing a first member that constitutes the liquid mixing device according to the eighth embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a conventional liquid mixing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the liquid mixing device of the present invention will be described. The embodiments described below are merely limited examples of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the exemplified embodiments.

[0016] [First embodiment] 1 to 8 show a liquid mixing apparatus 1a according to a first embodiment. The liquid mixing apparatus 1a of this embodiment includes a first member 11a having one first flow path 111a through which a first liquid flows and two second flow paths 114a through which a second liquid flows, and a second member 12a having two slit holes 121a through which the first liquid discharged from the first flow path 111a and the second liquid discharged from the second flow path 114a are mixed. In the liquid mixing apparatus 1a, the number of second flow paths 114a is the number of first flow paths 111a plus one.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first flow path 111a includes a main flow path 112a extending in one direction and multiple branch flow paths 113a branching from the main flow path 112a and extending in a direction intersecting the one direction. Similarly, the second flow path 114a includes a main flow path 115a extending in one direction and multiple branch flow paths 116a branching from the main flow path 115a and extending in a direction intersecting the one direction. The length of the branch flow paths 113a of the first flow path 111a is shorter than the length of the main flow path 112a. Similarly, the length of the branch flow paths 116a of the second flow path 114a is shorter than the length of the main flow path 115a. The main flow path 112a of the first flow path 111a and the main flow path 115a of the second flow path 114a are arranged in parallel such that the portions extending in the longitudinal direction face each other. The branch flow paths 113a of the first flow path 111a and the branch flow paths 116a of the second flow path 114a are not in communication with each other on the first member 11a, and are arranged alternately in the one direction.

[0018] The main flow path 112a of the first flow path 111a, the branch flow path 113a of the first flow path 111a, the main flow path 115a of the second flow path 114a, and the branch flow path 116a of the second flow path 114a are each formed of a slit-shaped hole penetrating the first member 11a. A circular hole 117a penetrating the first member 11a and a recessed hole 118a provided on one surface of the first member 11a are arranged at the base end of the main flow path 112a of the first flow path 111a. The recessed hole 118a, the circular hole 117a, the main flow path 112a, and the branch flow path 113a are in communication with each other. One end of the recessed hole 118a is in communication with the circular hole 117a. The other end of the recessed hole 118a is in an arc shape. The recessed hole 118a and the circular hole 117a form a first liquid reservoir 81a that temporarily stores the liquid before it flows into the main flow path 112a. This liquid reservoir alleviates changes in the liquid pressure and flow rate, making it difficult for the liquid pressure and flow rate in the main flow path to change.

[0019] Similarly, a circular hole 119a penetrating the first member 11a and a recessed hole 120a provided on one surface of the first member 11a are arranged at the base end of the main channel 115a of the second channel 114a. The circular hole 119a and the recessed hole 120a form a second liquid reservoir 82a. The recessed hole 128a, the circular hole 119a, the main channel 115a, and the branch channel 116a are in communication with each other.

[0020] The first liquid reservoir 81a and the second liquid reservoir 82a are arranged in the first member 11a so as to face each other. The main flow path 112a of the first flow path 111a extending from the first liquid reservoir 81a and the main flow path 115a of the second flow path 114a extending from the second liquid reservoir 82a do not intersect or communicate with each other, and are arranged so that their long sides face each other. The first flow path 111a has tributary flow paths 116a on both sides of its long side. The second flow path 114a has tributary flow paths 116a on only one side of its long side. For a main flow path with a tributary flow path on only one side, the volume of the main flow path is set as follows: "Volume of one main flow path with a tributary flow path on only one side = Volume of one main flow path with tributary flow paths on both sides × Total number of tributary flow paths in one main flow path with tributary flow paths on only one side ÷ Total number of tributary flow paths in one main flow path with tributary flow paths on both sides." 3, the volume of main channel 115a, which has branch channel 116a on only one side, is set to half the volume of main channel 112a, which has branch channels 113a on both sides. This configuration makes it easier to adjust and calculate the mixing ratio of the liquids supplied from first channel 111a and second channel 114a.

[0021] As shown in Figures 5 to 8, the second member 12a is provided with slits 121a penetrating the second member 12a. As shown by dashed lines in Figures 3 and 4, the slits 121a are arranged along the one direction so as to connect the alternately arranged tributary channels 113a of the first channel 111a and the tributary channels 116a of the second channel 114a via the slits 121a. The number of slits 121a is preferably as follows: Specifically, when a group of tributary channels 113a branching from one long side of the first channel 111a (main channel 112a) toward the opposing main channel 115a and a group of tributary channels 116a branching from one long side of the second channel 114a (main channel 115a) toward the opposing main channel 112a are considered as a set of tributary channels, the number of slits 12a is preferably equal to or greater than the number of sets of tributary channels. In the example of FIG. 3, the number of slits indicated by the dashed dotted lines is two, and the number of sets of tributary channels is also two. As shown in FIG. 3, the length of the slit 121a is equal to or greater than the length of the region where one set of tributary channels is provided. This configuration allows the liquid flowing out of all tributary channels to smoothly flow into the slits, suppressing the formation of turbulence and forming a slug flow. When forming a slug flow, the liquids supplied from the first and second paths are immiscible. Alternatively, the liquids supplied from the first and second paths can be made compatible with each other by using compatible liquids or by adding an emulsifier. The width of the slit 121a is configured to be smaller than the distance between the opposing main channels 112a and 115a, so that the slit 121a does not communicate with the main channels 112a and 115a.

[0022] The liquid mixing device 1a includes a third member 13a that defines a third flow path 131a for discharging the first and second liquids mixed in the slit 121a to the outside of the device. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the third member 13a includes a third flow path 131a having a tapered portion 132a whose inner diameter gradually decreases. The tapered portion 132a is shaped so that the larger inner diameter portion of the tapered portion 132a is located upstream and the smaller inner diameter portion of the tapered portion 132a is located downstream. As will be described later, liquid introduced into the liquid mixing device 1a is discharged through the slit 121a and flows into the tapered portion 132a. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the opening 133a of the tapered portion 132a, located at the bottom end of the third member 13a, is located upstream, and the opening 134a for discharging the liquid, located at the top end of the tapered portion 132a, is located downstream. The tapered portion 132a has a smoothly inclined surface.

[0023] 8, the inner diameter of opening 133a at the upstream end of tapered portion 132a is large enough to encompass all of slit hole 121a. Tapered portion 132a communicates with cylindrical through-hole 135a, which communicates with connection portion 136a of discharge flow path 97, also comprising a cylindrical through-hole. Through-hole 135a has the same inner diameter as the downstream portion of tapered portion 132a.

[0024] The end of the liquid discharge flow path 97 is fitted with a sealing portion 92 having a through-hole made of an elastic resin called a ferrule, and an operating portion 93 having a through-hole and a screw portion 931 and a knob portion 932. The sealing portion 92 has a shape with a first tapered portion whose outer diameter decreases toward the downstream side. The operating portion 93 is located downstream of the sealing portion 92, and the inner surface of the lower end of the through-hole has a second tapered portion whose outer diameter decreases toward the downstream side. The knob portion 932 is configured as a cylindrical portion with a diameter larger than that of the screw portion 931.

[0025] The connecting portion 136a has a cylindrical inner surface with a screw groove. The user grips the knob 932 of the operating portion 93 with their fingers and screws the screw portion 931 into the screw groove of the base connecting portion 136a. The second tapered portion of the operating portion 93 comes into contact with the first tapered portion of the sealing portion 92, converting the force applied in the downward direction of the operating portion 93 into a force that tightens the flow path 97 radially inward. This connects the discharge flow path 97 to the tapered portion 132a and fixes the end of the discharge flow path 97 to the third member 13a in a liquid-tight state.

[0026] The discharge flow path 97 may have a hydrophobic or hydrophilic inner surface. For example, a tube made of a flexible material, such as fluororesin, such as PTFE or PFA, or glass, may be used. The discharge flow path may be made of a hard material, but a flexible material is preferable because it improves the handling of the device 1a.

[0027] The liquid mixing apparatus 1a of this embodiment includes a fourth member 14a having a fourth flow path 141a through which a first liquid flows and a fifth flow path 142a through which a second liquid flows. The fourth flow path 141a communicates with a first flow path 111a provided in the first member 11a. The fifth flow path 142a communicates with a second flow path 114a provided in the first member 11a. The fourth member 14a is provided with an injection flow path connection part 143a that communicates with the fourth flow path 141a and an injection flow path connection part 144a that communicates with the fifth flow path 142a. The injection flow paths are connected to the connection parts 143a and 144a. The connection parts 143a and 144a are cylindrical holes with threaded grooves on their inner surfaces. The injection flow paths are connected by threading a screw portion provided at the end of the injection flow path into the threaded groove. An injection channel may be connected using a configuration similar to that of the operation unit 93. A desired liquid to be mixed or to cause a chemical reaction is supplied to the injection channel by a small pump such as a syringe pump.

[0028] The fourth flow path 141a and the fifth flow path 142a have openings on the side surface and the top surface of the fourth member 14a, and are shaped with a bent portion connecting the openings on the side surface and the openings on the top surface. The liquid is injected into the liquid mixing apparatus 1a from the side surface of the fourth member 14a. Therefore, the liquid mixing apparatus 1a can be used by placing the liquid mixing apparatus 1a on a laboratory bench, for example, so that the bottom surface of the fourth member 14a is in contact with the bench.

[0029] In the liquid mixing apparatus 1a of this embodiment, the second member 12a is stacked on the first member 11a so as to be in contact with the first member 11a. The third member 13a is stacked on the second member 12a so as to be in contact with the second member 12a. The fourth member 14a is stacked below the first member 11a so as to be in contact with the first member 11a. As a result, the fifth flow path 142a and the second flow path 114a are communicated with each other, the fourth flow path 141a and the first flow path 111a are communicated with each other, the first flow path 111a, the second flow path 114a and the slit hole 121a are communicated with each other, and the slit hole 121a and the third flow path 131a are communicated with each other.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 1, the first member 11a, the second member 12a, the third member 13a, and the fourth member 14a are fixed in a stacked state by inserting a male screw 91 into a through hole provided in each member and screwing the male screw 91 into a female screw provided in the fourth member 14a. In the example of Fig. 1, a plurality of rod-shaped positioning members 102 are provided to make it easier to determine the position of each member when stacking them. The members 102 are inserted into through holes or recesses provided in the first member 11a, the second member 12a, the third member 13a, and the fourth member 14a.

[0031] Sealing materials made of annular elastic materials are respectively disposed between the fourth member 14a and the first member 11a, between the first member 11a and the second member 12a, and between the second member 12a and the third member 13a. The sealing material 94 disposed between the fourth member 14a and the first member 11a is disposed so as to encompass within its circumference all of the openings of the fourth flow path 141a, the fifth flow path 142a, the first flow path 111a, the through hole 117a, the recessed hole 118a, the second flow path 114a, the through hole 119a, and the recessed hole 120a. The sealing material 95 disposed between the first member 11a and the second member 12a is disposed so as to encompass within its circumference all of the openings of the slit hole 121a, the first flow path 111a, the through hole 117a, the second flow path 114a, and the through hole 119a. The sealant 96 disposed between the second member 12a and the third member 13a is arranged so as to encompass the slit 121a and the opening 133a of the third flow path 131a within its circumference. This arrangement prevents the flow of the mixed liquid flowing out of the slit 121a from being impeded by the corners of the end of the tapered portion 132a, ensures a liquid-tight seal, and reduces turbulence, making it easier to form a slug flow. Grooves for accommodating the sealants are formed on the upper surface of the fourth member 14a, the upper surface of the first member 11a, and the lower surface of the third member 13a.

[0032] In the liquid mixing apparatus 1a of this embodiment, the first liquid that flows into the fourth flow path 141a flows through the main flow path 112a and multiple tributary flow paths 113a of the first flow path 111a and then flows out through the slit 121a. The second liquid that flows into the fifth flow path 142a flows through the main flow path 115a and multiple tributary flow paths 116a of the second flow path 114a and then flows out through the slit 121a. The tributary flow paths 113a of the first flow path 111a and the tributary flow paths 116a of the second flow path 114a are alternately arranged in one direction in which the slit 121a extends. Although the detailed mechanism is unknown, it is presumed that a slug flow is formed during the process in which the first liquid flows out from the tributary flow path 113a of the first flow path 111a to the slit 121a and the second liquid flows out from the tributary flow path 116a of the second flow path 114a to the slit 121a. The inside of the third flow path 131a has a tapered surface, so it is assumed that the formed slag flow is not broken down and flows directly into the discharge flow path.

[0033] As described above, in a slug flow, a circulating flow is formed within the slug. Therefore, if multiple desired substances are added to the first liquid or the second liquid, the multiple substances can be efficiently mixed within the slug. Also, as described above, in a slug flow, the transfer of substances is promoted at the interface between the liquids that make up the slug. For example, a substance contained in one of the first and second liquids can be efficiently transferred to the other liquid. This can be used to extract the desired substance.

[0034] If the first liquid and the second liquid are mutually soluble in each other, the above-described device can mix the two liquids without forming a slug flow. The first liquid and the second liquid may also be supplied from the same system, and the above-described device can be used, for example, to mix heterogeneous liquids supplied from the same system.

[0035] In the liquid mixing apparatus 1a according to the first embodiment, the first flow path 111a and the second flow path 114a in the first member 11a and the slit 121a in the second member 12a are formed as through-holes. By stacking the fourth member 14a on the lower surface of the first member 11a, the upper surface of the fourth member 14a contacts the lower surface of the first member 11a, thereby closing the first flow path 111a and the second flow path 114a to prevent leakage of liquid. In this configuration, the first flow path 111a, the second flow path 114a, and the slit 121a can be formed, for example, by wire-based electrical discharge machining. This machining method allows the dimensions of the first flow path, the second flow path, and the slit to be miniaturized, thereby enabling the liquid mixing apparatus to be downsized.

[0036] 1, in the liquid mixing apparatus 1a according to this embodiment, the first member 11a, the second member 12a, the third member 13a, and the fourth member 14a are configured as rectangular parallelepipeds with one of the four corners chamfered at an angle. Of these, the first member 11a and the second member 12a are thin plate-like. By providing the chamfered portion 97, it is possible to prevent the front and back surfaces from being mixed up or the wrong fitting when stacking the first member 11a, the second member 12a, the third member 13a, and the fourth member 14a.

[0037] [Second implementation body] The liquid mixing apparatus 11b according to the second embodiment differs from the liquid mixing apparatus 1a according to the first embodiment in the configuration of the first member and the configuration of the second member. In other respects, the configuration of the liquid mixing apparatus 1b according to the second embodiment is similar to the configuration of the liquid mixing apparatus 1a according to the first embodiment. The same reference numerals are used in the drawings for components common to the apparatus according to the first embodiment and the apparatus according to the second embodiment.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 9, the first member 1b of this embodiment has a total of two first flow paths 111b and a total of three second flow paths 114b. The base ends of the two first flow paths 111b are connected to the first liquid reservoir 81b. The base ends of the three second flow paths 114b are connected to the second liquid reservoir 82b. The configurations of the first liquid reservoir 81b and the second liquid reservoir 82b are basically the same as the configurations of the first liquid reservoir 81a and the second liquid reservoir 82a of the liquid mixing device 1a according to the first embodiment, except for the numbers of circular holes 117b and 119b and the capacities of the recessed holes 118b and 120b, as shown in Fig. 9.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 10, the second member 12b has four slit holes 121b. As shown in Fig. 9, the number of sets of tributary flow paths 116b is also four. The number of tributary flow paths 113b, 116b is four on each side of the main flow paths 112b, 115b.

[0040] [Mixing ratio] An example of changing the reaction scale from the mixing device 1a according to the first embodiment to the mixing device 1b according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 11. In FIG. 11, the tributaries 113a and 113b of the first flow paths 111a and 111b are shaded, and the tributaries 116a and 116b of the second flow paths 114a and 114b are filled in black. In the mixing device 1a, a first liquid is supplied from the first flow path 111a as indicated by arrow A in FIG. 3. This is referred to as system A. In the mixing device 1a, a second liquid is supplied from the second flow path 114a as indicated by arrow B in FIG. 3. This is referred to as system B. Similarly, in the mixing device 1b, a first liquid is supplied from the first flow path 111b as shown in FIG. 4. This is referred to as system A. In the mixing device 1b, a second liquid is supplied from the second flow path 114b as indicated by arrow B in FIG. 11. This is referred to as system B.

[0041] The volume of the first liquid and the volume of the second liquid mixed in the slit holes of the second member are determined by the integrated value of the opening areas formed by the tributaries of the first flow path and the slit holes, i.e., the total of the opening areas marked with diagonal lines in Figure 11, and the integrated value of the opening areas formed by the tributaries of the second flow path and the slit holes, i.e., the total of the opening areas marked with black lines in Figure 11.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 11 , in the first and second flow paths facing each other, the number of tributaries 113a of the first flow path is the same as the number of tributaries 116a of the second flow path. Specifically, in the mixer 1a, the total number of tributaries 113a of the first flow path, i.e., the total number of tributaries in system A, is four, and the total number of tributaries 116a of the second flow path, i.e., the total number of tributaries in system B, is four. Furthermore, the individual opening areas formed by the tributaries 113a and slits 121a of the first flow path and the individual opening areas formed by the tributaries 116a and slits 121a of the second flow path are all configured to be equal. Therefore, the integrated value of the opening areas formed by the tributaries 113a and slits 121a of the first flow path, indicated by diagonal lines, is equal to the integrated value of the opening areas formed by the tributaries 116a and slits 121a of the second flow path, indicated by solid lines.

[0043] In mixing device 1a, when the flow rate of the first liquid supplied from system A and the flow rate of the second liquid supplied from system B are the same, the first liquid and the second liquid are mixed in a ratio of 1:1 in slit hole 121a. When the mixing ratio of the first liquid and the second liquid is changed, the ratio of the flow rate of the first liquid to the flow rate of the second liquid is the mixing ratio of the first liquid and the second liquid, so the mixing ratio can be easily changed by changing the flow rates.

[0044] In mixer 1b, the relationship between tributary channels 113b of the first flow path and tributary channels 116b of the second flow path is the same as above, but the number of tributary channels for each is increased to 16. In mixer 1b, the mixing ratio of the first liquid and the second liquid can be easily changed by changing the flow rate, and mixing can be performed on a larger reaction scale than in mixer 1a.

[0045] [Regarding changes in reaction scale] As shown in Fig. 11, the mixer 1a is configured so that the number of tributary channels 113a or 116a provided on one side of the main channel is the same as the number of slit holes 121a. That is, as shown in Figs. 4, 11, and 5, two tributary channels 113a or 116a are provided on one side of the main channel 112a or 115a, and the number of slit holes 121a is also two to match this. Because there are two tributary channels and two slit holes, this is called a "2x2 pattern."

[0046] In the mixer 1b, the number of tributary channels 113b or 116b provided on one side of the main channel 112b or 115b is configured to be the same as the number of slit holes 121b. That is, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, four tributary channels 113b or 116b are provided on one side of the main channel 112b or 115b, and the number of slit holes 121b is also configured to be four to match this. Because there are four tributary channels and four slit holes, this is called a "4x4 pattern."

[0047] An example will be described in which a user uses a mixer 1a with a "2x2 pattern" and increases the scale of the reaction by four times. The scale of the reaction, i.e., the amount of the first liquid and the second liquid mixed per unit time, is determined by the total number of tributaries of the first flow path, i.e., the total number of tributaries of system A, and the total number of tributaries of the second flow path, i.e., the total number of tributaries of system B. As shown in Figure 11, in the mixer 1a with a "2x2 pattern," the total number of tributaries of system A and system B is four. In the mixer 1b with a "4x4 pattern," the total number of tributaries of system B and system B is sixteen. In the mixing device 1b, the total opening area of ​​the tributary channels 113b of system A, shown with diagonal lines in Figure 11, and the total opening area of ​​the tributary channels 116b of system B, shown with solid black lines, each increase by four times, and the amount of the first liquid and the amount of the second liquid mixed per unit time also increase by four times.

[0048] When a user changes the reaction scale by changing from the mixing apparatus 1a to the mixing apparatus 1b, all they need to do is count the total number of tributaries 113a of the first flow path 111a and the total number of tributaries 116a of the second flow path 114a. However, such a task is extremely cumbersome due to the large number of tributaries. In the liquid mixing apparatus 1a and the liquid mixing apparatus 1b, the number of tributaries is the same as the number of tributaries on one side of the main flow path. For example, the number of slit holes 121a in the liquid mixing apparatus 1a is two, which can be easily counted. The number of tributaries 113a or 116a on one side of the main flow path is the same as the number of slit holes 121a, which is two. The number of tributaries in the first flow path 111a or the second flow path 114a can be easily calculated by "2 × 2 = 4." The number of slit holes 121b in the mixing apparatus 1b is four, which can be easily counted. The number of branch channels 113b or 116b provided on one side of the main channel is four, the same as the number of slit holes. The total number of branch channels 114b of the first channel 111b or the second channel can be easily calculated by "4 x 4 = 16." By calculating "16 ÷ 4 = 4," the increase factor of the reaction scale can be easily calculated from the number of slit holes, without counting the total number of branch channels.

[0049] If a user is using a mixing device 1b with a "4x4 pattern" and wants to reduce the scale of the reaction, the total number of tributaries of the first flow path or the second flow path can be easily calculated from the number of slits, as described above. In the case of a "2x2 pattern," the number of slits 121a is two, and the number of tributaries 113a on one side of the first flow path 111a or the number of tributaries 116a on one side of the second flow path 114a is the same as the number of slits 121a, i.e., two. The total number of tributaries 113a on the first flow path 111a or the total number of tributaries 116a on the second flow path 114a can be easily calculated by "2x2 = 4." By calculating "4 / 16 = 1 / 4," the reduction rate of the reaction scale can be easily calculated from the number of slits, without having to count the total number of tributaries.

[0050] The reaction scale increase rate or reaction scale decrease rate can also be calculated using the following formula: "Reaction size increase rate = B1 × B1 ÷ A1 × A1" "Reaction scale reduction rate = A1 x A1 ÷ B1 x B1" A1: Number of slit holes in small-scale mixing equipment B1: Number of slit holes in large-scale mixing equipment

[0051] [Third embodiment] The liquid mixing apparatus 11c according to the third embodiment differs from the liquid mixing apparatus 1a according to the first embodiment in the configuration of the first member and the configuration of the second member. In other respects, the configuration of the liquid mixing apparatus 1c according to the third embodiment is similar to the configuration of the liquid mixing apparatus 1a according to the first embodiment. The same reference numerals are used in the drawings for components common to the apparatus according to the first embodiment and the apparatus according to the third embodiment.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 12, in the liquid mixing apparatus 1c of this embodiment, the first member 11c has a total of four first flow paths 111c and a total of five second flow paths 114c. The base ends of the four first flow paths 111c are connected to the first liquid reservoir 81c. The base ends of the five second flow paths 114c are connected to the second liquid reservoir 82c. The configurations of the first liquid reservoir 81c and the second liquid reservoir 82c are basically the same as the configurations of the first liquid reservoir 81a and the second liquid reservoir 82a of the liquid mixing apparatus 1a according to the first embodiment, except for the numbers of circular holes 117c and 119c and the capacities of the recessed holes 118c and 20c, as shown in Fig. 12.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 13, the second member 12c has eight slit holes 121c. As shown in Fig. 12, the number of pairs of tributary flow paths 113c and 116c is also eight. The number of tributary flow paths 113c and 116c is eight on each side of the main flow paths 112c and 115c.

[0054] The mixer 1c of the third embodiment has an "8x8 pattern," with 64 tributary channels in system A and 64 tributary channels in system B. The opening areas of the tributary channels and slits are equal to each other. By counting the number of slits as described above, the reaction scale can be easily changed, and by changing the flow rate as described above, the mixing ratio of the first liquid and the second liquid can be easily controlled. Based on the mixer 1a, a reaction scale 16 times larger can be selected, and based on the mixer 1b, a reaction scale 4 times larger can be selected.

[0055] [Fourth embodiment] As shown in Figures 14 to 16, the liquid mixing apparatus 11d according to the fourth embodiment differs from the liquid mixing apparatus 1a according to the first embodiment in the configuration of the first member and the configuration of the second member. In other respects, the configuration of the liquid mixing apparatus 1d according to the fourth embodiment is similar to the configuration of the liquid mixing apparatus 1a according to the first embodiment. The same reference numerals are used in the drawings for components common to the apparatus according to the first embodiment and the apparatus according to the fourth embodiment.

[0056] 14 and 15, in a mixing device 1d of this embodiment, a first member 11d has a total of eight first flow paths 111d and a total of nine second flow paths 114d. The base ends of the eight first flow paths 111d are connected to a first liquid reservoir 81d. The base ends of the nine second flow paths 114d are connected to a second liquid reservoir 82d. The configurations of the first liquid reservoir 81d and the second liquid reservoir 82d are basically the same as the configurations of the first liquid reservoir 81a and the second liquid reservoir 82a of the liquid mixing device 1a according to the first embodiment, except for the numbers of circular holes 117d and 11d and the capacities of the recessed holes 118d and 120d, as shown in FIG. 14.

[0057] As shown in Fig. 16, the second member 12d has 16 slit holes 121d. As shown in Fig. 14, the number of pairs of tributary flow paths 113d and 116d is also 16. The number of tributary flow paths 113d and 116d is 16 on each side of the main flow paths 112d and 115d.

[0058] The mixer 1c of the fourth embodiment has a "16x16 pattern," with 256 tributary channels in system A and 256 tributary channels in system B. The opening areas of each tributary channel and slit hole are equal to each other. By counting the number of slit holes as described above, the reaction scale can be easily changed. Furthermore, by changing the flow rate as described above, the mixing ratio of the first liquid and the second liquid can be easily controlled. Based on the mixer 1a with a "2x2 pattern," a reaction scale of 64 times larger can be selected. Based on the mixer 1b with a "4x4 pattern," a reaction scale of 16 times larger can be selected. Based on the mixer with an "8x8 pattern," a reaction scale of 4 times larger can be selected.

[0059] [Fifth embodiment] While the liquid mixing apparatus 1a according to the above embodiment includes a fourth member 14a, the liquid mixing apparatus 1e according to the present embodiment does not include the fourth member 14a, and instead of slit-shaped through-holes, the first and second flow paths provided in the first member 11e are recessed grooves with bottoms. That is, by making the main flow path and the branch flow paths 113e and 116e recessed grooves with bottoms, liquid injected into the apparatus does not leak from the first member 11e. This reduces the number of components constituting the liquid mixing apparatus, simplifies assembly and disassembly, and reduces the weight of the liquid mixing apparatus.

[0060] [Sixth embodiment] As shown in FIG. 18, the liquid mixing apparatus 1f of the sixth embodiment differs from the liquid mixing apparatus 1a of the first embodiment in the configuration of the third flow path 131f of the third member 13f. In the liquid mixing apparatus 1f, the third flow path 131f is composed of a cylindrical through-hole 132f and a cylindrical through-hole 135a that communicates with the through-hole 132f and has a smaller diameter than the through-hole 132f. The smaller-diameter through-hole 135a communicates with a connecting portion 136a that has the same configuration as above. The inner diameter of the through-hole 132f is set to be equal to or greater than the extension length of the slit hole 121a.

[0061] In the mixing device 1f shown in Figure 18, the third flow path 131f is composed of a cylindrical through hole 132f, so turbulence is likely to occur at the corners and slug flow is relatively unlikely to occur, but the first liquid and the second liquid can be mixed efficiently by utilizing each branch flow path and the slit hole 121a.

[0062] [Seventh embodiment] As shown in Figures 19 and 20, the liquid mixing device 1g of this embodiment is similar to the mixing device 1a of the first embodiment in that it has a first flow path having a main flow path and a branch flow path, a second flow path having a main flow path and a branch flow path, a first member 11g having a through hole 117g arranged at the base end of the first flow path and a through hole 119g arranged at the base end of the second flow path, and a second member 12g having a plurality of slit holes 121g.

[0063] The first member 11g is a circular plate-shaped member and has three first flow paths formed by slit-shaped through holes and four second flow paths formed by slit-shaped through holes. The first flow paths have six branch flow paths on each side of the main flow path. The configuration of the main flow path, the branch flow paths, and the through holes arranged at the base end of the main flow path are the same as above.

[0064] Stacked downstream of the first member 11g, that is, on the upper surface thereof, is a circular, plate-shaped second member 12g having six slit holes 121g that penetrate the second member 12g.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 20, the first member 11g and the second member 12g are fixed in a state in which the first flow path and the second flow path communicate with the slit hole 121g by a first annular member 51 having a convex portion 512 protruding inward on its inner wall, a receiving portion 513 for a sealing material at its upper end, and a first step portion 511 protruding outward on the outer periphery of the upper end; a second annular member 52 having a ridge 521 on its outer wall; a third annular member 53 having a screw groove on the outer wall of its lower end and a protrusion 531 protruding inward on the inner wall of its middle end; and a fourth annular member 54 having a screw groove on the inner wall of its upper end and a second step portion 541 protruding inward on the inner wall of its lower end.

[0066] Specifically, the first member 11g and the second member 12g are overlapped and fitted into the first annular member 51. The first member 11g and the second member 12g are supported by the convex portion 521. An annular seal 61 is placed on a receiving portion 513 provided on the first annular member 51, and the second annular member 52 is placed on the seal 61. The seal 61 is accommodated in a space provided below the convex portion 512 of the second annular member 52. An annular seal 62 is placed on the convex portion 521, and the third annular member 53 is placed on the seal 62 and the second annular member 52. The first annular member 51 is inserted into the opening of the fourth annular member 54, and the screw groove at the upper end of the fourth annular member 54 is screwed into the screw groove provided at the lower end of the third annular member 53. The second step portion 514 provided on the inner wall of the fourth annular member 54 engages with the first step portion 511 provided on the first annular member 51, and the protrusion 531 provided on the inner wall of the third annular member 53 engages with the upper end portion of the second annular member 52, thereby fixing the first annular member 51, the first member 11g, the second member 12g, the second annular member 52, the third annular member 53, and the fourth annular member 54 to each other.

[0067] The first annular member 51, the second annular member 52, and the third annular member 53 have openings. As shown by the arrows in Figure 20, liquid that flows into the opening of the first annular member 51 passes through the first and second flow paths of the first member 11g and the slit hole 121g of the second member 12g, passes through the opening of the second annular member 52, and passes through the opening of the third annular member 53, and is discharged to a downstream system. By disposing the mixing device 1g of this embodiment in the middle of a liquid transport path such as a pipe, it is possible to mix liquids.

[0068] [Eighth embodiment] The liquid mixing apparatus 1h according to the eighth embodiment differs from the liquid mixing apparatus 1a according to the first embodiment only in the configuration of the first member. In other respects, the configuration of the liquid mixing apparatus 1h according to the eighth embodiment is similar to the configuration of the liquid mixing apparatus 1a according to the first embodiment. The same reference numerals are used in the drawings for components common to the apparatus according to the eighth embodiment and the apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 21, the liquid mixing apparatus 1h according to the eighth embodiment has a configuration in which a plurality of tributary channels 113h are arranged in a set along one direction on one side of a first channel 111h (main channel 112h). Similarly, a plurality of tributary channels 116h are arranged in a set along one direction on one side of a second channel 114h (main channel 115g). In the opposing main channels 112h and 116h, a set of tributary channels 113h and a set of tributary channels 116h are alternately arranged along the one direction. The phrase "a configuration in which the tributary channels of the first channel and the tributary channels of the second channel are alternately arranged in the one direction without communicating with each other on the first member" includes a configuration in which a set of tributary channels and a set of tributary channels branching from the opposing main channel are alternately arranged along the one direction.

[0070] [Variations] The first member, the second member, the third member, or the fourth member is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and may be in any shape such as a cylindrical shape or a cubic shape.

[0071] The first member or the second member is not limited to a thin plate-like member, and may be configured to have a large thickness in order to extend the reaction time or residence time.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 8, the inclination angle θ of the tapered portion is preferably 2 to 45°, more preferably 2 to 10°, and even more preferably 2 to 6°.

[0073] The first, second, third, and fourth members can be made of various materials depending on the type of liquid to be introduced into the device. For example, they can be made of corrosion-resistant metals, synthetic resins, glass, ceramics, etc. Examples of such metals include nickel alloys known as Hastelloy (registered trademark) and stainless steel. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1a Liquid mixing device 11a First member 111a First flow path 112a Main channel 113a Branch channel 114a Second flow path 115a Main channel 116a Branch channel 12a Second member 121a Slit hole

Claims

[Claim 1] a first member having a first flow path through which a first liquid flows and a second flow path through which a second liquid flows; a second member having a slit hole for mixing the first liquid supplied from the first flow path and the second liquid supplied from the second flow path, the first flow path and the second flow path each include a main flow path extending in one direction and a plurality of branch flow paths branching from the main flow path and extending in a direction intersecting the one direction; The branch flow paths of the first flow path and the branch flow paths of the second flow path are not in communication with each other on the first member and are arranged alternately in the one direction, the slit holes of the second member are arranged along the one direction so as to communicate the alternately arranged tributary flow paths of the first flow path and the tributary flow paths of the second flow path through the slit holes, In the first flow path and the second flow path facing each other, the number of tributaries of the first flow path is the same as the number of tributaries of the second flow path, The number of branch channels provided on one side of one main channel is the same as the number of slit holes in the liquid mixing device. A method for determining the degree of increase or decrease in reaction scale when changing from one liquid mixing device to another liquid mixing device, A method for determining the reaction scale of a liquid mixing device by multiplying the number of tributary channels provided on one side of a single main flow path of one liquid mixing device or the number of slit holes in one liquid mixing device by the number of tributary channels provided on one side of a single main flow path of one liquid mixing device or the number of slit holes in one liquid mixing device, and dividing the result by the number of tributary channels provided on one side of a single main flow path of the other liquid mixing device or the number of slit holes in the other liquid mixing device, and using the resulting value as an index of the degree of increase or decrease in the reaction scale when changing from one liquid mixing device to the other liquid mixing device.

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