Powder and granular material supply device and supply method

Abstract

To provide a powder supply device and a powder supply method that are excellent in powder supply ability and maintainability.SOLUTION: A powder supply device 1 includes: an accommodating chamber 3 for accommodating powder P; and powder supply means 4 for discharging the powder P to the outside of the supply device 1. The powder supply means 4 has a powder supply member 41 for measuring the powder P, and a lifting mechanism 42 for causing the powder supply member 41 to repeatedly make lifting and descending motions in a vertical direction. The accommodating chamber 3 is partially formed by the powder supply member 41 and is a closed space blocked from the outside. The powder supply member 41 has a measuring groove in which the powder P is filled. The measuring groove is positioned inside the storage chamber 3 when the powder supply member 41 is lifted up and stopped, and is positioned outside the storage chamber 3 when the powder supply member 41 is descended such that the powder P filled in the measuring groove is discharged.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a powder / granular material supplying device and supplying method that has excellent powder / granular material supplying properties and can prevent the powder / granular material from adhering to the measuring groove, discharge port, and surrounding areas of the device due to moisture absorption or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] In water treatment facilities such as sewage treatment plants and water treatment plants, flocculants are used to promote the aggregation of suspended solids in the water and the settling of the aggregated suspended solids. Examples of flocculants used include ionic and nonionic polymer flocculants with polar groups. Polymer flocculants are generally in powder form. When using powdered polymer flocculants in water treatment facilities, various types of equipment are used, as supplying them to the water being treated using dedicated supply equipment is easy to use.

[0003] Polymer flocculants are highly hygroscopic, and if they absorb moisture, it may adhere to the inside of the supply device. Therefore, to prevent moisture absorption in the supply device, methods have been considered, such as placing a desiccant in the storage chamber of the polymer flocculant to keep the flocculant dry, or sealing the communication part between the storage chamber and the outside of the device to prevent moisture from entering.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a powder dissolving device that includes a powder container for containing a powder material to be processed, a screw feeder that transports the material to the powder container's powder outlet, an outlet member with a powder hole through which the material passes, an opening / closing member fixed to the shaft of the screw feeder that slides against the outer surface of the outlet member as the screw feeder rotates to close or open the powder outlet of the powder hole, and a screw feeder rotation stop control means that controls the opening / closing member to stop at a position where it closes the powder outlet when the screw feeder stops rotating. In this device, the opening / closing member can seal the powder outlet more reliably than before.

[0005] Patent Document 2 describes a powder supplying device equipped with a hopper for storing and depositing powder and a mixing chamber for scattering the powder in particulate form and creating a powder-scattering atmosphere. Compressed air is delivered through a slit-shaped nozzle into a connecting passageway, and a small amount of powder is scraped out of the hopper and thoroughly mixed with the air in the mixing chamber for agitation. The scattered powder is then released through an opening in the mixing chamber. In this device, instead of flake-like powder falling straight down, the powder mixed with the air is dispersed widely above the liquid tank. Patent Document 2 also describes that the downward flow of air toward the opening prevents water vapor from entering the mixing chamber and causing humidity inside the chamber. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5877619 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-341191 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the case of the powder dissolving apparatus described in Patent Document 1, even if it is possible to prevent moisture from entering the powder container when the screw feeder stops rotating, it is difficult to completely prevent moisture from entering the powder container, so there is a risk that the screw feeder and powder holes will gradually become clogged with hygroscopic flocculant. Therefore, the powder dissolving apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is thought to require regular maintenance, and the maintenance burden is thought to be large due to the inclusion of components with complex structures such as the screw feeder.

[0008] In the case of the powder supplying device described in Patent Document 2, compressed air is sprayed from a spray nozzle toward the connecting passage to scrape out and supply the powder. Therefore, the amount of powder supplied may fluctuate, and there is a risk of unstable supply. In addition, the need to introduce dry air into the device and the complex structure are thought to require a large maintenance burden.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a powder / granular material supplying device and a powder / granular material supplying method that are excellent in terms of powder / granular material supplying performance and maintenance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The powder and granular material supply device of the present invention comprises a storage chamber for storing the powder and granular material, and a powder supply means for discharging the powder and granular material outside the supply device, the powder supply means having a powder supply member for measuring the powder and a lifting mechanism for repeatedly raising and lowering the powder supply member in an up and down direction, the storage chamber being a closed space formed in part by the powder supply member and closed from the outside, the powder supply member having a metering groove into which the powder and granular material are filled, the metering groove being located inside the storage chamber when the powder supply member is raised and stopped, and being located outside the storage chamber when the powder supply member is lowered, and the powder and granular material filled in the metering groove being discharged. The term "when the powder supply member is stopped" refers to the time when the powder supply member is not moving up and down and is stopped in an elevated state (a state in which it is positioned at the top of its movable range).

[0011] The powder supply member is a plate-shaped member.

[0012] The measuring groove has a triangular shape in a vertical cross section perpendicular to the surface of the powder feeding member on the measuring groove side, and the angle of the lower apex angle of the triangle is 60° or less.

[0013] The supply device has a chute below the powder supply member that disperses and discharges the powder and granular material, and the chute is formed by a pair of plate-shaped elastic bodies, and when the powder supply member is in an elevated state, the tips of the pair of plate-shaped elastic bodies butt against each other to close the chute, which opens when the powder supply member moves downward.

[0014] The supply device is characterized by having a half pipe below the chute for dissolving the powder or granular material.

[0015] The supply device is used to supply the powder or granular material to water to be treated in a water treatment facility, and is characterized in that it is a device that supplies a flocculant as the powder or granular material.

[0016] The powder and granular material supply method of the present invention is a powder and granular material supply method using the above-mentioned supply device, and includes a weighing step in which the powder supply member, in an elevated state, stores the powder and granular material in the metering groove within the storage chamber, and a supply step in which the powder supply member, in a descending state, discharges the powder and granular material measured in the weighing step out of the supply device, and is characterized in that the metering groove is located inside the storage chamber during the weighing step.

[0017] In the supplying process, the powder supplying member pushes the powder accumulated in a chute provided below the supplying device from above to open the chute, dispersing and discharging the powder. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] In the powder / granular material supply device of the present invention, the powder supply means includes a powder supply member that measures the powder / granular material and an elevating mechanism that repeatedly raises and lowers the powder supply member in an up-and-down direction, the storage chamber is a closed space partially formed by the powder supply member and closed from the outside, the powder supply member has a metering groove that is filled with the powder / granular material, the metering groove is located inside the storage chamber when the powder supply member is raised or stopped and is located outside the storage chamber when the powder supply member is lowered, and the powder / granular material filled in the metering groove is discharged, so that moisture is less likely to reach the metering groove and the groove is less likely to become clogged with powder / granular material. This allows for stable powder / granular material supply over a long period of time and provides excellent powder / granular material supplyability and maintainability.

[0019] Since the powder supply member is a plate-shaped member, the metering groove is easy to clean, and maintenance is easier.

[0020] The shape of the metering groove in a vertical cross section perpendicular to the surface of the powder feeding member on the metering groove side is triangular, and the angle of the lower apex angle of the triangle is 60° or less, so that the powder and granular material easily fall when the powder feeding member descends. As a result, the powder and granular material are less likely to remain in the metering groove, making the metering groove less likely to become clogged.

[0021] The supply device has a chute that disperses and discharges powder and granular material below the powder supply member. The chute is formed by a pair of plate-like elastic bodies. When the powder supply member is in the raised position, the tips of the pair of plate-like elastic bodies butt against each other to close the chute, and when the powder supply member moves downward, the chute opens. This prevents moisture from entering the device. Furthermore, because the powder and granular material are supplied in a dispersed manner, they are easily dissolved in the water to be treated.

[0022] The supply device has a half pipe below the chute for dissolving the powder and granular material, so that the powder and granular material can be easily mixed with the water to be treated.

[0023] When a flocculant is supplied as a powder or granular material from above the water to be treated, the supply device placed above it must be designed to suppress moisture absorption by the flocculant. The supply device of the present invention is particularly effective in suppressing moisture absorption of powder or granular material, making it suitable as a device for supplying flocculant in water treatment facilities.

[0024] The powder / granular material supply method of the present invention is a powder / granular material supply method using the above-mentioned supply device, and includes a metering step in which the powder supply member, in a raised state, stores powder / granular material in a metering groove within a storage chamber, and a supply step in which the powder supply member, in a lowered state, discharges the powder / granular material measured in the metering step out of the supply device. Because the metering groove is located inside the storage chamber during the metering step, moisture is less likely to reach the metering groove, and the groove is less likely to become clogged with powder / granular material. This allows for stable supply of powder / granular material over a long period of time, and provides excellent supplyability and maintainability of the powder / granular material.

[0025] In the supply process, the powder supply member pushes the powder accumulated in the chute below the supply device from above, opening the chute and dispersing the powder, preventing moisture from entering the device. In addition, because the powder is supplied dispersedly, it is easily dissolved in the water to be treated. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are a front view and a side view showing an embodiment of a supply device of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a front view showing the internal structure of an embodiment of a supply device of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a side view showing the internal structure of an embodiment of a supply device of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 3A and 3B are a front view and a side view of a powder feeding member. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a metering groove in the powder feeding member. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the lifting and lowering movement of the powder supplying means. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] The supply device of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1(a) is a front view of one embodiment of the supply device of the present invention, and Fig. 1(b) is a side view of one embodiment of the supply device of the present invention.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, the supply device 1 has, inside a main body 2, a storage chamber 3 that stores powdered or granular material, and a powder supplying means 4 that discharges the powdered or granular material to the outside of the supply device 1. The supply device 1 further has a chute 5 that disperses and discharges downward the powdered or granular material discharged by the powder supplying means 4. The storage chamber 3 is formed by an upper hopper 31 and a lower hopper 32. The supply device 1 does not necessarily have to have the chute 5. Furthermore, the storage chamber 3 does not necessarily have to have the upper hopper 31.

[0029] The overall size of the supply device 1 is not particularly limited, provided that it fits into the space of the installation location and can supply the required amount of powder or granular material. Specific dimensions are, for example, approximately 20 cm to 200 cm in both the vertical and horizontal directions and approximately 30 cm to 300 cm in height.

[0030] The constituent members of the supply device can be made of materials with strength, abrasion resistance, corrosion resistance, etc., depending on the usage environment. For example, stainless steel plates can be used for the outer plates of the device. Furthermore, for example, resin materials can be used for the sliding parts and sealing parts inside the device.

[0031] The powder or granular material is fed into the storage chamber 3 through an openable inlet located at the top of the upper hopper 31. The powder or granular material remains in the storage chamber 3 when the supply device 1 is stopped, and when the supply device 1 starts and the powder feeding means (described later) descends, a predetermined amount of powder or granular material is discharged from the storage chamber 3 into the chute 5. The powder or granular material passes through a discharge outlet at the bottom of the chute 5 and is supplied to the water to be treated below.

[0032] The internal structure of the supply device of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a front view of one embodiment of the supply device of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a side view of one embodiment of the supply device.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, the storage chamber 3 has an upper hopper 31 and a lower hopper 32. The lower hopper 32 has an opening on the side facing the powder supplying means 4, which is blocked by a powder supplying member 41. The powder supplying member 41 is slidably attached to a partition plate 32a located above the lower hopper 32 on the side facing the lifting means 4, forming part of the partition wall of the storage chamber 3. A leveling member 6 is also attached to the bottom of the lower hopper 32, slidably attached to the powder supplying member 41. The storage chamber 3 is a closed space that is closed from the outside. In this specification, the term "closed space that is closed from the outside" refers to a space in which fluid flow between the storage chamber 3 and the outside is restricted and where the temperature, humidity, etc. differ from those of the outside. This term includes not only completely closed spaces but also spaces with a gap that connects to the outside. The powder supplying member 41 has a metering groove (described later) on the side facing the storage chamber 3. When the powder supplying member 41 is raised during operation of the supplying device 1, the metering groove is located inside the storage chamber 3, and when the powder supplying member 41 is lowered, the metering groove is located outside the storage chamber 3, and the powder or granular material is discharged from the metering groove. When the supplying device 1 is stopped, the metering groove stops moving in the raised position and is located inside the storage chamber 3. With the above configuration, it is difficult for humid outside air to enter the storage chamber 3, and the metering groove is hardly exposed to outside air when the device is stopped, so the metering groove is less likely to become clogged with powder or granular material P. Note that the leveling member 6 does not need to be provided at the bottom of the lower hopper 32. It is preferable to provide the leveling member 6 because it improves the sealing performance of the storage chamber 3 and contributes to accurate metering by the powder supplying member 41 by leveling it.

[0034] The powder supplying means 4 includes a powder supplying member 41 that measures the powder or granular material P, and an elevating mechanism 42 that repeatedly raises and lowers the powder supplying member 41 in the vertical direction. The powder supplying member 41 is fixed to the elevating mechanism 42, and rises and lowers along the partition plate 32a in accordance with the elevating movement of the elevating mechanism 42, while keeping the storage chamber 3 closed. The powder supplying member 41 repeatedly raises and lowers in the vertical direction to discharge the powder or granular material P from the storage chamber 3, agitating the powder or granular material P and causing it to gradually drop (move) to the bottom of the storage chamber 3. This prevents the formation of cavities (bridges) within the storage chamber, allowing the supply device 1 to stably supply the powder or granular material P. Furthermore, the powder supplying means 4 has a simple structure, making it easy to maintain.

[0035] When powder supply member 41 is in the raised state (when it is located at the top of its movable range), for example, 3 / 10 to 7 / 10 of the surface facing storage chamber 3 can be in direct contact with powder or granular material P. The surface of powder supply member 41 facing storage chamber 3 that does not directly contact powder or granular material P faces partition plate 32a and leveling member 6. From the viewpoints of preventing the occurrence of cavities and realizing smooth lifting and lowering movement of powder supply member 41, the area of ​​the surface facing storage chamber 3 in the raised state that directly contacts powder or granular material P is preferably 3 / 10 to 7 / 10, more preferably 3 / 10 to 6 / 10, and even more preferably 3 / 10 to 5 / 10.

[0036] The lifting mechanism 42 has a trapezoidal screw 42a and a motor 42b that rotates the screw shaft of the trapezoidal screw to raise and lower the nut. The powder supply member 41 is fixed to the nut, which rises and falls along the screw shaft, and therefore rises and falls along with the nut's up and down movement. The speed and stroke length at which the nut is raised and lowered can be freely set according to the amount of powder P to be supplied. Note that the lifting mechanism 42 is not limited to the trapezoidal screw 42a; it may also be an electric hydraulic cylinder or the like, as long as it can repeatedly raise and lower the powder supply member 41 in the vertical direction.

[0037] The powder feeding member will be described using Figure 4. Figure 4(a) is a front view of the powder feeding member, and Figure 4(b) is a side view of the powder feeding member. As shown in Figure 4, powder feeding member 41 is, for example, a flat plate-like member having a predetermined thickness. Powder feeding member 41 has five metering grooves 41b, into which powder or granular material is filled, at the bottom of surface 41a facing the storage chamber. Metering grooves 41b are formed continuously from one end to the other end of powder feeding member 41 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which powder feeding member 41 is raised and lowered. Since powder feeding member 41 is a plate-like member, metering grooves 41b are easy to clean and maintenance is excellent. Note that the shape of powder feeding member 41 may be any shape that allows repeated vertical raising and lowering to discharge powder or granular material from the storage chamber. It is not limited to a flat plate shape, and it may also be a polygonal pillar or a cylinder. Furthermore, powder supplying member 41 only needs to have metering groove 41b on surface 41a facing the storage chamber, and depending on the structure of the feeder, powder supplying member 41 may have metering grooves 41b on all of its side surfaces.

[0038] The overall size of the powder supply member is not particularly limited, as long as it is large enough to supply the required amount of powder or granular material. Specific sizes of the powder supply member are, for example, 10 cm to 100 cm in horizontal length and 15 cm to 150 cm in height. When the powder supply member is a flat plate-shaped member, its thickness is, for example, 0.2 cm to 20 cm.

[0039] The powder feeder is preferably a molded body of a resin material, such as nylon, polyimide, polyamideimide, polyetherimide, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, polyester, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyacetal, or polyether ether ketone. To prevent the powder from adhering to the powder feeder, the powder feeder is preferably conductive. To improve the conductivity of the powder feeder, a conductive coating may be formed on the surface of the powder feeder, or a conductive substance such as carbon black may be blended into the resin material.

[0040] The number of metering grooves is not limited to five. Furthermore, the metering grooves may be formed continuously from one end face to the other end face of the powder feeding member, as long as they are located inside the storage chamber when the feeding device is stopped and do not communicate with the outside of the storage chamber. For example, the metering grooves may be formed discontinuously from one end to the other end of the powder feeding member, or may be formed only on one side of the powder feeding member, such as the center, left, or right side. Furthermore, the metering grooves may be recessed from the plane of the powder feeding member facing the storage chamber. The shape of the metering grooves when viewed in plan may be, for example, linear, curved, strip-shaped, circular, elliptical, or polygonal. When there are multiple metering grooves, the spacing between adjacent metering grooves may be constant or variable.

[0041] When the metering groove is linear or band-shaped, it is preferable that the metering groove be formed in a direction other than the ascending / descending direction of the powder feeding member, from the viewpoint of reliably discharging the powder or granular material filled in the metering groove out of the storage chamber. Furthermore, the width of the metering groove (the maximum diameter in the case of a circular, elliptical, or polygonal shape in plan view) is preferably equal to or greater than the maximum particle size of the powder or granular material, from the viewpoint of ease of filling the groove with the powder or granular material. When the average particle size of the powder or granular material is approximately 1 mm, the width of the metering groove is, for example, preferably 1 mm to 100 mm, more preferably 5 mm to 50 mm, even more preferably 5 mm to 30 mm, and even more preferably 10 mm to 20 mm. The number of metering grooves is, for example, preferably 1 to 100, more preferably 1 to 20, even more preferably 1 to 10, and even more preferably 3 to 8. When there are multiple metering grooves, the metering grooves may be formed in the same direction or in different directions.

[0042] The cross-sectional shape of the metering groove will be described using FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the metering groove. As shown in FIG. 5, the shape of metering groove 41b in a vertical cross section perpendicular to the surface of powder feeding member 41 on the side of metering groove 41b (the cross-sectional shape of the metering groove) is triangular. In the cross-sectional shape of metering groove 41b, the angle θl of the lower apex angle of the triangle is, for example, 5° to 60°. The angle θl is preferably 10° to 55°, more preferably 15° to 50°, and even more preferably 20° to 45°. The angle θu of the upper apex angle of the triangle is, for example, 5° to 90°. The angle θu is preferably 20° to 80°, more preferably 35° to 75°, and even more preferably 50° to 70°. The angle θb of the apex angle located at the bottom of metering groove 41b is, for example, 60° to 185°. Angle θb is preferably 70° to 160°, more preferably 75° to 145°, and even more preferably 80° to 130°. When the angle of metering groove 41b is within the above range (particularly, θl is 5° to 60°), powder or granular material easily falls from metering groove 41b when powder feeding member 41 descends. As a result, powder or granular material is less likely to remain in metering groove 41b, and metering groove 41b is less likely to become clogged. The cross-sectional shape of metering groove 41b is not limited to a triangle and can be any shape. The cross-sectional shape of metering groove 41b may be, for example, semicircular, polygonal, or rectangular. In particular, it is preferable that the bottom of metering groove 41b has a curved surface, as this makes it less likely that powder or granular material will remain in metering groove 41b.

[0043] Referring again to Figure 3, the leveling member will be described. A leveling member 6 is provided at the bottom of the storage chamber 3 to prevent the powder P from flowing out downward and to prevent outside air from entering the storage chamber 3. From the viewpoints of sealing performance and accurate measurement (leveling), the distance between the leveling member 6 and the powder supply member 41 is preferably smaller than the maximum particle size of the powder P, more preferably smaller than the average particle size, and even more preferably smaller than the minimum particle size. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of ease of raising and lowering movement of the powder supply member 41, the distance is preferably 0 mm or more. The distance is, for example, 0 mm to 20 mm. The distance is preferably 0 mm to 10 mm, more preferably 0 mm to 5 mm, even more preferably 0 mm to 2 mm, and even more preferably 0 mm.

[0044] The leveling member is required to have good sliding properties and wear resistance because it can come into sliding contact with the powder feeding member. The leveling member is preferably a molded body made of a resin material, such as nylon, polyimide, polyamideimide, polyetherimide, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, polyester, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyacetal, or polyether ether ketone. A molded body made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene is particularly preferred as the leveling member. From the viewpoint of ease of raising and lowering the leveling member, it is preferable that the leveling member have excellent sliding properties. To improve the sliding properties of the leveling member, a coating with a low friction coefficient may be formed on the surface of the leveling member, or a lubricating substance such as fluororesin or graphite may be blended into the resin material.

[0045] By virtue of the above-described configuration, the present invention can stably supply powder or granular material for a long period of time, and is excellent in powder or granular material supplyability and maintainability.

[0046] The movement of the device when powder or granular material is supplied from the supply device will be described using Figure 6. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the up-and-down movement of the powder supply means in the supply device placed above a water tank containing the water to be treated. Figure 6(a) is a diagram showing the powder supply means in its raised state, and Figure 6(b) is a diagram showing the powder supply means in its lowered state (positioned at the lowest position within its movable range). In Figure 6, for convenience, the water tank 8 is drawn to be approximately the same size as the supply device 1, but in reality the water tank 8 may be significantly larger than the supply device 1.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 6, the supply device 1 has a chute 5 formed by a pair of plate-shaped elastic bodies 51 below the powder supply member 41. Furthermore, the supply device 1 has a half pipe 7 below the chute 5 for dissolving the powder or granular material P. Note that the supply device 1 may not have the half pipe 7 and may supply the powder or granular material P directly to the water to be treated W. Furthermore, the liquid placed below the chute 5 is not limited to an aqueous liquid such as the water to be treated W, and an organic solvent-based liquid, another powder or granular material, or an object may also be placed.

[0048] The chute 5 includes an enclosure 52 provided at the bottom of the main body 2 of the supply device 1, a plate-shaped elastic body 51 fixed to the enclosure, and a pressing member (not shown) that presses the plate-shaped elastic body toward the opposing plate-shaped elastic body 51. The enclosure 52 is formed, for example, from a stainless steel plate and has an opening at its bottom. The plate-shaped elastic body 51 is, for example, a rubber plate, and is fixed to the enclosure 52 so as to close the opening. The pressing member is, for example, a leaf spring, and is fixed to the enclosure 52 from the outside and presses the plate-shaped elastic body 51 inward. The chute 5 may be composed only of the plate-shaped elastic body 51 without the enclosure 52 or pressing member. From the perspective of preventing moisture intrusion, which will be described later, the chute 5 preferably includes the enclosure 52 and pressing member in addition to the plate-shaped elastic body 51.

[0049] When the powder feeding member 41 is raised, the tips of the pair of elastic plate bodies 51 butt against each other, closing the chute 5 (see FIG. 6(a)). As the powder feeding member 41 moves downward, the powder feeding member 41 butts against the chute 5, opening the chute 5 (FIG. 6(b)). Specifically, when the powder feeding member 41 descends from the raised state and the metering groove 41b moves below the leveling member 6, the powder P filled in the metering groove 41b falls and accumulates at the discharge port at the bottom of the chute 5. As the powder feeding member 41 continues to descend, the lower end of the powder feeding member 41 comes into contact with the elastic plate body 51, opening the chute 5. At this time, the lower end of the powder feeding member 41 scrapes the powder P at the bottom of the chute 5 and drops it downward. As a result, the powder P is dispersed and discharged from the chute 5. From the viewpoint of scraping off as much powder P adhering to the plate-shaped elastic body 51 as possible, the angle formed between the lower end face and the side face at the lower end of the powder feeding member 41 is preferably 70° to 110°, more preferably 80° to 100°, and even more preferably 90°.

[0050] The above-described configuration of the supply device makes it difficult for powder to adhere to the tip of the plate-shaped elastic body. Furthermore, if a water tank is located below the device, the powder dissolves easily in the water being treated. Furthermore, the chute prevents water splashes from the water tank, thereby preventing moisture from entering the storage chamber.

[0051] The half pipe 7 is a gutter-shaped member. Water flows over the half pipe 7, and then flows down from the end and is supplied to the water tank 8. The powder and granular material P discharged in a dispersed state from the chute 5 is dissolved in the flowing water above the half pipe 7, and is less likely to form lumps in the water W to be treated.

[0052] The supply device of the present invention has the above-described configuration, and when a flocculant is supplied to water to be treated in a water treatment facility, the powder and granular material are easily mixed with the water to be treated, and the flocculation effect of suspended solids is easily exerted.

[0053] The powder / granular material supplying method of the present invention will be described. The supplying method of the present invention uses the above-described supplying device and includes a metering step in which the powder supplying member, while in an elevated position, places the powder / granular material in the metering groove within the storage chamber, and a supplying step in which the powder supplying member, while in a lowered position, discharges the powder / granular material measured in the metering step out of the supplying device. Here, the metering step refers to a step in which the powder supplying member places the powder / granular material in the metering groove within the storage chamber, regardless of whether the device is operating (while the powder supplying member is repeatedly moving up and down) or when the device is stopped (while the powder supplying member is stationary and not moving up and down). During this metering step, the metering groove is located inside the storage chamber. The supplying device repeats the metering step, supplying step, and metering step in sequence during one reciprocating up and down movement of the powder supplying member from the elevated position to the lowered position and then back to the elevated position. During the metering step, the metering groove is always located inside the storage chamber, even when the device is stopped. This prevents moisture from reaching the metering groove, and prevents clogging of the groove with powder / granular material.

[0054] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of improving solubility in the water to be treated, etc., and suppressing moisture from entering the storage chamber, it is preferable that in the supply process, the powder supply member presses the powder accumulated in a chute located below the supply device from above, thereby opening the chute and dispersing the powder and discharging it.

[0055] Although the powder / granular material supplying device and supplying method of the present invention have been described above, the configuration of the present invention is not limited to this. [Industrial Applicability]

[0056] The powder / granular material supplying device and supplying method of the present invention are excellent in powder / granular material supplying property and maintenance, and therefore can be particularly suitably used when adding a flocculant to water to be treated in water treatment facilities and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1 Feeding device 2 Main unit 3 Containment Room 31 Upper hopper 32 Lower hopper 32a Partition 4 Powder feeding means 41 Powder supply member 41a Containment room side 41b Measuring groove 42 Lifting mechanism 42a trapezoidal thread 42b Motor 5 Shoot 51 Plate-shaped elastic body 52 Enclosure 6 Leveling material 7 Half tube 8. Aquarium P Powder W Treated water

Claims

1. A powder / granular material supply device, the supply device includes a storage chamber that stores the powder or granular material, and powder supply means that discharges the powder or granular material to the outside of the supply device, the powder supplying means includes a powder supplying member that measures the powder and granular material, and an elevating mechanism that repeatedly moves the powder supplying member up and down in a vertical direction; the accommodation chamber is a closed space that is partially constituted by the powder feeding member and is closed from the outside, the powder feeding member has a metering groove into which the powder or granular material is filled, the metering groove is a groove that is located inside the accommodating chamber when the powder feeding member is raised or stopped, and is located outside the accommodating chamber when the powder feeding member is lowered, and through which the powder or granular material filled in the metering groove is discharged, The measuring groove is a recess recessed from the flat surface of the powder supply member on the storage chamber side, and in a vertical cross section perpendicular to the surface of the powder supply member on the measuring groove side, the lower surface of the measuring groove connected to the flat surface on the storage chamber side is inclined downward, so that the powder and granular material filled in the measuring groove can fall when the powder supply member descends.

2. 2. The powder supply device according to claim 1, wherein the powder supply member is a plate-shaped member.

3. the shape of the metering groove in a vertical cross section perpendicular to the surface of the powder feeding member on the metering groove side is triangular, 3. The powder / granular material supplying device according to claim 1, wherein the angle of the lower apex angle of said triangle is 60 degrees or less.

4. the supply device has a chute below the powder supply member that disperses and discharges the powder and granular material, A powder and granular material supply device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the chute is formed by a pair of plate-shaped elastic bodies, and when the powder supply member is in an elevated state, the tip ends of the pair of plate-shaped elastic bodies abut against each other to close the chute, and the chute opens when the powder supply member moves downward.

5. 5. The powder / granular material supplying device according to claim 4, wherein the supplying device has a half pipe below the chute for dissolving the powder / granular material.

6. The powder / granular material supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the supply device is used to supply the powder / granular material to water to be treated in a water treatment facility, and is a device that supplies a coagulant as the powder / granular material.

7. A method for supplying powder or granular material using the supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, a measuring step in which the powder feeding member, in a raised state, accommodates the powder or granular material in the metering groove within the accommodation chamber; a supplying step in which the powder supplying member is in a lowered state and discharges the powder or granular material measured in the measuring step out of the supplying device, A method for supplying powder or granular material, characterized in that the metering groove is located inside the storage chamber during the metering step.

8. 8. The powder and granular material supply method according to claim 7, wherein in the supplying step, the powder supply member pushes the powder and granular material accumulated in a chute provided below the supplying device from above to open the chute, thereby dispersing and discharging the powder and granular material.

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