Compressed air pressure circuit structure

Abstract

To provide a compressed pneumatic circuit structure which sprays washing water to compressed air containing foreign matter, combines foreign matter with moisture so as to remove foreign matter from the compressed air, separates foreign matter from the washing water containing foreign matter, and reuses the washing water.SOLUTION: A compressed pneumatic circuit structure with a foreign matter removal function in compressed air includes spray units 2 on a rear stage of an air compressor 9 and a front stage of an air dryer 3, respectively. Each of spray units has a spray tank 10 having a hollow section, a separation tank 20 which removes foreign matter of washing water and supplies purified washing water to a pump, and the pump which supplies the purified washing water to a spray nozzle 12. The spray tank has a discharge port 11 for discharging the compressed air supplied from the front stage through a ventilation pipe, an air supply port which has the spray nozzle incorporated therein so as to spray the washing water in a mist state toward the compressed air discharged from the discharge port and feeds out the compressed air after the washing water is sprayed to the rear stage through the ventilation pipe, and an exhaust port 14 which discharges contaminated washing water to the separation tank.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a compressed air pressure circuit, and more particularly to a technique for removing foreign matter from compressed air in a compressed air pressure circuit. [Background technology]

[0002] Compressed air generated by an air compressor contains foreign matter such as dust, oil mist, etc. In the past, to separate and remove such foreign matter from compressed air, it was common to use mist filters made of woven glass fiber or resin or hollow fiber membranes at certain intermediate points in the compressed air circuit, especially at the terminal points.

[0003] However, the conventional mist filters described above have problems such as being prone to clogging with oil droplets and sludge, and are unable to completely remove oil mist due to the short distance that compressed air must travel, resulting in the compressed air being discharged with a large amount of residual oil mist.

[0004] Therefore, the applicant developed a technology for removing oil mist and dust from compressed air by installing a spray unit downstream of the air compressor, and proposed the technology in Patent Publication No. 7253839 (Patent Document 1). This technical proposal provided an excellent effect of purifying the compressed air by installing a spray unit downstream of the air compressor that sprays water sent from a water supply unit within the spray unit and combining the atomized water with the oil mist and dust in the compressed air.

[0005] However, while the technical proposal in Patent Document 1 is useful for removing foreign matter from compressed air, the water sprayed by the spray unit combines with the foreign matter, is removed from the compressed air by a cyclone separator or the like, and is then discharged outside the device as drain. Therefore, while the air compressor is operating, it is necessary to constantly supply new water for spraying.

[0006] The applicant focused on the water supply method in conventional spray units as described above, and came up with the idea of ​​whether it would be possible to reuse the water discharged from the spray unit as water for spraying.He developed a structure in which foreign matter is removed from the compressed air, and water recovered from the spray unit is sent to a separation tank to separate the foreign matter, and then the water is re-flowed into the spray unit as water for spraying, leading to the proposal of the ``compressed air pressure circuit structure'' of the present invention. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7253839 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a compressed air pressure circuit structure that sprays cleaning water onto compressed air containing foreign matter, thereby combining the foreign matter with the water and removing the foreign matter from the compressed air, and also separates the foreign matter from the cleaning water that contains the foreign matter, and reuses the cleaning water for spraying. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a compressed air pressure circuit structure with a function of removing foreign matter from compressed air, in which compressed air generated by an air compressor is sent through a ventilation pipe, and which is provided with a spray unit at a predetermined intermediate position downstream of the air compressor and upstream of an air dryer, and the spray unit is made up of a spray tank with a hollow section, a separation tank that removes foreign matter contained in contaminated wash water and supplies the purified wash water to the pump, and a pump that supplies the purified wash water to the spray nozzle, and the spray tank has a built-in discharge port that discharges compressed air sent from the upstream section through the ventilation pipe and a spray nozzle that sprays wash water in a mist toward the compressed air discharged from the discharge port, and is also provided with an air supply port that sends the compressed air after the wash water has been sprayed to the downstream section through the ventilation pipe, and a discharge port that discharges the contaminated wash water into the separation tank.

[0010] The present invention also employs a means in which the separation tank comprises two chambers: a foreign matter removal tank and a storage tank.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means for introducing wash water and contaminated wash water into the separation tank, and for providing a level gauge for visually observing the inside of the tank from the outside.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means in which the washing water comprises clean water and a neutral detergent.

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means in which a cyclone separator is disposed downstream of the spray unit.

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means in which a foreign matter removal zone is provided in the hollow portion of the spray tank.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means in which the foreign matter removal zone is made of stainless steel and formed into the shape of steel wool. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the compressed air pressure circuit structure of the present invention, foreign matter contained in contaminated cleaning water is removed to produce purified cleaning water, which is then reused as cleaning water to be sprayed from the spray nozzle, thereby contributing to a reduction in the amount of pollutant emissions and achieving a reduction in the amount of cleaning water required to clean the compressed air.

[0017] Furthermore, according to the compressed air pressure circuit structure of the present invention, the separation tank has a two-chamber structure consisting of a foreign matter removal tank and a storage tank, which makes it possible to store the foreign matter separated from the contaminated cleaning water in the foreign matter removal tank while allowing the purified cleaning water to flow into the storage tank, thereby achieving the excellent effect of preventing foreign matter from being mixed into the cleaning water flowing into the spray unit by the pump.

[0018] Furthermore, the compressed air pressure circuit structure of the present invention is provided with a level gauge that allows the inside of the separation tank to be seen from the outside, making it easy to visually check the level of contamination of the wash water stored in the tank and the amount of wash water, which has the excellent effect of helping to understand the operating status of the separation tank, the timing of disposing of retained foreign matter, the addition of additional wash water, and other necessary work in the separation tank.

[0019] Furthermore, according to the compressed air pressure circuit structure of the present invention, the cleaning water is made of clean water and neutral detergent, which has the excellent effect of preventing deterioration and corrosion of the spray unit, downstream equipment, piping, etc. due to contact with or inclusion of the cleaning water, and also contributing to the safety of compressed air.

[0020] Furthermore, according to the compressed air pressure circuit structure of the present invention, by arranging a cyclone separator downstream of the spray unit, it is possible to remove the combination of moisture and foreign matter that was not completely removed in the spray unit by the cyclone separator, and it is possible to send purified compressed air to downstream equipment such as an air dryer, which is an excellent effect.

[0021] Furthermore, according to the compressed air pressure circuit structure of the present invention, a foreign matter removal zone is provided in the hollow part of the spray tank, so that the atomized cleaning water comes into contact with the foreign matter removal zone and adheres to the surface of the foreign matter removal zone, making it easier for the cleaning water to remain in the hollow part of the spray tank and facilitating contact between the compressed air passing through the foreign matter removal zone and the cleaning water, thereby achieving the excellent effect of contributing to improving the efficiency of foreign matter removal from the compressed air. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a compressed air pressure circuit structure according to the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the compressed air pressure circuit structure according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The greatest feature of the compressed air pressure circuit structure of the present invention is that cleaning water is sprayed from a spray nozzle onto compressed air to remove foreign matter in the compressed air, and the contaminated cleaning water is recovered and the foreign matter is removed, returning it to purified cleaning water, which can then be reused as cleaning water to be sprayed from the spray nozzle. Hereinafter, an embodiment of a compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] The compressed air circuit structure 1 according to the present invention is not particularly limited to the embodiments described below, and can be modified as appropriate within the technical scope of the present invention, i.e., within the range of shapes, dimensions, materials, etc. that can achieve the same functional effects.

[0025] Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 according to the present invention, and Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 according to the present invention. The compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 according to the present invention comprises at least an air compressor 9, a spray unit 2, a separation tank 20, a pump 30, and an air dryer 3. Compressed air generated by the air compressor 9 flows into the spray unit 2, where foreign matter contained in the compressed air is combined with and separated from the cleaning water, and then the compressed air is sent to the air dryer 3, where it is dried as clean, dry compressed air and supplied to downstream equipment using compressed air. Furthermore, cleaning water that has combined with foreign matter in the spray unit 2 and is contaminated passes through the separation tank 20 where the foreign matter is separated and purified, and then sent by the pump 30 to the spray unit 2, where it can be used again as cleaning water.

[0026] First, the air compressor 9 that generates compressed air will be described. The air compressor 9 draws in atmospheric air through an air intake port, boosts the pressure to a predetermined level (for example, 0.7 MPa), and compresses it. The atmosphere contains water vapor and foreign matter (dust, sludge, microorganisms, nitrogen oxides, oil mist, etc.), and if an oil-lubricated air compressor 9 is used, a large amount of oil mist will be mixed into the compressed air.

[0027] The ventilation pipe 4 is a hollow pipe for supplying compressed air, and is a pipe that allows compressed air to flow from the air compressor 9 through the spray unit 2 to the downstream air dryer 3 and from the air dryer 3 to further downstream stages. The material of the ventilation pipe 4 is not particularly limited, and may be a substantially rigid material made mainly of metal material such as copper or iron, or a substantially flexible material such as a resin pipe made of rubber, polyethylene, or PVC, or a fiber pipe made of carbon material or glass material. The same applies to the material of the cleaning water pipe 5 described later.

[0028] The spray unit 2 is a unit that sprays mist-like cleaning water toward compressed air to combine with foreign matter, and is mainly composed of a spray tank 10, an outlet 11 that discharges compressed air into the tank, a spray nozzle 12 that also sprays cleaning water into the tank, an air inlet 13 that sends compressed air to the subsequent stage, and an outlet 14 that discharges cleaning water that has accumulated in the tank. The spray unit 2 separates and removes foreign matter from the compressed air that flows in through the ventilation pipe 4a, and then sends the air to the subsequent stage through the ventilation pipe 4b, and also sprays cleaning water that flows in through the cleaning water pipe 5c to combine with the foreign matter in the compressed air, and then discharges the water into the separation tank 20 through the cleaning water pipe 5a.

[0029] The spray tank 10 is composed of a hollow cylindrical body with closed top and bottom, and is arranged at a predetermined intermediate position downstream of the air compressor 9 and upstream of the air dryer 3, with compressed air generated by the air compressor 9 being fed through ventilation piping 4a and compressed air being fed to the downstream air dryer 3 via ventilation piping 4b. Therefore, the spray tank 10 has a built-in discharge port 11 for discharging the fed compressed air, and is also provided with an air feed port 13 for sending the compressed air to the downstream stage. In addition, in consideration of promoting the bonding of foreign matter in the compressed air with the cleaning water, it is preferable that the discharge port 11 be arranged opposite a spray nozzle 12, described below, with a predetermined gap therebetween.

[0030] It is desirable that the compressed air sent from the air compressor 9 be discharged upward inside the spray tank 10, and therefore it is preferable that the discharge port 11 be arranged facing upward as shown in the figure. Furthermore, contaminated cleaning water (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "contaminated water") formed when foreign matter in the compressed air combines with the cleaning water sprayed from the spray nozzle 12 will accumulate in the lower area of ​​the spray tank 10, but to prevent the discharge port 11 from being submerged in the contaminated water, it is necessary to provide a predetermined gap below the discharge port 11 within the tank. Therefore, the discharge port 11 needs to be disposed at a height that will not cause it to be submerged. Furthermore, it is preferable that the air supply port 13 be provided in the upper area of ​​the spray tank 10 so that the contaminated water accumulated in the spray tank 10 is not sent to the subsequent stage together with the compressed air.

[0031] The spray nozzle 12 is a nozzle that is built into the spray tank 10 and that sprays atomized cleaning water toward the compressed air discharged from the discharge port 11. The spray nozzle 12 sprays cleaning water that is supplied from a pump 30 (described later) via a cleaning water pipe 5c, thereby combining foreign matter in the compressed air with the sprayed cleaning water inside the spray tank 10. The shape and structure of the spray nozzle 12 are appropriately determined taking into consideration the amount of water to be sprayed, particle size, etc., and are not particularly limited, but a mode in which the spray can spread radially downward from the spray nozzle 12 so that the cleaning water comes into contact with the compressed air widely is preferred. Regarding the orientation and arrangement of the spray nozzle 12, in consideration of promoting bonding between the cleaning water and foreign matter in the compressed air, a mode in which the spray nozzle 12 is arranged opposite the discharge port 11 with a predetermined distance therebetween is preferred, and if the discharge port 11 is arranged facing upward as shown in the figure, the spray nozzle 12 will be arranged facing downward. In this mode, the cleaning water from the spray nozzle 12 is sprayed downward against the compressed air discharged upward from the discharge port 11, and the two particles collide with each other, promoting bonding between the foreign matter and the cleaning water.

[0032] As shown in another embodiment in Figure 2, it is also preferable to provide a foreign matter removal zone 15 at a predetermined central location within the spray tank 10, which can come into contact with the cleaning water sprayed from the spray nozzle 12 above and through which compressed air discharged from below can pass. By adopting this configuration, the sprayed cleaning water adheres to the surface of the foreign matter removal zone 15 upon contact with the zone, making it more likely for the cleaning water to remain in the hollow portion of the spray tank, increasing the chances of contact with the compressed air passing through the zone, and improving the efficiency of removing foreign matter contained in the compressed air. The foreign matter removal zone 15 is made of a complex entanglement of fibrous materials, and is provided near the approximate center of the discharge port 11 and the spray nozzle 12, as shown in Figure 2. There are no particular limitations on the material, shape, or thickness of the foreign matter removal zone 15. It can be made of multiple laminated layers of nonwoven fabric made of chemical or glass fibers, or it can be made of multiple laminated layers of scrubbing pad-shaped or nonwoven fabric-shaped metal materials. Furthermore, since the foreign matter removal zone 15 is constantly subjected to pressure from compressed air and is subject to cleaning water adhesion, when a metal material is used, it is also preferable to form the foreign matter removal zone 15 from a strong, corrosion-resistant material such as stainless steel in the shape of steel wool.

[0033] The air supply port 13 is provided above the spray tank 10 and is connected to the ventilation pipe 4b to supply compressed air to the subsequent stage. There is no particular limitation on the installation position of the air supply port 13, but for example, as shown in Figure 1, if the discharge port 11 is arranged in approximately the center of the bottom of the spray tank 10, it is arranged in approximately the center of the top surface of the spray tank 10. In the spray tank 10, the cleaning water sprayed from the spray nozzle 12 is sufficiently combined with foreign matter, and the purified compressed air is then sent from the air supply port 13 to the subsequent stage via the ventilation pipe 4b. Furthermore, there is no particular limitation on the diameter of the air supply port 13, but by setting it to, for example, approximately the same diameter as the diameter of the discharge port 11, it is possible to supply air to the ventilation pipe 4b without causing pressure loss in the compressed air flowing into the spray tank 10.

[0034] The outlet 14 is provided at a predetermined location below the spray tank 10 and discharges the contaminated water in the tank through the cleaning water piping 5a into the separation tank 20. The cleaning water sprayed from the spray nozzle 12 combines with foreign matter in the compressed air and then accumulates as contaminated water below the tank. The outlet 14 discharges this contaminated water. The location of the outlet 14 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it be located at the very bottom of the spray tank 10 in order to discharge contaminated water stored below the spray tank 10. There is also no particular limitation on the diameter of the outlet 14, but it is desirable that the diameter be large enough to smoothly discharge at least the amount of cleaning water sprayed from the spray nozzle 12 so that the accumulated contaminated water does not submerge the discharge outlet 11.

[0035] It is also preferable to provide a drain trap 7 at a predetermined location on the cleaning water pipe 5a connected to the discharge port 14. By providing the drain trap 7, it is possible to prevent leakage of compressed air, discharge only the contaminated water discharged from the discharge port 14 into the separation tank 20, and prevent the compressed air that has flowed in from the discharge port 14 together with the contaminated water from flowing into the separation tank 20. The type of drain trap is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, an electromagnetic type, a float type, a disc type, or the like.

[0036] The separation tank 20 separates foreign matter from the contaminated water to purify it, and then discharges the purified washing water to the pump 30. The separation tank 20 receives contaminated water discharged from the discharge port 14 of the spray tank 10 through the inlet 22 via the cleaning water piping 5a, separates and removes foreign matter from the contaminated water, and then discharges the water as purified cleaning water from the outlet 22 through the cleaning water piping 5b to the pump 30. The specific structure of the separation tank 20 is , different It is sufficient if the structure can separate and remove only foreign matter from the contaminated water that is a mixture of foreign matter and cleaning water. ,figure As shown in the figure, one possible configuration is to use a separation tank 20 divided into two compartments, a foreign matter separation tank 23 and a storage tank 24, by a partition plate 25 that penetrates from the top to the bottom of the single tank, separating the tank. By adopting such a configuration, contaminated water discharged from the discharge port 14 is temporarily stored in the foreign matter separation tank 23, where the foreign matter contained in the contaminated water floats and sinks in the water due to its density. The foreign matter is separated from the cleaning water by being released, and the contaminated water is purified. For example, oil, which has a low density, floats toward the water surface, while dust, which has a high density, sinks toward the bottom. Subsequently, an intake pipe 26 that penetrates the partition plate 25 allows only the purified cleaning water, from which the foreign matter has been separated, to flow into the storage tank 24 and be stored therein.

[0037] The inlet 21 allows the contaminated water discharged from the spray tank 10 to flow into the separation tank 20 via the cleaning water pipe 5a. 1 is provided, it is preferable to provide the inlet 21 above the side or top surface of the foreign matter separation tank 23, or at least above the surface of the stored contaminated water. By adopting such an arrangement, it is possible to prevent contaminated water from flowing back from the foreign matter separation tank 23.

[0038] Outlet 22 allows the cleaning water purified in separation tank 20 to flow out to pump 30 via cleaning water pipe 5b. There is no particular limitation on the location where the outlet 22 is installed, but in an embodiment in which a storage tank 24 such as that shown in Figure 1 is installed, it is preferable to install the outlet 22 below approximately the center of the side of the storage tank 24, at least below the surface of the stored cleaning water. By adopting such an embodiment, it becomes possible to cause only the cleaning water stored in the storage tank 24 to flow out to the pump 30.

[0039] When the illustrated embodiment is adopted, an intake pipe 26 that flows the cleaning water from which foreign matter has been separated in the foreign matter separation tank 23 into the storage tank 24 is provided so as to penetrate the partition plate 25 that is the boundary between the foreign matter separation tank 23 and the storage tank 24. The shape of the suction pipe 26 is such that the clean cleaning water stored in the foreign matter separation tank 23 can flow into the storage tank 24. the law of nature, As shown in the figure, it is formed in an inverted L-shape. This configuration makes it possible for the cleaning water stored in the foreign matter separating tank 23, which is below the surface of the cleaning water, to flow into the suction pipe 26, and for the cleaning water to flow out to the pump 30 as clean cleaning water that is free from foreign matter such as oil floating on the surface of the foreign matter separating tank 23 or dust accumulated on the bottom of the water, thereby achieving the excellent effect of realizing the circulation of the cleaning water.

[0040] The cleaning water inlet 27 is used to replenish the cleaning water that has been sent from the air supply port 13 to the rear of the spray tank 10 due to the combination of compressed air and cleaning water, and is a water source that supplies unused cleaning water to the separation tank 20. There are no particular limitations on the cleaning water supplied by cleaning water inlet 27, and in addition to water supplied from an existing water supply facility, it is also suitable to use a mixture of clean water and neutral detergent. By mixing in a neutral detergent, it becomes easier to separate oil mist, which is difficult to combine with water, from the compressed air, and it has the excellent effects of preventing deterioration and corrosion due to contact of the cleaning water with the spray unit 2, other equipment, and piping, and also ensuring the safety of the compressed air.

[0041] There are no particular limitations on the location where the cleaning water inlet 27 can be installed, but a location where clean cleaning water can flow into the spray tank 10 and where cleaning water is stored after foreign matter has been separated in the separation tank 20 is preferred. For example, when the separation tank 20 has a two-chamber structure as shown in the figure, a preferred embodiment is to install the cleaning water inlet 27 in the storage tank 24. In this case, a preferred embodiment is to provide the cleaning water inlet 27 on the ceiling or upper part of the storage tank 24 so that the cleaning water stored in the storage tank 24 does not flow back into the cleaning water inlet 27. Also, providing an automatic or manual adjustment valve 28 at the connection between the cleaning water inlet 27 and the storage tank 24, which can adjust the amount of water introduced from the cleaning water inlet 27, contributes to a stable supply of cleaning water to the pump 30. Furthermore, although not shown, an embodiment in which a check valve is provided from the storage tank 24 side to prevent backflow of cleaning water or compressed air is also possible.

[0042] In the separation tank 20, a nozzle 8 as shown in the figure is provided at a predetermined position in the foreign matter separation tank 23 and the storage tank 24 to adjust the water level in each tank. In this case, there is no particular limitation on the installation location of the nozzle 8, but by providing it near the lower part of the side of each tank as shown in the figure, it becomes possible to discharge foreign matter that has settled at the bottom to the outside in conjunction with the adjustment of the water level in the tank.

[0043] Although not shown, a suitable embodiment is one in which measuring instruments such as a water level sensor or level gauge are provided in separation tank 20 when opening and closing wash water inlet 27, adjustment valve 28, and nozzle 8, and the opening and closing operations are performed automatically in conjunction with the measurement results. When adopting such an embodiment, it is sufficient to use a conventionally known measuring instrument, and there are no particular restrictions on the type of measuring instrument selected for each opening and closing operation, such as using a water level sensor to open and close adjustment valve 28 and a level gauge to open and close nozzle 8. Furthermore, when a level gauge is used in such an embodiment, by using a graduated tube-type level gauge, the degree of contamination inside the relevant tank can be visually checked from the outside, which contributes to maintaining the quality of the wash water, such as discovering abnormalities inside the tank and determining the timing of maintenance.

[0044] The pump 30 sucks in the cleaning water purified by the separation tank 20 in the preceding stage via the cleaning water pipe 5b, and sends it out towards the spray tank 10 via the cleaning water pipe 5c. There are no particular limitations on the discharge rate or shape of the pump 30, and conventionally known technology may be used. There are also no limitations on the installation location of the pump 30, and it may be installed, for example, near the separation tank 20 as shown in the figure.

[0045] The compressed air flowing out of the spray tank 10 has increased humidity due to the cleaning water sprayed inside the tank, and the compressed air needs to be dried. For this reason, an air dryer 3 is provided downstream of the spray tank 10 as shown in the figure. The air dryer 3 is a device for drying compressed air to remove moisture, and is available in various types depending on the moisture removal method, such as a refrigeration type, hollow fiber membrane type, and adsorption type. The air dryer 3 used in the present invention may be any of the refrigeration type, hollow fiber membrane type, and adsorption type, and is not particularly limited, but the most commonly used air dryer is the refrigeration type air dryer 3. The refrigeration type air dryer 3 is a device that uses the latent heat of evaporation of a refrigerant to cool the compressed air and condense and remove the contained moisture, and is therefore preferable because it can be introduced relatively inexpensively.

[0046] Most of the cleaning water that has come into contact with the compressed air inside the spray tank 10 and bonded to foreign matter falls downward due to its own mass, or hangs down due to gravity after hitting the inner wall of the spray tank 10, and is stored as contaminated water in the lower area of ​​the spray tank 10. However, some of it remains in the compressed air, is sent out from the air supply port 13 of the spray tank 10, travels through the ventilation pipe 4b, and flows into the air dryer 3. For this reason, as shown in Figure 1, it is also preferable to provide a cyclone separator 6 at a predetermined location on the ventilation pipe 4b connecting the spray tank 10 and the air dryer 3, to separate and remove the cleaning water that has bonded to foreign matter in advance. By adopting this configuration, the compressed air that flows into the cyclone separator 6 through the ventilation pipe 4b rotates at high speed within the housing, and the cleaning water that has combined with the foreign matter due to centrifugal force is slammed against the inner wall of the housing and drops down, and only the compressed air from which the foreign matter and cleaning water have been separated and removed is sent out from the exhaust port via a cartridge provided in the center and flows into the air dryer 3 through the ventilation pipe 4c.

[0047] Although not shown, the air dryer 3 and the cyclone separator 6 are naturally equipped with a drain discharge structure using piping, a drain trap, etc., that can discharge the separated and removed cleaning water and foreign matter (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "drain, etc.") to the outside. The drainage structure is disposed below the air dryer 3 and the cyclone separator 6, and discharges the drainage accumulated below each device to the outside. The type of drain trap is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, an electromagnetic type, a float type, or a disk type.

[0048] The main operations and functions of the compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 configured as above will be explained with reference to FIG. First, the flow of compressed air in the compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 will be described. First, compressed air is generated in the air compressor 9, and is discharged from the outlet 11 into the spray tank 10 via the ventilation pipe 4a extending from the air compressor 9 to the spray tank 10. At this time, the compressed air contains dust and water vapor from the atmosphere. Then, atomized cleaning water is sprayed from the spray nozzle 12 onto the compressed air discharged into the spray tank 10, and foreign matter in the compressed air combines with the sprayed cleaning water.

[0049] Most of the cleaning water that has combined with the foreign matter falls downward due to its own mass, or hangs down due to gravity after hitting the inner wall of the spray tank 10 and is stored as contaminated water in the lower area of ​​the spray tank 10, but some remains in the compressed air and is sent out from the air supply port 13 of the spray tank 10, proceeds through the ventilation pipe 4b and flows into the cyclone separator 6. The compressed air that has flowed into the cyclone separator 6 rotates at high speed inside the housing, and the cleaning water that has combined with the foreign matter is struck against the inner wall of the housing by centrifugal force and falls, and only the compressed air from which the foreign matter and cleaning water have been separated and removed is sent out from the exhaust port via a cartridge provided in the center.

[0050] The compressed air sent out from the cyclone separator 6 flows into the air dryer 3 via the ventilation pipe 4c. At this point, the compressed air is in a nearly clean state, with foreign matter having been removed by the preceding cyclone separator 6, but the relative humidity is high due to the cleaning water sprayed from the spray nozzle 12, so the compressed air is dried in the air dryer 3 to remove contained moisture. The dried compressed air from which moisture has been removed is sent from the air dryer 3 to the ventilation pipe 4d and is then discharged to equipment that uses compressed air, which is connected downstream.

[0051] Next, the flow of cleaning water in the compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 will be described. The cleaning water that flows into the spray unit 2 is sprayed from the spray nozzle 12 and combines with foreign matter contained in the compressed air discharged from the discharge port 11, and then falls downward due to its own mass, or sags down due to gravity after hitting the inner wall of the spray tank 10, is stored in the lower area of ​​the spray tank 10, and flows into the foreign matter separation tank 23 from the discharge port 14 via the cleaning water piping 5a.

[0052] The contaminated water that flows into and is stored in the foreign matter separation tank 23 floats and sinks depending on the density of the bound foreign matter, causing the bound matter to break and separate into foreign matter and cleaning water. The cleaning water from which the foreign matter has been separated flows into the storage tank 24 through the suction pipe 26 provided through the partition plate 25, and is stored while merging with cleaning water replenished from the cleaning water inlet 27. The cleaning water stored in the storage tank 24 flows into the pump 30 through the cleaning water piping 5b by the suction force of the pump 30, and then flows under pressure through the cleaning water piping 5c ​​and is sent to the spray nozzle 12, where it is sprayed again into the spray tank 10.

[0053] Although the embodiment of the compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 according to the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, a dust filter may be provided upstream of the separation tank 20 to prevent dust from being contained in the cleaning water even when contaminated water containing a large amount of dust is discharged from the spray tank 10. Furthermore, various devices such as an air filter may be disposed between the air compressor 9 and the spray unit 2, or between the spray unit 2 and the air dryer 3, as required.

[0054] As described above, according to the compressed air pressure circuit structure 1 of the present invention, the spray unit 2 is configured to include the spray tank 10 incorporating the discharge port 11 for discharging compressed air and the spray nozzle 12 for spraying cleaning water in a mist, the separation tank 20 for separating foreign matter from contaminated water combined with the foreign matter, and the pump 30 for sending the cleaning water into the spray tank 10. This makes it possible to combine and separate and remove foreign matter contained in the compressed air with the sprayed cleaning water, while circulating the cleaning water from which the foreign matter has been separated from the contaminated water and reusing it as cleaning water again, thereby contributing to the generation of clean compressed air and making it possible to provide a compressed air pressure circuit structure that can reduce consumption by reusing the cleaning water used to purify the compressed air. [Industrial Applicability]

[0055] The present invention combines foreign matter in compressed air with atomized cleaning water, making it easier to separate and remove the foreign matter, and by separating and removing the foreign matter from cleaning water contaminated with the foreign matter, it also makes it possible to recycle and reuse the cleaning water, which contributes to the generation of clean compressed air and to a reduction in the amount of cleaning water used to purify the compressed air. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to a specific field but can be used in compressed air circuits in all fields, and the "compressed air circuit structure" of the present invention has great industrial applicability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1 Compressed air pressure circuit structure 2 spray units 3 Air dryer 4 Ventilation piping 4a Ventilation piping 4b Ventilation piping 4c Ventilation piping 4d Ventilation piping 5 Cleaning water piping 5a Cleaning water piping 5b Cleaning water piping 5c Cleaning water piping 5d Cleaning water piping 6. Cyclone separator 7 Drain trap 8 nozzles 9. Air Compressor 10 spray tank 11 Discharge port 12 spray nozzle 13 Air outlet 14 Outlet 15 Foreign body removal zone 20 Separation tank 21 Inlet 22 Outlet 23 Foreign matter separation tank 24 Reservoir 25 Divider 26 Suction pipe 27 Cleaning water inlet 28 Adjusting valve 30 Pump

Claims

1. A compressed air pressure circuit structure having a function of removing foreign matter from compressed air, In a compressed air pressure circuit in which compressed air generated by an air compressor is sent through a ventilation pipe, A spray unit is provided at a predetermined intermediate position downstream of the air compressor and upstream of the air dryer, The spray unit is composed of a spray tank having a hollow portion, a separation tank that removes foreign matter contained in contaminated cleaning water and supplies the purified cleaning water to the pump, and a pump that supplies the purified cleaning water to the spray nozzle, The spray tank has a built-in discharge port for discharging compressed air sent from the previous stage through a ventilation pipe, and a spray nozzle for spraying cleaning water in a mist toward the compressed air discharged from the discharge port, and also has an air supply port for sending the compressed air after the cleaning water has been sprayed to the subsequent stage through the ventilation pipe, and a discharge port for discharging the contaminated cleaning water into a separation tank, In the spray tank, the foreign matter in the compressed air is combined with the sprayed cleaning water, A compressed air pressure circuit structure characterized in that the separation tank consists of two chambers: a foreign matter separation tank and a storage tank, and an inverted L-shaped suction pipe is provided to allow cleaning water to flow from the foreign matter separation tank to the storage tank.

2. 2. The compressed air pressure circuit structure according to claim 1, wherein the separation tank is charged with cleaning water and contaminated cleaning water, and is provided with a level gauge that allows the interior of the tank to be visually observed from the outside.

3. 2. The compressed air circuit structure according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning water is made of clean water and a neutral detergent.

4. 2. The compressed air pressure circuit structure according to claim 1, further comprising a cyclone separator disposed downstream of the spray unit.

5. 2. The compressed air circuit structure according to claim 1, wherein a foreign matter removal zone is provided in the hollow portion of the spray tank.

6. 6. A compressed air circuit structure according to claim 5, wherein the foreign matter removal zone is made of stainless steel and formed into a steel wool shape.

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