Fluid control member and method for manufacturing a fluid control member

Abstract

To prevent forming of an area of a fast flow rate inside a fluid control member, and improve reaction efficiency in a reaction flow channel.SOLUTION: A fluid control member 1 is formed by laminating a plurality of disks 10, 20, 30. The plurality of disks comprises: a first disk 10 having a first opening 14 and a first partition wall 16; a second disk 20 having a second opening 24 and a second partition wall 26; and an intermediate disk 30 arranged between the first disk and the second disk. Then, in the fluid control member, the first opening 14 and the second partition wall 26 are arranged at an overlapped position in a laminating direction, and the second opening 24 and the first partition wall 16 are arranged at an overlapped position in a laminating direction. Because a penetrating flow channel is not formed in the fluid control member of such constitution, and the member has a structure capable of appropriately decelerating fluid F, reaction efficiency can be preferably improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed herein relates to a fluid control member and a method for manufacturing the fluid control member.

Background Art

[0002] In a chemical plant, laboratory equipment, etc., a reaction flow path may be provided to cause a predetermined chemical reaction while allowing a fluid (liquid or gas) to flow through. If the velocity of the fluid in this reaction flow path becomes too fast, there is a risk that the fluid before a sufficient chemical reaction occurs will pass through the reaction flow path. For this reason, a member for controlling the deceleration of the passing fluid (hereinafter referred to as a "fluid control member") may be provided in the reaction flow path.

[0003] For example, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, a catalyst unit (fluid control member) filled with particulate catalyst carriers inside a container has been proposed. In this catalyst unit, a catalytic reaction occurs with respect to the fluid passing through the gaps (flow paths) between the carrier particles. Thereby, a desired chemical reaction can be efficiently caused. On the other hand, the ceramic filter (fluid control member) described in Patent Document 2 is formed by laminating a plurality of layered members (disks) having openings while rotating them in the circumferential direction. A complex flow path is formed inside the ceramic filter having such a configuration. Thereby, the velocity of the molten metal (fluid) flowing through the ceramic filter can be controlled.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in conventional fluid control members, regions with high flow velocities sometimes occur in certain areas. In this case, a portion of the fluid passes through the fluid control member in an unreacted state, causing a decrease in reaction efficiency in the reaction channel. For example, in the fluid control member described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to make the density of the carrier particles packed in the container uniform. In this case, in regions where the packing density of the carrier particles is low, a large amount of fluid concentrates, making it easy for reaction failures to occur due to an increase in flow velocity. On the other hand, in a fluid control member consisting of multiple stacked disks, such as in Patent Document 2, through-channels may be formed where the openings of each disk overlap. Since the fluid flowing into these through-channels hardly slows down, most of it passes through the fluid control member in an unreacted state.

[0006] The technology disclosed herein has been developed in view of the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a technology that can prevent the formation of high-velocity regions inside the fluid control member and improve the reaction efficiency in the reaction channel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the technology disclosed herein provides a fluid control member having the following configuration.

[0008] The fluid control member disclosed herein is formed by stacking a plurality of disks having openings in a predetermined stacking direction. The plurality of disks of this fluid control member comprises at least a first disk having a plurality of first openings and a plurality of first partitions separating adjacent first openings, a second disk having a plurality of second openings and a plurality of second partitions separating adjacent second openings, and an intermediate disk disposed between the first disk and the second disk, having an intermediate opening that connects the first opening and the second opening to form a flow path. In the fluid control member disclosed herein, the first openings and second partitions are positioned to overlap in the stacking direction, and the second openings and first partitions are positioned to overlap in the stacking direction.

[0009] In the fluid control member with the above configuration, the first opening of the first disk overlaps with the second partition wall of the second disk in the stacking direction. Similarly, the second opening of the second disk overlaps with the first partition wall of the first disk in the stacking direction. That is, in the fluid control member disclosed herein, since the partition wall of one disk overlaps with the opening of the other disk, no through-flow channel is created that penetrates the fluid control member. The fluid supplied to the fluid control member with the above configuration passes through the first opening of the first disk and the intermediate opening of the intermediate disk, and then collides with the second partition wall of the second disk, where it is decelerated. As described above, the fluid control member disclosed herein does not have a through-flow channel that causes a local increase in flow velocity, and has a structure that can appropriately decelerate the supplied fluid. For this reason, the fluid control member disclosed herein can suitably improve the reaction efficiency in the reaction channel.

[0010] In one embodiment of the fluid control member disclosed herein, at least a first disk, an intermediate disk, a second disk, an intermediate disk, and a first disk are stacked in this order. In a fluid control member with this configuration, the first disk is positioned further downstream of the second disk. This allows the fluid that has passed through the second disk to flow into the first disk via the intermediate disk, thereby causing deceleration of the fluid due to collision with the first partition wall.

[0011] In one embodiment of the fluid control member disclosed herein, the first disk has a plurality of first openings extending linearly along a first direction on the plane of the first disk, and a beam-shaped first partition wall formed between two adjacent first openings. On the other hand, the second disk has a plurality of second openings extending linearly along a first direction on the plane of the second disk, and a beam-shaped second partition wall formed between two adjacent second openings. Disks with such a configuration can be easily formed and can appropriately decelerate the fluid by impact with the partition wall.

[0012] One embodiment of the fluid control member disclosed herein includes at least a first unit in which a first disk and an intermediate disk are stacked in that order, and a second unit in which a second disk and an intermediate disk are stacked in that order. The intermediate disk in one of the first and second units is a first intermediate disk obtained by rotating a disk having the same structure as the first disk at an angle of 45° to 135° in the circumferential direction. The intermediate disk in the other of the first and second units is a second intermediate disk obtained by rotating a disk having the same structure as the second disk at an angle of 45° to 135° in the circumferential direction. In a fluid control member with such a configuration, the rotating bodies of the first disk and the second disk are used as the intermediate disk. This makes it possible to cause fluid deceleration by collision with the partition wall even at the intermediate disk.

[0013] In the embodiment in which the first and second units are constructed, the first unit may be formed by integrally molding a first disk and an intermediate disk, and the second unit may be formed by integrally molding a second disk and an intermediate disk. This can contribute to reducing manufacturing costs by reducing the number of parts.

[0014] In one embodiment of the fluid control member disclosed herein, the plurality of disks are ceramic sintered bodies. Preferably, such ceramic sintered bodies are mainly formed from oxides, nitrides, or carbides containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Zr, Ti, Zn, Ni, Fe, and Si. This makes it possible to obtain a fluid control member with excellent durability at low cost. Furthermore, it is preferable that the ceramic sintered body is a porous body with a porosity of 10% to 60% in the partition walls. This increases the surface area inside the fluid control member, thereby further improving the reaction efficiency.

[0015] Another aspect of the technology disclosed herein is a method for manufacturing a fluid control member. The manufacturing method disclosed herein comprises a disk forming step of forming a plurality of disks having openings, and an assembly step of forming a fluid control member by stacking the plurality of disks in a predetermined stacking direction. The disk forming step in this manufacturing method forms at least a first disk having a plurality of first openings and a plurality of first partitions separating adjacent first openings, a second disk having a plurality of second openings and a plurality of second partitions separating adjacent second openings, and an intermediate disk having an intermediate opening that connects the first openings and the second openings to form a flow path. The assembly step stacks the plurality of disks such that the intermediate disk is positioned between the first disk and the second disk, and positions the first openings and second partitions to overlap in the stacking direction, and positions the second openings and first partitions to overlap in the stacking direction. A fluid control member manufactured by such a manufacturing method can prevent the formation of regions with high flow velocities and improve the reaction efficiency in the reaction channel.

[0016] In one embodiment of the method for manufacturing a fluid control member disclosed herein, the disc formation step comprises the steps of forming an additively manufactured object by repeatedly supplying a molding liquid containing water to a deposit of molding powder containing base material particles and water-soluble resin particles to form a powder solidification layer; drying the additively manufactured object and removing any unsolidified molding powder adhering to the additively manufactured object; and firing the additively manufactured object to form a plurality of discs. This makes it possible to easily form precise discs. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing a fluid control member according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid control member shown in Figure 1, when it is cut along the height direction. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid control member shown in Figure 1, when it is cut along the width direction. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a front view of the fluid control member. [Figure 5] It is a front view of the first disk. [Figure 6] It is a front view of the second disk. [Figure 7] It is a front view of the first intermediate disk. [Figure 8] It is a front view of the second intermediate disk. [Figure 9] It is a front view of the first unit. [Figure 10] It is a front view of the second unit. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart for explaining a method of manufacturing a fluid control member according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a front view of the third intermediate disk. [Figure 13] It is a front view of a conventional fluid control member. [Figure 14] It is a perspective view schematically showing the fluid control member of Sample 1. [Figure 15] It is a perspective view schematically showing the fluid control member of Sample 2. [Figure 16] It is a graph showing the analysis result of the flow simulation of Sample 1. [Figure 17] It is a graph showing the analysis result of the flow simulation of Sample 2. [Figure 18] It is a graph showing the analysis result of the flow simulation of Sample 3. [Figure 19] It is a graph showing the analysis result of the flow simulation of Sample 4.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Preferred embodiments of the technology disclosed herein will be described below. Matters other than those specifically mentioned herein but necessary for implementing the technology disclosed herein can be understood as design matters for those skilled in the art based on prior art. The technology disclosed herein can be implemented based on the content disclosed herein and common technical knowledge in the art. In this specification, the notation "A~B" indicating a numerical range shall mean "A or greater and B or less," as well as "preferably greater than A" and "preferably less than B."

[0019] [First Embodiment] 1. Fluid control member Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the fluid control member disclosed herein will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the fluid control member according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid control member shown in Figure 1 when cut along the height direction. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid control member shown in Figure 1 when cut along the width direction. Figure 4 is a front view of the fluid control member shown in Figure 1. In each figure, the symbol X indicates the "width direction", the symbol Y indicates the "depth direction", and the symbol Z indicates the "height direction".

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the fluid control member 1 according to this embodiment is formed by stacking a plurality of disks 10, 20, and 30 having openings. In this embodiment, the disks 10, 20, and 30 are stacked in the depth direction Y. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a flow path 5 is formed inside the fluid control member 1, through which the openings of each disk 10, 20, and 30 are connected. The fluid F passes through this flow path 5 along the stacking direction of the disks 10, 20, and 30. In other words, in this embodiment, the "depth direction Y", the "disk stacking direction", and the "fluid flow direction" are substantially the same direction. Furthermore, in the following description, the left side in Figures 1 to 3 will be referred to as the "upstream side in the flow direction", and the right side as the "downstream side in the flow direction".

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the external shape of the fluid control member 1 according to this embodiment is cylindrical. However, the external shape of the fluid control member is not particularly limited, and a shape appropriate to the reaction channel to be housed can be adopted as appropriate. The external shape of the fluid control member may be a columnar member whose cross-sectional shape is a polygon, an ellipse, or a star polygon.

[0022] The discs 10, 20, and 30 constituting the fluid control member 1 are preferably formed from an inorganic material with excellent durability (mechanical strength, chemical resistance, heat resistance, etc.). An example of such a material for discs 10, 20, and 30 is a ceramic sintered body. Ceramic sintered bodies are suitable as materials for discs 10, 20, and 30 because they have excellent chemical resistance and heat resistance, and are inexpensive. A ceramic sintered body is, for example, a sintered body mainly composed of oxides, nitrides, carbides, sulfides, etc. of a predetermined metal. Examples of metal elements contained in this ceramic sintered body include aluminum (Al), zirconium (Zr), titanium (Ti), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), silicon (Si), magnesium (Mg), and calcium (Ca). Furthermore, it is preferable that the ceramic sintered body is a porous body with multiple pores formed therein. This increases the surface area inside the fluid control member 1, thereby improving the reaction efficiency of the fluid F. For example, the porosity of the ceramic sintered body is preferably 10% or more, more preferably 15% or more, even more preferably 20% or more, and particularly preferably 25% or more. On the other hand, considering the strength of discs 10, 20, and 30, the porosity of the ceramic sintered body is preferably 75% or less, more preferably 70% or less, even more preferably 65% ​​or less, and particularly preferably 60% or less.

[0023] The fluid control member 1 according to this embodiment is composed of eight disks 10, 20, and 30. However, the number of disks constituting the fluid control member is not limited to the technology disclosed herein. For example, the fluid control member disclosed herein can be constructed by stacking the first disk, intermediate disk, and second disk, described later, one by one in that order. In other words, the fluid control member disclosed herein only needs to have at least three disks. However, the frequency at which the effect of the technology disclosed herein (fluid deceleration due to collision with the partition wall, described later) occurs increases as the number of disks increases. For this reason, from the viewpoint of decelerating the fluid F more efficiently, the total number of disks is preferably three or more, more preferably six or more, even more preferably nine or more, and particularly preferably twelve or more. On the other hand, the total number of disks is preferably 120 or less, more preferably 90 or less, even more preferably 60 or less, and particularly preferably 30 or less. This reduces the number of parts and thus reduces manufacturing costs.

[0024] Furthermore, the specific thickness of each disc is determined by the relationship between the total number of discs and the total length of the fluid control member. As an example, the thickness of each disc can be determined within the range of 0.75 mm to 10 mm (preferably 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm, more preferably 1.0 mm to 1.5 mm). As each disc becomes thicker, the mechanical strength of the fluid control member tends to improve. On the other hand, if each disc is made thinner, the number of discs constituting the fluid control member increases, and therefore the frequency with which the effects of the technology disclosed herein occur increases. Note that the thicknesses of discs 10, 20, and 30 may be the same or different.

[0025] In this embodiment, disks 10, 20, and 30 comprise a first disk 10, a second disk 20, and an intermediate disk 30. Each of these will be described below.

[0026] (1) Disc 1 Figure 5 is a front view of the first disk. As shown in Figure 5, the first disk 10 is a disc-shaped member having a ring-shaped first frame 12. This first disk 10 has a plurality of first openings 14 and a plurality of first partition walls 16 that separate adjacent first openings 14. In the first disk 10 shown in Figure 5, the first openings 14 and the first partition walls 16 are formed in a stripe pattern. Specifically, the first openings 14 are openings that extend linearly along a first direction (width direction X) on the plane of the first disk 10. The first partition walls 16 are beam-shaped members formed between two adjacent first openings 14.

[0027] The lower limit of the width W1 of the first opening 14 is preferably 0.5 mm or more, more preferably 0.75 mm or more, even more preferably 1.0 mm or more, and particularly preferably 1.5 mm or more. This ensures a sufficient flow rate for the fluid F. On the other hand, the upper limit of the width W1 of the first opening 14 is preferably 3 mm or less, and more preferably 2 mm or less. This suppresses an increase in flow velocity due to excessive inflow of fluid F. Furthermore, the lower limit of the width W2 of the first partition wall 16 separating the first opening 14 is preferably 0.5 mm or more, more preferably 0.75 mm or more, even more preferably 1.0 mm or more, and particularly preferably 1.5 mm or more. This improves the mechanical strength of the first disk 10. On the other hand, the upper limit of the width W2 of the first partition wall 16 is preferably 3 mm or less, and more preferably 2 mm or less. This ensures the width W1 of the first opening 14 and obtains a sufficient flow rate.

[0028] (2) Second disc Figure 6 is a front view of the second disk. As shown in Figure 6, the second disk 20 is a disc-shaped member having a ring-shaped second frame 22. The second disk 20 has a plurality of second openings 24 and a plurality of second partition walls 26 that separate adjacent second openings 24. Also, similar to the first disk 10, the second disk 20 has second openings 24 and second partition walls 26 formed in a stripe pattern. That is, the second openings 24 extend linearly along a first direction (width direction X) on the plane of the second disk 20. The second partition walls 26 are beam-shaped members formed between two adjacent second openings 24.

[0029] As described above, similar to the first disk 10, the second disk 20 also has a second opening 24 and a second partition wall 26 formed in a stripe pattern. However, the formation positions of the second opening 24 and second partition wall 26 of the second disk 20 in a front view differ from those of the first opening 14 and first partition wall 16 of the first disk 10. Specifically, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, when the first disk 10 and the second disk 20 are stacked via an intermediate disk 30, the second opening 24 of the second disk 20 is formed in a position that overlaps with the first partition wall 16 of the first disk 10 in the stacking direction (depth direction Y). On the other hand, as shown in Figure 2, the second partition wall 26 of the second disk 20 is formed in a position that overlaps with the first opening 14 of the first disk 10 in the stacking direction (depth direction Y). As will be described in more detail later, by using such a second disk 20 and first disk 10, a fluid control member 1 that can appropriately decelerate the fluid F can be constructed.

[0030] Furthermore, it is preferable that the width W3 of the second opening 24 (see Figure 6) is approximate to the width W2 of the first partition wall 16 (see Figure 5). This allows the second opening 24 and the first partition wall 16 to overlap appropriately in the stacking direction, thereby enabling more appropriate deceleration of the fluid F. For example, when the width W2 of the first partition wall 16 is taken as 100%, the upper limit of the width W3 of the second opening 24 is preferably 120% or less, more preferably 115% or less, even more preferably 110% or less, and particularly preferably 105% or less. Also, the lower limit of the width W3 of the second opening 24 relative to the width W2 of the first partition wall 16 is preferably 80% or more, more preferably 85% or more, even more preferably 90% or more, and particularly preferably 95% or more. Similarly, it is preferable that the width W4 of the second partition wall 26 (see Figure 6) is approximate to the width W1 of the first opening 14 (see Figure 5). As a result, the first opening 14 and the second partition wall 26 overlap appropriately in the stacking direction, which allows for more effective deceleration of the fluid F. For example, the upper limit of the width W4 of the second partition wall 26, when the width W1 of the first opening 14 is set to 100%, is preferably 120% or less, more preferably 115% or less, even more preferably 110% or less, and particularly preferably 105% or less. On the other hand, the lower limit of the width W4 of the second partition wall 26 relative to the width W1 of the first opening 14 is preferably 80% or more, more preferably 85% or more, even more preferably 90% or more, and particularly preferably 95% or more.

[0031] (3) Intermediate disk As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the intermediate disk 30 is positioned between the first disk 10 and the second disk 20. As described above, in the fluid control member 1 according to this embodiment, the first disk 10 and the second disk 20 are formed such that the opening of one disk and the partition wall of the other disk overlap in the stacking direction (depth direction Y). If the first disk 10 and the second disk 20 with this configuration are stacked directly, the opening of one disk will be blocked by the partition wall of the other disk, and a flow path for the fluid to pass through will not be formed. For this reason, in the fluid control member 1 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, an intermediate disk 30 having an intermediate opening 34 that connects the first opening 14 and the second opening 24 is positioned between the first disk 10 and the second disk 20. This makes it possible to form a flow path 5 through which the fluid F can flow inside the fluid control member 1.

[0032] In this embodiment, two types of disks are used as the intermediate disk 30: a first intermediate disk 40 and a second intermediate disk 50. Figure 7 is a front view of the first intermediate disk. Figure 8 is a front view of the second intermediate disk. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the intermediate disks 30 used in this embodiment each have a ring-shaped intermediate frame 32, a plurality of intermediate openings 34 extending linearly along a predetermined direction on the plane of the intermediate disk 30, and a beam-shaped intermediate wall 36 separating two adjacent intermediate openings 34. The specific shapes of the first intermediate disk 40 and the second intermediate disk 50 will be described below.

[0033] The first intermediate disc 40 shown in Figure 7 is a disc with the same structure as the first disc 10 (see Figure 5) rotated 90° in the circumferential direction. That is, the first intermediate disc 40 comprises a ring-shaped first intermediate frame 42, a linear first intermediate opening 44 extending along a second direction (height direction Z) perpendicular to the first direction (width direction X), and a beam-shaped first intermediate wall 46 formed between two adjacent first intermediate openings 44. Note that the dimensions of the first intermediate disc 40 (such as the width of the first intermediate opening 44 and the first intermediate wall 46) can be the same as those of the first disc 10 described above, so redundant explanations are omitted.

[0034] On the other hand, the second intermediate disk 50 shown in Figure 8 is a disk with the same structure as the second disk 20 (see Figure 6) rotated 90° in the circumferential direction. That is, the second intermediate disk 50 comprises a ring-shaped second intermediate frame 52, a linear second intermediate opening 54 extending along the second direction (height direction Z), and a beam-shaped second intermediate gap wall 56 formed between two adjacent second intermediate openings 54. Note that the dimensions of the second intermediate disk 50 can be the same as those of the second disk 20 described above, so redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0035] (4) Arrangement of each disk As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the fluid control member 1 according to this embodiment comprises a first unit U1 in which a first disk 10 and an intermediate disk 30 are stacked in that order, and a second unit U2 in which a second disk 20 and an intermediate disk 30 are stacked in that order.

[0036] Figure 9 is a front view of the first unit. As shown in Figures 2 and 9, the intermediate disk 30 in the first unit U1 is the first intermediate disk 40. That is, the first unit U1 is formed by stacking the first disk 10 and the first intermediate disk 40, which is obtained by rotating the first disk 10. As shown in Figure 9, in this first unit U1, a planar grid-like partition wall is formed where the first partition wall 16 and the first intermediate partition wall 46 intersect, and an opening is formed where the first opening 14 and the first intermediate opening 44 overlap. The fluid F supplied to the first unit U1 with this configuration is diffused in the width direction X along the first opening 14 of the first disk 10, and then diffused in the height direction Z along the first intermediate opening 44 of the first intermediate disk 40. This allows the fluid F in flow to be diffused in both the width direction X and the height direction Z. This further improves the reaction efficiency of the fluid F.

[0037] Figure 10 is a front view of the second unit. As shown in Figures 2 and 10, the intermediate disk 30 in the second unit U2 is the second intermediate disk 50. That is, the second unit U2 is formed by stacking the second disk 20 and the second intermediate disk 50, which is obtained by rotating the second disk 20. As shown in Figure 10, in this second unit U2, a planar grid-like partition wall is formed where the second partition wall 26 and the second intermediate partition wall 56 intersect, and an opening is formed where the second opening 24 and the second intermediate opening 54 overlap. The fluid F supplied to this second unit U2 is diffused in the width direction X along the second opening 24 of the second disk 20, and then diffused in the height direction Z along the second intermediate opening 54 of the second intermediate disk 50. This further improves the reaction efficiency of the fluid F.

[0038] In the fluid control member 1 according to this embodiment, the units are arranged in the order of first unit U1, second unit U2, first unit U1, and second unit U2, from upstream to downstream in the flow direction. In other words, in the fluid control member 1 according to this embodiment, the first disk 10, intermediate disk 30, second disk 20, intermediate disk 30, first disk 10, intermediate disk 30, second disk 20, and intermediate disk 30 are stacked in this order from upstream to downstream in the flow direction.

[0039] (5) Comparison with conventional technology The effects of the fluid control member 1 according to this embodiment will be explained below, in comparison with the conventional fluid control member 100 shown in Figure 13.

[0040] The conventional fluid control member 100 shown in Figure 13 is formed by stacking multiple disks 110. Each disk 110 in Figure 13 comprises a ring-shaped frame 112, an opening 114 extending linearly along a predetermined direction on the plane of the disk 110, and a beam-shaped partition wall 116 formed between two adjacent openings 114. This fluid control member 100 is formed by stacking multiple disks 110 with the above configuration while rotating them in the circumferential direction. At this time, a portion of the partition walls 116 of the multiple disks 110 stacked while rotating overlaps the opening 114 of the disk 110 placed on the top surface. The fluid supplied to the fluid control member 100 with this configuration flows into the opening 114 of the disk 110 on the top surface and then collides with one of the partition walls 116 of the multiple disks 110 placed on the lower layers. This slows down the fluid supplied to the fluid control member 100.

[0041] However, when multiple disks 110 having the same structure are stacked while rotating, as in the fluid control member 100 shown in Figure 13, a through-channel 105a (see the blacked-out area in Figure 13) may be formed where the openings 114 of each disk 110 overlap. This through-channel 105a penetrates the fluid control member 100 in the stacking direction. As a result, the fluid supplied to the through-channel 105a is hardly decelerated by collision with the partition wall 116, and passes through the fluid control member without the desired chemical reaction occurring sufficiently. As described above, in the conventional fluid control member 100 as shown in Figure 13, a significant decrease in reaction efficiency may occur due to the formation of the through-channel 105a.

[0042] In contrast, the fluid control member 1 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, stacks two types of disks (a first disk 10 and a second disk 20) ​​with different opening formation positions. The first opening 14 of the first disk 10 is positioned to overlap with the second partition wall 26 of the second disk 20 in the stacking direction (depth direction Y). Furthermore, the second opening 24 of the second disk 20 is positioned to overlap with the first partition wall 16 of the first disk 10 in the stacking direction (depth direction Y). In other words, the fluid control member 1 according to this embodiment is configured such that the opening of one disk and the partition wall of the other disk overlap in the depth direction Y. With this configuration, the formation of a through-flow channel penetrating the fluid control member 1 can be reliably prevented. In this embodiment, a flow channel 5 is formed through which the first opening 14 and the second opening 24 communicate via an intermediate opening 34 of the intermediate disk 30. The fluid F supplied to this flow channel 5 passes through the first opening 14 of the first disk 10 and flows into the intermediate opening 34 of the intermediate disk 30. The fluid F that has passed through the intermediate opening 34 collides with the second partition wall 26 of the second disk 20, causing its flow velocity to decrease. The fluid F that has collided with the second partition wall 26 then diffuses in the height direction Z before flowing into the second opening 24 of the second disk 20. In other words, the flow path 5 of this fluid control member 1 is formed with a structure that reduces the flow velocity by colliding with the partition wall. As described above, the fluid control member 1 according to this embodiment has a structure that can prevent the formation of through-flow channels that cause localized increases in flow velocity and can appropriately decelerate the fluid F. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the reaction efficiency in the reaction flow path can be suitably improved.

[0043] Furthermore, the fluid control member 1 according to this embodiment includes a stacked structure in which the first disk 10, intermediate disk 30, second disk 20, intermediate disk 30, and first disk 10 are stacked in that order. In such a stacked structure, the first disk 10 is positioned further downstream of the second disk 20. In this case, as shown in Figure 2, the fluid F that flows into the second opening 24 of the second disk 20 passes through the intermediate opening 34 of the intermediate disk 30 and then collides with the first partition wall 16 of the first disk 10, thereby slowing down. That is, by positioning the first disk 10 downstream of the second disk 20 via the intermediate disk 30, it is possible to cause deceleration of the fluid F by collision with the first partition wall 16. This further improves the reaction efficiency of the fluid F.

[0044] In addition, in this embodiment, the intermediate disk 30 uses a first intermediate disk 40 which is a disk with the same structure as the first disk 10 that has been rotated, and a second intermediate disk 50 which is a disk with the same structure as the second disk 20 that has been rotated. This makes it possible to cause deceleration of the fluid F by collision with the partition wall when the fluid F flows from the first disk 10 (or the second disk 20) ​​into the intermediate disk 30. Specifically, as shown in the cross-sectional view (Figure 3) along the width direction X of the fluid control member 1, the fluid F that has passed through the first opening 14 of the first disk 10 collides with the first intermediate partition wall 46 and decelerates when it flows into the first intermediate disk 40. Furthermore, the fluid F that has flowed into the first intermediate opening 44 of the first intermediate disk 40 passes through the second opening 24 of the second disk 20 and then collides with the second intermediate partition wall 56 of the second intermediate disk 50 and decelerates. Thus, in the fluid control member 1 according to this embodiment, deceleration of the fluid F can be caused in each of the disks: the first disk 10, the second disk 20, the first intermediate disk 40, and the second intermediate disk 50. This further improves the reaction efficiency in the reaction channel.

[0045] The fluid control member 1 according to the first embodiment of the technology disclosed herein has been described above. The fluid F targeted for deceleration by this fluid control member 1 is not limited to the technology disclosed herein. That is, the fluid F can be any liquid or gas that can undergo chemical reaction processing within a reaction channel of a plant or experimental equipment, without any particular limitations. Examples of such fluids F include aqueous solutions mainly composed of water; noble gases such as helium and argon; atmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, and nitrogen; amide compounds such as dimethylformamide; sulfo compounds such as dimethyl sulfoxide; ether compounds such as tetrahydrofuran, isopropyl ether, and dioxane; ester compounds such as ethyl acetate; ketone compounds such as methyl ethyl ketone; aromatic compounds such as toluene, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, o-dichlorobenzene, and xylene; alkanes such as methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane, and octane; primary alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, and propanol; secondary alcohols such as propan-2-ol, butane-2-ol, pentane-2-ol, and hexafluoroisopropanol; tertiary alcohols such as 2-methyl-2-methylpropan-2-ol, 2-methylbutan-2-ol, and 2-methylpentan-2-ol (C6); and polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin and ethylene glycol. Furthermore, the fluid control member 1 according to this embodiment can exhibit particularly suitable effects when a low-viscosity fluid is to be decelerated. Specifically, compared to high-viscosity fluids, low-viscosity fluids cause a significant increase in velocity when supplied to a through-channel. In contrast, the fluid control member 1 according to this embodiment can reliably prevent the formation of a through-channel, and therefore can suppress a significant increase in flow velocity even when a low-viscosity fluid is supplied. Here, "low-viscosity fluid" is a concept that includes gases and liquids with a viscosity of 1.5 Pa·s or less (typically 1.0 Pa·s or less).

[0046] 2. Method for manufacturing fluid control members Next, a method for manufacturing the fluid control member 1 with the above configuration will be described. Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating the manufacturing method of the fluid control member according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 11, the manufacturing method according to this embodiment includes a disk forming step S10 and an assembly step S20. Each step will be described below.

[0047] (1) Disk formation process S10 In the disk formation step S10, multiple disks having openings are formed. In the manufacturing method according to this embodiment, in this step, a first disk 10 shown in Figure 5, a second disk 20 shown in Figure 6, and an intermediate disk 30 shown in Figures 7 and 8 are formed. The materials and structures of each disk have already been described, so redundant explanations will be omitted. In this embodiment, additive manufacturing is used in the disk formation step S10. The disk formation step S10 using additive manufacturing will be described below. As shown in Figure 11, this disk formation step S10 comprises a molding step S12, a powder removal step S14, and a firing step S16.

[0048] (a) Molding process S12 In the molding process S12, a layered object is fabricated by repeatedly supplying molding fluid to a deposit of molding powder to form a powder solidification layer. Here, "layered object" refers to an unfired molded body in which the molding powder has been solidified to form a shape corresponding to the desired disk.

[0049] (modeling powder) The molding powder is a powder material containing at least base material particles and water-soluble resin particles. The base material particles are the particles that become the main component of the disc after firing. For example, when forming a disc mainly composed of a ceramic sintered body, ceramic particles are used as the base material particles. The content of base material particles is appropriate to be 50 wt% or more when the total weight of the molding powder is 100 wt%. Considering the mechanical strength of the disc after firing, the content of base material particles is preferably 60 wt% or more, more preferably 70 wt% or more, even more preferably 80 wt% or more, and particularly preferably 90 wt% or more. On the other hand, considering the content of water-soluble resin particles, the content of base material particles is preferably 97 wt% or less, more preferably 95 wt% or less, and even more preferably 92 wt% or less.

[0050] On the other hand, water-soluble resin particles are binder particles that solidify the molding powder supplied with the molding liquid. The water-soluble resin particles are made of a resin material that is water-soluble and exhibits a higher viscosity than water when dissolved in water. An example of such a water-soluble resin is a resin material that, when 2 parts by mass are added to 100 parts by mass of water at a liquid temperature of 90°C and stirred for 4 hours, results in an aqueous solution with a higher viscosity than water. More preferably, the aqueous solution of the water-soluble resin particles has a viscosity of 1.2 times or more (preferably 1.5 times or more, more preferably 2.0 times or more) than the viscosity of water. Examples of such water-soluble resins include vinyl alcohol-based resins such as sulfonic acid-modified polyvinyl acetate, isobutylene-based resins, polyamide-based resins, polyester-based resins, etc. Furthermore, the content of water-soluble resin particles when the total weight of the molding powder is 100 wt% is preferably 1 wt% or more, more preferably 5 wt% or more, even more preferably 7.5 wt% or more, and particularly preferably 10 wt% or more. On the other hand, the content of water-soluble resin particles is preferably 35 wt% or less, more preferably 30 wt% or less, even more preferably 25 wt% or less, and particularly preferably 20 wt% or less. This ensures sufficient mechanical strength of the disc after firing.

[0051] Furthermore, the molding powder may contain known additives that can be used in additive manufacturing, as long as they do not significantly impair the effects of the technology disclosed herein. Examples of such additives include dispersants, thickeners, printing aids, sintering aids, fluidity enhancers, and static eliminators. Since these additives do not characterize the technology disclosed herein, a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0052] (modeling liquid) The molding fluid is a liquid material containing at least water. Examples of water that can be used in the molding fluid include pure water, ultrapure water, ion-exchanged water (deionized water), and distilled water. The molding fluid may also contain organic solvents (lower alcohols, lower ketones, etc.) that can be uniformly mixed with water. Furthermore, the molding fluid may contain known additives that can be used in additive manufacturing, as long as they do not significantly impair the effects of the technology disclosed herein. Examples of such additives include dyes, organic pigments, inorganic pigments, wetting agents, flow enhancers, and dispersants. These additives do not characterize the technology disclosed herein, so a detailed explanation is omitted. The molding fluid preferably contains 60% by volume or more (preferably 70% by volume or more, more preferably 80% by volume or more, typically 70-100% by volume) of water based on the total volume (100% by volume). This allows for easy dissolution of water-soluble resin particles in the molding powder, thereby enabling proper solidification of the molding powder.

[0053] (Procedure for the molding process) Next, the specific procedure for the molding process S12 will be described. In the molding process S12, first, a deposit of molding powder (molding deposit) is formed. For example, after supplying molding powder to the upper surface of a flat cutting table, the molding powder is compressed using a compression means such as a roller. This makes it easy to form the molding deposit, which is a compressed molded body of molding powder. The thickness of the molding deposit is preferably in the range of 0.01 mm to 0.3 mm. This suppresses molding defects caused by misalignment of the layering position of the solidified powder layer.

[0054] Next, the molding fluid is supplied to a predetermined location on the build deposit. This causes the water-soluble resin particles in the molding powder to dissolve in the molding fluid. Then, the base material particles bond together through the water-soluble resin solution. As a result, a solidified powder layer is formed in the area where the molding fluid was supplied, where the molding powder has solidified. It is preferable to use a 3D printer equipped with an inkjet head to supply the molding fluid. This allows for very precise supply of the molding fluid, making it possible to accurately form a disc of the desired shape.

[0055] In this process, a new build deposit is formed on top of a build deposit on which a powder solidification layer has been formed. Then, a build fluid is supplied to the new build deposit to form a powder solidification layer. By repeating the formation of build deposits and the supply of build fluid in this way, a three-dimensional structure (layered object) with multiple powder solidification layers stacked on top of each other can be fabricated. Although this does not limit the technology disclosed herein, in this embodiment, it is preferable to stack 15 to 30 powder solidification layers. This makes it possible to accurately fabricate a layered object corresponding to the desired disk shape.

[0056] (b) Powder removal process S14 In the powder removal step S14, after the laminated object has been dried, any unsolidified molding powder adhering to the laminated object is removed. This exposes the laminated object, which is a three-dimensional structure formed from solidified molding powder. The drying method in this step is not particularly limited, and any conventionally known drying method can be used as appropriate. For example, the laminated object may be placed inside a designated dryer for drying. The temperature inside the dryer at this time is preferably around 50°C to 80°C. This prevents the water-soluble resin binding the base material particles from burning off. The drying time is preferably around 1.5 to 5 hours. Means for removing the unsolidified molding powder include brushes and air blowers.

[0057] Furthermore, if the internal flow paths of the fluid control member become complex, it becomes difficult to remove unsolidified powder from within those flow paths. If the firing process S14 is carried out with unsolidified powder remaining in the flow paths, the remaining unsolidified powder may sinter and block the flow paths. In contrast, in the manufacturing method according to this embodiment, relatively simple discs 10, 20, and 30 are formed individually, and then these discs 10, 20, and 30 are stacked to form a fluid control member 1 having complex flow paths 5. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even though a fluid control member 1 having complex flow paths 5 is manufactured, the retention of unsolidified powder in the powder removal process S14 can be appropriately prevented.

[0058] (c) Firing process S16 Next, in firing step S16, the laminated object is fired. This burns away the water-soluble resin and sinters the base material particles. As a result, discs 10, 20, and 30 of the desired shape can be formed. It is preferable to adjust the maximum firing temperature in this step appropriately, taking into account the sintering temperature of the base material particles. For example, when alumina (Al2O3) particles are used as the base material particles, it is preferable to set the maximum firing temperature in the firing step to a range of 1200°C to 1800°C (preferably 1300°C to 1750°C, more preferably 1400°C to 1600°C). It is preferable to set the firing time (the time to maintain the maximum firing temperature) to a range of 1 hour to 10 hours (preferably 2 hours to 7 hours, more preferably 3 hours to 6 hours).

[0059] Furthermore, in the firing process S16, it is preferable to perform a pre-firing, in which the laminated object is heated to a temperature at which the water-soluble resin burns off, before the main firing, which reaches the maximum firing temperature mentioned above, is performed. This prevents the occurrence of cracks due to rapid volume changes. The firing temperature in this pre-firing is preferably adjusted appropriately considering the burn-off temperature of the water-soluble resin used. For example, when sulfonic acid-modified polyvinyl acetate is used as the water-soluble resin, the pre-firing temperature is preferably set in the range of 400°C to 900°C (preferably 500°C to 800°C). In addition, the pre-firing time (the time for which the pre-firing temperature is maintained) is preferably set in the range of 12 hours to 48 hours (preferably 20 hours to 30 hours).

[0060] Although not limited to the manufacturing method disclosed herein, the additively manufactured object may be impregnated with a coupling liquid before the firing process S16. This improves the mechanical strength of the disk after firing. The coupling liquid is a liquid containing a predetermined coupling agent. This coupling agent is a compound containing a metal element. Examples of coupling agents include silane-based coupling agents, aluminum-based coupling agents, titanium-based coupling agents, and zirconium-based coupling agents. If impregnation with a coupling liquid is performed, it is preferable to perform a drying treatment again before the firing process S16.

[0061] (2) Assembly process S20 In assembly step S20, a fluid control member 1 is formed by stacking multiple disks in a predetermined stacking direction. In this assembly step S20, multiple disks 10, 20, and 30 are stacked such that an intermediate disk 30 is placed between the first disk 10 and the second disk 20 (see Figure 1). At this time, in the manufacturing method according to this embodiment, the disks 10, 20, and 30 are arranged such that the first opening 14 of the first disk 10 and the second partition wall 26 of the second disk 20 overlap in the stacking direction (depth direction Y), and the second opening 24 of the second disk 20 and the first partition wall 16 of the first disk 10 overlap in the stacking direction. This makes it possible to manufacture a fluid control member 1 that does not have a through-flow channel and has a structure that can appropriately decelerate the fluid F.

[0062] In this process, it is preferable to fix each of the stacked discs 10, 20, and 30 with fixing means. This allows the rotation angle of each disc 10, 20, and 30 in the circumferential direction to be fixed, thereby stably producing the effects of the technology disclosed herein. The fixing means is preferably selected appropriately depending on the type of fluid F supplied to the fluid control member 1 after manufacturing. For example, if the fluid F is an aqueous liquid, a water-insoluble adhesive can be used as the fixing means. Examples of water-insoluble adhesives include elastic adhesives, epoxy elastic adhesives, epoxy adhesives, acrylic adhesives, instant adhesives, rubber-based solvent adhesives, vinyl acetate emulsion adhesives, and ceramic adhesives. Furthermore, the fixing means is not limited to the adhesives mentioned above. For example, the fixing means may be a fixing jig made of an inorganic material (e.g., a ceramic sintered body). Such a fixing jig can be particularly suitable when dealing with fluids F (such as organic solvents) where the use of adhesives is difficult.

[0063] [Other embodiments] The first embodiment of the technology disclosed herein has been described above. However, the first embodiment is merely an example of the technology disclosed herein and is not intended to limit the technology disclosed herein. Other embodiments of the technology disclosed herein will be described below.

[0064] 1. Structure of the first and second disks In the first embodiment, the first disk 10 has linear first openings 14 and beam-shaped first partition walls 16 formed in a striped pattern. Similarly, the second disk 20 has linear second openings 24 and beam-shaped second partition walls 26 formed in a striped pattern. However, the patterns of the openings in the first and second disks are not limited to the technology disclosed herein. For example, the first and second disks may have grid-like partition walls and openings surrounded by these partition walls. When such a configuration is adopted, the positions of the openings and partition walls of each disk should be set so that the rectangular openings and grid-like partition walls overlap in the stacking direction. This prevents the formation of through-flow channels and allows for appropriate deceleration of the fluid due to collision with the partition walls.

[0065] 2. Structure of the intermediate disk In the first embodiment, a first intermediate disk 40 shown in Figure 7 and a second intermediate disk 50 shown in Figure 8 are used as intermediate disks. However, the detailed structure of the intermediate disk is not particularly limited as long as it has an intermediate opening that connects the first opening and the second opening.

[0066] For example, the first intermediate disk 40 shown in Figure 7 is a disk with the same structure as the first disk 10, rotated 90° in the circumferential direction. However, the rotation angle of this first intermediate disk is not particularly limited. If the rotation angle of the first intermediate disk relative to the first disk is greater than 0° and less than 180°, it is possible to prevent blockage of the flow path due to the first intermediate opening and the second partition wall completely overlapping. The lower limit of the rotation angle of the first intermediate disk is preferably 45° or more, more preferably 55° or more, even more preferably 65° or more, and particularly preferably 75° or more. On the other hand, the upper limit of the rotation angle of the first intermediate disk is preferably 135° or less, more preferably 125° or less, even more preferably 115° or less, and particularly preferably 105° or less. This reduces the area where the first intermediate opening and the second partition wall overlap, and ensures a fluid flow rate above a certain level. Although details will be omitted to avoid repetition, the rotation angle of the second intermediate disk relative to the second disk is preferably 45° or more, more preferably 55° or more, even more preferably 65° or more, and particularly preferably 75° or more. Furthermore, the upper limit of the rotation angle of the second intermediate disk 50 is preferably 135° or less, more preferably 125° or less, even more preferably 115° or less, and particularly preferably 105° or less.

[0067] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, two types of intermediate discs 30, a first intermediate disc 40 and a second intermediate disc 50, are used. However, in the technology disclosed herein, a single type of disc with the same intermediate opening pattern may be used as the intermediate disc. For example, only one of the first intermediate disc 40 shown in Figure 7 and the second intermediate disc 50 shown in Figure 8 can be used as the intermediate disc 30. Even in this case, a flow path can be formed in which the first opening and the second opening communicate through the intermediate opening. And even when a flow path with such a configuration is formed, it is possible to appropriately cause deceleration of the fluid due to collision with the partition wall when it flows from the intermediate disc to the first disc (or second disc). However, from the viewpoint of further slowing down the fluid velocity, it is preferable to use two types of intermediate discs 30, the first intermediate disc 40 and the second intermediate disc 50, as in the first embodiment. This allows for deceleration of the fluid flowing into the intermediate disc due to collision with the partition wall.

[0068] Furthermore, the intermediate disk does not have to be a rotating body of the first disk or the second disk. In other words, the intermediate disk may have an intermediate opening with a completely different shape from the first disk or the second disk. For example, the third intermediate disk 60 shown in Figure 12 can be used as the intermediate disk 30. This third intermediate disk 60 has a ring-shaped third intermediate frame 62 and a third intermediate opening 64 surrounded by the third intermediate frame 62. This third intermediate disk 60 does not have a partition wall like the first intermediate disk 40 or the second intermediate disk 50. Therefore, the first opening of the first disk and the second opening of the second disk can be reliably connected. Even when using a third intermediate disk 60 with such a configuration, when the fluid F flows from the intermediate disk 30 into the first disk 10 (or second disk 20), deceleration of the fluid F occurs due to collision with the partition wall.

[0069] 3. Arrangement of each disk Next, in the first embodiment, the fluid control member 1 is constructed by alternately arranging the first unit U1 and the second unit U2. However, the arrangement order of each unit is not limited to the first embodiment described above. For example, multiple first units U1 may be arranged in a continuous sequence, followed by multiple second units U2. In this case, fluid deceleration occurs due to collision with the partition wall at the point where the fluid switches from the first unit U1 to the second unit U2.

[0070] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the first unit U1 comprises a first disk 10 and a first intermediate disk 40. The second unit U2 comprises a second disk 20 and a second intermediate disk 50. However, the configuration of these units does not limit the technology disclosed herein. For example, the first unit U1 may comprise a first disk 10 and a second intermediate disk 50. The second unit U2 may comprise a second disk 20 and a first intermediate disk 40. Even when the first unit U1 and the second unit U2 with such configurations are stacked, deceleration of the fluid F can be caused in each of the first disk 10, the second disk 20, the first intermediate disk 40, and the second intermediate disk 50, similar to the first embodiment. That is, if the intermediate disk in one of the first and second units is the first intermediate disk 40 and the intermediate disk in the other unit is the second intermediate disk 50, deceleration of the fluid in the intermediate disk can be caused.

[0071] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the first disk 10, the second disk 20, the first intermediate disk 40, and the second intermediate disk 50 are each molded as separate disks. However, when constructing the fluid control member disclosed herein, it is not necessary for each disk to be a separate entity. That is, a portion of the multiple disks that make up the fluid control member may be integrally molded using additive manufacturing or the like. For example, the first unit U1 shown in Figure 9 may be formed by integrally molding the first disk 10 and the first intermediate disk 40. Similarly, the second unit U2 shown in Figure 10 may be formed by integrally molding the second disk 20 and the second intermediate disk 50. This contributes to improving manufacturing efficiency by reducing the number of parts.

[0072] Furthermore, the first unit U1 and the second unit U2 in the first embodiment are not essential elements constituting the fluid control member disclosed herein. As described above, the fluid control member disclosed herein can be constructed by stacking the first disk, intermediate disk, and second disk one by one in that order. Also, the fluid control member may include disks that do not belong to either the first unit U1 or the second unit U2, as long as they do not significantly impair the effects of the technology disclosed herein. For example, the third intermediate disk 60 shown in Figure 12 may be interposed between the first unit U1 and the second unit U2 of the fluid control member 1 shown in Figure 1. Since the third intermediate disk 60 does not have a partition wall, it does not obstruct the flow path even when placed at an arbitrary position. In addition, the third intermediate disk 60 has excellent diffusion properties of the fluid F in the width direction X and the height direction Z. For this reason, the reaction efficiency of the fluid F can be further improved by appropriately placing the third intermediate disk 60 at an arbitrary position.

[0073] 4. Manufacturing Method In the first embodiment described above, each disk is formed using additive manufacturing. However, the disk formation process in the fluid control member disclosed herein is not limited to the use of additive manufacturing. The disk formation process is not limited to any particular means, as long as it can form the first disk, second disk, and intermediate disk of the above configuration. The disk formation process may use, for example, cutting, mold forming, press forming, casting, extrusion forming, etc. to form each disk. Even when disks formed by these means are used, the effects of the technology disclosed herein can be appropriately demonstrated.

[0074] [Forms included in the technologies disclosed herein] Furthermore, the technologies disclosed herein encompass the forms described in items 1 to 10 below.

[0075] [Item 1] A fluid control member formed by stacking a plurality of disks having openings in a predetermined stacking direction, The aforementioned multiple disks include at least, A first disk having a plurality of first openings and a plurality of first partitions separating adjacent first openings, A second disk having a plurality of second openings and a plurality of second partitions separating adjacent second openings, An intermediate disk is disposed between the first disk and the second disk, and has an intermediate opening that connects the first opening and the second opening to form a flow path. It is equipped with, A fluid control member in which the first opening and the second partition wall are positioned to overlap in the stacking direction, and the second opening and the first partition wall are positioned to overlap in the stacking direction.

[0076] [Item 2] The fluid control member according to item 1, wherein at least the first disk, the intermediate disk, the second disk, the intermediate disk, and the first disk are stacked in this order.

[0077] [Item 3] The first disk has a plurality of first openings extending linearly along a first direction on the plane of the first disk, and a beam-shaped first partition wall formed between two adjacent first openings. The fluid control member according to item 1 or 2, wherein the second disk has a plurality of second openings extending linearly along a first direction on the plane of the second disk, and a beam-shaped second partition wall formed between two adjacent second openings.

[0078] [Item 4] A first unit in which the first disk and the intermediate disk are stacked in this order, A second unit in which the second disk and the intermediate disk are stacked in this order It includes at least, The intermediate disk in either the first unit or the second unit is a first intermediate disk obtained by rotating a disk having the same structure as the first disk at an angle of 45° to 135° in the circumferential direction. The fluid control member according to any one of items 1 to 3, wherein the intermediate disk in the other of the first unit and the second unit is a second intermediate disk obtained by rotating a disk having the same structure as the second disk at an angle of 45° to 135° in the circumferential direction.

[0079] [Item 5] The first unit is formed by integrally molding the first disk and the intermediate disk. The fluid control member according to item 4, wherein the second unit is formed by integrally molding the second disk and the intermediate disk.

[0080] [Item 6] The fluid control member according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the plurality of disks are ceramic sintered bodies.

[0081] [Item 7] The fluid control member according to item 6, wherein the ceramic sintered body is mainly formed of an oxide, nitride, or carbide containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Zr, Ti, Zn, Ni, Fe, and Si.

[0082] [Item 8] The fluid control member according to item 6 or 7, wherein the ceramic sintered body is a porous body with a porosity of 10% or more and 60% or less of the partition wall.

[0083] [Item 9] A disk forming step of forming multiple disks having openings, An assembly step in which a fluid control member is formed by stacking the plurality of disks in a predetermined stacking direction. It is equipped with, The disk forming step includes at least, A first disk having a plurality of first openings and a plurality of first partitions separating adjacent first openings, A second disk having a plurality of second openings and a plurality of second partitions separating adjacent second openings, An intermediate disk having an intermediate opening that connects the first opening and the second opening to form a flow path, Forming, The aforementioned assembly process is, The plurality of disks are stacked such that the intermediate disk is placed between the first disk and the second disk, A method for manufacturing a fluid control member, comprising arranging the first opening and the second partition wall in positions that overlap in the stacking direction, and arranging the second opening and the first partition wall in positions that overlap in the stacking direction.

[0084] [Item 10] The disk formation process is as follows: A process for creating an additively fabricated object by repeatedly supplying a molding liquid containing water to a deposit of molding powder containing base material particles and water-soluble resin particles to form a powder solidification layer, A step of drying the laminated object and removing any unsolidified molding powder adhering to the laminated object, The process of firing the laminated material to form the plurality of discs A method for manufacturing a fluid control member as described in item 9, comprising:

[0085] [Example Test] The following describes some test examples relating to the technology disclosed herein. However, the following description is not intended to limit the technology disclosed herein to those shown in the test examples.

[0086] In this study, we used 3D fluid simulation software (model: Ansys 2021 R2 SpaceClaim 2021R) from Ansys Japan Co., Ltd. to construct virtual models of four different fluid control components (Samples 1-4) with varying structures. Then, we performed fluid flow simulations when fluid was supplied to each sample.

[0087] 1. Building the sample (1) Sample 1 In Sample 1, a fluid control member 200 having multiple flow channels 205 was constructed, as shown in Figure 14. In Sample 1, the flow channels 205 are cylindrical openings extending along the depth direction Y. These flow channels 205 penetrate the fluid control member 200 in the depth direction Y. The diameter of the fluid control member 200 was set to 27 mm, and the total length was set to 180 mm. The diameter of each flow channel 205 was set to 2 mm. The material of the fluid control member 200 was set to an alumina sintered body.

[0088] (2) Sample 2 In Sample 2, as shown in Figure 15, a fluid control member 300 was constructed in which multiple fluid control particles 320 were filled inside a pipe 310. In this fluid control member 300 of Sample 2, a flow path 305 is formed in the gaps between the filled fluid control particles 320. The dimensions of the fluid control member 300 in Sample 2 were set to the same conditions as in Sample 1. The average particle diameter of the fluid control particles 320 was set to 5 mm.

[0089] (3) Sample 3 In Sample 3, the fluid control member 100 shown in Figure 13 was constructed. As described above, this fluid control member 100 is constructed by stacking multiple disks 110 while rotating them in the circumferential direction. In Sample 3, the fluid control member 100 consists of 36 stacked disks 110. Each disk 110 is stacked while rotating 15° in the circumferential direction. The dimensions of the fluid control member 100 in Sample 3 were set to the same conditions as in Sample 1. The thickness of each disk 110 was set to 5 mm. The width of the opening 114 of each disk was set to 1.5 mm, and the width of the partition wall 116 was set to 1.5 mm.

[0090] (4) Sample 4 In Sample 4, a fluid control member with a structure similar to the fluid control member 1 of the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4 was constructed. Specifically, in Sample 4, the first disk 10 shown in Figure 4, the first intermediate disk 40 shown in Figure 6, the second disk 20 shown in Figure 5, and the second intermediate disk 50 shown in Figure 7 were stacked in this order. However, in Sample 4, the total number of stacked disks was increased from 8 shown in Figures 1 to 2 to 36, the same as in Sample 3. The dimensions of the fluid control member 1 in Sample 4 were set to the same conditions as in Sample 1. The thickness of each disk was set to 5 mm. The width of the opening of each disk was set to 1.5 mm, and the width of the partition wall was set to 1.5 mm.

[0091] 2. Evaluation Test As described above, in this test, a fluid flow simulation was performed using 3D fluid simulation software manufactured by Ansys Japan Co., Ltd., when fluid was supplied to each of the above samples. In the fluid flow simulation, the fluid was set to water, and the supply speed was set to 0.5 m / s.

[0092] In this test, six measurement areas were arbitrarily selected along the depth direction Y of each sample, and the "flow time (sec)" and "distance from wall (mm)" were measured in each measurement area. Here, "flow time (sec)" refers to the time it takes for the fluid that has entered the fluid control member to be discharged to the outside. "Distance from wall (mm)" refers to how far the fluid passing through the selected area is from the wall (partition or fluid control particle). If this "distance from wall (mm)" is small, it can be interpreted that deceleration is occurring due to collisions between the fluid and the components (partition or particles) in the flow path. The measurement results for sample 1 are shown in Figure 16, the measurement results for sample 2 are shown in Figure 17, the measurement results for sample 3 are shown in Figure 18, and the measurement results for sample 4 are shown in Figure 19.

[0093] First, as shown in Figure 16, in the fluid control member 200 of Sample 1, two measurement regions were identified: one where the distance from the wall was near 0 mm and the flow time was around 0.2 seconds, and another where the distance from the wall was between 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm and the flow time was slightly over 0.1 seconds. From this, it was found that when the flow path 205 of the fluid control member 200 is a through-flow path, as in Sample 1, a region is created where almost no fluid deceleration occurs (maintained at a large distance from the wall), resulting in variations in flow time depending on the flow region. It is expected that it will be difficult to stably generate efficient chemical reactions with such a fluid control member 200.

[0094] Next, as shown in Figure 17, irregular deceleration of the fluid (decrease in distance from the wall) occurred inside the fluid control member 300 of Sample 2. This irregular deceleration is presumed to occur when the fluid passing through the flow path 305 collides with the fluid control particles 320. On the other hand, in Sample 2, measurement regions with extremely short flow times were also observed. In these measurement regions, the packing density of the fluid control particles 320 was low, and sufficient deceleration did not occur (the frequency of the distance from the wall increasing was high). For this reason, it is expected that it will be difficult to stably produce an efficient chemical reaction even with the fluid control member 300 of Sample 2.

[0095] Next, as shown in Figure 18, fluid deceleration (decrease in distance from the wall) occurred regularly inside the fluid control member 100 of sample 3. This regular deceleration is presumed to occur when the fluid collides with the partition walls 116 of the rotating stacked disks 110. However, in sample 3, a measurement region was observed where the flow velocity was high (the frequency of the distance from the wall being around 0.5 mm increased) and the flow time was extremely short. In this measurement region, it is understood that a through-flow channel 105a is formed where the openings 114 of all disks 110 overlap. From this, it is expected that even when using the fluid control member 100 of sample 3, it will be difficult to stably produce an efficient chemical reaction.

[0096] As shown in Figure 19, within the fluid control member 1 of Sample 4, fluid deceleration (decrease in distance from the wall) and fluid acceleration (increase in distance from the wall) occurred regularly. This regular deceleration is presumed to be caused by collisions with the partition walls as the fluid flows into each of the first disk, second disk, first intermediate disk, and second intermediate disk. In addition, in Sample 4, the fluid deceleration time (time during which the distance from the wall is decreasing) was longer than the fluid acceleration time (time during which the distance from the wall is increasing), and the flow time in each measurement region was stable at around 0.2 seconds. From this, it is expected that using the fluid control member 1 of Sample 4 will result in appropriate fluid deceleration, leading to stable and efficient chemical reactions.

[0097] The specific examples of the technology disclosed herein have been described in detail above, but these are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes to the specific examples illustrated above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1. Fluid control member 5 channels 10. First Disc (Disc) 12. Frame 1 14. First opening 16 1st bulkhead 20. Second Disc (Disc) 22. Second Frame 24. Second opening 26 Second bulkhead 30 Intermediate disk (disk) 32 Intermediate frame 34 Intermediate opening 36 Intermediate wall 40. First Intermediate Disk 42. First Intermediate Frame 44 First intermediate opening 46 1st intermediate wall 50 Second Intermediate Disk 52 Second Intermediate Frame 54 Second intermediate opening 56 2nd intermediate wall 60 Third Intermediate Disk 62 Third Intermediate Frame 64 Third intermediate opening U1 Unit 1 U2 Unit 2 F fluid

Claims

1. A fluid control member formed by stacking a plurality of disks having openings in a predetermined stacking direction, The aforementioned multiple disks include at least, A first disk having a plurality of first openings and a plurality of first partitions separating adjacent first openings, A second disk having a plurality of second openings and a plurality of second partitions separating adjacent second openings, An intermediate disk is disposed between the first disk and the second disk, and has an intermediate opening that connects the first opening and the second opening to form a flow path. It is equipped with, The first opening and the second partition wall are positioned to overlap in the stacking direction, and the second opening and the first partition wall are positioned to overlap in the stacking direction. A first unit in which the first disk and the intermediate disk are stacked in this order, A second unit in which the second disk and the intermediate disk are stacked in this order It includes at least, The intermediate disk in either the first unit or the second unit is a first intermediate disk obtained by rotating a disk having the same structure as the first disk at an angle of 45° to 135° in the circumferential direction. A fluid control member in which the intermediate disk in the other of the first and second units is a second intermediate disk obtained by rotating a disk having the same structure as the second disk at an angle of 45° to 135° in the circumferential direction.

2. The fluid control member according to claim 1, wherein at least the first disk, the intermediate disk, the second disk, the intermediate disk, and the first disk are stacked in this order.

3. The first disk has a plurality of first openings extending linearly along a first direction on the plane of the first disk, and a beam-shaped first partition wall formed between two adjacent first openings. The fluid control member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second disk has a plurality of second openings extending linearly along a first direction on the plane of the second disk, and a beam-shaped second partition wall formed between two adjacent second openings.

4. The first unit is formed by integrally molding the first disk and the intermediate disk. The fluid control member according to claim 1, wherein the second unit is formed by integrally molding the second disk and the intermediate disk.

5. The fluid control member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of disks are ceramic sintered bodies.

6. The fluid control member according to claim 5, wherein the ceramic sintered body is mainly formed of an oxide, nitride, or carbide containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Zr, Ti, Zn, Ni, Fe, and Si.

7. The fluid control member according to claim 5, wherein the ceramic sintered body is a porous body with a porosity of 10% or more and 60% or less of the partition wall.

8. A disk forming step of forming multiple disks having openings, An assembly step in which a fluid control member is formed by stacking the plurality of disks in a predetermined stacking direction. It is equipped with, The disk forming step includes at least, A first disk having a plurality of first openings and a plurality of first partitions separating adjacent first openings, A second disk having a plurality of second openings and a plurality of second partitions separating adjacent second openings, An intermediate disk having an intermediate opening that connects the first opening and the second opening to form a flow path, Forming, The aforementioned assembly process is, The plurality of disks are stacked such that the intermediate disk is placed between the first disk and the second disk, The first opening and the second partition wall are positioned to overlap in the stacking direction, and the second opening and the first partition wall are positioned to overlap in the stacking direction. At least a first unit is formed by stacking the first disk and the intermediate disk in this order, and a second unit is formed by stacking the second disk and the intermediate disk in this order. The intermediate disk in either the first unit or the second unit is a first intermediate disk obtained by rotating a disk having the same structure as the first disk at an angle of 45° to 135° in the circumferential direction. A method for manufacturing a fluid control member, wherein the intermediate disk in the other of the first and second units is a second intermediate disk obtained by rotating a disk having the same structure as the second disk at an angle of 45° to 135° in the circumferential direction.

9. The disk formation process is as follows: A process for creating an additively fabricated object by repeatedly supplying a molding liquid containing water to a deposit of molding powder containing base material particles and water-soluble resin particles to form a powder solidification layer, A step of drying the laminated object and removing any unsolidified molding powder adhering to the laminated object, The process of firing the laminated material to form the plurality of discs A method for manufacturing a fluid control member according to claim 8, comprising:

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