Static mixer resistant to heat, corrosion, and melting.

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mixer apparatus comprising a housing containing at least a first adjacent mixing cell (2) and a second adjacent mixing cell (3), each cell (2, 3) comprising a fluid inlet opening (21, 31) and a fluid outlet opening (22, 32), the inlet opening being offset from the outlet opening such that the axis of the inlet opening is parallel to the axis of the outlet opening, and the outlet opening of the first cell being connected to the inlet opening of the second cell via a connecting passage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the general technical field of static mixers or dispersers intended for the mixing of fluid substances.

[0002] Within the framework of the present invention, "fluid substance" refers to a powder, a liquid, or, if appropriate, a viscous substance that may contain solid elements within it.

[0003] Such mixers can be used, in particular, in many applications that require the mixing of at least two products in fields such as the food industry, metallurgy, the pharmaceutical industry, the petrochemical industry, water treatment, cooling, nuclear power generation, etc.

Background Art

[0004] Various devices are known for mixing two (or more than two) constituent substances to form a mixture.

[0005] Such devices are based on the disturbing effect by placing obstacles on the path of the constituent substances to be mixed. Such effects can be - continuous fractionation into separate streamlets of the flow, - or deflection of the streamlets in a non-axial direction, - or in the introduction of rotation of the fluid, - or in the generation of turbulent flow by the backflow effect or by the difference in velocity between mutually related streamlets. It can be any of these.

[0006] Figure 1 shows an example of a mixer used to transform a heterogeneous fluid flow into a homogeneous fluid flow. Such a mixer comprises a tube 1 through which the fluid to be mixed circulates. A series of helical blades 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d extend within the tube 1, and each helical blade 2b, 2d is angularly offset from adjacent helical blades 2a, 2b along the axis A-A' of the tube 1 to divide the fluid flow into separate streams to facilitate mixing.

[0007] However, such mixers have, - The series of helical blades 2a-2d have complex shapes that are expensive to manufacture and difficult to insert into tube 1. - Such complex shapes often require the use of plastic or metal materials that may react with the constituent materials of the mixed flow. - Its volume is considerably large, especially in the longitudinal direction. - An inlet port for the fluid to be mixed and an outlet port for the mixed fluid are located at both ends of tube 1, thereby, in addition to volume issues, homogeneity and leakage problems may arise, especially when such a mixer is used directly over a bath. - Tends to melt a series of helical blades, especially at high temperatures, not very resistant to extreme temperatures. This has the drawback. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The objective of the present invention is to propose a mixer device that improves at least one of the aforementioned drawbacks. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] Therefore, the present invention relates to a mixer device comprising a tubular housing, wherein the housing comprises at least, - At least one inlet port for introducing the constituent materials to be mixed, - At least one outlet port for recovering the mixture consisting of the constituent materials, Includes, We propose a mixer apparatus in which the housing further comprises at least an adjacent first mixing cell and a second mixing cell, the second cell extending over the first cell, and each of the first and second cells includes a fluid inlet opening and a fluid outlet opening provided on opposing walls, the inlet opening being offset from the outlet opening such that the axis of the inlet opening is parallel to the axis of the outlet opening, and the outlet opening of the first cell being connected to the inlet opening of the second cell via a connecting passage.

[0010] By offsetting the inlet and outlet openings of each cell, the flow path of the constituent material within each cell is maximized. Furthermore, by connecting the cells continuously to one another, the circulation path through the entire housing is maximized.

[0011] As a result of circulation through the various cells of the housing, the first and second components introduced into the housing mix together to form a mixture. The mixture is then withdrawn from the mixer device through the outlet port. Readers should understand that the number of cells housed in the housing, and / or their dimensions, and / or the material forming each cell, are determined according to the intended use, the desired homogeneity of the mixture, and the properties of the components being mixed (solubility, viscosity, etc.).

[0012] In this specification, wherever a mixed cell is referred to as being "on top of" another mixed cell, that cell is: - It may be directly on top of other cells, or - One or more elements, such as a layer of insulating material (thermal and / or electrical and / or chemical) or an intermediate mixed cell, may be positioned above other cells, creating a gap between them. Try to understand this.

[0013] Furthermore, if a cell is referred to as being "above" another cell, it will be understood that the cell may cover the entire surface of the other cell or a portion of the other cell.

[0014] Non-limitingly, certain preferred embodiments of the mixer device according to the present invention are as follows: - The housing can be cylindrical and have coaxial tubular inner and outer walls that define a space for receiving the mixing cells. Thus, for the passage of related technical elements that may be required for intended uses (such as electrical cables, heat resistance, fluid cooling, discharge of mixed fluids, attachment of rotating elements (including, for example, at least one blade), etc.), or further, to facilitate the discharge of any gas generated during the mixing of the first constituent material and the second constituent material, a central passage can be defined. - Each mixing cell can have a cylindrical shape and extend between the inner and outer walls of the housing. Thus, it becomes possible to promote the convective movement of the fluid within each cell so as to homogenize the mixing of the first constituent material and the second constituent material. - At least one of the mixing cells can have diametrically opposed fluid inlet and outlet openings. Thus, the length of the flow path within the mixing cell is maximized. - The mixer arrangement can include a plurality of superimposed mixing cells, with the superimposed cells arranged such that the outlet of each upper cell extends in front of the inlet of the lower cell, where the outlet of the upper cell is the lower cell and the upper cell is disposed thereon. Thus, it becomes possible to limit the volume of the mixer device while maximizing the length of the circulation path of the fluid through the entire housing. - The plurality of mixing cells can include · The first cell into which the components to be mixed are fed, and · The last cell from which the mixture is discharged. The outer wall of the housing can include a bottom for collecting the mixture discharged from the last cell. Therefore, the mixture can be stored before its extraction from the mixing device, - The inner wall of the housing defines a discharge path for the mixture, and the mixing device comprises a suction nozzle intended to be arranged in the discharge path for the extraction of the mixture, Therefore, the inlet port and the outlet port can be arranged at the same end of the mixing device without increasing the overall volume of the mixing device, - The housing extends in a longitudinal direction and the inlet port and the outlet port can extend at the same end of the housing, - At least one of the cells can comprise an element forming an obstacle, such as a ball, in the flow paths of the first and second components, Therefore, better homogenization of the first constituent material and the second constituent material can be achieved, - The mixing device · a first tubular casing including a bottom, · a second tubular casing having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the first casing, can be provided with, The second casing includes a circular ring each having at least one through - aperture on its outer surface, the ring extending in the radial direction and protruding towards the outside of the second casing, the diameter of the ring being substantially equal to the inner diameter of the first casing, The second casing is intended to be inserted into the first casing such that the first casing and the second casing extend coaxially, and the ring, together with the inner surface of the first casing, defines the mixing cell of the mixing device, Therefore, since the first casing and the second casing form a simple machining part that can be made from a brittle and not very flexible material, it is possible to simplify the manufacture of a mixing device having corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance.

[0015] Other advantages and features of the mixing device according to the invention will become more apparent from the attached drawings and from the following description of a plurality of variants of the embodiments given by way of example. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a diagram of a conventional mixer device. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the mixer device according to the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of a modified embodiment of the housing of a mixer device according to the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a schematic perspective view of an example of a cell in a mixer apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a mixer apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the mixer apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of an example of a mixer apparatus. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Next, the mixer apparatus according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the figures. In different figures, identical elements have the same numerical designation.

[0018] 1. Mixer unit 1.1. Overview Referring to Figure 2, the mixer device consists of a housing 3 and multiple cells C1~C stacked inside the housing. N And, it is equipped with. Such a mixer device, called a "static mixer," is used for mixing two (or more) fluid components.

[0019] The housing comprises one or more inlet ports for introducing the components to be mixed. For example, in some embodiments, the housing comprises a single inlet port for introducing a heterogeneous fluid consisting of two (or more) components to be mixed (i.e., simultaneous introduction of multiple components to be mixed via a single inlet port).

[0020] In one modified form, as shown in Figure 2, the housing may include a first inlet port E1 for the entry of a first fluid component and a second inlet port E2 for the entry of a second fluid component. Naturally, readers should understand that, depending on the intended application, the housing may have more than two inlet ports (including three, four, five, etc.) for the intake of more than two fluid components to be mixed.

[0021] The housing 3 further comprises one or more outlet ports S for releasing a mixture obtained from the first fluid component and the second fluid component.

[0022] The first fluid component and the second fluid component may be made from different materials, or from the same material having different properties (concentration, viscosity, etc.).

[0023] Each cell C1~C N This defines a circulation chamber for the fluid components to be mixed together. As shown in Figure 2, cells C1-C N They are in communication with each other to form a circulation path for the fluid components being mixed.

[0024] 1.2. Housing Figure 3 shows one modified embodiment of the housing 3. In this modified embodiment, the housing 3 has an overall cylindrical shape including the longitudinal axis A-A'. Naturally, the housing 3 may have other shapes, such as a parallelepiped or oval.

[0025] Referring to Figure 3, Housing 3 is - Circular base 31, - An outer side wall 32 having an edge 32' attached to the bottom 31, - The inner side wall 33 (coaxial with the outer side wall 32), - An annular upper wall 34 extending between the edge 33'' of the inner side wall 33 and the edge 32'' of the outer side wall 32, which are opposite the bottom portion 31, It is equipped with.

[0026] As described above in this specification, the housing 3 comprises a first inlet port E1 and a second inlet port E2 for introducing the fluid components to be mixed. The inlet ports E1 and E2 are adjacent to each other and may extend into the annular upper wall 34. In one variant, the inlet ports E1 and E2 may be diametrically opposed and / or extend into the outer side wall 32.

[0027] Housing 3 further includes an outlet for releasing the mixture. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the outlet port consists of a gap separating the bottom 31 from the free edge 33' of the inner side wall 33 (the opposite edge of the annular top wall 34). More specifically, the free edge 33' of the inner side wall 33 is spaced at a distance "d" from the bottom 31.

[0028] The housing is configured to receive the cells. More specifically, the walls of the housing are configured to receive multiple stacked cells C1-C N To define a space for accepting it.

[0029] Therefore, the shape of the housing determines the shape of the cells it houses. For example, if the housing has an oval cross-sectional shape, the cells will also have an oval cross-sectional shape.

[0030] In this specification, cells will be described in relation to cylindrical housings, but it should be understood that cells may have other shapes.

[0031] 1.3. Cell 1.3.1. Intermediate Cells Referring to Figure 4, each cell is: - The lower partition 41, specifically annular, including the inner and outer periphery, - An upper partition 42, specifically an annular one, including the inner and outer periphery, - An inner lateral partition 43 between the inner edges of the lower partition 41 and the upper partition 42, - An outer lateral partition 44 between the outer edges of the lower partition 41 and the upper partition 42, It is equipped with.

[0032] Partitions 41-44 of cell C define a chamber for the circulation of the fluid components to be mixed. The inner lateral partitions 43 of each cell C form obstacles that the fluid components must bypass during circulation within the chamber of cell C. The main stream Fp of the fluid components is subdivided, and each subdivided portion forms a circulating secondary stream Fs, which recombines with the main stream Fp and is then subdivided again, and so on. The continuous subdivision and recombination of the secondary stream Fs and the main stream Fp promotes the mixing of the components to be mixed.

[0033] Each cell C is: - An inlet opening 45 for introducing the first and second components to be mixed, - An outlet opening 46 for the discharge of the first and second components after circulation within a chamber bounded by partitions 41-44 of cell C, To further prepare.

[0034] Advantageously, the inlet opening 45 may be located within the upper partition 42, and the outlet opening 46 may be located within the lower partition 41. Thus, gravity allows for the circulation of the first and second components being mixed.

[0035] The dimensions of the circulation chambers defined between the cell partitions are designed to facilitate the mixing of the constituent materials as they flow through the cell. Specifically, - The distance between the inner and outer side walls may be between 1 millimeter and 10 centimeters, and - The distance separating the upper and lower partitions may range from 1 millimeter to 10 centimeters.

[0036] For example, if the inlet flow rate of the components to be mixed is approximately 3 cm 3 In the case of / seconds, - The distance between the lateral partitions can be selected to be between 2 millimeters and 3 millimeters, and, - The distance separating the upper and lower partitions may be chosen to be equal to 1 millimeter.

[0037] Naturally, the selection of the dimensions of the circulation chamber defined by each cell depends on the intended application, specifically the types of constituent materials to be mixed and their respective viscosities. Specifically, the reader should note that the dimensions of the circulation chamber defined by each cell can exceed 1 centimeter (for example, approximately 1 dm²). 3 Please understand that for an inlet flow rate of / sec, the size is approximately 1 meter.

[0038] To facilitate the mixing of the first and second components, one (or more or each) cell may comprise one (or more) elements that form obstacles, such as balls, which are placed in the flow paths of the first and second components. The elements forming the obstacles disrupt the main flow and facilitate its fragmentation into multiple secondary flows that recombine with the main flow, causing the mixing of the components to be mixed.

[0039] Therefore, the cells described are intended to be stacked one above the other within housing 3. The cells are, - The first cell connected to the first inlet port E1 and the second inlet port E2 of the housing, - The last cell connected to the exit port of the housing, It is placed between them.

[0040] 1.3.2. First and last cells The first cell of the mixer unit comprises an inner lateral partition and an outer lateral partition, as well as an upper partition and a lower partition. The first cell is, - A first through cavity and a second through cavity connected to (or combined with) the first inlet port E1 and the second inlet port E2 of the housing for feeding the first and second components to be mixed, - A discharge through-cavity connected (or combined) to the inlet opening 45 of the intermediate cell, To further prepare.

[0041] The last cell of the mixer unit further comprises an inner lateral partition and an outer lateral partition, as well as an upper partition and a lower partition. The last cell is, - An inlet hole connected to (or joined to) the exit opening 46 of the intermediate cell, - An outlet hole connected (or joined) to the outlet port of housing 3, It also includes.

[0042] Next, the operating principle of the mixer device will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 6.

[0043] 2. Operating Principle In the first step, the first and second components to be mixed are simultaneously injected into the apparatus through the inlet ports E1 and E2 of the housing 3. The injection of the two components is preferentially carried out at a constant ratio between the minimum and maximum flow rates.

[0044] The first and second constituent materials enter the first cell 4, where they split into a first main stream and a second main stream, flowing around the inner partition of the first cell 4.

[0045] As the first and second components flow toward the through-outlet cavity of the first cell 4, the first and second main flows are subdivided into circulating secondary flows, which then merge with the main flows by following the convective motion (see Figure 5). This thus promotes the mixing of the first and second components with each other.

[0046] Upon reaching the through-out cavity, the first and second main streams merge, thereby further promoting the mixing of the first and second constituent materials being combined.

[0047] Next, the first and second constituent materials successively enter multiple stacked intermediate cells 2 and 3. After passing through each intermediate cell 2 and 3, superimposed layers of the product are formed, and the spiral flow causes these layers to slide against each other, thereby promoting their mixing.

[0048] The final mixture is obtained at the outlet of the last cell 5, which is connected to the outlet port of the housing, which functions like a concentrater. The final mixture can then be removed from the apparatus, for example, by suction.

[0049] 3. Examples of Embodiments Figure 7 shows an example of an embodiment of the mixer apparatus described herein.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the walls of the housing coincide with the inner and outer partitions of the cell.

[0051] More specifically, the mixer device is - A first tubular casing 14 including the bottom portion 141, and - A second tubular casing 15 having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the first casing 14, including a circular ring 151 projecting radially outward. It comprises a first tubular casing and a second tubular casing.

[0052] Each ring forms the upper or lower partition of each cell. Each ring is one (or more) through-apertures "Lu", - Outlet opening for upstream cells (i.e., cells located above other cells), and - Inlet opening for downstream cells (i.e., cells located below other cells) It has a through aperture that defines the boundary.

[0053] As shown in Figure 7, the second casing 15 is intended to be inserted into the first casing 14 such that the first casing 14 and the second casing 15 extend coaxially, and so the ring 151 together with the first casing 14 and the second casing 15 defines the mixed cells 2 and 3.

[0054] 4. Conclusion The aforementioned mixer apparatus is used to industrially and flexibly produce low-alloy metals without mixing the entire tank, thereby avoiding the long and difficult cleaning process between tanks, and making it possible to produce different metals with the same melting process.

[0055] Naturally, a mixer can also be used for purposes other than mixing different metals to form alloys.

[0056] Readers will understand that many modifications can be made to the mixers described herein without significantly deviating from the new teachings and advantages described herein.

[0057] For example, in the previous explanation, the cell and housing were described as having a substantially cylindrical shape. It is immediately obvious to those skilled in the art that the cell and / or housing may have other shapes, such as a parallelepiped or oval.

[0058] Furthermore, readers will understand from the examples in Section 3 that the walls forming the cells and housings may be partially joined, particularly with respect to the inner and outer walls / partitions.

[0059] Therefore, the cell and housing are - A separate physical element, corresponding to either a cell or a housing, assembled to form a mixer apparatus according to the present invention. - Conformable shaped members intended to cooperate in defining the walls of the housing and the partitions of the cells, wherein each member defines a portion of the cell and / or a portion of the housing, (see examples of embodiments shown in item 3), - A single component consisting of multiple panels that define the walls and cell partitions of the housing. That's fine. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1 Housing 2. Intermediate cells, mixed cells 3 Housing, intermediate cell, blending cell 4. First cell 5 Last cell 11 Entrance Port 12 Entrance Ports 13 Exit Ports 14. First tubular casing, outer wall 15. Second tubular casing, inner wall 21 Entrance opening 22 Exit opening 23 Wall 24 Wall 31. Circular base, entrance opening 32 Outer side wall, exit opening 32', 32'' edge 33 Inner side wall 33' Free edge 33'' edge 34 Circular Upper Wall 41 Lower partition 42 Upper partition 43 Inner side partition 44 Outer side partition 45 Entrance opening 46 Exit opening 141 Bottom 151 Circular Ring A-A' Longitudinal axis C1~C N cell E1 First entrance port E2 Second entrance port Fp mainstream Fs secondary flow Lu Penetrating Aperture S Exit Port

Claims

1. - At least one inlet port (11) for introducing the components to be mixed, - An outlet port (13) for recovering the mixture consisting of the above components, A mixer device comprising, The mixer apparatus further comprises a housing (1) including at least an adjacent first mixing cell (2) and a second mixing cell (3), wherein the second mixing cell (3) extends above the first mixing cell (2), and each cell (2, 3) includes inlet openings (21, 31) and outlet openings (22, 32) provided on opposing walls (23, 33 and 24, 34), wherein the inlet openings (21, 31) are offset from the outlet openings (22, 32) such that the axis of the inlet openings (21, 31) is parallel to the axis of the outlet openings (22, 32), and the outlet opening (22) of the first mixing cell (2) is connected to the inlet opening (31) of the second mixing cell (3), - The housing (1) comprises an inner wall (15) and an outer wall (14), the inner wall (15) of the housing (1) defining a discharge passage for the mixture, and the mixer device comprises a suction nozzle positioned in the discharge passage for extracting the mixture. - The housing (1) extends in the longitudinal direction, and the inlet ports (11, 12) and the outlet port (13) extend to the same end of the housing (1), or The mixer device comprises a first tubular casing (14) including a bottom (141), and a second tubular casing (15) having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the first tubular casing (14), wherein the second tubular casing (15) includes a circular ring (151) on its outer surface, each having at least one through aperture, the circular ring (151) extending radially and protruding outward from the second tubular casing (15), and the circle The diameter of the ring (151) is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the first tubular casing (14), the second tubular casing (15) is inserted into the first tubular casing (14) such that the first tubular casing (14) and the second tubular casing (15) extend coaxially, and the circular ring (151), the first tubular casing (14), and the second tubular casing (15) define the mixing cells (2, 3). Mixer unit.

2. The mixer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing (1) is cylindrical and has coaxial tubular outer walls (14) and inner walls (15) that define a space for receiving the first mixing cell (2) and the second mixing cell (3).

3. The mixer apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each mixing cell (2, 3) has a cylindrical shape and extends between the outer wall (14) and the inner wall (15) of the housing (1).

4. The mixer apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in at least one of the first mixing cell (2) and the second mixing cell (3), the fluid inlet openings (21, 31) and the fluid outlet openings (22, 32) are on opposite sides in the diametrical direction.

5. The mixer apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mixer apparatus comprises a plurality of stacked mixing cells (2, 3), and each stacked mixing cell is arranged such that the outlet opening (22) of each upper cell (2) extends in a straight line with the inlet opening (31) of the lower cell (3) on which the upper cell (2) is placed.

6. The aforementioned plurality of stacked mixed cells, - The first cell (4) into which the mixed components are introduced, - The last cell (5) from which the mixture is released, Equipped with, The housing (1) comprises an outer wall (14), the outer wall (14) comprising a bottom (141) for collecting the mixture released from the last cell (5), The mixer apparatus according to claim 5.

7. The mixer apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least one of the cells (2, 3) comprises an element that forms an obstacle.

8. The mixer apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the element forming the obstacle is a ball in the flow path of the first component and the second component.

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