Kneader

Abstract

A kneader (10) disclosed in the present invention comprises: a kneader body (20) having a plurality of inlets (21-23) and a first outlet (24); a kneading shaft (30) provided inside the kneader body (20), the kneading shaft (30) forming a slurry by kneading a plurality of types of raw materials supplied from the plurality of inlets (21-23), and sending the slurry to the first outlet (24); and outlet piping (40) that is connected to the first outlet (24) and has the slurry discharged from the first outlet (24) flowing therethrough. The outlet piping (40) has: a first portion (42) that extends at a position lower than the first outlet (24); and a second portion (44) that is provided downstream of the first portion (42), the second portion (44) extending at a position higher than the first portion (42) and feeding the slurry toward the second outlet (46).

Description

Kneading machine

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a kneader.

[0002] Conventionally, kneaders for kneading a plurality of types of raw materials have been known (for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes a twin-screw extrusion kneader for kneading a material to be kneaded supplied into an internal space of a housing, comprising: two rotary shafts arranged side by side in the internal space; a rotary drive unit for driving the rotary shafts to rotate; a kneading paddle provided on the rotary shafts and rotating together with the rotary shafts to knead the material to be kneaded while applying a shear force; a screw provided on the rotary shafts and rotating together with the rotary shafts to convey the material to be kneaded within the internal space; a supply unit for supplying the material to be kneaded into the internal space; and a kneading paddle provided downstream of the supply unit in the conveying direction of the material to be kneaded by the screw. The document discloses a twin-screw extrusion mixer having a discharge section that discharges the kneaded material from the internal space, a resistance section that is provided in the internal space between the supply section and the discharge section and that inhibits the movement of the kneaded material in the conveying direction at that position more than the kneading paddles, a viscosity output section that detects and outputs a viscosity index value that indicates the viscosity of the kneaded material discharged from the internal space, and an adjustment section that adjusts the discharge amount of the kneaded material discharged from the internal space, wherein the adjustment section adjusts the discharge amount based on the viscosity index value output by the viscosity output section.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-39216

[0004] However, the kneading machine of Patent Document 1 has a relatively complex configuration, including a viscosity output unit that detects and outputs a viscosity index value of the discharged material, and an adjustment unit that adjusts the discharge amount of the material based on the viscosity index value. Furthermore, because the discharge amount is adjusted after the viscosity index value of the discharged material is detected, there is a risk that the viscosity of the material may fluctuate beyond the target range until the adjustment is properly performed. This problem is particularly pronounced when the discharged material is a low-viscosity slurry. In this situation, one of the objectives of the present disclosure is to simply stabilize the viscosity of the slurry.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a kneader including: a kneader body having a plurality of inlets and a first outlet; a kneading shaft provided inside the kneader body, kneading a plurality of types of raw materials supplied through the plurality of inlets to form a slurry and delivering the slurry to the first outlet; and an outlet pipe connected to the first outlet and through which the slurry discharged from the first outlet flows, the outlet pipe having a first portion extending at a position lower than the first outlet and a second portion provided downstream of the first portion, extending at a position higher than the first portion, and delivering the slurry toward a second outlet.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, the viscosity of the slurry can be easily stabilized.

[0007] 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a kneader of an embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a kneader of an embodiment 2.

[0008] An embodiment of a kneader according to the present disclosure will be described below using examples. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the examples described below. In the following description, specific numerical values ​​and materials may be used as examples, but other numerical values ​​and materials may be used as long as the effects of the present disclosure are obtained.

[0009] The kneader according to the present disclosure is a device that kneads multiple types of raw materials to form a slurry (e.g., an electrode mixture slurry for a battery). The kneader may be, for example, a twin-screw kneader, but is not limited to this. The kneader according to the present disclosure includes a kneader body, a kneading shaft, and an outlet pipe. Note that the kneader according to the present disclosure may be a kneader of the type in which the kneading shaft is supported at both ends, or may be a kneader of the type in which the kneading shaft is supported at only one end.

[0010] The kneader body has multiple inlets and a first outlet. The number of inlets is not particularly limited and can be set appropriately depending on the type of raw material supplied to the kneader body. The number of first outlets is also not particularly limited, but is typically one. The kneader body may have a fixed part that is fixed to a floor surface or the like, and a lid part that is attached to the fixed part in an openable and closable manner. By closing the lid part to the fixed part, an internal space for kneading multiple types of raw materials can be formed. The internal space may extend along a predetermined direction (for example, the axial direction of the kneading shaft).

[0011] The kneading shaft is provided inside the kneader body. The kneading shaft kneads multiple types of raw materials supplied from multiple inlets to form a slurry, and sends the slurry to the first outlet. The multiple types of raw materials may include a powdered electrode active material and a solvent for diluting it. The number of kneading shafts is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, two. The kneading shaft may have a screw for transporting the raw materials along its axial direction, or a paddle for kneading the raw materials.

[0012] The outlet pipe is connected to the first outlet of the kneader body, and the slurry discharged from the first outlet flows through the outlet pipe. The outlet pipe has a first section and a second section. The first section extends at a position lower than the first outlet. The second section is located downstream of the first section, extends at a position higher than the first section, and sends the slurry toward the second outlet. Therefore, the slurry flowing through the outlet pipe flows from the first outlet at a position lower than the first outlet, then at a position higher than the lower position, and then flows out of the second outlet, for example, into a slurry container. Some piping member may or may not be interposed between the second section and the second outlet. When the slurry flows from the first section to the second section, there is a difference in elevation that must be overcome. Here, a slurry is generally a non-Newtonian fluid. For example, if the slurry exhibits the properties of a pseudoplastic fluid, if the discharge rate increases slightly due to some influence, the flow rate in the outlet pipe increases by the amount corresponding to the increase in shear rate, and the apparent viscosity of the slurry is thought to decrease. In a kneader that does not have a second section and does not have a height difference to overcome, the slurry with reduced viscosity tends to flow out, resulting in large fluctuations in the discharge amount. On the other hand, in the kneader according to the present disclosure, the slurry discharged from the first outlet does not naturally flow out of the outlet piping, and the discharge amount of the slurry is stabilized. Stabilizing the discharge amount of the slurry leads to stabilizing the time during which the raw materials are mixed inside the kneader body, and ultimately to stabilizing the viscosity of the slurry. This effect of stabilizing the viscosity of the slurry can be achieved simply by ingenuity in the shape of the outlet piping.

[0013] In addition, if the outlet piping has at least one pair of a portion lower than the first outlet and a portion higher than the first outlet, the former can be interpreted as the first portion and the latter as the second portion, respectively. Furthermore, the height position of the first outlet is interpreted based on the lower end of the first outlet, and the height positions of the first and second portions are interpreted based on the lower ends of the spaces through which the slurry flows in each portion. Each of the first and second portions may extend horizontally or in a direction intersecting the horizontal.

[0014] The lower end of the space through which the slurry of the second section flows may be located higher than the lower end of the space in the kneader body where the slurry is accommodated. The lower end of the space through which the slurry of the second section flows can be interpreted as the lower inner surface of the outlet pipe in the second section. The lower end of the space in which the slurry of the kneader body is accommodated can be interpreted as the lower inner surface of the main section of the kneader body (i.e., the cylindrical section in which the raw materials are mixed, excluding the inlet pipe connected thereto). According to this configuration, by positioning the second section sufficiently high, the above-mentioned effect of stabilizing the slurry viscosity can be strengthened.

[0015] The lower end of the space through which the slurry of the second portion flows may be located higher than the center of the kneading machine body. The center of the kneading machine body refers to the center in the height direction of the main part of the kneading machine body. According to this configuration, by locating the second portion even higher, the above-mentioned effect of stabilizing the slurry viscosity can be further strengthened.

[0016] The lower end of the space through which the slurry in the second section flows may be at a position lower than the upper end of the space in the kneader body where the slurry is accommodated, or at the same height as the upper end of the space in the kneader body where the slurry is accommodated. The upper end of the space in the kneader body where the slurry is accommodated can be interpreted as the upper inner surface of the main part of the kneader body. This configuration can save energy for continuously discharging the slurry. That is, the higher the position of the second section, the easier it is to prevent the slurry from naturally flowing out, but more energy is required to lift the slurry to the second section. Therefore, in this configuration, a certain limit is set on the height position of the second section to fully achieve the former desirable effect while suppressing the latter increase in the required energy.

[0017] The kneading shaft may be rotatably supported on both axial ends. The first outlet may open downward. The outlet piping may further include a third section extending downward from the first outlet and connecting to the first section. A kneader of this configuration, i.e., a kneader in which the kneading shaft is supported on both axial ends (or both ends), is less likely to experience the phenomenon of foreign matter being mixed into the slurry due to the kneading shaft coming into contact with the inner surface of the kneading machine body. In addition, in a kneader of this configuration, the slurry discharged from the first outlet flows downward through the third section, then into the first section, and then upward into the second section. From the perspective of simplifying the outlet piping connected to the first outlet opening downward, it is possible to configure the outlet piping with only the third section, or only the third section and the first section. In contrast, in this configuration, in order to stabilize the viscosity of the slurry, an innovation has been made to the configuration of the outlet piping, and the outlet piping includes a second section extending at a relatively high position.

[0018] As described above, according to the present disclosure, by providing an outlet pipe having a second portion that extends at a relatively high position, the viscosity of the slurry can be easily stabilized.

[0019] An example of a kneader according to the present disclosure will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. The components described above can be applied to the components of the kneader of the example described below. The components of the kneader of the example described below can be modified based on the above description. Furthermore, the matters described below may be applied to the above embodiment. Of the components of the kneader of the example described below, components that are not essential to the kneader of the present disclosure may be omitted. Note that the drawings shown below are schematic and do not accurately reflect the shapes and number of actual components.

[0020] Embodiment 1 Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described. A kneader 10 of this embodiment is configured as a twin-screw kneader with a double-supported structure, but is not limited to this. As shown in Fig. 1, the kneader 10 includes a kneader main body 20, a kneading shaft 30, and an outlet pipe 40. Note that raw materials supplied to the kneader 10 are transported in the direction indicated by the outline arrow in Fig. 1.

[0021] The kneader body 20 is a cylindrical element extending horizontally and has an internal space S for kneading multiple types of raw materials. Although not shown, the kneader body 20 has a fixed part that is fixed to the floor or the like and a lid part that is attached to the fixed part so as to be able to open and close. The internal space S can be formed by closing the lid part on the fixed part. The internal space S is partitioned into a powder conveying region S1, a kneading region S2, and a dilution region S3, in that order from the upstream side (the left side in FIG. 1 ). However, the division of the internal space S is merely an example and is not limited thereto. The internal space S is an example of a space in which the slurry of the kneader body 20 is accommodated.

[0022] The kneader main body 20 has multiple (three in this example) inlets 21-23 and a first outlet 24. The multiple inlets 21-23 include, in order from the upstream side, the first inlet 21, the second inlet 22, and the third inlet 23. The first inlet 21 is located at the top of the kneader main body 20, and the second inlet 22 and the third inlet 23 are located at the bottom of the kneader main body 20. The first inlet 21 is an inlet for supplying a powdered electrode active material (an example of a raw material) (not shown) and is connected to the powder conveying region S1. The second inlet 22 is an inlet for supplying a diluent (an example of a raw material) (not shown) and is connected to the kneading region S2. The third inlet 23 is an inlet for supplying a diluent (an example of a raw material) (not shown) and is connected to the dilution region S3. The first outlet 24 is connected to the dilution region S3 downstream of the third inlet 23 and opens downward.

[0023] The kneading shaft 30 is provided inside the kneader main body 20 (internal space S). Although not shown, the kneading shaft 30 is rotatably supported on both sides in its axial direction and is rotationally driven by a drive device (not shown). The kneading shaft 30 kneads multiple types of raw materials supplied from the first to third inlets 21 to 23 to form a slurry (not shown) and sends the slurry to the first outlet 24. In this embodiment, the kneading shaft 30 has, from the upstream side, a first conveying screw 31, a first kneading paddle 32, a second conveying screw 33, a second kneading paddle 34, and a reverse feed screw 35. The first and second conveying screws 31 and 33 mainly convey the raw materials downstream (to the right in FIG. 1 ). The first and second kneading paddles 32 and 34 mainly knead the multiple types of raw materials. The reverse feed screw 35 transports the slurry upstream (or guides the slurry to the first outlet 24).

[0024] The outlet pipe 40 is connected to the first outlet 24, and the slurry discharged from the first outlet 24 flows through it. The outlet pipe 40 has a first vertical section 41 extending downward from the first outlet 24, a first horizontal section 42 extending horizontally from the downstream end of the first vertical section 41, a second vertical section 43 extending upward from the downstream end of the first horizontal section 42, a second horizontal section 44 extending horizontally from the downstream end of the second vertical section 43, and a third vertical section 45 extending downward from the downstream end of the second horizontal section 44. The slurry discharged from the first outlet 24 flows through these sections in the listed order and then flows into the slurry container 100 via the second outlet 46. An extraction pipe 101 is connected to the slurry container 100, and the slurry can be sent to the next process via this extraction pipe 101. The first vertical section 41 is an example of a third section. The first horizontal portion 42 is an example of a first portion, and the second horizontal portion 44 is an example of a second portion.

[0025] The first horizontal section 42 extends at a position lower than the first outlet 24. The second horizontal section 44 extends at a position higher than the first horizontal section 42. More specifically, the lower end 42a of the space through which the slurry of the first horizontal section 42 flows is located at a position lower than the lower end 20a of the internal space S of the kneader body 20, and the lower end 44a of the space through which the slurry of the second horizontal section 44 flows is located at a position higher than the center of the kneader body 20 (the position indicated by the center line CL of the internal space S). Furthermore, the lower end 44a of the space through which the slurry of the second horizontal section 44 flows is located at a position lower than the upper end 20b of the internal space S of the kneader body 20. Due to these positional relationships in the height direction, as described above, the slurry in the kneader body 20 can be prevented from naturally flowing out via the outlet piping 40, thereby stabilizing the viscosity of the slurry.

[0026] Embodiment 2 A second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The kneader 10 of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the outlet piping 40. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 , the outlet piping 40 of this embodiment does not have a third vertical section 45, and the second horizontal section 44 is connected to the slurry container 100 via a second outlet 46. Furthermore, a lower end 44a of the space through which the slurry flows in the second horizontal section 44 is located at approximately the same height as the center of the kneader main body 20 and at a higher position than the lower end 20a of the internal space S of the kneader main body 20. The remaining configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0027] <<Appendix>> The above embodiments disclose the following technologies. (Technology 1) A kneader comprising: a kneader body having multiple inlets and a first outlet; a kneading shaft provided inside the kneader body, kneading multiple types of raw materials supplied through the multiple inlets to form a slurry and sending the slurry to the first outlet; and an outlet piping connected to the first outlet and through which the slurry discharged from the first outlet flows, wherein the outlet piping has: a first portion extending at a position lower than the first outlet; and a second portion provided downstream of the first portion, extending at a position higher than the first portion, and sending the slurry toward a second outlet. (Technology 2) The kneader according to Technology 1, wherein a lower end of a space through which the slurry flows in the second portion is located at a position higher than a lower end of a space in the kneader body in which the slurry is accommodated. (Technology 3) The kneader according to Technology 2, wherein a lower end of the space in the second portion through which the slurry flows is located at a position higher than the center of the kneader main body. (Technology 4) The kneader according to Technology 2 or 3, wherein a lower end of the space in the second portion through which the slurry flows is located at a position lower than an upper end of the space in the kneader main body that accommodates the slurry, or located at the same height as the upper end of the space in the kneader main body that accommodates the slurry. (Technology 5) The kneader according to any one of Technology 1 to 4, wherein the kneading shaft is rotatably supported on both sides in the axial direction thereof, the first outlet opens downward, and the outlet piping further has a third portion that extends downward from the first outlet and connects to the first portion.

[0028] The present invention can be embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or main features. Therefore, the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted as limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and is not limited to the text of the specification. Furthermore, all modifications and variations within the equivalent range of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

[0029] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-011092, filed on January 29, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In addition, all documents cited herein are specifically incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0030] The present disclosure can be used in kneaders.

[0031] 10: Kneader 20: Kneader body 20a: Lower end 20b: Upper end 21: First inlet (inlet) 22: Second inlet (inlet) 23: Third inlet (inlet) 24: First outlet 30: Kneading shaft 31: First conveying screw 32: First kneading paddle 33: Second conveying screw 34: Second kneading paddle 35: Reverse feed screw 40: Outlet piping 41: First vertical section (third part) 42: First horizontal section (first part) 42a: Lower end 43: Second vertical section 44: Second horizontal section (second part) 44a: Lower end 45: Third vertical section 46: Second outlet 100: Slurry container 101: Extraction piping CL: Center line S: Internal space S1: Powder conveying region S2: Kneading region S3: Dilution region

Claims

1. A kneader comprising: a kneader body having a plurality of inlets and a first outlet; a kneading shaft provided inside the kneader body for kneading a plurality of types of raw materials supplied from the plurality of inlets to form a slurry and sending the slurry to the first outlet; and an outlet piping connected to the first outlet and through which the slurry discharged from the first outlet flows, wherein the outlet piping has: a first portion extending at a position lower than the first outlet; and a second portion provided downstream of the first portion, extending at a position higher than the first portion, and sending the slurry toward the second outlet.

2. The kneader according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the space in the second portion through which the slurry flows is located at a higher position than the lower end of the space in the kneader body in which the slurry is accommodated.

3. The kneader according to claim 2, wherein the lower end of the space in the second portion through which the slurry flows is located at a position higher than the center of the kneader body.

4. A kneader as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the lower end of the space through which the slurry in the second part flows is located at a position lower than the upper end of the space in the kneader body in which the slurry is accommodated, or at the same height as the upper end of the space in the kneader body in which the slurry is accommodated.

5. A kneader according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the kneading shaft is rotatably supported on both sides in its axial direction, the first outlet opens downward, and the outlet piping further has a third portion extending downward from the first outlet and connecting to the first portion.

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