Rotor structure for vertical centrifugal separator and concentrated liquid recovery device using rotor structure for vertical centrifugal separator

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a rotor structure for a vertical centrifugal separator with which it is possible to increase the concentration level of concentrated microorganisms and recover concentrated microorganisms having excellent commercial value while eliminating an adjustment plate. The problem is solved by a rotor structure for a vertical centrifugal separator 1 comprising a light liquid chamber 18 and a heavy liquid chamber 21. The rotor structure for the vertical centrifugal separator 1 is characterized in that: the heavy liquid chamber 21 is defined into a chamber shape by a top partition material 210, a side partition material 211, and a back partition material 212; a heavy liquid impeller 22 for discharging a concentrated liquid from the heavy liquid chamber 21 is disposed on an upper portion of the back partition material 211 without an adjustment plate; a heavy liquid flow passage 150 that allows a concentrated liquid in a separation chamber 16 to be fed to the heavy liquid chamber 21 is formed in a gap between a rotor lid 12 continuous with the side partition material 212 and a liquid collection plate 15; the liquid collection plate 15 extends toward a bottom part 13 of the separation chamber 16; and a gap is formed between the distal end of the liquid collection plate 15 and the bottom part.

Description

Rotating body structure of a vertical centrifuge and concentrated liquid recovery device using the rotating body structure of a vertical centrifuge 【0001】 The present invention relates to a rotating body structure of a vertical centrifuge and a concentrated liquid recovery device using the rotating body structure of a vertical centrifuge. More specifically, it relates to a rotating body structure of a vertical centrifuge that can continuously supply a raw liquid containing microorganisms and intermittently extract a high-concentration microbial concentrated liquid stored on the heavy liquid side, and a concentrated liquid recovery device using the rotating body structure of a vertical centrifuge. 【0002】 Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for separating a liquid mixture of yeast and beer into a yeast concentrate and clarified beer, taking out the beer as a product from the light liquid phase, and taking out the yeast concentrate from the heavy liquid phase. However, Patent Document 1 aims to obtain clarified beer, and it is stated that in the heavy-phase yeast concentrate, most of the cells that leave the centrifuge by intermittent discharge are almost dead. Therefore, the commercialization of the heavy liquid phase yeast concentrate obtained by intermittent discharge is not considered. 【0003】 Japanese Patent No. 7440624, Japanese Patent No. 5386641 【0004】 The inventor has attempted to find commercial value in the concentrated liquid of microorganisms in the separation of heavy and light liquids by a vertical centrifuge and produce a concentrated liquid of microorganisms from the heavy liquid by batch discharge (intermittent discharge). 【0005】 However, in conventional centrifuges, a heavy liquid impeller is provided so as to face the heavy liquid chamber. When trying to take out the concentrated liquid of microorganisms from the heavy liquid chamber as a product, due to the high-speed rotation of the centrifuge, the concentrated microorganisms that come into contact with the heavy liquid impeller will cause the cells to rupture due to shear by friction or the microorganisms to die due to the temperature rise caused by friction. Therefore, there is a problem that the amount of concentrated microorganisms that can be obtained as a product is significantly reduced. 【0006】 Also, even if it is a part of the cells of the microorganism, when they rupture, the components inside the cells are released into the liquid, resulting in the corruption of the concentrated liquid, the generation of a foul smell, and the problem that the concentrate cannot be shipped as a product. 【0007】Conventional heavy liquid chambers are equipped with an adjustment plate located relatively close to the bottom of the heavy liquid impeller (see Patent Document 2). This adjustment plate is used to maintain the vertical separation interface between the light liquid and the heavy liquid within the rotating body within a certain range. The optimal adjustment plate is used for the specific gravity of the raw liquid being processed to adjust the position of the separation interface. 【0008】 Figure 4 shows a half-section view of the rotating body illustrating the main components of a conventional vertical centrifugal separator 100. As shown in Figure 4, in a conventional vertical centrifugal separator 100, an adjustment plate 112 is provided above the rear partition material 115, below the heavy liquid impeller 116 located in the heavy liquid chamber 113. 【0009】 Given the unique characteristic of the target of concentration being microorganisms, we focused on the unique structure of the heavy liquid chamber, specifically the fact that an adjustment plate 112 was provided above the rear partition material 115 below the heavy liquid impeller 116 when concentrating microorganisms. 【0010】 In the structure of the heavy liquid chamber 113, we found that when a control plate 112 is present and this control plate 112 is long (extending toward the central axis), the concentrated liquid is discharged from the heavy liquid side in a dilute state and only in small quantities. When the control plate 112 was shortened (moved away from the central axis), concentration was possible more than when the control plate 112 was long, but satisfactory concentration of microorganisms could not be achieved, and the quantity obtained was also unsatisfactory. 【0011】 Based on these findings, the inventors considered that the presence of the control plate affects the concentration of concentrated microorganisms, and that the nozzle disclosed in Patent Document 1 also affects the extraction of concentrated microorganisms in the same way as the control plate when the heavy liquid is discharged to the second outlet. As a result of various studies, the inventors found that by eliminating the control plate, it is possible to obtain a rotating body structure for a vertical centrifuge that can increase the degree of concentration of concentrated microorganisms and recover concentrated microorganisms with superior commercial value, thus leading to the present invention. 【0012】 Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a rotating body structure for a vertical centrifuge that eliminates the adjustment plate, increases the degree of concentration of concentrated microorganisms, and allows for the recovery of concentrated microorganisms with superior commercial value, as well as a concentrated liquid recovery device using the rotating body structure of the vertical centrifuge. 【0013】 Furthermore, other problems of the present invention will become clear from the following description. 【0014】The above problems are solved by the following inventions: 1. A rotating body structure for a vertical centrifugal separator equipped with a light liquid chamber and a heavy liquid chamber, wherein the heavy liquid chamber is partitioned into a room shape by an upper partition, a side partition, and a rear partition, a heavy liquid impeller for discharging the concentrated liquid in the heavy liquid chamber is disposed on the upper part of the rear partition without providing an adjustment plate, a heavy liquid flow path is formed in the gap between the rotating body lid connected to the side partition and a water intake plate, allowing the concentrated liquid in the separation chamber to be sent to the heavy liquid chamber, and the water intake plate extends toward the bottom of the separation chamber, with a gap formed between the tip of the water intake plate and the bottom. 2. The rotating body structure for a vertical centrifugal separator according to claim 1, wherein the upper partition of the heavy liquid chamber is formed to extend toward the central axis of the rotating body, thereby reducing the diameter of the circumference formed in the circumferential upper gap between the tip of the upper partition and the central axis. 3. 1. The rotating body structure of a vertical centrifuge according to claim 1, characterized in that the heavy liquid impeller is formed to be insertable into the heavy liquid chamber, and the tip of the heavy liquid impeller is inserted into the heavy liquid chamber when the concentrated liquid in the heavy liquid chamber is discharged by centrifugal force. 4. The rotating body structure of a vertical centrifuge according to claim 3, characterized in that the upper partition material of the heavy liquid chamber extends in an arc shape toward the center, in accordance with the shape of the heavy liquid impeller. 5. The rotating body structure of a vertical centrifuge according to claim 3, characterized in that the tip of the tip portion formed to be insertable into the heavy liquid chamber is curved, and when the tip portion is inserted into the heavy liquid chamber, the upstream tip portion is formed to be radially shorter than the downstream tip portion with respect to the water flow of concentrated liquid flowing in the heavy liquid chamber. 6. The rotating body structure of a vertical centrifuge according to claim 3, characterized in that the tip of the tip portion has a heavy liquid inlet, and the peripheral end of the heavy liquid inlet is chamfered. 7. The rotating body structure of a vertical centrifugal separator according to claim 3, characterized in that the tip of the tip portion has a heavy liquid inlet, and the side of the peripheral end of the heavy liquid inlet that is on the heavy liquid inlet side is chamfered.8. A concentrated liquid recovery device using the rotating body structure of a vertical centrifuge as described in any of 1 to 7 above, wherein a heavy liquid discharge pipe is connected to the outlet of the heavy liquid impeller for discharging concentrated liquid from the heavy liquid chamber via the heavy liquid impeller, a three-way valve is provided in the heavy liquid discharge pipe, and the three-way valve branches the concentrated liquid discharged from the heavy liquid impeller into a return channel for returning it to the vertical centrifuge and into a recovery channel for recovering the concentrated liquid, characterized in that the device uses the rotating body structure of a vertical centrifuge. 9. A concentrated liquid recovery device using the rotating body structure of a vertical centrifugal separator as described in any of 1 to 7 above, wherein when the concentrated liquid discharged from the heavy liquid impeller is recovered via a heavy liquid discharge pipe, a three-way valve is provided in the heavy liquid discharge pipe, and the three-way valve is configured to branch into a waste channel for recovering the concentrated liquid discharged from the heavy liquid impeller for disposal and a recovery channel for recovering the concentrated liquid. A concentrated liquid recovery device using the rotating body structure of a vertical centrifugal separator as described in any of 1 to 7 above, wherein when the concentrated liquid discharged from the heavy liquid impeller is recovered via a heavy liquid discharge pipe, a recovery channel for recovering the concentrated liquid is connected to the heavy liquid discharge pipe, and a return channel is provided upstream of the recovery channel to branch off for returning the concentrated liquid to the stock supply pipe for introducing the stock liquid into the vertical centrifugal separator, and on / off valves are provided in the recovery channel and the return channel, respectively, and the device is configured so that the concentrated liquid discharged from the heavy liquid impeller can be branched into either the recovery channel or the return channel.11. A concentrated liquid recovery device using the rotating body structure of a vertical centrifugal separator as described in any of 1 to 7 above, wherein when the concentrated liquid discharged from the heavy liquid impeller is recovered via a heavy liquid discharge pipe, a recovery channel for recovering the concentrated liquid is connected to the heavy liquid discharge pipe, and a waste channel for recovering the liquid for disposal is provided to branch off upstream of the recovery channel, on-off valves are provided in the recovery channel and the waste channel, and the concentrated liquid discharged from the heavy liquid impeller can be branched into either the recovery channel or the waste channel. 【0015】 According to the present invention, by not providing a control plate, the flow path to the heavy liquid impeller is not obstructed when the concentrated liquid is sent to the heavy liquid chamber, so the degree of concentration can be increased, and the concentrated liquid product can be extracted without any reduction in quantity. 【0016】 Figure 1 shows a half-section of the rotating body showing the main components of a vertical centrifugal separator. Figure 2 shows a half-section of the rotating body showing an example of another embodiment of the vertical centrifugal separator. Figure 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the main components of the heavy liquid chamber in Figure 2. Figure 4 shows a half-section of the rotating body showing the main components of a conventional vertical centrifugal separator. Figure 5 shows a half-section of the rotating body showing an example of the main components of a recovery device for concentrated liquid discharged from the vertical centrifugal separator shown in Figure 1. Figure 6 shows another example of a modified configuration of the main components of the vertical centrifugal separator shown in Figure 1. Figure 7 shows an example of a modified configuration of the heavy liquid impeller in Figures 2 and 3. Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram showing an example of the heavy liquid impeller introduced into the heavy liquid chamber, viewed from above. Figure 7 shows another example of a modified configuration of the heavy liquid impeller in Figures 2 and 3. Figure 8 shows yet another example of a modified configuration of the heavy liquid impeller in Figures 2 and 3. Figure 9 shows an example of an operating method for the concentrated liquid recovery device. 【0017】 The present invention will be described below based on the embodiment shown in Figure 1. 【0018】 Figure 1 is a half-cross-sectional view of the rotating body of a vertical centrifugal separator, showing the main components of the rotating body structure. The drawing shows the main components of the rotating body structure of the vertical centrifugal separator 1, with the right half of the rotating body being illustrated. 【0019】The vertical centrifugal separator 1, using a separation plate, separates the stock solution supplied via the stock solution supply pipe 10 into a concentrated solution and a clarified solution, and discharges them. 【0020】 In the present invention, the stock solution may contain one or more of the following: microalgae (such as Chlorella, Spirulina, Nannochloropsis, and Chlamydomonas), microorganisms (such as Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus, and Bacillus subtilis), fungi (such as yeast and mold), animal cells, viruses, etc., or a combination of two or more of these. In the following description, stock solutions containing the microorganisms to be concentrated (e.g., cultured microorganisms) are given as examples. 【0021】 The rotating body 11 of the vertical centrifugal separator 1 is constructed in a container shape by its main components, which consist of a rotating body lid 12 and a bottom 13. Inside the rotating body 11, there is a separation chamber 16 having a separation plate 14 and a water intake plate 15, and a guide tube 17 that evenly distributes the raw liquid from the rotating body inlet to the separation chamber 16. 【0022】 The stock solution containing the microorganisms to be concentrated, introduced into the separation chamber 16 via the guide tube 17 from the stock solution supply pipe 10, is centrifuged by the separation plate 14 into a light liquid (clarified liquid) PW and a heavy liquid (microbial concentrate: SS in the drawing) SW. This invention is effective even when the specific gravities of the light liquid (clarified liquid) PW and the heavy liquid SW are relatively close. 【0023】 The light liquid PW in the separation chamber 16 is guided by the guide tube 17 and sent to the light liquid chamber 18. The light liquid in the light liquid chamber 18 is discharged to the outside as clarified liquid via the discharge pipe 20 by the light liquid impeller 19. 【0024】 The heavy liquid SW in the separation chamber 16 passes through the gap between the rotating body cover 12 and the water intake plate 15 and is sent to the heavy liquid chamber 21. The heavy liquid in the heavy liquid chamber 21 is then concentrated into a product via the heavy liquid discharge pipe 23 by the heavy liquid impeller 22. 【0025】 In the separation chamber 16, when the raw solution containing microorganisms is centrifuged, the heavy liquid SW accumulates in the separation chamber 16, and the light liquid PW (clarified liquid) forms a vertical interface IF between itself and the heavy liquid SW (concentrated liquid). The light liquid is separated to the inner circumference of the separation chamber 16, and the heavy liquid to the outer circumference. 【0026】As centrifugal separation progresses within the separation chamber 16, the amount of heavy liquid SW increases and moves toward the center of the separation chamber 16. This indicates an increase in the amount of concentrated liquid. Meanwhile, the light liquid PW overflows within the separation chamber 16 from the inner circumferential end surface of the water intake plate 15 along the outer circumference of the guide cylinder 17 toward the light liquid impeller 19. 【0027】 The light liquid impeller 19 faces the light liquid chamber 18 formed at the upper end of the water intake plate 15 and discharges the light liquid PW (clarified liquid) that overflows from the separation chamber 16 and accumulates in the light liquid chamber 18. 【0028】 The heavy liquid impeller 22 is positioned to face the heavy liquid chamber 21 formed at the upper end of the rotating body cover 12, and discharges the heavy liquid SW that overflows from the gap between the rotating body cover 12 and the water intake plate 15 and is sent to the heavy liquid chamber 21. 【0029】 In this embodiment, a heavy liquid discharge pipe 23 is connected to a heavy liquid impeller 22 facing the heavy liquid chamber 21, and the concentrated liquid is discharged from the heavy liquid discharge pipe 23. 【0030】 A heavy liquid discharge valve 26 is provided in the heavy liquid discharge pipe 23 connected to the heavy liquid impeller 22 in order to intermittently extract the concentrated liquid from the heavy liquid side. In this embodiment, it is preferable that a pressure gauge 27 is provided to measure the back pressure generated by the heavy liquid discharge valve 26. 【0031】 While the raw solution is supplied continuously, the concentrated solution can be extracted intermittently. In cases where concentrated microorganisms are to be extracted from the concentrated solution as a product, discontinuous concentration operation (batch operation) is suitable. 【0032】 In the batch operation according to the present invention, while the stock solution is continuously supplied from the stock solution supply pipe 10, the heavy liquid discharge valve 26 is closed to stop the discharge of the concentrated liquid. With the heavy liquid discharge valve 26 closed and the discharge of the concentrated liquid stopped, the stock solution containing microorganisms is separated into a clarified liquid and a concentrated liquid by the action of the separation plate 14, and the concentrated liquid accumulates in the separation chamber 16. 【0033】 Furthermore, the concentrated liquid accumulates in the heavy liquid chamber 21, and also in the flow path that sends the liquid to the heavy liquid chamber 21. 【0034】 A preferred embodiment of the rotating body structure of a vertical centrifuge equipped with a light liquid chamber and a heavy liquid chamber is described below. 【0035】 As shown in Figure 1, the heavy liquid chamber 21 is divided into rooms by an upper partition 210, a side partition 211, and a rear partition 212, and an upper gap 24 is formed on the side of the raw liquid supply pipe 10. 【0036】 The heavy liquid impeller 22, which discharges the concentrated heavy liquid from the heavy liquid chamber 21, is positioned above the rear partition material 212 without providing an adjustment plate. That is, as shown in the figure, there is no adjustment plate between the heavy liquid impeller 22 and the rear partition material 212; nothing is provided between them. 【0037】 Conventionally, the adjustment plate 112 has been used to maintain the vertical separation interface between the light liquid and heavy liquid within the rotating body within a certain range (see Figure 4). When microorganisms were concentrated using the centrifuge 100 installed in the heavy liquid chamber 113, it was thought that microbial cell disruption occurred due to shearing by the heavy liquid impeller 116. Furthermore, given the unique nature of the target of concentration being microorganisms, and the structure of the heavy liquid chamber 113 in which the adjustment plate 112 was located above the rear partition material 115 below the heavy liquid impeller 116, the inventors recognized that microorganisms could not pass through the adjustment plate 112 by centrifugation, and that the concentrated liquid could not be discharged to the outside. After diligent research, the inventors arrived at the present invention. 【0038】 With the addition of the adjustment plate 112, if the adjustment plate 112 is long (extending towards the central axis), the concentrated liquid is discharged from the heavy liquid side in a diluted state and only in small quantities. If the adjustment plate 112 is shortened (moving away from the central axis), the concentration is somewhat improved and the quantity increases slightly compared to when the adjustment plate 112 is long, but it is not possible to obtain a satisfactory amount. 【0039】 In contrast, as shown in Figure 1, when no adjustment plate is used, the microbial concentrate is sent into the heavy liquid chamber 21 without pressure loss due to the adjustment plate, and the pressure of the concentrate does not decrease, and it is discharged from the heavy liquid impeller 22 by centrifugal force. 【0040】 From such findings, various studies were conducted on the influence of the presence of the regulating plate on the extraction of the concentrated liquid of concentrated microorganisms. As a result, when the regulating plate was removed, it was possible to increase the degree of concentration of the concentrated microorganisms and recover concentrated microorganisms with excellent commercial value. 【0041】 According to the rotating body structure of the present invention, when performing batch operation (discontinuous concentration) and attempting to obtain a target concentrate, by not providing a regulating plate, the concentrated liquid can be smoothly extracted in the process of extracting the concentrated liquid from the heavy liquid impeller. 【0042】 Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the rotating body structure of the present invention, the rotating body lid 12 is continuously provided to the back partition material 212. The gap between the rotating body lid 12 continuously provided to the back partition material 212 and the water extraction plate 15 forms a heavy liquid flow path 150 capable of feeding the heavy liquid (concentrated liquid) in the separation chamber 16 to the heavy liquid chamber 21. 【0043】 In the present embodiment, when the heavy liquid discharge valve 26 is opened, the concentrated liquid stored by batch operation can be taken out as a product through the heavy liquid flow path 150, through the heavy liquid chamber 21, and via the heavy liquid discharge pipe 23. 【0044】 Further, in the conventional vertical centrifuge 100 as shown in FIG. 4, the water extraction plate 106 extends to near the center in the width direction of the rotating body lid 103 and does not extend to near the lower part of the rotating body lid 103. 【0045】 In contrast, in the present aspect shown in FIG. 1, the water extraction plate 15 is characterized in that it extends to near the lower part of the rotating body lid 12. Since the long water extraction plate 15 causes the heavy liquid flow path 150 to extend to the place where the concentrated liquid is stored in the separation chamber 16, it is possible to exert the effect of facilitating the extraction of the place where the concentrated liquid is concentrated. 【0046】In this embodiment, the upper partition member 210 of the heavy liquid chamber 21 is formed by extending it toward the central axis side (stock solution pipe side) of the rotating body, so that the diameter of the circumference formed in the circumferential upper gap between the tip of the upper partition member 210 and the central axis is reduced. That is, in this embodiment, the tip 210a of the upper partition member 210 of the heavy liquid chamber 21 is formed by extending it toward the central axis side of the rotating body. The upper gap 24 formed by the tip 210a is formed in a circumferential shape around the central axis and is a gap between the tip 210a and the central axis. The diameter of the circumference of the upper gap 24 formed in the circumferential shape at the upper part of the heavy liquid chamber 21 (the diameter of the circumference formed by the tip 210a) is reduced by the amount that the tip 210a is extended toward the central axis side of the rotating body. This is because, by eliminating the regulating plate, the vertical interface formed by the liquid in the heavy liquid chamber tends to move closer to the central axis side. Therefore, by reducing the diameter of the upper gap 24, even if splashes or the like of the liquid occur at the vertical interface formed by the liquid in the heavy liquid chamber, the interface moves away from the upper gap 24, so that the effect of preventing leakage from the upper gap 24 can be exerted. 【0047】 Here, the upper partition member 210 in FIG. 1 will be further described in comparison with the upper partition member 114 in the half cross-sectional view of the rotating body showing the configuration of the main part of the conventional vertical centrifuge shown in FIG. 4. 【0048】 The tip 114a on the central axis side of the upper partition member 114 in FIG. 4 is provided at a position equivalent to or slightly closer to the central axis side than the inner diameter of the separation plate 105 indicated by the dashed-dotted line. Conventionally, when the distance from the central axis to the inner diameter of the separation plate 105 is taken as 100%, the tip 114a on the central axis side of the upper partition member 114 is provided at a distance of about 95%. 【0049】The upper partition member 114 is a component that rotates during the operation of the centrifugal separator. The central axis side, which forms the supply and discharge passage for the liquid including the heavy liquid impeller 116, the raw liquid supply pipe 101, and the light liquid impeller (not indicated), is made of a fixed, non-rotating component and cannot be brought into contact with it, so it was necessary to form an upper gap 120. The raw liquid being handled is, for example, fuel oil. When fuel oil is centrifuged, solid components are discharged, oil is discharged from the light liquid side and water from the heavy liquid side. When fuel oil is centrifuged, the specific gravity of water is greater than that of oil, so the water interface formed in the heavy liquid chamber is formed outward compared to the oil interface formed in the light liquid chamber. Therefore, there was no need to narrow the upper gap formed at the top of the heavy liquid chamber. 【0050】 If the interface of the heavy liquid accumulated in the heavy liquid chamber 113 were to leak out through the upper gap 120, there was a risk of leakage to the outside. However, since the leak from the upper gap 120 was water, it did not pose a major problem. 【0051】 However, in this embodiment, there is almost no difference in specific gravity between the concentrated liquid and the clarified liquid separated in the stock solution, and the concentrated liquid that becomes the product is discharged from the heavy liquid side. Since there is no difference in specific gravity between the separated clarified liquid (light liquid) and concentrated liquid (heavy liquid), there is almost no difference in the interface formed between the light liquid chamber 18 and the heavy liquid chamber 21. For this reason, it is preferable that the tip portion 210a of the upper partition material 210 in Figure 1 is positioned significantly closer to the central axis than the inner diameter of the separation plate 14 shown by the dashed line. Specifically, it is preferable that it is about 85% or less of the distance from the central axis to the inner diameter of the separation plate. As a result, the diameter of the upper gap 24 is reduced, and leakage of concentrated liquid from the upper gap 24 can be reduced. 【0052】In this embodiment, it is preferable to use a vertical centrifuge capable of intermittent valve discharge. In the illustrated example, the bottom portion 13 located below the rotating body cover 12 is not provided as a rotary valve capable of valve discharge, but it may be provided. In this embodiment, since the microorganisms are removed from the heavy liquid chamber 21 side without being discharged by the bottom portion 13, which is a rotary valve, valve discharge by the rotary valve is performed only in cases such as maintenance such as cleaning the centrifuge or in the case of an emergency stop of the centrifuge, and it is preferable not to perform valve discharge of the concentrated liquid using the rotary valve during normal operation. 【0053】 Figure 2 is a half-sectional view of the rotating body showing an example of another embodiment of a vertical centrifugal separator, Figure 3(a) is a partially enlarged view of the structure of the heavy liquid impeller in Figure 2, and Figure 3(b) is an explanatory diagram of the structure of the heavy liquid impeller in Figure 2. 【0054】 Figure 2 shows a modified example of the structure of the heavy liquid chamber 21 and heavy liquid impeller 22 shown in Figure 1. 【0055】As shown in Figure 2, the heavy liquid impeller 30 is formed in a shape that can be inserted into the heavy liquid chamber 21, and the heavy liquid impeller 30 has a curved tip portion 31 that follows the curved upper partition member 210 provided in the heavy liquid chamber 21. Hereinafter, in this specification, the heavy liquid impeller 30 may be referred to as the curved heavy liquid impeller 30 because it has a configuration that includes a curved tip portion 31. The heavy liquid chamber 21 is formed by the upper partition member 210, the side partition member 211, the rear partition member 212, and the outer surface portion 19a of the light liquid impeller 19. The heavy liquid chamber 21 is formed as a curved space, with the tip portion 210a of the upper partition member 210 curving upward from the upper part of the side partition member 211 toward the central axis. Between the lower part of the side partition material 211 and the rear partition material 212 of the heavy liquid chamber 21, an inlet 150a is formed through which concentrated liquid (heavy liquid) from the heavy liquid flow path 150 flows into the heavy liquid chamber 21. As shown in Figure 3(a), the orientation of the curved heavy liquid impeller 30 is rotated by approximately 90 degrees so that it can be inserted into the heavy liquid chamber 21. Here, the method of rotating the orientation by approximately 90 degrees is not particularly limited, and a normal method can be used. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the distance between the position of the tip 310 when the curved heavy liquid impeller 30 is inserted into the heavy liquid chamber 21 and the inner side surface of the side partition material 211 is approximately 3 to 5 mm. This makes it easier to supply concentrated liquid to the heavy liquid impeller 30. 【0056】 As shown in Figure 3(b), the heavy liquid impeller 30, which has a curved tip 31, is provided with a rotating actuator 32 on one side that can rotate the tip 31, and a heavy liquid discharge pipe 23 on the other side. 【0057】 The rotating actuator 32 can be rotated so that the curved tip portion 31 provided on the heavy liquid impeller 30 is inserted into the heavy liquid chamber 21 shown in Figure 2. When the tip portion 31 is inserted, the concentrated liquid in the heavy liquid chamber 21 is supplied from the tip portion 31 and can be discharged to the heavy liquid discharge pipe 23 via the heavy liquid impeller 30. 【0058】 In the example of the heavy liquid impeller 30 of this embodiment, the internal flow path for the concentrated liquid may be spiral-shaped or perforated. 【0059】 In this way, by rotating the direction of the heavy liquid impeller 30, the tip 31 of the heavy liquid impeller 30 passes through the inlet 21a of the heavy liquid chamber 21 and is inserted into the heavy liquid chamber 21, allowing the concentrated liquid inside the heavy liquid chamber 21 to be extracted. The discharge of the concentrated liquid from the heavy liquid impeller 30 is carried out by the centrifugal force of the concentrated liquid, just like with conventional impellers. Furthermore, it is preferable that the upper partition material 210 is formed to curve upward and extend toward the central axis to match the curved shape of the heavy liquid impeller 30. This is because it allows the curved heavy liquid impeller 30 to rotate smoothly. 【0060】 In this configuration, the direction of the heavy liquid impeller 30 is rotated until the concentrated liquid is concentrated, so that the tip portion 31 is no longer inside the heavy liquid chamber 21. This eliminates the temperature rise caused by friction resulting from the heavy liquid impeller being inside the heavy liquid chamber. This is because friction itself is eliminated. As a result, the death of microorganisms can be suppressed. The present invention is not limited to the examples shown in Figures 2 and 3. 【0061】 An example of a concentrated liquid recovery device using the rotating body structure of the vertical centrifuge of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a half cross-sectional view of the rotating body showing an example of the main components of the concentrated liquid recovery device discharged from the vertical centrifuge shown in Figure 1, and Figure 6 is a half cross-sectional view of the rotating body showing another example of a modified configuration of the main components of the vertical centrifuge shown in Figure 1. Reference numerals in the figures that are the same as those in Figure 1 will not be explained. 【0062】 In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, it is preferable to provide a three-way valve 28 just before the concentrated liquid is discharged from the heavy liquid discharge pipe 23. 【0063】The concentrated liquid is introduced from the heavy liquid impeller 22 through the heavy liquid discharge pipe 23 to the inlet of the three-way valve 28. One outlet of the three-way valve 28 is connected to the recovery channel 29a for the concentrated liquid that will become the product, and the other outlet is connected to the return channel 29b which returns the concentrated liquid to the stock liquid that is introduced into the stock liquid supply pipe 10. By returning the concentrated liquid to the stock liquid supply pipe 10 via the return channel 29b, if the degree of concentration is too low to meet the quality standards for the product, it can be mixed with the stock liquid again and concentrated again in the centrifuge. 【0064】 As shown in Figure 6, instead of the return channel 29b that returns the concentrate to the stock liquid and is connected to the other outlet of the three-way valve 28 in Figure 5, it may be connected to a waste channel 29c for separate recovery of the discharged concentrate, for example, for disposal. The waste channel 29c is preferably used to dispose of concentrates with a low degree of concentration that do not meet the quality standards for the product. As shown in Figure 5, if the concentrate has a significant impact on the properties of the stock liquid, it is better to dispose of it to ensure stable recovery of the concentrate that will become the product. 【0065】 The three-way valve 28 shown in Figures 5 and 6 is preferably configured to automatically switch the outlet direction. For example, it is preferable to perform automatic control such as switching based on the color of the concentrated liquid, switching based on a timer, or switching based on the cumulative flow rate of a flow meter. For example, switching based on the color of the concentrated liquid can be configured by making a part of the heavy liquid discharge pipe 23 transparent, installing a measuring instrument that can measure a color (not shown), and switching the outlet direction of the three-way valve 28 according to the color information. 【0066】 Furthermore, the timer-based switching control can, for example, use the time the heavy liquid discharge valve 26 is open as a reference. Until a predetermined time has elapsed from the reference point, the return channel 29b is opened and the recovery channel 29a is closed. After the predetermined time has elapsed, the return channel 29b is closed and the recovery channel 29a is opened, thereby switching the outlet direction of the three-way valve 28. 【0067】Furthermore, the switching control based on the cumulative flow rate of the flow meter is performed, for example, by installing a flow meter downstream of the heavy liquid discharge valve 26 of the heavy liquid discharge pipe 23 and upstream of the three-way valve 28, and measuring the cumulative flow rate of the concentrated liquid flowing through the flow meter per unit time. Until the cumulative flow rate reaches a predetermined flow rate, the three-way valve 28 opens the return channel 29b and closes the recovery channel 29a. Once the predetermined flow rate is reached, the three-way valve 28 closes the return channel 29b and opens the recovery channel 29a, thereby switching the outlet direction of the three-way valve 28. In this embodiment, the same control may be performed using the waste channel 29c instead of the return channel 29b. 【0068】 In this embodiment, if the raw material has consistent properties, a sufficiently high-quality concentrated liquid can be obtained even with timer-based switching control. If there are fluctuations in the properties of the supplied raw material, switching control based on the cumulative flow rate of the flow meter is preferable. These switching controls allow for the automatic acquisition of a concentrated liquid with high product quality. 【0069】 Instead of the three-way valve 28 shown in Figures 5 and 6, on-off valves (not shown) may be provided in each of the recovery channel 29a and the return channel 29b (or waste channel 29c). In this case, on-off valves are provided in each of the recovery channel 29a and the return channel 29b (or waste channel 29c), and control can be achieved in the same way as with the three-way valve 28 by switching the on / off valve of the recovery channel 29a and the on-off valve of the return channel 29b (or waste channel 29c) ON / OFF. 【0070】 Modified examples of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of a modified heavy liquid impeller of Figures 2 and 3, and Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the heavy liquid impeller of Figure 7 introduced into a heavy liquid chamber, viewed from above. 【0071】As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the tip 31 of the curved heavy liquid impeller 30 is the part that is inserted into the heavy liquid chamber, and the tip 31 that is inserted into the heavy liquid chamber 21 from the inlet 21a of the heavy liquid chamber 21 is formed in a curved shape. Also, as shown in Figure 8, the inlet 21a of the heavy liquid chamber 21 is circumferential when viewed from above, and the tip 31 is inserted from this inlet 21a to insert the tip 310 into the heavy liquid chamber 21, so the outer surface 311 of the tip 31 is formed in a curved shape that can pass through the inlet 21a. In other words, when the tip 31 is inserted into the inlet 21a, the outer surface 311 is always made so as not to interfere with the outer surface 19a of the light liquid impeller 19. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the heavy liquid chamber 21 is formed circumferentially on a plane, and as the centrifugal separator rotates, the heavy liquid in the heavy liquid chamber 21 flows in the same direction as the rotation. The tip 310 is formed such that the upstream tip 310b is shorter radially than the downstream tip 310a with respect to the heavy liquid flow of the concentrated liquid in the heavy liquid chamber 21. This increases the surface area of ​​the tip 310 that contacts the heavy liquid flow, making it easier for the curved heavy liquid impeller 30 to receive the heavy liquid when it is inserted into the heavy liquid chamber 21. Furthermore, because pressure loss to the heavy liquid flow can be suppressed, it becomes easier to extract the heavy liquid from the heavy liquid chamber 21. In addition, when inserting the curved heavy liquid impeller 30 into the liquid in the heavy liquid chamber 21, the contact area between the tip 310 and the liquid surface can be reduced, preventing splashing due to contact with the liquid surface. 【0072】 Further modifications of this embodiment will be described based on Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9 is a perspective view showing another example of a modified heavy liquid impeller of Figures 2 and 3, and Figure 10 shows yet another example of a modified heavy liquid impeller of Figures 2 and 3. 【0073】Figure 9 shows a perspective view with the tip 310 facing upward. As shown in Figure 9, the tip 310 of the curved heavy liquid impeller 30 has a heavy liquid inlet 310c formed therein, and in the illustrated example, two heavy liquid inlets 310c are provided. Figure 9 shows an example in which a reinforcing rib 310e is provided between the two heavy liquid inlets 310c. When the heavy liquid impeller 30 is inserted into the heavy liquid chamber 21, if the thickness of the peripheral end 310d of the heavy liquid inlet 310c of the heavy liquid impeller 30 is insufficient to withstand the pressure generated by the water flow of the concentrated liquid flowing through the heavy liquid chamber 21, the heavy liquid inlet 310c may deform. Therefore, by providing a rib 310e, it is possible to prevent the heavy liquid inlet 310c from deforming due to the pressure from the water flow during operation of the centrifuge. If the strength can be maintained against the pressure generated by the water flow of the concentrated liquid through the heavy liquid chamber 21, the ribs 310e do not need to be provided. 【0074】 Figure 10 shows an example of the shape around the heavy liquid inlet 310c at the tip 310 of the heavy liquid impeller. 【0075】 As shown in Figure 10(A), the peripheral end 310d of the heavy liquid inlet 310c is preferably chamfered and provided in a curved shape. This prevents shearing of the concentrated liquid at the tip and suppresses pressure loss due to introduction into the heavy liquid inlet 310c. 【0076】 Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10(A), the peripheral end 310d of the heavy liquid inlet 310c may be chamfered on the side facing the heavy liquid inlet 310c, and the peripheral end 310d of the heavy liquid inlet 310c may be curved towards the heavy liquid inlet 310c side. This can suppress pressure loss due to the introduction of concentrated liquid into the heavy liquid inlet 310c. 【0077】 By adopting the shapes shown in Figures 10(A) and 10(B), the contact area with the liquid surface can be reduced when inserted into the liquid in the heavy liquid chamber 21, thereby preventing splashing. 【0078】Other embodiments of the concentrated liquid recovery apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 11. Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of how to operate the concentrated liquid recovery apparatus. In the example shown in Figure 11 of this embodiment, an example using the curved heavy liquid impeller 30 shown in Figures 2 and 3 will be described, but the invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to the heavy liquid impeller 22 shown in Figure 1. When using the heavy liquid impeller 22 shown in Figure 1, the operation is performed by opening and closing the heavy liquid discharge valve 26. 【0079】 As described above, the curved heavy liquid impeller 30 shown in Figure 11 can be rotated by driving the rotation actuator 32 (see Figures 2 and 3) so that the tip 31 of the curved heavy liquid impeller 30 is inserted into or not inserted into the heavy liquid chamber 21. 【0080】 First, as shown in Figure 11(A), the tip 31 of the curved heavy liquid impeller 30 is not inserted into the heavy liquid chamber 21. As a result, the concentrated liquid is not discharged from the heavy liquid chamber 21, and the concentration of the concentrated liquid increases in the centrifuge. 【0081】 Next, as shown in Figure 11(B), once the concentration of the concentrate has increased, the tip 31 of the curved heavy liquid impeller 30 is inserted into the heavy liquid chamber 21 to collect the concentrate. After a predetermined amount has been collected, as shown in Figure 11(A), the rotary actuator is driven to withdraw the tip 31 of the curved heavy liquid impeller 30 from the heavy liquid chamber 21, and the concentration of the concentrate is increased again in the centrifuge. 【0082】 The process shown in Figures 11(A) and 11(B) is repeated multiple times, for example, twice. During this process, any portion of the concentrated liquid that cannot be discharged accumulates inside the centrifuge. In particular, as shown in Figure 1, the concentrated liquid accumulates near the corner formed by the rotating body lid 12 and bottom 13 in the separation chamber 16, and the concentrated liquid that cannot be discharged remains there. 【0083】 In this embodiment, microorganisms are not discharged by the rotary valve at the bottom 13, but are removed from the heavy liquid chamber 21 side. Therefore, valve discharge by the rotary valve is performed only in cases of maintenance such as cleaning the centrifuge, or in cases of emergency shutdown of the centrifuge, etc. During normal operation, valve discharge of the concentrated liquid using the rotary valve is not performed. 【0084】 Therefore, after performing the steps in Figures 11(A) and 11(B) multiple times, intermittently, as shown in Figure 11(C), the concentrated liquid is discharged by the rotary valve at the timing of maintenance such as cleaning the centrifuge (partial discharge). Since the concentrated liquid discharged in this partial discharge does not become a product, it is preferable to recover it separately from the concentrated liquid that becomes the product recovered from the heavy liquid impeller and, for example, dispose of it. 【0085】 Furthermore, if the concentrated liquid remains in the separation chamber without being discharged, it may solidify, making discharge impossible. This could lead to problems such as the liquid sticking to the separation chamber of a centrifugal separator, preventing the rotary valve from opening. 【0086】 Performing this partial discharge makes cleaning the inside of the centrifuge easier. Furthermore, by performing partial discharge intermittently as shown in Figure 11(C), the concentrated liquid can be discharged before it solidifies in the separation chamber, thus preventing problems with the centrifuge. 【0087】 In this embodiment, an example was described in which the steps in Figures 11(A) and 11(B) are repeated twice. However, the number of repetitions is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate depending on the degree of concentration of the concentrate. 【0088】1: Vertical centrifugal separator 10: Raw liquid supply pipe 11: Rotating body 12: Rotating body cover 13: Bottom 14: Separation plate 15: Water intake plate 150: Heavy liquid flow path 150a: Inlet 16: Separation chamber 17: Guide tube 18: Light liquid chamber 19: Light liquid impeller 19a: Outer surface 20: Discharge pipe 21: Heavy liquid chamber 21a: Inlet 210: Top partition 210a: Front end 211: Side partition 212: Rear partition 22: Heavy liquid impeller 23: Heavy liquid discharge pipe 24: Upper gap 26: Heavy liquid discharge valve 27: Pressure gauge 28: Three-way valve 29a: Recovery flow path 29b: Return flow path 29c: Disposal channel 30: Heavy liquid impeller 31: Tip 310: Tip 310a: Downstream tip 310b: Upstream tip 310c: Heavy liquid inlet 310d: Peripheral end 310e: Rib 311: Outer surface 32: Rotary actuator 100: Vertical centrifugal separator 101: Raw liquid supply pipe 103: Rotating body cover 105: Separation plate 106: Water intake plate 112: Adjustment plate 113: Heavy liquid chamber 114: Top partition material 114a: Central axis side tip 115: Rear partition material 116: Heavy liquid impeller 120: Upper gap

Claims

1. A rotating body structure for a vertical centrifugal separator equipped with a light liquid chamber and a heavy liquid chamber, wherein the heavy liquid chamber is partitioned into a room shape by an upper partition, a side partition, and a rear partition, a heavy liquid impeller for discharging the concentrated liquid in the heavy liquid chamber is disposed on the upper part of the rear partition without an adjustment plate, a heavy liquid flow path is formed in the gap between the rotating body lid connected to the side partition and a water intake plate, allowing the concentrated liquid in the separation chamber to be sent to the heavy liquid chamber, and the water intake plate extends toward the bottom of the separation chamber, with a gap formed between the tip of the water intake plate and the bottom.

2. The rotating body structure of a vertical centrifugal separator according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper partition material of the heavy liquid chamber is formed to extend toward the central axis of the rotating body, thereby reducing the diameter of the circumference formed in the circumferential upper gap between the tip of the upper partition material and the central axis.

3. The rotating body structure of a vertical centrifuge according to claim 1, characterized in that the heavy liquid impeller is formed to be insertable into the heavy liquid chamber, and the tip of the heavy liquid impeller is inserted into the heavy liquid chamber when the concentrated liquid in the heavy liquid chamber is discharged by centrifugal force.

4. The rotating body structure of a vertical centrifugal separator according to claim 3, characterized in that the upper partition material of the heavy liquid chamber extends in an arc shape as it approaches the center, in accordance with the shape of the heavy liquid impeller.

5. The rotating body structure of a vertical centrifuge according to claim 3, characterized in that the tip of the tip portion formed to be insertable into the heavy liquid chamber is curved, and when the tip is inserted into the heavy liquid chamber, the upstream tip is formed to be radially shorter than the downstream tip with respect to the water flow of the concentrated liquid flowing in the heavy liquid chamber.

6. The rotating body structure of a vertical centrifugal separator according to claim 3, characterized in that the tip of the tip portion has a heavy liquid inlet, and the peripheral end of the heavy liquid inlet is chamfered.

7. The rotating body structure of a vertical centrifugal separator according to claim 3, characterized in that the tip of the tip portion has a heavy liquid inlet, and the side of the peripheral end of the heavy liquid inlet that is on the heavy liquid inlet side is chamfered.

8. A concentrated liquid recovery device using the rotating body structure of a vertical centrifuge according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a heavy liquid discharge pipe is connected to the outlet of the heavy liquid impeller for discharging concentrated liquid from the heavy liquid chamber via the heavy liquid impeller, a three-way valve is provided in the heavy liquid discharge pipe, and the three-way valve branches the concentrated liquid discharged from the heavy liquid impeller into a return channel for returning the concentrated liquid to the vertical centrifuge via a stock supply pipe for introducing the stock liquid into the vertical centrifuge, and a recovery channel for recovering the concentrated liquid.

9. A concentrated liquid recovery device using the rotating body structure of a vertical centrifugal separator as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, when recovering the concentrated liquid discharged from the heavy liquid impeller via a heavy liquid discharge pipe, a three-way valve is provided in the heavy liquid discharge pipe, and the three-way valve is configured to branch into a waste channel for recovering the concentrated liquid discharged from the heavy liquid impeller for disposal and a recovery channel for recovering the concentrated liquid.

10. A concentrated liquid recovery device using the rotating body structure of a vertical centrifuge according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein when the concentrated liquid discharged from the heavy liquid impeller is recovered via a heavy liquid discharge pipe, a recovery channel for recovering the concentrated liquid is connected to the heavy liquid discharge pipe, and a return channel is provided upstream of the recovery channel to branch off for returning the concentrated liquid to the stock supply pipe for introducing the stock liquid into the vertical centrifuge, and on / off valves are provided in the recovery channel and the return channel, respectively, and the device is configured so that the concentrated liquid discharged from the heavy liquid impeller can be branched into either the recovery channel or the return channel.

11. A concentrated liquid recovery device using the rotating body structure of a vertical centrifugal separator as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein when the concentrated liquid discharged from the heavy liquid impeller is recovered via a heavy liquid discharge pipe, a recovery channel for recovering the concentrated liquid is connected to the heavy liquid discharge pipe, and a waste channel for recovering the liquid for disposal is provided to branch off upstream of the recovery channel, on-off valves are provided in the recovery channel and the waste channel, and the concentrated liquid discharged from the heavy liquid impeller is configured to be branched into either the recovery channel or the waste channel.

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