Air Classifier With Louver Ring For Toner Classification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air classifiers face decreased classification accuracy and increased contamination with ultra-fine powder and coarse particles due to improved pulverization performance, leading to decreased image quality and efficiency in toner production.
Innovation Solution
An air classifier with a cylindrical casing, umbrella-shaped center and separator cores, and a louver ring with guide slats, optimized for high-pressure air and powder dispersion, featuring a fine powder discharge port and pipe to prevent excessive pulverization and contamination, with specific geometric parameters to enhance centrifugal classification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If pulverization performance is improved to produce finer toner particles, then particle fineness is improved, but classification accuracy decreases and contamination with ultra-fine powder and coarse particles increases
Solution Approach 1:
The classification chamber is divided into multiple zones with different airflow velocities. The chamber includes a central region with lower airflow velocity for collecting finer particles and an outer region with higher airflow velocity for removing coarser particles, enabling simultaneous classification of different particle sizes
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the classification chamber are designed with different airflow characteristics. The airflow velocity is locally optimized to match particle size requirements, with slower velocities near the center for fine particles and faster velocities at the periphery for coarse particles
2Quantity of substance
If high pressure air stream is used to disperse increased number of toner particles, then particle dispersion is improved, but dispersion performance decreases resulting in decreased classification accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The air stream is divided into multiple flow paths with different velocities. A portion of the high-pressure air flows through the outer region to remove coarse particles, while another portion flows through the central region to collect fine particles, preventing re-aggregation
Solution Approach 2:
The classification chamber acts as an intermediary zone between the pulverizer and the collection system. It provides a controlled environment where particles can be separated by size before being collected, preventing contamination
3Productivity
If conventional DS air classifier is used to disperse increased number of toner particles, then particle processing capacity is improved, but ultra-fine powder generation increases and coarse particles contaminate fine powder discharge unit
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge system is segmented into separate outlets for fine particles and coarse particles. The central region discharges fine particles through one outlet while the outer region discharges coarse particles through another outlet, preventing contamination
Solution Approach 2:
Coarse particles are extracted and removed from the classification chamber through the outer discharge outlet before they can contaminate the fine powder discharge unit, while ultra-fine particles are prevented from excessive generation through optimized airflow
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The air classifier effectively prevents excessive fine powder generation and contamination, achieving sharp particle size distribution and high-quality toner production with improved power consumption efficiency and stable image quality.
Implementation Method 1
Raw materials are fed through a feed pipe FE1, and together with a previously pulverized product and high pressure air, introduced into a first classifier BZ1
Implementation Method 2
A typical DS air classifier operates by the principle that centrifugal and centripetal forces of different magnitudes act on the coarse particles and fine particles present in a powder material as the secondary air stream flows into the classification chamber and causes a non-free flow of the swirling particles
Implementation Method 3
A typical DS air classifier operates by the principle that centrifugal and centripetal forces of different magnitudes act on the coarse particles and fine particles present in a powder material
Implementation Method 4
The coarse powder is pulverized in a first pulverizer FZ1 via a pulverizing unit and collected in a cyclone CY1
Data Source
AI summary
An air classifier contains a cylindrical casing provided with at an upper part thereof a feed port to feed high pressure air and a powder material, an umbrella-shaped center core in the casing, and an umbrella-shaped separator core arranged downstream of the center core in the casing and including an opening at center thereof. The air classifier has a configuration containing a dispersion chamber to disperse the powder material, being surrounded by an inner wall of the upper part casing and the center core, and a classification chamber to classify the powder material into fine and coarse powders by centrifugation, being surrounded by the center core, separator core and inner wall of the casing. In the dispersion chamber provided are a louver ring containing guide slats circularly arranged at regular intervals, and a space encircling the louver ring and serving as flow passage of the air and powder material.