Asymmetric Colloid Mill Teeth for Low-Heat Comminution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing colloid mills cause significant heating of processed materials, particularly heat-sensitive food or pharmaceutical products, due to inefficient comminution processes.
Innovation Solution
A colloid mill design featuring a rotor and stator with asymmetrical, tapered grinding teeth that reduce shear forces and minimize material contact, resulting in lower heating and effective comminution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional grinding teeth with rectangular or sawtooth cross-section are used, then throughput and comminution performance are improved, but temperature increase becomes significant
Solution Approach 1:
The grinding teeth are designed with an asymmetric cross-section featuring a steep flank and a shallow flank, deviating from conventional symmetric rectangular or sawtooth shapes. This asymmetric geometry creates unequal shear force distribution during material processing, with the shallow flank providing a longer material path that reduces intensive shearing and heat generation, while the steep flank maintains effective grinding capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the grinding teeth by defining specific angle ranges (α and β between 30°-150°) for the flanks, and controlling the ratio between flank lengths. This parameter optimization allows the grinding teeth to maintain comminution effectiveness while reducing the intensity of shear forces that cause temperature increase
2Productivity
If grinding teeth with larger cross-sectional area are used, then more space is available for product leading to increased throughput, but shear forces and heat generation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric cross-sectional design allows the grinding teeth to have sufficient overall area for adequate product space, while the specific distribution of this area through unequal flank lengths optimizes the balance between throughput capacity and shear force intensity. The shallow flank provides extended material accommodation space without proportionally increasing energy consumption
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 new design achieves reduced temperature increases of less than 40°C during processing, while maintaining high comminution efficiency with lower energy consumption and improved throughput.
Implementation Method 1
The rotor grinding surface has at least one grinding tooth with a shear surface and/or shear edge
Implementation Method 2
dispersing solid and liquid substances in colloidal fineness by means of a mechanical force in the colloid mills
Implementation Method 3
processing in a colloid mill results in significant heating of the processed material
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a colloid mill for reducing the particle size (100) of particles (101) suspended in a first liquid and/or the droplet size of a second liquid emulsified in a first liquid, wherein the first liquid is in particular a fat-based mass (cocoa butter). The colloid mill has at least one rotor (1) and at least one stator (2) arranged coaxially within one another, wherein the rotor (1) is preferably arranged or can be arranged within the stator (2). The colloid mill preferably has at least one material inlet for introducing a suspension or emulsion on a first axial side and at least one product outlet for removing the suspension or emulsion on a second axial side.The at least one rotor (1) has a rotor grinding surface (3) facing or to be faced with the stator (2) and/or the at least one stator (2) has a stator grinding surface (4) facing or to be faced with the rotor (1). The rotor grinding surface (3) has at least one grinding tooth (5a, 5b) with a shear surface (6) and/or shear edge (7), the cross-sectional area (8a) of which tapers in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation (D) in a radial direction (R) towards the opposite stator grinding surface (4), wherein the cross-sectional area (8a) has a first leg (14a), preferably straight, which adjoins a base side (11a) of the cross-sectional area (8a) extending in the direction of rotation, which points in the direction of rotation (15) of the rotor (1), and which forms an angle (α) of 85-95° with the base side (11), preferably on a radial line through the axis of rotation.Alternatively or additionally, the stator grinding surface (4) has at least one grinding tooth (5a, 5b) with a shear surface (6) and/or shear edge (7), the cross-sectional area (8b) of which tapers in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation (D) in a radial direction (R) towards the opposite rotor grinding surface (3), wherein the cross-sectional area (8b) has a second leg (14b), preferably straight, which adjoins a base side (11b) of the cross-sectional area (8b) extending in the direction of rotation, which points in the opposite direction of rotation (15) of the rotor (1), and which forms an angle (β) of 85-95° with the base side (11), preferably on a radial line through the axis of rotation.