Granular Material Conditioner for Optimized Size Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current granular material production methods, such as thermal granulation and moist granulation, face challenges in achieving desired size distribution and yield, particularly for ceramic tiles, with high energy consumption and water usage, and require significant recycling of oversize grains, leading to inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A process involving a granulating mixer followed by a granular material conditioner with moving elements that comminute oversize grains, allowing only suitable-sized materials to pass through, and subsequent drying to achieve optimized granular material size distribution with reduced energy expenditure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If spray dryer granulation is used, then granular material yield and size distribution are improved, but water consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the moisture content parameter from the high levels required for spray dryer granulation (35%+) to the lower levels achieved in granulating mixers (11-13%). This parameter change enables the use of granulating mixer technology while maintaining acceptable granular material quality, thereby significantly reducing water consumption and subsequent drying requirements.
2Quantity of substance
If granulating mixer is used, then water consumption is reduced, but granular material size distribution deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the granular material production process into two distinct stages: first granulation in a granulating mixer to form initial granules with controlled moisture content, then secondary comminution of oversize grains. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently, achieving both water efficiency and acceptable size distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary granulation in the granulating mixer to create the bulk of the desired granular material with appropriate moisture content before any comminution operation. This preliminary action ensures that the majority of material is already in the desired size range, reducing the amount that needs subsequent processing.
3Manufacturing precision
If oversize grain is recycled to granulating mixer, then size distribution is improved, but energy consumption and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and separates oversize grains from the main granular material stream using a comminution device, then processes only this separated fraction rather than recycling all material back to the granulating mixer. This extraction approach reduces the workload on the granulating mixer and minimizes energy consumption while achieving the desired size distribution.
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
This process enhances granular material yield and size distribution while significantly reducing energy consumption and water usage by minimizing the recycling of oversize grains, achieving a higher throughput and improved processing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
comminuting at least a part of the granular material in a granular material conditioner which has two elements which move relative to each other, wherein the granular material is passed through a gap between the two elements
Implementation Method 2
the granular material is dried by means of a hot gas producer with a feed of hot air in the fluid bed dryer, to give a residual moisture content of 6%
Data Source
AI summary
A process for producing an optimized granular materialproducing a granular material in a granulating mixer having a container and a stirrer tool, andcomminuting at least a part of the granular material in a granular material conditioner which has two elements which move relative to each other, and granular material is passed through a gap between the two elements.