Micronization Device With Opposing Supersonic Cyclones

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current micronization technologies, such as pin mills, tribomechanical activation, and jet milling, face limitations including high energy consumption, noise, overheating, and the need for pre-milling, which increase costs and reduce efficiency in processing larger particle sizes effectively.

Innovation Solution

A micronization device with a cylindrical grinding chamber lacking moving parts, utilizing supersonic carrier medium nozzles to create opposing cyclones for intense frontal collisions, allowing for the micronization of larger particles without overheating or significant noise, and featuring ejectors for accelerating material to supersonic speeds for efficient particle size reduction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If pin mill technology is used for micronization, then fine grinding performance is improved, but device heating and particle sticking to walls occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegrinding finenessVSAvoiddevice heating
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the traditional mechanical pin mill grinding system with a jet mill system that uses compressed air jets to accelerate particles for collision-based size reduction. This substitution eliminates direct mechanical contact between grinding pins and material, thereby preventing device heating and particle sticking while achieving fine grinding through kinetic energy transfer and particle-particle collisions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Manufacturing precision

If tribomechanical activation with high rotor speeds is used, then particle size reduction is improved, but energy consumption and noise levels increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparticle size reductionVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces high-speed rotating mechanical rotors with stationary jet nozzles that use compressed air to accelerate particles. This substitution eliminates the need for high-speed mechanical rotation, dramatically reducing energy consumption and noise levels while achieving effective particle size reduction through controlled particle collisions in the jet flow field

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Manufacturing precision

If conventional micronization methods are used, then particle size is reduced, but pre-milling is required which increases processing costs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparticle sizeVSAvoidpre-milling requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates a pre-crushing chamber that performs initial size reduction on feed material before it enters the jet mill grinding chamber. This preliminary action breaks down large particles into smaller fragments that can be efficiently micronized in the subsequent jet mill stage, eliminating the need for separate pre-milling operations and reducing overall process complexity and cost

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 device efficiently micronizes particles up to 4 mm in a single cycle without temperature increase or significant noise, achieving particle sizes of 38.5 µm to 113.8 µm, suitable for various industrial applications, including pharmaceuticals and construction materials.

Implementation Method 1

the carrier medium supplied through said means produces at least two artificial cyclones in the grinding chamber, the cyclones rotating simultaneously, at supersonic speeds and in opposite directions

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCyclone: Cyclone Separation

Implementation Method 2

supplying the carrier medium into the grinding chamber at a supersonic speed

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSupersonic flow: Speed of Sound

Implementation Method 3

the ground material is supplied into the grinding chamber at a supersonic speed

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSupersonic acceleration: Speed of Sound

Implementation Method 4

the ground material is micronized by multiple frontal collisions of the particles of the material in the flow of the at least two artificial cyclones

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCollision: Impact Force

Data Source

PatentEP3393669B1Device and method for micronization of solid materials
Publication Date: 2019.09.18 HOUDEK JAN
  • EP3393669B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3393669B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3393669B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a micronization device comprising a cylindrical grinding chamber (30) without moving parts, means (4, 6) for supplying the ground material into the grinding chamber (30) at a supersonic speed, and means (331, 332, 333, 341, 342, 343) for supplying the carrier medium into the grinding chamber (30) at a supersonic speed, wherein said means are arranged so that the carrier medium supplied through said means (331, 332, 333, 341, 342, 343) creates at least two artificial cyclones in the grinding chamber (30), the at least two artificial cyclones rotating at supersonic speeds and in opposite directions, with a common axis of rotation, the common axis of rotation being identical with the central axis of the grinding chamber (30). The present invention further relates to a micronization method using the micronization device described above.