Rotating Prill Generator with Reciprocating Pressure Excitation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing prilling processes face challenges in achieving uniform droplet size distribution, leading to reduced yield due to the formation of dust particles and unsolidified droplets that break upon impact, resulting in agglomeration and contamination.
Innovation Solution
A droplet generation apparatus with a rotating hollow body and nested second body, utilizing a reciprocating drive-unit and piezo elements to apply precise pressure variations, creating uniform droplet sizes by decoupling rotational and axial movements, and employing a coupling mechanism to prevent torsional forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a static or rotary prilling bucket is used to generate droplets, then the production capacity is sufficient, but the droplet size distribution becomes broad leading to dust particles and oversized droplets
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs a dynamic system where a hollow body rotates about a first axis while simultaneously being subjected to reciprocating motion along the same axis. This dual motion system dynamically controls the liquid flow through nozzles in the hollow body, creating consistent droplet sizes by combining centrifugal forces from rotation with periodic pressure variations from reciprocating motion, thereby achieving both high productivity and precise droplet size control
Solution Approach 2:
The reciprocating drive-unit applies periodic pressure variations to the liquid in the hollow body at a frequency that synchronizes with the rotation. This periodic action creates consistent droplet formation by periodically enhancing the breakup of liquid streams into uniform droplets, preventing both dust particle formation and oversized droplet generation while maintaining high production capacity
2Productivity
If high rotational speed is used in a rotary prilling bucket, then production capacity increases, but droplet size uniformity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically coordinates rotational speed and reciprocating frequency to maintain optimal droplet formation conditions. The hollow body rotates at a speed that provides sufficient centrifugal force for droplet ejection, while the reciprocating motion frequency is synchronized to enhance droplet uniformity, creating a dynamic balance between productivity and precision that neither parameter alone could achieve
3Manufacturing precision
If a reciprocating drive-unit is directly coupled to the hollow body, then axial pressure excitation is applied, but torsional forces damage the drive-unit
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanism is segmented into multiple functional elements: a first element connected to the hollow body that rotates with it, a second element connected to the reciprocating drive-unit that moves only axially, and a coupling connection between them. This segmentation separates the rotational function from the reciprocating function, allowing the drive-unit to apply axial pressure excitation without being subjected to damaging torsional forces from the rotating hollow body
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanism acts as an intermediary between the reciprocating drive-unit and the rotating hollow body. It transfers only the necessary axial reciprocating motion to the hollow body while blocking the transmission of torsional forces, thereby protecting the drive-unit from damage while maintaining effective pressure excitation control
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 apparatus achieves more uniform droplet sizes, reducing variations and enhancing the prilling process yield by minimizing agglomeration and contamination, thereby improving the efficiency of droplet formation.
Implementation Method 1
By spinning the bucket at a certain rotational speed, centrifugal forces push the liquid through the nozzles, thereby generating the jets
Implementation Method 2
a reciprocating drive-unit arranged for reciprocally moving one of the hollow body and second body with respect to the other of the hollow body and second body along the first axis of rotation for applying a reciprocal pressure excitation on the jets of liquid
Implementation Method 3
a coupling mechanism arranged between the reciprocating drive-unit and the one of the hollow body and second body, wherein the coupling mechanism is arranged for enabling relative rotations between the one of the hollow body and second body and the reciprocating drive-unit
Implementation Method 4
heat is transferred from the drops to the air as it falls down and solidifies
Implementation Method 5
solidifying the liquid drops individually by cooling as they fall through a rising ambient air stream
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for producing prills includes a hollow body rotatable about a first axis, the body having a wall rotationally symmetrical around the first axis forming an interior space, the wall including nozzles for generating jets of liquid in a radially outward direction with respect to the first axis when rotating the hollow body; a second body disposed in the hollow body forming a gap between the hollow body and the second body; a liquid inlet for supplying a flow of liquid to the gap; a rotary drive unit for driving the hollow body around the first axis; a reciprocating drive-unit for reciprocally moving the hollow body and/or second body with respect to the other body along the first axis of rotation for applying reciprocal pressure on the jets; and a coupling for enabling relative rotations between the one of the hollow body and second body and the reciprocating drive-unit.