Toner Production Apparatus Pressure Control and Deaeration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing particulate production methods, such as soap free polymerization and spray granulation, face challenges including inefficient solvent use, high energy consumption, and unstable droplet discharge due to pressure fluctuations, leading to environmental and cost issues.
Innovation Solution
A particulate production apparatus featuring a droplet discharger and a pressure controller that feeds the liquid at a controlled pressure, using a deaerator to remove dissolved gases and a liquid-column resonance droplet formation unit to stabilize droplet discharge, reducing environmental impact and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If soap free polymerization method is used to produce uniform particulate resin, then particle diameter uniformity and spherical shape are improved, but production time and energy consumption increase due to repeated washing and drying processes
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the solvent from the polymerization system entirely by conducting polymerization in a melt state without any solvent. This eliminates the need for subsequent washing and drying steps, directly resolving the time consumption problem while maintaining particle uniformity through controlled polymerization conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state parameter of the polymerization system from solution-based to melt-based. By controlling temperature and viscosity parameters, the method achieves uniform particle formation without solvent, eliminating post-processing steps while maintaining manufacturing precision
2Speed
If pressure pulse method is used to discharge toner material liquid, then droplet discharge speed is improved, but gas bubbles generate from dissolved gas causing defective discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary deaeration to remove dissolved gas from the toner material liquid before it reaches the discharge head. By performing this gas removal action in advance through the deaerator, the subsequent pressure pulse discharge operates without gas bubble interference, ensuring both speed and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a deaerator as an intermediary device between the liquid storage and discharge head. This intermediary component selectively removes dissolved gas from the liquid without affecting the liquid's other properties, enabling stable high-speed discharge by eliminating the gas bubble problem
3Productivity
If high liquid pressure is applied to the discharge head, then droplet discharge efficiency is improved, but liquid exudes from discharge hole causing unstable discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements a feedback control system that continuously monitors liquid pressure at the discharge head and automatically adjusts the liquid supply pressure to maintain it within the optimal range. This feedback mechanism prevents both liquid exusion and insufficient discharge, ensuring stable high-efficiency operation
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs dynamic pressure control that continuously adjusts liquid supply pressure based on real-time discharge conditions. By making the pressure control adaptive and responsive rather than static, the system maintains optimal discharge efficiency while preventing liquid exusion and ensuring discharge stability
4Reliability
If low liquid pressure is applied to the discharge head, then liquid exusion is prevented, but air mixes in causing unstable discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback control system detects when liquid pressure is too low and automatically increases the supply pressure to prevent air ingress. This real-time adjustment ensures pressure remains above the threshold for stable discharge without causing liquid exusion, maintaining both reliability and productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic pressure control system responds to changing discharge conditions by adjusting supply pressure in real-time. When conditions indicate risk of air mixing, the system increases pressure dynamically to maintain stable discharge, optimizing the balance between preventing air ingress and maintaining discharge efficiency
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 stable and efficient particulate production with reduced solvent and energy usage, improving discharge stability and minimizing environmental load.
Implementation Method 1
a method of using a deaerator removing the gas dissolved in the liquid to prevent the gas bubble from generating
Implementation Method 2
a liquid-column resonance droplet formation unit to stabilize droplet discharge
Implementation Method 3
The toner droplet discharged in the gas-phase space is transformed to be spherical by a difference in surface tension between the liquid phase of the toner composition and the gas phase
Data Source
AI summary
A particulate production apparatus, including a droplet discharger to discharge a liquid including a particulate element which is solidified to become a particulate; and a pressure controller to feed the liquid including a particulate element to the droplet discharger at a pressure within a desired range.