Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SPECIFICATION
Title of the Invention:
VISCOUS FLUID PRESSURE-FE:ED APPARATUS
Background of the Invention:
Field of the Invention:
This invention pertains to the technical field of
the structure of a pressure feed apparatus used for
disposing highly viscous fluids such as factory waste
fluids, sludges, cement milk, and so forth.
Description of the Prior Art:
Large quantities of waste matters, waste oils,
sludges, and the like, are discharged from production
factories of various industrial plants as is well
known in the art and disposal of these wastes has
hecome very important as a measure to be taken against
environmental pollution which occurs unavoidably with
the development of industry. As to disposal of highly
viscous fluids such as muddy slurry and sludge among
them, technology which provides solid-liquid
separation, disposes the resulting solid matter by
incineration and reclamation and reutilizes the liquid
in an appropriate way has been employed widely.
Various pressure-feed apparatuses having a
large-capacity, a high-output and high-durability
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disposing capacity have been used for such disposal
purposes.
As the pressure-feed apparatus of this kind, a
pressure-feed apparatus such as the one 1 shown in
Fig. 3 o the accompanying drawings, for example, has
been used widely. An operation oil 5 is supplied by
an oil pressure generation apparatus 4 to a swellable
type flexible film 3 which is stored in a drum-shaped
casing 2 and is made of a rubber and the flexible film
3 is pressurized from inside for expansion and
contraction in a cycle operation so that a solution 6
to be disposed such as a slurry is sucked from a
slurry tank 7 into the casing 2 and is pressure-fed to
a processing apparatus 8 of the next stage such as a
filter press.
The solid component of the slurry 6 is taken out
as a cake by predetermined sol:id-liquid separation
treatment whLle the llquid component is clarified and
is discharged appropriately or reutilized effectively.
If the solution to be disposed is a waste
liquid containing chemical agents and microorganisms,
however, fermentation occurs in the solution if it is
stored in the tank for a long period and bubbles come
to be mixed in the solution. If this solution to
disposed is highly viscous, natural deaeration becomes
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very difficult. If the pressure-feed operation of
such a solution is carried out by use of the
pressure-feed apparatus 1 described above, the bubbles
10, 10, ... mix during the suction process because the
inside of the casing 2 is closed or opened by a check
valve 9 interposed between the casing 2 and the slurry
tank 7. Since the bubbles 10 are compressible, they
gather and stay inside the casing and cavities are
formed locally. Accordingly, even when the flexible
film 3 effects a sufficient expansion/contraction
operation, the capacity of these cavities changes and
the pressure is not transmitted sufficiently, thereby
causing so-called "damping". For this reason, the
slurry 6 cannot be discharged completely from inside
the casing 2 to the processing apparatus 8 of the next
stage.
Even if the casing 2 is installed in a vertical
arrangement to position suction and discharge ports
atop, natural suetion of the slurry 6 occurs sometimes
and if the slurry 6 is highly viscous, the bubbles 10
are ruptured at the time of suction and a substantial
suction quantity of the slurry 6 into the casing 2
becomes insufficient, so that a smooth feed/drain
operation o the pressure-feed apparatus 1 cannot be
made.
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As compression inside the casing 2 is repeated by
the operation of the pressure-feed apparatus 1, the
temperature of the staying bubbles 10 rises, causing
the problem in that the pressure-feed apparatus 1
reaches a high temperature and packings and the like
interposed in the connection portions of pipings get
fatigued or their service life is reducedO
For the reasons described above, in a so-called
"plunger type" pressure-feed apparatus, the solution
to be disposed is limited to those which do not
contain modifying matters nor bubbles and the
pressure-feed apparatus cannot dispose all
kinds of waste liquids inclusive of a highly viscous
liquid.
Since the slurry 6 is sucked and discharged
between the flexible film 3 and the casing 2 outside
the flexible film 3, the highly viscous liquid cannot
be sucked sufficiently by the negative pressure in the
con.raction process of the flexible film 3 at the time
of suction and there exists another problem that the
occurrence of folding of the flexible film 3 is likely
to cause its fatigue.
Summary of the Invention:
In order to solve those various problems which
are encountered during the pressure-feed operation of
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viscous fluids by use of the pressure-feed apparatus
in accordance with the prior art technique described
above, it is a first object of the present invention
to make it possible to feed reliably under a high
pressure not only waste liquids and sludges discharged
from various factories and construction sites but also
those highly viscous fluids which contain bubble
formation components when they are stored for a long
period in an underground tank of factoxies or the like
and cannot be deaerated easily, to a next processing
- stage.
A second object of the present invention is to
make it possible to feed and drain liquid efficiently
ir
by a plunger or flexible film inside a casing.
A third object of the preslent invention is to
provide an excellent viscous fluid pressure~feed
apparatus which will be useful in the field of
environmental pollution prevention technology.
Brief Description of the Drawings:
Fig. 1 is an overall schematic sectional view of
an embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is an overall schematic sectional view of
another embodiment of the present invention; and
Fig. 3 is an overall schematic sectional view of
a prior art.
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Description of the Preferred Embodiments:
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present
invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1
and 2.
Incidentally, like reference numerals will be
used to identify like constituents as in Fig. 3.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, reference
numeral 1' represents a pressure-feed apparatus which
constitutes one of the gists of the presently claimed
invention. An oil feed/drain port ll of an operation
oil S is disposed on one (2') of the sides of a
drum-shaped casing 2 of this pressure-feed apparatus,
and is connected to a predetermined oil pressure
generation apparatus 4 through :its output port 12~
~ he base portion of the casing 2 has the shape of
a bottomed cylinder and a flange 13 is disposed
integrally with it. A swelling type flexible film 3
made of a rubber is clamped to and supported by the
casing at its skirt portion through rings with its
swell portion facing inside the casing 2.
Reference numeral 14 represents an outside
support net for the retreating posture of the flexible
film 3 and the base portion of this support net is
fixed to the casing 2 so as to retain the shape of the
flexible film 3 at the time of swelling.
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A faed port 15 and a drain port 16 of a viscous
fluid as a solution to be disposed are disposed at
predetermined positions of the bottom of the casing 2
on the other side and a solenoid valve 17 is
interposed between the feed pcrt 15 through an
appropriate packing and a press-in device 18 connected
to and supported by the feed port.
The press-in device 18 is equipped with a screw
eeder 20 inside its gun type case 19 and a hopper 21
is formed integrally with the upper portion of the
case 19. A highly viscous slurry 6 such as cement
milk, for example, is always charged into this hopper
21 in such a manner as to supply the highly viscous
slurry 6 between the inside of the casing 2 and the
flexible film 3 with the tip portion of the screw
feeder 20 facing the feed port 15.
Incidentally, the highly viscous slurry 6 inside
the casing 2 is discharged to a processing apparatus 8
of the next stage such as a filter press via the drain
port 16.
Accordingly, the highly viscous liquid 6 is
supplied and discharged inside the flexible ~ilm 3 in
the casing 2 whereas the operation oil 5 is supplied
and discharged outside the flexible film 3.
The screw feeder 20 is connected to a motor 23
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through a reduction device 22 and a control design may
be selected arbitrarily so that the motor 23 may be
always rotated or driven under the open state of the
solenoid valva 17.
A gas exhaust port 24 is formed at the top of the
casing 2 in the proximity of the feed port 15 and a
solenoid valve 25 as a gas exhaust valve is fitted
through a suitable packing. A gas exhaust device 26
operating as a gas reservoir is connected to
communicate with the gas exhaust port 24~
The gas exhaust device 26 is connected to the
casing 2 at the lower end of a chamber 27 which serves
as the gas reservoir chamber and has a predetermined
capacity. A gas exhaust pipe 28 is formed at the
upper end of the gas exhaust device 26 and a solenoid
valve 29 is fitted to this gas exhaust valve 28.
A solenoid valve 30 is fitted to the drain port
16 of the casing 2 and the process.ing apparatus 8 of
the next stage such as a filter press is connected to
it through a predetermined piping.
The solenoid valves 17, 25, 29, 30 are connected
electrically to a predetermined controller 31, which
controls also the operation of the oil pressure
generation apparatus 4.
The hydraulic pressure generation apparatus 4 is
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a redoubling device of a piston type. Namely, the
operation oil 5 supplied from an oil tank 32 through a
pump 33 is supplied to inflow-outflow ports 36, 37 of
a cylinder 35 through the operation of a direction
control solenoid valve 34 controlled by the operation
controller 31 and as the pistons 38, 38' are moved
back and forth at a predetermined speed, the pressure
oil 5 is supplied into the casing 2 of the pressure-
feed apparatus 1'. Its timing control is mada by
transmitting the signals which are detected by the
operation of limit switche~ 41, 41' for the dog 40
disposed at the rear end of a piston rod 39 to the
controller 31.
In the construction described above, it will be
assumed hereby that the highly viscous slurry ~
containing bubbles in mixture as the solution to be
disposed is pressure-fed into the filter press 8 by
use of the pressure-feed apparatus 1'. When thP
switch of the controller 31 is turned on, the o~l
pressure generation apparatus 4 is actuated to start
the pump 33, the direction control solenoid valve 34
is reset to the initial state, the operation oil 5 is
pressure-fed to the inflow port 37 of the cylinder 35
and the pistons 38, 38' are moved back and forth.
When the dog 40 of the piston rod 39 strikes the
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limit switch 41, the controller 31 changes over next
the direction control solenoid valve 34 so as to move
back the pistons 38, 38'.
The pis~on 38' sucks the operation oil 5 into the
large capacity cylinder 35 and applies the negative
pressure to the feed/drain port 11 on one (2') side of
the casing 2 connected thereto through the port 12,
reduces the pressure of the pressurizing chamber
defined outside the flexible film 3 and increases the
capacity of the flurry chamber inside the flexible
film 3 by the retreat expansion of the flexible film 3
to prepare for the suction of the slurry 6.
The highly viscous liquid slurry 6 is extruded to
the feed port 15 of the casing 2 by the rotation of
the screw feeder 20 of the press-in apparatus 18.
The controller 31 opens the solenoid valve 17
fitted to the feed port 15, ope:rates the oil pressure
generation apparatus 4 so as to move back the pistons
38, 38' and to discharge the operation oil 5 ~rom
inside the casing 2 and expands the ~lexible film 3 so
as to increase the capacity of the slurry chamber.
Incidentally, at this point, the controller 31
makes control so as to open the solenoid valve 30
disposed in the slurry drain port 16 of the casing 2,
the solenoid valve 29 of the gas exhaust apparatus 26
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and the solenoid valve 25.
In the suction process of the highly viscous
slurry 6 by the pressure-feed apparatus 1', the highly
viscous slurry 6 is supplied into the slurry chamber
by a kind of push-pull operation by the pressu.re
reduction of the slurry chamber due to the retreat of
the flexible film 3 and extrusion of the highly
viscous slurry 6 by the press-in apparatus 18 and the
bubbles 10, lOj ... existing in mixture in the highly
viscous slurry 6 are not ruptured but are caused to
flow smoothly into the casing 2 of the pressure-feed
apparatus l' by the retreat of the flexible film 3 and
the feed operation of the press-in apparatus 18 which
is synchronous with the former.
Part of the bubbles 10, 10, ..~ staying inside
the casing 2 is raised during the feed process into
the casing 2 and move near to the gas exhaust port 24.
Then, the controller 31 opens the solenoid valve
25 of the gas exhaust apparatus 26 so as to introduce
the bubbles 10, 10, ... into the chamber 27, the
highly viscous slurry 6 is packed into the casing 2
and the retreating motion of the flexible film 3 is
completed. The dog 40 of the piston rod 39 o~ the oil
pressure generation apparatus 4 strikes the limit
switch 41' and its signal is transmitted to the
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controller 31.
The controller 31 controls the oil pressure
generation apparatus 4 to move forth the pistons 38,
38' and to supply the operation oil 5 into the
pressurizing chamber defined by the flexible film 3
outside it inside the casing 2 and at the same time,
opens the solenoid valve 25 disposed in the gas
exhaust apparatus 26. Accordingly, the gas inside the
casing 2 is compressed and sealed into the chamber 27
of the gas exhaust apparatus 26.
The solenoid valve 25 of the gas exhaust
apparatus 26 is opened at a predetermined timing and
the oil pressure generation apparatus 4 diminishes
strongly the ~lexible film 3 so as to press the highly
viscous slu~ry 6 inside the slurry chamber~ The
solenoid valve 30 disposed at the drain port 16 is
opened and the highly viscous slurry 6 is pressure-fed
into the filter presses 8 while the gas inside the
chambar 27 is discharged as the solenoid valve ~9
disposed in the exhaust pipe 28 is opened.
Here, those bubbles 10, 10, ... which rise in~ide
the casing 2 without passing through the exhaust port
16 during the contraction process of the flexible ilm
3 stay at the upper portion inside the casing 2 but
are discharged when the exhaust valve 25 is opened at
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the initial stage of the next feed/drain process
because the gas exhaust apparatus 26 is disposed.
Since the bubbles 10, 10, ... are removed from
the highly viscous slurry 6 in the interim, the
press/discharge operation for the highly viscous
slurry 6 can be carried out reliably.
The bubbles 10, 10, .~. existing in mixture in
the highly viscous slurry 6 are removed from the
slurry 6 and discharged outside the casing 2 during
the pressure-feed operation of the highly viscous
slurry 6 to the filter press 8, and a predetermined
quantity of slurry 6 is pressure-fed at a high
pressure in each cycle.
As the process described above is repeated,
solid-liquid separation of the highly viscous slurry 6
is oonducted.
In comparison with th~ embodiment shown in Fig.
1, the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 has the structure
wherein the direction of the flexible film 3' and the
support net 14l inside the casing 2" and their
arrangement direction are opposite and the support net
14' retains the shape of the flexible film 3 at the
time of contraction of the latter.
The bubble-removing operation at the time of feed
and drain of the highly viscous slurr~ 6' to and from
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the casing 2" due to expansion and contraction of the
flexible film 3' is the same as in the embodiment
described above.
Incidentally, the mode of practising the present
invention is not naturally limited to the embodiments
described above and various other modes such as the
one wherein the gas reservoir chamber discharges the
viscous fluid can be employed, for example.
The apparatus of the present invention can
naturally pressure-feed sufficiently an ordinary
slurry, cement milk, and the like.
The apparatus in accordance with the present
invention has basically the construction wherein the
gas reservoir chamber is added to a pressure feed
apparatus used for disposing various sludges and waste
liquid so as to pressure-feed compulsively the highly
viscous slurry into the casing and the exhaust valve
of the gag reservoir chamber is opened or closed in
synchronization wikh the feed/drain operation of the
highly viscous slurry. Accordingly, those bubbles
which receive repeatedly the compression and suction
of the highly viscous slurry due tv expansion and
contraction of the flexible film inside the casing,
move upward and stay at the upper portion of the
casing, are separated as the gas component from the
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solution to be processed and the highly viscous slurry
can be pressure-fed to the separation apparatus such
as a filter press.
The highly viscous slurry is supplied into the
casing by the press-in apparatus and the bubble
component existing in mixture in the solution to be
processed at the time of suction into tha casing risa
inside the casing during the discharge process of the
flexible film, are collected and discharged into the
gas reservoir chamber and are thareafter dischaxged
outside the casing by the exhaust apparatus.
Accordingly, the gas does not exist any longer in the
solution to be processed, the high pressure
pressure-feed operation due to expansion and
contraction of the flexible film can be conducted
efficiently and working efficiency of the feed/drain
operation can be improved.
Even when expansion and contraction of the
flexible film is conducted repeatedly, the bubbles are
not compressed during the high pressure pressure-feed
operation and exothermy does not occur inside the
casing, so that degradation of accessorial components
such as packings can be prevented.
