Slurry storage and stirring device and slurry stirring method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021039058-A1
Application number	US-201916979724-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 8, 2019
Priority date	Mar 15, 2018
Publication date	Feb 11, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device includes a container for storing slurry, a main pipeline with one end connected to the container and the other end extending to an inner space of the container and forming a first circulation path, a nozzle attached to the other end of the main pipeline, a pump provided in the first circulation path between one end and the other end of the main pipeline for sucking and pressurizing slurry, a sub-pipeline which branches from the pump or branches from the main pipeline between the pump and the nozzle and extends to the inner space of the container and forms a second circulation path, a valve for switching distribution of slurry to one or both of the first and second circulation paths, and a discharge port provided at a tip opposite to a branch end of the sub-pipeline and located below the nozzle in a vertical direction.

First claim

1 . A slurry storage and stirring device comprising:
a container capable of storing a slurry containing particles and a solvent; a main pipeline whose one end is connected to the container and the other end extends to an inner space of the container, forming a first circulation path of the slurry; a nozzle attached to the other end of the main pipeline; a pump which is provided in the first circulation path between one end and the other end of the main pipeline and sucks and pressurizes the slurry; a sub-pipeline which branches from the pump or branches from the main pipeline between the pump and the nozzle and extends to the inner space of the container, forming a second circulation path of the slurry; a valve which switches distribution of the slurry to one or both of the first circulation path and the second circulation path; and a discharge port provided at a tip opposite to a branch end of the sub-pipeline and located below the nozzle in a vertical direction.

2 . The slurry storage and stirring device according to claim 1 , further comprising a sensor which detects a level of a liquid surface of the slurry in the container,
wherein the valve is switched based on level information of the liquid surface of the slurry from the sensor.

3 . The slurry storage and stirring device according to claim 1 , wherein the sub-pipeline branches from the main pipeline between the pump and the nozzle.

4 . The slurry storage and stirring device according to claim 1 , wherein one end of the main pipeline is connected to a bottom of the container, and the other end of the main pipeline extends from an upper portion of the container toward a bottom surface of the inner space.

5 . The slurry storage and stirring device according to claim 1 , wherein a lower side of the inner space of the container is a conical reduced diameter portion having an inner bottom surface whose cross-sectional area decreases downward.

6 . The slurry storage and stirring device according to claim 5 , wherein an inclination angle of the inner bottom surface of the reduced diameter portion is 25° to 50° with respect to the vertical direction.

7 . The slurry storage and stirring device according to claim 5 , wherein the tip of the sub-pipeline is disposed so that a slurry discharge direction from the discharge port swirls the slurry in a circumferential direction of the inner bottom surface of the container.

8 . The slurry storage and stirring device according to claim 5 , wherein one end of the main pipeline is connected to an apex position of the conical reduced diameter portion of the container.

9 . The slurry storage and stirring device according to claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is used as a jet mixer, the jet mixer has an inlet and an outlet of the slurry delivered from the pump, and a sucking port which takes the slurry in the container,
the slurry delivered from the pump to the inlet of the nozzle and the slurry taken from the sucking port are mixed, and a mixed slurry is jetted from the outlet.

10 . The slurry storage and stirring device according to claim 1 , wherein a lower portion of the container includes a delivery pipeline that delivers the slurry to the outside of the container.

11 . The slurry storage and stirring device according to claim 1 , wherein the slurry contains a binder.

12 . A slurry stirring method in which while a slurry containing particles and a solvent is stored in a container, the slurry is sucked and pressurized by a pump to be returned into the container through a nozzle and circulated, the slurry stirring method comprising:
preparing, as circulation paths of the slurry, a first circulation path including a main pipeline which connects the container and a nozzle immersed in the slurry via the pump and a second circulation path including a sub-pipeline which branches from the pump or branches from the main pipeline between the pump and the nozzle and has at its tip a discharge port whose position in a vertical direction is located below the nozzle; storing the slurry in the container; circulating and stirring the slurry through the first circulation path; delivering the slurry to the outside of the container through a delivery pipeline connected to the container; detecting a level of a liquid surface of the slurry in the container with a sensor; and switching the circulation path of the slurry based on level information of the liquid surface of the slurry from the sensor, wherein when the liquid surface of the slurry is detected to be above a set level, one or both of the first circulation path and the second circulation path are selected, and the slurry is jetted or discharged from one or both of the nozzle and the discharge port corresponding to the selected circulation path and stirred, when the liquid surface of the slurry is detected to be the same as or lower than the set level, the second circulation path is selected, and the slurry is discharged from the discharge port of the sub-pipeline and stirred.

13 . The slurry stirring method according to claim 12 , wherein a liquid surface level of the slurry that switches the circulation path of the slurry is set above the nozzle.

14 . The slurry stirring method according to claim 12 , wherein the nozzle is used as a jet mixer, the jet mixer has an inlet and an outlet of the slurry delivered from the pump, and a sucking port which takes the slurry in the container,
the slurry delivered from the pump to the inlet of the nozzle and the slurry taken from the sucking port are mixed, and a mixed slurry is jetted from the outlet.

15 . The slurry stirring method according to claim 12 ,
wherein a flow rate of the slurry in the circulation path is 3.3 to 8.3 per second.

Assignees

• Hitachi Metals Ltd

Inventors

• Maeta Akihiro
• Nishimura Kazunori

Classifications

• B01F23/50 Primary

  Mixing liquids with solids (displacing one liquid by another in dispersions of solids in liquids B01D12/00) · CPC title

• B01F35/2112

  Level of material in a container or the position or shape of the upper surface of the material · CPC title

• B01F23/023

  Preventing sedimentation, conglomeration or agglomeration of solid ingredients during or after mixing by maintaining mixed ingredients in movement · CPC title

• B01F25/50

  Circulation mixers, e.g. wherein at least part of the mixture is discharged from and reintroduced into a receptacle · CPC title

• B01F25/21 Primary

  with submerged injectors, e.g. nozzles, for injecting high-pressure jets into a large volume or into mixing chambers · CPC title