JP5599162B2 - Rotary valve - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a rotary valve, and more particularly, to a rotary valve that air-locks the pressure in a pressure vessel and the external atmospheric pressure when discharging powder such as flour that has been heat-treated using steam in the pressure vessel. .

Conventionally, for example, a rotary valve as disclosed in Patent Document 1 below has been used as means for transporting food and the like from a low pressure section to a high pressure section or from a high pressure section to a low pressure section.
As shown in FIG. 10, the casing main body 1 of the rotary valve is formed with a cylindrical inner surface 2 whose central axis is directed substantially in the horizontal direction, and the rotor 3 is rotatably disposed in the casing main body 1. ing. The rotating shaft of the rotor 3 extends to the outside of the casing body 1, and a sprocket A is attached to the rotating shaft. Further, the driving force of the sprocket B attached to the rotating shaft of the motor M installed in the vicinity of the casing body 1 is transmitted to the sprocket A through the chain C, whereby the rotor 3 rotates. The rotor 3 has a plurality of blades 4 arranged radially around the rotation axis, and the tips of the blades 4 are close to the cylindrical inner surface 2 of the casing body 1, for example, 0.1-0. The rotor 3 rotates while maintaining a clearance of 2 mm. At this time, a substantially closed storage space 5 is formed by the pair of blades 4 adjacent to each other and the inner surface 2 of the casing body 1. And the granular material supplied from the supply port 6 formed in the upper part of the casing main body 1 is accommodated in each accommodation space 5, moves in the casing main body 1 with rotation of the rotor 3, and lower part of the casing main body 1 It is discharged from the discharge port 7 formed in. In this way, even if there is a pressure difference between the supply port 6 side and the discharge port 7 side, it is possible to discharge the granular material while performing airlock.

By the way, when handling foodstuffs such as flour as a granular material, heat treatment using steam may be performed for the purpose of heating or sterilization, and the granular material treated with high-temperature and high-pressure steam is discharged with a rotary valve. If it is going to be exposed, it will be exposed to a vapor | steam and a granular material, and the casing main body 1 and the rotor 3 of a rotary valve will be in a high temperature state. The casing body 1 and the rotor 3 are often made of SUS (stainless steel) from the viewpoint of corrosion resistance, durability, etc., but SUS has a large coefficient of thermal expansion.
For this reason, when the casing body 1 reaches a high temperature prior to the rotor 3, as shown in FIG. 11, the casing body 1 expands, so that the cylindrical inner surface 2 of the casing body 1 and the tip of the blade 4 of the rotor 3. There is a possibility that the gap with the portion is widened, and the steam and the particulates circulate inside and outside the accommodation space 5 through the large gap G formed here, so that the air lock can no longer be maintained. On the other hand, when the rotor 3 reaches a high temperature prior to the casing body 1, the blade 4 expands and the tip of the blade 4 comes into contact with the inner surface 2 of the casing body 1, making it difficult to smoothly rotate the rotor 3. There is a fear.

  Therefore, the casing main body 1 is covered with a steam jacket so that high-temperature steam is circulated around the outer periphery of the casing main body 1 and a high-temperature steam is circulated by forming a steam flow path in the rotating shaft portion of the rotor 3 in advance. There is a method in which the main body 1 and the rotor 3 are both kept at a high temperature. As a result, even if the steam-treated granular material is supplied from the supply port 6, a desired clearance is ensured between the inner surface 2 of the casing body 1 and the tip of the blade 4 of the rotor 3.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-151101

  Normally, the casing body 1 of the rotary valve has an end portion in the rotation axis direction of the rotor 3 opened, and the open end portion is closed with an end cover formed of SUS or the like. FIG. 12 shows the structure of the main part. The end cover 8 is attached by the fastening bolt 10 in a state where the end cover 8 is in contact with the end of the casing body 1 via the O-ring 9. For this reason, when high-temperature steam is circulated through the steam jacket, the casing body 1 reaches a high temperature prior to the end cover 8, and the casing body 1 tends to thermally expand radially outward. Even if the casing body 1 is fastened by the fastening bolt 10, there is a possibility that a deviation occurs between the casing body 1 and the end cover 8. When a deviation occurs between the casing main body 1 and the end cover 8 in this manner, the chain C is pulled by the driving force of the motor M and receives force in the direction in which the sprockets A and B approach each other. The central axis of 3 is inclined or decentered. If it becomes like this, the malfunction that the inner surface 2 of the casing main body 1 and the front-end | tip part of the blade 4 of the rotor 3 will contact will come.

Similarly to the casing body 1, if a steam jacket is also arranged on the outer surface portion of the end cover 8 and high temperature steam is circulated, the temperature conditions of the casing body 1 and the end cover 8 are made the same. Although it is possible to avoid the occurrence of deviation between them, this makes the structure of the rotary valve complicated and increases the manufacturing cost.
Further, as shown in FIG. 13, steps S1 and S2 are provided on the contact surfaces of both the open end portion of the casing body 1 and the end cover 8 so that the casing body 1 is fitted to each other when the casing body 1 is thermally expanded. By forming, it is possible to improve the fitting property of the end portion of the casing body 1 at a high temperature, but when the casing body 1 is in a low temperature state and thermally contracts, the steps S1 and S2 are conversely formed. It will leave | separate mutually and a shift | offset | difference will arise between the casing main body 1 and the edge part cover 8. FIG.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems. Even though the casing main body is exposed to a high temperature state or a low temperature state, the inner surface of the casing main body and the rotor can be used regardless of whether the casing main body is exposed to a high temperature state or a low temperature state. An object of the present invention is to provide a rotary valve in which the tip of the blade is not in contact.

A rotary valve according to the present invention is a rotary valve that discharges powder particles supplied from a supply port through a discharge port by rotating a rotor around a rotating shaft inside a casing having a supply port and a discharge port. Has a casing main body in which an end portion in the rotation axis direction is opened and a rotor is rotatably accommodated, and an end cover that closes the open end portion of the casing main body, and the casing main body and the rotor by circulation of the heat transfer medium And the casing body and the end cover each have an annular joint surface that surrounds the rotational shaft and is joined to each other in the rotational shaft direction. one annular groove is formed in the formed annular projection that fits into the annular groove to the other, the casing so that the annular groove and the annular projection is fitted Body end cover by a plurality of fastening bolts in a state where the bonding surfaces are bonded together in the bonding surface and the end cover is what is attached to the casing body.

For the casing body in which both ends in the rotation axis direction are opened, it is preferable to arrange end covers at both open ends.
Preferably, the casing main body has a substantially cylindrical inner surface, and the rotor is fixed to the rotating shaft member and the rotating shaft member in a radial manner, and a plurality of tips are adjacent to the cylindrical inner surface of the casing main body. The casing is partitioned into a plurality of housing spaces by the plurality of blades and the inner surface of the casing body.
Preferably, the temperature setting means includes a steam jacket for circulating the steam to the outer peripheral portion of the casing body, and a steam channel formed inside the rotating shaft member and for circulating the steam. Composed.
In addition, the steam-processed flour can be supplied from a supply port as a granular material.

  According to this invention, since the annular groove is formed on one of the annular joint surfaces of the casing body and the end cover, and the annular protrusion that fits into the annular groove is formed on the other, the structure is simple. However, even if the casing body is exposed to a high temperature state or a low temperature state, it is possible to prevent the inner surface of the casing body from contacting the tip of the blade of the rotor.

It is a partially broken front view which shows the rotary valve which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the rotary valve which concerns on embodiment. It is a front view which shows the rotary valve which concerns on embodiment of the state which removed the edge part cover. It is a front view which shows the edge part cover used in embodiment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 2. It is a top view which shows the rotary valve of embodiment connected with the motor. It is a figure which shows typically the positional relationship of the casing main body and end part cover at the time of high temperature. It is a figure which shows typically the positional relationship of the casing main body and end part cover at the time of low temperature. It is a principal part expanded sectional view of the rotary valve which concerns on other embodiment. It is front sectional drawing which shows the conventional rotary valve. It is a fragmentary front sectional view which shows the problem of the conventional rotary valve. It is a principal part enlarged view of the conventional rotary valve. It is a principal part enlarged view of the rotary valve which concerns on the other conventional form.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on a preferred embodiment shown in the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a rotary valve according to an embodiment of the present invention. The rotary valve includes a casing 11 and a rotor 12 that is rotatably disposed in the casing 11. The casing 11 has a casing main body 15 in which a supply port 13 and a discharge port 14 for powder particles are formed in an upper part and a lower part, respectively. A rotor housing chamber 17 having a cylindrical inner surface 16 with a central axis oriented substantially in the horizontal direction is formed at the center of the casing body 15, and the supply port 13 and the discharge port 14 are formed in the rotor housing chamber 17. Communicate.
The rotor housing chamber 17 of the casing body 15 is open at both ends of the cylindrical central axis direction, and the casing 11 uses a plurality of fastening bolts 18 so as to close both open ends of the rotor housing chamber 17. And end covers 19 and 20 attached to the casing body 15.

  The rotor 12 includes a rotating shaft member 21 disposed on the central axis of the cylindrical rotor accommodating chamber 17 of the casing body 15 and a plurality of blades 22 fixed to the rotating shaft member 21 at a predetermined angular interval radially. And have. The tip of each blade 22 is close to the inner surface 16 of the rotor housing chamber 17 of the casing body 15 with a clearance of 0.1 to 0.2 mm, for example, and a pair of blades 22 adjacent to each other and the inner surface of the rotor housing chamber 17. 16, a substantially closed storage space S for storing the granular material is formed.

A steam jacket 23 for circulating steam is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the casing body 15, and a steam flow path 24 for circulating steam is formed inside the rotating shaft member 21 of the rotor 12.
A scraper 25 is rotatably disposed inside the casing body 15 near the discharge port 14. The scraper 25 is positioned immediately below the rotor 12 and is configured to scrape off powder particles adhering to the rotor 12 by rotating around a rotating shaft member 26 disposed in parallel with the rotating shaft member 21 of the rotor 12. Has been.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rotary shaft member 21 of the rotor 12 is rotatably supported by bearings 27 and 28 fixed to the end covers 19 and 20, respectively, and the rotary shaft member 26 of the scraper 25 is similarly It is rotatably supported by bearings 29 and 30 fixed to the end covers 19 and 20, respectively.
A sprocket 31 and a gear 32 are fixed to the rotary shaft member 21 of the rotor 12, and a gear 33 is fixed to the rotary shaft member 26 of the scraper 25, and these gears 32 and 33 are engaged with each other. As a result, the scraper 25 rotates following the rotation of the rotor 12, but each time the region between adjacent blades 22 for partitioning each storage space S faces the discharge port 14, the scraper 25 is rotated by the blade 22. The gear ratio of the gears 32 and 33 is set in advance so as to enter the region between them.

  Disk-shaped members 34 and 35 are fixed to the rotating shaft member 21 of the rotor 12 so as to cover both ends of the plurality of blades 22 in the axial direction, respectively. Both ends of the rotor accommodating chamber 17 in the axial direction are closed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the casing body 15 has an annular joint surface 36 that surrounds the rotary shaft member 21 and is joined to the end cover 19 in the axial direction, and an annular protrusion 37 is formed on the joint surface 36. Is formed. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the end cover 19 has an annular joint surface 38 that surrounds the rotary shaft member 21 and is joined to the end portion of the casing body 15 in the axial direction. An annular groove 39 that fits into the annular protrusion 37 of the casing body 15 is formed.

Then, as shown in FIG. 5, both joint surfaces 36 and 38 are joined to each other so that the annular groove 39 of the end cover 19 is fitted to the annular protrusion 37 of the casing body 15 via the O-ring 40. In this state, the end cover 19 is attached to the end of the casing body 15 by a plurality of fastening bolts 18.
A gland packing 41 that seals between the outer peripheral portion of the disk-shaped member 34 of the rotor 12 and the casing main body 15 is pressed and fixed by a bolt 43 via an annular pressing member 42.
Similarly, on the joint surface between the casing body 15 and the other end cover 20, an annular protrusion is formed on the casing body 15, an annular groove is formed on the end cover 20, and the annular protrusion and the annular groove are formed. The end cover 20 is attached to the casing body 15 by a plurality of fastening bolts 18 in a state of being fitted to each other.

As shown in FIG. 6, the rotary valve having such a configuration is used in a state of being connected to the electric motor 45 by passing the chain 44 over the sprocket 31.
The casing body 15, the end covers 19 and 20, the rotating shaft member 21, the plurality of blades 22, the steam jacket 23, the scraper 25, the rotating shaft member 26, the disk-shaped members 34 and 35, and the like are each formed from SUS. ing.

Next, the operation of the rotary valve according to this embodiment will be described.
First, when the sprocket 31 is rotated through the chain 44 by driving the electric motor 45, the plurality of blades 22 of the rotor 12 together with the rotating shaft member 21 rotate in the rotor accommodating chamber 17 of the casing body 15. At this time, when the gear 32 fixed to the rotating shaft member 21 rotates, the scraper 25 also rotates through the gear 33 and the rotating shaft member 26 that mesh with the gear 32.

In this state, when the granular material is supplied into the casing 11 from the supply port 13, the granular material is caused by the pair of blades 22 adjacent to each other and the inner surface 16 of the rotor accommodating chamber 17 as the rotor 12 rotates. It is accommodated in the accommodation space S to be formed, moves in the rotor accommodating chamber 17, falls to the position facing the discharge port 14, falls and is discharged from the discharge port 14. In addition, even if it reaches the position facing the discharge port 14, the granular material that adheres to the rotor 12 and does not fall off is scraped off by the scraper 25 and discharged from the discharge port 14.
By adjusting the rotational speed of the rotor 12 by the electric motor 45, the discharge amount of the granular material can be controlled.

  Here, for example, when powder particles such as flour treated with high-temperature steam at a temperature of about 120 ° C. are discharged by this rotary valve, high-temperature steam is circulated through the steam jacket 23 and the rotating shaft member of the rotor 12 is used. The high-temperature steam is also circulated through the 21 steam flow paths 24 so that the casing body 15 and the rotor 12 are both brought into the same high-temperature state in advance. Thereby, even if the steam-treated granular material is supplied from the supply port 13, for example, 0.1 to 0.1 between the inner surface 16 of the rotor accommodating chamber 17 of the casing body 15 and the tip end portion of each blade 22 of the rotor 12. A clearance of 0.2 mm is secured, and the substantially closed storage space S formed by the pair of blades 22 adjacent to each other and the inner surface 16 of the rotor storage chamber 17 is maintained as it is.

  At this time, the steam jacket 23 is disposed so as to cover the outer peripheral portion of the casing body 15, but does not extend to the end covers 19 and 20. The temperature is raised prior to the end covers 19 and 20. Therefore, as schematically shown in FIG. 7, the casing body 15 tends to thermally expand in an elliptical shape outward in the radial direction, particularly in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the annular groove 39 is processed into a perfect circular shape, and the annular protrusion 37 of the casing body 15 and the annular groove 39 of the end cover 19 are fitted to each other. Even if it is to be deformed, it is limited to the annular groove 39 and does not deform into an ellipse. That is, the outer peripheral surface 37a presses the outer peripheral surface 39a of the annular groove 39 uniformly over the entire periphery.

As a result, even if the steam-treated granular material is supplied from the supply port 13 and the casing body 15 is thermally expanded, there is no deviation between the casing body 15 and the end covers 19 and 20, and rotation The risk of the shaft member 21 being inclined or decentered is avoided in advance.
For this reason, even if the atmosphere in the casing 11 is maintained in a high temperature and high pressure state of, for example, about 0.1 MPa gauge pressure together with the supply of the steam-treated powder particles, the inner surface 16 of the casing body 15 and the tips of the blades 22 of the rotor 12 The parts do not come into contact.

  By the way, when the casing main body 15 is in a low temperature state by supplying low temperature powder particles to the rotary valve once in a high temperature state, the casing main body 15 is schematically shown in FIG. Tries to heat shrink radially inward. At this time, since the annular protrusion 37 of the casing body 15 and the annular groove 39 of the end cover 19 are fitted to each other, the inner peripheral surface 37b of the annular protrusion 37 is now the inner peripheral surface of the annular groove 39. 39b is pressed uniformly over the entire circumference. The pressing force between the inner peripheral surfaces 37b and 39b increases as the degree of contraction of the casing body 15 increases, and the inner peripheral surface 37b of the annular protrusion 37 and the inner peripheral surface 39b of the annular groove 39 are strongly adhered to each other. The As a result, there is no deviation between the casing main body 15 and the end covers 19 and 20, and the possibility that the rotating shaft member 21 is inclined or decentered can be avoided.

In this manner, even if the casing body 15 is exposed to a high temperature state or a low temperature state, no deviation occurs between the casing body 15 and the end covers 19 and 20, and the rotary shaft member 21 is inclined. It is possible to prevent tilting and eccentricity.
In the above embodiment, the annular protrusion 37 is formed in the casing body 15 and the annular groove 39 is formed in the end covers 19 and 20, respectively. However, as shown in FIG. Even if the annular groove 46 is formed on the end covers 19 and 20 and the annular protrusions 47 are formed in the end covers 19 and 20, respectively, the same effect can be obtained.

  In the above embodiment, high-temperature steam is used as the heat transfer medium, and the steam jacket 23 formed on the outer peripheral portion of the casing body 15 and the steam channel 24 formed on the rotary shaft member 21 of the rotor 12 are used. Each of the casing body 15 and the rotor 12 is brought into the same high temperature state by circulating steam, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a low-temperature refrigerant such as cold air or cold water is used as the heat transfer medium, and the refrigerant is respectively supplied to the refrigerant jacket formed on the outer peripheral portion of the casing body 15 and the refrigerant flow path formed on the rotary shaft member 21 of the rotor 12. The casing main body 15 and the rotor 12 can be brought into the same low temperature state by being distributed. Also in this case, the casing main body 15 and the end cover 19 and the end cover 19 and the end cover 19 and the end cover 19 and 20 are fitted by fitting an annular groove formed on one of the joint surfaces of the casing main body 15 and the end covers 19 and 20 with an annular protrusion formed on the other. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the rotating shaft member 21 from being inclined or decentered.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Casing, 12 Rotor, 13 Supply port, 14 Discharge port, 15 Casing main body, 16 Inner surface, 17 Rotor storage chamber, 18 Fastening bolt, 19, 20 End cover, 21 Rotating shaft member, 22 Blade, 23 Steam jacket, 24 Steam flow path, 25
Scraper, 26 Rotary shaft member, 27-30 Bearing, 31 Sprocket, 32, 33 Gear, 34, 35 Disc-shaped member, 36, 38 Joint surface, 37, 47 Annular protrusion, 39, 46 Annular groove, 40 O-ring , 41 Gland packing, 42 Holding member, 43 Bolt, 44 Chain, 45 Electric motor, 37a, 39a Outer peripheral surface, 37b, 39b Inner peripheral surface, S accommodating space.

Claims (5)

In the rotary valve for discharging the granular material supplied from the supply port by rotating the rotor around the rotation axis inside the casing having the supply port and the discharge port,
The casing has a casing main body in which the end in the rotation axis direction is opened and the rotor is rotatably accommodated, and an end cover that closes the open end of the casing main body,
A temperature setting means for setting both the casing body and the rotor to the same temperature state by circulation of a heat transfer medium;
The casing main body and the end cover each have an annular joint surface that surrounds the rotation shaft and is joined to each other in the direction of the rotation shaft. An annular protrusion is formed to fit into the groove, and a plurality of fastenings are performed with the joint surface of the casing body and the joint surface of the end cover being joined together so that the annular groove and the annular protrusion are fitted together A rotary valve characterized in that the end cover is attached to the casing body by a bolt . The casing body is open at both ends in the direction of the rotation axis,
The rotary valve according to claim 1, wherein the end covers are arranged at both open ends of the casing body. The casing body has a substantially cylindrical inner surface,
The rotor includes a rotating shaft member, and a plurality of blades that are radially fixed to the rotating shaft member and whose tip portions are close to the cylindrical inner surface of the casing body, and the plurality of blades and the casing The rotary valve according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inside of the casing is partitioned into a plurality of housing spaces by an inner surface of the main body.   The said temperature setting means is a steam jacket for distribute | circulating a vapor | steam to the outer peripheral part of the said casing main body, and the steam flow path for distribute | circulating a vapor | steam while being formed inside the said rotating shaft member. The described rotary valve.   The rotary valve according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the steam-treated flour is supplied as the granular material from the supply port.

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