JP7694282B2 - Raw material powder supplying device, raw material powder mixing device, glass product manufacturing device, raw material powder supplying method, raw material powder mixing method, and glass product manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a raw material powder supplying device, a raw material powder mixing device, a glass product manufacturing device, a raw material powder supplying method, a raw material powder mixing method, and a glass product manufacturing method.

When mixing multiple types of raw powders in a predetermined mixing ratio, a raw powder supplying device is used to transport the multiple types of raw powders. The raw powders are used, for example, as molten glass raw materials. The mixed powder, which is a mixture of multiple types of raw powders transported by the raw powder supplying device, is melted in a melting furnace, and the resulting molten glass is cooled while being formed into a predetermined shape, to produce various glass products such as glass substrates.

As a raw material powder supplying device, for example, a device has been disclosed that includes a first storage container for storing cullet, a second storage container for storing a raw material batch, a dosage device for dosageing the raw material batch in the second storage container into the first storage container, and a removal device for transporting a mixture of cullet and raw material batch to a glass melting facility (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In this device, the raw material batch that falls into the metering device in the second storage container is transported by a screw into the discharge hopper of the first storage container, and the mixture of raw material batch and cullet in the first storage container is transported by the screw into the glass melting equipment.

JP 2016-30721 A

However, the device in Patent Document 1 does not manage the humidity in the passages through which raw material powders such as cullet and raw material batches are transported. Therefore, in the device in Patent Document 1, if the raw material powder is hygroscopic, at least a portion of the raw material powder may react with moisture in the air and dissolve in the dosage device and removal device, causing the raw material powder to solidify. If the raw material powder solidifies, it will adhere to the walls and screws in the dosage device and removal device, making it difficult to transport the raw material powder and causing breakdowns.

One aspect of the present invention aims to provide a raw powder supplying device that can reduce moisture absorption of raw powder.

One aspect of the raw powder supplying device according to the present invention includes a raw powder storage section that stores hygroscopic raw powder, a measuring section that measures the raw powder supplied from the raw powder storage section, a first supply path that connects the raw powder storage section and the measuring section and moves the raw powder from the raw powder storage section to the measuring section, and a second supply path that is connected to the measuring section and moves the raw powder from the measuring section to the outside, and a heating section is provided in at least one of the first supply path and the second supply path.

One aspect of the raw powder supplying device according to the present invention can reduce moisture absorption of the raw powder.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a raw material powder supplying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a schematic internal configuration of the raw material powder supplying device of FIG. 1. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the damper is opened. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of another configuration of the heating unit. 1 is a flowchart of a raw material powder supplying method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a raw material powder mixing device. FIG. 7 is a plan view of FIG. 6. 1 is a flowchart of a raw material powder preparation method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a glass product manufacturing apparatus. FIG. 10 is a plan view of FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a glass product manufacturing method according to the present embodiment.

The following is a detailed description of an embodiment of the present invention. To facilitate understanding of the description, the same components in each drawing are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted. The scale of each member in the drawings may differ from the actual scale. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, "~" indicating a range of values means that the values before and after it are included as the lower and upper limits.

<Raw material powder supply device>
A raw material powder supplying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the raw material powder supplying apparatus according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the raw material powder supplying apparatus of FIG. 1. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system of three axial directions (X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, Z-axis direction) is used, and the height direction of the raw material powder supplying apparatus is set as the Z-axis direction, and one of two mutually orthogonal directions on a plane perpendicular to the Z-axis direction is set as the X-axis direction and the other is set as the Y-axis direction. The direction from the bottom to the top of the raw material powder supplying apparatus is set as the +Z-axis direction, and the opposite direction is set as the -Z-axis direction. In the following description, the +Z-axis direction may be referred to as the top or upper direction, and the -Z-axis direction may be referred to as the bottom or lower direction, but this does not represent a universal vertical relationship.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the raw powder supplying device 1 according to this embodiment includes a raw powder input section 10, a raw powder storage section 20, a measuring section 30, a first supply path 40A, a second supply path 40B, a dry gas introduction section 50, a heating section 60, a thermometer/hygrometer 70, a pressure gauge 80, and a control section 90.

When the raw material powder supplying device 1 moves the hygroscopic raw material powder P from the raw material powder storage unit 20 to the outside through the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B, the heating unit 60 heats the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B. This allows the raw material powder supplying device 1 to reduce the humidity in the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B, thereby suppressing moisture absorption of the raw material powder moving through the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B and suppressing solidification of the raw material powder.

The raw material powder P may be any powder that is hygroscopic, such as gypsum dihydrate, calcium fluoride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, ammonium chloride, strontium chloride, boric acid, and food powders such as wheat flour.

The raw material powder P is preferably a deliquescent powder among hygroscopic powders. Hygroscopicity includes deliquescence. Hygroscopicity is the property of a substance absorbing or adsorbing water molecules, and deliquescence is the property of a substance changing into a state such as a solution after absorbing or adsorbing water molecules. Powders with deliquescence are more suitable for use in the raw material powder supplying device 1 than powders with hygroscopicity, which can suppress solidification of the raw material powders moving through the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B.

A deliquescent powder refers to a powder whose saturated aqueous solution has a water vapor pressure less than the partial pressure of water vapor in the atmosphere, and preferably refers to a powder whose saturated aqueous solution has a water vapor pressure of 2.7 kPa or less at 20°C. Examples of deliquescent powders include calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, ammonium chloride, strontium chloride, etc., from among the substances listed above as hygroscopic powders.

As shown in FIG. 2, the raw material powder feed section 10 is provided above the raw material powder storage section 20, temporarily stores raw material powder P fed from the outside, and feeds at least a portion of the stored raw material powder P into the raw material powder storage section 20.

The raw powder input section 10 includes a storage section 11, a lid section 12, a damper 13, and a gas introduction hole 14, and controls the opening and closing of the damper 13 to control the storage of the raw powder P and the input of the stored raw powder P into the raw powder storage section 20.

As shown in FIG. 2, the storage section 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape and stores the raw material powder P inside. Note that the cylindrical shape may be circular or polygonal when viewed from above. A circular shape includes not only a perfect circle but also an ellipse when viewed from above. The storage section 11 is formed in a truncated cone shape.

The storage section 11 has an opening (feed port) 11a and an opening (discharge port) 11b at its upper and lower ends. The feed port 11a is a hole through which the raw material powder P is fed, and the discharge port 11b is a hole through which the raw material powder P is discharged. The shapes of the feed port 11a and the discharge port 11b can be any shape appropriate depending on the external shape of the storage section 11, and may be circular, rectangular, etc.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lid 12 is provided on the top of the storage section 11 and closes the inlet 11a of the storage section 11. By closing the inlet 11a of the storage section 11, the lid 12 isolates the inside of the storage section 11 from the external atmosphere. Closing the inlet 11a of the storage section 11 with the lid 12 prevents the raw material powder P in the storage section 11 from scattering to the outside, and reduces the intrusion of dust and the like into the storage section 11.

As shown in Fig. 2, the damper 13 is provided in the middle of the passage in the storage section 11. The configuration of the damper 13 is not particularly limited as long as it can adjust the cross-sectional area of the passage in the storage section 11, and a general damper can be used. In this embodiment, the damper 13 has a movable plate that can rotate in the vertical direction. The damper 13 controls the storage and fall of the raw material powder P introduced into the storage section 11 by adjusting the inclination of the damper 13.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the damper 13 is disposed substantially horizontally within the storage section 11, there is almost no gap between the damper 13 and the inner wall of the storage section 11, and the damper 13 closes the passage of the storage section 11. Therefore, the raw material powder P is stored above the damper 13 within the storage section 11.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the damper 13 is placed substantially vertically in the storage section 11, a gap is created between the damper 13 and the inner wall of the storage section 11, and the damper 13 opens the passage of the storage section 11. As a result, the raw material powder P stored in the storage section 11 by the damper 13 falls due to its own weight and moves downward (in the -Z axis direction).

2, the gas inlet hole 14 is a through hole provided on the side surface of the storage section 11, and is connected to a gas introduction pipe 52A. The dry gas CA flowing from the dry gas introduction section 50 (see FIG. 1) into the gas introduction pipe 52A is supplied from the gas inlet hole 14 to the inside of the storage section 11.
The gas introduction hole 14 may be of a size that allows the gas introduction pipe 52A to be detachably fitted therein.

As shown in FIG. 2, the raw material powder storage section 20 has an upper end connected to the lower end of the storage section 11, and a first supply path 40A connected to the lower end. The raw material powder storage section 20 stores raw material powder P that has fallen from the storage section 11 and moved. The raw material powder storage section 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a space A inside in which the raw material powder P that falls from the storage section 11 is stored.

The raw powder storage section 20 may be tapered so that the diameter gradually decreases from top to bottom when viewed from the front. The raw powder storage section 20 may be formed in a cylindrical shape and have the same diameter from top to bottom when viewed from the front.

The raw powder storage section 20 has a powder inlet 20A at its top and a powder outlet 20B at its bottom. The raw powder storage section 20 is connected so that the outlet 11b of the storage section 11 is located above the powder inlet 20A, and is connected so that the first supply path 40A is positioned horizontally below the powder outlet 20B.

The raw powder P that falls from the storage section 11 into the raw powder storage section 20 is accumulated upward within the raw powder storage section 20 from the first supply path 40A located below the powder discharge outlet 20B.

The relative humidity of space A in raw material powder storage section 20 is preferably 30% or less, more preferably 15% or less, and even more preferably 10% or less. If the relative humidity is 30% or less, the raw material powder P is prevented from absorbing moisture even if it is stored in raw material powder storage section 20 for several days (e.g., 1 to 7 days).

The relative humidity (unit: %) is calculated by dividing the amount of water vapor contained in the air _mw by the amount of saturated water vapor at that humidity _mmax , and multiplying the result by 100, as shown in the following formula (1).
Relative humidity RH (%) = m _{w /} m _max × 100 ... (1)

The relative humidity of space A in the raw powder storage section 20 can be set by the amount of dry gas CA supplied into the storage section 11 by the dry gas introduction section 50. Dry gas CA is supplied to space A through the inside of the storage section 11 from gas introduction pipe 52A connected to gas introduction hole 14 provided on the side of the storage section 11. By increasing the amount of dry gas CA supplied into space A, the relative humidity of space A can be set low.

As shown in FIG. 2, the weighing section 30 has a cylindrical container 31 with a space inside and a weighing device 32 provided on the side of the container 31, and raw material powder P is supplied from the raw material powder storage section 20 into the container 31 through the first supply path 40A. The amount of raw material powder P supplied from the raw material powder storage section 20 is measured by measuring the amount of change in the load applied to the weighing device 32 and measuring the amount of change in the mass inside the container 31. A load cell or the like is used as the weighing device 32. The weighing device 32 is connected to the control section 90, and the measurement results are sent to it.

The weighing unit 30 may be a commonly used weighing machine, and in addition to measuring the amount of raw material powder P in the container 31 using the weighing device 32, the amount of raw material powder P in the container 31 may be measured, for example, by installing a probe (probe-type level sensor) 32 in the container 31 and measuring the amount of change in the height of the raw material powder P.

The size of the weighing section 30 is not particularly limited and can be designed to any size as appropriate.

The measuring section 30 is connected to the first supply path 40A at the top of one side (-Y axis direction) and to the second supply path 40B at the bottom of the other side (+Y axis direction). The raw material powder P is supplied from the upper side of the inside of the measuring section 30 through the first supply path 40A and is discharged to the outside of the measuring section 30 through the second supply path 40B.

The measuring section 30 may have a gas introduction hole 311 at the top of the other (+Y-axis) side surface of the container 31, to which a gas introduction pipe 52B may be connected. Dry gas CA flowing from the dry gas introduction section 50 (see FIG. 1) into the gas introduction pipe 52B is supplied to the inside of the storage section 11 through the gas introduction hole 311. The gas introduction hole 311 may be of any size as long as it can maintain the gas introduction pipe 52B inserted and detached.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first supply path 40A is a tubular passage that connects the raw material powder storage section 20 and the measuring section 30 and moves the raw material powder P from the raw material powder storage section 20 to the measuring section 30. The first supply path 40A may be rectangular or circular when viewed in the axial direction. The first supply path 40A has an upper opening 401A at a position corresponding to the powder discharge port 20B of the raw material powder storage section 20, and is connected to the raw material powder storage section 20 approximately horizontally. One end of the first supply path 40A is connected to an input hole 312 provided in the side wall of the container 31 of the measuring section 30.

The upper opening 401A may have substantially the same shape and size as the powder discharge outlet 20B in a plan view, may be large enough to include the powder discharge outlet 20B, or may be smaller than the powder discharge outlet 20B.

The first supply path 40A has a first powder supply unit 41A therein. The first powder supply unit 41A may have a mechanism capable of transporting the raw powder P in a substantially horizontal direction, and may be a screw feeder, a rotary feeder, an electromagnetic feeder, or the like. In this embodiment, the first powder supply unit 41A is configured as a screw feeder and may have a conveying screw 411A and a driving unit 412A that rotates and drives the conveying screw 411A.

The conveying screw 411A transports the raw material powder P in the first supply path 40A in a substantially horizontal direction toward the measuring section 30.

A motor or the like is used as the drive unit 412A.

The raw material powder P in the first supply path 40A is moved to the measuring section 30 by driving and rotating the conveying screw 411A using the drive section 412A.

The first supply path 40A is preferably provided substantially horizontally at the bottom of the raw material powder storage section 20. As described below, a heating section 60 is provided on the outer periphery of the first supply path 40A. By providing the first supply path 40A substantially horizontally, the amount of movement of the raw material powder P passing through the first supply path 40A can be appropriately adjusted according to the heating condition of the first supply path 40A, thereby reducing moisture absorption of the raw material powder P.

As shown in FIG. 2, the second supply path 40B is connected to the outlet 313 of the container 31 of the measuring section 30, and is a tubular passage that moves the raw material powder P from the measuring section 30 to the outside (e.g., the blending section 110 in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7). The second supply path 40B has an upper opening 401B at a position corresponding to the outlet 313 of the container 31, and is connected to the measuring section 30 approximately horizontally.

The second supply path 40B has a second powder supply unit 41B therein. The second powder supply unit 41B may be configured in the same manner as the first powder supply unit 41A. That is, the second powder supply unit 41B may have a mechanism capable of transporting the raw material powder P in a substantially horizontal direction, similar to the first powder supply unit 41A, and may use a screw feeder, a rotary feeder, an electromagnetic feeder, or the like. In this embodiment, the second powder supply unit 41B may be configured as a screw feeder, similar to the first powder supply unit 41A, and may have a conveying screw 411B and a driving unit 412B that rotates and drives the conveying screw 411B.

The second supply path 40B, like the first supply path 40A, is preferably provided substantially horizontally at the bottom of the measuring section 30. As described below, a heating section 60 is provided on the outer periphery of the second supply path 40B. By providing the second supply path 40B substantially horizontally, the amount of movement of the raw material powder P passing through the second supply path 40B can be appropriately adjusted according to the heating condition of the second supply path 40B, thereby reducing moisture absorption of the raw material powder P.

As shown in FIG. 1, the dry gas introduction section 50 is connected to the gas introduction hole 14 (see FIG. 2) provided on the side of the storage section 11 of the raw material powder introduction section 10, and introduces the dry gas CA into the raw material powder introduction section 10 and the raw material powder storage section 20.

Dry air, nitrogen gas, oxygen gas, etc. are used as the dry gas CA.

The dry gas introduction section 50 may have a gas supply section 51 that stores the dry gas CA, and a gas introduction pipe 52 that connects the gas supply section 51 to the storage section 11 and the metering section 30 and transports the dry gas CA into the storage section 11 and the metering section 30.

A gas tank or the like that stores dry gas CA is used as the gas supply unit 51.

The gas introduction pipe 52 may have a gas introduction pipe 52A that connects the gas supply unit 51 and the storage unit 11, and a gas introduction pipe 52B that connects the gas supply unit 51 and the container 31 of the measuring unit 30. The gas introduction pipe 52A supplies dry gas G from its tip to the inside of the storage unit 11, and the gas introduction pipe 52B supplies dry gas G from its tip to the inside of the container 31. The gas introduction pipe 52 may have control valves (not shown) in the middle of the gas introduction pipes 52A and 52B to control the flow rate of the dry gas CA flowing through these pipes. Note that the gas introduction pipe 52 may have only the gas introduction pipe 52A and not have the gas introduction pipe 52B.

The gas introduction pipe 52A may be provided so that its tip is at approximately the same position as the inner wall of the storage section 11, or may protrude into the space within the storage section 11. Like the gas introduction pipe 52A, the gas introduction pipe 52B may also be provided so that its tip is at approximately the same position as the inner wall of the container 31, or may protrude into the space within the container 31.

In this embodiment, the dry gas introduction section 50 connects the gas introduction pipe 52A to the raw material powder input section 10, but a through hole may be provided in the side of the raw material powder storage section 20 and connected to the side of the raw material powder storage section 20 to supply the dry gas CA directly to the space A in the raw material powder storage section 20. In addition to the gas introduction pipes 52A and 52B, the dry gas introduction section 50 may also connect another gas introduction pipe to the side of the raw material powder storage section 20.

As shown in FIG. 1, the heating unit 60 has two heating units 60A and 60B. The heating unit 60A is provided on the outer periphery of the first supply path 40A and heats the first supply path 40A. The heating unit 60B is provided on the outer periphery of the second supply path 40B and heats the second supply path 40B. The heating unit 60 may include only either the heating unit 60A or 60B and may be provided only on the outer periphery of the first supply path 40A or the second supply path 40B.

The heating section 60A has a heat transfer member 61A that heats the first supply path 40A and a thermometer 62A that measures the temperature of the first supply path 40A, and the heating section 60B has a heat transfer member 61B that heats the second supply path 40B and a thermometer 62B that measures the temperature of the second supply path 40B.

The heat transfer members 61A and 61B are arranged on the outer periphery of the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B in a state of contact with the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B. The heat transfer members 61A and 61B may be ribbon heaters in which a heater wire is sewn to a heat-resistant cloth or ribbon to form an integrated unit. Instead of ribbon heaters, the heating units 60A and 60B may be planar heaters in which a heater wire is sewn to a heat-resistant cloth or ribbon to form an integrated unit, ceramic heaters, or the like.

The thermometers 62A and 62B are preferably provided on the outer periphery of the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B, between the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B and the heat transfer members 61A and 61B. As the thermometers 62A and 62B, any device generally used as a thermometer can be used, such as a thermocouple. The thermometers 62A and 62B are connected to the control unit 90, and the measurement results are sent. The thermometers 62A and 62B measure the temperatures of the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B, so that the heating temperatures of the heat transfer members 61A and 61B can be appropriately adjusted to any desired temperature.

The heating unit 60 heats the outer periphery of the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B, so that heat is transferred to the air inside the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B, and the air inside the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B is heated. This increases the saturated water vapor pressure of the air inside the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B, and reduces the amount of moisture present in the air inside the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B. As a result, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of moisture absorption caused by the raw material powder P reacting with the moisture present in the air inside the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B.

The heating section 60 may be provided over the entire length of the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B, or may be provided only in a part of them. For example, the heating section 60A may not be provided directly below the raw powder storage section 20, but may be provided between the upper opening 401A provided at a position corresponding to the powder discharge port 20B of the raw powder storage section 20 and the wall surface of the measuring section 30. The heating section 60B may not be provided directly below the measuring section 30, but may be provided outside the upper opening 401B provided at a position corresponding to the discharge port 313 of the container 31 and the wall surface of the container 31. The area other than directly below the raw powder storage section 20 and the measuring section 30 is particularly likely to be cooled by the outside air and moisture is likely to be generated because the area of contact between the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B and the outside increases. The heating unit 60A is provided between the upper opening 401 and the wall surface of the measuring unit 30, and the heating unit 60B is provided outside the upper opening 401B and the wall surface of the container 31. By heating the air inside the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B, the saturated water vapor pressure of the air is increased, and the generation of moisture in the air is efficiently suppressed. In addition, the heating unit 60A and the heating unit 60B can be easily attached and detached.

As shown in FIG. 4, the heating units 60A and 60B may each include a heat insulating material 63A that covers the heat transfer member 61A and the thermometer 62A, and the heat transfer member 61B and the thermometer 62B. The heat insulating materials 63A and 63B can be formed into a sheet before use. By covering the heat transfer member 61A and the thermometer 62A, and the heat transfer member 61B and the thermometer 62B with the heat insulating materials 63A and 63B, the heat generated in the heating units 60A and 60B is prevented from being dissipated to the outside, thereby improving the heating efficiency of the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B.

The heat retaining materials 63A and 63B can be general insulating materials, such as inorganic fibers, organic fibers, and resin foams. The inorganic fibers can be composite materials containing inorganic fiber materials such as glass fibers, ceramic fibers, and silica fibers, and inorganic binders such as colloidal silica, alumina sol, and sodium silicate as necessary. The organic fibers can be aramid, polyamide, and polyimide. The resin foam can be silicone resin, fluororesin, and the like. There are no particular limitations on the thickness of the heat retaining materials 63A and 63B, as long as they can cover the heat transfer member 61A and thermometer 62A, and the heat transfer member 61B and thermometer 62B.

The thermo-hygrometer 70 is provided in the space A in the raw material powder storage unit 20. There are no particular limitations on the thermo-hygrometer 70, and any measuring instrument capable of measuring the temperature and humidity in the raw material powder storage unit 20 can be used. The thermo-hygrometer 70 is connected to the control unit 90, and the measurement results are sent thereto.

The pressure gauge 80 is not particularly limited, and any pressure gauge capable of measuring the pressure in the raw powder storage section 20 can be used. The pressure gauge 80 is connected to the control section 90, and the measurement result is sent to the control section 90. A dry gas CA is supplied from the storage section 11 to the raw powder storage section 20, and the air pressure in the raw powder storage section 20 is maintained at a positive pressure. When the raw powder P falls from the raw powder storage section 20 to the first supply path 40A and moves, the dry air CA in the raw powder storage section 20 is also discharged to the outside, and the air pressure in the raw powder storage section 20 may become negative. When the air pressure in the raw powder storage section 20 becomes negative, a force acts to push the raw powder P back from the measuring section 30 to the raw powder storage section 20 side, and the raw powder P may not be smoothly supplied from the first supply path 40A to the measuring section 30. The pressure inside the raw powder storage section 20 is measured using a pressure gauge 80, and the amount of dry gas CA supplied, the amount of raw powder P supplied from the storage section 11, the movement speed of the raw powder P through the first supply path 40A, etc. are adjusted so that the air pressure inside the raw powder storage section 20 becomes positive, thereby maintaining a state in which the raw powder P can be smoothly supplied from inside the raw powder storage section 20 through the first supply path 40A to the metering section 30.

The control unit 90 is connected to each of the components constituting the raw material powder supplying device 1, such as the metering device 32, the dry gas introduction unit 50, the heat transfer members 61A and 61B, the thermo-hygrometer 70, and the pressure gauge 80, in an arbitrary manner so that each of them can communicate with each other. The control unit 90 is connected to the heat transfer members 61A and 61B so as to be able to control the heat transfer members 61A and 61B. The control unit 90 has a memory means for storing a control program and various memory information, and a calculation means for operating based on the control program. The control unit 90 is realized by the calculation means reading and executing the control program, etc. stored in the memory means.

In this embodiment, when the raw material powder P is a molten glass raw material, the molten glass raw material is composed of molten glass. The composition of the molten glass is not particularly limited. The molten glass may be any of soda-lime glass, alkali-free glass, mixed alkali glass, borosilicate glass, and other glasses.

When the molten glass is soda-lime glass used for plate glass for buildings or vehicles, etc., the molten glass preferably has a composition, expressed as mass percentage based on oxides, of _SiO2 : 65-75%, _Al2O3 : 0-3%, _CaO : 5-15%, MgO: 0-15%, _Na2O : 10-20%, _K2O : 0-3%, _Li2O : 0-5%, _Fe2O3 : 0-3%, _TiO2 : 0-5%, _CeO2 : 0-3%, _BaO : 0-5%, SrO: 0-5%, _B2O3 : 0-5%, _ZnO : 0-5%, _ZrO2 : 0-5%, _SnO2 : 0-3%, _SO3 : 0-0.5%.

When the molten glass is alkali-free glass used for a substrate for a liquid crystal _display or the like, the molten glass _preferably has a composition, expressed as mass percentage based on oxides, of _SiO2 : 39-75%, _Al2O3 : 3-27%, _B2O3 : 0-20%, MgO: 0-13%, CaO: 0-17%, SrO: 0-20%, and BaO: 0-30%.

When the molten glass is a mixed alkali glass used for a substrate for a plasma display or the like, the molten glass preferably has a composition, expressed as mass percentage based on oxides, _{of SiO2} : 50-75%, _Al2O3 : 0-15%, MgO ₊ CaO+SrO+BaO+ZnO: 6-24%, and _Na2O + _K2O : 6-24%.

When the molten glass is borosilicate glass used for heat-resistant containers or laboratory equipment, etc., the molten glass preferably has a composition, expressed as mass percentage based on oxides, of SiO ₂ : 60-85%, Al ₂ O ₃ : 0-5%, B ₂ O ₃ : 5-20%, Na ₂ O + K ₂ O: 2-10%.

In this way, the raw material powder supplying device 1 is provided with the heating unit 60 on the outer periphery of the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B. As a result, the raw material powder supplying device 1 can heat the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B with the heating unit 60 to increase the saturated water vapor pressure of the air in the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B and reduce the relative humidity. Therefore, the raw material powder supplying device 1 can reduce the moisture absorption of the raw material powder P by suppressing the absorption of moisture in the air by the raw material powder P while the raw material powder P passes through the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B.

When the raw powder P absorbs moisture in each of the components that make up the raw powder supplying device 1, such as the raw powder storage section 20, the measuring section 30, the first supply path 40A, and the second supply path 40B, the raw powder P may absorb moisture and solidify, causing a problem in the supply of the raw powder P to the outside. For example, the conveying screws 411A of the first powder supplying section 41A and the second powder supplying section 41B may not be driven or may not be driven sufficiently to rotate in the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B, and the raw powder P may not be moved. The raw powder supplying device 1 can reduce the occurrence of moisture absorption in the raw powder P, so that the raw powder P can be stably supplied to the outside in a preset amount.

The raw powder supplying device 1 includes a raw powder input section 10 and a dry gas introduction section 50, and the dry gas introduction section 50 can be connected to the raw powder input section 10. The raw powder supplying device 1 introduces dry gas CA from the storage section 11 of the raw powder input section 10 into the raw powder storage section 20, and the dry gas CA is mixed with the air present in the raw powder storage section 20. By lowering the concentration of the air in the raw powder storage section 20 and increasing the concentration of the dry gas, the humidity of the air in the raw powder storage section 20 is lowered, and therefore the raw powder P in the raw powder storage section 20 can be reduced from coming into contact with moisture in the air. Therefore, the raw powder supplying device 1 can further reduce moisture absorption of the raw powder P in the raw powder storage section 20.

The raw material powder supplying device 1 can use dry air, nitrogen gas, oxygen gas, etc. as the dry gas. Since these airs or gases do not contain moisture and have low humidity, by using these airs or gases as dry gases and mixing them with the air in the raw material powder storage section 20, the concentration of air in the raw material powder storage section 20 can be more reliably reduced. Therefore, the raw material powder supplying device 1 can more reliably reduce moisture absorption of the raw material powder P in the raw material powder storage section 20 because it can reliably prevent the raw material powder P from coming into contact with moisture in the air in the raw material powder storage section 20.

In the raw powder supplying device 1, the raw powder input section 10 can include a storage section 11, a lid section 12, a damper 13, and a gas introduction hole 14. This allows the raw powder supplying device 1 to easily maintain the space in the raw powder input section 10 in a sealed state. Therefore, the raw powder supplying device 1 can further stably reduce moisture absorption of the raw powder P by preventing the raw powder P input into the raw powder input section 10 from coming into contact with moisture in the air when the raw powder P moves from the raw powder input section 10 to the raw powder storage section 20. In addition, the raw powder supplying device 1 can store the raw powder P while keeping the space in the storage section 11 in a sealed state by closing the damper 13. Furthermore, a predetermined amount of raw powder P can be dropped into the raw powder storage section 20 at any timing for use. Therefore, the raw material powder supplying device 1 prevents the raw material powder P charged into the raw material powder charging section 10 from coming into contact with the outside air during the storage and use stages of the raw material powder P charged into the raw material powder charging section 10, thereby reducing moisture absorption by the raw material powder P during storage in the raw material powder charging section 10.

The raw material powder supplying device 1 can keep the relative humidity in the raw material powder storage section 20 at 30% or less. As a result, even when the raw material powder P is charged into the raw material powder storage section 20, the raw material powder supplying device 1 prevents the raw material powder P from absorbing moisture in the air. Therefore, the raw material powder supplying device 1 can more stably reduce moisture absorption by the raw material powder P in the raw material powder storage section 20.

In the raw material powder supplying device 1, the heating unit 60 can include a ribbon heater as a heat transfer member. The ribbon heater is wound around the outer periphery of the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B. Therefore, the raw material powder supplying device 1 can easily attach the ribbon heater while maintaining the state in which it is in contact with the outer periphery of the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B, and the length of the ribbon heater can be easily adjusted. As a result, the raw material powder supplying device 1 can reliably heat the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B in a predetermined range in the axial direction. Therefore, the raw material powder supplying device 1 can increase the amount of saturated water vapor in the air passing through the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B to appropriately lower the relative humidity in the air. Therefore, the raw material powder supplying device 1 can effectively suppress the occurrence of moisture absorption of the raw material powder P because the raw material powder P is suppressed from absorbing moisture in the air while passing through the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B.

The raw material powder supplying device 1 can cover the heating part 60 with a heat retaining material 61. This reduces the leakage of heat from the heating part 60 to the outside, and the heating part 60 can be kept in contact with the outer periphery of the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B and fixed. Therefore, the raw material powder supplying device 1 can increase the heating efficiency of the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B, and can reliably reduce the relative humidity in the air. Therefore, the raw material powder supplying device 1 can more reliably suppress the raw material powder P passing through the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B from absorbing moisture in the air, and can further stably reduce the moisture absorption of the raw material powder P.

The raw material powder supplying device 1 can use molten glass raw material as the raw material powder P. Therefore, the raw material powder supplying device 1 can reduce moisture absorption of the molten glass raw material during glass production, allowing for stable production of glass products.

<Raw material powder supply method>
A raw material powder supplying method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The raw material powder supplying method according to this embodiment is performed using a raw material powder supplying device 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 5 is a flowchart of the raw material powder supplying method according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, in the raw material powder supplying method according to this embodiment, raw material powder P is charged into the storage section 11 with the lid section 12 open and the damper 13 closed, and is stored above the damper 13 in the storage section 11 (raw material powder storage step: step S11).

Next, the damper 13 is opened, and the raw material powder P stored in the storage section 11 falls downward under its own weight, is deposited on the first supply path 40A located at the upper opening 401A, and is stored in the first supply path 40A and the raw material powder storage section 20 (raw material powder storage process: step S12).

Next, the raw powder P is moved from the raw powder storage section 20 to the measuring section 30 by the conveying screw 411A through the first supply path 40A (first supply step: step S13). At this time, the first supply path 40A is heated by the heating section 60A to warm the air in the first supply path 40A and increase the saturated water vapor pressure of the air, thereby lowering the relative humidity in the air and suppressing the reaction of the raw powder P with the moisture in the air.

Next, the raw powder P supplied from the raw powder storage section 20 is weighed by the weighing section 30 (weighing process: step S13).

Next, the raw material powder P is moved from the measuring section 30 to the outside by the conveying screw 411B through the second supply path 40B (second supply step: step S14). At this time, the second supply path 40B is heated by the heating section 60B to increase the saturated water vapor pressure of the air in the second supply path 40B, thereby suppressing the reaction of the raw material powder P with the moisture in the air.

In the raw material powder supplying method according to the present embodiment, in the first supplying step (step S13) and the second supplying step (step S15), the heating unit 60 heats the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B to increase the saturated water vapor pressure of the dry air CA passing through the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B, thereby reducing the relative humidity. As a result, the raw material powder supplying method according to the present embodiment can suppress the raw material powder P from absorbing moisture in the air while passing through the first supply path 40A and the second supply path 40B, thereby suppressing moisture absorption of the raw material powder P.

<Raw material powder mixing device>
A raw material powder mixing apparatus including a raw material powder supplying device according to this embodiment will be described.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a raw material powder blending apparatus, and Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 6. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the raw material powder blending apparatus 100 includes a plurality of raw material powder supplying apparatuses 1-1...1-N (N is an integer of 1 or more) and a blending section 110. Note that the raw material powder supplying apparatuses 1-1...1-N (N is an integer of 1 or more) in Figs. 6 and 7 represent the raw material powder supplying apparatus 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but are simply shown in Figs. 6 and 7.
Mixing section 110.

As shown in FIG. 7, the raw powder supplying devices 1-1...1-N (N is an integer of 1 or more) are arranged in parallel in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the blending section 110. The raw powder supplying devices 1-1...1-N (N is an integer of 1 or more) are equipped with heating units 60B-1...60B-N in the second supply paths 40B-1...40B-N, and each heating unit 60B-1...60B-N is equipped with a heat transfer member 61B-1...61B-N and a thermometer 62B-1...60B-N. The raw powder supplying devices 1-1...1-N are the raw powder supplying devices 1 described above, so details are omitted. In the raw powder supplying devices 1-1...1-N, if the raw powder dropped into each of them is a raw powder with low hygroscopicity or a raw powder with no hygroscopicity, the heating unit 60 (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) does not need to be used.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the blending section 110 is connected to the second supply paths 40B-1...40B-N of each of the raw material powder supplying devices 1-1...1-N, and mixes the raw material powders P supplied by the raw material powder supplying devices 1-1...1-N to obtain a blended powder P1 with an arbitrary blending ratio.

The blending unit 110 may be any device capable of mixing and blending multiple raw material powders P in any desired blending ratio, and may include a blending tank 111, a stirring device 112 provided inside the blending tank 111, and a drive unit 113 that rotates and drives the stirring device 112.

The raw powder blending device 100 may store the blended powder P1 in the blending tank 111, or in an external blended powder storage tank (not shown).

In this embodiment, any one of the raw material powder supplying devices 1-1...1-N may be a general raw material powder supplying device that does not include the heating unit 60 (see Figures 1 and 2).

The raw powder preparation device 100 is equipped with a blending section 110, and can mix and blend multiple raw powders P discharged from multiple raw powder supply devices 1 in any ratio. In the multiple raw powder supply devices 1, moisture absorption of the raw powder P is suppressed, so fluctuations in the amount of raw powder P discharged from each raw powder supply device 1 are suppressed. Therefore, the raw powder preparation device 100 can appropriately supply any amount of raw powder P from each raw powder supply device 1 to the blending section 110, and can produce a blended powder P1 containing multiple raw powders P in any ratio in the blending section 110. Therefore, the raw powder preparation device 100 can produce a blended powder P1 of excellent quality.

<How to mix raw powder>
A raw material powder preparation method including the raw material powder supplying method according to the present embodiment will be described. The raw material powder preparation method according to the present embodiment is performed using the raw material powder preparation device 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flow chart of the raw material powder preparation method according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, in the raw material powder preparation method, a plurality of raw material powders are supplied from the raw material powder supplying devices 1-1...1-N to the preparation section 110 (a plurality of raw material powder supplying steps: step S21). Each raw material powder supplying step (step S21) is the same as the raw material powder preparation method according to the present embodiment described above, except that the type of raw material powder P is changed, and therefore details will be omitted.

Next, multiple raw material powders P are mixed and blended in the blending section 110 (blending process: step S22).

Next, the multiple raw material powders are mixed in an arbitrary ratio in the mixing section 110 to obtain a mixed powder P1 containing the multiple raw material powders in an arbitrary ratio.

In the raw powder blending method according to the present embodiment, in the blending step (step S22), multiple raw powders P discharged from multiple raw powder supplying devices 1 in multiple raw powder supplying steps (step S21) can be mixed and blended. In the multiple raw powder supplying steps (step S21), the raw powder P is supplied with reduced moisture absorption, so that fluctuations in the amount of raw powder P discharged from each raw powder supplying device 1 are reduced. Therefore, in the raw powder blending method according to the present embodiment, in the blending step (step S22), any amount of raw powder P can be appropriately supplied from each raw powder supplying device 1 to the blending section 110, so that blended powder P1 containing multiple raw powders P in any ratio can be manufactured. Therefore, the raw powder blending method according to the present embodiment can manufacture blended powder P1 with excellent quality.

<Glass product manufacturing equipment>
A glass product manufacturing apparatus including a raw material powder preparation device according to this embodiment will be described below, in which the prepared powder containing raw material powder is glass raw material powder.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of a glass product manufacturing apparatus, and is a plan view of Figure 10. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, a glass product manufacturing apparatus 200 includes a raw material powder preparation apparatus 100, a melting section 210, and a molding section 220. Note that the raw material powder preparation apparatus 100 is similar to the raw material powder preparation apparatus 100 shown in Figures 6 and 7 described above, so details are omitted. Also, raw material powder supplying apparatuses 1-1...1-N (N is an integer of 1 or more) in Figures 9 and 10 represent the raw material powder supplying apparatus 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2, but are shown simply in Figures 9 and 10, similar to Figures 6 and 7.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the melting section 210 melts the blended powder P1 obtained by the raw material powder blending device 100 to produce molten glass (molten glass) G1. The melting section 210 may be a general glass melting device and includes a melting tank 211 and a burner 212.

The melting tank 211 is made of a heat-resistant material such as firebricks and has a hollow structure. The blended powder P1 is transported into the melting tank 211.

The dissolution tank 211 has a raw material inlet 211A and a raw material outlet 211B on its side.

The blended powder P1 fed into the melting tank 211 from the raw material inlet 211A is heated by the heat of the flame of the burner 212 and gradually melts into the molten glass G1 contained in the melting tank 211. The molten glass G1 is discharged from the raw material outlet 211B and moves to the molding section 220.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the forming section 220 forms the molten glass G1 produced in the melting section 210 into a plate shape. The forming section 300 may be a general device, such as a float forming device or a fusion forming device. The float forming device continuously supplies the molten glass G1 to the surface of the molten tin in the bathtub, and forms the molten glass G1 into a strip shape. The fusion forming device continuously supplies the molten glass G1 into a gutter with a roughly V-shaped cross section, and the molten glass G1 that overflows from the gutter on both the left and right sides is merged at the lower edge of the gutter to form it into a strip shape.

The molded glass formed in the molding section 300 is slowly cooled and then cut to a specified size to become glass products such as glass plates.

The glass product manufacturing apparatus 200 is equipped with a melting section 210 and a forming section 220, and can manufacture glass products using the blended powder P1 obtained by the raw material powder blending apparatus 100. The raw material powder blending apparatus 100 can manufacture blended powder P1 containing multiple raw material powders P in any ratio, so the glass product manufacturing apparatus 200 can manufacture high-quality glass products by using the blended powder P1 in the melting section 210 and the forming section 220.

<Glass product manufacturing method>
A glass product manufacturing method including a raw material powder blending method according to the present embodiment will be described. The glass product manufacturing method according to the present embodiment is performed using a glass product manufacturing apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 11 is a flow chart of the glass product manufacturing method according to the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 11, in the glass product manufacturing method, a plurality of raw material powders are blended (blending step: step S31). The blending step (step S31) uses the raw material powder blending method according to the present embodiment, so details will be omitted.

Next, the blended powder obtained in the raw material powder blending process (step S31) is fed into the melting tank 211 through the raw material inlet 211A to obtain molten glass G1 (melting process: step S32).

Next, the molten glass obtained in the melting process (step S32) is discharged from the raw material discharge port 211B of the melting tank 211 and transported to the forming section 220, where it is formed into the desired predetermined shape (forming process: step S33).

Next, the molded body is slowly cooled (slow cooling process: step S34) and cut to a predetermined length (cutting process: step S35).

This produces glass products of the desired size.

The glass product manufacturing method according to this embodiment can manufacture glass products in the melting step (step S32) and molding step (step S22) using the blended powder P1 obtained in the blending step (step S31). In the blending step (step S31), blended powder P1 containing multiple raw material powders P in any ratio can be manufactured. Therefore, the glass product manufacturing method according to this embodiment can manufacture high-quality glass products by using blended powder P1 in the melting step (step S32) and molding step (step S22).

Although the embodiments have been described above, they are presented as examples, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The above embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various combinations, omissions, substitutions, modifications, etc. can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1, 1-N Raw material powder supplying device 10 Raw material powder input section 11 Storage section 12 Lid section 13 Damper 14 Gas inlet hole 20 Raw material powder storage section 30 Measuring section 40A First supply path 40B Second supply path 50 Drying gas inlet section 51 Gas supply section 52 Gas inlet pipe 60 Heating section 100 Raw material powder blending device 110 Blending section 200 Glass product manufacturing device 210 Melting section 220 Forming section

Claims (12)

a raw powder storage unit for storing a raw powder having hygroscopic properties;
a measuring unit that measures the raw material powder supplied from the raw material powder storage unit;
a first supply path that connects the raw material powder storage unit and the measuring unit and moves the raw material powder from the raw material powder storage unit to the measuring unit;
a second supply path connected to the measuring section and configured to move the raw material powder from the measuring section to the outside;
A heating unit is provided in at least one of the first supply path and the second supply path ,
The raw material powder supplying device, wherein the raw material powder is a molten glass raw material . a raw powder supply section for supplying the raw powder to the raw powder storage section;
2. The raw material powder supplying device according to claim 1, further comprising a dry gas inlet connected to the raw material powder storage section or the raw material powder input section, for introducing a dry gas into the raw material powder storage section. The raw powder supplying device according to claim 2, wherein the dry gas includes at least one of dry air, nitrogen gas, and oxygen gas. The raw material powder input section includes:
A storage section formed in a cylindrical shape for storing the raw material powder;
A lid portion that closes an opening at an upper end of the storage portion;
a damper provided in the storage section for adjusting the amount of the raw material powder that falls;
a gas inlet hole provided on a side surface of the storage unit and configured to supply a dry gas into the storage unit;
The raw material powder supplying device according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising: The raw powder supplying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the relative humidity in the raw powder storage section is 30% or less. The raw powder supplying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the heating section includes a ribbon heater. The raw powder supplying device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a heat insulating material covering the heating section. A plurality of raw material powder supply units that supply raw material powder;
a blending unit that mixes and blends the raw material powders supplied by the raw material powder supplying units to obtain a blended powder;
Equipped with
At least one of the plurality of raw material powder supplying units is the raw material powder supplying device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . The raw material powder mixing apparatus according to claim 8 ,
a melting section for melting the blended powder obtained by the raw material powder blending device to prepare molten glass;
a forming section for forming the molten glass into a glass product. a raw powder storage step of storing the hygroscopic raw powder in a raw powder storage section;
a measuring step of measuring the raw material powder supplied from the raw material powder storage unit by a measuring unit;
a first supplying step of moving the raw material powder from the raw material powder storage unit to the measuring unit through a first supplying path connecting the raw material powder storage unit and the measuring unit;
a second supply step of moving the raw material powder from the measuring section to the outside through a second supply path connected to the measuring section,
The raw material powder is a molten glass raw material,
The raw material powder supplying method comprises heating the raw material powder by a heating section in at least one of the first supply path and the second supply path. a raw material powder supplying step of supplying a plurality of raw material powders from a plurality of raw material powder supplying parts, respectively;
a blending step of mixing and blending the raw material powders supplied by the raw material powder supplying units in a blending unit to obtain a blended powder;
Including,
11. A raw material powder preparation method, wherein at least one of the raw material powder supplying steps uses the raw material powder supplying method according to claim 10 . A melting step of melting the prepared powder obtained by the raw material powder preparation method according to claim 11 to prepare molten glass;
a forming step of forming the molten glass into a glass product.

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