阅读说明：本技术 含气泡液体制造装置及含气泡液体制造系统 (Bubble-containing liquid production device and bubble-containing liquid production system ) 是由 太田晶久 森辉海 吉田太志 石川龟之介 于 2020-03-23 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明的一方式所涉及的含气泡液体制造装置具备壳体和剪切机构部。壳体具有供被送入气体后的液体流入的入口、以及出口。剪切机构部被设置在入口与出口之间,向从入口朝向出口的液体赋予剪切力。剪切机构部具有旋转体、旋转赋予部和对置部件。旋转体具有旋转轴、以及在外周部具有在面内形成有多个凹部的第1构造面的筒部,以能够旋转的方式配置于壳体的内部。旋转赋予部被设置于旋转轴,向旋转体赋予围绕旋转轴的旋转力。对置部件具有与第1构造面隔着规定的余隙而对置的内周部,且被设置于壳体的内壁部。(A bubble-containing liquid production apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a housing and a shearing mechanism. The housing has an inlet into which the liquid fed with the gas flows, and an outlet. The shearing mechanism is provided between the inlet and the outlet and applies shearing force to the liquid from the inlet toward the outlet. The shearing mechanism includes a rotating body, a rotation imparting portion, and a facing member. The rotating body has a rotating shaft and a cylindrical portion having a 1 st structural surface in which a plurality of recesses are formed in a surface thereof on an outer peripheral portion thereof, and is rotatably disposed inside the housing. The rotation imparting unit is provided on the rotating shaft and imparts a rotational force around the rotating shaft to the rotating body. The facing member has an inner peripheral portion facing the 1 st structural surface with a predetermined clearance therebetween, and is provided on an inner wall portion of the housing.)

1. An apparatus for producing a bubble-containing liquid, comprising:

a housing having an inlet into which the liquid fed with the gas flows and an outlet; and

a shearing mechanism section provided between the inlet and the outlet and configured to apply a shearing force to the liquid flowing from the inlet toward the outlet,

the shearing mechanism section has:

a rotating body having a rotating shaft and a cylindrical portion having a 1 st structural surface in which a plurality of recesses are formed in a surface thereof on an outer peripheral portion thereof, and being rotatably disposed inside the housing;

a rotation imparting unit provided on the rotating shaft and imparting a rotational force around the rotating shaft to the rotating body; and

and a cylindrical facing member having an inner peripheral portion facing the 1 st structural surface with a predetermined clearance therebetween, and being provided on an inner wall portion of the housing.

2. The apparatus for producing a bubble-containing liquid according to claim 1,

the inner peripheral portion of the opposing member has a 2 nd structure surface that faces the 1 st structure surface and in which a plurality of concave portions are formed.

3. The bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus according to claim 2,

at least 1 of the 1 st and 2 nd structural surfaces includes a plurality of recesses each having a circular shape or a polygonal shape as the plurality of recesses.

4. The apparatus for producing a bubble-containing liquid according to claim 1,

the predetermined clearance is 1.0mm to 3.0 mm.

5. The apparatus for producing a bubble-containing liquid according to claim 1,

the outlet is connected to a delivery pipe extending in the horizontal direction.

6. A bubble-containing liquid production system is provided with:

a tank for holding a liquid; and

a bubble-containing liquid production device provided inside the tank, the bubble-containing liquid production device including: a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a shearing mechanism section provided between the inlet and the outlet and applying a shearing force to the liquid from the inlet toward the outlet, an air feeding section connected to the inlet and feeding air to the liquid introduced into the inlet, and a pump section attached to the shearing mechanism section and feeding the liquid from the inlet toward the outlet by driving of the motor,

the shearing mechanism section has:

a rotating body having a rotating shaft and a cylindrical portion having a 1 st structural surface in which a plurality of recesses are formed in a surface thereof on an outer peripheral portion thereof, and being rotatably disposed inside the housing;

a motor provided on the rotary shaft and configured to apply a rotational force around the rotary shaft to the rotary body and the pump section; and

and a cylindrical facing member having an inner peripheral portion facing the 1 st structural surface with a predetermined clearance therebetween, and being provided on an inner wall portion of the housing.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a bubble-containing liquid production apparatus and a bubble-containing liquid production system for generating bubbles such as microbubbles in a liquid.

Background

In recent years, bubble-containing liquids in which fine bubbles are contained in liquids such as water have been widely used. The micro-bubbles include ultra micro-bubbles (UFB) having a diameter of 1 μm or less, micro-bubbles having a diameter of 10 μm or less, and millimeter-sized bubbles having a diameter of 1mm or less. Particularly, UFB water containing UFB is being studied for its use in the fields of maintaining freshness of fish and shellfish, microbial culture, aseptic medical care, various cleaning, and the like.

In the UFB manufacturing apparatus currently used, after gas is fed into the liquid, high pressure is applied by a liquid feed pump to excessively dissolve the gas, and the pressure is released to generate a large amount of bubbles. Further, the gas-liquid mixed phase fluid passes through the shear mixer, thereby making the bubbles fine. For example, patent document 1 discloses a static fluid mixing device in which a fluid to be treated is supplied to a fluid mixer as a gas-liquid mixed fluid in which air and water are mixed.

[ Prior art documents ]

[ patent document ]

[ patent document 1] Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2010-149120

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the UFB manufacturing apparatus as described above, it is necessary to feed gas into the liquid that is pressurized, and particularly, it is not easy to feed a large amount of gas to generate a bubble-containing liquid containing a large amount of bubbles.

In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a bubble-containing liquid production apparatus and a bubble-containing liquid production system capable of producing a bubble-containing liquid containing a large amount of bubbles.

Means for solving the problems

A bubble-containing liquid production apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a housing and a shearing mechanism.

The housing has an inlet into which the liquid after the gas is introduced flows, and an outlet.

The shearing mechanism is provided between the inlet and the outlet, and applies shearing force to the liquid from the inlet toward the outlet.

The shearing mechanism includes a rotating body, a rotation imparting portion, and a facing member.

The rotating body has a rotating shaft and a cylinder portion having a 1 st structural surface on an outer peripheral portion thereof, the cylinder portion having a plurality of recesses formed in a surface thereof, and is rotatably disposed inside the housing.

The rotation imparting unit is provided on the rotating shaft, and imparts a rotational force around the rotating shaft to the rotating body.

The facing member has an inner peripheral portion facing the 1 st structural surface with a predetermined clearance therebetween, and is provided on an inner wall portion of the housing.

In the above-described apparatus for producing a bubble-containing liquid, the shear force is applied to the liquid between the 1 st structure surface and the opposing member by rotating the rotating body. Thereby, the bubbles contained in the liquid are miniaturized, and the bubble-containing liquid containing the miniaturized bubbles can be generated.

The inner peripheral portion of the opposing member may have a 2 nd structure surface that faces the 1 st structure surface and in which a plurality of concave portions are formed in a surface.

This can apply a large shearing work to the liquid to generate a strong swirling flow. This promotes the miniaturization of the bubbles, and enables efficient production of a bubble-containing liquid containing a large amount of bubbles.

At least 1 of the 1 st and 2 nd structure surfaces may include a plurality of circular or polygonal recesses as the plurality of recesses.

The predetermined clearance may be 1.0mm to 3.0 mm.

A bubble-containing liquid production system according to an aspect of the present invention includes a tank that stores liquid, and a bubble-containing liquid production apparatus.

The bubble-containing liquid production apparatus includes: the liquid supply device includes a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a shearing mechanism section provided between the inlet and the outlet and applying a shearing force to a liquid flowing from the inlet to the outlet, an air feeding section connected to the inlet and feeding an air to the liquid introduced into the inlet, and a pump section attached to the shearing mechanism section and feeding the liquid from the inlet to the outlet by driving of the motor. The bubble-containing liquid production apparatus is provided inside the tank.

The shearing mechanism includes a rotating body, a motor, and a cylindrical opposing member.

The rotating body has a rotating shaft and a cylinder portion having a 1 st structural surface on an outer peripheral portion thereof, the cylinder portion having a plurality of recesses formed in a surface thereof, and is rotatably disposed inside the housing.

The motor is provided on the rotating shaft, and applies a rotational force around the rotating shaft to the rotating body and the pump section.

The facing member has an inner peripheral portion facing the 1 st structural surface with a predetermined clearance therebetween, and is provided on an inner wall portion of the housing.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the apparatus for producing a bubble-containing liquid according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line [ A ] - [ A ] in FIG. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the rotating body and the opposed member in the bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing a state of the bubble-containing liquid flowing between the 1 st structural surface and the 2 nd structural surface in the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus.

Fig. 5 shows the simulation results of the relationship between the size of the clearance between the 1 st and 2 nd structure surfaces and the turbulence energy (κ) and the turbulence dissipation factor (ε).

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view showing the structure of the manufacturing apparatus according to comparative example 1.

Fig. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a rotating plate in the manufacturing apparatus according to comparative example 1.

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation of the manufacturing apparatus according to comparative example 1.

Fig. 9 shows a simulation result of evaluation of characteristic values in another configuration example of the air-containing bubble producing apparatus.

Fig. 10 is a view showing a modification of the structure of a pump section in the bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus, where a is a perspective view and B is a front view.

Fig. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a bubble-containing liquid production apparatus according to embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 11.

Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a bubble-containing liquid production system according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a bubble-containing liquid production apparatus according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a tank unit of a bubble-containing liquid production system including the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 16 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system including the tank unit.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view showing a modification of the structure of an impeller in the apparatus for producing a bubble-containing liquid according to embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

< embodiment 1 >

[ Structure of apparatus for producing bubble-containing liquid ]

Fig. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of a bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, and fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line [ a ] to [ a ] in fig. 1.

The bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 of the present embodiment is an apparatus for producing a liquid containing fine bubbles (hereinafter referred to as a bubble-containing liquid). The bubbles include Ultra Fine Bubbles (UFB) having a diameter of 1 μm or less, micro bubbles having a diameter of 10 μm or less, and millimeter bubbles having a diameter of 1mm or less. The bubble-containing liquid may contain bubbles of any size, but typically is UFB.

The gas forming the bubbles is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, air, nitrogen, oxygen, ozone, or the like. The liquid constituting the bubble-containing liquid is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the application. The examples of the use will be described later.

As shown in fig. 1, the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 of the present embodiment includes a casing 10, a shearing mechanism section 20, and a pump section 30.

(case)

The housing 10 is made of a metal material or a synthetic resin material, and has an inlet 11a and an outlet 11 b. The inlet 11a and the outlet 11b communicate with each other through the inside of the housing 10, and the liquid containing bubbles is fed into the inlet 11a, and the liquid in which the bubbles are finely divided in the shearing mechanism 20 is fed out from the outlet 11 b. The inlet 11a is connected to a joint 131 of the feed pipe 13, and the outlet 11b is connected to a joint (not shown) of the feed pipe. The outlet 11b is preferably connected to a discharge pipe extending in the horizontal direction, so that air accumulation can be prevented from occurring in the vicinity of the outlet 11 b.

The feed pipe 13 connected to the inlet 11a is connected to a tank not shown. The liquid constituting the bubble-containing liquid is stored in the tank. A gas feed pipe for feeding gas to the liquid sucked from the tank is connected to the feed pipe 13, and the liquid containing bubbles is fed to the inlet 11a through the gas feed pipe. On the other hand, a delivery pipe connected to the outlet 11b is also connected to the tank, and the bubble-containing liquid produced by the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 is returned to the tank.

The joint portion 131 may be formed of a gas feed pipe such as a venturi tube. In this case, since it is not necessary to provide a separate gas feed pipe to the feed pipe 13, the structure of the bubble-containing liquid production system can be simplified.

The case 10 includes a case body 11 having a bottomed cylindrical shape with one end open, and a lid 12 that closes an opening of the case body 11 in a liquid-tight manner. The inlet 11a is provided at the center of the bottom 110 of the housing body 11, and the outlet 11b is provided at the side periphery of the housing body 11. The lid 12 has a circular disk shape and is fixed to a flange portion 11c provided at an opening end of the case main body 11 via a seal ring S1 by a plurality of fasteners (not shown). Drain holes 14 for draining water and plugs (not shown) for closing the drain holes are provided at appropriate positions on the side peripheral portion of the casing body 11.

(shearing mechanism section)

The cutting mechanism 20 includes a rotating body 21, a motor 22 as a rotation imparting unit, and a facing member 23. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the rotating body 21 and the opposing member 23.

The cutting mechanism 20 is configured as follows: in the annular shear chamber 20S formed between the 1 st structure surface S1 of the rotating body 21 and the 2 nd structure surface S2 of the opposing member 23, a shear force is applied to the liquid from the inlet 11a toward the outlet 11b, thereby making the bubbles in the liquid fine.

The rotating body 21 has a rotating shaft 211 and a cylindrical portion 212 as a cylindrical portion. The rotary shaft 211 extends along the axial center of the housing body 11, and is rotatably supported by a bearing member B fixed to the center hole 12h of the cover 12. The center hole 12h of the lid portion 12 is closed in a liquid-tight manner by a lid body 15 provided on the outer surface of the lid portion 12.

The cylindrical portion 212 is attached to one end side of the rotating shaft 211, and is typically made of a metal material. In the present embodiment, the cylindrical portion 212 is formed of a lightweight metal material such as aluminum or titanium, and has a bottomed cylindrical shape with an inlet 11a side open. This can reduce the weight of the cylindrical portion 212, and thus can reduce the load on the motor 22. The cylindrical portion 212 is not limited to a hollow structure, and may be a solid structure.

The cylindrical portion 212 has a peripheral wall 212a and a bottom portion 212 b. A cylindrical tube member 210 is integrally attached to an outer peripheral portion of the peripheral wall 212a, and the cylindrical tube member 210 has a 1 st structural surface S1 having a plurality of recesses S10 (see fig. 3) formed in its inner surface at the outer peripheral portion. The barrel member 210 is typically made of a metal material such as aluminum. The rotation shaft 211 penetrates through the center of the bottom portion 212b, and a boss portion 212c fixed integrally with the rotation shaft 211 is provided.

The 1 st structural surface S1 is a cylindrical curved surface having the rotation shaft 211 as the axis, and is an uneven surface formed on the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical member 210 facing the facing member 23. The diameter of the cylindrical member 210 is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 150mm or more and 200mm or less. The axial length of the cylindrical member 210 is also not particularly limited, and is approximately 80mm in the present embodiment.

The motor 22 is attached to the other end side of the rotating shaft 211, and imparts a rotational force around the rotating shaft 211 to the rotating body 21. The motor 22 is disposed outside the casing 10, and in the present embodiment, is provided on the outer surface of the cover 15. The drive shaft of the motor 22 is coupled to the rotating shaft 211 of the rotating body 21 or is integrally formed with the rotating shaft 211 of the rotating body 21.

The motor 22 is typically constituted by an electric motor with variable rotational speed. The rotation speed is not particularly limited, and can be arbitrarily set according to the size of the bubbles to be miniaturized, the flow rate of the liquid, and the like, and is, for example, 1000rpm or more and 8000rpm or less, and 3000rpm in the present embodiment.

The facing member 23 is a cylindrical member provided on the inner wall portion of the housing 10, and has an inner peripheral portion facing the 1 st structural surface S1 formed on the outer peripheral portion of the rotating body 21 (the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical member 210) with a predetermined clearance C therebetween.

The inner peripheral portion of the opposing member 23 constitutes a 2 nd structural surface S2 in which a plurality of concave portions S20 (see fig. 3) are formed in the surface. The 2 nd structure surface S2 is a cylindrical curved surface concentric with the cylindrical member 210, and is an uneven surface formed on the inner circumferential portion of the opposing member 23 opposing the 1 st structure surface S1. The clearance C between the 1 st structure surface S1 and the 2 nd structure surface S2 is constant over the entire circumference of the 1 st structure surface S1 and the 2 nd structure surface S2, and an annular space portion formed between the 1 st structure surface S1 and the 2 nd structure surface S2 is formed as the shear chamber 20S.

The shear chamber 20s is formed to have a cross-sectional area larger than a flow path cross-sectional area of the feed pipe 13 connected to the inlet 11a (a cross-sectional area of the feed pipe 13 perpendicular to the axial direction). This reduces the pressure loss of the liquid passing through the shear chamber 20s, and ensures a desired flow rate. The cross-sectional area of the shear chamber 20s can be adjusted by the size of the clearance C.

As shown in fig. 3, each of the concave portion S10 of the 1 st structure surface S1 and the concave portion S20 of the 2 nd structure surface S2 is formed of a plurality of circular recesses formed in a cylindrical curved surface. In the present embodiment, the recesses S10 and S20 are formed to have the same size and depth, but it is obvious that the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be formed to have different sizes and depths. The size and depth of the recesses S10 and S20 are not particularly limited, but in the present embodiment, the diameter is substantially 3mm and the depth is substantially 1.7 mm.

The recesses S10 are formed at predetermined intervals (arrangement intervals) in the axial direction and the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 212. Similarly, the recesses S20 are formed at predetermined pitches (arrangement intervals) in the axial direction and the circumferential direction of the facing member 23. The interval between the recesses S10 and S20 is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 1 mm.

The method for forming the recesses S10 and S20 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include machining, transfer, laser processing, and etching. The edges of the openings of the recesses S10 and S20 are preferably closer to a right angle, and thus a shear load can be more efficiently applied to the liquid by the relative rotation between the 1 st structure surface S1 and the 2 nd structure surface S2.

The recesses S10 and S20 are not limited to circular pits, and may be polygonal such as triangular or rectangular. In particular, in the case of a hexagonal honeycomb structure, a plurality of concave portions can be formed at a high density. The recesses S10 and S20 are not limited to the independent shapes, and may be in various shapes such as a lattice shape or a radial shape that can form an uneven surface.

The method of fixing the cylindrical member 210 having the 1 st structural surface S1 is not particularly limited, and for example, the cylindrical portion 212 may be press-fitted or bonded with a bonding material. Alternatively, thread grooves that are screwed to each other may be formed on the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical portion 212 and the inner peripheral portion of the cylindrical member 210. The 1 st structural surface S1 may be provided directly on the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical portion 212. In this case, the number of components constituting the rotating body 21 can be reduced without the need for the tubular member 210.

On the other hand, the opposing member 23 is fixed to the inner peripheral portion of the housing main body 11. The fixing method is not particularly limited, and may be press-fit, bonding with a bonding material, or the like. Alternatively, screw grooves that are screwed to each other may be formed in the inner peripheral portion of the housing main body 11 and the outer peripheral portion of the opposing member 23. Further, the opposing member 23 may be provided as a part of the case main body 11, and in this case, the 2 nd structural surface S2 may be formed directly on the inner peripheral portion of the case main body 11.

The clearance C between the 1 st structure surface S1 and the 2 nd structure surface S2 is not particularly limited, and is appropriately set according to the type of liquid, the flow rate, the rotation speed or the rotation speed of the rotating body 21, and the like. For example, when the liquid is water, the size of the clearance C is 1.0mm or more and 3.0mm or less, and more preferably 1.5mm or more and 2.5mm or less. When the clearance C is less than 1.0mm, the pressure loss of the liquid is large, and the flow rate of the liquid discharged from the outlet 11b tends to decrease. On the other hand, when the clearance C exceeds 3.0mm, the shear stress acting on the liquid between the 1 st structure surface S1 and the 2 nd structure surface S2 is reduced, and it tends to be difficult to make the bubbles fine to a size of, for example, 1 μm or less. The clearance C is typically adjusted by the thicknesses of the tubular member 210 and the opposing member 23.

(Pump section)

The pump section 30 is configured to be able to transfer the liquid from the inlet 11a toward the outlet 11b by driving of the motor 22.

The pump section 30 has a base 31 and a plurality of wings 32. The base portion 31 is fixed to an end portion on the opening portion side of the cylindrical portion 212 (an end portion on the inlet 11a side), and rotates integrally with the rotating body 21. The base 31 has a circular plate shape having the same outer diameter as the cylindrical member 210 having the 1 st structural surface S1, and is typically made of a metal material as the rotary body 21. The plurality of wings 32 are provided integrally with the base 31 so as to protrude toward the inlet 11 a. As shown in fig. 3, the plurality of wing portions 32 are formed to revolve from the center portion of the base portion 31 toward the peripheral edge portion and extend in a radial shape.

The pump portion 30 constitutes a centrifugal pump (a vortex pump), and the plurality of wings 32 correspond to a centrifugal impeller. That is, the pump section 30 forms a flow of the liquid from the center (rotation axis center) of the base section 31 toward the radial direction thereof. The plurality of fins 32 increase energy by imparting swirl to the liquid, and form a discharge pressure for transferring the liquid from the inlet 11a to the outlet 11b after passing through the shear chamber 20 s.

In the present embodiment, the wing portions 32 are formed in a streamline shape whose width increases from the inner circumferential side toward the outer circumferential side thereof. This ensures a sufficient width of the flow path 33 (see fig. 3) for the liquid formed between the fins 32, and also makes the width of the flow path 33 uniform, thereby reducing the resistance of the liquid flowing through the flow path 33.

The outer diameter and height of the wing portion 32 (the height of the protrusion from the base portion 31) are not particularly limited, and the larger the outer diameter and height of the wing portion 32, the higher the discharge pressure can be obtained. The outer diameter of the wing portion 32 is typically set to the same size as the outer diameter of the base portion 31 (e.g., 150mm to 200 mm). In this case, the height of the wing portion 32 can be set to 20mm or more and 40mm or less. Thus, for example, under the conditions of a flow rate of 40L/min and a rotation speed of 3000rpm, a discharge pressure of 0.18MPa to 0.43MPa can be obtained.

Since the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 of the present embodiment includes the pump unit 30, it is not necessary to provide a hydraulic pump in a piping system for sending the liquid to the inlet 11a, and the system can be simplified.

[ operation of bubble-containing liquid production apparatus ]

Next, the operation of the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

The motor 22 is started, and the rotary body 21 is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed (for example, 3000 rpm). Thereby, the pump section 30 rotates together with the rotor 21, and sucks the liquid from a tank not shown. The liquid sucked from the tank is introduced into the inlet 11a after being fed with gas through a gas feed pipe connected to the feed pipe 13.

The liquid introduced into the inlet 11a is supplied to the shear chamber 20s at a predetermined discharge pressure by the swirling action of the pump section 30. In the shearing chamber 20S, the 1 st structure surface S1 of the rotating body 21 rotates relative to the 2 nd structure surface S2 of the opposing member 23. The liquid supplied to the shear chamber 20S receives a centrifugal force accompanying the rotation of the pump 30, and also receives a shear stress between the 1 st structure surface S1 and the 2 nd structure surface S2 that rotate relative to each other, so that bubbles in the liquid are refined. The generated bubble-containing liquid is sent out from the outlet 11 b.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state of the bubble-containing liquid flowing between the 1 st structure surface S1 and the 2 nd structure surface S2 in the shear chamber 20S. As shown in fig. 4, if the liquid containing the bubble B1 flows in the direction of the arrow, shear stress is applied to the 1 st structure surface S1 and the 2 nd structure surface S2 which are rotated relative to each other, and a jet of the bubble-containing liquid is generated in the concave portions S10 and S20. In fig. 4, the area where the jet is generated is indicated by a line S. In the recesses S10 and S20, small vortices M are generated by the jet flow and act on the bubbles B1. Thereby, the air bubbles B1 are finely divided into air bubbles B2.

In particular, in the present embodiment, since a shearing force is applied to the liquid between the 2 uneven surfaces of the 1 st structure surface S1 and the 2 nd structure surface S2, the shearing force can be applied in a state where the liquid is stably sandwiched by the structure surfaces S1 and S2. Therefore, as compared with the case where the number of uneven surfaces is 1, extremely high shear energy can be applied to the liquid, and thus the miniaturization of the bubbles can be promoted efficiently.

Further, the axial length of the cylindrical member 210 in the rotating body 21 may be further increased to expand the area of the 1 st structural surface S1 (and the 2 nd structural surface S2). As a result, the time or distance over which the liquid is subjected to the shearing force in the process of reaching the outlet 11b from the inlet 11a increases, and therefore, the generation efficiency of the fine bubbles further improves, and the amount of UFB generated can be greatly increased.

Fig. 5 shows the simulation results using the fluid analysis software, and shows the relationship between the size of the clearance C between the 1 st structure surface S1 and the 2 nd structure surface S2, the turbulence energy (κ), and the turbulence dissipation factor (∈). Here, the characteristics of the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 of the present embodiment were evaluated in comparison with the production apparatus 105 having the structure shown in fig. 6 and 7.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the manufacturing apparatus 105 according to comparative example 1, and fig. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the rotating plate 123 in the manufacturing apparatus 105. The following describes the production apparatus 105 according to comparative example 1.

As shown in fig. 6, the production apparatus 105 according to comparative example 1 produces a bubble-containing liquid by rotating a rotating plate 123 having a diameter of 150mm, which is disposed inside a casing 121, by a motor 124, and applying a shearing force to the liquid between a concave-convex surface 126 formed on the surface of the rotating plate 123 and a facing member 122 facing the concave-convex surface 126 with a predetermined clearance C' therebetween. As shown in fig. 7, the uneven surface 126 of the rotating plate 123 is a honeycomb structure surface in which a plurality of hexagonal recessed portions are formed, and the surface 122a of the opposing member 122 opposing the uneven surface 126 is a flat surface. A shearing chamber F for generating a bubble-containing liquid by applying a shearing force to the liquid introduced from an inlet 122c formed at the center of the opposing member 122 is formed between the concave-convex surface 126 and the opposing member 122, and the generated bubble-containing liquid is sent out from an outlet 121d formed at the side periphery of the housing 121.

In the manufacturing apparatus 105 according to comparative example 1 having the above configuration, the turbulent energy (κ) and the turbulent dissipation factor (∈) in the shear chamber F were measured with the rotational speed of the rotating plate 123 set to 3000rpm, the flow rate of the liquid fed from the inlet 122C set to 40L/min, and the size of the clearance C' set to 1 mm. On the other hand, in the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 of the present embodiment shown in fig. 1, the turbulent energy (κ) and the turbulent dissipation factor (∈) in the shear chamber 20s were measured with the rotational speed of the rotating body 21 set to 3000rpm, the flow rate of the liquid fed from the inlet 11a set to 40L/min, and the size of the clearance C set to 1mm (analysis example 1), 2mm (analysis example 2), and 3mm (analysis example 3). In analysis examples 1 to 3, the diameter of the rotating body 21 was set to 150mm, and the axial length of the cylindrical member 210 in the rotating body 21 was set to 80 mm.

Here, the turbulence energy (κ) represents the intensity of the turbulence of the flow, and the turbulence dissipation factor (∈) represents how fast the turbulence disappears, meaning that the larger the value of the turbulence dissipation factor, the smaller the generated vortex. These characteristic values are considered to have a large influence on the generating ability of the bubble-containing liquid, the turbulence energy (κ) is related to the overall intensity of the bubble miniaturization, and the turbulence dissipation factor (∈) is related to the swirl size, that is, the level of the bubble miniaturization.

FIG. 5 shows the measured values in analysis examples 1 to 3, where the measured value in comparative example 1 is 1. As shown in fig. 5, according to analysis examples 1 to 3, higher turbulent energy (κ) and turbulent dissipation factor (∈) than those of comparative example 1 were obtained. From this, it was confirmed that the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment has a very high bubble-containing liquid production capability as compared with the production apparatus 105 according to comparative example 1.

The reason why the characteristic value of the production apparatus according to comparative example 1 is lower than those of analysis examples 1 to 3 is considered that the energy of the swirling flow of the liquid in the shearing chamber F cannot be sufficiently recovered. For example, as schematically shown in a of fig. 8, when viewed from the viewpoint of the opposing member 122 as the fixed surface, the streamline of the liquid that is radial when the rotating plate 123 is not rotated changes to a strong swirling flow as shown in B of fig. 8 as the rotating plate 123 rotates. However, when viewed from the viewpoint of the rotating plate 123, as shown in fig. 8C, the streamline of the liquid draws a slight swirl trajectory, but the streamline passing through the concave portion of the uneven surface 126 is limited due to the rotation of the flow of the rotating plate 123. This may be considered because: the uneven surface 126 becomes a large resistance to the liquid and generates a strong swirling flow, but the swirling flow does not extend over the entire area of the uneven surface 126.

In contrast, according to the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, since the cylindrical space concentric with the axial center (the rotation axis 211) of the rotating body 21 is formed as the shear chamber 20s, the spiral swirling flow of the liquid from the inlet 11a to the outlet 11b can be formed. Accordingly, the number of streamlines passing through the recesses S10 and S20 of the 1 st structure surface S1 and the 2 nd structure surface S2 can be dramatically increased, and thus it is estimated that a stronger shear force is applied to the liquid than in comparative example 1, and a larger characteristic value (turbulent energy (κ) and turbulent dissipation factor (∈)) can be obtained.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the shear chamber 20S is configured by a space sandwiched by the 2 uneven surfaces of the 1 st structure surface S1 and the 2 nd structure surface S2, a strong shear force can be effectively applied to the liquid in the shear chamber 20S. Therefore, a bubble-containing liquid having a higher UFB-containing density than comparative example 1 can be efficiently produced.

In addition, in comparative analysis examples 1 to 3, as the clearance C becomes larger, the turbulent energy (κ) tends to increase, and the turbulent dissipation factor (∈) tends to decrease. From this, it was determined that, among these analysis examples, analysis example 2 (clearance C of 2mm) in which both the turbulent energy (κ) and the turbulent dissipation factor (∈) were high was the optimum value.

In the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the 2 nd structure surface S2 is provided on the opposing member 23, but it may be omitted. That is, the surface of the facing member 23 facing the 1 st structure surface S1 may be a smooth cylindrical surface.

Fig. 9 shows simulation results obtained by comparing the characteristics of the manufacturing apparatus (analysis example 4) not having the structure 2S 2 with those of the manufacturing apparatus 105 according to the comparative example 1 described with reference to fig. 6 and 7. Meanwhile, characteristics of the manufacturing apparatus according to the above-described analysis example 2 and the manufacturing apparatus (comparative example 2) in which the surface 122a of the opposing member 122 is constituted by the uneven surface similar to the uneven surface 126 in the comparative example 1 are also shown, respectively. Here, the characteristic values of comparative example 2 and analysis examples 2 and 4 are also expressed as relative values when the measurement value in comparative example 1 is 1. In comparative example 2, the clearance between the rotating member 126 and the opposing member 122 was set to 1mm as in comparative example 1, and in analytical example 4, the clearance between the 1 st structural surface S1 and the opposing member 23 was set to 1 mm. The rotational speed and the flow rate were set to 3000rpm and 40L/min, respectively.

As shown in fig. 9, it was confirmed that higher turbulent energy (κ) and higher turbulent dissipation factor (∈) were obtained in analytical example 4 as compared with comparative examples 1 and 2. Further, as is apparent from comparison of analysis examples 2 and 4, it was confirmed that analysis example 2 having structure face 2S 2 can obtain higher turbulent energy (κ) and turbulent dissipation factor (∈) than analysis example 4 not having structure face 2S 2.

(modification of Pump section)

The pump section 30 is not limited to the configuration shown in fig. 3, and may be configured as shown at A, B in fig. 10. Fig. 10 a is an oblique view of the pump section 30', and fig. 10B is a front view thereof.

The pump section 30' shown at A, B of fig. 10 has a plurality of protrusions 34 formed between a plurality of wings 32. The plurality of protrusions 34 are provided in the flow path 33 formed between the plurality of fins 32, and protrude from the surface of the base 31 at a predetermined height. By disposing the plurality of protrusions 34 in each flow path 33, bubbles in the liquid flowing through the flow path 33 can be dispersed, and the bubbles in the shear chamber 20s can be efficiently miniaturized.

The shape of each protrusion 34 is not particularly limited. The protrusion 34 has a diameter of about 3mm to 4mm and a height of about 10mm, for example. The number and the interval of the projections 34 are not particularly limited, and can be set arbitrarily.

The protrusion 34 is not limited to the example provided in the flow path 33, and may be provided on a side surface of the wing 32, for example. Further, a recess may be provided instead of the projection 34. The same effects as described above can be obtained by the above configuration.

< embodiment 2 >

Next, embodiment 2 of the present invention will be explained. Fig. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 200 according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. Hereinafter, description will be mainly given of the structure different from embodiment 1, and the same reference numerals are given to the same structure as embodiment 1, and description thereof will be omitted or simplified.

The bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 200 of the present embodiment is different from embodiment 1 in that it includes a housing 10 and a shearing mechanism 220, and a rotation imparting portion of the shearing mechanism 220 is constituted by an impeller 24.

The impeller 24 is provided on the rotation shaft 211, and imparts a rotational force around the rotation shaft 211 to the rotating body 21. The impeller 24 is disposed inside the casing 10 and configured to rotate under the pressure of the liquid introduced into the inlet 11 a. This allows the rotary body 21 to be rotated without requiring a drive source such as a motor.

In the present embodiment, one end of the rotary shaft 211 is rotatably supported by a bearing member B1 fixed to the center hole of the bottom portion 110 of the housing main body 11, and the other end of the rotary shaft 211 is rotatably supported by a bearing member B2 fixed to the center hole of the cover portion 12. The center hole of the bottom portion 110 of the housing main body 11 and the center hole of the lid portion 12 are closed by the lid bodies 161, 162 in a liquid-tight manner. The inlet 11a and the outlet 11b are provided on the side periphery of the casing body 11, and the inlet 11a is connected to the feed pipe 13 via a gas feed unit 40 such as a venturi tube that feeds gas to the liquid introduced into the inlet 11 a.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 11. The impeller 24 has: the hub portion 241 is integrally attached to the rotary shaft 211, a plurality of blade portions 242 radially extending from the circumferential surface of the hub portion 241, and a pair of circular support plates 243 for supporting the plurality of blade portions 242 in the axial direction of the hub portion 241. The hub portion 241, the blade portion 242, and the support plate 243 are typically made of a metal material, but may be made of a synthetic resin material. As the metal material, a relatively light-weight material such as aluminum or titanium is preferable.

The number of the blade portions 242 and the skew angle are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately set in accordance with the flow rate of the liquid introduced into the inlet 11 a. In the present embodiment, the number of the blade portions 242 is set to 8, and the skew angle θ is set in the range of 0 ° to 45 °.

As described above, the impeller 24 is rotated by the pressure of the liquid introduced into the inlet 11a, and the rotational driving force thereof is transmitted to the cylindrical portion 212 via the rotation shaft 211. Thereby, the 1 st structure surface S1 rotates relative to the 2 nd structure surface S2. The clearance between the 1 st structure surface S1 and the 2 nd structure surface S2 is preferably 1.5mm or more and 2.5mm or less as in embodiment 1. The rotation direction of the impeller 24 is not particularly limited, and in the present embodiment, the impeller is configured to rotate counterclockwise in fig. 12. The rotation speed (rotation speed) of the rotor 21 can be arbitrarily adjusted according to the diameter of the impeller 24, the number of the blade portions 242, the width, the skew angle θ, the flow rate of the liquid introduced into the inlet 11a, and the like.

For example, if the diameter of the impeller 24 is 150mm to 200mm, the number of the blade portions 242 is 8, the width of the blade portions 242 is 10mm, the skew angle θ of the blade portions 242 is 10 °, and the rotational efficiency is estimated to be 0.7, the rotational speed of 200rpm can be obtained at a flow rate of 20L/min, the rotational speed of 400rpm can be obtained at a flow rate of 40L/min, and the rotational speed of 600rpm can be obtained at a flow rate of 60L/min. As the impeller 24, in addition to the structure of the water wheel as described above, for example, a blade-like structure of a propeller may be adopted.

In the present embodiment, the same operational effects as those of the above-described embodiment 1 can be obtained. According to the present embodiment, since the gas feeding portion 40 is connected to the inlet 11a, the feeding pipe 13 may be attached to a discharge port of a hydraulic pump, a tap of a waterway, or the like. In this case, the impeller 24 is rotated by the discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump or the channel pressure, and a predetermined shearing force is applied to the bubble-containing liquid by the 1 st structural surface S1 and the 2 nd structural surface S2. Therefore, with such a structure, a bubble-containing liquid containing a large amount of fine bubbles can be produced.

< embodiment 3 >

Next, embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described. Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the bubble-containing liquid production system 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the drawing, the bubble-containing liquid production system 1 includes a circulation tank 101, a hydraulic pump 102, a gas feed unit 103, a gas feed line 104, a bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 300, a heat exchanger 106, and a completion tank 107.

The gas for forming bubbles is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, air or N₂、O₂Or O₃And the like. In addition, the bubble-containing liquid may contain bubbles formed of different kinds of gases. The liquid constituting the bubble-containing liquid is not particularly limited, and is typically water.

[ Structure of bubble-containing liquid production System ]

The recycle tank 101 holds the raw liquid or unfinished bubble-containing liquid. The circulation tank 101 is provided with a liquid level gauge FS1 for measuring the amount of liquid in the circulation tank 101. The circulation tank 101 is connected to the hydraulic pump 102 through a pipe L1. A liquid supply valve V1 and a liquid discharge valve V2 are connected to the line L1.

The hydraulic pump 102 is connected to the gas feed portion 103 through a pipe L2. The hydraulic pump 102 pumps the liquid supplied from the circulation tank 101 through the line L1 to the gas sending unit 103 through the line L2. A pressure/flow rate adjustment valve V3, a flow meter FL1, a pressure gauge FP1, a filter FF1, and a pressure gauge FP2 are connected to the line L2. Filter FF1 is a filter for removing impurities from the liquid flowing in line L2.

The gas feeding portion 103 is a pipe having a small diameter portion. The liquid supplied from the line L2 has a flow velocity that increases in the small diameter portion, and the pressure thereof temporarily decreases. The gas feeding portion 103 may be a venturi tube.

The gas feed line 104 connects the small diameter portion of the gas feed portion 103 to a gas source such as a gas bomb, and feeds gas to the liquid flowing through the small diameter portion. The gas feed line 104 is connected to the gas feed unit 103, whereby the gas feed pressure can be reduced.

The gas feeding unit 103 is connected to the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 300 via a line L3, and supplies the liquid to which the gas has been fed to the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 300. A pressure/flow regulating valve V4 is connected to the line L3.

The bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 300 produces a bubble-containing liquid containing fine bubbles by making the bubbles of the gas contained in the liquid supplied from the line L3 fine. The structure of the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 300 will be described later. The bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 300 is connected to the heat exchanger 106 via a line L4. A pressure/flow rate adjustment valve V5, a pressure gauge FP3, and a temperature gauge FT1 are connected to the line L4.

The heat exchanger 106 cools the bubble-containing liquid supplied from the line L4. This is because the bubble-containing liquid becomes high in temperature mainly due to passing through the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 300. The structure of the heat exchanger 106 is not particularly limited. The heat exchanger 106 is connected to a three-way valve V6 through a pipe L5. A thermometer FT2 is connected to the line L5.

A three-way valve V6 connects conduit L5 with either recycle line 165 or completion line 166. Recycle line 165 connects three-way valve V6 with recycle tank 101 and completion line 166 connects three-way valve V6 with completion tank 107.

The completion tank 107 holds the completed bubble-containing liquid. The line L6 is connected to the completion tank 107, and the drain valve V7 is connected to the line L6.

[ Structure of apparatus for producing bubble-containing liquid ]

Next, the structure of the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 300 of the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 14 is a schematic sectional view of a bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 300. In fig. 14, the same reference numerals are given to portions common to those in embodiment 1 described above, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 300 of the present embodiment is different from embodiment 1 in that it includes a casing 10 and a shear mechanism 320, and includes a disk member 213 having a 3 rd structural surface S3 instead of the pump portion 30.

In the present embodiment, the cutting mechanism 320 includes a rotating body 321, a motor 22, and a counter member 23. The rotating body 321 has a rotating shaft 211, a cylindrical portion 212, and a disk member 213.

The disk member 213 is fixed to the opening of the cylindrical portion 212. The disk member 213 has the same outer diameter as the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 212, and closes the opening of the cylindrical portion 212. The disc member 213 faces the inner surface of the bottom portion 110 of the housing main body 11 with a predetermined clearance C1 therebetween. The disk member 213 is fixed to the distal end of the rotating shaft 211 and configured to be rotatable integrally with the cylindrical portion 212 by driving of the motor 22.

The 3 rd structural surface S3 is a circular plane perpendicular to the rotation axis 211, and is an uneven surface formed on the surface of the disk member 213 facing the bottom portion 110 of the case main body 11. The 3 rd structural surface S3 is formed of a honeycomb structural surface in which a plurality of hexagonal recesses are formed, for example, as in the concave-convex surface 126 described with reference to fig. 7. The inner surface of the bottom portion 110 of the case main body 11 facing the 3 rd structure surface S3 is typically a flat surface, but is not limited thereto, and may be a concave-convex surface similar to the 3 rd structure surface S3.

The clearance C1 between the 3 rd structural surface S3 and the inner surface of the bottom 110 of the housing main body 11 is preferably 0.5mm or more and 1.5mm or less, for example. The rotation speed of the motor 22 is, for example, 1000rpm or more and 8000rpm or less, as in embodiment 1.

[ operation of bubble-containing liquid production System ]

Next, the operation of the bubble-containing liquid production system 1 will be described.

Referring to fig. 13, a liquid is pumped from a circulation tank 101 to a gas feed unit 103 by a hydraulic pump 102, and a gas is fed to the liquid from a gas feed line 104. The liquid to which the gas has been fed is further fed under pressure to the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 300, and is introduced into the inlet 11a of the housing 10 through the feed pipe 12a and the inlet 11a (see fig. 14).

In the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 300, the rotating body 321 is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed around the rotating shaft 211 by driving of the motor 22. Thus, the 1 st structure surface S1 of the cylindrical portion 212 rotates relative to the 2 nd structure surface S2 of the opposing member 23 with a predetermined clearance C therebetween. On the other hand, the 3 rd structural surface S3 of the disc member 213 rotates relative to the inner surface of the bottom portion 110 of the case main body 11 with a predetermined clearance C1 interposed therebetween.

The liquid introduced into the inlet 11a of the housing 10 passes through the gap between the 3 rd structure surface S3 and the bottom 110 of the housing main body 11 and the gap between the 1 st structure surface S1 and the 2 nd structure surface, and is discharged from the outlet 11 b. At this time, the liquid introduced into the inlet 11a is applied with a shearing force between the 3 rd structure surface S3 and the bottom portion 110 of the housing main body 11, and further, a shearing force is applied between the 1 st structure surface S1 and the 2 nd structure surface S2, so that the bubbles contained in the liquid are efficiently refined. This can further improve UFB production efficiency and production amount.

The bubble-containing liquid sent from the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 300 is supplied to the heat exchanger 106 via the line L4 and is cooled. The liquid cooled by the heat exchanger 106 is supplied to the circulation tank 101 or the completion tank 107 via a three-way valve V6. The bubble-containing liquid supplied to the circulation tank 101 is again pumped by the hydraulic pump 102 toward the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 300, and the density of the bubbles is increased.

In the bubble-containing liquid production system 1, for example, after the liquid is circulated through the circulation tank 101 for a certain period of time to densify the bubbles, the three-way valve V6 is operated to store the generated bubble-containing liquid in the completion tank 107. Alternatively, the bubble-containing liquid may be stored in the completion tank 107 in only one cycle without using the circulation tank 101. The bubble-containing liquid stored in the completion tank 107 is drained from the line L6 and utilized.

< embodiment 4 >

[ bubble-containing liquid production System ]

Since the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1 described above has the pump section 30 driven by the motor 22, it can be installed in, for example, a tank storing a liquid and can produce a bubble-containing liquid in the tank without constituting a circulation line.

Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a tank unit 500 as a bubble-containing liquid production system including the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1. As shown in fig. 15, the tank unit 500 includes a tank 550 capable of storing the liquid L, and the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 disposed in the tank 550.

The tank unit 500 has a mounting portion (not shown) for mounting the housing 10 to the tank 550, for example, and is mounted on an inner surface of a wall portion of the tank 550. In the present embodiment, the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 is configured such that the entire body including the inlet 11a and the outlet 11b of the casing 10 can be immersed in the liquid L in the tank 550. In this case, the feed pipe 13 having the gas feed portion 40 extends from the housing 10 to the outside of the tank 550, and is connected to a gas source, not shown. In addition, the motor 22 is typically disposed outside the tank 550. Not limited to this, the motor 22 may be configured to be immersed in the liquid L together with the casing 10.

An input operation portion, not shown, of the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 may be provided on the outer surface of the wall portion of the tank 550. This enables the user to perform input operations such as starting and stopping the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100.

In the tank unit 500 of the present embodiment, the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 sucks the liquid L in the tank 550 to produce a high-density fine bubble-containing liquid, and discharges the liquid L in the tank 550. Further, the liquid L passes through the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 a plurality of times, thereby increasing the density of the fine bubbles of the liquid in the tank 550.

As described above, according to the tank unit 500 of the present embodiment, since the bubble-containing liquid can be produced and stored in the tank 550, a piping line for circulating the bubble-containing liquid is not necessary. This makes it possible to construct a compact system, and thus to simplify the structure of a facility using a bubble-containing liquid as a treatment liquid.

Fig. 16 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system 600 including the tank unit 500 described above.

The system 600 shown in fig. 16 is configured as a grinding fluid supply system that supplies a grinding fluid (coolant) used in a grinding apparatus. The bubble-containing liquid of the present embodiment is a grinding fluid containing fine bubbles such as UFB, and is hereinafter also referred to as a bubble-containing grinding fluid.

The fine bubbles such as UFB have a surface activating effect and a bacteriostatic effect on substances that cause grinding fluid contamination, and a suppressing effect on the odor of the grinding fluid. Further, by containing the bubble grinding fluid, clogging of the mesh of the grinding powder during grinding can be prevented, the frequency of replacement of tools such as grindstones can be reduced, and the quality of the workpiece can be improved.

The system 600 includes the tank unit 500, the liquid supply line 610, the liquid supply unit 620, the waste liquid recovery unit 630, and the waste liquid recovery line 640, which have the above-described configuration.

The tank unit 500 includes a tank 550 capable of storing a liquid (bubble-containing grinding fluid) L, and a bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 disposed in the tank 550. The tank 550 is configured as a liquid reservoir capable of storing the bubble-containing grinding fluid L. As described above, the casing 10 of the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 is attached to the inner surface of the wall portion of the tank 550.

The liquid supply line 610 has, for example, a 1 st pipe 611, a liquid sending pump 612, and a 2 nd pipe 613.

A 1 st pipe 611 connects the tank unit 500 with the liquid feed pump 612. In the example of fig. 16, the 1 st pipe 611 is connected to the bottom of the tank 550. A liquid supply valve 614 and a liquid discharge valve 615, and a filter 616 are connected to the 1 st pipe 611. The filter 616 is used to remove impurities from the bubble-containing grinding fluid L flowing in the 1 st pipe 611.

The liquid-sending pump 612 is connected to the 1 st pipe 611 and the 2 nd pipe 613. The liquid-feeding pump 612 feeds the bubble-containing grinding fluid L supplied from the tank unit 500 through the 1 st pipe 611 to the 2 nd pipe 613.

The 2 nd pipe 613 is connected to, for example, a pressure gauge 617a, a flow meter 617b, a pressure/flow rate adjustment valve 618, and a liquid supply valve 619. The pressure/flow rate adjustment valve 618 adjusts the pressure and flow rate of the gas-containing grinding fluid L in the 2 nd pipe 613 based on the measurement results of the pressure gauge 617a and the flow meter 617 b. The 2 nd pipe 613 is connected to the liquid supply part 620 via a liquid supply valve 619.

The liquid supply unit 620 supplies the bubble-containing grinding liquid to the grinding device 700. The grinding apparatus 700 includes, for example, a tool 710 such as a grinding wheel for grinding the workpiece W, and a holding table 720 for holding the workpiece W. The liquid supply unit 620 supplies the bubble-containing liquid L between the tool 710 and the workpiece W, for example.

The waste liquid recovery unit 630 is configured to recover the bubble-containing grinding liquid L supplied to the grinding apparatus 700 as waste liquid. The waste liquid collecting unit 630 includes, for example, a container, a drain port, and the like, which are not shown, disposed below the holding base 720.

The waste liquid recovery line 640 is connected to the waste liquid recovery unit 630, and supplies the recovered bubble-containing grinding liquid L to the tank 550. The waste liquid recovery line 640 includes a 3 rd pipe 641, and a pressure/flow rate adjustment valve 642 and a filter 643 connected to the 3 rd pipe 641. The filter 643 serves to remove impurities from the grinding fluid flowing in the 3 rd pipe 641 of the waste fluid recovery line 640.

In the bubble-containing liquid supply system 600 having the above configuration, first, the tank 550 is filled with the stock solution of the grinding fluid. Then, the bubble-containing liquid manufacturing apparatus 100 is started. Thereby, the grinding fluid stock solution in the tank 550 is replaced with the bubble-containing grinding fluid L.

The bubble-containing grinding fluid L generated in the tank 550 is supplied from the liquid supply unit 620 to the grinding apparatus 700 through the liquid supply line 610. Thereby, the workpiece W is ground using the bubble-containing grinding fluid L.

The used bubble-containing grinding fluid L flowing out of the holding table 720 is supplied to the waste fluid recovery line 640 via the waste fluid recovery unit 630. Then, impurities such as grinding chips are removed by the filter 643 of the waste liquid recovery line 640, and the removed impurities are supplied to the tank 550 again.

The bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 can produce fine bubbles such as UFB at high density. This enables the grinding fluid filled in the tank 550 to be replaced with the bubble-containing grinding fluid L in a short time. Therefore, the time for preparing the bubble-containing grinding fluid L can be shortened, and productivity of grinding can be improved.

In addition, the above-described cleaning action, the clogging prevention action, and the like can be sufficiently exhibited by the fine bubbles having a high density. Therefore, the frequency of replacement of the grinding fluid, the tool, the pipe, and the like can be reduced, and the cost for grinding can be reduced.

Further, by disposing the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 in the tank 550, the entire system can be downsized. Further, the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 and the tank unit 500 can be easily introduced into the conventional grinding fluid supply system, and the introduction cost can be reduced.

Further, since the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 is small and low-cost, the bubble-containing liquid supply system 600 can be flexibly configured according to the required density of fine bubbles and the like. For example, the tank unit 500 may be configured to include a plurality of bubble-containing liquid production apparatuses 100 for the tank 550. Thus, even when the tank 550 is large, for example, a large amount of high-density bubble-containing liquid can be produced in a short time.

< other embodiments >

For example, UFB has various functions such as oxidation inhibition and gas supply, in addition to the above-described cleaning function. Accordingly, the bubble-containing liquid supply system including the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus, the storage unit (tank), and the liquid supply unit according to the present invention can also be used for the following applications.

For example, the bubble-containing liquid supply system according to the present invention may be a cleaning water supply system configured to clean food, precision equipment, or the like, using, for example, purified water as a liquid and using, for example, air or ozone as a gas.

The bubble-containing liquid supply system according to the present invention can be configured as an oxidation-preventing water supply system that prevents oxidation of fish meat or the like, for example, by using purified water as a liquid and nitrogen as a gas, for example.

Alternatively, the bubble-containing liquid supply system according to the present invention may be configured as a bubble-containing liquid supply system for a bathtub, using, for example, water as the liquid and using, for example, oxygen dioxide or air as the gas. The bubble-containing liquid supply system may be incorporated into the hot water supply system or may be connected to the hot water supply system. Alternatively, the bathtub body may be a "storage section", a bubble-containing liquid production apparatus may be attached to a part of the bathtub, and the bathtub may be configured as a bubble-containing liquid storage container provided with the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus.

The bubble-containing liquid supply system according to the present invention can be configured as a culture water supply system for aquatic animals such as fish, using water or seawater as a liquid and oxygen as a gas, for example. This makes it possible to sufficiently mix oxygen with the water used for cultivation, and to promote the growth of aquatic animals.

The bubble-containing liquid supply system according to the present invention can be configured as an irrigation system for plants, using, for example, water or liquid fertilizer as a liquid and using, for example, carbon dioxide or nitrogen as a gas. This makes it possible to supply the bubble-containing liquid mixed with the desired gas to the plant, thereby promoting the growth of the plant and the like.

While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made.

For example, in embodiment 1 described above, the bubble-containing liquid production apparatus 100 including the pump unit 30 is described as an example, but the pump unit 30 may be omitted. In this case, a hydraulic pump may be separately disposed on a pipeline that feeds the liquid to the inlet 11 a.

In the above embodiment 1, the pump section 30 is configured as a centrifugal pump, but is not limited thereto, and other pump configurations such as a vane pump and a cascade pump (a vortex pump) may be adopted.

In the above embodiment 2, the impeller 24 as the rotation imparting portion is formed to have the same outer diameter as the rotating body 21, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in fig. 17, the outer diameter of the impeller 240 may be smaller than the outer diameter of the rotor 21. In this case, the volume of the impeller 240 is reduced, and as a result, the rotation speed of the impeller 240 is increased, and the shearing force applied to the liquid by the rotating body 21 can be increased.

The shape of the blade portions 242 is not limited to the above-described streamline shape, and may be formed to extend linearly in a radial shape as shown in fig. 17.

Further, in the above embodiments, the cylindrical portion 212 constituting the rotating body 21 is formed in a cylindrical shape, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the cylindrical portion of the rotating body may be in a circular truncated cone shape. In this case, the opposing member that faces the cylindrical portion with a predetermined clearance therebetween is also formed in the circular truncated cone shape. The circular truncated cone-shaped cylindrical portion and the opposing member are disposed in a posture in which the diameters thereof become larger from the inlet side toward the outlet side of the housing, for example.