GB2032808A - Vortex-type mist generator - Google Patents

Abstract

A vortex-type mist generator comprises two nozzles 10, 20, each having tangential gas delivery channels 16, 26 to create a rotating flow of gas, an oil delivery duct 18, 19, 28, 29 supplying the oil into the rotating flow of gas, whereby a rotating flow of mist is created, and an oil mist outlet 17, 27. The nozzles 10, 20 are mutually arranged so that their outlets 17, 27 face each other, while the tangential channels 16, 26 of the nozzles 10, 20 are arranged so as to ensure the rotation of the mist from the first nozzle 10 in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the mist from the second nozzle 20. The nozzles may be mounted so that the distance between them and the angle between their axes may be adjusted. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Vortex-type mist generator The present invention relates to mist generators operating on a vortex principie.

The invention can most advantageously be used in generating an oil mist in association with metallurgy and machinery for the purpose of lubricating bearing units and gear or link transmissions disposed at a iarge distance from the oil mist generator and when one is required to aerosolize liquid lubricant into finely divided particles.

The invention provides a vortex-type oil mist generator comprising a nozzle provided with tangential gas delivery channels to create a rotating flow of gas and having an oil delivery duct supplying the oil into the rotating flow of gas, accompanied by the creation of a rotating flow of oil mist, and an oil mist outlet, which generator is further provided with a second nozzle which is substantially identical in design with the first nozzle, the second nozzle being arranged so that its outlet discharging the rotating flow of oil mist faces the respective outlet of the first nozzle, tangential gas delivery channels of the second nozzle being arranged to provide the rotation of the oil mist flow exiting from the outlet of the second nozzle in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the oil mist flow exiting from the outlet of the first nozzle.

The advantage of this mist generator resides in that, owing to the second nozzle, and the mutual arrangement of the gas delivery channels of the first and second nozzles, large-sized particles of one of the rotating flows of oil mist impact against the oil particles contained in the other rotating flow of oil mist which is oppositely rotated, which results in more efficient atomization of the oil contained in the mist, thus providing an oil mist possessing an increased degree of dispersity as compared with the prior art mist generators.

Another advantage of the mist generator of the invention resides in that each rotating flow of oil mist meets only an analogous flow of oil mist. This obviates, therefore, the formation of an oil film which would have the tendency to take up oil particles; as a result a high density mist is provided as compared with the prior art mist generators.

Still another advantage of the mist generator of the invention consists in that it provides an oil mist which can direct to the points requiring lubrication with less consumption of both pressurized gas and energy as compared with the prior art generators.

It is advisable that the first and second nozzles be adjustable towards and away from the respective oil mist outlets. Such an arrangement of the nozzles permits the rate of oil particle collision to be varied, which makes it possible to control the oil mist dispersity. As the distance between the respective nozzle outlets is decreased, the oil particle collision rate is - increased, with the result that the oil particles are decreased in size.

It is further advisable that the first and second nozzles be adjustably mounted to vary the angle between their axes, thus widening the scope of controlling the oil mist dispersity for the purpose of defining the optimum size of the oil particles and the oil mist density for every kind of oil as well as for any type of lubricant system.

The invention will be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows a vortex-type oil mist generator in longitudinal section on line Il-Il of Figure 2; Figure 2 is a plan view, partially in crosssection, of the vortex-type oil mist generator; Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line Ill-Ill of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line IV--IV of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a sectional view of the upper part of another embodiment of an oil mist generator; Figure 6 is a sectional view of the upper part of a further embodiment of an oil mist generator; Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line VIl-VIl of Figure 6;; Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line VIll-VIll of Figure 6; and Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line IX-IX of Figure 6.

The vortex-type oil mist generator illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 comprises an oil storage chamber 1 connected with a cover 2 by flanges 3, bolts 4, and nuts 5. The storage chamber 1 and the cover 2 are secured together in a sealing relationship by means of a sealing member 6 disposed therebetween. The cover 2 includes an inlet opening 7 to supply a pressurized gas into the oil mist generator. An outlet opening 8 (Figure 2) serves to supply a generated oil mist to points requiring lubrication. The oil is fed into the oil mist generator via a pipe connection 9 (Figure 20.

The cover 2 is provided with a first nozzle 10 which is defined by a housing member 11 and a sprayer 12. A plug 13 (Figure 1) and a nut 14 lock the first nozzle 10 in the cover 2. Sealing members 1 5 prevent leakage of oil and pressurized gas between the nozzle 10 and the cover 2. The nozzle 10 has tangential gas delivery channels 1 6 arranged to create a rotating flow of gas, an oil mist outlet 1 7 for discharging a rotating flow of oil mist, and a passageway 1 8 which is in communication with the interior of the oil storage chamber 1 through a tube 19. The tube 19, in combination with the passageway 18, defines an oil delivery duct supplying the oil into the rotating flow of gas generated within the nozzle 1 0.

The cover 2 is further provided with a second nozzle 20 mounted therein and comprising a housing member 21 and a sprayer 22. A plug 23 (Figure 1) and a nut 24 lock the nozzle 20 in the cover 2. Sealing members 25 prevent leakage of oil and pressurized gas between the nozzle 20 and the cover 2. The nozzle 20, which is similar in design to the nozzle 10, comprises tangential gas delivery channels 26 arranged to create a rotating flow of gas, an oil mist outlet 27, and a passageway 28 communicating via a tube 29 with the oil storage chamber 1. The tube 29, in combination with the passageway 28, defines an oil delivery duct supplying the oil into the mass of gas swirled within the nozzle 20.

The tubes 1 9 and 29 are provided with respective filters 30 and 31 secured to their inlet ends to remove impurities from the oil drawn into the nozzles 10 and 20.

Channels 32 and 33 are provided in the cover 2, adapted to be in communication with the inlet opening 7 and disposed normally to channels 34 and 35 communicating with annular cavities 36 and 37 formed in the cover 2. The inlet openings of the channels 32, 34, 35, and 33 are plugged by respective screw stoppers 38, 39, 40, 41 As shown in Figure 3, the gas delivery channels 16 are tangentially arranged, extend in the same direction with respect to the axis of the nozzle 10, and are in communication with a chamber 42.

Owing to the tangential arrangement of the channels 16, the gas is caused to be swirled within the chamber 42. As a result, the gas, as it leaves the chamber 42; is rotating at a high velocity, which provides a maximum suction within the passageway 1 8 (Figure 1) adapted for supplying the oil into the rotating flow of gas, which, in turn, results in a more efficient atomization of the oil.

The gas delivery channels 26 (Figure 4) of the nozzle 20, which are similar in design to the channels 16 of the nozzle 10, are used to direct the pressurized gas from the annular cavity 37 into a chamber 43.

It should be noted that the tangential gas delivery channels 1 6 (Figure 3) of the first nozzle 10 and the similar channels 26 (Figure 4) of the second nozzle 20 are arranged so as to cause two rotating flows of oil mist to be oppositely swirled.

The oil mist outlet 27 (Figure 2) of the second nozzle 20 is arranged to face the respective outlet 1 7 of the first nozzle 10.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the nozzles 10 and 20 are adjustabiy mounted to vary the distance between their respective outlets 1 7 and 27. This is achieved by means of nuts 44 and 45 which are prevented from axial displacement with respect to the cover 2 by C-rings 46 and 47 secured to the cover 2 with bolts 48 and 49.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the nozzles 10 and 20 are adjustable mounted to vary both the distance between their outlets 1 7 and 27 and the angle between the axes of the nozzles. It should be noted that the nozzles 10 and 20 could be adjustably mounted to vary only the angle between their axes. The nozzles 10 and 20 are pivotally mounted on slides 50 and 51 and are locked at any requisite angle by means of screws 52 and 53 (Figure 7). The pressurized gas is directed into the nozzles 10 and 20 (Figure 6) through flexible pipes 54 (Figures 6 and 8) and 55 (Figures 6 and 9) which are in communication with the inlet opening 7 (Figure 6).

In operation of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, the pressurized gas is caused to flow through the inlet opening 7 (Figure 1) and through the channels 32, 33, 34, 35 into the annular cavities 36 and 37, and further through the tangential gas delivery channels 1 6 and 26 into the chambers 42 and 43, respectively. The rotating flow of gas, as they exit from the respective chambers 42 and 43, each create a suction zone. The suction zones cause the oil to be aspirated from the oil storage chamber 1 through the tubes 19 and 29 and the passageways 18 and 28 into the respective rotating flows of gas, where the oil is sheared to form finely divided particles, thus creating two rotating flows of oil mist exiting from the outlets 1 7 and 27, respectively.

The tangential gas delivery channels 26 (Figure 4) of the second nozzle 20 and the similar channels 16 (Figure 3) of the first nozzle 10 are mutuaily arranged so as to provide the rotation of the oil mist flow exiting from the outlet 1 7 (Figure 1) in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the oil mist flow exiting from the outlet 27 of the nozzle 20. Since the outlets 1 7 and 27 are arranged to face each other, the axial velocities of the oil mist flows are oppositely directed. When the oppositely directed flows of oil mist come into contact with each other, many times repeated collisions of oil particles take place, resulting in efficient oil shearing, which gives rise to an increased dispersity of the generated oil mist.Moreover, the mist dispersity tends to be increased owing to the fact that the relative velocity of each of two oil particles colliding one against the other, is equal to the total of the velocities of the two particles relative to the fixed coordinate system.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the nozzles 10 and 20 are movably mounted to vary the distance between the outlets 1 7 and 27. This is achieved by rotating the nuts 44 and 45 fixed in the axial direction by means of C-rings 46 and 47.

As the distance between the outlets 1 7 and 27 decreases, oil particles tend to impact one against another in a more efficient manner, thus increasing the oil mist dispersity.

According to the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the flexible pipes 54 and 55 are used to direct the pressurized gas into the gas delivery channels 1 6 and 26 of the respective nozzles 10 and 20.

The rotating flows of oil mist exiting from the outlets 1 7 and 27 are oppositely swirled, this contributing, as mentioned hereinbefore, to high dispersity mist generation.

The screws 52 and 53 being loosened, the angle between the axes of the nozzles 10 and 20 can be varied by simple rotation of the nozzles about the axes of the screws 52 and 53. The variations of the angle between the nozzle axes makes it possible to widen the range of oil mist dispersity control and thus to achieve the optimum conditions required for generation of oil mist possessing a high degree of dispersity.

It should be noted that the above-described vortex-type oil mist generators prevent the occurrence of an oil film in operation, which enables a high density mist to be generated, thus resulting in a decreased amount of gas required to direct appropriate amounts of oil to points requiring lubrication.

Moreover; the generated oil mist possesses an increased degree of dispersity, which makes it possible to direct the mist to machinery parts far removed from the generator with minimum possibility of choking the pipe line.

Among other things, two oppositely directed flows of oil mist give rise to a more efficient atomization of oil particles; therefore, there is no need to generate a high dispersity mist at the outlet of each of the nozzles. Taken together, all these features make it possible to use gas under less pressure and hence to reduce the power consumption.

Although the present invention is herein disclosed with reference to the oil used as a liquid to be aerosolized, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that any other liquid may be aerosolized by the generator without departure from the essence of the invention.

Claims (4)

1. A vortex-type mist generator comprising two substantially identical nozzles each provided with tangential gas delivery channels to generate a rotating flow of gas, with a liquid delivery duct for supplying liquid into the rotating flow of gas to create a rotating flow of mist, and with a mist outlet, the mist outlet of one nozzle facing the mist outlet of the other nozzle, the tangential gas delivery channels of the nozzles being arranged so as to provide rotation of oil mist from the one nozzle in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the mist from the other nozzle.

2. A mist generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nozzles are adjustably mounted to allow the distance between their respective mist outlets to be varied.

3. A mist generator as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the nozzles are adjustably mounted to allow the angle between their axes to be varied.

4. A mist generator substantially as described herein with reference to, and as shown in, Figures 1 to 4, Figure 5, or Figures 6 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.