Device for slurrying a suspension and method for operating a device

Abstract

A method and device for slurrying a suspension, the device including a mixing container with an inlet opening configured to introduce the suspension into the mixing container, a distributor element having a collecting container and an outlet arm fastened to the collecting container, and a shaft with a longitudinal axis, with the shaft and the distributor element arranged inside the mixing container, and the distributor element rotatable around the shaft. The collecting container has a collecting opening that permits passage of the suspension from the inlet opening into the distributor element, the outlet arm has an outflow opening that lets the suspension leave the distributor element, and the outlet arm permitting the suspension to flow out of the distributor element, with a flow of the suspension causing a torque on the distributor element so that the torque supports a rotation around the shaft.

Claims

1. A device for slurrying a suspension comprising: a mixing container with an inlet opening configured to introduce the suspension into the mixing container; a distributor element having a collecting container and an outlet arm fastened to the collecting container; and a shaft with a longitudinal axis, wherein the shaft and the distributor element are arranged inside the mixing container, wherein the distributor element is mounted so as to be freely rotatable around the shaft, wherein the collecting container comprises a collecting opening configured to pass the suspension from the inlet opening into the distributor element, wherein the outlet arm comprises an outflow opening configured to let the suspension leave the distributor element, wherein the outlet arm is designed such that the suspension is able to flow out of the distributor element starting from the collecting container via the outlet arm and the outflow opening, a flow of the suspension causing a torque on the distributor element so that the torque supports a rotation around the shaft; wherein the longitudinal axis of the shaft is oriented substantially parallel to a gravitational direction; wherein the collecting opening is arranged downstream of the inlet opening in the gravitational direction; wherein, with respect to a viewing direction along the longitudinal axis of the shaft, the collecting opening completely covers the inlet opening; wherein the mixing container is configured to be filled with the suspension; and wherein the distributor element is designed such that when the mixing container is at least partially filled with the suspension the distributor element floats in the suspension.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the distributor element is designed such that when the distributor element floats in the suspension the outflow opening is completely submerged in the suspension.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the inlet opening is offset with respect to the shaft in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein an interior of the outlet arm is connected via an inflow opening in an outer wall of the collecting container to an interior of the collecting container so that the suspension is able to pass from the interior of the collecting container via the inflow opening into the interior of the outlet arm when the distributor element rotates around the shaft, and wherein at least one position exists in which the inflow opening at least partially covers the inlet opening.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the collecting container has a geometric shape of a hollow dome.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the mixing container has an outlet opening configured to remove the suspension from the mixing container, and wherein the outlet opening is offset with respect to the inlet opening in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

7. The device according to claim 6, further comprising a return system configured to convey at least a portion of a suspension removed from the outlet opening back into the mixing container via the inlet opening.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the mixing container has a side wall which is spaced from the shaft in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and wherein a distance of the outflow opening to the shaft is between 50% and 75% inclusive of a distance of the side wall to the shaft.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the distributor element has a passage through which the shaft is guided, and wherein a diameter of the passage is at least 100 m larger than a diameter of the shaft so that a gap exists between the distributor element and the shaft.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the distributor element is mounted so as to be freely displaceable along the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

11. A method for operating a device having a mixing container with an inlet opening configured to introduce a suspension into the mixing container, further having a distributor element having a collecting container and an outlet arm fastened to the collecting container, and further having a shaft with a longitudinal axis, the method comprising: orientating the device such that the longitudinal axis of the shaft is aligned substantially parallel to a gravitational direction and the distributor element is arranged downstream of the inlet opening in the gravitational direction, wherein the shaft and the distributor element are arranged inside the mixing container, wherein the distributor element is mounted so as to be freely rotatable around the shaft wherein the collecting container comprises a collecting opening configured to pass the suspension from the inlet opening into the distributor element, wherein the outlet arm comprises an outflow opening configured to let the suspension leave the distributor element, and wherein the outlet arm is designed such that the suspension is able to flow out of the distributor element starting from the collecting container via the outlet arm and the outflow opening, a flow of the suspension causing a torque on the distributor element so that the torque supports a rotation around the shaft; introducing the suspension with converter particles into the mixing container via the inlet opening so that the suspension first passes via the collecting opening into the distributor element and then flows out of the distributor element via the outflow opening as a result of which the distributor element is set in rotation around the shaft; wherein the mixing container is at least temporarily partially filled with the suspension; and wherein the distributor element floats at least temporarily in the suspension.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein a filling level of the suspension in the mixing container changes, and wherein the distributor element follows a change in filling level by moving along the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the suspension has a density between 0.5 g/cm3 and 2 g/cm3 inclusive, wherein the suspension has a viscosity between 1 mPa.Math.s and 100 mPa.Math.s inclusive, and wherein the suspension passes the inlet opening at an average velocity between 0.01 m/s and 5 m/s inclusive.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: removing the suspension from the mixing container; and spraying at least a part of the removed suspension onto semiconductor components.

15. A device for slurrying a suspension comprising: a mixing container with an inlet opening configured to introduce the suspension into the mixing container; a distributor element having a collecting container and an outlet arm fastened to the collecting container; and a shaft with a longitudinal axis, wherein the shaft and the distributor element are arranged inside the mixing container; wherein the inlet opening is offset with respect to the shaft in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft; wherein the distributor element is mounted so as to be freely rotatable around the shaft; wherein the collecting container comprises a collecting opening configured to pass the suspension from the inlet opening into the distributor element; wherein the outlet arm comprises an outflow opening configured to let the suspension leave the distributor element; and wherein the outlet arm is designed such that the suspension is able to flow out of the distributor element starting from the collecting container via the outlet arm and the outflow opening, a flow of the suspension causing a torque on the distributor element so that the torque supports a rotation around the shaft.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, a device described herein as well as a method for operating the device described herein is described with reference to drawings by means of exemplary embodiments. Here, like reference numerals indicate like elements in the figures. However, the size ratios involved are not to scale, individual elements may rather be illustrated with an exaggerated size for a better understanding.

(2) FIGS. 1A to 1C show exemplary embodiments of the device in different views; and

(3) FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the device and of the method for operating the device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

(4) FIG. 1A shows an example of a device 100 for slurrying a suspension 5 in perspective. The device boo comprises a mixing container 1, which is cylindrical in shape. The mixing container 1 is partly filled with the suspension 5. The suspension 5 may, for example, have been introduced through the inlet opening 10 in the upper part of the mixing container 1. The suspension 5, for example, contains converter particles.

(5) In the mixing container 1, a shaft 3 extends along the longitudinal direction of the mixing container 1. A longitudinal axis of the shaft 3 corresponds here to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical mixing container 1. The longitudinal axis of the shaft 3 is essentially aligned parallel to the gravitational direction g.

(6) A distributor element 2 is mounted so that it can rotate freely around the shaft 3. For this purpose, the distributor element 2 comprises in particular a passage through which the shaft 3 is guided.

(7) The distributor element 2 comprises a collecting container 20. The collecting container 20 has the shape of an inverted hollow dome. The base of the hollow dome comprises a collecting opening 22 of the collecting container 20. In particular, the collecting opening 22 is arranged downstream of the inlet opening 10 in the gravitational direction or in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft 3. If the suspension 5 is introduced into the mixing container 1 via the inlet opening 10, it falls directly through the collecting opening 22 into the collecting container 20.

(8) Outlet arms 21 are attached to an outer wall of the collecting container 20. The outlet arms 21, for example, are formed as tubes, which comprise an inner flow channel. The suspension 5 can pass from the collecting container 20 into the outlet arms 21 and flow through the inner flow channels of the outlet arms 21.

(9) At one end of outlet arms 21, the outlet arms 21 each have an outflow opening 23. The suspension 5 can leave the outlet arms 21 or the distributor element 2 via the outflow opening 23.

(10) The outlet arms 21 are curved in such a way that when the suspension 5 flows out, a torque is generated on the distributor element 2 which supports or causes the distributor element 2 to rotate around the shaft 3. The outflowing suspension 5 is marked by arrows in FIG. 1A.

(11) FIG. 1A also shows that distributor element 2 floats in suspension 5. If the filling level of the suspension 5 in the mixing container 1 changes, the distributor element 2 follows the filling level of the suspension 5. For this purpose, the distributor element 2 is mounted so that it can move freely, especially along the longitudinal direction of the shaft 3. The distributor element 2 is designed in such a way that the outflow openings 23 of the outlet arms 21 are immersed in the suspension 5.

(12) FIG. 1B shows a cross-sectional view of the device 100 of FIG. 1A. It can be seen that an inflow opening 24 is formed in the outer wall of the collecting container 20, to which the inner flow channel of the outlet arm 21 is connected. The suspension 5 in the collecting container 20 can reach the outlet arm 21 via the inflow opening 24.

(13) FIG. 1B also shows that, when looking along the longitudinal axis of shaft 3, the inflow opening 24 covers the inlet opening 10 for certain rotation angles of the distributor element. When the device 100 is aligned as intended with the longitudinal axis of the shaft 3 along the gravitational direction g as shown in FIG. 1B, this ensures that the suspension 5 flowing in via the inlet opening 10 hits the inflow opening 24 directly. The torque caused by the deflection of the suspension 5 to the distributor element 2 is thus maximized.

(14) FIG. 1B also shows that a side wall 13 of the mixing container 1 is spaced from the shaft 3 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of shaft 3. The distance between the outflow opening 23 and the shaft 3 is approximately of the distance between the side wall 13 and the shaft 3.

(15) FIG. 1C shows the device 100 of FIG. 1A in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of shaft 3. The distributor element 2 comprises four outlet arms 21 in this case. The outlet arms 21 are each curved in the same way, so that when a suspension 5 flows through them, they each support a rotation with the same direction of rotation around the longitudinal axis of the shaft 3.

(16) FIG. 1C also shows that the collecting opening 22 of the collecting container 20 completely covers the inlet opening 10. It can also be seen that when the distributor element 2 rotates around the shaft 3, there are four positions in which the inlet opening 10 is completely overlapped by an inflow opening 24.

(17) Other than shown in FIG. 1C, the device 100 can also include several inlet openings 10.

(18) FIG. 2 shows another example of a device 100 for slurrying a suspension 5. The mixing container 1 comprises an outlet opening 11 through which the suspension 5 in the mixing container 1 can be removed. The outlet opening 11 is arranged downstream of the inlet opening 10 in the gravitational direction g. The inlet opening 10 and the outlet opening 11 may be the only openings in the mixing container wall.

(19) The device 100 also comprises a return system 4 with a pump 14. Suspension 5 removed through the outlet opening 11 is pumped completely or partially back into the mixing container 1 by means of the return system 4. The returned suspension 5 enters the mixing container 1 via the inlet opening 10. After entering the mixing container 1, the suspension 5 first falls into the collecting container 20, from where the suspension 5 flows out of the distributor element 2 through the outlet arms 21. The shape of the outlet arms 21 results in an automatic rotation of the distributor element 2 around the shaft 3. Due to this the suspension 5 is constantly mixed, so that returned particles in the suspension 5 are homogeneously distributed in the suspension 5.

(20) The invention described herein is not limited by the description in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments. Rather, the invention comprises any new feature as well as any combination of features, particularly including any combination of features in the patent claims, even if said feature or said combination per se is not explicitly stated in the patent claims or exemplary embodiments.