ATOMIZATION DEVICE

Abstract

The atomization device comprises a motor (1) rotatably driving a spinning disc (2) by means of a rotating shaft (3), and cooling means for cooling said spinning disc (2), wherein said cooling means comprise a cooling circuit (4) extending around at least one portion of the rotating shaft (3) and below at least one portion of said spinning disc (2). The invention allows providing an atomization device in which the rotating shaft of the motor is perfectly aligned with the spinning disc, thereby avoiding the use of mechanical transmission elements.

Claims

1. Atomization device comprising a motor rotatably driving a spinning disc by means of a rotating shaft, and cooling means for cooling said spinning disc, wherein said cooling means comprise a cooling circuit extending around at least one portion of the rotating shaft and below at least one portion of said spinning disc.

2. Atomization device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling circuit comprises at least one inlet into the lower area of the spinning disc and at least one outlet for the liquid coolant.

3. Atomization device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one inlet and the at least one outlet for the liquid coolant are located around and to the sides of the rotating shaft of the spinning disc.

4. Atomization device according to claim 1, also comprising at least one sealing gasket arranged between a stationary base and the spinning disc.

5. Atomization device according to claim 4, also comprising at least one sealing gasket arranged between the stationary base and the rotating shaft.

6. Atomization device according to claim 4, wherein said at least one sealing gasket is made of graphite or another sliding seal material.

7. Atomization device according to claim 4, wherein said at least one sealing gasket is arranged in a stationary manner.

8. Atomization device according to claim 1, wherein said spinning disc and said rotating shaft consist of a single part or multiple parts.

9. Atomization device according to claim 1, wherein the spinning disc is made of metal or ceramic.

10. Atomization device according to claim 1, wherein the spinning disc comprises a refractory, anti-corrosive and/or anti-wear ceramic coating on its outer surface.

11. Atomization device according to claim 1, wherein the spinning disc has a diameter comprised between 20 and 200 mm.

12. Atomization device according to claim 1, wherein the spinning disc has a thickness comprised between 1 and 15 mm.

13. Atomization device according to claim 1, comprising at least one bearing, or friction bearing, placed between the rotating shaft and the static base.

14. Atomization device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling circuit is a closed circuit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] To better understand the foregoing, a set of drawings are attached in which a practical embodiment is schematically depicted merely by way of illustrative non-limiting example.

[0032] FIG. 1 is elevational cross-section view of the atomization device according to the present invention; and

[0033] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the upper portion of the atomization device according to the present invention, with the spinning disc removed.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0034] As shown in the drawings, the atomization device according to the present invention comprises a motor 1 rotatably driving a spinning disc 2 through a rotating shaft 3. Said spinning disc 2 and said rotating shaft 3 may or may not consist of a single part.

[0035] As indicated above, atomization takes place by dropping a column or droplets of liquid against the spinning disc 2, which may be flat, cup-shaped, or have other shapes or geometries.

[0036] When the liquid contacts the disc 2 spinning at a high speed, said liquid spreads out over the surface of the disc 2 due to the centrifugal force to which it is subjected, and when the metal reaches the edge of the disc 2, the surface tension is insufficient to maintain the bulk liquid mass and accordingly turns into a spray of small droplets which solidify and form a powder.

[0037] Also as described above, this spinning disc 2 requires cooling which is provided, according to the present invention, by means of a cooling circuit, generally indicated by means of reference number 4, which is not arranged inside the rotating shaft 3, but rather extends around at least one portion of the rotating shaft 3 and below at least one portion of said spinning disc 2, and by which the cooling fluid circulates in a continuous way.

[0038] Furthermore, this cooling circuit 4, which is closed, comprises at least one inlet 5 for liquid coolant, for example, water or oil, and at least one outlet 6 for said liquid coolant.

[0039] Said base 7 is stationary, i.e., it does not spin with the rotating shaft 3 and with the spinning disc 2. To that end, the atomization device according to the present invention comprises at least one, and preferably two, friction bearings 15 arranged between the rotating shaft 3 and the stationary base 7.

[0040] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the cooling circuit 4 comprises at least one vertical inlet segment 10 and at least one vertical outlet segment 11 for the liquid coolant which are parallel to and spaced apart from the rotating shaft of the disc, which allows cooling specifically the upper portion of the rotating shaft 3 and the lower portion of the spinning disc 2.

[0041] To assure tightness, the atomization device according to the depicted embodiment comprises a sealing gasket 13, with its corresponding closure system should it be required, arranged between the stationary base 7 and the spinning disc 2, where said gasket 13 may preferably be made of graphite, though it could be made of any suitable material.

[0042] Said gasket 13, with its corresponding closure system should one be required, is stationary, arranged between the spinning disc 2 and the stationary base 7. Said gasket maintains tightness and confines the liquid coolant.

[0043] A sealing gasket 12 is also arranged between the rotating shaft 3 and the stationary base 7 for the purpose of confining the liquid coolant in the lower portion of the disc 2. This gasket 12 will preferably be made of an elastomeric material, though it may be made of any type of material that assures tightness in said area.

[0044] The spinning disc 2 can be made of any suitable material, but it is preferably made of metal or ceramic, with or without a refractory, anti-corrosion and/or anti-wear coating on its outer surface

[0045] Only by way of example, the spinning disc 2 may be made of AISI H13 steel, which is suitable for hot working applications. Furthermore, a suitable refractory coating could be made of alumina or zirconia to avoid interaction between the metal of the disc and the atomized metal.

[0046] For example, the diameter of the spinning disc 2 can range from 20 to 200 mm and the thickness can range from 1 to 15 mm.

[0047] The table below includes several atomization embodiments obtained by means of the atomization device according to the present invention:

TABLE-US-00001 Material Speed of the Mean particle Temperature of the atomized spinning disc (rpm) diameter (μm) molten metal (° C.) Tin 30,000  90  400° C. 40,000  75 Aluminum 20,000 190  750° C. 25,000 160 30,000 140 35,000 120 Copper 15,000 180 1100° C. 20,000 150 25,000 115 35,000  95

[0048] Although reference has been made to a specific embodiment of the invention, it is evident to one skilled in the art that the described atomization device is susceptible to a number of variations and modifications, and that all the mentioned details can be replaced with other technically equivalent ones without departing from the scope of protection defined in the appended claims.