DISTRIBUTION DEVICE FOR SLURRY

Abstract

The invention relates to a distribution device (1) for a slurry containing liquid and solid constituents, comprising: a housing (2) with an inlet (6) for the slurry, an end wall (4) at the driving side, an opposite further end wall (5) and multiple outlets (7) at at least one of the two end walls (4, 5) for distributing the slurry, a rotor (40), which is arranged in the housing (2) and rotatable about a rotation axis (10) and comprises at least one blade arrangement (60) for sweeping over the outlets (7) at the inside of the housing and an air distribution chamber (45) for distributing compressed air to the blade arrangement(s) (60), a driving unit (20) with a motor (26), which is arranged outside of the housing (2), and a driving shaft (22), which is coaxial to the rotation axis (10), passes through the end wall (4) at the driving side and is connected to the rotor (40) in a rotationally fixed manner, and an annular air transmission chamber (51), which passes through the end wall (4) at the driving side and is arranged coaxially with the rotation axis (10) and radially outside of the driving shaft (22), wherein the air transmission chamber (51) is connected to an air inlet (27) at the outside of the housing for compressed air and to the air distribution chamber (45) at the inside of the housing in an air-conducting manner.

Claims

1. A distribution device for a slurry comprising liquid and solid constituents, comprising: a housing with an inlet for the slurry, an end wall at a driving side, an opposite further end wall and a plurality of outlets at at least one of the two end walls for distributing the slurry, a rotor, which is arranged in the housing and rotatable about a rotation axis, with at least one blade arrangement for sweeping over the outlets at the inside of the housing, and an air distribution chamber for distributing compressed air to the at least one blade arrangement, a driving unit with a motor, which is arranged outside the housing, and a drive shaft, which is coaxial with the rotation axis, passes through the end wall at the driving side and is connected to the rotor in a rotationally fixed manner, and an annular air transmission chamber, which passes the end wall at the driving side and is arranged coaxially with the rotation axis and radially outside the drive shaft, wherein the air transmission chamber is connected to an air inlet for compressed air at the outside of the housing and to the air distribution chamber at the inside of the housing in an air-conducting manner.

2. The distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the air distribution chamber is formed by a rotor outer wall at the driving side and a rotor inner wall spaced from the rotor outer wall along the rotation axis.

3. The distribution device according to claim 2, wherein the air distribution chamber is delimited radially inwardly by the drive shaft.

4. The distribution device according to claim 3, wherein the air distribution chamber comprises an opening in the rotor outer wall at the driving side, through which the drive shaft extends, wherein radially outside the drive shaft an annular region of the opening is formed as a transition of the air transmission chamber into the air distribution chamber.

5. The distribution device according to claim 2, wherein the drive shaft is flanged to the rotor inner wall and the rotor inner wall is arranged to transmit torque from the driving shaft to the rest of the rotor.

6. The distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit comprises a motor flange, wherein the drive shaft is rotatably mounted in the motor flange, wherein one side of the motor flange is flanged to the end wall of the housing at the driving side and the motor is flanged to the opposite side, and wherein the air inlet is formed at the motor flange.

7. The distribution device according to claim 6, wherein the air transmission chamber is delimited radially at the outside by an annular region, which is coaxial with the rotation axis, wherein the annular region is a component of the rotor and a first sliding seal is arranged between a radial outside of the annular region, and the motor flange.

8. The distribution device according to claim 7, wherein the motor flange protrudes through the end wall at the driving side into an interior of the housing, is thereby spaced from the rotor and the annular region bridges the spacing distance.

9. The distribution device according to claim 6, wherein the air transmission chamber is delimited radially at the inside by the motor flange.

10. The distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one blade arrangement comprises a cavity and at least one annular or tubular blade, wherein the cavity is connected in an air-conducting manner to the air distribution chamber, wherein the blade sweeps over the outlets at the inside of the housing when the rotor is rotated and thereby the cavity is connected in an air-conducting manner to the outlet through the annular or tubular blade.

11. The distribution device according to claim 10, wherein the cavities of a plurality of blade arrangements are connected in an air-conducting manner to an intermediate chamber of the rotor via a respective recess, and wherein the air distribution chamber is connected in an air-conducting manner to the intermediate chamber.

12. The distribution device according to claim 2, wherein the rotor comprises a further rotor outer wall, wherein the rotor inner wall is arranged between the two rotor outer walls, closer to the rotor outer wall at the driving side.

13. The distribution device according to claim 12, wherein the further rotor outer wall comprises an aperture for flowing the slurry into an internal slurry chamber of the rotor.

14. The distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the rotor is open at some places, so that the slurry can flow radially outwards through the rotor into a free space between the rotor and the housing.

15. The distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the rotor comprises a first width, which is parallel to the rotation axis, and the air distribution chamber comprises a second width, which is parallel to the rotation axis, wherein the second width is at most 50% of the first width.

16. The distribution device according to claim 15, wherein the second width is at most 35% of the first width.

17. The distribution device according to claim 16, wherein the second width is at most 25% of the first width.

18. The distribution device according to claim 9, wherein the air transmission chamber is delimited radially at the inside by the drive shaft.

19. The distribution device according to claim 6, wherein the air transmission chamber is delimited radially at the outside by an annular region, which is coaxial with the rotation axis, wherein the annular region is arranged at the motor flange side and a first sliding seal is arranged between a radial outside of the annular region, and the rotor.

20. The distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the air distribution chamber is delimited radially inwardly by the drive shaft.

Description

[0039] Further details, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment based on the drawing. It shows:

[0040] FIG. 1 a distribution device of the invention according to an embodiment,

[0041] FIG. 2 a driving unit of the distribution device of the invention according to the embodiment,

[0042] FIG. 3 a section view of the distribution device of the invention according to the embodiment,

[0043] FIG. 4 a rotor of the distribution device of the invention according to the embodiment,

[0044] FIG. 5 a further view of the rotor of the distribution device of the invention according to the embodiment,

[0045] FIG. 6 a rotor inner wall of the rotor of the distribution device of the invention according to the embodiment,

[0046] FIG. 7 a first section view of the rotor of the distribution device of the invention according to the embodiment, and

[0047] FIG. 8 a second section view of the rotor of the distribution device of the invention according to the embodiment.

[0048] In the following, a distribution device 1 is described in detail based on the figures. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, reference is always made to all figures.

[0049] The distribution device 1 is designed for distributing slurry, in particular liquid manure or sewage sludge. The distribution device 1 is configured for arrangement at a vehicle with a tank for receiving the slurry.

[0050] The distribution device comprises a housing 2, a driving unit 20 and a rotor 40. The rotor 40 is arranged in the interior of the housing 2.

[0051] The housing 2 comprises a housing casing 3 between an end wall 4 at the driving side and an end wall 5 at the inlet side. The two end walls 4, 5 are bolted to the housing casing 3. The housing casing 3 with the two end walls 4, 5 forms the interior of the housing 2, in which the rotor 40 is arranged. The rotor 40 rotates about a rotation axis 10. The rotation axis 10 intersects the two end walls 4, 5.

[0052] The driving unit 20 is flanged to the end wall 4 at the driving side. This is explained in detail with reference to FIG. 2.

[0053] An inlet 6 is formed coaxially with the rotation axis 10 at the end wall 5 of the housing 2 at the inlet side. The slurry can enter the interior of the housing 2 through this inlet 6. At the opposite side, at the end wall 4 at the driving side, the driving unit 20 is also flanged coaxially with the rotation axis 10. A plurality of outlets 7 are arranged at both end walls 4, 5. At the end wall 5 at the inlet side, the outlets 7 are arranged around the inlet 6. At the end wall 4 at the driving side, the outlets 7 are arranged around the flanged driving unit 20. For further distribution of the slurry, hoses can be connected to the outlets 7, which here comprise short pipe sections.

[0054] The housing 2 comprises at least one cover 9 at the housing casing 3. The cover 9 is screwed to the rest of the housing casing 3 and can be opened for inspection purposes.

[0055] Furthermore, the housing 2 comprises a drain 8 at the underside of the housing casing 3. This drain 8 can be used to discharge undistributed slurry or large solids from the interior of the housing 2.

[0056] As shown, for example, in FIG. 2, the driving unit 20 comprises a motor flange 21. The motor flange 21 can be flanged to the housing 2.

[0057] Furthermore, the driving unit 20 comprises a driving shaft 22. A shaft flange 23 is formed at the inside end of the driving shaft 22. Multiple bolts 33 extend from this shaft flange 23 parallel to and offset from the rotation axis 10. The connection of the driving shaft 22 to the rotor 40 at the inside is explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 3.

[0058] FIG. 2 further illustrates that the motor flange 21 comprises an air inlet 27 with four connection pieces for compressed air. Via each air inlet 27, compressed air can be led into the interior of the motor flange 21, in particular into a flange annular chamber 29 (see FIG. 3). In addition to the air inlet 27, a flushing port 28 is provided at the motor flange 21. The flushing connection 28 is used to connect a corresponding pipe and also extends in the interior of the motor flange 21 to the flange annular chamber 29.

[0059] Furthermore, the driving unit 20 comprises a motor 26, here formed as a hydraulic motor. The outside end of the driving shaft 22 is connected to the output shaft of the motor 26 in a torque-transmitting manner.

[0060] FIG. 3 shows a section view of a detail of the distribution device 1. The rotation axis 10 lies in the section plane. FIG. 3 shows a part of the rotor 40. In its entirety, the rotor 40 is shown, for example, in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0061] Furthermore, FIG. 3 shows that the housing 2 comprises a cutting plate 11 as the inside closure of the outlets 7. At the opposite side, i.e. at the inside of the end wall 5 at the inlet side, such a cutting plate 11 is also arranged. The cutting plate 11 is replaceable. The cutting plate 11 comprises a corresponding through opening to each outlet 7. When the rotor 40 rotates, the blades 65 of the rotor 40 sweep over the inside of the housing 2, in the embodiment shown at the inside of the corresponding cutting plate 11.

[0062] FIG. 3 further shows that a sliding sleeve 24 extends at the driving shaft 22. A corresponding plain bearing 25 is provided between the sliding sleeve 24 and the motor flange 21, so that the driving shaft 22 can rotate about the rotation axis 10 relative to the motor flange 21. The rotor 40 is supported exclusively by the driving shaft 22.

[0063] The rotor 40 comprises a rotor outer wall 41 at the driving side and a rotor outer wall 42 at the inlet side (see FIG. 5). Between these two rotor outer walls 41, 42, the rotor 40 comprises a rotor inner wall 43. The two rotor outer walls 41, 42 as well as the rotor inner wall 43 are essentially perpendicular to the rotation axis 10. As FIG. 3 shows, the rotor inner wall 43 is arranged relatively close to the rotor outer wall 41 at the driving side. An air distribution chamber 45 is formed between the rotor outer wall 41 at the driving side and the rotor inner wall 43.

[0064] The driving shaft 22 extends through the end wall 4 at the driving side into the interior of the rotor 40 and thus also into the interior of the air distribution chamber 45. The shaft flange 32 at the end of the driving shaft 22 is fixed connected to the rotor inner wall 43 via the bolts 33. For this purpose, the rotor inner wall 43 is reinforced with a flange plate 32.

[0065] In the air distribution chamber 45 of the rotor 40, multiple spacers 50 can be arranged between the rotor outer wall 41 at the driving side and the rotor inner wall 43 to stabilize and provide clearance. These spacers 50 are formed relatively small compared with the size of the air distribution chamber 45 and have no significant influence on the volume of the air distribution chamber 45.

[0066] FIG. 3 also shows the aforementioned flange annular chamber 29 in the motor flange 21. The air inlet 27 from the connection pieces extends at an angle to the rotation axis 10 and communicates in this flange annular chamber 29. Also, the flushing connection 28 communicates with the flange annular chamber 29.

[0067] The flange annular chamber 29 is open axially in the direction of the rotor 40. Furthermore, in the embodiment shown here, the motor flange 21 extends through the end wall 4 at the driving side and through the cutting plate 10 into the interior of the housing 2.

[0068] The transition from the air inlet 27, in particular the flange annular chamber 29, into the air distribution chamber 45 is referred to as the air transmission chamber 51. This air transmission chamber 51 is delimited radially outside via an annular region 52. In the embodiment shown, the annular region 52 is connected to the rotor 40 in a rotationally fixed manner. In particular, a ring with an L-shaped cross section is used for this purpose, which is arranged at the outer side at the rotor outer wall 41 at the driving side.

[0069] A first seal 30 is provided at the radial outside of the annular region 42. The first seal 30 seals between the annular region 52 and the motor flange 21.

[0070] Radially at the inside, the air transmission chamber 51 is delimited by the motor flange 21 and the driving shaft 22. Here, a second seal 31 seals between the motor flange 21 and the driving shaft 22, in particular the sliding sleeve 24.

[0071] FIG. 4 shows the entire rotor 40 from the driving side. FIG. 5 shows the entire rotor 40 from the inlet side. FIG. 6 shows the rotor inner wall 43 in detail. FIGS. 7 and 8 show section views of the rotor 40.

[0072] As already described, the rotor 40 comprises a rotor outer wall 42 at the inlet side. According to FIG. 5, an aperture 54 is formed in this rotor outer wall 42 at the inlet side. This aperture 54 is aligned with the inlet 6. The rotor outer wall 42 at the inlet side is spaced from the housing 2. As a result, slurry flowing in through the inlet 6 can still flow radially outward before the rotor outer wall 42 at the inlet side. At the same time, however, a substantial part of the slurry also flows through the rotor outer wall 42 at the inlet side into the interior of the rotor 40. A slurry chamber 53 is thus formed in the rotor 40. The slurry chamber 53 is defined via the distance between the rotor inner wall 43 and the rotor outer wall 42 at the inlet side. As shown in particular in FIG. 5, the rotor 40 is radially open at two opposite sides, so that slurry can flow radially outward from the slurry chamber 53 into the direction of the housing 3.

[0073] The two section views in FIGS. 7 and 8 show the structure of the individual blade arrangements 60. In the shown embodiment, the rotor 40 comprises six blade arrangements 60. However, the rotor 40 may also comprise, for example, two, three, four, five, seven or eight blade arrangements 60.

[0074] The single blade arrangement 60 comprises a tube 21. The tube 21 is fixedly connected to the two rotor outer walls 41, 42. Two opposing tubular blades 65 are arranged in the tube 21. The blades 65 are slidably movable in corresponding blade plain bearings 64 parallel to the rotation axis 10. For this purpose, a spring 66 is arranged between the two blades 65. The spring 66 presses the two blades 65 apart and thus against the cutting plates 11. The tube 61 with the tubular blades 65 forms a cavity 63 in the interior of the respective blade arrangement 60. Via this cavity 63, compressed air can flow outward in the axial direction, namely via the blades 65 into the respective outlet 7.

[0075] In particular, FIG. 7 shows that each tube 61 comprises a recess 62. The rotor 40 comprises at least one rotor radial wall 44 radially inside the blade arrangements 60. The outer blade arrangements 60 and the rotor radial wall 44 lying within them form an intermediate chamber 46. In the shown embodiment, the recesses 62 of respective three blade arrangements 60 communicate with the intermediate chamber 46. Accordingly, the rotor 40 comprises two of the intermediate chambers 46.

[0076] The intermediate chambers 46 are in turn connected to the air distribution chamber 45 in an air-conducting manner. However, with a different design, there can also be another connection, for example a direct connection, between the air distribution chamber 45 and the cavity 63.

[0077] In the shown embodiment, the rotor inner wall 43 comprises an axial air opening 47. The rotor radial wall 44 comprises a radial air opening 48. The two openings 47, 48 are connected to each other via a transition piece 49. This transition piece 49 separates the air-carrying connection between the intermediate chamber 46 and the air distribution chamber 45 opposite to the slurry chamber 53.

[0078] FIG. 8 further shows that the entire rotor 40 comprises a first width 67 parallel to the rotation axis 10. The largest width of the air distribution chamber 45, also parallel to the rotation axis 10, is indicated as the second width 68. The second width 68 is substantially smaller than the first width 67.

[0079] In addition to the foregoing written description of the invention, explicit reference is hereby made to the drawn embodiment of the invention in all of the figures for supplementary disclosure thereof.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0080] 1 distribution device [0081] 2 housing [0082] 3 housing casing [0083] 4 end wall at the driving side [0084] 5 end wall at the inlet side [0085] 6 inlet [0086] 7 outlets [0087] 8 drain [0088] 9 cover [0089] 10 rotation axis [0090] 11 cutting plate [0091] 20 driving unit [0092] 21 motor flange [0093] 22 driving shaft [0094] 23 shaft flange [0095] 24 sliding sleeve [0096] 25 sliding bearing [0097] 26 motor [0098] 27 air inlet [0099] 28 flushing connection [0100] 29 flange annular chamber [0101] 30 first seal [0102] 31 second seal [0103] 32 flange plate [0104] 33 bolt [0105] 40 rotor [0106] 41 rotor outer wall at the driving side [0107] 42 rotor outer wall at the inlet side [0108] 43 rotor inner wall [0109] 44 rotor radial wall [0110] 45 air distribution chamber [0111] 46 intermediate chamber [0112] 47 axial air opening [0113] 48 radial air opening [0114] 49 transition piece [0115] 50 spacer (s) [0116] 51 air transmission chamber [0117] 52 annular region [0118] 53 slurry chamber [0119] 54 aperture [0120] 60 blade arrangement [0121] 61 tube [0122] 62 recess [0123] 63 cavity [0124] 64 blade sliding bearing [0125] 65 tubular blade [0126] 66 spring [0127] 67 first width [0128] 68 second width