JP2024117451A - Micromixers and micromixer elements - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a micromixer and a micromixer element that can reduce installation space and manufacturing costs when mixing a large amount of various fluids. [Solution] The micromixer element 20 has a main body block 10 and a micromixer element 20 incorporated in the main body block 10, the micromixer element 20 has a plurality of mixing sections 23, 23A in which a first branch passage to which a first fluid is supplied and a second branch passage to which a second fluid is supplied are arranged alternately, the main body block 10 has a first supply passage 31, 31A communicating with the first branch passage outside the mixing section 23, 23A, a second supply passage 32, 32A communicating with the second branch passage outside the mixing section 23, 23A, and a mixing passage 33, 33A communicating with the first branch passage and the second branch passage in the mixing section 23, 23A, and a plurality of first supply passages 31, 31A, second supply passages 32, 32A, and mixing passages 33, 33A are formed for each mixing section 23, 23A. [Selected figure] Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a micromixer and a micromixer element for precisely mixing multiple fluids.

In order to precisely mix a plurality of fluids, a micromixer is used which creates fine alternating laminar flows by means of alternating grooves formed in an element.
In response to the demand for further miniaturization of the alternating grooves and smoothing of the inner surfaces of the passages, the applicant of the present application has developed a micromixer, a micromixer element, and a manufacturing method thereof that realize this (see Patent Documents 1 to 3).

In Patent Document 1, the element is composed of three plate materials, and a number of grooves are formed at a predetermined pitch on the upper surface of each plate material, and by stacking the three plate materials together, tiny, smooth alternating grooves are obtained on the upper surface of the element.
In Patent Document 2, the shape of the grooves formed in each plate is modified so that the element is composed of two plates, thereby simplifying the structure and manufacturing.
In Patent Document 3, the element is constructed by stacking a large number of plate materials aligned in the direction of the branch passage, and recesses are formed on the overlapping surfaces of each plate material, so that alternating grooves are formed by the recesses when the plates are stacked.

Patent No. 5864236 Patent No. 6006969 JP 2017-148796 A

In the micromixers and elements of Patent Documents 1 to 3 described above, there is one flow path for mixing, and the mixer body is formed with one port each for the two fluids to be mixed and the mixed fluid, and the element has only one section of alternating grooves on the upper surface.
For this reason, when mixing a large amount of fluid or a variety of fluids, a large number of mixer bodies and elements are required, and a large number of pipes are also required to connect to each port, resulting in an increase in installation space and manufacturing costs.

The object of the present invention is to provide a micromixer and a micromixer element that can reduce installation space and manufacturing costs when mixing a large amount of a wide variety of fluids.

The micromixer of the present invention has a main body block and a micromixer element incorporated in the main body block. The micromixer element has a plurality of mixing compartments in which a first branch passage to which a first fluid is supplied and a second branch passage to which a second fluid is supplied are arranged alternately. The main body block has a first supply passage communicating with the first branch passage outside the mixing compartment, a second supply passage communicating with the second branch passage outside the mixing compartment, and a mixing passage communicating with the first branch passage and the second branch passage of the mixing compartment. A plurality of the first supply passages, the second supply passages, and the mixing passages are formed for each mixing compartment.

In the present invention, a first fluid is supplied from a first supply passage in the main body block to a first branch passage in the micromixer element, and a second fluid is supplied from a second supply passage in the main body block to a second branch passage in the micromixer element. These fluids are mixed as fine alternating laminar flows in a mixing section in which the first branch passage and the second branch passage form alternating grooves, and are taken out from a mixing passage in the main body block.
In the present invention, since a plurality of such mixing systems (first branch passage, second branch passage, mixing section) are formed in one micromixer, the number of micromixers required can be reduced even when used to mix a large amount of fluid or a variety of fluids. In addition, the number of pipes connected to each port of the micromixer can also be reduced, thereby avoiding an increase in installation space and manufacturing costs.

In the micromixer of the present invention, it is preferable to have at least one of a first communication passage that connects the multiple first supply passages to each other, a second communication passage that connects the multiple second supply passages to each other, and a third communication passage that connects the multiple mixing passages to each other.

In this invention, even when multiple mixing systems are provided in the main body block and the micromixer element, the number of ports formed on the outer surface of the main body block can be reduced. For example, by interconnecting multiple first supply passages, a single port can supply the first fluid to multiple first supply passages, and the same applies to the second supply passages and the mixing passages. As a result, the number of ports in the micromixer can be reduced, and the number of pipes connected to each port can also be reduced, thereby avoiding increases in installation space and manufacturing costs.

The micromixer element of the present invention is a micromixer element that is incorporated into a main body block to form a micromixer, and has a plurality of mixing compartments in which first branch passages to which a first fluid is supplied and second branch passages to which a second fluid is supplied are alternately arranged.
By incorporating such a micromixer element of the present invention into the main body block of the micromixer of the present invention described above, the effects of the micromixer of the present invention described above can be obtained.

In the micro-mixer element of the present invention, a substrate having a pair of outer surfaces and a plurality of side surfaces connecting each of the outer surfaces is provided, and a plurality of the mixing compartments are formed on different side surfaces of the substrate,
It is preferable that the base material has at least one of a first communication portion that connects the first branch passages to each other outside the mixing compartment, a second communication portion that connects the second branch passages to each other outside the mixing compartment, and a third communication portion that connects a plurality of the mixing compartments to each other.

In this invention, even when multiple mixing systems are provided in the main body block and the micromixer element, the number of ports formed on the outer surface of the main body block can be reduced. For example, by interconnecting the first branch passages leading to multiple mixing compartments, a single port can supply the first fluid to the first branch passages of multiple mixing compartments, and the same applies to the second branch passages and mixing compartments. As a result, the number of ports in the micromixer can be reduced, and the number of pipes connected to each port can also be reduced, thereby avoiding increases in installation space and manufacturing costs.

The present invention provides a micromixer and a micromixer element that can reduce installation space and manufacturing costs when mixing a large amount of a wide variety of fluids.

1 is a perspective view showing a micro mixer according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the micromixer of the first embodiment as viewed from another angle. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an internal structure of the micromixer of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of another portion showing the internal structure of the micromixer of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an element portion of the micromixer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an element portion of the micromixer of the first embodiment in another direction. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view showing an element portion of the micromixer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing another portion of the element portion of the micromixer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the micro mixer element of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view showing the micro mixer element of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing the micro mixer element of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the micro-mixer element of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged exploded perspective view showing the micro-mixer element of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing processing of a through groove of the micromixer element of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing processing of a midway groove of the micro-mixer element of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an element portion of a micromixer according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the micro mixer element of the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an element portion of a micromixer according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an element portion of the micromixer according to the third embodiment in another direction. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional plan view showing an element portion of the micromixer according to the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing another portion of the element portion of the micromixer according to the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an element of a micromixer according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a micro-mixer element according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a micro-mixer element according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

First Embodiment
1 to 15 show a first embodiment of the present invention.
Among these, Fig. 1 to Fig. 4 show the configuration of the main body block of the micromixer of this embodiment. Fig. 5 to Fig. 8 show the configuration of the element and its housing part in the micromixer of this embodiment. Fig. 9 to Fig. 15 show the micromixer element of this embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the micromixer 1 of this embodiment has a main body block 10 made of metal.
1 and 2, the main body block 10 is formed by stacking, from the top, a first block 11, a second block 12, and a third block 13. Each block is manufactured by machining, for example, from a corrosion-resistant metal material such as Hastelloy or stainless steel, or a ceramic material.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the third block 13 and the second block 12 are connected by a bolt 14 extending from the bottom surface of the third block 13 .
As shown in FIG. 4 , a bolt 15 is inserted into the first block 11 through a bolt hole 15 A on the top surface thereof, and this bolt 15 passes through the second block 12 and is screwed into the third block 13 .
These bolts 14, 15 integrate the first block 11 to the third block 13 in a stacked state.
In addition, in order to temporarily fasten or align the first block 11 to the third block 13 when stacking them, two insertion holes 10A are formed in each block, which penetrate from the bottom surface of the third block 13 to the first block 11.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the micromixer 1 of this embodiment has a micromixer element 20 housed in a main body block 10.
Although details will be described later, the micro-mixer element 20 is made up of a pair of plates, that is, a first plate 21 and a second plate 22, which are stacked together.
The second block 12 has a slit 12 A penetrating the center thereof for accommodating the micro-mixer element 20 .

As shown in FIG. 5, a first supply passage 31 and a second supply passage 32 each consisting of a flat recess are formed on the upper surface of the second block 12 (the surface that is joined to the first block 11), and a first supply passage 31A and a second supply passage 32A each consisting of a flat recess are formed on the lower surface of the second block 12 (the surface that is joined to the third block 13).
The first supply passage 31 on the upper surface side faces the upper edge (the edge closer to the first block 11) of the first plate material 21 fixed within the slit 12A, and the second supply passage 32 on the upper surface side faces the upper edge (the edge closer to the first block 11) of the second plate material 22 fixed within the slit 12A.
The first supply passage 31A on the underside faces the lower edge (the edge closer to the third block 13) of the first plate material 21 fixed within the slit 12A, and the second supply passage 32A on the underside faces the lower edge (the edge closer to the third block 13) of the second plate material 22 fixed within the slit 12A.

8, the first supply passage 31 and the second supply passage 32 each have a planar shape of an isosceles triangle that is wider on the side facing the micromixer element 20. The first supply passage 31A and the second supply passage 32A also have a similar planar shape.
The second block 12 is formed with a first communication passage 31B that connects the apex portions of the isosceles triangle shapes of the first supply passages 31, 31A, and a second communication passage 32B that connects the apex portions of the isosceles triangle shapes of the second supply passages 32, 32A.
The first communication passage 31B and the second communication passage 32B allow the first supply passage 31 and the first supply passage 31A to communicate with each other, and also allow the second supply passage 32 and the second supply passage 32A to communicate with each other.

As shown in Figures 5 and 1, the first block 11 is formed with inlet ports 16, 17 which communicate with the apex portions of the isosceles triangle shapes of the first supply passage 31 and the second supply passage 32 (positions facing the openings of the first communication passage 31B and the second communication passage 32B).
The inlet port 16 opens into an inclined portion 16A formed on the upper surface of the first block 11, and is connected to a first fluid piping (not shown) from the outside, thereby supplying the first fluid to the first supply passages 31, 31A.
The inlet port 17 opens into an inclined portion 17A formed on the upper surface of the first block 11, and is connected to a second fluid piping (not shown) from the outside, thereby supplying the second fluid to the second supply passages 32, 32A.

5 and 6, a mixing passage 33 is formed on the underside of the first block 11, facing the portion where the first plate material 21 and the second plate material 22 of the micromixer element 20 are joined together. The mixing passage 33 narrows in the shape of an isosceles triangle toward the top, and its apex is connected to the outlet port 18 formed in the center of the upper surface of the first block 11.
Similarly, a mixing passage 33A is formed on the upper surface side of the third block 13, facing the portion where the first plate material 21 and the second plate material 22 of the micro-mixer element 20 are joined together. The mixing passage 33A narrows downward in an isosceles triangular shape, and its apex is connected to an outlet port 18A formed in the center of the upper surface of the third block 13.
A mixed liquid pipe (not shown) is connected from the outside to each of the outlet ports 18 and 18A, and a mixed liquid of the first fluid and the second fluid is taken out through this.

As shown in each of FIGS. 9 to 13, the micro-mixer element 20 is formed by overlapping a first plate member 21 and a second plate member 22 .
The first plate member 21 and the second plate member 22 are ceramic plate members having the same width, height and thickness.
The ceramic material for these plates may be alumina, SiC, zirconia, or the like.

These first plate materials 21 and second plate materials 22 each have an end face 21A, 22A on the first block 11 side and an end face 21F, 22F on the third block 13 side, and through grooves 21B, 22B and mid-way grooves 21C, 22C are alternately formed in each end face 21A, 22A, 21F, 22F, respectively.
The through grooves 21B, 22B are grooves of a predetermined depth that continue from the front surfaces 21D, 22D of the first plate member 21 and the second plate member 22 to the rear surfaces 21E, 22E.
The midway grooves 21C, 22C are grooves that continue from the front surfaces 21D, 22D of the first plate material 21 and the second plate material 22 to midway positions toward the rear surfaces 21E, 22E.
These through grooves 21B, 22B and midway grooves 21C, 22C are connected to each other by overlapping the first plate material 21 and the second plate material 22 with their respective surfaces 21D, 22D facing each other. As a result, the through groove 21B of the first plate material 21 is connected to the midway groove 22C of the second plate material 22, and the through groove 22B of the second plate material 22 is connected to the midway groove 21C of the first plate material 21.

10 and 11, the through grooves 21B, 22B are formed at the same groove pitch in the first plate material 21 and the second plate material 22. On the other hand, the groove pitch between the through grooves 21B, 22B and the intermediate grooves 21C, 22C is formed at half the pitch between the through grooves 21B, 22B.
The groove width and groove depth of the through grooves 21B, 22B of the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 are uniform as a whole, and the groove width and groove depth of the intermediate grooves 21C, 22C on the surfaces 21D, 22D are also formed to be the same as those of the through grooves 21B, 22B. These groove depths are approximately the same as or slightly shallower than the depths of the first supply passage 31 and the second supply passage 32.

The through grooves 21B, 22B and intermediate grooves 21C, 22C of the first plate material 21 and the second plate material 22 are arranged in multiple numbers within the width (horizontal direction in Figures 10 and 11) of the first supply passage 31, the second supply passage 32, and the mixing passage 33, respectively.
The intermediate grooves 21C, 22C of the first plate material 21 and the second plate material 22 are each set in length from the front surface 21D, 22D to the back surface 21E, 22E so that they extend to a range slightly greater than the thickness of the mixing passage 33 (the vertical direction in Figure 11).
On the end faces 21A, 22A of the first plate material 21 and the second plate material 22, alternating grooves are formed by the through grooves 21B, 22B and the intermediate grooves 21C, 22C, and the area where the through grooves 21B, 22B and the intermediate grooves 21C, 22C form alternating grooves is defined as a mixing section 23.

Figures 10 and 11 explain the through grooves 21B, 22B and intermediate grooves 21C, 22C on the end faces 21A, 22A of the first plate material 21 and the second plate material 22, but the through grooves 21B, 22B and intermediate grooves 21C, 22C on the end faces 21F, 22F of the first plate material 21 and the second plate material 22 are similarly configured, and multiple grooves are arranged within the width range of the first supply passage 31A, the second supply passage 32A, and the mixing passage 33A to form alternating grooves, thereby forming the mixing section 23A (see Figure 12).

As shown in Figures 12 and 13, when the first plate material 21 and the second plate material 22 are stacked together, the through groove 21B of the first plate material 21 is connected to the mid-groove 22C of the second plate material 22, and the through groove 22B of the second plate material 22 is connected to the mid-groove 21C of the first plate material 21.
As described above, the depth of the through grooves 21B, 22B is constant over the entire length from the front surface 21D, 22D to the back surface 21E, 22E. The space within the through grooves 21B, 22B communicates with the outside at the end faces 21A, 22A, 21F, 22F, the front surface 21D, 22D, and the back surface 21E, 22E, respectively.

Meanwhile, the midway grooves 21C, 22C have the same groove depth on the surface 21D, 22D side as the through grooves 21B, 22B. However, the bottom surface of the midway grooves 21C, 22C is inclined, and the groove depth gradually becomes shallower from the surface 21D, 22D toward the back surface 21E, 22E. And, at the end of the midway grooves 21C, 22C closer to the back surface 21E, 22E, the depth is zero, that is, the same height as the end surface 21A, 22A, 21F, 22F. As a result, the space inside the midway grooves 21C, 22C is connected to the outside at the end surface 21A, 22A, 21F, 22F and the surface 21D, 22D, respectively.

The through groove 21B and the intermediate groove 22C form first branch passages that are branched off from the first supply passages 31, 31A by the through groove 21B and communicate with the intermediate groove 22C and the mixing passages 33, 33A, respectively.
Further, the through groove 22B and the intermediate groove 21C form second branch passages which are branched from the second supply passages 32, 32A by the through groove 22B and communicate with the intermediate groove 21C and the mixing passages 33, 33A, respectively.
Therefore, in the mixing sections 23, 23A, such first branch passages (through groove 21B and midway groove 22C) and second branch passages (through groove 22B and midway groove 21C) are arranged alternately with each other on the end faces 21A, 22A, 21F, 22F, so that an alternating laminar flow of fluid can be formed in the mixing passage 33 in the same manner as in a conventional micromixer.

The above-mentioned first branch passage and second branch passage have their ends closed by midway grooves 21C, 22C formed in the opposite first plate material 21 or second plate material 22. For this reason, in both the first plate material 21 and the second plate material 22, it is not necessary to form a fine three-dimensional shape as the end when forming the grooves in the end faces 21A, 22A.
Specifically, a disc-shaped grindstone can be used to machine the through grooves 21B, 22B and the intermediate grooves 21C, 22C.

As shown in FIG. 14, for example, by making a cut perpendicularly from the end face 21A, 22A of the first plate material 21 or the second plate material 22 using a disk-shaped grindstone 9 with a radius of several tens of millimeters or more, a groove of a certain depth is formed from the front surface 21D, 22D to the back surface 21E, 22E. This can therefore be the through groove 21B, 22B.

As shown in FIG. 15, for example, in the first plate material 21 or the second plate material 22, by making a cut obliquely from the ridge of the side where the end face 21A, 22A and the surface 21D, 22D intersect using a disk-shaped grindstone 9 with a radius of several tens of millimeters or more, a groove with a sloping bottom can be formed from the end face 21A, 22A to the surface 21D, 22D. This can be called the mid-way groove 21C, 22C.

The intermediate grooves 21C, 22C obtained by such machining can form rising portions on the order of microns that are to serve as the ends of the first and second branch passages.
In addition, by using such a disc-shaped grinding wheel, the groove width of the through grooves 21B, 22B and the intermediate grooves 21C, 22C machined into the first plate material 21 and the second plate material 22 can be refined to approximately 15 μm, and the surface roughness of the inner surface can be smoothed to approximately 0.14 μm Rz.

According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
In the micromixer 1 of this embodiment, a first fluid is supplied from the first supply passages 31, 31A of the main body block 10 to the first branch passage (through groove 21B and midway groove 22C), and a second fluid is supplied from the second supply passages 32, 32A of the main body block 10 to the second branch passage (through groove 22B and midway groove 21C). These fluids are mixed as fine alternating laminar flows in the mixing section 23 where the first branch passage and the second branch passage form alternating grooves, and can be taken out from the mixing passages 33, 33A of the main body block 10.
In this embodiment, such mixing systems (first branch passage, second branch passage, mixing sections 23, 23A) are formed in a plurality of parts in one micromixer 1, so that even when used to mix a large amount of fluid or a variety of fluids, the number of micromixers 1 and micromixer elements 20 required can be reduced. In addition, the number of pipes connected to each port of the micromixer 1 can also be reduced, thereby avoiding an increase in installation space and manufacturing costs.

The micromixer 1 of this embodiment has a first communication passage 31B that connects the multiple first supply passages to each other and a second communication passage 32B that connects the multiple second supply passages to each other. Therefore, even when multiple mixing systems are provided in the main body block 10 and the micromixer element 20, the number of ports formed on the outer surface of the main body block 10 can be reduced.
In other words, by interconnecting the first supply passages 31, 31A through the first communication passage 31B, a first fluid can be supplied to multiple first supply passages 31, 31A through a single inlet port 16, and by interconnecting the second supply passages 32, 32A through the second communication passage 32B, a second fluid can be supplied to each of multiple second supply passages 32, 32A through a single inlet port 17.
As a result, the number of ports of the micro mixer 1 can be reduced, and the number of pipes connected to each port can also be reduced, thereby making it possible to avoid an increase in installation space and manufacturing costs.

Second Embodiment
16 and 17 show a second embodiment of the present invention.
This embodiment has a basic configuration in common with the first embodiment described above, so a duplicated description of the common configuration will be omitted and only the different configuration will be described below.
In the first embodiment described above, the second block 12 is provided with a first communication passage 31B connecting the first supply passages 31, 31A, and a second communication passage 32B connecting the second supply passages 32, 32A, and the first fluid supplied from the inlet port 16 is introduced from the first supply passage 31 to the first supply passage 31A, and the second fluid supplied from the inlet port 17 is introduced from the second supply passage 32 to the second supply passage 32A.

In FIG. 16, in a micro mixer 1S of this embodiment, the middle part of a main body block 10S is made into a second block 12S, and a micro mixer element 20S is housed in a slit 12A thereof.
The second block 12S does not have the first communication passage 31B and the second communication passage 32B of the first embodiment, and therefore the mutual communication between the first supply passages 31, 31A and the mutual communication between the second supply passages 32, 32A is not obtained in the second block 12S.
On the other hand, the micro mixer element 20S is formed with a first communication portion 21G that interconnects the first supply passages 31, 31A when accommodated in the slit 12A, and a second communication portion 22G that interconnects the second supply passages 32, 32A.

In FIG. 17, the micromixer element 20S is formed by overlapping a first plate material 21 and a second plate material 22, as in the first embodiment described above, and alternating grooves are formed on the end faces 21A, 22A on the first block 11 side and the end faces 21F, 22F on the third block 13 side of each plate material 20S, consisting of a first branch passage (through groove 21B and midway groove 22C) and a second branch passage (through groove 22B and midway groove 21C), forming mixing sections 23, 23A.

In the micromixer element 20S of this embodiment, recesses continuing from the end faces 21A, 22A to the end faces 21F, 22F are formed on the back faces 21E, 22E (the faces that become the outer sides of the micromixer element 20S when overlapped) of the first plate material 21 and the second plate material 22. The ends of the first branch passage (the through groove 21B and the midway groove 22C) and the second branch passage (the through groove 22B and the midway groove 21C) on the back faces 21E, 22E side are opened into these recesses.
Here, when the micromixer element 20S is accommodated in the slit 12A, the recess is covered by the inner surface of the slit 12A to form a flat passage, thereby obtaining mutual communication between the first supply passages 31, 31A and the first branch passages (through groove 21B and midway groove 22C) communicating with each of them, and mutual communication between the second supply passages 32, 32A and the second branch passages (through groove 22B and midway groove 21C) communicating with each of them.
Therefore, in the micro-mixer element 20S, the first communicating portion 21G and the second communicating portion 22G are formed by the recesses formed in the rear surfaces 21E and 22E.

That is, the micromixer element 20S of this embodiment has a base material (first plate material 21 and second plate material 22) having a pair of outer surfaces (rear surfaces 21E, 22E) and a plurality of side surfaces (end surfaces 21A, 22A and end surfaces 21F, 22F) connecting the respective outer surfaces, a plurality of mixing compartments 23, 23A are formed on different side surfaces (end surfaces 21A, 22A and end surfaces 21F, 22F) of the base material, and the base material is formed with a first communication portion 21G that connects the first branch passages to each other outside the mixing compartments 23, 23A, and a second communication portion 22G that connects the second branch passages to each other outside the mixing compartments 23, 23A.

In this embodiment, by interconnecting the first supply passages 31, 31A at the first communicating portion 21G, a first fluid can be supplied to multiple first supply passages 31, 31A through a single inlet port 16, and by interconnecting the second supply passages 32, 32A at the second communicating portion 22G, a second fluid can be supplied to each of multiple second supply passages 32, 32A through a single inlet port 17.
As a result, the number of ports of the micro mixer 1S can be reduced, and the number of pipes connected to each port can also be reduced, thereby making it possible to avoid an increase in installation space and manufacturing costs.

Third Embodiment
18 to 21 show a third embodiment of the present invention.
This embodiment has a basic configuration in common with the first embodiment described above, so a duplicated description of the common configuration will be omitted and only the different configuration will be described below.
In the first embodiment described above, the first communication passage 31B and the second communication passage 32B are formed in the second block 12 of the micromixer 1 (see FIGS. 5 to 8).
That is, in the first embodiment, a first communicating passage 31B in the form of a through hole that connects the first supply passages 31, 31A is formed at a position facing the inlet port 16 of the second block 12, and a second communicating passage 32B in the form of a through hole that connects the second supply passages 32, 32A is formed at a position facing the inlet port 17 of the second block 12.
In contrast to this, in this embodiment, a first communication passage 31C and a second communication passage 32C are formed in the inner surface of a slit 12A that penetrates the center of the second block 12, and are groove-like and have a semicircular cross section.

The first communication passages 31C are formed on the inner surface of the slit 12A that faces the first plate material 21. The first communication passages 31C are formed in a pair on the inner sides of both ends of the portion of the first supply passages 31, 31A that communicates with the slit 12A, and are arranged so as to sandwich the mixing sections 23, 23A when the first plate material 21 is accommodated in the slit 12A.
The second communication passages 32C are formed on the inner surface of the slit 12A that faces the second plate material 22. The second communication passages 32C are formed in a pair on the inner side of both ends of the portion of the second supply passages 32, 32A that communicates with the slit 12A, and are arranged so as to sandwich the mixing sections 23, 23A when the second plate material 22 is accommodated in the slit 12A.
In this embodiment as well, the first supply passages 31, 31A are connected by the first communication passage 31C formed inside the slit 12A, and the second supply passages 32, 32A are connected by the second communication passage 32C, thereby achieving the same effects as in the first embodiment described above.

Fourth Embodiment
A fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
This embodiment has a basic configuration in common with the second embodiment described above, so a duplicated description of the common configuration will be omitted and only the different configuration will be described below.
In the second embodiment described above, the first communication portion 21G and the second communication portion 22G are formed by recesses formed on the side surface of the micro-mixer element 20S (see FIGS. 16 and 17).
That is, in the second embodiment, recesses spanning the entire width of the mixing sections 23, 23A are formed on the back surface 21E of the first plate material 21 and the back surface 22E of the second plate material 22, respectively, and when the micromixer element 20S is accommodated in the slit 12A, the recesses on each surface form the first communicating portion 21G and the second communicating portion 22G.
In contrast, in this embodiment, a pair of first communicating portions 21H and second communicating portions 22H are formed on both sides of the mixing sections 23, 23A on the rear surface 21E of the first plate material 21 and the rear surface 22E of the second plate material 22 instead of recesses.
The pair of first and second communication portions 21H and 22H are each formed in a groove shape having a semicircular cross section, and both ends thereof are open to the upper and lower surfaces of the first plate member 21 and the second plate member 22.
In this embodiment as well, the first supply passages 31, 31A are connected by a groove-shaped first communication portion 21G formed on the side surface of the micro-mixer element 20S, and the second supply passages 32, 32A are connected by a second communication portion 22G, thereby providing the same effects as in the second embodiment described above.

Other Embodiments
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications within the scope of the present invention are included in the present invention.
In the micromixers 1 and 1S of the first to fourth embodiments described above, the two mixing compartments 23 and 23A are formed in the micromixer elements 20 and 20S, respectively.
That is, as in the micromixer 1D shown in FIG. 23(A), mixing sections 23, 23A are formed on two opposing faces (end faces 21A, 22A and end faces 21F, 22F) of a micromixer element 20D, and the micromixer 1D is provided with first supply passages 31, 31A and second supply passages 32, 32A communicating with the mixing sections 23, 23A, which are interconnected by a first communication passage 31B and a second communication passage 32B (or a first communication passage 31C and a second communication passage 32C, a first communication portion 21G, 21H and a second communication portion 22G, 22H).
23(B), mixing compartments 23, 23B may be provided on two adjacent surfaces of a micromixer element 20E. In the micromixer 1E, the first supply passage 31 and the second supply passage 32 communicating with the mixing compartments 23, 23B can be mutually communicated by L-shaped first communication passage 31E and second communication passage 32E.
23(C), mixing sections 23, 23A, 23B, and 23C may be provided on the four faces of a micromixer element 20F. In the micromixer 1F, a cross-shaped first communication passage 31F and a second communication passage 32F can be formed for the first supply passages 31 and the second supply passages 32 on the four faces, and the first and second communication passages 31F and 32F can be connected to each other.

In the first and second embodiments described above, one mixing section 23, 23A is formed on each of the two opposing faces (end faces 21A, 22A and end faces 21F, 22F) of the micro-mixer elements 20, 20S, respectively. However, a plurality of mixing sections 23, 23A may be formed on each face.
24(A), a plurality of mixing compartments 23 may be arranged on the upper surface side of a micromixer element 20J, and a plurality of mixing compartments 23A may be arranged on the lower surface side. The micromixer 1J may be provided with a plurality of first supply passages 31, 31A and second supply passages 32, 32A corresponding to the mixing compartments 23, 23A, and each of them may be interconnected via a first communication passage 31J and a second communication passage 32J.
24(B), a plurality of mixing sections 23, 23A may be arranged on the upper and lower sides of a micromixer element 20K, and corresponding first supply passages 31, 31A and second supply passages 32, 32A, first communication passages 31J and second communication passages 32J may be provided, and the plurality of first communication passages 31J and second communication passages 32J may be mutually communicated by cross communication passages 31K, 32K. This allows the inflow ports 16, 17 to be further consolidated.

In the above embodiment, the first communication passages 31B, 31C and the first communication portions 21G, 21H are provided to interconnect the first supply passages 31, 31A that supply the first fluid, and the second communication passages 32B, 32C and the second communication portions 22G, 22H are provided to interconnect the second supply passages 32, 32A that supply the second fluid, but a separate communication passage may be provided to interconnect the mixing passages 33, 33A, and the outflow ports 18, 18A may be consolidated into one of them.

The material and dimensions of the first plate material 21 and the second plate material 22 in the micro-mixer element 20 of the embodiment are arbitrary and may be appropriately selected depending on the device to which the element is applied, the fluid to which the element is applied, and the like.
Similarly, the groove pitch, groove width and groove depth of the through grooves 21B, 22B and the intermediate grooves 21C, 22C formed in the first plate material 21 and the second plate material 22 in the micromixer element 20 are also arbitrary and may be selected appropriately depending on the equipment to be applied, the fluid to be applied, etc.

In the above embodiment, the through grooves 21B, 22B and the intermediate grooves 21C, 22C have the same groove width and groove depth, but they may have different dimensions. However, by making them the same, the continuity of the inner surfaces of the first branch passage and the second branch passage can be ensured.
In addition, by making a difference in groove width and depth between the through groove 21B and the intermediate groove 22C constituting the first branch passage and the through groove 22B and the intermediate groove 21C constituting the second branch passage, it is possible to change the mixing ratio of the first fluid and the second fluid mixed from the first branch passage and the second branch passage, respectively. For example, by making the groove width of the first branch passage twice that of the second branch passage under the same pressure, it is possible to set the first fluid to be mixed at 2/3 and the second fluid to be mixed at 1/3.

In the above embodiment, the micromixer element 20 is made up of two plate materials (first plate material 21 and second plate material 22), and the through grooves 21B, 22B and the intermediate grooves 21C, 22C are formed in each plate material using a disc-shaped grindstone 9, thereby forming the first supply passages 31, 31A and the second supply passages 32, 32A. In contrast, as disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the micromixer element 20 may be made up of three plate materials, a large number of grooves are formed at a predetermined pitch on the upper surface of each plate material, and the three plate materials are stacked together to obtain minute and smooth alternating grooves on the upper surface of the element.
Furthermore, as disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 3, the micromixer element 20 may be constructed by stacking a number of plate materials aligned in the direction of the branch passages, and recesses may be formed on the overlapping surfaces of each plate material, so that the recesses form alternating grooves when the plates are stacked.

The materials and dimensions of the first block 11, the second block 12, and the third block 13 in the micromixer 1 of the embodiment may be arbitrarily selected depending on the device to which the micromixer is applied, the fluid to which the micromixer is applied, and the like.
The main body block 10 of the micro mixer 1 is not limited to the configuration of the three blocks 11 to 13, but may be, for example, a second block 12 and a third block 13 integrated together, with a slit 12A machined in the upper surface thereof to accommodate the micro mixer element 20. Alternatively, depending on the internal configuration, it may be further divided into a number of blocks.

The present invention can be used in micromixers and micromixer elements for precisely mixing multiple fluids.

1, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1J, 1K, 1S...Micro mixer, 10, 10S...Main body block, 10A...Through hole, 11...First block, 12, 12S...Second block, 12A...Slit, 13...Third block, 14, 15...Bolt, 15A...Bolt hole, 16, 17...Inlet port, 16A, 17A...Inclined portion, 18, 18A...Outlet port, 20, 20D, 20E, 20F, 20J, 20K, 20S...Micro mixer element, 21...First plate material, 21A, 21F, 22A, 22F...End surface, 2 1B, 22B...through groove, 21C, 22C...midway groove, 21D, 22D...front surface, 21E, 22E...rear surface, 21G, 21H...first communication portion, 22...second plate material, 22G, 22H...second communication portion, 23, 23A, 23B, 23C...mixing section, 31, 31A...first supply passage, 31B, 31C, 31E, 31F, 31J...first communication passage, 31K, 32K...cross communication passage, 32, 32A...second supply passage, 32B, 32C, 31E, 31F, 31J...second communication passage, 33, 33A...mixing passage, 9...disc-shaped grinding wheel.

Claims (4)

A main body block and a micro mixer element incorporated in the main body block,
The micromixer element is provided with a plurality of mixing sections in which a first branch passage to which a first fluid is supplied and a second branch passage to which a second fluid is supplied are alternately arranged,
The main body block is formed with a first supply passage communicating with the first branch passage outside the mixing section, a second supply passage communicating with the second branch passage outside the mixing section, and a mixing passage communicating with the first branch passage and the second branch passage in the mixing section,
A micromixer in which a plurality of the first supply passages, a plurality of the second supply passages, and a plurality of the mixing passages are formed for each mixing section. The micro mixer according to claim 1,
a micro mixer including at least one of a first communication passage that connects the plurality of first supply passages to each other, a second communication passage that connects the plurality of second supply passages to each other, and a third communication passage that connects the plurality of mixing passages to each other. A micro-mixer element that is incorporated into a body block to form a micro-mixer,
A micromixer element is provided with a plurality of mixing compartments, each of which has a first branch passage to which a first fluid is supplied and a second branch passage to which a second fluid is supplied, arranged alternately. The micro-mixer element according to claim 3,
a substrate having a pair of outer surfaces and a plurality of side surfaces connecting the outer surfaces;
A plurality of said mixing zones are formed on different sides of said substrate;
The base material is a micromixer element having at least one of a first communication portion that communicates the first branch passages with each other outside the mixing compartment, a second communication portion that communicates the second branch passages with each other outside the mixing compartment, and a third communication portion that communicates the plurality of mixing compartments with each other.

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