Patent Publication Number: US-2012040297-A1

Title: Apparatus for mixing and proportioning oil and water

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an apparatus for mixing and proportioning oil and water, particularly to an apparatus to get a required oil-water ratio and rapidly mix the oil and water into a fine mixture. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The conventional system process of mixing oil and water for combustion, referring to  FIG. 1 , generally includes sending oil A (combustible oil such as diesel oil, heavy oil or the like) to a heater B to be heated to a required temperature; next, supplying water D according to a required combustion ratio into an oil and water proportioning device C; sending the oil and water to an oil-water mixer E for mixing; then sending the oil and water mixture into an oil and water mixture heater F to heat the mixture until reaching a burnable temperature; a small portion is first burned by a burner with small fire G; then a greater portion is burned by another burner with big fire H; the big fire H is ignited by the small fire G. 
     The conventional oil and water mixture combustion system like the one set forth above includes an oil and water proportioning device C and an oil and water mixer E, as shown in  FIG. 2 . The oil and water proportioning device C has an oil and water proportioning tank C 1  which draws water and oil through a piston C 3  via a cylinder C 2  at a desired ratio, then the water and oil are pumped through the piston C 3  via a water oil transport duct C 4  to an oil and water mixer E for mixing. 
     Although the drawing proportion of oil and water through the piston C 3  in the oil and water proportioning tank C 1  is quite accurate, during combustion when the pressure generated by the combustion system changes constantly, the oil and water proportioning device C cannot buffer the oil and water ratio. Therefore, the oil and water proportioning device C further cannot fully meet burning requirement and result in incomplete combustion and poorer combustion efficiency. In addition, the equipment cost required by the oil and water proportioning device C also is higher. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the conventional oil and water proportioning device that provides oil and water ratio not responsive to internal pressure change during burning of the combustion system and results in incomplete burning and undesirable combustion efficiency. Besides, the conventional oil and water proportioning device cost highly. Therefore, the present invention provides an apparatus for mixing and proportioning oil and water which includes a first chunk member and a second chunk member hold respectively a first oil flow gear and a second oil flow gear, and a first water flow gear and a second water flow gear located therein that engage with each other to control oil and water intake at a desired ratio to achieve optimal combustion efficiency. Before the oil and water reaching the combustion system a water regulation valve located in a base can buffer water intake proportion in response to pressure changes generated in the apparatus. The water regulation valve forms a buffer passage to provide water amount at varying ratios so that the apparatus for mixing and proportioning oil and water can mix again to make combustion smoother. 
     The apparatus according to the present invention comprises a upper lid, a first chunk member, a holder, a second chunk member and a base. 
     The upper lid has a plurality of fastening holes at the top and a coupling boss extended from the bottom of the upper lid. 
     The first chunk member is coupled and covered by the upper lid, and includes an oil intake passage, an oil-water mixture passage and a first gear chamber which communicates with the oil intake passage and oil-water mixture passage. The first chunk member also has a first vertical passage and a second vertical passage beneath the oil intake passage and oil-water mixture passage and communicating respectively therewith. The second vertical passage holds a water discharge duct with a water outlet and a water inlet formed thereon. The first gear chamber has a first arched recess and a second arched recess respectively at the front end and rear end, and a first elongate recess and a second elongate recess respectively at the left end and right end that communicate with one another. The first and second arched recesses hold a first oil flow gear and a second oil flow gear inside that engage with each other and are turnable. The first and second oil flow gears have respectively a first axle hole and a second axle hole. The first axle hole is movably coupled with a first axle, while the second axle hole is fixedly coupled with a second axle. 
     The holder is located between the first and second chunk members, and has a first hole and a second hole run through by the first and second axles, and a lubricant hole at one end communicating with the first hole and a water discharge passage at another end leading to the oil-water mixture passage. 
     The second chunk member is located between the holder and the base, and has a water intake passage and a water exit passage communicating with each other, and a second gear chamber communicating with the water intake passage and water exit passage, and a first water passage vertically leading to the water intake passage from below. Besides, the second chunk member has a second water passage and a third water passage above and below the water exit passage that communicate vertically therewith. The second gear chamber includes a first and a second arched recesses which are communicated with a first and a second elongate recesses at the left end and right end of the second gear chamber. The first and second arched recesses hold respectively a first water flow gear and a second water flow gear that engage with each other for turning. Inside the first water flow gear and second water flow gear there are a first axle hole and a second axle hole respectively. The first axle hole is movably coupled with the first axle, and the second axle hole is fixedly coupled with the second axle. The first and second water flow gears are formed at a thickness one third of the first and second oil flow gears to facilitate measuring the volume of water flow and oil. 
     The base is connected to a lower side of the second chunk member, and includes a water feedback passage leading vertically to the first and third water passages, and also contains a water regulation valve vertically positioned in the water feedback passage to buffer water intake proportion in response to the pressure alteration. The water regulation valve forms a buffer passage to supply water at different ratios. 
     The apparatus thus formed provides many advantages, notably: 
     1. The invention can provide a proportioning means simply structured to draw oil and water. Through rotation of the first and second oil flow gears, or first and second water flow gears oil and water can be squeezed and compressed to pass through, and the oil and water also can be drawn at a constant ratio. The first and second oil flow gears, or first and second water flow gears also can be linked to an external sensor to detect oil or water flow amount by the rotation number. The structure is simpler and the cost is lower. 
     2. The apparatus of the invention can evenly mix oil and water. During transporting of the oil a suction force is generated to suck the water from the water outlet of the water discharge duct in an atomized manner to be fully mixed with the oil. The structure is simpler and the oil and water can be mixed thoroughly in a fine state. 
     3. The invention also provides a lubrication mechanism. Lubricant can be directly drawn through the lubricant hole to lubricate the second axle without the trouble of the conventional technique of adding extra lubricant, thus can reduce operation cost. 
     4. The invention provides a water flow feedback passage communicating with the water intake passage and water discharge passage, water flowing out through the water outlet of the water discharge duct can be controlled from reaching too much that might result in non-uniform mixing of oil and water. Moreover, excessive water can flow back in circulation for reuse to save resources and prevent waste. 
     The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic configuration of a conventional oil and water mixing combustion system. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of a conventional apparatus for mixing and proportioning oil and water. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the apparatus for mixing and proportioning the oil and water of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4A  is a top view according to  FIG. 3  with the upper lid removed and showing the first and second oil flow gears in an operating condition. 
         FIG. 4B  is a cross section taken on line  4 B- 4 B in  FIG. 4A , and showing oil and water flow conditions. 
         FIG. 4C  is a cross section taken on line  4 C- 4 C in  FIG. 4A , and showing the first and second oil flow gears and first and second water flow gears in an operating condition. 
         FIG. 5A  is a schematic view of the present invention showing the first and second oil and water flow gears in an engaging condition. 
         FIG. 5B  is a schematic view of the present invention showing the first and second oil and water flow gears in another engaging condition. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 3 ,  4 A and  4 B for an embodiment of the present invention. It provides an apparatus  10  for mixing and proportioning oil and water which comprises an upper lid  20 , a first chunk member  30 , a holder  40 , a second chunk member  50  and a base  60 . 
     The upper lid  20  has a plurality of fastening holes  21  formed on the top thereof and a coupling boss  22  at the bottom. 
     The first chunk member  30  has a first upper recess  31  at the top of the first chunk member  30  to be wedged in by the coupling boss  22  of the upper lid  20 , and a first lower recess  32  at the bottom of the first chunk member  30 , and a plurality of fixing holes  300  around the recesses  31  and  32  corresponding to the fastening holes  21  to receive fastening elements  23  such as screws to fasten the upper lid  20 . The first chunk member  30  further has apertures  301  formed on the periphery to receive electric heating pipes  302  to provide heating to facilitate machine start. On two sides of the first chunk member  30  there are an oil intake passage  33  having an oil inlet  331  and an oil-water mixture passage  34  having an oil-water mixture outlet  341 , and a first gear chamber  35  communicating with the oil intake passage  33  and oil-water mixture passage  34 . The first gear chamber  35  has an oil intake/discharge passage  351  linking to the oil inlet  331  and the oil-water mixture outlet  341 . Beneath the oil intake passage  33  and oil-water mixture passage  34  there are respectively a first vertical passage  332  and a second vertical passage  342  communicating with the oil intake passage  33  and oil-water mixture passage  34 . The second vertical passage  342  holds a water discharge duct  36  inside. The water discharge duct  36  includes an upper duct  361  and a lower duct  362  with an inner hole  360  formed therein. The upper duct  361  has a water outlet  3611  on one side connecting to the inner hole  360 , and the lower duct  362  has a water inlet  3621  on another side connecting to the inner hole  360 . The lower duct  362  further has an aperture  3622  at the bottom. The first gear chamber  35  has a first arched recess  352  and a second arched recess  353  respectively at a front end and a rear end thereof, and a first elongate recess  354  and a second elongate recess  355  respectively at a left end and a right end thereof that are linked together. The first and second arched recesses  352  and  353  hold respectively a first oil flow gear  37  and a second oil flow gear  38  that engage with each other for rotating. The first and second oil flow gears  37  and  38  have respectively a first axle hole  371  and a second axle hole  381 . The first axle hole  371  is movably coupled with a first axle  372 , while the second axle hole  381  is fixedly coupled with a second axle  382 . The first and second oil flow gears  37  and  38  further are connected to an external sensor (not shown in the drawings) which detects oil delivery amount through rotation number. 
     The holder  40  has an upper coupling boss  41  and a lower coupling boss  42  at the top and bottom thereof. The upper coupling boss  41  wedges in the first lower recess  32  of the first chunk member  30 . The holder  40  also has a plurality of screw holes  400  surrounding the upper and lower coupling bosses  41  and  42  corresponding to the fixing holes  300  to receive the fastening elements  23  such as screws to fasten the upper lid  20 , first chunk member  30  and holder  40  together. The holder  40  also has a first hole  43  and a second hole  44  in the middle run through by the first axle  372  and second axle  382 . The second hole  44  is coupled with a wear-resistant sleeve  441  which has an oil injection port  442  formed thereon and is run through by the second axle  382 . The holder  40  further has a lubricant hole  45  at one end communicating to the first vertical passage  332  and a water discharge passage  46  at another end communicating to the oil-water mixture passage  34 . The water discharge passage  46  holds the lower duct  362  of the water discharge duct  36  and has a distal end holding a check valve  461 . The holder  40  further has a round hole  47  on the periphery corresponding to the aperture  301  of the first chunk member  30  to receive the electric heating pipe  302 . 
     The second chunk member  50  has a second upper recess  51  at the top thereof to be wedged in by the lower coupling boss  42  of the holder  40  and a second lower recess  52  at the bottom. It also has a plurality of fastening holes  500  surrounding the second upper and lower recesses  51  and  52 , and an aperture  501  on the periphery corresponding to the round hole  47  of the holder  40  to allow the electric heating pipe  302  to run through the aperture  301  of the first chunk member  30 , the round hole  47  of the holder  40  and reach the aperture  501  of the second chunk member  50 . On two side of the second chunk member  50  there are a water intake passage  53  having a water inlet  531 , a water exit passage  54  having a water outlet  541  and a second gear chamber  55  communicating with the water intake and exit passages  53  and  54 . The second gear chamber  55  has a water in/out passage  551  to communicate with the water inlet  531  and water outlet  541 . Beneath the water intake passage  53  is a first water passage  532  vertically communicating therewith. On the upper side and lower side of the water exit passage  54  there are a second water passage  542  and a third water passage  543  vertically communicating therewith. The second water passage  542  has a top end leading to the water discharge passage  46  and the check valve  461  located at the upper side to prevent oil from flowing back through the water discharge passage  46  to the second water passage  542  caused by internal oil pressure greater than water pressure when operation of the apparatus  10  stops. 
     The second gear chamber  55  includes a first arched recess  552  and a second arched recess  553  at the front end and rear end, and a first elongate recess  554  and a second elongate recess  555  at the left end and right end that communicate with one another. The first and second arched recesses  552  and  553  hold respectively a first water flow gear  56  and a second water flow gear  57  that engage with each other for rotating. The first and second water flow gears  56  and  57  have respectively a first axle hole  561  and a second axle hole  571 . The first axle hole  561  is movably coupled with the first axle  372 , while the second axle hole  571  is fixedly coupled with the second axle  382 . The first and second water flow gears  56  and  57  are formed at a thickness one third of the first and second oil flow gears  37  and  38  to facilitate measurement of water flow and oil amount. The first and second water flow gears  56  and  57  also are connected to an external sensor (not shown in the drawings) to detect water flow amount through rotation numbers. 
     The base  60  is located beneath the second chunk member  50  and has a coupling boss  600  at the top to wedge in the second lower recess  52  of the second chunk member  50 . It has a plurality of apertures  601  surrounding the coupling boss  600  to receive fastening elements  602  to fasten the fastening holes  500  of the second chunk member  50 . The base  60  also has a water feedback passage  61  vertically communicating with the first and third water passages  532  and  543  of the second chunk member  50 . The water feedback passage  61  has a water inlet  611  at one end communicating with the first water passage  532  and a water outlet  612  at another end communicating with the third water passage  543 , and a water regulation valve  62  in the middle communicating therewith vertically to buffer water intake ratio in response to internal pressure change of the system. Through the water regulation valve  62  a buffer passage is formed to provide water at different ratios. 
     More details of the embodiment of the present invention are elaborated as follow by referring to  FIGS. 3 ,  4 A and  4 B. 
     The upper lid  20  is fastened to the first chunk member  30  and the holder  40  below through the fastening elements  23 . 
     The first chunk member  30  contains the first and second oil flow gears  37  and  38 , and first and second axles  372  and  382  in the first gear chamber  35  that engage with each other to rotate in different directions as shown in  FIG. 4C . During the oil is transported by rotation and pushing the first and second oil flow gears  37  and  38  form a gap  39  between them to squeeze the oil to get intake amount at a constant ratio. As the second axle  382  is fixedly coupled with the second oil flow gear  38  and second water flow gear  57  that rotate concurrently, and the first axle  372  is movably coupled with the first oil flow gear  37  and first water flow gear  56 , the first oil flow gear  37  and first water flow gear  56  rotate freely. 
     The first chunk member  30 , holder  40  and second chunk member  50  are run through by the electric heating pipes  302  on the periphery. The electric heating pipes  302  aim to heat the oil at the initial state to reach a duty temperature in a fluid state to prevent the oil from viscous at a lower temperature that could result in unsmooth flowing and difficulty to push the first and second oil flow gears  37  and  38 . Hence, the apparatus  10  including the two electric heating pipes  302  does not need to add extra heating means like the conventional technique, and the oil can be effectively heated to the duty temperature at the initial state to facilitate oil transport. The water outlet  3611  at one side of the water discharge duct  36  aims to generate a suction force during discharge of the oil to draw and atomize the water from the water discharge duct  36 , and also facilitate thorough mixing with the oil during transportation to reach fine and uniform oil-water mixture to form a more efficient oil and water mixture fuel in a downstream combustion system. 
     The wear-resistant sleeve  441  is held in the second hole  44  of the holder  40  and has the oil injection port  442  at one side to receive the oil through the lubricant hole  45  to the surface of the second axle  382  for lubrication purpose. Such a design directly channels the oil for lubrication without adding an extra lubrication means and lubricant, hence the structural complexity and cost would be reduced, and the second axle  382  from forming direct friction with the hole edge would be prevented. The water discharge passage  46  is located beneath the water discharge duct  36  to supply the water upwards to the water discharge duct  36  for mixing. The water discharge passage  46  also can hold the lower duct  362  of the water discharge duct  36  and hold a check valve  461  between the distal end of the water discharge passage  46  and the second water passage  542  of the second chunk member  50  to block the second water passage  542  to prevent the oil from flowing back through the water discharge passage  46  to the second water passage  542  caused by the oil pressure inside greater than water pressure when the apparatus  10  stops operation. 
     The first and second water flow gears  56  and  57  in the second chunk member  50  are held in the second gear chamber  55  and engage with each other to rotate in different directions as shown in  FIGS. 4B and 4C . They are formed at a thickness one third of the first and second oil flow gears  37  and  38 , and aim to control water intake at an amount one third of the oil so that the oil and water can be mixed at such a ratio to achieve desired combustion efficiency. During the water is transported and pushed by rotation, the water is squeezed through a gap  58  formed between the first and second water flow gears  56  and  57  to get water intake amount at a constant ratio. The second water flow gear  57  is fixedly coupled on the second axle  382  which also is coupled with the second oil flow gear  38  to form synchronous rotation to control the oil and water to flow at the same time at the same constant ratio, thereby can effectively control mixing proportion. The first water flow gear  56  rotates freely on the first axle  372  (as shown in  FIGS. 5A and 5B ). 
     The base  60  is fastened to the second chunk member  50  above through the fastening elements  602  to securely hold the entire apparatus  10  for mixing and proportioning oil and water. The base  60  contains a water feedback passage  61  with a water inlet  611  at one end connecting to the first water passage  532 , and a water outlet  612  connecting to the third water passage  543 . When water flows through the water feedback passage  61  to the third water passage  543 , a portion of the water passes through the water discharge passage  46  to push the check valve  461  which blocks the aperture  3622  at the bottom of the water discharge duct  36  so that water enters through the water inlet  3621  thereof into the inner hole  360 , and flows out through the water outlet  3611 . Before reaching the combustion system 80% of the oil and 20% of the water are regulated. During combustion pressure changes take place inside the system, by adjusting in advance the water regulation valve  62  located in the middle of the water feedback passage  61  such as turning a knob, screw or adjustment element, water intake ratio can be buffered, and a buffer passage is formed through the water regulation valve  62  so that a portion of water flows through the buffer passage formed by the water outlet  612  and water feedback passage  61  and water inlet  611  back to the first water passage  532 , while other portion of water flows out through the water outlet  3611  to supply water less than 20% (referring to  FIG. 4B ) to achieve a steadier and smoother combustion. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 5A and 5B  for operation of the first and second oil flow gears  37  and  38  in the embodiment set forth above. 
     1. Also referring to  FIGS. 5A and 4C , when no oil or water flows in, the first and second oil flow gears  37  and  38  coupled respectively with the first and second water flow gears  56  and  57  through the first and second axles  372  and  382 , so that the first and second oil flow gears  37  and  38  are in a motionless condition. This is the first state. 
     2. Referring to  FIG. 5B , oil is injected initially to gradually push the first and second oil flow gears  37  and  38  to rotate in opposite directions; rotation of the second oil flow gear  38  also drives the second water flow gear  57  to rotate at the same time that concurrently drives the first water flow gear  56  to rotate, also referring to  FIG. 4C . This is the second state. 
     3. Referring to  FIG. 5B , during the opposite rotation a gap  39  is formed between the first and second oil flow gears  37  and  38 , and another gap  58  is formed between the first and second water flow gears  56  and  57 . These gaps  39  and  58  squeeze a fixed amount of oil and water according to a set ratio to pass through. This is the third state. 
     4. Referring to  FIG. 5B , after the first and second oil flow gears  37  and  38 , and the first and second water flow gears  56  and  57  have squeezed the oil and water through the gaps  39  and  58  to pass through, the first and second oil flow gears  37  and  38 , and first and second water flow gears  56  and  57  are driven by the continuous entering oil and water flow to squeeze a fixed amount of oil and water to pass through. This is the fourth state.