초록 ▼

A colloid mill utilizes a motor-driven shaft configuration that connects to the rotor of the colloid mill to the electric motor rotor. In this way, the mill rotor shaft is directly driven. Complex gear or belt drive arrangements between a separate electric motor and the fluid processing components o

A colloid mill utilizes a motor-driven shaft configuration that connects to the rotor of the colloid mill to the electric motor rotor. In this way, the mill rotor shaft is directly driven. Complex gear or belt drive arrangements between a separate electric motor and the fluid processing components of the colloid mill are thus avoided. Moreover, the gap between the mill rotor and mill stator can be adjusted simply by axially translating the motor-driven shaft. Such translation is provided by a timing belt-based arrangement to limit backlash. As a result, a simple hand-operated knob or stepper motor arrangement can be used to control the gap. Specifically, a thrust bearing is supported in a threaded sleeve that mates with the colloidal mill body. The timing belt engages the sleeve to rotate it relative to the body, thus adjusting the thrust bearings axially along the motor driven shaft and thereby controlling the gap between the mill stator and mill rotor. Also addressed are problems associated with scaling colloid mills and novel rotor configurations using regions of enlarged gap to facilitate the formation of cavitation fields. Precise measurement of the gap between the mill rotor and the mill stator is made possible by incorporating an analogous surface at the same angle as the mill rotor surface, against which a distance indicator can bear.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A colloid mill comprising:a mill stator;a mill rotor;an electric motor stator;an electric motor rotor;a common motor shaft that extends from the mill rotor to the electric motor rotor such that the mill rotor is directly driven by the motor rotor; anda gap adjustment sy

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A colloid mill comprising:a mill stator;a mill rotor;an electric motor stator;an electric motor rotor;a common motor shaft that extends from the mill rotor to the electric motor rotor such that the mill rotor is directly driven by the motor rotor; anda gap adjustment system that changes a gap between the mill stator and the mill rotor, the gap adjustment system including at least one thrust bearing that supports the motor shaft, a threaded sleeve that carries the thrust bearing, and a colloid mill body having complementary threads engaging the threaded sleeve to enable rotation of the threaded sleeve relative to the colloid mill body to translate the thrust bearing for changing the gap between the mill stator and the mill rotor.