Decompressing unit for an apparatus for conveying polymer particles

A decompressing unit for decompressing a pressurized particle conveying fluid stream, the decompressing unit comprises:

• a first chamber for receiving the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream and a second chamber surrounding the first chamber,
• wherein the first chamber is delimited by a first wall structure and the second chamber is delimited by a second wall structure;
• wherein the first wall structure comprises at least one first opening through which an inner volume of the first chamber is connected with an inner volume of the second chamber and the second wall structure comprises at least one second opening through which the inner volume of the second chamber is connected with at least one acoustic dampening device,
• wherein the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream comprises polymer particles in a pressurized fluid.

A system for processing polymer particles, the system comprising:

• at least one storage apparatus for storing polymer particles to be processed via at least one processing apparatus;
• at least one processing apparatus for processing polymer particles;
• and
• at least one conveying apparatus configured to create a pressurized particle conveying fluid stream comprising polymer particles in a pressurized fluid and to convey polymer particles in the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream from the at least one storage apparatus to the at least one processing apparatus;
• wherein the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream comprises polymer particles in a pressurized fluid,
• wherein the conveying apparatus comprises:
• a pressurizing unit for generating the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream comprising polymer particles in a pressurized fluid, the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream having a first pressure level;
• a decompressing unit for decompressing the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream from the first pressure level to generate a decompressed particle conveying fluid stream having a second pressure level below the first pressure level;
• and
• a connecting line between the pressurizing unit and the decompressing unit so that the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream can flow from the pressurizing unit towards or into the decompressing unit,
• wherein the decompressing unit comprises:
• a first chamber for receiving the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream and a second chamber surrounding the first chamber,
• wherein the first chamber is delimited by a first wall structure and the second chamber is delimited by a second wall structure, and
• wherein the first wall structure comprises at least one first opening through which an inner volume of the first chamber is connected with an inner volume of the second chamber,
• wherein the second wall structure comprises at least one second opening through which the inner volume of the second chamber is connected with at least one acoustic dampening device.

A method for conveying polymer particles, comprising the steps of:

• generating, via a pressurizing unit, a pressurized particle conveying fluid stream comprising the polymer particles in a pressurized fluid, the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream having a first pressure level, wherein the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream flows into a decompressing unit;
• decompressing, via a decompressing unit, the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream from the first pressure level to generate a decompressed particle conveying fluid stream having a second pressure level, the second pressure level is lower than the first pressure level;
• and
• wherein the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream comprises polymer particles in a pressurized fluid;
• wherein an apparatus conveys polymer particles and the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream is conveyed from a pressurizing unit to a processing apparatus,
• wherein the decompressing unit comprises:
• a first chamber for receiving the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream and a second chamber surrounding the first chamber,
• wherein the first chamber is delimited by a first wall structure and the second chamber is delimited by a second wall structure;
• and
• wherein the first wall structure comprises at least one first opening through which an inner volume of the first chamber is connected with an inner volume of the second chamber and the second wall structure comprises at least one second opening through which the inner volume of the second chamber is connected to at least one acoustic dampening device.