System for handling bulk particulate materials

#This invention relates to a system for handling bulk particulate material, including a transport line for pneumatically conveying such material.

#In the chemical, food processing and pharmaceutical industries, gas fluidizing conveyors typically are used for conveying powder and fine granular bulk materials. Such conveyors generally consist of a lower trough into which fluidizing gas is introduced, a gas permeable membrane sealed against the upper side of the lower trough and an upper cover to enclose and channel the flowing fluidized material and to prevent the escape of airborne dust into a plant environment except at the end of the conveyor. Typically, such conveyors are installed at a downwardly inclined angle between the inlet and the outlet to facilitate the flow of the fluidized material under the force of gravity. In operation, the fluidized material forms a continuous flowing mass which flows freely to the lower end of the inclined conveyor. The discharge rate and velocity of the material flow of such conveyors may be controlled by varying the angle of incline of the conveyor and by modulating the fluidizing gas flow entering the lower trough and subsequently passing upwardly through the gas permeable membrane. Such conveyors generally are employed beneath silos equipped with vibratory or fluidizing type discharges, but operate substantially independent of the silo discharge system. This type of conveyor does not depend upon silo discharge pressure for its operation and its discharge opening normally is not 100 percent full of material over its opening cross section. Fluidizing conveyors of the type described are limited in application only to materials which are readily fluidizeable and not to more coarse materials which would require large volumes of air or gas for fluidization. Because of such limitations, it is desirable to provide a material handling system including means for pneumatically conveying bulk particulate materials which is capable of conveying particulate materials of a broader range of sizes with the use of less gas as a conveying medium and without the need to incline the conveyor to provide gravity flow.

#Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved material handling system including means for pneumatically conveying bulk particulate materials of a broader range of sizes than comparable prior art systems, controlling the flow rate of material being conveyed, utilizing less gas as a conveying medium and not requiring any particular orientation of the direction of flow of the material.

#FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a system for handling a bulk particulate material embodying the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a view similar to the view shown in FIG. 1, illustrating another system for handling bulk particulate materials, incorporating another embodiment of the present invention, having portions thereof broken away;

#FIG. 3 is a view similar to the view shown in FIG. 1, illustrating another system for handling a bulk particulate material, incorporating a further embodiment of the present invention, having portions thereof broken away;

#Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4 through 7 of the drawings, there is illustrated a system 10 for handling a bulk particulate material, embodying the present invention, which includes a vessel 11, a container 12 and a transport line 13 for pneumatically conveying a bulk particulate material contained in the vessel to the interior of container 12. Vessel 11 includes a cylindrical side wall 14 open to the atmosphere at the upper end thereof and a conically configured bottom wall 15 having an outlet provided with a shut-off valve 16. With vessel 10 open to the atmosphere, material contained with the vessel is adapted to gravity flow into transport line 13 upon opening valve 16. The discharge flow of material in vessel 11 is enhanced by fluidizing the inner side of the lower conical section of the vessel. Such fluidization is provided by a gas permeable, conically configured liner 17 positioned adjacent the inner side of the conical section of the vessel and a gas inlet 18 which may be connected to a source of a gas, usually air, under pressure for supplying gas under pressure to the conical section of the vessel which permeates through liner 17 to fluidize and thereby enhance the flow of material in the conical section of the vessel.

#Container 12 may be of any suitable type and size and may be stationary or transportable on the flatbed of a truck as shown, a rail car, a watercraft or an aircraft or may consist of an integral component of such modes of transportation. The container typically is provided with an opening in a wall thereof through which the free end of the transport line 13 may be inserted, and an exhaust 19 through which air injected into the container may be vented. Because air vented through the exhaust will contain entrained airborne particles from the material injected into the container, exhaust 19 typically would be connected to a dust collector to capture such particles. Preferably, the interior of container 12 is provided with a liner into which the material injected by the transport line is loaded, having a first closeable opening for receiving the free end of the transport line therethrough and a second closeable opening for the exhaust. It further is contemplated that the container and correspondingly any liner within the container will be provided with an outlet opening through which material in the container may be discharged. Such material may be discharged simply by tilting the container and allowing the material within the container to gravity flow out of the container or a pneumatic conveying line may be connected to such discharge outlet.

#Transport line 13 preferably consists of a transition section 20 and a plurality of linear sections 21. The linear sections may be secured together in end-to-end relation to any length desired, with the initial of such sections secured to the transition section. The transport line may be simply secured to the underside of the storage vessel and project in a cantilevered manner as shown in FIG. 1 or further supported along its length as may be required.