Membrane dust-pumping system

A diaphragm pump for the pressurized delivery of dusts in a dust feeding device, the diaphragm pump comprising:

• a storage hopper which is subjected to inert gas at ambient pressure and which serves for the storage of the dust,
• a sluicing vessel whose volume is separated in a gas-tight and liquid-tight manner by a diaphragm into a dust region and an impingement medium region,
• wherein the dust region of the sluicing vessel is connected via an inlet in the upper region, via a shut-off fitting and via a dust supply line to the dust store of the storage hopper, and is connected via an outlet in the lower region and via a shut-off fitting to a high-pressure device,
• wherein the impingement medium region is connected to a supply and discharge line for an impingement medium,
• an expansion line, one end of which is connected via a filter element to the sluicing vessel and into which a shut-off fitting is incorporated,
• a charging line which is connected via a filter element and via a shut-off fitting to the sluicing vessel,
• wherein the shut-off fitting in the dust supply line is configured to be opened for such a length of time that the dust chamber of the sluicing vessel is filled with dust,
• wherein the inert gas displaced out of said sluicing vessel in the process can be discharged via the expansion line and the open shut-off fitting,
• wherein after the closure of the shut-off fitting in the dust supply line and of the shut-off fitting in the expansion line, the dust chamber can be charged with high-pressure inert gas to the pressure of the high-pressure device via the charging line and via the open shut-off fitting ,
• wherein after the operating pressure of the high-pressure device is reached, the pressurized dust passes, by gravity-driven delivery action, into the high-pressure device via the open shut-off fitting at the inlet of the high-pressure device,
• wherein after the transfer of the dust out of the sluicing vessel into the high-pressure device, the diaphragm can be moved into the position of maximum displacement, and subsequently the shut-off fitting to the high-pressure device can be closed.

A method for the pressurized delivery of dusts in a dust feeding device,

• wherein the dust feeding device includes:
• a storage hopper which is subjected to inert gas at ambient pressure and which serves for the storage of the dust,
• a sluicing vessel which is connected via an inlet in the upper region, via a shut-off fitting and via a dust supply line to the dust store of the storage hopper, and is connected via an outlet in the lower region and via a shut-off fitting to a high-pressure device,
• a diaphragm mounted in the sluicing vessel,
• an expansion line, one end of which is connected via a filter element to the sluicing vessel and into which a shut-off fitting is incorporated,
• a charging line which is connected via a filter element and via a shut-off fitting to the sluicing vessel,
• the method comprising:
• opening the shut-off fitting in the dust supply line for such a length of time that the dust chamber of the sluicing vessel is filled with dust,
• discharging the inert gas to be displaced out of said sluicing vessel in the process via the expansion line and the open shut-off fitting,
• after the closure of the shut-off fitting in the dust supply line and of the shut-off fitting in the expansion line, charging the dust chamber with high-pressure inert gas to the pressure of the high-pressure device via the charging line and via the open shut-off fitting,
• after the operating pressure of the high-pressure device is reached, passing the pressurized dust by gravity-driven delivery action into the high-pressure device via the open shut-off fitting at the inlet of the high-pressure device,
• after the transfer of the dust out of the sluicing vessel into the high-pressure device, moving the diaphragm into the position of maximum displacement, and subsequently closing the shut-off fitting to the high-pressure device.