Device and Method for Feeding Bulk Solid Cryogenic Material Into a Flow of Compressed Air

Abstract

The claimed invention relates to mechanical engineering, in particular, to apparatus for cleaning surfaces from contamination and it can find application in various industrial sectors, such as automotive industry, aircraft industry, shipbuilding, nuclear power industry, foundry production, mechanical engineering, chemical industry, oil and gas industry, food industry, printing industry, light industry, power industry, and electronics. The feeder comprises a housing made with inlet and outlet channels for a flow of a compressed gas medium, a mounted rotor configured to rotate around the axle of rotation in the housing and having a peripheral cylindrical surface; wherein the rotor is provided with at least one recess made on said peripheral surface; a seal hermetically installed in the housing, having an internal cylindrical surface contacting with at least a part of said peripheral surface of the rotor, wherein said seal comprises at least one first opening for receiving particles from said source at atmospheric pressure and for feeding said particles at atmospheric pressure into said recess formed on the peripheral surface of the rotor, at least one second opening for dispensing said particles into said transport flow with a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure from said recess and receiving a part of said transport flow inside the recess with subsequent pressure increase in the recess, and at least one through pressure-relief channel, and at least one filter element located in said channel, wherein at least one pressure relief channel with the filter element is located in the direction of rotation of the rotor between the opening for dispensing said particles and the opening for receiving particles at atmospheric pressure. The technical effect of the claimed invention consists in increasing the reliability and productivity of the dry ice blasting process, increasing the throughput of crushed dry ice through the feeder, and extending the service life of the rotor and the seal during their wear.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.