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AssigneeCoalair Systems Limited Partnership
InventorsRichard M. Dunbar, Charles E. Wynosky, Henry E. Stoiber
Estimating the term…
An apparatus for feeding product to a pipeline via a venturi assembly has first and second tanks adapted to separately hold a quantity of product. The product is fed to the tanks from a supply hopper and enters each tank through an upper opening which accommodates a feed chute. The open end of each feed chute is closable by a flapper door which is swingable between open and closed positions. Pressurized air from a compressor is used to selectively close the flapper doors via a set of pressure valves which control the flow of air into the tanks. The product is fed from each tank to the pipeline through a Y-shaped housing and the venturi assembly. The housing has respective lower openings for each tank, also closable by swingable flapper doors. When the upper doors are closed by the air pressure, the product is forced out of the tank into the pipeline. A plurality of sensors are provided for sensing the product level in the tanks and a plurality of detectors are provided for indicating when the flapper doors are closed. A controller automatically monitors the sensors and detectors, and regulates feed of the product into the tanks and the pressure valves so as to maintain a continuous duty operation in which product is discharged from one tank as the other tank fills.
An apparatus for feeding product under steady-state conditions into a pipeline for pneumatic conveyance by carrier gas flowing through the pipeline at a predetermined pressure, comprising first and second upright tanks in combination with a venturi assembly adapted to introduce product into a pressurized pipeline for pneumatic conveyance, said tanks being arranged to separately hold a quantity of the product, each tank having an associated upper opening for receiving product through a supply means from a supply thereof and an associated lower opening for feeding product from the tank into said venturi assembly during a discharge period, means for selectively opening and closing said upper and lower openings, said upper openings being normally open and said lower openings being normally closed, means for selectively pressurizing each tank to a pressure above the pipeline pressure when said associated upper opening is closed to cause the product to flow from the tank into the venturi assembly through said associated lower opening, means for sensing a predetermined fill level of the product in each tank, means associated with each tank for detecting whether said upper and lower openings are closed, and control means for automatically regulating feed of the product into the venturi assembly in response to indications received from said sensing and detecting means to provide controlled continuous duty operation of said apparatus by verifying proper and alternate product flow into and out of said tanks wherein one tank is discharging product into the venturi assembly as the other tank is filling with product, said control means verifying prior discharge of product from said other tank to be filled by monitoring said sensing means, if discharge is not verified, said control means deactivating said supply means and activating said pressurizing means to temporarily pressurize said other tank to effect discharge thereof;
A continuous duty apparatus for feeding product to a pipeline through a venturi assembly for pneumatic conveyance by primary carrier gas flowing through the pipeline at a predetermined pressure, comprising first and second upright tanks in combination with a venturi assembly adapted to introduce product into a pressurized pipeline for pneumatic conveyance, said tanks being arranged to separately hold a quantity of product, each tank having an associated upper opening for receiving product into the tank through a supply means from a product supply and having an associated lower opening for feeding product from the tank into said venturi assembly during a discharge period, said supply means including supply valve means for controlling flow of the product from the product supply to said tanks, means for selectively opening and closing said upper and lower openings, said upper openings being normally open and said lower openings being normally closed, means for individually pressurizing each tank to a pressure above the pipeline pressure when said associated upper opening is closed to cause the product to flow from the tank into the venturi assembly through said lower opening, means for sensing a predetermined fill level of product in each tank, means for detecting said upper and lower openings are closed, and control means for automatically regulating feed of the product to the venturi assembly and into the pipeline in response to said sensing and detecting means so as to maintain a steady and controlled flow of product through the venturi assembly and pipeline without degrading the air flow in the venturi by verifying proper and alternate product flow into and out of said tanks wherein one tank is discharging product into the venturi assembly as the other tank is filling with product, said control means verifying prior discharge of product from said other tank to be filled by monitoring said sensing means to determine the absence of product in said other tank, if discharge is not verified, said control means deactivating said suppy means and activating said pressurizing means to temporarily pressurize said other tank and discharge product therefrom in a recycle mode;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.