High-density pneumatic transport method for use in powdered or granular materials and system for practising the method

A high density pneumatic transport system for pneumatically transporting powdered or granular materials stored in an airtight storage container to a collector through a material transport pipe by use of pressurized gas, comprising:

• said airtight storage container having an outlet and provided with a pair of sensors, one of the sensors being adapted to detect an upper limit level of the materials contained in the storage container, and the other of the sensors being adapted to detect a lower limit level of the materials contained in the storage container;
• a material feeding means for sequentially feeding the materials from a material supply station into said storage container while splitting the materials into a plurality of batches;
• said material transport pipe having a base end;
• said collector receiving said material and being connected to said storage container through the material transport pipe;
• a pair of sensors for detecting the existence of the materials contained in the storage container, one of the sensors being installed in a position below the lower limit level, and the other of the sensors being installed in a position at the base end of the material transport pipe close to the outlet of said storage container;
• a transport plug adapted to be inclose contact with the inner surface of said material transport pipe and to be inserted into the base end of the material transport pipe;
• a decompressing means for discharging a pressurized gas charge in the storage container;
• a gas supply means for feeding pressurized gas into the base end of the material transport pipe so as to pneumatically transport the materials delivered into the transport pipe and to carry forward said transport plug;
• and
• a controller unit for controlling the gas supply means, the material supply means, and the gas decompression means in response to detection signals from the sensors.