Apparatus and method with improved drive force capability for transporting and metering particulate material

A pump for imparting a drive force F to drive a material against a total pump operating pressure P, the pump comprising:

• a pair of spaced apart rotatable disk members;
• a hub connected to the rotatable disk members, said hub having a diameter D, said disk members being arranged coaxially and spaced from each other by a distance W, such that F=f(D/W), and F.gtoreq.P;
• a peripheral wall adjacent the space between the pair of disks and defining a duct of width W in the space between the disks;
• a duct inlet in flow communication with the duct;
• and
• a duct outlet in flow communication with the duct.

A method of making an apparatus having first and second moveable drive wall members spaced from each other by a distance W and defining two walls of a duct therebetween of length L, for imparting a drive force for driving a particulate material through the duct, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining a total pump operating pressure P;
• determining a drive force value F so that F.gtoreq.P;
• calculating at least one value for each of L and W from the relationship:
• F=f(L/W);
• arranging the first and second moveable drive wall members adjacent and spaced from each other by the distance W;
• forming a third wall adjacent the space between the first and second drive wall members so as to define the duct of width W and length L in the space between the drive wall members and adjacent the third wall;
• and
• forming a duct inlet and a duct outlet in material flow communication with the duct.

A method of making an apparatus having first and second moveable drive wall members spaced from each other by a distance W and defining two walls of a duct there between of cross-sectional area S and length L, for imparting a drive force for driving a particulate material through the duct, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining a total pump operating pressure P;
• determining a drive force value F so that F.gtoreq.P;
• calculating at least one value for each of L and S from the relationship:
• F=f(L/S);
• arranging the first and second moveable drive wall members adjacent and spaced from each other by the distance W;
• forming a third wall adjacent the space between the first and second drive wall members so as to define the duct of cross-sectional area S and length L in the space between the drive wall members and adjacent the third wall;
• and
• forming a duct inlet and a duct outlet in material flow communication with the duct.

A method of making an apparatus having a duct of height H for imparting a drive force for driving a particulate material through the duct, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining a total pump operating pressure P;
• determining a drive force value F so that F.gtoreq.P;
• calculating at least one value for H from the relationship:
• F=f(H);
• arranging first and second moveable drive wall members adjacent and spaced from each other;
• forming a third wall adjacent the space between the first and second drive wall members so as to define a duct in the space between at least a portion of each drive wall member and adjacent the third wall, wherein the portion of each drive wall member defining the duct has a height H;
• and
• forming a duct inlet and a duct outlet in material flow communication with the duct.