Air cannon for removing cakes of flowable material and clearing clogged areas of flowable material

An air cannon for removing cakes of flowable material and clearing clogged areas of flowable material in silos, heat exchangers, and feed lines with an air blast;

• said air cannon comprising:
• a pressure container for storing compressed air;
• a pressure source connected with a first line to said pressure container;
• an outlet valve connected to said pressure container;
• an outlet jet connected to said outlet valve;
• said outlet valve comprising a valve housing and a piston, wherein said valve housing has a guide in which said piston is axially slidable;
• an annular channel formed between said valve housing and said guide, said annular channel connected to said pressure container and, in an open position of said outlet valve, forms a cylindrical opening that opens into said outlet jet;
• said piston having a forward end face facing said outlet jet, said forward end face having an annular valve sealing surface, and a rearward end face on which a suddenly releasable closure pressure acts, wherein, when said outlet valve is closed, a pressure present in said outlet jet acts on an area surrounded by said annular sealing surface and wherein a pressure of said pressure container acts on an area outside of said annular sealing surface;
• said outlet valve having a piston housing with radially extending stays and connected with said stays inside said valve housing, said piston housing being said guide;
• a storage volume provided at said rearward end face of said piston, wherein said pressure source is connected with a second line to said storage volume;
• a connecting channel for connecting said second line to said storage volume provided in at least one of said stays;
• and
• said second line comprising a switchable valve which in a rest position connects said pressure source to said storage volume and which in a venting position opens a cross-section through which compressed air is vented from said storage volume.