Boundary air/laminar flow conveying system

A system for conveying particulate material from a first location to a second location, the system comprising:

• a mixing chamber having a first opening and an opposing second opening;
• a barrel having side walls and a first end and an opposing particulate discharge end, said particulate discharge end being disposed in communication with the first opening of the mixing chamber, said barrel having an opening formed in the side walls thereof adjacent the first end for receiving particulate materials thereinto;
• rotational auger means rotatably disposed within the barrel for conveying the particulate material through the barrel and out of the particulate discharge end and into the mixing chamber;
• first plenum means concentrically surrounding the barrel and being disposed in communication with the mixing chamber for injecting a first annular wave of pressurized fluid into said mixing chamber;
• second plenum means concentrically surrounding the first plenum means and being disposed in communication with the mixing chamber for injecting a second annular wave of pressurized fluid into said mixing chamber;
• wherein the first plenum means includes a fluid discharge end concentrically surrounded by the second plenum means to thereby cause said first plenum means to discharge the first annular wave of pressurized fluid into contact with the second annular wave of pressurized fluid such that said second annular wave of pressurized fluid contactably circumscribes said first annular wave of pressurized fluid;
• wherein the particulate discharge end of the barrel is concentrically surrounded by the first plenum means, to thereby cause said discharge end to discharge the particulate material into contact with the first annular wave of pressurized fluid such that said first annular wave of pressurized fluid contactably circumscribes the discharged particulate material.

A system for conveying particulate material from a first location to a second location, the system comprising:

• container means for holding the particulate material at the first location;
• means for moving the particulate material out of the container means, the means for moving being configured for receiving particulate material from the container means and comprising an auger means rotatably disposed within an auger containment means, the auger containment means having a first end and a second end, a particulate seal being maintained between the auger means and the auger containment means to inhibit backflow of particulate material such that as the auger means operates the particulate material moves through the means for moving, the auger means having a first number of flights over its length and the auger means being selectively replaceable by (i) a first substitute auger means having a length which remains within the auger containment means and (ii) a second substitute auger means which extends out of the second end of the auger containment means;
• first plenum means substantially surrounding the means for moving, the first plenum means terminating at the second end of the auger containment means;
• first baffle means, positioned in the first plenum means, for selectively controlling fluid flow through the first plenum means;
• first port means for injecting a fluid into the first plenum means, the first port means oriented at a first angle with respect to a central axis of the first plenum means;
• second plenum means substantially surrounding the second end of the auger containment means and surrounding at least a portion of the first plenum means;
• second baffle means, positioned in the second plenum means, for selectively controlling fluid flow through the second plenum means;
• second port means for injecting a fluid into the second plenum means, the second port means oriented at a second angle with respect to a central axis of the second plenum means;
• means for supplying pressurized fluid into the first and second port means;
• transition means for receiving the fluid flowing out of the first plenum means and the second plenum means and for receiving the particulate material flowing out of the auger containment means, the transition means narrowing from a first diameter at a first end, the first diameter being at least as great as the diameter of the second plenum means, to a smaller second diameter to substantially convey the particulate material to a conduit leading to the second location.

A system for conveying particulate material from a first location to a second location, the system comprising:

• a mixing chamber having a wide opening and an opposing narrower opening;
• moving means including an elongate cylindrical barrel having a receiving portion and an opposing particulate discharge end disposed in communication with the wide opening of the mixing chamber, said moving means further including an auger rotatably disposed within the barrel, said auger including helical auger flights, wherein the barrel further includes an opening formed in the receiving portion thereof above the auger for receiving particulate material into the barrel and onto the auger, such that rotation of the auger causes movement of the particulate material along the barrel and into the mixing chamber;
• outer injection means surrounding the barrel and being disposed in communication with the wide opening of the mixing chamber for injecting an outer annular wave of pressurized fluid therein such that the outer annular wave of pressurized fluid co-acts with the moving means to cause the particulate material to be transported through the mixing chamber to a second location;
• wherein the flights of the auger include at least a first section of flights residing between second and third sections of flights which vary in pitch and frequency with said first section of flights to thereby produce a pulsing movement of the particulate material within the barrel.