Particulate conveyor device and apparatus

A device comprising:

• a conduit which transports particulate material from the first open end to the second open end of the conduit via an integral interior hollow chamber where the conduit comprises:
• a gas impermeable rigid outer wall;
• a gas permeable rigid inner wall;
• a compressed gas inlet nozzle which traverses the outer wall;
• an annular gas distribution chamber situated between the outer wall and the inner wall;
• and
• a gas pressure source attached to the gas inlet nozzle which conveys gas pressure to the gas distribution chamber and uniformly through the gas permeable inner wall, wherein the gas permeable inner wall is a microporous material selected from the group consisting of a porous polymer, a powdered metal, a microscopically perforated metal sheet, a microscopically perforated plastic, a microscopically perforated cellulose, a sintered metal oxide, and combinations thereof, and wherein the micropores in the microporous material are randomly distributed and produce micro-air jets which project their respective gas streams randomly toward the interior hollow chamber.

A device comprising:

• a conduit which transports particulate material from the first open end to the second open end of the conduit via an integral interior hollow chamber where the conduit comprises:
• a gas impermeable rigid outer wall;
• a gas permeable rigid inner wall;
• a compressed gas inlet nozzle which traverses the outer wall;
• an annular gas distribution chamber situated between the outer wall and the inner wall;
• and
• a gas pressure source attached to the gas inlet nozzle which conveys gas pressure to the gas distribution chamber and uniformly through the gas permeable inner wall,
• wherein the gas permeable inner wall is a microporous material selected from the group consisting of a porous polymer, a powdered metal, a microscopically perforated metal sheet, a microscopically perforated plastic, a microscopically perforated cellulose, a sintered metal oxide, and combinations thereof, and wherein the micropores are uniformly distributed on the surface of the microporous material and produce micro-jet gas streams which project their respective streams toward the interior hollow chamber at an angular orientation toward the second end.

An apparatus comprising:

• a particulate material source;
• a fluidizing device which transports particulate material from the first open end to the second open end of the conduit via an integral interior hollow chamber where the conduit comprises:
• a gas impermeable rigid outer wall;
• a gas permeable rigid inner wall with the gas permeability of the inner wall optionally oriented toward the second open end;
• a compressed gas inlet nozzle which traverses the outer wall;
• an annular gas distribution chamber situated between the outer wall and the inner wall;
• a gas pressure source attached to the gas inlet nozzle which conveys gas pressure to the gas distribution chamber and uniformly through the gas permeable inner wall, and
• a receiver module attached to the fluidizing device and which receiver module receives the particulates from the second end of the conduit, wherein the receiver module includes a gas vent adapted to adjust the resulting gas pressure of the particulate stream.

An apparatus comprising:

• a particulate material source;
• a fluidizing conduit which transports particulate material from the material source at the first end to the second open of the conduit via an integral interior hollow chamber where the conduit comprises:
• a gas impermeable rigid outer wall;
• a gas permeable rigid inner wall with the gas permeability of the inner wall oriented toward the second open end;
• a compressed gas inlet nozzle which traverses the outer wall;
• an annular gas distribution chamber situated between the outer wall and the inner wall;
• a gas pressure source attached to the gas inlet nozzle which conveys gas pressure to the gas distribution chamber and uniformly through the gas permeable inner wall, and
• a receiver module attached to the fluidizing conduit at the second end and which module receives the particulates from the second end of the conduit.