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US 6,648,558 B1Granted
Conveying particulate material in a pressurized gas
AssigneeBirrus International PTY Ltd.
InventorPaul Shultz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Particulate material entrained in pressurized gas such as compressed air is conveyed from a pressure vessel to a discharge vessel through a conveyor duct. The discharge end of the duct is fitted with a flow restrictor producing a discrete constriction of the flow discharging from the duct into the vessel with the result that the pressure drop along the main part of the duct is reduced so that lower velocities can be maintained within the duct.
Claims13
Conveyor apparatus for conveying particulate material, comprising:
- a pressure vessel that receives a charge of particulate material to be conveyed;
- pressurising means that pressurizes the pressure vessel with pressurised gas;
- a conveyor duct having an inlet connected to the pressure vessel to receive pressurised gas and entrained particulate material from the pressure vessel and convey it in a flow to a discharge end of the duct through which to discharge the conveyed particulate material at a discharge location;
- and
- a flow constrictor at the discharge end of the duct presenting a discrete reduction of at least 20% in the effective cross-sectional area for flow from the discharge end of the duct so as in use of the apparatus to produce a discrete pressure drop in the discharging flow therethrough.
2 more elements
A method of conveying particulate material comprising:
- locating a quantity of particulate material to be conveyed within a pressure vessel;
- pressurizing the pressure vessel with pressurized gas;
- directing pressurized gas and entrained particulate material from the pressure vessel into a conveyor duct extending to a discharge location;
- conveying the particulate material to the discharge location by flow of that material entrained in the pressurized gas through the conveyor duct;
- discharging the conveyed particulate material from a discharge end of the duct at the discharge location by passing the flow of pressurized gas and entrained particulate material through a flow constrictor at the discharge end of the duct which constricts the discharging flow sufficient to produce a discrete pressure drop of at least 5 kPa in the discharge flow.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.