Air supply and feeding device with power saving and active control of internal pressure rise and fall
A control valve system with sensing and control units addresses smooth startup and surge issues in air-feeding devices, ensuring stable operation and energy savings by maintaining optimal pressure levels.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- TW113130750
- Authority / Receiving Office
- TW · TW
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-08-15
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-11
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-08-14
AI Technical Summary
Conventional air-feeding devices face issues such as smooth startup failures, excessive pressure surges leading to shutdowns, and inefficient pressure control, resulting in operational instability and high labor costs.
The implementation of a control valve system with a sensing unit and control unit to regulate internal pressure, including a first and second valve body, and a programmable logic controller to maintain pressure within safe limits, preventing surge and ensuring smooth operation.
The solution ensures stable operation by preventing startup failures and surges, reducing energy consumption, and minimizing labor costs through precise pressure control.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to an air-feeding device with energy saving and active control of internal pressure rise and fall, and more particularly to an air-feeding device with an added active sensing pressure boosting air supply and active pressure reducing valve structure. Through a special control method, the device design achieves smooth operation and energy saving. Prior Technology
[0002] Please refer to Figure 1 for a conventional pneumatic feeding device. This device is a PVC powder feeding device. Its general principle is as follows: This device uses compressed air as power to transport solid particles through a sealed pipeline. The device usually includes five parts: air source, transmitter, pipeline, control and hopper. It has the advantages of high conveying capacity, low pipeline wear, long conveying distance, low energy consumption, no pollution and high degree of automation.
[0003] Please refer to Figure 1 for a conventional air-feeding device configuration diagram. Taking one type of traditional pressure-feeding pneumatic conveying design as an example, its operating principle is mainly as follows: there is a hopper 1 for storing raw materials. A feeder 2 is connected below the hopper 1. In addition to releasing raw materials, the feeder 2 can also have homogenization functions such as pressurization or sieving. A conveying pipe 4 is connected below the feeder 2. One end of the conveying pipe 4 is connected to a blower 3. The other end of the conveying pipe 4 connected to the blower 3 is connected to a feed valve 5. The feed valve 5 is further connected to one or more storage hoppers 6. The storage hoppers 6 receive the raw materials conveyed from the hopper 1.
[0004] The conventional air-feeding device operates primarily by starting the blower 3, whose pressure generating device delivers high-pressure air to the conveying pipe 4. This creates a pressure difference at the feeder 2 connected to the conveying pipe 4, drawing in the raw material from the feeder 2 and blowing it towards the feed valve 5. The material is then stored in the storage bin 6 connected to the feed valve 5, thus achieving the effect of transporting the raw material to another location for subsequent production operations. In addition to the type where the blower outputs air pressure from a single stage, this type of air-feeding device can also use suction to draw in air from the feeder 2 connected to the conveying pipe 4 in the opposite direction, creating a pressure difference. This suction-feeding design draws in the raw material from the feeder 2 and blows it towards the feed valve 5. It is particularly important to note that the feed valve 5 is primarily for controlling the inflow and outflow of raw material, and in principle, it does not control the pressure of the conveying pipe 4. Furthermore, in traditional designs, it is an independently controlled structure.
[0005] Please refer to the pressure and flow meter of the conventional air-feeding device shown in Figure 2. Regardless of whether it is a pressure-feeding or suction-feeding air-feeding device, there are some technical problems that may occur during operation. That is, when the blower 3 starts, the feed valve 5 is often fully open, resulting in no external air pressure in the connected conveying pipe 4. At this time, the blower 3 cannot start smoothly because the pressure in the conveying pipe 4 is too low and it continues to leak. When this happens, it is necessary to close the feed valve 5 so that the air blown by the blower 3 can create pressure in the conveying pipe 4. After the pressure in the conveying pipe 4 rises to a certain level, the blower 3 can start and operate smoothly.
[0006] Another drawback is that when the blower 3 is started and running, the internal air pressure in the conveying pipe 4 may increase due to the continuous air supply from the blower 3. If the pressure is not relieved, the pressure in the conveying pipe 4 will reverse, causing the blower 3 to experience excessive reverse pressure, resulting in a surge and tripping of the blower 3 fan, leading to an emergency shutdown. Since the feed valve 5 needs to be individually controlled and is not used for adjusting the pressure in the conveying pipe 4, as shown in Figure 2... The operating curve diagram of the air feed device shows the thrust line (superheat line) PL, surge line PH, and surge warning line PA. The thrust line (superheat line) PL, surge line PH, and surge warning line PA have different values depending on the specifications of each air feed device. The thrust line (superheat line) PL represents the limit value curve for excessively low pressure in the conveying pipe 4. If the pressure falls below this thrust line (superheat line) PL, the blower 3 will either fail to start or, after starting, will fail due to excessively low pressure. The fan speed is accelerated by the sensor, which can lead to overheating and damage. The surge line PH represents the limit value curve of excessive pressure in the conveying pipe 4. Exceeding this value will cause surge shutdown. The surge warning line PA is a warning curve below the surge line PH. When the pressure in the conveying pipe 4 is higher than the surge warning line PA, the pressure should be adjusted to avoid the blower 3 from surge shutdown. The loss caused by shutdown during operation is greater than the inability to start, and it will happen in a shorter time than overheating. Therefore, a surge warning line PA is set as a control standard. As the feed rate is uneven, the air pressure in the conveying pipe 4 will also change constantly during operation. In order to avoid the aforementioned pressure loss or surge shutdown, operators must pay attention to the changes in air pressure value in a timely manner. In addition, traditional design control cannot be timely. Therefore, for the sake of operational safety, the control device is usually controlled within the smaller range of the air pressure in the pipeline marked by the arrows of high pressure P1 and low pressure P2, as shown in Figure 2. This results in considerable labor costs and poor operational stability. Summary of the Invention
[0007] This invention relates to a power-saving and actively controlled internal pressure lifting and lowering air-feeding device, comprising a hopper connected to a feeder, the feeder connected to a conveying pipe, one end of the conveying pipe connected to a pneumatic conveying pressure generating device, and the other end of the conveying pipe connected to the pressure generating device connected to a feed valve and a storage hopper. The pressure generating device supplies high-pressure air to the conveying pipe, creating a pressure difference at the feeder location on the conveying pipe, drawing in raw material from the feeder and blowing it towards the feed valve, where it enters the storage hopper connected to the feed valve for storage; the key feature is the connection between the feeder below the hopper and the blower. The delivery pipeline is equipped with an air jet valve, which is connected to a control device and driven by the control device to open and close the air jet valve. The control device has a built-in surge line pressure control value preset in its control circuit according to the output specifications of the corresponding air supply and feeding device. The control device is connected to a sensor installed in the delivery pipeline to sense the internal pressure data and perform calculations. When the pipeline is started, a control signal is generated to drive the air jet valve to open accordingly, thereby controlling the gas pressure in the delivery pipeline so that the pressure in the delivery pipeline can be maintained at a safe pressure value within the surge line for a long time.
[0008] Another technical feature of this invention is that a main pressure relief valve is provided before the connection of the conveying pipe to each storage silo pipeline, and corresponding auxiliary pressure relief valves are selectively connected before the branch pipelines of each storage silo pipeline. The main pressure relief valve and each auxiliary pressure relief valve are preset with the pressure relief value of the thrust line of the corresponding air supply and feeding device. Before the gas pressure in the conveying pipe 4 rises to the limit of the overall thrust line, the main pressure relief valve and each auxiliary pressure relief valve release pressure, so that the gas pressure in this part of the conveying pipe is controlled within the thrust line. Simple Explanation of the Diagram
[0009] Figure 1: Configuration diagram of the conventional air-feeding device; Figure 2: Pressure and flow meter of the conventional air-feeding device; Figure 3: A diagram showing the arrangement of the air supply and feeding device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4: Distribution diagram of control valve unit of the air supply and feeding device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5: Pressure and flow rate meter of the air supply and feeding device of the present invention; Figure 6: A diagram showing the arrangement of the air-feeding device according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7: A diagram showing the arrangement of the air supply and feeding device according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8: This is a diagram showing the valve control unit allocation of the air supply and feeding device according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. Implementation
[0010] Please refer to Figure 3, which shows the installation diagram of the air-feeding device of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 4, which shows the distribution diagram of the control valve unit of the air-feeding device of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. To address the issues of surge shutdown, inability to operate after startup, or overheating caused by excessive or insufficient internal pressure in the conveying pipe 4 of the conventional air-feeding device during operation, and to increase operational control accuracy and reduce losses, the technical feature of the present invention is that a control valve 7 is installed in the conveying pipe 4 of the air-feeding device. This control valve 7 is connected to the conveying pipe 4 and includes three main units: a control unit 71, a first valve body 72a, and a sensing unit 73, which are electrically connected. The sensing unit 73 is connected to and detects the internal pressure value of the conveying pipe 4 and... The detected data is transmitted to the control unit 71. The first valve body 72a is installed in the conveying pipe 4 and is driven by the control unit 71 to open to release pressure or close the gas in the conveying pipe 4, thereby controlling and regulating the pressure in the conveying pipe 4. The control unit 71 can preset the pressure control values such as the thrust line (superheat line) PL, surge line PH, and surge warning line PA in its control circuit according to the output specifications of the corresponding installed air supply and feeding device. It receives the pressure data sensed by the sensing unit 73 in the conveying pipe 4, performs calculations, and then generates a control signal to drive the first valve body 72a to open to release pressure or close accordingly, thereby controlling the gas flow in the conveying pipe 4, so that the pressure in the conveying pipe 4 can be maintained for a long time within the safe pressure range of the thrust line (superheat line) PL to the surge line PH for the blower 3.
[0011] Please refer to Figure 5 for the pressure and flow meter of the air-feeding device of the present invention. When the blower 3 of the air-feeding device is started, the control valve 7 senses the pressure in the conveying pipe 4 through the sensing part 73. If the pressure in the conveying pipe 4 is detected to be low and close to the thrust line (overheating line) PL, the control valve 7 will drive the first valve body 72a installed in the conveying pipe 4 to lock. At this time, after the blower 3 starts running, it will quickly raise the pressure in the conveying pipe 4 to above the thrust line (overheating line) PL, so that the blower 3 will not fail to operate smoothly due to insufficient pressure or overheat due to excessively low pressure after operation. Furthermore, when the air-feeding device starts feeding, if the pressure in the conveying pipe 4 rises to close to the surge line PH, the control valve 7 will drive the first valve body 72a installed in the conveying pipe 4 to lock. The first valve body 72a, located in the delivery pipe 4, opens to release pressure, allowing the delivery pipe 4 to be depressurized to the normal pressure value before closing. At this time, the blower 3 will start running without experiencing reverse pressure on the blower blades due to excessive pressure in the delivery pipe 4, thus preventing surge and shutdown. Since the control valve 7 can drive the first valve body 72a in the delivery pipe 4 to open to release pressure or close based on the changes in the sensing unit 73, it can control the pressure within a certain range, thereby avoiding the blower blades encountering reverse pressure resistance or excessive speed. Due to the precise control, the air pressure in the pipeline can be controlled within the range indicated by the arrows of high pressure P1 and low pressure P2, as shown in Figure 5, which can save considerable electricity and reduce the cost of control and operation.
[0012] Referring again to Figure 6, which shows the arrangement of the air-feeding device according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the conveying pipe 4 of the air-feeding device is relatively long, the control valve 7 can further add a second valve body 72b to the conveying pipe 4 near the position of the blower 3 and electrically connect it to the control unit 71. The second valve body 72b is driven by the control unit 71 to lock the conveying pipe 4. The original first valve body 72a is located near the feed valve 5 in the conveying pipe 4 and is driven by the control unit 71 to open and release pressure. The control method is that when the air-feeding device starts feeding, the air-feeding device starts the blower 3 to operate. When the control valve 7 senses the pressure inside the delivery pipe 4 through the sensing unit 73, if the pressure inside the delivery pipe 4 is detected to be low enough to be close to the thrust line (overheating line) PL, the control valve 7 will drive the second valve body 72b installed in the delivery pipe 4 to lock. At this time, after the blower 3 starts running, it will quickly raise the pressure inside the delivery pipe 4 to above the thrust line (overheating line) PL, so that the blower 3 will not fail to operate smoothly due to insufficient pressure or overheat due to excessively low pressure after operation. The second valve body 72b will then be opened after the blower 3 starts running smoothly. b. Because the second valve body 72b is positioned close to the blower 3, the pressure in the conveying pipe 4 can be increased more quickly to reach the pressure required for the blower 3 to operate. After the blower 3 starts operating, the valve body 72b reopens to allow airflow. When the feeding device starts and feeds material, if the pressure in the conveying pipe 4 rises close to the surge line PH, the control valve 7 will drive the first valve body 72a in the conveying pipe 4 to open and release pressure, allowing the conveying pipe 4 to be depressurized to the normal pressure value before closing the first valve body 72a. At this time, the blower 3 will not start operating due to excessive pressure in the conveying pipe 4. The reverse pressure generated on the blower blades 3, and the fact that the first valve body 72a is positioned close to the feed valve 5, makes the outward pressure relief more efficient and better avoids the occurrence of surge and shutdown. Since the control valve 7 can sense the change in air pressure based on the sensing part 73, it can drive the first valve body 72a on the conveying pipe 4 to release pressure or the second valve body 72b to lock it, so that it is controlled within a certain pressure range. This avoids the blower blades 3 from encountering reverse pressure resistance or excessive speed. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5, the air pressure in the pipeline can be controlled within the range indicated by the arrows of high pressure P1 and low pressure P2.
[0013] Referring again to Figure 7, which shows the arrangement of the air-feeding device according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 8, which shows the distribution diagram of the valve control unit of the air-feeding device according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, based on the effects to be achieved by the control technology of the air-feeding device of the present invention, the present invention can also implement the air-feeding device according to the following second preferred embodiment. The key technical point is that a jet valve 81 is provided in the conveying pipe 4 between the feeder 2 and the blower 3 below the hopper 1. This jet valve 81 is connected to a control device 8 and is driven by the control device 8 to open and close the jet valve 81. In this second embodiment, the control device 8 is a programmable logic controller (PLC). The controller is set to control the air supply device 8. The controller 8 is pre-set with the pressure control values such as the surge line PH and surge warning line PA in its control circuit according to the output specifications of the corresponding air supply and feeding device. The controller 8 is connected to a pressure sensor 801 installed in the conveying pipe 4 to sense the internal pressure data and perform calculations. When the device is started, it generates a control signal to drive the jet valve 81 to open accordingly, thereby controlling the gas pressure in the conveying pipe 4 so that the pressure in the conveying pipe 4 can be maintained within the safe pressure value of the surge line PH or surge warning line PA range for a long time.
[0014] In a further preferred embodiment, to control the gas pressure in the conveying pipe 4 within the overall thrust line (superheated line) PL, a main pressure relief valve 9 is provided before the connection of the conveying pipe 4 to each storage silo 6. Corresponding auxiliary pressure relief valves 91 / 92 / 93 are selectively connected before each branch line of the storage silo 6. The main pressure relief valve 9 and each auxiliary pressure relief valve 91 / 92 / 93 are preset with pressure relief values corresponding to the thrust line (superheated line) PL of the air-feeding device. Before the gas pressure in the conveying pipe 4 rises to the limit of the overall thrust line (superheated line) PL, the main pressure relief valve 9 and each auxiliary pressure relief valve 91 / 92 / 93 release pressure, thus controlling the gas pressure in that portion of the conveying pipe 4 within the thrust line (superheated line) PL. This allows the overall operation of the air-feeding device in the second preferred embodiment to be controlled within the optimal feeding pressure range.
[0015] 1... hopper 2... feeder 3... Blower 4... Conveying pipe 5...feed valve 6...storage bin 7……Control valve 71……Control unit 72a……First valve body 72b……Second valve body 73……Induction Section 8……Control device 801……Pressure sensor 81...jet valve 9……Main pressure relief valve 91 / 92 / 93……Auxiliary pressure relief valve P1...High pressure P2...Low pressure PA...Surge warning line PH...Surge line PL... Thrust line (overheating line)
Claims
1. A pneumatic feeding device with energy saving and active control of internal pressure rise and fall, mainly comprising a hopper (1), the hopper (1) being connected to a feeder (2), the feeder (2) being connected to a conveying pipe (4), one end of the conveying pipe (4) being connected to a pneumatic conveying pressure generating device, and the other end of the conveying pipe (4) being connected to the pressure generating device being connected to a feed valve (5). And a storage bin (6), the pressure generating device supplies high-pressure air to the conveying pipe (4), so that a pressure difference is generated at the feeder (2) connected to the conveying pipe (4) and the raw material in the feeder (2) is drawn in and blown towards the feed valve (5) and stored in the storage bin (6) connected to the feed valve (5). The conveying pipe (4) is equipped with a control valve (7), which is equipped with a control part (71), a first valve body (72a) and a sensing part (73) and is electrically connected. The sensing part (73) is connected to and detects the conveying pipe. The system detects the internal pressure value of the pipe (4) and transmits the detected data to the control unit (71). The first valve body (72a) is installed in the conveying pipe (4) and is driven by the control unit (71) to open and release pressure or close the gas in the conveying pipe (4), thereby controlling and regulating the pressure inside the conveying pipe (4). The control unit (71) can preset the built-in surge line PH pressure control value in its control circuit according to the output specifications of the corresponding air supply and feeding device, and receive the pressure data sensed by the sensing unit (73) in the conveying pipe (4) for calculation, and then form a value. The control signal drives the first valve body (72a) to open or close accordingly to control the gas flow in the conveying pipe (4), so that the pressure in the conveying pipe (4) can be maintained at a safe pressure value within the surge line (PH) range for a long time; the characteristic is that the conveying pipe (4) between the feeder (2) below the silo (1) and the blower (3) is provided with an air jet valve (81), which is connected to a control device (8) and is driven by the control device (8) to open and close the air jet valve (81). The control device (8) has the built-in surge line (PH) pressure control value preset in its control circuit according to the output specifications of the corresponding air supply and feeding device. The control device (8) is connected to a pressure sensor (801) installed in the conveying pipe (4) to sense the internal pressure data and perform calculations. When it starts running, it generates a control signal to drive the jet valve (81) to open accordingly in order to control the gas pressure in the conveying pipe (4) so that the pressure in the conveying pipe (4) can be maintained at the safe pressure value in the surge line (PH) for a long time.
2. The power-saving and actively controlled internal pressure rise and fall air-feeding device as described in claim 1, wherein a main pressure relief valve (9) is provided before the pipeline of each storage bin (6) is connected to the conveying pipe (4), and corresponding auxiliary pressure relief valves (91 / 92 / 93) are connected before the pipeline of each storage bin (6) can be selectively connected. The main pressure relief valve (9) and each auxiliary pressure relief valve (91 / 92 / 93) are preset with the pressure relief value of the thrust line (PL) of the air-feeding device, so that before the gas pressure in the conveying pipe (4) rises to the limit of the overall thrust line (PL), the main pressure relief valve (9) and each auxiliary pressure relief valve (91 / 92 / 93) release pressure, so that the gas pressure in the conveying pipe (4) is controlled within the thrust line (PL).
3. The air-feeding device as described in claim 1, wherein the pressure generating device is a blower (3) or a suction device.