A continuous granular material feeder suitable for use in experimental apparatus
By designing a continuous particulate feeder suitable for experimental devices, the problems of continuous and uniform addition of catalyst and control of feed rate in experimental devices were solved. This enabled the timed and quantitative delivery of catalyst and the stability of the feeding system, adapting to the activity characteristics of different catalysts and improving the operational safety and accuracy of the experimental devices.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- MERYER TECHNOLOGIES CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-21
AI Technical Summary
Existing technologies struggle to achieve continuous and uniform addition of catalysts and precise control of the feed rate in experimental setups, especially when catalyst activity and deactivation characteristics differ, making it impossible to meet varying experimental conditions.
A continuous particulate material feeder suitable for experimental setups was designed, comprising a feeder, a feeding tank, and a transfer tank. The feeder utilizes a rotating feed frame and a pressure sensor to achieve timed and quantitative material delivery. The feed flow rate is adjusted by a rotating shaft and a variable speed motor, and the stability of the feed system is controlled by a nitrogen system and a back pressure valve.
It achieves continuous and uniform addition of catalyst and precise control of feed rate, adapts to the activity characteristics of different catalysts, avoids problems of material residue and uneven feeding, and improves the operational safety and accuracy of experimental equipment.
Smart Images
Figure CN224530056U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to a continuous particulate material feeding system suitable for experimental devices, belonging to the field of particulate material conveying technology in chemical equipment. Background Technology
[0002] Some catalysts used in chemical reactions have slow deactivation rates and a service life of one to two years, making them suitable for fixed-bed reactors. Other catalysts are highly active but deactivate very quickly, requiring frequent regeneration. These catalysts are generally used in moving-bed reactors to accommodate continuous reaction and regeneration. In industrial moving-bed reactors, catalyst addition involves first feeding the catalyst into a metering hopper, then into a closed hopper, and finally gradually adding it to the reactor after purging, as in continuous reforming. However, these technologies are all foreign patented technologies. Some reactors use rotary feeders with a star-shaped structure for conveying and metering particulate materials. Although this is continuous feeding, the material in the star-shaped trough falls by its own weight, making it impossible to determine if any material remains in the trough, and there are no subsequent solutions. Therefore, this method is only suitable for rough metering. Experimental setups are essential platforms for technological innovation, which means trying various possibilities. Therefore, it is common to encounter situations where particulate (including powdered) catalysts or additives need to be continuously and uniformly added to the reaction system during the reaction process, and the feed rate varies considerably. Simply transplanting the feeding method from industrial equipment to experimental setups makes it difficult to adapt to changes in experimental conditions. Therefore, it is essential to develop a continuous particulate feeder suitable for experimental setups. Summary of the Invention
[0003] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a continuous particulate material feeding system suitable for experimental devices.
[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this utility model provides a continuous particulate material feeder suitable for experimental devices, comprising a feeder, a feeding tank for continuously feeding material into the feeder, and a transfer tank for replenishing material into the feeding tank; the upper part of the transfer tank is connected to a vent valve, the upper part of the feeding tank is connected to a back pressure valve, the feeder is provided with a rotatable material frame, the bottom of the material frame is provided with a feeding tray, the feeding tray does not completely cover the bottom of the material frame, the discharge port connected to the feeding tank is located above the material frame, the bottom of the feeder is provided with a discharge port, and both the discharge port and the back pressure valve are connected to the reaction system.
[0005] Preferably, the bottom of the transfer tank is connected to the feeding tank via a pipe, and the pipe is equipped with an isolation valve. The bottom of the feeding tank is connected to the discharge port via a pipe, and the pipe is connected to a loosening air pressure reducing valve 2 outside the feeder.
[0006] More preferably, the two ends of the isolation valve 2 on the pipeline 1 are connected to nitrogen gas through isolation valve 1 and isolation valve 3 respectively.
[0007] Furthermore, the isolation valve one and isolation valve three are connected to nitrogen gas through the pressure reducing valve one.
[0008] Preferably, pressure sensors are installed on the upper parts of the transfer tank and the feeding tank, and a differential pressure sensor is installed between the two pressure sensors. The pressure inside the feeding tank is always higher than that of the reaction system.
[0009] Preferably, a pressure gauge is provided between the transfer tank and the vent valve; and a pressure gauge is provided between the feed tank and the back pressure valve.
[0010] Preferably, the transfer tank is provided with a flange on its top.
[0011] Preferably, the material frame and the feed tray are annular structures. A rotating disk is provided on the material frame, and a rotating shaft passes through the concentrically arranged rotating disk, material frame, and feed tray in sequence. The rotating shaft is driven by a variable speed motor at the top of the feeder. An upper sleeve and a lower sleeve are respectively fitted on the upper and lower sides of the rotating shaft on the rotating disk. The lower sleeve is connected to the cylinder wall of the feeder through a fixing rod. A rotating disk support spring, a spring top sliding ring, a columnar spring, and an annular spring bracket are provided on the lower sleeve. The rotating disk support spring is limited between the rotating disk and the spring top sliding ring, and the columnar spring is limited between the spring top sliding ring and the annular spring bracket. The feed tray is fixedly connected to the spring top sliding ring through a tray support.
[0012] More preferably, the projected area of the discharge port overlaps with that of the feed hole on the feed tray; a protruding structure is provided in the middle of each grid cell on the rotating disk corresponding to the material frame; a fixed ring with a hinge is fitted on the upper sleeve wall; the hinge connects to a connecting rod; the connecting rod extends to the top of the feed hole that has completely rotated away from the feed tray; a knocker is provided at the end of the connecting rod; after the knocker is lifted by any protruding structure, it falls down onto the rotating disk by its own weight; a compression spring is provided on the upper sleeve; the compression spring, the annular limiters at both ends, and the fixed ring are all positioned so that the fixed ring is close to the rotating disk and does not rotate with the rotating disk.
[0013] Preferably, the feeder cylinder is a split type, comprising upper and lower parts, which are connected by a cylinder flange.
[0014] This invention provides a continuous feeding system suitable for experimental apparatus, particularly for granular materials. A transfer tank replenishes material to the feeding tank at regular intervals and in measured quantities. The feeding tank continuously injects material into the annular feed frame within the feeder. After rotating out of the feeding tray, the feed frame falls into the feeder and flows into the reaction system. The size of the feed frame is determined by the required feed flow rate. Based on the volume of each feed frame and the number of feed frames, the feed amount per revolution of the turntable can be calculated; alternatively, the feed flow rate can be calibrated before the experiment. The rotation speed of the feed frame can be adjusted using a variable-speed motor to meet different feed flow rate requirements. Attached Figure Description
[0015] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the continuous particulate material feeder provided by this utility model;
[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal components of the feeder. Detailed Implementation
[0017] To make this utility model more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0018] like Figure 1 As shown, this utility model provides a continuous particulate material feeder suitable for experimental devices, which includes a feeder 18, a feeding tank 6 for continuously feeding material into the feeder 18, and a transfer tank 1 for replenishing material into the feeding tank 6; the upper part of the transfer tank 1 is connected to a vent valve 10, and the upper part of the feeding tank 6 is connected to a back pressure valve 7. The feeder 18 is provided with a rotatable material frame grid 15, and a feeding tray 16 is provided at the bottom of the material frame grid 15. The feeding tray 16 does not completely cover the bottom of the material frame grid 15, and the area of the tray is equivalent to the area of three consecutive grids of the material frame grid 15. The width is slightly wider than the outer width of the material frame. The upper part of the material frame grid 15 is provided with a discharge port 12 connected to the feeding tank 6, and the bottom of the feeder 18 is provided with a discharge port 22.
[0019] The bottom of the transfer tank 1 is connected to the feeding tank 6 via pipe 30, which is equipped with a second isolation valve 5. The bottom of the feeding tank 6 is connected to the discharge port 12 via pipe 29, which is connected to the loose air pressure reducing valve 13 outside the feeder 18. The two ends of the second isolation valve 5 on pipe 30 are connected to nitrogen via isolation valve 33 and isolation valve 34, respectively. Isolation valve 33 and isolation valve 34 are connected to nitrogen via pressure reducing valve 9.
[0020] Pressure sensors 4 are respectively installed on the upper part of the transfer tank 1 and the feeding tank 6, and a differential pressure sensor 31 is installed between the two pressure sensors 4. A pressure gauge 3 is installed between the transfer tank 1 and the vent valve 10; a pressure gauge 8 is installed between the feeding tank 6 and the back pressure valve 7.
[0021] The material frame 15 and the feed tray 16 are annular structures. The material frame 15 is equipped with a rotating disk 19. The rotating shaft 20 passes through the concentrically arranged rotating disk 19, material frame 15, and feed tray 16 in sequence. The rotating shaft 20 is driven by a variable speed motor 23 at the top of the feeder 18. The upper and lower sides of the rotating shaft 20 are respectively fitted with an upper sleeve 28 and a lower sleeve 21. The lower sleeve 21 is connected to the cylindrical wall of the feeder 18 through a fixing rod. The lower sleeve 21 is equipped with a rotating disk support spring 37, a spring top sliding ring 36, a columnar spring 32, and an annular spring bracket 35. The rotating disk support spring 37 is limited between the rotating disk 19 and the spring top sliding ring 36, and the columnar spring 32 is limited between the spring top sliding ring 36 and the annular spring bracket 35. The feed tray 16 is fixedly connected to the spring top sliding ring 36 through a tray support 17. The shape and area of the discharge port 12 are exactly the same as one of the compartments of the material frame 15. A protruding structure 26 is provided on the rotating disc 19 corresponding to the center of each compartment of the material frame 15. A hinged fixing ring is fitted on the wall of the upper sleeve 28. The hinge connects to a connecting rod, which extends above the material frame 15 after it has completely rotated away from the feed tray 16. A striking device 27 is provided at the end of the connecting rod. After being lifted by any of the protruding structures 26, the striking device 27 falls back onto the material frame 15 by its own weight. A compression spring 38 and annular limiters 39 for limiting the compression spring 38 are provided on the upper sleeve 28. The compression spring 38, the annular limiters 39 at both ends, and the fixing ring are all positioned so that the fixing ring connecting the striking device 27 is close to the disc 19 but does not rotate with the disc 19.
[0022] The feeder 18 has a split cylinder, consisting of upper and lower parts, which are connected by a cylinder flange 40.
[0023] Example This embodiment provides a continuous particulate material feeder suitable for experimental equipment, comprising three parts: a transfer tank 1, a feeding tank 6, and a feeder 18. The transfer tank 1 is located above the feeding tank 6, with an isolation valve 5 between them, connected by a pipe 30. The feeder 18 is located below the feeding tank 6, directly connected by a pipe 29. The function of the transfer tank 1 is to feed particulate materials, such as catalysts, into the feeding tank 6 at regular intervals and in measured quantities. If the reaction system pressure is below 0.6 MPa, a flange 2 can be used on the top of the transfer tank 1 for convenient loading; for high-pressure systems above 0.6 MPa, a high-pressure resistant flange must be used on the top of the transfer tank 1. Using a timed and measured loading method avoids the need for a nuclear level gauge on the feeding tank 6, eliminating the risk of nuclear radiation affecting the health of operators. During material feeding, open the flange on the transfer tank 1, add the material, and then close the flange. Simultaneously, open the isolation valve 33 connected to the bottom of the hopper, the pressure reducing valve 9, and the vent valve 10 on the nitrogen outlet on the upper wall of the transfer tank 1 to purge the material. After successful purging, close the vent valve 10 and pressurize the transfer tank 1 with nitrogen. When the pressure reaches the same level as the feeding tank 6 (i.e., the differential pressure sensor 31 shows zero), the isolation valve 5 between the two tanks automatically opens, feeding the material into the feeding tank 6. After the transfer is complete, the isolation valve 5 automatically closes. During the transfer process, nitrogen must be continuously replenished in the transfer tank 1 to maintain the pressure consistent with that of the feeding tank 6. The opening of the isolation valve 5 between the transfer tank 1 and the feeding tank 6 can be automatically controlled by the differential pressure sensor 31. Timed feeding can be executed using a sequential control program; if both the time interval and the differential pressure meet the requirements, the valve opens for feeding. After feeding is completed, close isolation valve 33 and open isolation valve 34 to continuously supply nitrogen gas at the same pressure as the system pressure to the top of feeding tank 6. This prevents low pressure at the top of feeding tank 6 when adding fine powder to the system, which would affect normal feeding. Feeding tank 6 has a slightly larger volume than transfer tank 1 to ensure that a certain amount of material remains in transfer tank 1 when feeding tank 6 is being added. A loosening air connector (with loosening air pressure reducing valve 13) is installed near the outlet 12 on pipe 29, which connects to feeder 18 below feeding tank 6. The loosening air pressure is slightly higher than the reaction system pressure. The loosening air can be a reaction gas. After passing upwards through the material layer, the loosening air is discharged under the control of back pressure valve 7 and then connected to the reaction system gas feed line. The reaction system feed gas flow rate setting can be pre-calculated by deducting the loosening air flow rate. Feeder 18 is shaped like a cylindrical pressure vessel. The rotating shaft 20 is fixed to the top of the tank. If the reaction system pressure is high, nitrogen or reactive gas must be injected into the upper seal of the rotary seal to ensure that hazardous materials do not leak out of the system. The rotating shaft 20 is driven by a variable speed motor 23, and the required material feed flow rate can be achieved by adjusting the rotation speed.
[0024] like Figure 2As shown, the lower end of the rotating shaft 20 is inserted into the fixed lower sleeve 21, which is fixed to the inner wall of the feeder 18 to prevent the bottom end from swinging excessively when the rotating shaft 20 rotates. The feed tray 16 is connected to the tray support 17 below, and the other end of the tray support 17 is connected to the top sliding ring 36 of the spring located outside the lower sleeve 21. The bottom end of the columnar spring 32 sits on the annular spring bracket 35 outside the lower sleeve 21, and the bottom positioning pin of the columnar spring 32 is inserted into the annular spring bracket 35. The bottom positioning pin of the rotating disc support spring 37 is inserted into the top sliding ring 36 of the spring, ensuring that the feed tray 16 can only move up and down. Due to the elastic support of the top sliding ring 36 of the spring, the material frame on the feed tray 16 and the discharge port 12 can fit together. In this embodiment, the material frame 15 is divided into 6 compartments. The feeding tray 16 is provided with a discharge hole. Alternatively, the material can be discharged by the feeding tray 16 covering part of the projected area of the material frame 15. This embodiment adopts the latter. The width of the feeding tray 16 is the same as or slightly wider than the outer width of the material frame 15 to ensure that there is no leakage during the feeding process. The material frame 15 is fixed to the outside of the rotating disk 19. The center of the rotating disk 19 has a circular hole slightly larger than the diameter of the rotating shaft 20. A 10-20mm short tube is welded to the circular hole below the rotating disk 19. A positioning pin is set on the short tube. After adjusting the installation position of the rotating disk 19 so that the material frame is in contact with the feeding pipe 12, the positioning pin is used to fix the rotating disk 19 and the rotating shaft 20. The lower end of the short tube is pressed against the annular surface of the top end of the rotating disk support spring 37 provided on the outer side of the top end of the lower sleeve 21. A positioning pin is set at the bottom of the rotating disc support spring 37 and inserted into the sliding ring 36 at the top of the spring below for fixation. The diameter of the rotating disc 19 is determined according to the size of the material frame 15. As the rotating shaft 20 rotates, the material frame 15 sweeps across the upper surface of the feed tray 16, while the feeding tank 6 fills the material frame below it through the discharge pipe 12. Each material frame is exactly the same size, and the size of the material frame 15 is determined by the required feed flow rate. The feed amount per revolution of the rotating disc 19 can be calculated based on the volume of each frame and the number of frames. The feed flow rate can also be calibrated physically before testing.
[0025] The rotation speed of the feed frame 15 can be adjusted by the variable speed motor 23 to meet different feed flow requirements. The feed frame 15 is a single unit with a slot-type detachable connection to the outer edge of the rotating disk 19. Each cell of the feed frame 15 can have a different frame height depending on the feed flow rate, but the upper surface of the rotating disk 19 and the upper edge of the feed frame 15 are always flush (when the frame height increases, the feed tray 16 moves down the same distance, which can be achieved by compressing the support spring or replacing it with a shorter spring). The feeding tank 6 consists of two parts connected by a cylindrical flange 40 at a suitable position above the rotating disk 19. The lower tank can be disassembled to replace the feed frame 15 and the columnar spring 32. Pipe 29 extends into the feeder 18, and the outlet 12 is machined to have the same shape and size as the individual cells of the feed frame 15, and the projected area of the outlet 12 does not overlap with that of the feed tray 16. The feed frame 15 only has a border; the top and bottom surfaces are not closed. When installing the feed tray 16 and the rotating disk 19, the discharge port 12 and the upper edge of the material frame 15 are held together by the rotating disk support spring 37. The upper edge of the material frame 15 is rounded to minimize particle breakage when the discharge port 12 and the material frame 15 move relative to each other. A section of upper sleeve 28 is welded to the outer side of the shaft hole of the feeder 18, through which the rotating shaft 20 passes. The bottom end of the upper sleeve 28 is close to the rotating disk 19, and a compression spring 38 is provided on the outer side of the bottom end of the upper sleeve 28. A positioning pin is set at the top of the compression spring 38 and inserted into the annular limiter 39 fixed on the upper sleeve 28. A fixing ring is connected to the bottom end of the compression spring 38 and fits on the outer side of the upper sleeve 28. The fixing ring is hinged to fix a connecting rod that can only swing up and down. A small steel ball forming a striker 27 is welded to the other end of the connecting rod. Under the action of the compression spring 38, the connecting rod is brought close to the rotating disk 19 below. The locating pin hole on the rotating shaft 20 for fixing the rotating disk 19 is a vertical strip hole. As the rotating disk 19 rotates with the rotating shaft 20, it can slide up and down within a small range under the action of springs on both sides, preventing rigid contact between the material frame 15 and the discharge port 12. When the material frame 15 rotates out of the feed tray 16, the striker 27 is exactly located at the center of the material frame 15, and the connecting rod touches the upper edge of the material frame 15. A triangular protrusion 26 is provided on the rotating disk 19 corresponding to the center of each cell of the material frame 15. Figure 2 Only one protruding structure is shown in the diagram, positioned parallel to the edge of the rotating disk 19. The vertical side of the triangle is 3-10mm high, and the base is 5-20mm long. As the rotating disk 19 rotates, the connecting rod gradually rises along the hypotenuse of the triangle, falls after passing the vertex, and the striker 27 strikes the material frame 15. Once material gets stuck in the material frame 15, the striker 27 can shake the material off.
[0026] The lower part of the feeder 18 is machined into a conical surface, allowing the falling material to slide smoothly down the conical surface and enter the reaction system through the discharge port 22, thus preventing material from accumulating inside the feeder 18. The inner diameter and height of the feeder 18 are determined based on the dimensions of the material frame 15 and the rotating disk 19, according to the required feed rate of the granular material and the feasibility of installing the internal components.
Claims
1. A continuous particulate material feeder suitable for experimental apparatus, characterized in that, It includes a feeder (18), a feeding tank (6) for continuously feeding materials into the feeder (18), and a transfer tank (1) for replenishing materials into the feeding tank (6); the upper part of the transfer tank (1) is connected to the vent valve (10), the upper part of the feeding tank (6) is connected to the back pressure valve (7), the feeder (18) is provided with a rotatable material frame (15), the bottom of the material frame (15) is provided with a feeding tray (16), the feeding tray (16) does not completely cover the bottom of the material frame (15), the discharge port (12) connected to the feeding tank (6) is located above the material frame (15), and the bottom of the feeder (18) is provided with a discharge port (22).
2. The continuous particulate material feeder suitable for experimental apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the transfer tank (1) is connected to the feeding tank (6) through pipe one (30), and the pipe one (30) is equipped with isolation valve two (5); the bottom of the feeding tank (6) is connected to the discharge port (12) through pipe two (29), and the pipe two (29) is connected to the loose air pressure reducing valve two (13) outside the feeder (18).
3. The continuous particulate material feeder suitable for experimental apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The two ends of the isolation valve 2 (5) on the pipeline 1 (30) are connected to nitrogen gas through isolation valve 1 (33) and isolation valve 3 (34) respectively.
4. The continuous particulate material feeder suitable for experimental apparatus as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The isolation valve one (33) and isolation valve three (34) are connected to nitrogen gas through pressure reducing valve one (9).
5. The continuous particulate material feeder suitable for experimental apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Pressure sensors (4) are provided on the upper part of the transfer tank (1) and the feeding tank (6), and a differential pressure sensor (31) is provided between the two pressure sensors (4).
6. The continuous particulate material feeder suitable for experimental apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Pressure gauge 1 (3) is provided between the transfer tank (1) and the vent valve (10); pressure gauge 2 (8) is provided between the feeding tank (6) and the back pressure valve (7).
7. The continuous particulate material feeder suitable for experimental apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The transfer tank (1) is provided with a flange (2) on its top.
8. The continuous particulate material feeder suitable for experimental apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The material frame (15) and the feed tray (16) are annular structures. A rotating disk (19) is provided on the material frame (15). The rotating shaft (20) passes through the concentrically arranged rotating disk (19), material frame (15), and feed tray (16) in sequence. The rotating shaft (20) is driven by a variable speed motor (23) at the top of the feeder (18). The rotating shaft (20) is located on the upper and lower sides of the rotating disk (19) with an upper sleeve (28) and a lower sleeve (21) respectively. The lower sleeve (21) is connected to the feeder (18) by a fixing rod. 18) The cylinder wall is connected; the lower sleeve (21) is provided with a rotating disc support spring (37), a spring top sliding ring (36), a columnar spring (32), and an annular spring bracket (35). The rotating disc support spring (37) is limited between the rotating disc (19) and the spring top sliding ring (36), and the columnar spring (32) is limited between the spring top sliding ring (36) and the annular spring bracket (35); the feed tray (16) is fixedly connected to the spring top sliding ring (36) through the tray support (17).
9. The continuous particulate material feeder suitable for experimental apparatus as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The projected area of the discharge port (12) overlaps with the feed hole on the feed tray (16); a protruding structure (26) is provided in the middle of each grid (15) of the rotating disk (19); a fixed ring with a hinge is fitted on the wall of the upper sleeve (28); the hinge connects to a connecting rod; the connecting rod extends to the top of the feed hole of the feed tray (16) after it has completely rotated away; a knocker (27) is provided at the end of the connecting rod; after the knocker (27) is lifted by any protruding structure (26), it falls down onto the rotating disk by its own weight; a compression spring (38) is provided on the upper sleeve (28); the compression spring (38) is positioned with the annular limiters (39) and the fixed ring at both ends, so that the fixed ring is close to the rotating disk (19) and does not rotate with the rotating disk (19).
10. The continuous particulate material feeder for experimental apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The feeder (18) has a split cylinder, consisting of upper and lower parts, which are connected by a cylinder flange (40).