Heat-Resistant Airlock Shutter with Electric Gear Motor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing airlock systems with valves, particularly in cement kilns, face issues with jamming and poor control over the closing and opening cycles, leading to reduced continuity and flow rate due to coarse particles and difficulty in maintaining precise control over the movement of guillotines or flaps.
Innovation Solution
An airlock system utilizing an electrically powered gear motor with a frequency converter for precise control of flap movement, including a limited release mechanism to differentiate between small and significant closing faults, and a mechanical chain with a counterweight for automatic closure in case of power failure, ensuring efficient operation even with coarse products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If guillotine valves are used for airlock closure, then complete closure is achieved, but the valves jam against the wall or twin guillotine due to coarse particles
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using guillotine valves that slide vertically and jam against walls, the invention inverts the closure mechanism by using flaps that rotate around an axis. This rotational movement prevents particles from interfering with the closure path, eliminating the jamming problem while maintaining complete closure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the traditional mechanical guillotine sliding system with a rotational flap system driven by an electrically powered geared motor. This substitution eliminates the guide rail complexity and jamming issues inherent in sliding mechanisms while achieving reliable closure.
2Reliability
If guillotine valves with guide rails are used, then closure is achieved, but products stick in the guide rails preventing proper functioning over time
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the guide rail component from the valve system. By using flaps that rotate around a fixed axis without requiring linear guide rails, the system removes the component where products stick and cause maintenance issues, while preserving the closure function.
3Ease of operation
If traditional camshaft-driven flaps are used, then flap opening and closing is achieved, but the closing speed is difficult to control causing frequent shocks
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the traditional camshaft-driven mechanical system with an electrically powered geared motor. This substitution enables precise electronic control of flap movement speed, allowing optimization of cycle time while preventing shocks through controlled acceleration and deceleration profiles.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the control parameter from fixed mechanical cam timing to variable electrical motor control. This allows dynamic adjustment of flap speed parameters, enabling fast closing when needed while preventing shocks through controlled deceleration, thus optimizing both productivity and operation smoothness.
4Ease of operation
If pneumatic cylinders are used to drive flaps, then opening and closing control is improved, but the cycle time cannot be reduced below a dozen seconds
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces pneumatic cylinder actuation with an electrically powered geared motor. This substitution overcomes the inherent speed limitations of pneumatic systems while maintaining precise control capability, enabling cycle times faster than a dozen seconds without sacrificing control precision.
5Productivity
If rotary airlocks with 4 or more blades are used, then fine product flow is regulated, but coarse particles cause the blades to block
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the airlock mechanism from rotating blades that convey material to rotating flaps that control material passage through an opening. This inversion allows coarse particles to pass freely while the flaps maintain control over the airlock function, expanding adaptability to handle both fine and coarse products.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an airlock with shutters (1), each shutter (2, 6) comprising at least one flap (3) and an electrically powered geared motor unit (10) to open and close said flap (3). This geared motor unit (10) comprises an output shaft capable of back-and-forth rotary movement associated with the opening and closing movement of said flap (3). The invention also relates to a method of operating an airlock with shutters (1), each shutter (2, 6) comprising at least one flap (3) arranged, in the closed position (3b), on a support frame (9), and an electrically powered geared motor unit (10). Said method comprises, in this order, the following steps: rotating the geared motor unit (10) in a first direction of rotation to generate the movement of the flap (3) for the opening thereof, blocking the rotation of the geared motor unit (10) at the end of the travel intended for opening the flap (3), rotating the geared motor unit (10) in the opposite direction to generate the movement of the flap (3) for the closing thereof, and blocking the rotation of the geared motor unit (10) at the end of the travel intended for closing the flap (3).