Articulating Air-Blast System for Bulk Material Fluidization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bulk materials like dry distillers grains tend to settle and cake during transport in containment vessels, making them difficult to unload efficiently through gravity discharge gates, requiring time-consuming and often damaging mechanical methods.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a slew drive, hydraulic articulating arm, mount assembly, and a blaster assembly with a pressurized air reservoir, discharge tube, and a discharge tip assembly, allowing precise placement and release of compressed air to fluidize and initiate the flow of bulk materials through the use of a lancing probe.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mechanical techniques (shakers, vibrators, air lances, air cannons, mechanical probes or scrapers) are used to loosen settled and caked material, then the material can be dislodged and flow initiated, but the process becomes very time and labor intensive and may damage the hopper car
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a high-pressure air delivery system with a movable nozzle positioned close to the bulk material surface to deliver concentrated air blasts that fluidize and dislodge settled material. This pneumatic approach replaces mechanical shakers, vibrators, and scrapers, achieving faster material movement without mechanical contact that could damage the hopper car.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces mobility and positioning capability to the air delivery system, allowing the nozzle to be moved to different locations on the hopper car interior. This transforms a static air cannon system into a dynamic one that can target specific settled material areas, improving effectiveness and reducing the time needed to clear entire compartments.
2Ease of operation
If air cannon systems are used to loosen bulk materials, then some material dislodgment occurs, but results are limited due to placement and actuation constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces fixed air cannon systems with a movable nozzle assembly that can be positioned dynamically throughout the hopper car interior. This dynamic positioning capability allows the system to adapt to different material settlement patterns and access difficult-to-reach areas, significantly improving operational effectiveness while maintaining relatively simple actuation mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Significantly reduces the time required to unload bulk materials by accurately positioning the air blast to fluidize and discharge materials from containment vessels, minimizing friction loss and damage, and enabling quick and efficient unloading.
Implementation Method 1
a blast of highly pressurized air from the discharge tip assembly into or onto the bulk material to fluidize and initiate flow of the bulk material
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method to facilitate the unloading of bulk materials from containment vessels and transport vehicles, including non-flowing DDGs in such vehicles, is disclosed. The system includes a compressed air system that further includes a motor, an air compressor, and an air reservoir; a hydraulic fluid system that further includes a motor, a hydraulic fluid reservoir, and a pump; a wireless control system; a slew drive; a hydraulically-powered, articulating boom arm that also includes hydraulic cylinders that remain in a plane parallel to the boom arm throughout operation of the system; and a blaster assembly with first and second ends that includes an air reservoir proximate the first end, a mount assembly, a discharge tube assembly, and a discharge tip assembly that includes a shooting valve proximate the second end.