Bulk Material Hopper With Helical Agitation for Cohesion Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bulk materials often stick together due to ambient temperature and humidity, causing blockages in conveying apparatuses and leading to significant production line downtime.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a hopper and agitator arrangement that includes helical agitation surfaces to counteract cohesion, urging bulk material towards outlets, and a control circuitry to manage the conveyance process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bulk material is conveyed through a conduit, then material transfer is achieved, but material cohesion and blockage occur due to ambient temperature and humidity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an agitator arrangement with helical agitation surfaces that rotate to create mechanical vibration and movement within the hopper. This vibration counteracts material cohesion by preventing particles from bonding together due to ambient temperature and humidity, thereby maintaining reliable conveyance through the conduit without blockages
Solution Approach 2:
The agitator arrangement performs preliminary action by continuously agitating the bulk material in the hopper before it enters the conduit. This pre-agitation ensures material remains loose and free-flowing, preventing cohesion from occurring in the first place rather than addressing blockages after they form
2Productivity
If agitator arrangement is added to counteract cohesion, then material flow is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The helical agitation surfaces serve multiple functions simultaneously: they agitate the bulk material to counteract cohesion, they also convey material toward the outlet, and they maintain material flow efficiency. This multi-functionality improves productivity while minimizing the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity
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
Prevents material sticking and ensures efficient conveyance of bulk materials, reducing downtime and improving production efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The agitator arrangement is configured to agitate the bulk material in the hopper in order to counteract cohesion of the bulk material, and configured to urge the bulk material in the hopper towards the at least one outlet
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for receiving and conveying bulk material is provided. The apparatus comprises a hopper for receiving bulk material, at least one outlet configured to enable bulk material, received by the hopper, to exit the hopper, and an agitator arrangement. The agitator arrangement is configured to agitate the bulk material in the hopper in order to counteract cohesion of the bulk material, and configured to urge the bulk material in the hopper towards the at least one outlet.