Conical Hood for Bulk Material Sluice Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bulk material locks with disc-shaped closure bodies face issues of excessive wear and damage due to material deposits between the closure seat and body, leading to sealing problems and downtime in gasification systems.
Innovation Solution
A conical hood is retrofitted over the flat surface of the disc-shaped closure body to prevent material deposits, ensuring the hood is designed to divert falling material without absorbing mechanical forces, and its angle is set to be greater than or equal to the angle of repose of the bulk material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a disc-shaped closing element with a flat surface is used, then the device complexity is reduced and manufacturing cost is lowered, but bulk material deposits accumulate on the flat surface causing sealing failures and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by replacing the flat top surface of the disc-shaped closing element with a conical hood. This curved surface prevents bulk material deposits from accumulating, as materials naturally slide off conical surfaces rather than adhering to flat areas. The conical shape maintains structural simplicity while eliminating the sealing reliability issues caused by deposits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the closing element into two distinct functional parts: the original disc-shaped closing body and the added conical hood. This segmentation allows the hood to specifically address the deposit accumulation problem on the top surface without altering the fundamental disc shape and sealing mechanism of the closing element itself.
2Reliability
If a conical closing element is used instead of disc-shaped, then fuel lump accumulation is prevented, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than replacing the entire disc-shaped closing element with a complex conical design, the patent segments the solution by adding a separate conical hood component. This approach achieves the reliability benefits of a conical surface while maintaining the simplicity of the original disc structure for the main closing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges two different geometric forms - the simple disc shape for the closing body and the conical shape for the hood - into a single hybrid structure. This combination allows each component to perform its optimal function: the disc provides stable closing action while the cone prevents material accumulation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the hood angle is set greater than or equal to the angle of repose, then bulk material deposition is effectively prevented, but the hood design becomes more constrained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by specifying that the hood's conical angle should be greater than or equal to the angle of repose of the bulk material. This parameter adjustment ensures that gravitational forces cause materials to slide off the hood surface rather than adhere to it, effectively preventing deposits while providing a clear design criterion.
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
This solution reduces sealing issues and extends the service life of the closure, minimizing downtime and increasing the economic efficiency of the reactor and production process.
Implementation Method 1
the hood is designed such that the angle formed between its conical surface and the flat surface of the closing element is greater than or equal to the angle of repose of the bulk material introduced into the bulk material feeder
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
Hood for covering the top of a disc-shaped closing body of a closure of a bulk material sluice against deposits of bulk material.