Granular Conveyor Circulation Control for Clog-Free Restart
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyors face challenges in restarting operation after temporarily restricting granular material supply due to clogging and decreased fluidity, leading to potential delays and equipment overload, especially when buffer space is limited or downstream devices experience overflow.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor system with a control unit that closes the discharge port and continues to circulate conveying units, maintaining granular material fluidity within the conveyor, allowing for seamless restart without delay.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the conveyor operation is stopped to restrict granular material supply, then the downstream device is protected from overflow, but the granular material becomes clogged and fluidity decreases causing restart delays
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system dynamically adjusts its operation mode between normal conveyance and circulation-only modes. The control unit switches the conveying units to circulation mode when the discharge port is closed, maintaining continuous motion without material discharge, and switches back to normal mode when the discharge port opens, thus adapting to different operational requirements without restart delays
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by continuing to circulate the conveying units even when the discharge port is closed. This keeps the granular material in constant motion within the conveying path, preventing clogging and maintaining fluidity before restart is needed, so that when normal operation resumes, no recovery operation is required
2Loss of time
If the conveyor continues operation without restricting supply, then restart delay is avoided, but the downstream device experiences overflow and equipment breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge port acts as an intermediary control element between the conveyor and downstream device. By closing the discharge port, it intermediates the material flow, allowing the conveyor to continue operating and circulating material while preventing material from reaching the downstream device, thus protecting the downstream device from overflow while maintaining operational continuity
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the conveyance function into two independent modes: material discharge function (controlled by discharge port opening/closing) and material circulation function (controlled by conveying unit motion). This segmentation allows the conveyor to continue circulating material (maintaining operational continuity) while the discharge port is closed (protecting downstream device from overflow)
3Reliability
If a buffer is installed to accommodate granular material, then supply restriction is possible, but the layout space requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying units serve multiple functions: they convey material to the discharge port during normal operation, and they circulate material within the conveying path when the discharge port is closed. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for a separate buffer device, as the conveyor itself can accommodate and recirculate the granular material within its existing structure, maintaining supply restriction capability without increasing layout space
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a conveyor such that, after stopping or restricting supply of granular material to a downstream device, it is possible to restart normal operation of conveying the granular material without delay. This conveyor includes: a casing having a conveying path of a granular material therein and having a discharge port for discharging the granular material to a downstream device; a plurality of conveying units accommodated in the casing and configured to convey the granular material to the discharge port by circulating along the conveying path; an opening/closing mechanism that opens and closes the discharge port; and a control unit that controls operation of the plurality of conveying units and the opening/closing mechanism. When restricting supply of the granular material to the downstream device, the control unit controls the opening/closing mechanism to close the discharge port, and continues to circulate the plurality of conveying units, thereby continuing to move the granular material along the conveying path.