Air-Supported Belt Conveyor Dust Removal via Reversed Air Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air floating belt conveyor apparatuses do not have effective means to remove dust accumulated inside the air supply header, as the gap between the conveyor belt and the trough is small, preventing dust from entering the air supply header.
Innovation Solution
An air floating belt conveyor apparatus with a blower, air supply headers, and a discharge passage system that uses air flow to lift and discharge accumulated dust from the header chamber onto the conveyor belt, allowing it to be conveyed with the materials, featuring an opening/closing device to control the discharge passage and a circular-arc duct for smooth dust removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the gap between the conveyor belt and the trough is kept small to prevent dust from entering the air supply header, then dust accumulation in the header is reduced, but dust still accumulates inside the air supply header over time and requires manual cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing blower and air supply header to create a self-cleaning mechanism. By reversing the normal air flow direction through the opening/closing device, the system uses its own resources (blower, air supply) to remove dust accumulation, eliminating the need for external maintenance equipment or manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The opening/closing device enables periodic reversal of air flow direction. During normal operation, air flows upward to support the conveyor belt. During cleaning cycles, the closing device redirects air flow to move downward through the header, dislodging and removing accumulated dust. This periodic action allows the system to alternate between conveyor operation and self-cleaning.
2Ease of operation
If a discharge passage is added to remove dust from the air supply header, then dust removal capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blower serves dual functions: during normal operation, it supplies air upward through the air supply header to create the air cushion for the conveyor belt; during cleaning operation, it redirects air flow downward through the discharge passage to remove dust. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate cleaning equipment, reducing overall system complexity despite adding the discharge passage.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge passage is integrated with the existing air supply header and blower system. The inlet of the discharge passage connects to the header chamber, and the closing device merges the control of both air flow paths (upward for conveyance, downward for cleaning) into a single mechanism, consolidating functions rather than creating separate independent systems.
3Ease of operation
If the blower supplies air to the header chamber to remove dust, then dust is discharged onto the conveyance surface, but the conveyed materials may be affected by the air flow
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the dust removal function from the material conveyance function in both space and time. Spatially, the discharge passage outlets are positioned to discharge dust onto the conveyance surface rather than into the material stream. Temporally, the opening/closing device ensures dust removal occurs during intervals when material conveyance is minimized or stopped, preventing air flow from disturbing the conveyed materials.
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
Effectively removes dust accumulated in the air supply header by using air flow to lift and discharge it onto the conveyor belt, ensuring continuous operation and reducing maintenance needs.
Implementation Method 1
when the opening/closing device is operated to open the discharge passage, and the air is supplied to the header chamber by the blower, the dust accumulated in the header chamber flies by the flow of the air and is discharged through the discharge passage
Implementation Method 2
A large number of air outlets are formed at bottom portions of the troughs, and air supply headers (air ducts) extending along the troughs are provided so as to cover the air outlets from below. Air pressure-fed to the air supply headers flows out through the air outlets to between the conveyor belt and each trough to make the conveyor belt float.
Data Source
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AI summary
An air floating belt conveyor apparatus includes: a conveyor main body; a carrier route belt supporting body including a plurality of air outlets through which air for making a conveyor belt float flows out to between an upper surface of the carrier route belt supporting body and a non-conveyance surface of the conveyor belt; at least one air supply header including a header chamber communicating with the plurality of air outlets, the at least one air supply header being provided at a lower portion of the carrier route belt supporting body; a blower configured to supply the air to the air supply header; a duct forming a discharge passage, the discharge passage connecting an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being open at the header chamber, the outlet being open on the upper surface of the carrier route belt supporting body and located higher than a conveyance surface of the conveyor belt, dust accumulated in the header chamber being introduced by the discharge passage from the inlet to the outlet; and an opening/closing device configured to open and close the discharge passage.