Curved Closure Blade Motion to Prevent Bulk Material Jamming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing closure devices for bulk material systems, such as silos and conveying lines, face challenges with jamming when dealing with large particle sizes and irregularly shaped particles, particularly during opening, due to friction and counterforces from adjacent particles and housing walls.
Innovation Solution
A closure device with a rotatably mounted closure blade that follows a combination of crescent and flap type movements, allowing it to be introduced into the material flow perpendicularly for closing and lifted away to reduce friction during opening, featuring a curved design with a greater distance between the second point and the axis of rotation to minimize jamming risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sliding blade is pivoted into the material flow perpendicularly to close the silo opening, then the closure works reliably with small particle diameters, but jamming occurs with large particle diameters due to particles getting stuck and exerting counterforce
Solution Approach 1:
The closure blade is designed with a curved surface instead of a flat surface. The curvature allows particles to roll off the blade more easily during opening, preventing jamming while maintaining sealing contact during closure. The curved geometry modifies the interaction between the blade and bulk material particles.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure blade is mounted to move dynamically during operation. During closing, it pivots perpendicular to material flow for reliable sealing. During opening, it transitions to a different orientation that reduces friction and allows particles to move away from the blade path, preventing jamming.
2Reliability
If the sliding blade is held under pressure in contact with the outlet portion to ensure proper sealing, then sealing is improved, but friction increases causing jamming during opening
Solution Approach 1:
The curved surface of the closure blade distributes the contact pressure more evenly across the sealing interface. This maintains effective sealing while reducing peak friction forces that would otherwise cause jamming during opening operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade's dynamic movement allows it to maintain pressure contact for sealing during the closed position, then transition during opening to reduce contact and friction. The system dynamically adjusts the contact state between sealed and opening phases.
3Ease of operation
If particles must be moved, rotated and displaced during opening, then the closure can be opened, but adjacent particles and housing walls exert counterforce that jams the blade
Solution Approach 1:
The curved blade surface allows particles to roll along the curve rather than being forced to rotate or displace against friction. The curvature creates a natural rolling path that reduces the counterforce from particle-particle and particle-wall interactions during opening.
Data Source
AI summary
A closure device for a bulk material system is provided, specifically for regulating a flow of heat transfer particles. The closure device includes a bulk material guide which has a first opening for connection to the bulk material system and a second opening for the discharge of a bulk material guided by the bulk material system, and a closure blade which is rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation. The closure blade, in a first rotational position, closes the second opening and, in a second rotational position, at least partially uncovers the second opening. The closure blade is mounted in such a manner to reduce jamming of the closure device in operation.