Fluid-Tight Conveyor Housing for Reactive Material Handling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conveyor systems for reactive, hot, and abrasive materials face challenges in minimizing contact with surrounding substances, leading to undesirable chemical reactions, oxidation, and environmental hazards, while also incurring high fluid consumption for displacement.

Innovation Solution

A conveyor system with a system housing that is largely fluid-tight, incorporating a fluid circuit system for fluid reuse, and safety elements to regulate pressure and prevent fluid escape, allowing for targeted discharge of degassing gases and dust, reducing fluid consumption and eliminating the need for separate disposal devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a fluid is used to displace environmental substances from the surroundings of the conveyed material, then the conveyed material is protected from chemical reactions and oxidation, but fluid consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection of conveyed materialVSAvoidfluid consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a fluid circulation system where fluid discharged from the system housing is collected and reused. The fluid outlet connects to a fluid circulation system that returns the fluid to the fluid inlet, creating a closed-loop system that recovers and reuses the displacing fluid, thereby reducing fluid consumption while maintaining protection of the conveyed material

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts harmful substances (degassing gas and dust) from the system housing through the fluid outlet. By separating these harmful substances from the circulation loop and discharging them externally, the system maintains the protective fluid atmosphere while managing the extraction of contaminants that would otherwise compromise the protective environment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Loss of substance

If the system housing is made largely fluid-tight, then fluid leakage is minimized, but pressure buildup may occur requiring safety devices

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefluid leakageVSAvoidpressure control
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a safety device as an intermediary pressure relief mechanism. The safety device acts as a mediator between the fluid-tight system housing and the external environment, providing controlled pressure relief when internal pressure exceeds safe thresholds, thereby maintaining both fluid tightness and pressure safety

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The safety device provides beforehand cushioning by being pre-installed on the system housing to automatically activate when pressure buildup occurs. This preventive measure cushiones against potential overpressure damage before it can occur, ensuring continuous reliable operation of the fluid-tight system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

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

The solution effectively seals off the conveyed material from surroundings, minimizes fluid usage, and allows for controlled discharge of harmful gases and dust, reducing operational costs and environmental impact.

Implementation Method 1

The system housing is designed to be technically fluid-tight except for the at least one fluid inlet, the at least one fluid outlet and the charging inlet

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid tightness:

Implementation Method 2

a fluid circulation system, which is designed for introducing fluid into the system housing through at least one fluid inlet and for collecting and reusing fluid exiting the system housing through at least one fluid outlet

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid circulation:

Implementation Method 3

at least one safety device arranged on the system housing, which is designed to discharge fluid from the system housing when the fluid pressure in the system housing exceeds a pressure threshold

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure threshold discharge:

Data Source

PatentEP3401244B1Conveyance of an item to be conveyed
Publication Date: 2022.11.09 PRIMETALS TECH AUSTRIA GMBH
  • EP3401244B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3401244B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3401244B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a conveying system (1) for the continuous or discontinuous conveying of a reactive and/or hot and/or abrasive material along a conveying path. The conveying system (1) comprises a housing (3) enclosing the conveying path, which has at least one fluid inlet (5) for introducing fluid into the housing (3), at least one fluid outlet (7, 9) for discharging fluid from the housing (3), and a charging inlet (4) for introducing material into the housing (3), and is designed to be technically fluid-tight except for the at least one fluid inlet (5), the at least one fluid outlet (7, 9), and the charging inlet (4).