Lock Hopper Gas Flow Control for Granular Transfer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lock hoppers experience a significant reduction in transfer amount and efficiency when handling granular substances with small particle diameters, leading to operational issues and increased costs due to gas interference during discharge.
Innovation Solution
A lock hopper design that alternates between states to control gas flow and substance transfer, using air-tight hoppers with controlled valves and gas introduction to prevent gas ascension during discharge, ensuring uninterrupted granular substance flow without gas interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If gas is introduced into the hopper to maintain positive pressure and prevent gas backflow, then gas flow control is improved, but granular substance discharge is hindered due to gas interference and fluidization
Solution Approach 1:
The hopper is divided into an upper hopper and a lower hopper, with the upper hopper dedicated to receiving granular substance and the lower hopper dedicated to discharging it. This segmentation allows independent control of gas flow in each section, preventing gas backflow from the lower hopper to the upper hopper while maintaining efficient discharge in the lower hopper.
Solution Approach 2:
A gas flow control valve is introduced as an intermediary component in the gas introduction line to the upper hopper. This valve mediates between the gas source and the hopper, allowing precise control of gas flow to maintain positive pressure without causing excessive gas interference that would hinder granular substance discharge.
2Reliability
If the hopper is made air-tight to prevent gas backflow, then gas flow control is improved, but granular substance flow is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The air-tight hopper is segmented into upper and lower sections with separate access points. The upper hopper has a granular substance introduction line and the lower hopper has a discharge line, allowing granular substance to flow through designated paths while maintaining overall air-tightness for gas flow control.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the hopper system have different quality characteristics: the upper hopper is optimized for receiving and storing granular substance with gas flow control, while the lower hopper is optimized for efficient discharge. This local differentiation allows each section to perform its specific function effectively while maintaining overall system air-tightness.
3Reliability
If positive pressure is applied to prevent gas backflow, then gas flow control is improved, but granular substance discharge efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the hopper into upper and lower sections, the positive pressure can be applied locally in the upper hopper to prevent gas backflow, while the lower hopper maintains its own pressure characteristics optimized for discharge efficiency. This segmentation prevents the negative effect of excessive positive pressure on discharge efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas flow control valve acts as an intermediary that regulates the positive pressure applied to the upper hopper. It allows sufficient pressure to prevent gas backflow while preventing excessive pressure that would interfere with granular substance discharge efficiency in the lower hopper.
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 design achieves a compact and efficient transfer of granular substances, maintaining high transfer amounts even with small particle diameters by eliminating gas resistance and fluidization issues, resulting in a more reliable and cost-effective system.
Implementation Method 1
Lock hopper has an entrance valve above the hopper formed air-tightly and an exit valve below the hopper formed air-tightly. In lock hopper, the entrance valve and the exit valve are opened or closed alternately so that both the entrance valve and the exit valve are not in an 'open' state simultaneously. As a result, with lock hopper, a granular substance can be transferred from an upper system to a lower system in a state that the flow of gas is blocked between the upper system and the lower system.
Implementation Method 2
a gas-introducing pipe A7 connected to the hopper A3, and a gas-introducing valve A6 interposed in the gas-introducing pipe A7
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates toA lock hopper (11) provided with air-tight hoppers (A3, B3) arranged side by side with entrance valves (A1, B1) arranged above the air-tight hoppers (A3, B3) and exit valves (A4, B4) arranged below the air-tight hoppers (A3, B3).The lock hopper (11) performs control which alternately repeats the following states: a state in which granular substances in an upper system are placed in one of the hoppers and gas is supplied into the other hopper to discharge granular substances from the inside of the other hopper to a lower system and a state in which the granular substances in the upper system are placed in the other hopper and gas is supplied to said hopper to discharge granular substances from the inside of said hopper to the lower system.Also provided is a method of transferring granular substances in an upper system to a lower system by using above-described lock hopper, wherein gas having a volume corresponding to the volume of at least the granular substances to be discharged to the lower system is supplied to a hopper in a state in which the granular substances are being discharged from the hopper to the lower system.