Pivotable Conveyor Dosing Device for Uniform Material Distribution

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing dosing devices for drying materials like fermentation substrates and manure lack precision and uniformity in distribution, leading to inefficiencies in the drying process and potential odor issues during storage and transportation.

Innovation Solution

A dosing device with a pivotable conveyor system that controls oscillating movements about a vertical axis, adjusting speed and frequency to ensure uniform distribution, combined with weighing cells for precise weight determination and communication with downstream units for coordinated conveying speeds.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the conveyor device moves at constant speed, then the driving mechanism is simple, but the distribution uniformity of material deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedistribution uniformityVSAvoidspeed control mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The conveyor device transitions from constant speed operation to variable speed operation, where the speed is dynamically adjusted based on the position along the conveyor path. The control unit varies the conveying speed to compensate for gravitational effects and maintain uniform material distribution, implementing the dynamics principle by making the speed adaptable rather than fixed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback control where the control unit continuously monitors and adjusts the conveying speed based on the desired distribution uniformity. The control unit processes information about material flow and conveyor position to modulate the driving mechanism, ensuring that speed variations achieve the target distribution pattern while maintaining system stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If the conveyor device increases speed to improve productivity, then material throughput increases, but dosing precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial throughputVSAvoiddosing precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the speed parameter dynamically along the conveyor path rather than maintaining a single constant speed. The control unit implements a speed profile where conveying speed is varied according to position, allowing the system to achieve both high throughput and precise dosing by optimizing speed at different stages of the conveying process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If the conveyor device operates at high speed, then processing efficiency improves, but material distribution uniformity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing efficiencyVSAvoidmaterial distribution uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The conveyor system implements dynamic speed adjustment where the conveying speed is continuously varied based on the conveyor device's position and material flow characteristics. This dynamic control allows the system to maintain high overall productivity while ensuring uniform material distribution through localized speed optimization at different points along the conveyor path.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2995183B1Metering device
Publication Date: 2019.05.15 BIG DUTCHMAN INTERNATIONAL GMBH
  • EP2995183B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2995183B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2995183B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a metering device for metering a material, in particular a material to be dried such as a fermentation substrate or manure, comprising a conveying device for conveying material to be dried in a conveying direction, wherein material to be dried can be fed to the conveying device from a feed device and wherein the conveying device can deliver material to be dried to a downstream unit, such as a drying device, and a control unit configured to control a conveying speed of the conveying device, wherein the conveying device is pivotably arranged about a vertical pivot axis, characterized in that the control unit is arranged and configured to control a pendulum movement, preferably a speed, in particular an angular velocity, and/or a frequency of the pendulum movement, of the conveying device about the pivot axis.