Rotary Disk Torque Reduction for Bulk Material Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bulk material discharge devices face high starting torque issues when empty storage rooms are filled, leading to potential gearbox and drive shaft breakage, and bridging occurs due to poorly pourable materials, requiring additional measures to overcome.
Innovation Solution
A turntable that lags behind the rotor by a limited angle during startup, with a turnstile and spring mechanism to reduce starting torque, and clearing strips to prevent bridging, allowing the rotor to move freely under the turntable without additional drive torque.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the turntable is non-rotatably connected to the rotor or discharge arms, then bridging is prevented by moving bulk material, but starting torque increases significantly causing gearbox or drive shaft breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The turntable is designed to rotate freely relative to the rotor during operation, but a restoring force (spring accumulator or gravity) automatically returns it to the idle position when bulk material load decreases. This dynamic behavior allows the system to adapt between preventing bridging during discharge and reducing starting torque during startup.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotational state of the turntable changes based on bulk material load conditions. When the storage room is full, the turntable rotates with the rotor to prevent bridging. When emptying, the restoring force returns the turntable to idle position, reducing the torque parameter during startup.
2Force
If the turntable is freely rotating on the rotor, then starting torque is reduced, but bridging occurs preventing complete discharge of bulk material
Solution Approach 1:
The turntable acts as an intermediary element between the rotor and the bulk material. It can rotate freely to reduce starting torque, but when bulk material is present, it is dragged along by the rotor to prevent bridging, thus mediating between torque reduction and discharge reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The turntable utilizes the weight of the bulk material itself to rotate with the rotor during discharge operations. The bulk material serves as the driving force that moves the turntable, eliminating the need for additional drive torque while preventing bridging.
3Quantity of substance
If the discharge arms are fully extended when storage room is full, then bulk material coverage is maximized, but torque required to retract arms under turntable becomes highest occurring in all operating states
Solution Approach 1:
The turntable is positioned in advance to lag behind the rotor during startup, creating free space that allows discharge arms to retract without immediately encountering full bulk material resistance. This preliminary positioning reduces the peak torque required during arm retraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The turntable alternates between rotating with the rotor during discharge operations and returning to idle position during startup/emptying phases. This periodic behavior allows the system to optimize between bulk material coverage and torque reduction at different operational stages.
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
Reduces starting torque and prevents bridging, ensuring reliable discharge while minimizing gearbox and drive train stress, thus reducing acquisition and operating costs and maintaining continuous material flow.
Implementation Method 1
The spring, which may be lengthened by a traction means, can act on one end on a turnstile arm and on the other end on the turntable 6. After the storage space has been emptied, a spring return rotates the turntable back to a defined starting position
Implementation Method 2
the turntable, which is free-standing and unloaded at this point in time, is defined by a stop on the turnstile and by a spring return in an idle position relative to the turnstile
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The device has a rotor (4) supporting a discharge arm (3) and provided at a bottom side of a storage space (2). The discharge arm supplies a bulk material (1) to a conveyor (5), and the rotor is covered by a rotary disk (6) that is rotatably supported at the rotor at a head side. The rotary disk remains against the rotor around a limited rotary angle based on braking bulk material load. The rotor comprises a turret, and the discharge arm is assigned to turret arms. An actuator for a stopper is attached to the turret arms, where the stopper is protruded from a lower side of the turret.