Spherical Wood Pellet Container Conical Discharge Funnel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Spherical storage containers for wood pellets with suction conveyors face challenges in complete emptying due to the inclined bottom design, leading to unusable volumes of wood pellets remaining in the container.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a conical discharge funnel with a connected discharge cylinder and a tear-off step on the inner wall of the spherical container shell, ensuring the suction head can receive the wood pellets without backflow, allowing for complete emptying with a simple structural design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a spherical container shell with inclined bottom is used for space-saving storage, then storage space efficiency is improved, but complete emptying of wood pellets becomes difficult due to friction and backflow
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical container shell is segmented into two functional zones: an upper storage area with inclined bottom for space efficiency, and a lower conical discharge funnel for complete emptying. This segmentation allows each zone to optimize its specific function while working together as a unified system.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of trying to make the entire spherical bottom sufficiently steep for pellet sliding, the invention inverts the approach by creating a conical funnel with steep walls at the discharge location, reversing the geometry to achieve the needed sliding angle where it matters most for emptying.
2Productivity
If a conical discharge funnel is added to improve wood pellet sliding, then emptying completeness is improved, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conical discharge funnel is merged with the spherical container shell by integrating it into the bottom structure, creating a unified component rather than a separate attachment. This reduces the number of discrete parts and simplifies the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The conical discharge funnel serves multiple functions: it provides the steep angle needed for pellet sliding, acts as a transition zone between the spherical storage area and the cylindrical discharge section, and facilitates complete emptying through its geometric design.
3Device complexity
If the suction head is placed in the bottom area of the spherical container, then device complexity is reduced compared to screw conveyors, but wood pellets cannot slide sufficiently to the suction head due to the flattering bottom angle
Solution Approach 1:
The container bottom has different geometric properties in different locations: the upper storage area has a gentle incline for space efficiency, while the lower discharge area has a steep conical angle for pellet flow. This local differentiation of geometric quality ensures optimal performance in each zone.
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 enables complete emptying of the container by facilitating the sliding of wood pellets into the discharge funnel and preventing backflow, ensuring efficient removal without additional complex design measures.
Implementation Method 1
a suction conveyor whose suction head is arranged in the bottom area of the container shell
Implementation Method 2
the wood pellets slide along the inner wall of the spherical container shell into the discharge funnel
Data Source
AI summary
The storage container has a spherical container shell (1) and a suction conveyor for wood pellets, where a suction head (5) is arranged in the bottom region of the container shell. The container shell has a conical discharge funnel (3) in the lowest bottom portion. The conical discharge funnel is connected with a discharge cylinder (4) for receiving the suction head of the suction conveyor.