Horizontal Star Feeder Segmented Inlet Outlet Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Horizontal cell wheel sluices face challenges with integration difficulties, limited conveying capacity, pulsating discharge, and increased manufacturing costs due to large diameter requirements and pulsation effects at low delivery rates, especially when handling powdery or dusty bulk materials like coal dust.
Innovation Solution
A horizontal star feeder device with two inlet openings in the cover plate and two outlet openings in the base plate, arranged at predetermined angles to enhance delivery volume and reduce pulsation, along with a radially closed cellular wheel housing and leakage openings for air flushing to prevent bulk material deposits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a large diameter cellular wheel is used to increase conveying capacity, then the delivery volume increases, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the single inlet opening into multiple inlet openings (at least two) and the single outlet opening into multiple outlet openings (at least two). This segmentation allows the material flow to be distributed across multiple cells simultaneously, effectively increasing the conveying capacity without requiring an increase in the cellular wheel diameter, thereby avoiding increased manufacturing precision requirements and costs.
2Device complexity
If a single inlet and outlet opening is used, then the device structure is simple, but the integration into plants is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By providing at least two inlet openings in the cover plate and at least two outlet openings in the base plate, the invention creates a more flexible configuration that can be integrated into various plant layouts. The multiple openings allow for better spatial arrangement and connection to different system parts while maintaining relatively simple device structure.
3Speed
If low cellular wheel speed is used to reduce peripheral speed, then safety is improved, but pulsating discharge increases and dosing range decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the material flow into multiple parallel streams through multiple inlet and outlet openings. This segmentation allows multiple cells to discharge material simultaneously or in closer succession, reducing the pulsating effect and improving discharge uniformity even at lower cellular wheel speeds, thereby expanding the dosing range.
4Loss of energy
If radial gaps are minimized to reduce leakage air, then conveying efficiency is improved, but bulk material deposits increase in the gap
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces an air flushing channel that uses a stream of air to continuously clean the radial gap between the cellular wheel and the cellular wheel housing. This pneumatic cleaning mechanism prevents bulk material deposits from accumulating in the gap, allowing the radial gaps to be minimized to reduce leakage air without causing deposit problems.
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 double the delivery volume with reduced pulsation effects and manufacturing costs, facilitating easier integration and efficient dosing of bulk materials by minimizing radial gaps and leakage air, while allowing for adjustable gap settings for improved performance.
Implementation Method 1
The air flushing channels serve for removing bulk material deposits which have come about in the radial gap between the cellular wheel and the cellular wheel housing
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an apparatus for conveying material, in particular for discharging and/or metering bulk material, by means of a horizontal rotary vane feeder, wherein the horizontal rotary vane feeder has a cell wheel (1) which is arranged in a cell-wheel housing (2) and can be rotated about a vertical axis of rotation, wherein a material which is to be conveyed by the horizontal rotary vane feeder can be supplied to the cell wheel from above the cell-wheel housing, is conveyed horizontally within the cell-wheel housing and can be let out of the cell-wheel housing in the downward direction, and wherein the cell-wheel housing (2) is arranged between a cover plate (3) and a base plate (4), and at least two inlet openings (11) are contained in the cover plate for the purpose of supplying the material which is to be conveyed, and at least two outlet openings (12) are contained in the base plate for the purpose of letting out the material which is to be conveyed.