Variable Tension Roller for Wear Reduction in Material Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing apparatuses for separating materials with different degrees of flowability suffer from high wear and maintenance issues due to high pre-tensioning of support chains and rollers, leading to undesirable wear and reduced operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An automatically self-adjusting apparatus with controllably variable positioning devices, including hydraulically operated pressure cylinders and self-locking counter-surfaces, allows for optimal pre-tensioning and positioning of rollers to minimize wear and adapt to changing material characteristics, ensuring reduced wear and improved separation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high pre-tension is applied to the support chain to ensure adequate guidance and support of the compression belt, then the compression belt is properly guided and supported, but severe wear occurs on all components of the support chain and severe strain is placed on the support chain bearings
Solution Approach 1:
The support chain tensioning device is designed to be dynamically adjustable, allowing the pre-tension to be modified during operation. The tensioning roller can be repositioned along the support chain to change the tension distribution, enabling the system to adapt to varying operational conditions while maintaining adequate compression belt guidance and reducing wear on support chain components
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of pre-tension force from a fixed high value to a variable value that can be adjusted. By modifying the tensioning force parameter through repositioning the tensioning roller, the system maintains sufficient compression belt support while significantly reducing the severe wear and strain on support chain bearings that occurs with constant high pre-tension
2Stability of the object's composition
If the tensioning roller is moved to maintain constant pressing force on the compression belt, then the pressing force remains constant overall, but the support chain and hollow drum experience high wear due to the high pre-tension
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the tensioning roller position to maintain stable pressing force on the compression belt while distributing the load more favorably. The tensioning roller can be repositioned to change the tension distribution pattern, allowing constant pressing force stability without concentrating all the force on single points of the support chain and hollow drum, thereby reducing wear
3Force
If the drive roller is pushed away from the hollow drum due to mechanical resistance, then the material processing resistance is compensated, but the tensioning roller must be continuously adjusted to maintain constant pressing force
Solution Approach 1:
The support chain system is designed to self-regulate the tensioning force. When the drive roller is pushed away due to material resistance, the elastic deformation of the support chain automatically redistributes the force, and the tensioning roller's position can be adjusted to maintain constant pressing force without requiring frequent manual intervention. The system uses the material's own resistance to trigger the tensioning adjustment
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 apparatus significantly reduces wear on components, maintains optimal separation performance, and automatically adjusts to material changes, enhancing operational reliability and extending the lifespan of the equipment.
Implementation Method 1
at least the drive roller (16) is designed such that it can be pressed in a controllably variable manner into a pressing position against the hollow drum (10), separated by the compression belt (14), the position of the drive roller (16) relative to the hollow drum (10) being adjustably set by means of a first positioning device (21), which comprises at least one hydraulically operated first pressure cylinder (32)
Implementation Method 2
The compression belt (14) and hollow drum (10) are both driven in each case. The material to be pressed and separated enters an intake region between the resilient compression belt and the perforated hollow drum. In this intake region, the compression belt together with the hollow drum forms an intake wedge for the material to be pressed.
Implementation Method 3
Due to different degrees of flowability of the partial components of the material to be pressed, the more flowable components are pushed through the perforated peripheral surface of the hollow drum from the outside to the inside.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for separating materials with different flowability has a rotationally driven hollow drum with a perforated peripheral surface, stripping means for stripping away material, and a continuous compression belt pressed from outside onto the drum by wrapping around part of the circumference of the drum, an intake wedge for the material. The belt is mounted by a drive roller and bearing roller. The drive roller controllably variably presses into a pressing position against the drum, separated by the belt. The drive roller position is adjustably set by a first positioning device via a control device, with a first end abutment element for mechanical position limitation. Part of the first positioning device comes into blocking contact with a first counter-surface of the first end abutment element in the pressing position of the drive roller and the first counter-surface of the first end abutment element is adjustable by the control device.