Venturi Injector Pneumatic Granule Conveyance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for determining granule abrasion and breakage during pneumatic conveying are prone to errors due to destructive feeding processes and reliance on external measurement technologies, which do not accurately represent transport behavior in production conditions.

Innovation Solution

A method using a Venturi injector to introduce granules into a regulated air stream within a conveyor system, allowing for non-destructive feeding and characterization of unstressed granules via laser diffraction spectrometry, ensuring accurate measurement of transport behavior without pre-existing stress.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a compressed air supply unit with a solids dosing unit and conventional injector is used, then granules can be fed into the conveyor, but granule breakage and abrasion occur during feeding, leading to inaccurate transport behavior determination

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegranule feeding capabilityVSAvoidgranule breakage and abrasion
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a Venturi injector that operates on pneumatic principles to feed granules into the conveyor. The Venturi effect creates a pressure difference that draws granules into the air stream without mechanical contact, eliminating the harmful mechanical feeding actions that cause breakage and abrasion while maintaining effective granule delivery capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces air as an intermediary medium between the granule source and the conveyor system. The granules are suspended and transported through the air stream rather than being mechanically pushed or dropped, which prevents direct mechanical stress and contact that would cause granule damage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If external measurement technology is used to characterize stressed granules, then particle size distribution can be measured, but the measurement accuracy is compromised because granules are already stressed during feeding

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparticle size distribution measurementVSAvoidtransport behavior characterization accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent measures the particle size distribution of granules before they undergo pneumatic conveying stress. By characterizing the unstressed granules first and then comparing with stressed granules after conveyance, the method isolates the effects of transport behavior from pre-existing stress, enabling accurate determination of transport-induced changes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent divides the measurement process into separate stages: characterizing unstressed granules before conveyance and characterizing stressed granules after conveyance. This segmentation allows for independent measurement of each state, enabling accurate comparison and determination of transport behavior effects without contamination from pre-existing stress

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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

This approach minimizes granule destruction and allows for reliable characterization of unstressed granules, providing accurate data on transport behavior and abrasion during pneumatic conveying.

Implementation Method 1

the granulate sample is introduced via a Venturi injector

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVenturi effect: Venturi Effect

Implementation Method 2

the granulate sample is placed in a laser diffraction spectrometer

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLaser diffraction: Diffraction

Data Source

PatentEP2153200B1Device and method for determining the transport behavior during the pneumatic conveyance of granules
Publication Date: 2013.07.17 ORION ENGINEERED CARBONS GMBH
  • EP2153200B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2153200B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2153200B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for determining the transport behavior during the pneumatic conveyance of granules, in that (A) the granule sample is placed in a conveying trough, (B) the granule sample is introduced into a controlled air flow downstream of the conveying trough using an injector, (C) the granule sample flows through a conveying section, and (D) the granule sample is measured in a laser diffraction spectrometer, wherein in step (B) the granule sample is introduced via a Venturi injector. The device for performing the method comprises a conveying trough for placing granules onto the conveying section, a conveying trough for placing unstressed granules into the laser diffraction spectrometer, an air flow control valve, a Venturi injector, a conveying section, and a laser diffraction spectrometer.