Vibrating Hopper for Uniform Powder Feeding in Thermal Spray
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current powder feeders, such as rotary disk and lost weight feeders, face challenges with inconsistent filling of difficult-to-feed materials, high maintenance costs, and vulnerability to oversized specks or foreign objects, leading to inefficiencies and inaccuracies in thermal spray operations.
Innovation Solution
A hopper assembly with a vibration imparting device and a vibration source, coupled to a feeder device, which uses pneumatic or electric actuators to generate vibrations that prevent bridging and ratholing, ensuring consistent filling and protecting against foreign objects, while simplifying construction and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If mechanically driven built-in stirrers are employed to ensure difficult-to-feed powder fills metering groove without large voids or over-compression, then filling uniformity is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanical vibration through an externally mounted vibrator that shakes the hopper to maintain powder in a loose free-flowing state. This vibration prevents bridging and ratholing during groove fill-up, achieving uniform filling without requiring complex built-in stirrers. The vibrator is flexibly mounted on the hopper, which is mounted on a weight sensor, creating a simple yet effective system that addresses the filling uniformity problem while avoiding increased device complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If externally mounted vibrator is used to maintain powder in loose free-flowing state, then filling uniformity is improved, but time delay in weight change detection increases
Solution Approach 1:
The externally mounted vibrator maintains powder in a loose free-flowing state, improving filling uniformity. The vibrator is flexibly mounted on the hopper, which is mounted on a weight sensor. By reducing the vibrational component of total force acting on the weight sensor, the system achieves both good filling uniformity and reduced time delay in weight change detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible mounting of the vibrator on the hopper allows vibration transmission to the powder while isolating the weight sensor from excessive vibrational forces. This flexible connection reduces the vibrational component of total force on the sensor, thereby reducing time delay in weight change detection while maintaining filling uniformity.
3Device complexity
If conventional hopper configurations are used, then construction is simpler, but protection against oversized specks or foreign objects is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanically vibrating hopper assembly creates a free-flowing powder state that prevents bridging and ratholing. The vibration also helps prevent oversized specks and foreign objects from causing blockages or entering the feedstock line, as the continuous vibrational motion keeps all materials in constant movement and prevents settling or accumulation that could allow contaminants to enter the system.
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 provides uniform and precise powder feeding, reduces maintenance time, and effectively prevents oversized specks from entering the feedstock line, enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of thermal spray operations.
Implementation Method 1
A hopper assembly with a vibration imparting device and a vibration source, coupled to a feeder device, which uses pneumatic or electric actuators to generate vibrations that prevent bridging and ratholing
Data Source
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AI summary
A hopper assembly includes a hopper configured to contain a feedstock material. A vibration imparting device is arranged inside the hopper and a vibration source coupled to the vibration imparting device. Embodiments of the instant invention are believed to provide various improvements in feeding uniformity by providing various hopper configurations that ensure a more consistently uniform filling of the metering device for a variety of difficult-to-feed materials and not-so-difficult-to-feed materials. One, more or all of these embodiments are also believed to improve accuracy and add precision to control, and, in addition, offer more simplified hopper construction - which is less costly to manufacture and maintain.