GB2123802A

GB2123802A - Discharge bulk material from a pressure tank

Info

Publication number: GB2123802A
Application number: GB08221016A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hermann Josef Linder
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-07-21
Filing date: 1982-07-21
Publication date: 1984-02-08
Also published as: GB2123802B

Abstract

In apparatus for introducing bulk material from a pressure tank 1 into a following system having a back pressure to be overcome by the bulk material, the lower part of the pressure tank tapers downwardly and extends into an outlet portion 6 and a vibrator (12) is provided on the pressure tank to facilitate discharge of the bulk material therefrom, the vibrator being positioned externally on the lower part of the tank in the vicinity of the outlet portion and in the vicinity of the central vertical axis 5 of the tank. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for introducing bulk material from a pressure tank into a following system The invention relates to an apparatus for introducing bulk material from a pressure tank into a following system having a back pressure, such as for example a pipeline system in which there is a back pressure to be overcome by the bulk material.

German Patent 21 22 858 discloses an apparatus of the above type in which the lower part of the pressure tank is constructed so that it tapers downwardly and passes into an outlet portion which can conveniently be a pipe connection. A vibrator is arranged on the pressure tank. The bulk material is introduced by means of a charging valve into the tank, the tank is then sealed and pressurised, so that the introduced bulk material is fed via a pipeline into a further tank. To facilitate the discharge of the bulk material, that is in order to bring the latter into a flowable state, a ventilating device is provided which is directed in the direction of outlet pipe connection of the pressure tank, the ventilating device leading to a mass flow without any loosening of the bulk material.In addition to this ventilating device at least one vibrator is provided on the outside of the tank, the vibrator being vertically adjustable and pivotable. This makes it possible to adapt the vibrations to the characteristics of the material to be discharged in such a way that it is bought into a flowable state.

A disadvantage is that the vibrator is positioned on the outside of the pressure tank, so that the latter must be stable enough to withstand the internal pressure and the forces caused by the vibrations. In the case of large tank volumes there is the further disadvantage that the vibrations are greatly damped, so that they no longer have their full effect, particularly in the outlet area of the tank.

The pressure medium acting on the pressure tank is air, gas, steam or hydraulic fluid.

Known outlet portions of bulk material tanks, which can be in the form of pipe connections, have a funnel-shaped construction in their upper part, the funnel shape gradually passing into a tubular outlet. The axis of the funnel or hopper and the axis of the outlet with a circular crosssection, generally being at right angles to one another. Most of such known "outlet bends", have a circular cross-section which gradually tapers from the funnel area to the outlet area.

Although these known outlet pipe connections enable the tank to be completely emptied, they have the disadvantage that the bulk material level is lowered in a non-uniform manner, lowering being at a maximum in the direction taken by the pipe connection. At this point the outlet pipe connection is exposed to significant wear, whereas the diametrically opposite area is subject to little wear. However, in the little worn area there is the risk of the bulk material adhering to the pipe connection wall, because as a result of the limited friction between the wall and the bulk material there is not an adequately high selfcleaning effect, even if a vibrator acts there.

Thus, the probiem is to so construct the apparatus that a bulk material which does not flow readily can be reliably brought from the pressure tank into a pressurized following system.

According to the present invention in apparatus for introducing a bulk material from a pressure tank into a following system having a back pressure to be overcome by the bulk material, the lower part of the pressure tank tapers downwardly and extends into an outlet portion, and includes a vibrator provided on the pressure tank to facilitate discharge of the bulk material therefrom, the vibrator being positioned externally on the lower part of the tank in the vicinity of the outlet portion and in the vicinity of the central axis of the tank.

The invention can be performed in various ways and some embodiments will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a pressure tank according to the invention with a flywheel mass vibrator, which has a horizonal shaft.

Figure 2 is an end view of the lower part of the tank in the direction of arrow II in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an end view of the lower part of a tank with two flywheel mass vibrators with vertically directed axes; Figure 4 is a side view of the lower part of a tank with a flywheel mass vibrator, having a vertical shaft; Figure 5 is a side view of the lower part of a tank with two flywheel mass vibrators, the shaft of one being horizontally directed and the shaft of the other vertically directed; Figure 6 is a side view of the lower part of a tank with an electromagnetic vibrator; Figure 7 is a cross-section through a preferred embodiment of an outlet pipe connection; Figures 8 to 11 are sections along lines VIII-- VIII to Xl-Xl of Figure 7.

As shown in Figure 1 the apparatus comprises a pressure tank 1 carried in oscillatory manner by springs 2. A closable inlet 3 is provided on the top and bulk material is introduced through the inlet in the direction of arrow A. After introducing the bulk material, inlet 3 is closed and a pressure medium is introduced in the direction of arrow B through a pipe connection 4. Tank 1 opens downwardly and is essentially a truncated coneshape having a central axis 5. The bulk material placed under pressure in this way is discharged from tank 1 in the direction of arrow C through the lower portion of the tank which is in the form of an outlet pipe connection 6 having the shape of a tapering bend. In the pipeline system (not shown) following the pipe connection 6 there is a back pressure, which has to be overcome.

As a function of the nature of the bulk material, the latter must be loosened or compacted in the discharge area. This is brought about by vibrations, which have a different alignment as a function of the nature of the bulk material. If possible, the vibrations should not only act in the outlet area, but throughout the tank.

In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, a flywheel mass vibrator is provided on outlet pipe connection 6 and its shaft 7 is directed horizontally. Shaft 7 is intersected by tank axis 5.

Each shaft end carries a flywheel mass 8, 9, which can be rotated with respect to one another about shaft 7 in such a way that they are either congruent or, as shown in Figure 1, displaced by .900 relative to one another.

In the case of an apparatus according to Figures 1 and 2, the following have been measured at points 10 and 1 At point 10 in the case of congruent masses 8, 9, a vertical vibration in the direction of arrow a of 8.5 mm, a longitudinal vibration in the direction of arrow b of 2.0 mm and a transverse vibration of 1.5 mm. The transverse vibration takes place in direction c perpendicular to directions a and b. The vibrations at point 10 on the top of the tank are consequently mainly vertical vibrations. At point 11 using the same arrangement of masses 8, 9 a vertical vibration was measured in the direction of arrow A of 7.8 mm, a longitudinal vibration in the direction of arrow B of 1 3.5 mm and a transverse vibration of 1.0 mm.Thus, a strong vertical vibration and a much stronger longitudinal vibration acts on the bulk material in the lower part of the tank.

If in the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2, masses 8, 9 are displaced by 900 to one another, then the following conditions occur. At point 10 there is a vertical vibration of 7.5 mm, a longitudinal vibration of 2.0 mm and a transverse vibration also of 2.0 mm. Thus, in the upper part of the tank mainly vertical vibrations occur. However, at point 11 there is a vertical vibration of 6.0 mm, a longitudinal vibration of 10.5 mm and a transverse vibration of 3.8 mm. Apart from a relatively powerful vertical vibration, there are also vibrations in directions b and c, the latter leading to a type of tumbling movement in the vicinity of outlet pipe connection 6.

In the case of the embodiment of Figure 3, there are two flywheel mass vibrators 13, 14 at outlet pipe connection 6 and symmetrical to tank axis 5. In the represented positions the shafts 7 of these vibrators are positioned vertically. Vibrators 13, 14 can be pivoted about a common vertical horizontal axis 1 5 and are also pivotabie with respect to one another.

As in the embodiment of Figure 1 and 2, masses 8, 9 can be rotated relative to one another by max. 900 about shaft 7. Thus vibrators 13, 14 can e.g. be jointly swivelled by 900 about axis 1 5, so that in the case of a 90" swivel shafts 7 are positioned horizontally. However, vibrators 13, 14 can also be swivelled about axis 1 5 with respect to one another. For example vibrator 14 with its shaft 7 then assumes a vertical position and vibrator 13 with its shaft 7 a horizontal position.

In this way it is possible to significantly vary the magnitude of the vibrations in the directions a, b and c.

In the embodiment of Figure 4 a vibrator 16 is provided, whose masses 8, 9 are once again rotatable with one another and in which shaft 7 runs co-axially to tank axis 5. In addition, vibrator 1 6 can be rotated about a horizontal axis 1 7 by max 900 and at the end of the 900 rotation shaft 7 is directed horizontally in accordance with Figures 1 and 2.

In the embodiment of Figure 5 two vibrators 18, 19 are provided and are of the same type as in Figure 1 to 4. Vibrator 1 8 with its shaft 7 is arranged horizontally, whereas vibrator 1 9 and its shaft 7 is arranged vertically. Vibrator 19 can also be rotated about a horizontal axis 20, its shaft 7 being horizontally directed in the case of a maximum 900 rotation.

In the embodiment of Figure 6 an electromagnetic vibrator 21 is provided, whose vibration axis 22 intersects tank axis 5 at its point of fixing to the outlet pipe connection 6.

Electromagnetic vibrator 21 mainly produces vibrations in direction b. It is possible to provide a further vibrator, whose vibration axis is in the direction of tank axis 5 and which preferably produces vertical vibrations. Finally a third electromagnetic vibrator can be provided, whose horizontal vibration axis is at right angles to vibration axis 22 and which also engages at point 23. It permits vibrations in transverse direction 6.

The magnitude of the vibrations in directions a, b and c can be separately adjusted, so that a wide range of different vibrations can be produced.

The outlet pipe connection, according to the invention, which can be connected by its upper flange 21 to tank 1 to be emptied, is shown in Figure 7 and comprises a funnel-shaped inlet 22 and a tubular outlet 23. A projection 24 extending into the interior of the bend is provided in the upper transitional area from the funnel-shaped inlet 22 to the tubular outlet 23. Funnel wall 25, which upwardly follows on to the projection, is at a shallower angle to the horizontal than the remainder of the funnel wall 26. The latter is e.g.

inclined by 600 to the horizontal, whereas funnel wall 25 is at an angle of 400 to the horizontal. As a result axis 27 of funnel-shaped inlet 22 is slightly inclined and is directed counter to the direction of the axis of the following tubular outlet 23.

The funnel shaped outlet 23 passes from an oval cross-section into a circular cross-section, as shown in Figures 8 to 11. The length of the axes of the oval cross-section in the vicinity of projection 24 is approximately 1:2. The length of the small axis approximately corresponds to the cross-sectional diameter at the end of the outlet bend. However, in certain cases it can be possible for the length of the small axis to be less than the circular outlet cross-section, i.e. the cross-section is vertically increased behind projection 24.

Projection 24 in conjunction with flat wall 25 prevents an excessive outflow of material there, that is, the outflow is much the same there as at the opposite wall 26. The constriction from the oval cross-section to the circular cross-section ensures that there is a somewhat delayed outflow of the material at the walls which are perpendicular to walls 25, 26, so that over the entire cross-section there is a uniform lowering of the bulk material level in the tank.

Claims

1. Apparatus for introducing bulk material from a pressure tank into a following system having a back pressure to be overcome by the bulk material, in which the lower part of the pressure tank tapers downwardly and extends into an outlet portion and inciuding a vibrator provided on the pressure tank to facilitate discharge of the bulk material therefrom, the vibrator being positioned externally on the lower part of the tank in the vicinity of the outlet portion and in the vicinity of the central axis of the tank.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the vibration direction and/or amplitude of the vibrator is variable.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which two vibrators are arranged symmetrically to the tank axis.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 3, in which the vibrator is a flywheel mass vibrator with a shaft, an eccentric mass being arranged at each end thereof.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which the centres of gravity of the two masses are adjustable relative to one another by an angle of O to 900 about the axis of the shaft.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 in which the shaft extends horizontally and intersects the tank axis.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, in which the shaft is arranged vertically and is substantially coaxial with the tank axis.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 7, in which the vibrator is arranged on the lower part of the tank so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis in a plane formed by the tank axis and the shaft axis.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, in which two vibrators arranged symmetrically to the tank axis are arranged on the lower part of the tank.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, in which at least one of the vibrators is arranged on the lower part of the tank so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis intersecting the tank axis.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claims 1 to 3, in which the vibrator is an electromagnetic vibrator, which initiates its vibrations in the vicinity of the tank axis on the lower part of the tank.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, in which the outlet portion has a projection extending into the interior of a bend in an upper transitional area from a funnel-shaped inlet to a tubular outlet, the cross-section of the tubular outlet passing from an approximately oval into a circular outlet cross-section, and the said projection forming the upper longitudinal wall of the oval cross-section.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, in which the wall of the funnel shaped inlet following at the top on to the projection is at a shallower angle to the horizontal than the remainder of the funnel wall.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, in which the axes of the oval cross-section are approximately in a ratio of 1:2 to one another in the vicinity of the projection and the small axis approximately corresponds to the cross-sectional diameter of the circular outlet cross-section.

1 5. Apparatus for introducing bulk material from a pressure tank into a following system having a back pressure substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.