JP7388120B2 - Gravity storage warehouse - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a gravity storage warehouse for temporarily storing and discharging solid materials.

Biomass power generation facilities require biomass fuel storage equipment in order to quantitatively supply biomass fuel to the power generation equipment or to receive large amounts of biomass fuel. As such a storage facility, a gravity flow type storage facility described in Patent Document 1 below is known. In gravity flow storage facilities, one of the challenges is to prevent bridging. Patent Document 1 discloses a structure that can suppress the occurrence of bridging at low cost.

JP2019-137464

Although the technique described in Patent Document 1 can suppress the occurrence of bridging, there is still room for improvement in terms of convenience. For example, when a bridge occurs, it is desirable to be able to easily eliminate the bridge. Alternatively, it is desirable to be able to perform maintenance work easily. This problem is common not only to storage equipment for biomass fuel but also to various storage equipment for storing solid substances.

The present invention has been made to solve at least part of the above-mentioned problems, and can be realized, for example, as the following form.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a gravity storage warehouse for temporarily storing and discharging solid objects is provided. This storage warehouse includes a floor in which a discharge port is formed, and a partition portion that at least partially partitions the internal space of the storage warehouse into a filling space filled with solid materials and an unfilled space not filled with solid materials. , and a gas injection device configured to inject gas from the unfilled space to the filled space. The storage warehouse is configured to allow people to enter and exit the unfilled space even when the filled space is filled with solid matter.

According to such a storage warehouse, when a bridge of solid objects occurs in the filling space, the bridge can be destroyed by injecting gas toward the bridge. Gas injection devices inject gas from an unfilled space that people can enter and exit from, so there is no need to place the components of the gas injection device (e.g., piping, solenoid valves, injection nozzles, gas compression tanks, etc.) in the filling space. . In other words, the components of the gas injection device can be located in an unfilled space with human access or outside the storage warehouse. Therefore, maintenance work on the gas injection device can be easily performed. The operation of the gas injection device may be controlled manually or may be automated.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the partition portion includes an inclined portion that is angled with respect to the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. A through hole is formed in the inclined portion so as to communicate the unfilled space with the filled space. The gas injection device injects gas from the unfilled space to the filled space through the through hole. According to this embodiment, gas can be easily injected from the unfilled space to the filled space through the through hole.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the opening of the through hole on the side of the unfilled space is located at the same height in the vertical direction as the opening of the through hole on the side of the filled space; Alternatively, it is located at a higher position than the opening on the filling space side of the through hole. According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent solid objects from entering the unfilled space from the filled space through the through-hole, or to prevent the through-hole from being clogged with solid objects. In particular, if the opening of the through hole on the unfilled space side is located at a higher position than the opening of the through hole on the filled space side, the gas can be injected diagonally downward. Since the gas vector has a vertical component, the range in which the bridge can be destroyed is expanded.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect, the through hole includes a plurality of through holes. The filling space side openings of the plurality of through holes are located at different positions in at least one of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. According to this embodiment, gas can be injected from a plurality of positions, so the range in which the bridge can be destroyed becomes wider. The gas may be injected from the plurality of through holes simultaneously or sequentially. Alternatively, the gas may be injected only from a specific through hole selected from among the plurality of through holes. In this case, the particular through hole is selected depending on the location where the bridge occurs. This selection may be made by an operator or may be automated.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect, at least a portion of the gas injection device is configured to be shared by at least two of the plurality of through holes. According to this embodiment, the number of gas injection devices or the number of components of the gas injection devices can be reduced, which contributes to cost reduction or a reduction in the burden of maintenance work on the gas injection devices.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the partition portion includes a first partition portion. The first partition is arranged directly above the discharge port. The first partition partially divides the internal space so that the first unfilled space, which is at least a portion of the unfilled space, is formed directly below the partition, and the filled space and the discharge port communicate with each other. Partition. According to this embodiment, since the first unfilled space is formed right above the discharge port, it is possible to suppress the weight of the solid object in the filled space from acting on the solid object existing near the discharge port. Therefore, the occurrence of bridging near the discharge port can be suppressed. Furthermore, even if the filling space is filled with solid matter, people can enter and exit the first unfilled space located directly above the discharge port, so the bridge can be destroyed by the gas injection device. In the first unfilled space, operations such as checking for the occurrence of bridging, removing solid matter remaining on the flat portion when emptying the storage warehouse, etc. can be easily performed.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the storage warehouse further includes an outer wall. The partition includes a second partition. The second partition extends from the inner surface at a predetermined height of the outer wall to the floor. A filling space is formed inside the second partition. A second unfilled space, which is at least a portion of the unfilled space, is formed between the second partition and the outer wall in a manner isolated from the filled space. According to this embodiment, the bridge can be destroyed by injecting gas to the bridge from outside the filled space (that is, the second unfilled space). Furthermore, maintenance work on at least some of the components of the gas injection device can be easily performed in the second unfilled space. Moreover, when emptying the storage tank, by injecting gas toward the solids that remain on the flat surface without being discharged from the outlet, the remaining solids can be removed from the outside of the storage tank. It can be guided inside and eventually to the outlet. As a result, the amount of solid matter remaining is reduced, and the burden of maintenance work (more specifically, the work of removing residue) is reduced. Note that in this application, the term "outer wall" refers to a wall that forms the outermost space that has a storage function, and does not necessarily refer to a wall that comes into contact with external air. For example, when a storage warehouse and an office building are installed together, the wall that partitions the storage warehouse and the office building may be an "outer wall."

The second unfilled space may be formed over the entire outer periphery of the storage warehouse. In that case, a plurality of through holes may be formed along the circumferential direction. In this way, the effect obtained by the seventh embodiment can be enhanced. In addition, in this application, "the outer periphery of a storage warehouse" refers to the outer periphery of a space that has a storage function. Furthermore, the outer wall may have a cylindrical shape. In this case, the second partition portion may have a side surface shape of an inverted truncated cone. In this way, the lower end of the second partition can be brought closer to the discharge port. As a result, the area of the floor located in the filling space (ie, the area of the flat portion) is reduced, and it is possible to suppress the solid matter from remaining on the floor. Furthermore, the first partition may be installed to cross the inside of the second partition. In this way, the area of the bed located in the filling space is further reduced.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, in the seventh aspect including the sixth aspect, the storage warehouse is configured such that the gas injection device injects gas from the first unfilled space to the filled space at the first injection position. and is configured to be capable of injecting gas from the second unfilled space into the filled space at the second injection position. The first injection position and the second injection position are respectively set at different positions in the vertical direction. According to this embodiment, the gas can be injected from a plurality of positions in the vertical direction, so the range in which the bridge can be destroyed becomes wider.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect, the storage warehouse includes an outer wall and a second gas injection device configured to inject gas from outside the outer wall into the filling space. ing. According to this embodiment, the same effects as the seventh embodiment can be achieved.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, in the ninth aspect, the storage warehouse is configured such that the gas injection device is capable of injecting the gas from the first unfilled space to the filled space at the first injection position. and is configured to be able to inject gas from the outside into the filling space at the second injection position. The first injection position and the second injection position are respectively set at different positions in the vertical direction. According to this embodiment, the same effects as the eighth embodiment can be achieved.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to tenth aspects, the partition portion includes a viewing window for making the inside of the filled space visible from the unfilled space. According to this embodiment, the operator can visually check whether a bridge has occurred by looking into the filled space from the unfilled space through the viewing window. Therefore, the operator can know that the bridge should be destroyed.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the storage warehouse includes a sensor configured to detect the storage status of solid objects in the filling space. The storage status is, for example, the presence or absence of storage (in other words, presence) of solid objects at a specific location, and the storage height. According to this embodiment, it is possible to automatically detect whether or not a bridge has occurred based on the storage status of solid objects. For example, if a sensor detects a cavity in the vicinity of the discharge port when solid matter is sufficiently present in the filling space, it can be determined that a bridge has occurred. The type of sensor is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, optical, mechanical, electromagnetic, or a combination thereof.

According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the twelfth aspect, the gas injection device is configured to inject gas at a timing based on the detection result by the sensor. According to this embodiment, it is possible to automate the process from detecting the occurrence of a bridge to injecting gas to destroy the bridge.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the thirteenth aspect including the fourth aspect, the sensor includes a plurality of sensors configured to respectively detect the storage status of solid objects at mutually different positions. There is. It is configured to inject gas using only a specific through hole among the multiple through holes that is determined based on the detection results by the multiple sensors. According to this embodiment, the location where a bridge occurs can be identified with a predetermined accuracy (this accuracy depends on the number of installed sensors) using a plurality of sensors. For example, a first sensor installed at a first height detects the absence of a solid object at the first height, and a second sensor located at a second height higher than the first height detects the absence of a solid object at the first height. If a second sensor installed somewhere detects the presence of a solid object at the second height, a bridge has occurred between the first height and the second height. I understand that. Furthermore, the bridge can be destroyed by injecting gas using a through hole located at a position corresponding to the identified location where the bridge occurs. Moreover, the process from detecting the occurrence of bridges and the location where they occur to the injection of gas to destroy bridges can be automated.

According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourteenth aspects, the gas injection device is configured to repeatedly inject gas at regular timing. According to this embodiment, by injecting gas at regular timing before a bridge occurs, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a bridge.

According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifteenth aspects, the gas injection device is configured to be able to selectively inject one of air and nitrogen gas. According to this embodiment, during normal times, air is injected from the gas injection device, and in the event of a fire, nitrogen gas is injected from the gas injection device to purge the inside of the storage warehouse with nitrogen.

1 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a storage warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view showing the appearance of a storage warehouse, and showing the inside thereof in perspective. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the storage warehouse of FIG. 1, partially shown in cross section. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the storage warehouse of FIG. 1, with a portion cut away to show the internal structure. FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the vicinity of the discharge port. FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a modified example of the structure near the opening of the first partition. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration for destroying a bridge. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the arrangement of through holes in the first partition and the second partition. It is a schematic diagram showing the injection direction of gas. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of a viewing window. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of sensors.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a storage warehouse 10 (hereinafter also simply referred to as a warehouse) as an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the warehouse 10, and the interior of the warehouse 10 is shown in perspective. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a half of the warehouse 10, with a portion of the warehouse 10 shown in cross section. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of half of the warehouse 10 in FIG. 3, with region R1 cut away to show the internal structure of the warehouse 10. The warehouse 10 is a gravity flow warehouse for temporarily storing and discharging solid materials. In other words, the warehouse 10 is not equipped with a mechanical device for discharging the solid matter stored therein through the discharge port. For example, in a biomass power generation facility, the warehouse 10 stores wood biomass fuel (for example, wood chips (40 mm in length x 40 mm in width x 10 mm in thickness), wood pellets (6 to 10 mm in diameter x 30 mm in length), and palm shells (a hemisphere with a diameter of 10 mm). etc.) may be temporarily stored. In this embodiment, the warehouse 10 is made of iron plates, but it may have any structure. For example, warehouse 10 may include a concrete structure.

The warehouse 10 has a cylindrical outer shape (see FIG. 2), and FIG. 1 shows a vertical cross section taken halfway through the outer shape. The remaining half of the warehouse 10, which is not shown, also has the same structure as the warehouse 10 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the warehouse 10 includes an outer wall 20, a floor 30, a first partition 50, and a second partition 40. The outer wall 20 has a cylindrical shape. A filling space 21 is formed inside the outer wall 20 to be filled with a solid substance. Solid objects are supplied to the filling space 21 from a drop-in port (not shown) provided near the upper end of the outer wall 20 via a conveyor, chute, or the like. Although not limited to this, the outer wall 20 may have a size of, for example, 15 m in diameter x 40 m in height.

As shown in FIG. 1, a level meter 70 is installed on the roof of the warehouse 10 (shown at a low position for purposes of illustration). The level meter 70 is provided to detect the accumulation level of solid objects in the warehouse 10. The level meter 70 may be of a microwave type, for example. In this case, the level meter 70 measures the distance between the level meter 70 and the upper end of the pile of solid materials (if the warehouse 10 is empty, the floor 30 instead of the upper end). The storage level can be detected.

As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of discharge ports 31 are formed in the floor 30. The discharge ports 31 are formed in two rows. A first partition portion 50 is arranged directly above the discharge port 31 . In this specification, "directly above" and "directly below" refer only to positions when viewed in the vertical direction, and have no bearing on whether or not they are adjacent in the vertical direction. That is, there is no mention of whether or not other members or spaces are interposed between the first partition section 50 and the discharge port 31.

The first partition section 50 partially partitions the interior space of the warehouse 10. As a result, a first unfilled space 51 that is not filled with solid matter is formed directly below the first partition 50. In this specification, "directly below" and "directly above" refer not only to the position when viewed in the vertical direction, but also to having an adjacent positional relationship in the vertical direction. That is, the first unfilled space 51 is located directly below the first partition 50, and the first partition 50 and the first unfilled space 51 are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction.

The first partition 50 extends to the floor 30. That is, the first partition section 50 is supported on the floor 30. The first partition part 50 has a triangular shape having two inclined parts that are angled diagonally (60 degrees in this embodiment) with respect to the floor 30 when viewed in longitudinal section. A plurality of openings 52 are formed in each of these two inclined portions in parallel in the horizontal direction. The discharge port 31 and the opening 52 are arranged at positions overlapping each other when viewed from the opening direction of the opening 52. The opening 52 allows the filling space 21 and the first unfilled space 51 (and thus the discharge port 31) to communicate with each other. As a result, the solid matter filled in the filling space 21 is guided to the discharge port 31 via the opening 52. According to the first partition part 50 having the above-described shape, no solid matter remains on the first partition part 50. However, the first partition section 50 can have any shape.

When the first unfilled space 51 is formed as described above, all the weight of the solid objects in the filled space 21 can be suppressed from acting on the solid objects near the discharge port 31. As a result, the occurrence of bridging near the discharge port 31 can be suppressed.

The first partition section 50 may be supported from above by a beam or the like instead of being supported on the floor 30. In this case, the opening 52 may not be formed in the first partition 50, and instead, the gap between the first partition 50 and the floor 30 serves as the opening 52 (i.e. It may also play the role of guiding the solid matter filled in the filling space 21 to the discharge port 31. However, by supporting the first partition section 50 on the floor 30 as in this embodiment, the structure of the warehouse 10 can be simplified. Furthermore, support structures such as beams do not impede the flow of solid objects.

As shown in FIG. 1, an underground pit 90 is formed below the floor 30. The underground pit 90 is provided with a chute 91 and a conveyor 92. The solids discharged from the discharge port 31 are guided by a chute 91 to a conveyor 92, and conveyed by the conveyor 92 to subsequent equipment (for example, power generation equipment). A shutter (not shown) may be provided on the lower surface of the discharge port 31 to open and close the discharge port 31 . This shutter may be closed when performing maintenance on the conveyor 92. The first unfilled space 51 has the effect of reducing the load of solid objects acting on the shutter or conveyor 92 in addition to the effect of suppressing the occurrence of bridging described above. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the solids discharged from the two left and right discharge ports 31 in FIG. 92 may be provided. If this is done, the flow of the solid material on the chute 91 tends to be asymmetric between the left and right sides, so the occurrence of bridging on the chute 91 can be suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the second partition 40 extends from the inner surface of the outer wall 20 at a predetermined height to the floor 30. In this embodiment, the second partition section 40 is formed over the entire outer periphery of the warehouse 10. As a result, a filling space 21 is formed inside the second partition 40, and solid objects are formed outside the second partition 40, that is, between the second partition 40 and the outer wall 20. A second unfilled space 41 is formed. Since the second partition 40 completely partitions the interior space of the warehouse 10, the second unfilled space 41 is separated from the filling space 21 by the second partition 40. Therefore, the worker can enter and leave the second unfilled space 41 regardless of the storage status of solid matter in the filled space 21.

A gas injection device 60 is installed in the second unfilled space 41 (details will be described later). Since the second unfilled space 41 is formed in a size that allows a worker to enter and exit, the worker can perform maintenance work and operation of the gas injection device 60 (when performing manual operation of the gas injection device 60). can be easily performed in the second unfilled space 41. Moreover, since the second unfilled space 41 is formed over the entire outer periphery of the warehouse 10, the convenience of the work flow line is improved. Furthermore, since the area of the bed 30 located within the filling space 21 is reduced, the amount of solid matter remaining (the amount remaining in the flat portion without being led to the discharge port 31) can be reduced. Therefore, the burden of residue removal work is reduced. However, the second unfilled space 41 may be formed only in a part of the outer periphery of the warehouse 10.

In this embodiment, the second partition portion 40 has a side surface shape of an inverted truncated cone. Therefore, the lower end of the second partition 40 can be brought closer to the discharge port 31 compared to the case where a part of the second partition 40 extends in the vertical direction. As a result, the area of the bed 30 located within the filling space 21 is reduced, making it possible to further reduce the amount of solid matter remaining.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first partition 50 is installed to cross the inside of the second partition 40. Then, in consideration of the strength of the floor 30, a discharge port 31 as large as possible is secured in the interior of the first partition part 50, that is, in the floor 30 facing the first unfilled space 51, in the transverse direction. Ru. According to this configuration, the area of the bed 30 located within the filling space 21 can be further reduced, and the amount of residual solid matter can be further reduced.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, two warehouse entrances 25 are formed in the outer wall 20 (only one is shown in FIG. 1, but two warehouse entrances 25a and 25b are shown in FIG. 2). ). FIG. 2 shows the outer wall 20 including the underground portion, and the warehouse entrances and exits 25a and 25b are actually formed near the ground level. Doors may be provided at the warehouse entrances and exits 25a and 25b. As shown in FIG. 4 , the warehouse entrance 25 communicates with the second unfilled space 41 . The second partition part 40 that partitions the first unfilled space 51 and the second unfilled space 41 has an unfilled space entrance 42 (two shown as unfilled space entrances 42a and 42b in FIG. 2). ) is formed. Therefore, the first unfilled space 51 communicates with the second unfilled space 41 without going through another space. Therefore, the operator can efficiently move between the first unfilled space 51 and the second unfilled space 41.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the vicinity of the discharge port 31. FIG. 5 shows how the solid matter 15 (indicated by hatching) filled in the filling space 21 is discharged to the discharge port 31 through the opening 52. The solid material 15 exiting the opening 52 flows into the outlet 31 with an angle of repose θ1 determined by the physical properties of the solid material 15. As shown in FIG. 5, the pile of solid objects 15 discharged from the opening 52 on one side and the pile of solid matter 15 discharged from the opening 52 on the other side do not interfere with each other. With this configuration, the flow on one mountain is not obstructed by the flow in the opposite direction on the other mountain, so it is possible to suppress the occurrence of bridging.

Moreover, since there is a gap between the peaks in the first unfilled space 51, the floor 30 located between the peaks can be used as a maintenance path that does not interfere with solid objects and allows people to enter and exit the floor 30. It can be used as In the example shown in FIG. 5, a maintenance passage with a width D1 is secured. In this example, the floor 30 in the first unfilled space 51 is provided at a position retracted further inward than the lower end inside the pile of solid objects 15 . In other words, the discharge port 31 extends to the inside of the pile of solid matter 15. Therefore, the solid matter 15 is less likely to scatter onto the floor 30 in the first unfilled space 51. As a safety measure, if a mesh-structured cover (for example, grating) is provided on the discharge port 31, a maintenance passage having a width D2 larger than the width D1 can be secured. However, the floor 30 in the first unfilled space 51 may extend to the lower end inside the pile of solid objects 15 to ensure a maintenance path with a width D2.

The operator may periodically inspect the inside of the first unfilled space 51 and check whether a bridge has occurred. Even though a sufficient amount of solid matter is stored in the filling space 21 (this can be confirmed, for example, by a level meter 70 or a camera), the solid matter must be discharged from the specific opening 52. For example, it can be seen that a bridge occurs near the opening 52. Alternatively, when the warehouse 10 is emptied, the worker in the first non-filling space 51 may move the solid matter 15 remaining on the floor 30 facing the filling space 21 to the discharge port 31 using a rake or the like. You may also perform the work of scraping it out and discharging it.

A gas injection device 60 is installed in the first unfilled space 51 (details will be described later). A worker can easily perform maintenance work and operation of the gas injection device 60 (in the case of manually operating the gas injection device 60) in the first unfilled space 51.

In order to secure a maintenance passage in the first unfilled space 51, the width D3 of the lower end of the first partition 50 is set such that the angle of repose θ1 of the solid object 15 is 60 degrees (in FIG. 5, (as shown), a passage with a width of 1 m or more (that is, width D1 or width D2 of 1 m or more) that does not interfere with the solid material 15 flowing from the opening 52 toward the discharge port 31 is secured. may be designed. When the solid object 15 is biomass fuel, the angle of repose θ1 is generally less than 60 degrees at most, so this design condition is such that the maintenance passage does not interfere with the solid object 15 in the first unfilled space 51. It can be said that this is almost the minimum condition for securing on the floor 30. The maintenance passage may have a width larger than 1 m because the wider the maintenance passage, the more convenient it is. Further, the width D3 may be designed according to the angle of repose θ1 depending on the characteristics of the solid object 15 to be stored, and the smaller the angle of repose θ1, the larger the width D3 to be secured becomes.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a modification of the structure near the opening 52 of the first partition 50. As shown in FIG. In the illustrated example, the floor 30 in the region outside the first partition 50 (that is, inside the filling space 21 ) is raised by mortar 33 . As a result, the lower end 53 of the opening 52 is located at the same level as the upper surface 34 of the mortar 33. According to this configuration, no solid matter retention space is formed below the opening 52. Therefore, the amount of residual solid matter can be further reduced. The floor 30 of the first unfilled space 51 may also be raised to the same level as the floor 30 of the filled space 21.

In the warehouse 10 described above, a configuration for suppressing the occurrence of bridges and destroying the bridges when they occur near the opening 52 will be described below. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration for destroying a bridge. As illustrated, a gas injection device 60 is arranged in each of the first unfilled space 51 and the second unfilled space 41. The gas injection device 60 is provided to inject gas (air in this embodiment) from the first unfilled space 51 or the second unfilled space 41 to the filled space 21 to destroy the bridge. The gas injection device 60 includes a main body 61 and a flexible pipe 62. The main body 61 can use any known method. For example, the main body 61 may include a gas compression tank and a solenoid valve.

The first partition portion 50 forming the first unfilled space 51 includes a first slope portion 54 and a second slope portion 55 . Both the first inclined part 54 and the second inclined part 55 are angled with respect to the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. A plurality of through holes 56 are formed in the first inclined portion 54 so as to communicate between the first unfilled space 51 and the filled space 21 . Similarly, a plurality of through holes 56 are formed in the second inclined portion 55 so as to communicate the first unfilled space 51 and the filled space 21 . The gas injection device 60 installed in the first unfilled space 51 injects gas from the first unfilled space 51 to the filled space 21 through these through holes 56 .

The opening of the through hole 56 on the first unfilled space 51 side is located at a higher position in the vertical direction than the opening of the through hole 56 on the filling space 21 side. In other words, the through hole 56 extends diagonally downward to the filling space 21 when viewed from the first unfilled space 51 side. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the solid matter stored in the filling space 21 from entering the first unfilled space 51 through the through hole 56 or from clogging the through hole 56 with solid matter. Moreover, since the vector of the gas injected through the through hole 56 has a vertical component, the range in which the bridge can be destroyed is widened. In other words, if a bridge occurs within the range that gas can reach in the vertical direction, the bridge can be destroyed.

FIG. 8A is a front view showing the arrangement of the through holes 56 in the first inclined part 54, and shows the first inclined part 54 viewed from inside the filling space 21. As illustrated, the openings of the through holes 56 on the filling space 21 side are provided at four different positions in the horizontal direction. Further, the openings of the through holes 56 on the filling space 21 side are provided at two different positions in the vertical direction. Although not shown, the second inclined portion 55 is also provided with a plurality of through holes 56 in the same way as the first inclined portion 54 . According to this configuration, gas can be injected from a plurality of positions, so the range in which the bridge can be destroyed becomes wider. The gas may be injected from the plurality of through holes 56 simultaneously or sequentially. Alternatively, the gas may be injected only from a specific through hole 56 selected from among the plurality of through holes 56 depending on the position where the bridge occurs.

As shown in FIG. 7, tubes 57 are attached to these through holes 56. One end of the tube 57 is welded to the inner surface of the first partition 50 so that the through hole 56 and the tube 57 communicate with each other. In this embodiment, the pipe 57 is installed so that the pipe 57 and the through hole 56 are substantially aligned in order to reduce flow path resistance. A flange 57a is formed at the other end of the tube 57. A flexible pipe 62 of the gas injection device 60 can be connected to this flange 57a. Gas is injected into the filling space 21 by operating the main body 61 with the flange 57a and the flexible pipe 62 connected. In this way, by attaching the pipe 57 to the through hole 56, the solid object stored in the filling space 21 can be moved through the through hole regardless of the thickness of the first inclined portion 54 or the angle of repose of the solid object. 56 into the first unfilled space 51 can be reliably prevented.

In this embodiment, the number of gas injection devices 60 installed in the first unfilled space 51 is smaller than the number of through holes 56 . The gas injection device 60 is provided with a connecting portion for directly or indirectly connecting to the through hole 56 in a detachable manner. In this embodiment, the connecting portion is realized as a flange 62a provided at the tip of the flexible pipe 62 for connecting to the flange 57a. Therefore, by selectively switching the connection destination of the gas injection device 60 by the operator, one gas injection device 60 can be shared by two or more through holes 56 . The example shown in FIG. 7 illustrates a state in which the gas injection device 60 is connected to the lower through hole 56 and the gas injection device 60 is not connected to the upper through hole 56. According to this configuration, the number of gas injection devices 60 can be reduced. In an alternative embodiment, a flexible pipe 62 may be connected to each of the plurality of pipes 57 in advance, and the connection destination of the main body 61 may be switched between these flexible pipes 62. However, the same number of gas injection devices 60 as the number of through holes 56 may be installed.

Similarly, the second partition part 40 angled with respect to the horizontal and vertical directions includes a second partition part 40 that penetrates the second partition part 40 so as to communicate the second unfilled space 41 and the filled space 21. A plurality of through holes 43 are formed. The gas injection device 60 installed in the second unfilled space 41 injects gas from the second unfilled space 41 to the filled space 21 through these through holes 43 .

FIG. 8(b) is a front view showing the arrangement of the through holes 43 in the second partition part 40 facing the first inclined part 54, and shows the state where the second partition part 40 is viewed from inside the filling space 21. It shows. As illustrated, the through holes 43 are provided in two stages in the vertical direction. The openings of the upper (upper) through holes 43 on the filling space 21 side are provided at four different positions in the horizontal direction. The openings of the lower (lower) through holes 43 on the filling space 21 side are provided at five different positions in the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, the upper through holes 43 and the lower through holes 43 are provided in a staggered manner. Although not shown, a similar through hole 43 is also formed in the second partition part 40 facing the second inclined part 55.

The upper through hole 43 is mainly used to destroy the bridge, but when the amount of solid matter stored in the filling space 21 is almost empty, the solid matter remaining on the second partition part 40 is used to destroy the bridge. It can also be used to guide solid objects into the opening 52. On the other hand, when the amount of solid matter stored in the filling space 21 is almost empty, the lower through hole 43 is configured to open the solid matter remaining on the second partition portion 40 and/or the floor 30. 52.

As shown in FIG. 7, similarly to the through hole 56, the opening of the upper through hole 43 on the second unfilled space 41 side is larger than the opening of the upper through hole 43 on the filling space 21 side in the vertical direction. It's in a high position. Therefore, since the vector of the gas injected through the upper through hole 43 has a vertical component, the range in which the bridge can be destroyed is expanded. On the other hand, since the lower through hole 43 is not intended to destroy the bridge, the opening on the second unfilled space 41 side of the lower through hole 43 is the filled space of the lower through hole 43 in the vertical direction. It is located at the same height as the opening on the 21 side. Even in this case, the solid matter stored in the filling space 21 will not enter the second unfilled space 41 through the lower through hole 43, or the lower through hole 43 will be clogged with the solid matter. can be suppressed. However, like the upper through hole 43, the lower through hole 43 may also be angled diagonally downward. Conversely, the through-hole 56 and the upper through-hole 43 may be oriented horizontally, similar to the lower through-hole 43.

In the present embodiment, the lower through hole 43 is provided at approximately the same height as the lower end of the opening 52 in the vertical direction. By providing the lower through hole 43 at such a low position, more solid objects can be guided into the opening 52. In an alternative embodiment, the lower through hole 43 may be located lower than the lower end of the opening 52.

Pipes 44 are attached to these upper and lower through holes 43. Pipe 44 has the same configuration as pipe 57. In this embodiment, the number of gas injection devices 60 installed in the second unfilled space 41 is smaller than the number of through holes 43, and one gas injection device 60 is installed in two or more through holes 43. shared.

In this embodiment, the opening of the through hole 56 on the filling space 21 side and the opening of the upper through hole 43 on the filling space 21 side are at different positions in the vertical direction. More specifically, the opening of the upper through hole 43 on the filling space 21 side is the same as the opening of the upper through hole 56 on the filling space 21 side and the opening of the lower through hole 56 on the filling space 21 side in the vertical direction. It is placed between the opening. According to this configuration, gas can be injected from inside and outside of the filling space 21 at a plurality of positions in the vertical direction, so the range in which the bridge can be destroyed becomes wider. For example, if gas is injected from the lower through hole 56 as indicated by arrow A1, the bridge generated at position P1 slightly above the opening 52 can be destroyed. Moreover, if gas is injected from the upper through hole 43 as shown by arrow A2, the bridge generated at position P2 above position P1 can be destroyed. Further, by injecting gas from the upper through hole 56 as shown by arrow A3, the bridge generated at position P3 above position P2 can be destroyed.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the through holes 56 and the through holes 43 are provided in two stages in the vertical direction, but the through holes 56 and/or the through holes 43 are provided in one stage or three or more stages. Further, the number of through holes 43 and/or through holes 56 in one stage may be appropriately set to an arbitrary number of 1 or more.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the direction of gas injection, and shows the inside of the storage warehouse 10 viewed from above. As shown in the figure, four gas injection devices 60 (labeled 60a) are installed in the first unfilled space 51 for the eight upper through holes 56. Although not shown, four gas injection devices 60 are separately installed for the eight through holes 56 on the lower side. The four illustrated gas injection devices 60 can inject gas between adjacent openings 52 as shown by arrows when viewed from above. In this way, the number of through holes 56 and, by extension, the number of gas injection devices 60 can be reduced. However, the number of through holes 56 and the number of gas injection devices 60 may be set so that gas can be injected toward each of the openings 52.

Four gas injection devices 60 (labeled 60b) are installed in the second unfilled space 41 for the eight upper through holes 43. When viewed from above, gas can be injected from these four gas injection devices 60 toward the two outermost openings 52 in the row of five openings 52, as shown by the arrows. Gas can be injected between the middle three openings 52 in the row of openings 52 . With this configuration as well, the number of upper through holes 43 and, by extension, the number of gas injection devices 60 can be reduced.

Furthermore, two gas injection devices 60 (designated with reference numeral 60c) are installed in the second unfilled space 41 for the ten lower through holes 43. Although arrows are not shown in FIG. 9, as shown in FIG. Since five partitions are provided in each of the second partitions 40 facing the inclined part 55, gas can be injected from the ten lower through holes 43 toward each of the ten openings 52.

In the warehouse 10 described above, the gas injection device 60 can be used, for example, as follows. First, the gas injection device 60 installed in the first unfilled space 51 is connected to the lower through hole 56 (all eight or a portion thereof) closest to the opening 52. Then, gas is repeatedly injected from the gas injection device 60 at regular timing. Regular timing may be periodic timing. This operation may be realized by a worker manually operating the gas injection device 60, or may be executed automatically by timer control. This repeated gas injection is performed even when the occurrence of bridging is not confirmed. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of bridging. In an alternative embodiment, instead of or in addition to the lower through hole 56, gas may also be injected from at least one of the upper through hole 56 and the upper through hole 43 simultaneously or sequentially.

The worker then periodically patrols the first unfilled space 51 to check for the occurrence of bridging. When the occurrence of bridging is confirmed, the worker identifies the location where the bridging occurs. For example, the operator may use the through hole 56 of the first partition 50 or the upper through hole 43 of the second partition 40 as a viewing window to see through the filling space 20 of the through hole 56 or the upper through hole 43. You may also check the storage status of solid objects at the side opening. In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the first partition 50 (only the first ramp 54 is shown in FIG. 10) includes viewing windows 80a, 80b. The viewing windows 80a, 80b include through holes 81a, 81b and tubes 82a, 82b. The through holes 81a and 81b are similar to the through hole 56. The tubes 82a and 82b have the same configuration as the tube 57 except that they do not include the flange 57a.

The viewing windows 80a and 80b are provided at different positions in the vertical direction. More specifically, the opening of the viewing window 80a on the filling space 21 side is the opening of the lower through hole 56 on the filling space 21 side and the opening of the upper through hole 43 on the filling space 21 side in the vertical direction. , is located between. The opening of the viewing window 80b on the filling space 21 side is located between the opening of the upper through hole 43 on the filling space 21 side and the opening of the upper through hole 56 on the filling space 21 side. There is.

The openings of the through holes 81a and 81b on the side of the filling space 21 are closed with a transparent member (for example, tempered glass) to prevent solid objects from entering and to allow the operator to see the inside of the filling space 21. It may be The viewing windows 80a and 80b may be provided at a plurality of different positions also in the horizontal direction.

Since solid objects located below the point where the bridge occurs are discharged from the opening 52, for example, if solid objects are stored when looking into the filling space 21 through the viewing window 80a, the bridge will be discharged through the viewing window 80a. This means that this occurs vertically below the opening on the filling space 21 side (for example, position P1 in FIG. 10). In this case, the operator can destroy the bridge by connecting the flexible pipe 62 to the lower pipe 57 and injecting gas from the lower through hole 56.

If no solid objects are stored when looking into the filling space 21 through the viewing window 80a, and if solid objects are stored when looking into the filling space 21 through the viewing window 80b, the bridge will move in the vertical direction. , occurs between the opening of the viewing window 80a on the filling space 21 side and the opening of the viewing window 80b on the filling space 21 side (eg, position P2 in FIG. 10). In this case, the operator can destroy the bridge by connecting the flexible pipe 62 to the upper pipe 44 and injecting gas from the upper through hole 43.

If no solid matter is stored when looking into the filling space 21 through the viewing window 80b, the bridge will occur vertically above the opening of the viewing window 80b on the filling space 21 side (for example, position P3 in FIG. 10). That means you are doing it. In this case, the operator can destroy the bridge by connecting the flexible pipe 62 to the upper pipe 57 and injecting gas from the upper through hole 56. As described above, the operator can visually identify the location where the bridge occurs and manually operate the gas injection device 60 to destroy the bridge.

In an alternative embodiment, the viewing window is an opening on the filling space 21 side of the through hole for injecting the gas (in this embodiment, an opening on the filling space 21 side of the lower through hole 56 and an opening on the filling space 21 side of the upper through hole 43). The opening on the filling space 21 side and the opening on the filling space 21 side of the upper through hole 56 are respectively provided so as to open into the filling space 21 at the same height. In this case, the position at which the gas is injected and the position at which it is confirmed whether or not a bridge has occurred coincide in the vertical direction, so that it is possible to more accurately determine the position at which the gas should be injected. In other alternative embodiments, a viewing window may be provided in the second partition 40 instead of or in addition to the first partition 50.

In other alternative embodiments, the warehouse 10 may be equipped with sensors configured to detect the accumulation of solid objects within the filling space 21. In this way, the operator can identify the location where the bridging occurs without visually checking. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, sensors 180a and 180b are installed in the through holes of the second partition 40 and the first partition 50 (FIG. 10 shows only the first inclined portion 54). You can. The sensor 180a includes a light emitting section 181a and a light receiving section 182a. The light emitting section 181a and the light receiving section 182a are arranged at the same level (vertical position). Depending on whether or not the light emitted from the light emitting section 181a is received by the light receiving section 182a, it is possible to detect whether there is a solid substance accumulated at that level. Similarly, the sensor 180b can also detect the presence or absence of accumulated solid matter at a different level from the sensor 180a using the light emitting section 181b and the light receiving section 182b. The plurality of sensors 180a and 180b may be arranged at a plurality of different positions in the horizontal direction. Although FIG. 11 shows a configuration that detects the accumulation of solid objects at the same level as the viewing windows 80a and 80b shown in FIG. 10, the sensors 180a and 180b The detection position in the vertical direction may be made to coincide with the gas injection position.

Any type of sensor may be used instead of optical sensors 180a, 180b. For example, an electromagnetic sensor similar to the level meter 70 may be used. Alternatively, mechanical sensors may be used. For example, a member that is displaced from its initial position (e.g., falls or is pushed down) when subjected to a load (i.e., when the load of a solid object acts on it), and is returned to its initial position by a biasing member when it is not subjected to a load. A sensor may be used that detects the displacement of.

In this way, by using the detection results of the level meter 70 and the sensors 180a and 180b, it is possible to automatically detect whether or not a bridge has occurred. Furthermore, by installing sensors at multiple positions, it is also possible to identify the location where bridging occurs. The warehouse 10 may include notification means for notifying workers of the presence or absence of bridging and the location where bridging occurs. Alternatively, if the gas injection device 60 is always connected to both the through hole 56 and the through hole 43, the warehouse 10 may include a control device for automatically controlling the gas injection device 60. This control device may be configured to inject gas only from the through hole 56 or the upper through hole 43 corresponding to the location where the bridging occurs, upon detection of the bridging occurrence.

When the amount of solid matter stored in the filling space 21 is almost empty (below a predetermined amount) (this can be confirmed, for example, by the level meter 70 or a camera), the upper and/or lower Gas may be injected from the through hole 43. For example, first, gas may be injected from the upper through hole 43 to guide the solid matter remaining on the second partition portion 40 downward. Thereafter, gas may be injected from the lower through hole 43 and the remaining solid matter may be guided to the opening 52. This injection of gas may be performed manually by an operator, or may be automated. In this way, most of the solid matter remaining from above the second partition part 40 to the flat part of the floor 30 can be guided to the opening 52 (and by extension, to the discharge port 31).

The gas injection device 60 may be configured to be able to selectively inject one of air and nitrogen gas. For example, the main body 61 may be configured to be selectively connectable to an air source and a nitrogen gas source. In this case, during normal times, air is injected from the gas injection device 60, and on the other hand, when a fire occurs, nitrogen gas is injected from the gas injection device 60, so that the inside of the warehouse 10 can be purged with nitrogen. In this case, nitrogen gas may be injected from all of the through holes 56 and 43.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments of the invention described above are for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and the present invention includes equivalents thereof. In addition, it is possible to combine or omit each component described in the claims and the specification to the extent that at least part of the above-mentioned problems can be solved or at least part of the effect can be achieved. . For example, the gas injection device 60 may be installed in only one of the second unfilled space 41 and the first unfilled space 51. Alternatively, only one of the second unfilled space 41 and the first unfilled space 51 may be formed. Alternatively, instead of the configuration in which gas is injected from the second unfilled space 41, gas may be injected from outside. Alternatively, a part of the gas injection device 60 (for example, the main body 61) may be installed outdoors. Alternatively, gas may be injected from the first unfilled space 51 through the opening 52 into the filled space 21 . Alternatively, instead of the gas injection device 60 described above, a portable gas injection device may be used, and the gas injection device may be shared between the plurality of through holes 56 or 43. Alternatively, a configuration in which the gas injection device 60 repeatedly injects gas at regular timing to prevent the occurrence of bridging can be realized separately from the above-described various structures of the warehouse 10.

10...Storage warehouse 15...Solid material 20...Outer wall 21...Filling space 25, 25a, 25b...Warehouse entrance 30...Floor 31...Outlet 33...Mortar 34 ...Top surface 40...Second partition part 41...Second unfilled space 42, 42a, 42b...Unfilled space entrance/exit 43...Through hole 44...Pipe 50... First partition part 51... First unfilled space 52... Opening 53... Lower end 54... First inclined part 55... Second inclined part 56... Through hole 57 ...Pipe 57a...Flange 60, 60a, 60b, 60c...Gas injection device 61...Main body 62...Flexible piping 62a...Flange 70...Level meter 80a, 80b... Viewing window 81a, 81b...Through hole 82a, 82b...Pipe 90...Underground pit 91...Chute 92...Conveyor 180a, 180b...Sensor 181a, 181b...Light emitting part 182a, 182b...light receiving section

Claims (16)

A gravity flow storage warehouse for temporarily storing and discharging solid materials,
A floor with an outlet formed therein;
a partition that at least partially partitions an internal space of the storage warehouse into a filling space filled with the solid material and an unfilled space not filled with the solid material;
and a gas injection device configured to inject gas from the unfilled space to the filled space,
The storage warehouse is configured to allow people to enter and exit the unfilled space even when the filled space is filled with the solid material. The storage warehouse according to claim 1,
The partition portion includes an inclined portion angled with respect to a horizontal direction and a vertical direction,
A through hole is formed in the inclined part and passes through the inclined part so as to communicate the unfilled space and the filled space,
The gas injection device injects the gas from the unfilled space to the filled space through the through hole. The storage warehouse according to claim 2,
The opening of the through hole on the unfilled space side is at the same height in the vertical direction as the opening of the through hole on the filled space side, or the opening of the through hole on the filled space side Storage warehouse located higher than the opening. The storage warehouse according to claim 2 ,
The through hole includes a plurality of through holes,
The openings on the filling space side of the plurality of through holes are located at different positions in at least one of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. The storage warehouse according to claim 4,
At least a portion of the gas injection device is configured to be shared by at least two of the plurality of through holes. The storage warehouse according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The partition section includes a first partition section,
The first partition section is
located directly above the outlet,
A first unfilled space that is at least a portion of the unfilled space is formed directly below the partition, and the internal space is partially partitioned so that the filled space and the discharge port communicate with each other. Warehouse. The storage warehouse according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The storage warehouse has an outer wall,
The partition section includes a second partition section,
The second partition extends from the inner surface of the outer wall at a predetermined height to the floor,
The filling space is formed inside the second partition,
A storage warehouse, wherein a second unfilled space, which is at least a portion of the unfilled space, is formed between the second partition and the outer wall and is isolated from the filled space. The storage warehouse according to claim 7, which includes claim 6 as a dependent source,
In the storage warehouse, the gas injection device is capable of injecting gas from the first unfilled space to the filling space at a first injection position, and is capable of injecting gas from the first unfilled space to the filled space at a second injection position. configured to be capable of injecting gas from the unfilled space to the filled space,
The first injection position and the second injection position are respectively set at different positions in the vertical direction. Storage warehouse. The storage warehouse according to claim 6,
outer wall and
a second gas injection device configured to inject gas from the outside of the outer wall into the filling space. The storage warehouse according to claim 9,
In the storage warehouse, the gas injection device is capable of injecting gas from the first unfilled space to the filling space at a first injection position, and injecting gas from the outside at a second injection position. configured to be capable of injecting gas into the filling space,
The first injection position and the second injection position are respectively set at different positions in the vertical direction. Storage warehouse. The storage warehouse according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The storage warehouse includes a viewing window in which the partition section allows viewing of the inside of the filling space from the non-filling space. The storage warehouse according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
A storage warehouse comprising a sensor configured to detect a storage situation of the solid object in the filling space. The storage warehouse according to claim 12,
The gas injection device is configured to inject the gas at a timing based on a detection result by the sensor. The storage warehouse according to claim 13, which includes claim 4 as a dependent source,
The sensor includes a plurality of sensors configured to respectively detect storage conditions of the solid object at different positions,
The gas injection device is configured to inject the gas using only a specific through hole among the plurality of through holes determined based on detection results by the plurality of sensors. . The storage warehouse according to any one of claims 1 to 14,
The gas injection device is configured to repeatedly inject the gas at regular timing. Storage warehouse. The storage warehouse according to any one of claims 1 to 15,
The gas injection device is configured to be able to selectively inject either air or nitrogen gas.

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