WO2022079159A1

WO2022079159A1 - A pneumatic conveyor system

Info

Publication number: WO2022079159A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/078431
Authority: WO
Inventors: Asger Kildevang KNUDSEN
Original assignee: KONGSKILDE INDUSTRIES AS; Kongskilde Ind AS
Current assignee: KONGSKILDE INDUSTRIES AS; Kongskilde Ind AS
Priority date: 2020-10-16
Filing date: 2021-10-14
Publication date: 2022-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 2023-04-16
Also published as: EP4228985A1

Abstract

A pneumatic conveyor system comprising a conveyor tube (1) with an inlet end (2) and an outlet end (3) and a bended section (4) between the inlet end (2) and the outlet end (3). The pneumatic conveyor system further comprises a blower (5) adapted for providing an air flow from the inlet end (2) to the outlet end (3), and at least a part of the wall of the conveyor tube (1) near the downstream end (7) of the bended section (4) forms a continuously downwardly sloping inner slide (9) from the upstream end (6) to the downstream end (7) of the bended section (4).

Description

Title:

A pneumatic conveyor system

Prior art:

The present invention relates to a pneumatic conveyor system comprising a conveyor tube with an inlet end and an outlet end and a bended section between the inlet end and the outlet end, and where the pneumatic conveyor system further comprises a blower adapted for providing an airflow from the inlet end to the outlet end.

Conveyor systems of this kind are well known in the prior art for using the flowing air as a carrier for conveying various kinds of articles or bulk ware. In this relation, it is mostly air that is used for this purpose, but it is evident that other gasses may be used in specific situations. Therefore, in this context, the word air is to be understood as covering any gas that is suitable for conveying.

These systems comprises different embodiments of conveyor tubing with straight, bended and branched sections adapted for efficiently conveying the articles or bulk ware from specific position to a selected destination.

In certain situations, such as when recycling collapsed beverage bottles or tins where residual beverage in the bottles or tins may still be spilled, the articles or bulk ware as well as the air that is sucked into the pneumatic conveyor system are undesirably wet when entering into the pneumatic conveyor system and in these situations driers or separators may be used dewetting the articles in the pneumatic conveyor system. Such driers or separators may however reduce the conveying capacity of the pneumatic conveyor system.

Object of the invention:

Based on this, it is the object of the present invention to provide a pneumatic conveyor system providing simple means for removing liquid form the air sucked into the pneumatic conveyor tube and/or from the wet articles or bulk ware without reducing the conveying capacity of the system.

This is achieved by the invention according to claim 1 by providing that the wet articles or bulk ware conveyed through the pneumatic conveyor tube is slinged though the bended section of the pneumatic conveyor tube. Thereby the liquid is slinged outwards from the air and/or the articles or bulk ware and hits the wall of the pneumatic conveyor tube where it flows relatively slowly out of the conveyor tube.

Preferably, at least the lowermost part of the wall of the conveyor tube near the downstream end of the bended section comprises a grate with holes leading to a fluid receptacle. This allows that the liquid can be separated at any position along the pneumatic conveyor tube.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the fluid receptacle is a branched tube extending from the conveyor tube.

In this relation the branched tube may preferably comprise a water trap or a valve or the like being adapted for providing a closed end of the branched tube, and for allowing draining of liquid from the branched tube either when necessary, or when the liquid level rises to a specific level.

The wall of the conveyor tube may advantageously form a continuously downwardly sloping inner slide from the upstream end of the bended section and to the grate, and so that liquid in the pneumatic conveyor tube flows by gravity to the grate.

Any type of blower may be used for providing the flow of air though the pneumatic conveyor tube, but in a preferred embodiment, the blower is a venturi blower.

Furthermore, the venturi blower may advantageously be arranged in the conveyor tube at a position downstream from the grate, so that the turbulence created by the venturi blower has only little influence on the dewetting function.

In this relation, the blower is advantageously arranged in a straight section of the conveyor tube.

The grate may advantageously be formed by multiple holes manufactured in the wall off the conveyor tube, so that the inside of the pneumatic conveyor tube is very smooth.

The advantages of the present invention can be achieved with bended sections of many different shapes and sizes, but in a preferred embodiment, the bended section forms a single turn coil.

In this relation, the single turn coil may preferably have a constant radius. An especially simple construction of the grate can be achieved when the grate is arranged in a straight section of the conveyor tube and in the lowermost part of the wall of the conveyor tube just downstream from the bended section.

The drawing:

Figure 1 : Is a perspective drawing showing one embodiment of a pneumatic conveyor system according to the invention.

Figure 2: Is a sectional drawing showing a side view of the pneumatic conveyor system as shown in figure 1 .

Figure 3: Is a phantom drawing showing a detail of the pneumatic conveyor system as shown in figure 1 in a first embodiment.

Figure 4: Is a phantom drawing showing a detail of the pneumatic conveyor system as shown in figure 1 in a second embodiment.

Figure 5 Is a perspective drawing showing a second embodiment embodiment of a pneumatic conveyor system according to the invention.

Description of an embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 and 2 shows one embodiment of a pneumatic conveyor system according to the present invention. This embodiment is suitable for separating liquid from the surfaces of e.g. collapsed beverage containers, such as plastic bottles or tins. It will, however, be apparent to the skilled person that this or similar pneumatic conveyors according to the present invention can be used for removing liquids from other articles such as wet plastic products and bulk ware.

The embodiment shown in figure 1 and 2 has a straight conveyor tube section 10 wherein multiple wet items enter into the inlet end 2 of the pneumatic conveyor. From the inlet end 2 of the pneumatic conveyor the items are conveyed by the air flow created in the pneumatic conveyor tube by the venturi blower through the straight tube 10 into the bended tube section 4 and further through the venturi blower and the straight tube section 11 leading to the outlet end 3 of the pneumatic conveyor system.

During this process liquid in the air and e.g. on the surfaces of the items that entered into the inlet end 2 is slinged outwards to hit the wall of the conveyor tube especially when the items move through the bended section 4, and this liquid will flow down on the downwardly sloping slide 9 as shown in figure 2 and into the branched tube 12. In the branched tube 12 it will flow further down into the bucket 8, and the items will continue to move further through the venturi blower and the straight tube section 11 leading to the outlet end 3 of the pneumatic conveyor system as mentioned above, where the content of liquid due to the separation of liquid in the bended section 4 of the pneumatic conveyor tube, will be significantly reduced.

In this relation the embodiment shown in figure 1 through 4 have the blower 5 arranged after the bended section 4 in order to avoid that turbulence in the air flow in the pneumatic conveyor 1 does not affect the separation process in the bended section 4.

Especially when conveying larger items in the pneumatic conveyor system then the items will easily pass the branched tube and continue through the blower 5 to the outlet 3, but in other situations the items may flow into the branched tube or are stuck at the tube branch in the conveyor tube so that multiple items accumulate and blocks the conveyor tube. In order to avoid this the pneumatic conveyor system can have a grate 14 arranged covering the passage to the branched tube such as it is shown in figure 3 and 4.

In this relation, the grate can have many different embodiments in order on one hand to ensure that the items safely passes the grate in the pneumatic conveyor tube, and on the other hand to ensure that the liquid efficiently flows through the holes in the grate. In figure 3 the grate 14 is formed by multiple small holes in the wall of the conveyor tube, and thereby this grate is very suitable e.g. for conveying relatively small items.

In figure 4 a number of substantially parallel rods 15 extending in the flow direction of the items forms a different grate that may be more suitable when conveying larger items.

From the following it will be apparent to the skilled person that the principle according to the present invention can be used in relation to pneumatic conveyor systems having a different layout that the one shown in figures 1 through 4. In this relation figure 5 shows a different embodiment without the branched tube 12 where the blower 5 is positioned upstream from the bended section 4.

In the embodiment shown in figure 5 both the items conveyed in the pneumatic conveyor system and liquid slinged away from the items in the bended section 4 flows to the outlet end 3. Separation of the liquid from the items are then provided in that the liquid will drip into the bucket 8 not far from the outlet end 3 whereas relatively light items will fall farther away from the outlet.

Claims

8 a i m s: A pneumatic conveyor system comprising a conveyor tube with an inlet end and an outlet end and a bended section between the inlet end and the outlet end, and where the pneumatic conveyor system further comprises a blower adapted for providing an air flow from the inlet end to the outlet end, and wherein at least a part of the wall of the conveyor tube near the downstream end of the bended section forms a continuously downwardly sloping inner slide from the upstream end to the downstream end of the bended section. A pneumatic conveyor system according to claim 1 , wherein at least the lowermost part of the wall of the conveyor wall of the conveyor tube near the downstream end of the bended section comprises a grate with holes leading to a fluid receptacle. A pneumatic conveyor system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fluid receptacle is a branched tube extending from the conveyor tube. A pneumatic conveyor system according to claim 3, wherein the branched tube comprises a water trap or a valve adapted for providing a closed end of the branched tube, and for allowing draining of excess liquid in the branched tube. A pneumatic conveyor system according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the blower is a venturi blower. A pneumatic conveyor system according to claim 5, wherein the venturi blower is arranged in the conveyor tube at a position downstream from the grate. 9 A pneumatic conveyor system according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the venturi blower is arranged in a straight section of the conveyor tube. A pneumatic conveyor system according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the grate is formed by multiple holes manufactured in the wall off the conveyor tube. A pneumatic conveyor system according to one or more of the preceding claims wherein the bended section forms a single turn coil. A pneumatic conveyor system according to claim 9, wherein the single turn coil has a constant radius. A pneumatic conveyor system according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the grate is arranged in a straight section of the conveyor tube and in the lowermost part of the wall of the conveyor tube just downstream from the bended section.