Conveyors: fluid current – Having means for maintaining load in suspension along flow path – Including permeable member
Patent
1986-01-21
1987-04-21
Nase, Jeffrey V.
Conveyors: fluid current
Having means for maintaining load in suspension along flow path
Including permeable member
204 67, 204245, 406156, B65G 5322
Patent
active
046592636
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention concerns a closed apparatus providing potential fluidisation for the horizontal or inclined conveying of materials having the characteristics of fluidisable powders, from a storage region to at least one region to be supplied therewith, said regions being spaced from each other.
The invention also concerns a continuous process for transporting and feeding `reserve containers` with powder substance such as alumina, which makes it possible to supply a packaging processing assembly such as a bagging apparatus or a container filling apparatus, or a production assembly such as an extrusion press or igneous electrolysis tanks in a workshop, from a single region for storing such materials.
The term fluidisable materials is used to cover all the materials, well known to the man skilled in the art, which occur in powder form, being of such granulometry and cohesion that the speed of flow of the air which is blow thereinto has the effect, at low speed, of causing the particles to lose adhesion with each other, and a reduction in the internal frictional forces. Such materials are for example alumina which is intended for igneous electrolysis, cements, plasters, quicklime or slaked lime, fly ash, calcium fluoride, rubber filler material, fecula, catalysts, carbon dusts, sodium sulphate, phosphates, polyphosphates, pyrophosphates, plastics materials in powder form, food substances such as powder milk, flours, etc.
It is well known that such processes have been researched and developed for fluidised-bed transportation of materials in powder form. One example of many is that which involves feeding alumina to igneous electrolysis cells for the production of aluminum.
For that purpose, the alumina, being a powder substance which is transported and solubilised in the electrolytic bath, is progressively consumed as the electrolysis operation takes place, and must be replaced as it is consumed, in such a way that the level of concentration of solubilised alumina is kept within the suitable limits for operation of the cell at full output. Hence, it is necessary to control the amount of alumina which is introduced into the electrolysis tank in such a way that operation thereof is not detrimentally affected by an excess or a deficiency of alumina.
Many apparatuses have been proposed by the man skilled in the art and described in the specialist literature, which are intended to permit a regular feed of alumina to the electrolysis tank. A first apparatus, as described in French patent No. 2 099 434, makes it possible to supply alumina to the electrolysis cell and comprises an alumina storage tank below which is disposed a measuring apparatus for regulating the amount of alumina that issues from the tank and finally a means for the fluidised transportation of the alumina, that means also being known by the term of `air float conveyor`, which is disposed between the measuring apparatus and the cell to be supplied with alumina, the alumina tank and the measuring apparatus being disposed laterally beside the cell. The conveyor means is itself provided with outlet pipes for feeding the cell at a number of points by way of dip tubes which are displaced with an `up-and-down` movement, each delivering substantially the same amount of alumina.
However, such an apparatus suffers from major disadvantages from the point of view of industrial use thereof. In fact, such an apparatus is designed in such a way that it can supply only a single electrolysis tank whereas there is a need to supply a series of electrolysis tanks, comprising for example 60 units. In addition, that apparatus is provided with a storage tank that is remote from the single electrolysis tank that it can feed and hence it gives rise to a substantial response time between the moment of a demand being made for powder materials, and the moment at which the electrolysis tank is supplied with such material. In addition, that apparatus is provided with a plurality of points at which the powder material is introduced into the electrolysis tank, which do not guarantee
REFERENCES:
patent: 3870374 (1975-03-01), Wentzel, Jr. et al.
patent: 4016053 (1977-04-01), Stankovich et al.
patent: 4299683 (1981-11-01), Adorno et al.
patent: 4450053 (1984-05-01), Merz et al.
Materials Handling News, No. 257, Oct. 1978, p. 97, FIG. 6.
Hanrot Jean-Pascal
Volpeliere Jacky
Aluminum Pechiney
Nase Jeffrey V.
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