Bulk material conveying system and ejector therefor

• US 6,345,936 B2
• Filed: 01/25/1999
• Issued: 02/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Young Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Young Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Pfeiffer, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DILLON JR, JOSEPH A
• Application Number:
  US09/236,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20010041103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 406/144, 406/153, 406/194, 406/197, 137/268, 239/427, 239/428
• US Class Current: 406/197
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/14 the gas flow inducing feed of the materials by suction effect

Abstract

An ejector for providing motive gas for conveying particulate solids from a solids supply vessel through a conveying pipeline includes a gas introduction stage and a solids introduction stage. The gas introduction stage includes a fluids mixing chamber having a principal inlet port for connecting to a source of high-pressure compressed gas, an outlet port connected to the solids introduction stage, and a secondary inlet port that is open to the atmosphere or other low-pressure gas source. The solids introduction stage includes a fluids/solids mixing chamber having an, inlet port connected to the gas introduction stage, an outlet port for connecting to a pipeline, and a material receiving port for connecting to a vessel outlet. As the compressed gas enters the gas introduction stage, the high velocity gas induces atmospheric air or other low-pressure gas from the secondary inlet port, thus increasing the mass flow into the solids introduction stage.

Claims

1. A method of conveying particulate solids from a vessel to and through a conduit comprising injecting a first gas under a predetermined pressure through a first venturi, a first chamber communicating with a source of a second gas under a pressure less than the pressure of said first gas, a second venturi, a second chamber communicating with said vessel and said conduit whereby said first gas will be caused to educe said second gas as it traverses said first chamber providing a gas/gas mixture of increased mass flow and said gas/gas mixture will be caused to educe said particulate solid as it traverses said second chamber providing a gas/gas/solids mixture injected into said conduit.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said first gas is injected into said first chamber at a pressure in the range of 80 to 120 psig.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said second gas is at atmospheric pressure.

4. A method according to claim 1 including adjusting the relationship of the areas of an orifice of said first venturi and an inlet of said second gas to provide a selected mass flow.

5. A method according to claim 4 including adjusting said relationship to provide at least a 1:

1 ratio of said first and second gases.