High-efficiency material inlet with particulate diffuser plate for use in entraining particulate solids in a prime mover fluid
View Patent ↗An improved pneumatic particulate conveyance system including a particulate diffuser plate is disclosed. The assembly includes a pipeline with one or more particulate inlets for introducing solid particulates to a prime mover, wherein the pipeline has at least one particulate diffuser plate located within the pipeline. The particulate diffuser plate has a length which runs parallel to the prime mover and occludes at least a portion of a particulate inlet so as to increase the surface area exposed to the conveying air, thus resulting in a more efficient momentum transfer to the particulate. The plate used in the assembly further includes an arcuate trailing edge so as to encourage more particulate falling into the middle (i.e., the higher velocity portion of the profile) of the prime mover. In addition, depending upon the diameter and length of the pipeline, the assembly of the present invention may include a plurality of particulate diffuser plates so as to further increase the amount of exposed surface for momentum transfer to the particulate being conveyed.
1. A high efficiency material inlet assembly for entraining particulate solids in a prime mover fluid flow path using a pneumatic system, said assembly comprising:
a) a pneumatic system including a pipeline, said pipeline having a top surface and a bottom surface;
b) at least one particulate inlet defined in a top surface of said pipeline for providing a gravitational flow of particulate into said pipeline; and
c) a plurality of particulate diffuser plates disposed within said pipeline, each of said plates located in a different planes parallel to one another and said prime mover flow path and orthogonal to said gravitational flow of particulate, each of said particulate diffuser plates further defining an occluded portion of said particulate inlet and an open portion of said particulate inlet, such that said occluded portion is disposed vertically between said particulate inlet and said bottom surface such that at least a portion of the gravitational flow of said particulate will impinge upon each of said particulate diffuser plates;
whereby said particulate diffuser plate increase the particulate residence time in the higher velocity portion of the prime mover flow, thus facilitating a greater momentum transfer to said particulate.
2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of said particulate diffuser plates has a trailing edge in operative communication with said particulate inlet, each of said trailing edges defining an arcuate profile.
3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein each trailing edge of said plurality of particulate diffuser plates is located at a different point along the length of said pipeline.
4. A high efficiency material inlet assembly for entraining coarse, heavy particulate solids in a prime mover fluid flow path using a pneumatic system, said assembly comprising:
a) a pneumatic system including a pipeline, said pipeline having a top surface and a bottom surface;
b) at least one particulate inlet defined in a top surface of said pipeline for providing a gravitational flow of particulate into said pipeline; and
c) a plurality of particulate diffuser plates disposed within said pipeline, each of said plates located in a different plane parallel to one another and said prime mover flow path, each of said particulate diffuser plates further defining an occluded portion of said particulate inlet and an open portion of said particulate inlet, such that said occluded portion is disposed vertically between said particulate inlet and said bottom surface such that at least a portion of the gravitational flow of said particulate is to said particulate diffuser plates and will impinge upon each of said particulate diffuser plates, each of said particulate diffuser plates having a trailing edge in operative communication with said particulate inlet, each of said trailing edges defining an arcuate profile;
whereby said particulate diffuser plate increase the particulate residence time in the higher velocity portion of the prime mover flow, thus facilitating a greater momentum transfer to said particulate.