Vibrating Prilling Bucket for Granulation of a Fluid Substance

1 . A vibrating prilling bucket for granulation of a fluid substance, said bucket comprising:

a hub;

an upper plate, a lower plate and a perforated side wall, defining a fluid chamber for the fluid;

a pneumatic vibrating engine connected to vibrating parts of said bucket, and at least a pressurized air inlet for operating said vibrating engine, wherein the bucket comprises a bottom casing defining a bottom sealed chamber separated from the fluid chamber.

2 . The prilling bucket according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom sealed chamber is in communication with said pressurized air inlet of the bucket, in such a way that the bottom chamber is pressurized while the bucket is in operation.

3 . The prilling bucket according to claim 1 , wherein said vibrating engine is installed inside said bottom sealed chamber.

4 . The prilling bucket according to claim 3 , wherein the air inlet of said vibrating engine is open in said chamber, in such a way that in operation the vibrating engine receives the pressurized air feed from the sealed chamber.

5 . The prilling bucket according to claim 3 , wherein the vibrating engine is connected to at least one one-way air-discharge valve.

6 . The prilling bucket according to claim 2 , wherein the hub has an axial passage having an upper end connected to said pressurized air feed, and a lower end in fluid communication with said sealed chamber, said passage of the hub providing pressurization of the sealed chamber.

7 . The prilling bucket according to claim 6 , wherein the hub is connected to a tube shaft for rotation around the axis, and said tube shaft provides the pressurized air feed to the sealed chamber through said axial passage of the hub.

8 . The prilling bucket according to claim 6 , wherein the hub comprises:

a first element coupled to the rotating shaft, and fixed in relation to the vibrating movement, a second element coaxial and slidable into said first element, said second element being coupled to the vibrating engine and associated to the vibrating parts of the bucket;

said second element defining said central axial passage of the hub for the pressurized air feed.

9 . The prilling bucket according to claim 1 , wherein the vibrating engine is directly fixed to a bottom cover of the bucket, defining said sealed chamber.

10 . The prilling bucket according to claim 1 , further comprising at least a vibration sensor.

11 . The prilling bucket according to claim 1 , wherein the vibrating engine is connected to said perforated side wall, and a flexible connection is provided between the side wall and the frame of the bucket, said flexible connection being adapted to act as a mechanical filter for the driving force delivered by said vibrating engine.

12 . An apparatus for the granulation of a fluid substance, comprising at least a prilling bucket according to claim 1 .