A conveying system for conveying a conveyable material from a hopper where the system includes a fluid port located below the hopper outlet and in a vertical flow path into hopper outlet that can be momentarily opened for an on the go release of a charge of compressed air directly upward into the hopper outlet and into the underside of the bridge in the hopper to either disintegrate or unlock the bridged particles from each other thereby causing the bridged material to fall into the hopper outlet and into the conveying system where the material can be transported to a remote location or to remove any material that may be adhering to the wall during an emptying phase.

Methods and apparatuses for conveying particulate material are described. A particulate material conveying apparatus may comprise a slide duct having a slide duct axis. The slide duct may comprise an interior region, and the interior region may have a top third interior region, a middle third interior region, and a bottom third interior region. The top third interior region is disposed above the middle third interior region and the middle third interior region is disposed above the bottom third interior region. The duct further defines an opening. An air movement mechanism may be connected to the duct an configured to move air through the opening into the slide duct in a direction of the slide duct axis such that a greater amount of air exits through the bottom third interior region than either of the top third interior region or the middle third interior region.

A method of pneumatically conveying superabsorbent particles, wherein the superabsorbent particles have been admixed with an aqueous wax dispersion prior to the pneumatic conveying, the wax has a glass transition temperature of at least 65 C. and, based on the untreated super-absorbent particles, from 0.020% to 0.20% by weight of wax has been used.

The method includes covering a first opening of at least one first chute using a lid, delivering air from a pressurized air source into the at least one first chute, and advancing at least one first plunger through a first end of the at least one first chute to transfer a product through a second end of the at least one first chute and into a first open side of at least one first box.

An apparatus for distributing gases and, optionally, liquids into a control valve includes a collar and a plurality of gas distribution devices. The collar includes a first side, a second side opposite the first side, an inner bore formed through a central portion of the first side and the second side, an outer edge positioned between the first side and the second side and which defines an outer perimeter of the collar, an inner edge positioned between the first side and the second side and which extends around the inner bore to define an inside perimeter of the collar, and a plurality of passages that extend through the outer edge and inner edge without penetrating the first and second sides. The plurality of gas distribution devices are mounted into the passages of the collar.

An apparatus for distributing gases and, optionally, liquids into a control valve includes a collar and a plurality of gas distribution devices. The collar includes a first side, a second side opposite the first side, an inner bore formed through a central portion of the first side and the second side, an outer edge positioned between the first side and the second side and which defines an outer perimeter of the collar, an inner edge positioned between the first side and the second side and which extends around the inner bore to define an inside perimeter of the collar, and a plurality of passages that extend through the outer edge and inner edge without penetrating the first and second sides. The plurality of gas distribution devices are mounted into the passages of the collar.

In one embodiment, a pneumatic distribution system configured to distribute a granular product to an agricultural implement includes a first pressure sensor, a second pressure sensor, and a controller. The first pressure sensor is configured to be fluidly coupled to a storage tank configured to store the granular product and positioned upstream of the meter roller. The first pressure sensor is configured to output a first signal indicative of a first static pressure in the storage tank. The second pressure sensor is configured to be fluidly coupled to a component of the pneumatic distribution system, downstream of the meter roller. The second pressure sensor is configured to output a second signal indicative of a second static pressure downstream of the meter roller. The controller is communicatively coupled to the first pressure sensor and to the second pressure sensor. The controller is configured to determine a pressure differential, wherein the pressure differential is the difference between the first static pressure and the second static pressure. The controller may also be configured to generate a first warning when the first static pressure is below a threshold value and output the first warning to an operator interface, generate a second warning when the pressure differential is below a desired range and output the second warning to the operator interface, and generate a third warning when the pressure differential is above the desired range and output the third warning to the operator interface.

In one embodiment, a pneumatic distribution system configured to distribute a granular product to an agricultural implement includes a first pressure sensor, a second pressure sensor, and a controller. The first pressure sensor is configured to be fluidly coupled to a storage tank configured to store the granular product and positioned upstream of the meter roller. The first pressure sensor is configured to output a first signal indicative of a first static pressure in the storage tank. The second pressure sensor is configured to be fluidly coupled to a component of the pneumatic distribution system, downstream of the meter roller. The second pressure sensor is configured to output a second signal indicative of a second static pressure downstream of the meter roller. The controller is communicatively coupled to the first pressure sensor and to the second pressure sensor. The controller is configured to determine a pressure differential, wherein the pressure differential is the difference between the first static pressure and the second static pressure. The controller may also be configured to generate a first warning when the first static pressure is below a threshold value and output the first warning to an operator interface, generate a second warning when the pressure differential is below a desired range and output the second warning to the operator interface, and generate a third warning when the pressure differential is above the desired range and output the third warning to the operator interface.

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique in which deposition of powder during pneumatic transport can be inhibited by a pipe body having a simple structure. The present invention is a pipe for transporting powder including a transport path which has a portion formed by a curved pipe and through which pneumatically transported powder passes, and a blowing path through which a gas is blown into the transport path from an opening formed on an inner circumferential surface of the curved pipe, in which the blowing path blows the gas in a direction in which the gas blown into the transport path from the opening forms a swirling flow along the inner circumferential surface of the curved pipe.

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique in which deposition of powder during pneumatic transport can be inhibited by a pipe body having a simple structure. The present invention is a pipe for transporting powder including a transport path which has a portion formed by a curved pipe and through which pneumatically transported powder passes, and a blowing path through which a gas is blown into the transport path from an opening formed on an inner circumferential surface of the curved pipe, in which the blowing path blows the gas in a direction in which the gas blown into the transport path from the opening forms a swirling flow along the inner circumferential surface of the curved pipe.