The present invention relates to a vacuum conveyor for conveying granulate and/or powdery material, the conveyor comprising: a main body having an upper end and a lower end; a cavity inside the main body, said cavity comprising an opening arranged at the lower end of the main body; a valve arranged at the opening position between an open position allowing a flow of granulate and/or powdery material out from the cavity through said opening and a sealing position sealing said opening; an inlet arranged at the upper end of the main body forming an inlet passage into the cavity; a venturi inside the main body at a position being distinct from the cavity, said venturi comprising an inlet and an outlet; and a suction channel fluidly connecting the throat of the venturi with the interior of the cavity at a position at or above the inlet.

An assembly to distribute flowable particulate material, the assembly including: a conduit to which the material is delivered and to which an airstream is supplied to move the material along the conduit to a delivery downstream destination; material delivery means connected to the conduit for delivery of material to the downstream destination; control means operatively associated with the material delivery means to selectively deliver a pre-determined rate of the material to a separator to engage the airstream to concentrate the material in a portion of the airstream, the separator being positioned within the conduit upstream of the material delivery means; air distribution means in constant fluid communication with the separator and the material delivery means to control airflow to the material delivery means.

An assembly to distribute flowable particulate material, the assembly including: a conduit to which the material is delivered and to which an airstream is supplied to move the material along the conduit to a delivery downstream destination; material delivery means connected to the conduit for delivery of material to the downstream destination; control means operatively associated with the material delivery means to selectively deliver a pre-determined rate of the material to a separator to engage the airstream to concentrate the material in a portion of the airstream, the separator being positioned within the conduit upstream of the material delivery means; air distribution means in constant fluid communication with the separator and the material delivery means to control airflow to the material delivery means.

A hydrocarbon recovery system is integrated with a fluff transfer system. The hydrocarbon recovery system is configured for contacting a wet polymer fluff with a purge gas to provide a purged polymer fluff and an overhead stream, and separating a solids stream, a recovered hydrocarbon stream, and a recovered purge gas from the overhead stream. The polymer fluff transfer system is configured to receive the purged polymer fluff from the hydrocarbon recovery system and transport the purged polymer fluff in the fluff transfer system via circulation of a fluff transfer gas. The hydrocarbon recovery system and the fluff transfer system are integrated by utilizing at least a portion of the recovered purge gas from the hydrocarbon recovery system in the fluff transfer system as the fluff transfer gas and optionally utilizing fluff transfer gas from the fluff transfer system as the purge gas in the hydrocarbon recovery system.

A hydrocarbon recovery system is integrated with a fluff transfer system. The hydrocarbon recovery system is configured for contacting a wet polymer fluff with a purge gas to provide a purged polymer fluff and an overhead stream, and separating a solids stream, a recovered hydrocarbon stream, and a recovered purge gas from the overhead stream. The polymer fluff transfer system is configured to receive the purged polymer fluff from the hydrocarbon recovery system and transport the purged polymer fluff in the fluff transfer system via circulation of a fluff transfer gas. The hydrocarbon recovery system and the fluff transfer system are integrated by utilizing at least a portion of the recovered purge gas from the hydrocarbon recovery system in the fluff transfer system as the fluff transfer gas and optionally utilizing fluff transfer gas from the fluff transfer system as the purge gas in the hydrocarbon recovery system.

A filament-transportation device has a plurality of tube elements for transporting filaments from an intake area to an outtake area via an airstream generated by underpressure or overpressure. Each tube element has an end orifice. A baffle-plate unit has a baffle plate having a through-hole, a top surface opposite to the end orifices to stop the transport of the filaments, and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface. The baffle plate includes baffle plate elements associated with the end orifices. Each of the baffle-plate elements has a top surface forming part of the top surface of the baffle plate, a bottom surface forming part of the bottom surface of the baffle plate, and a side surface extending between the top and bottom surface. There is a plurality of bridge elements, each having a top surface forming part of the top surface of the baffle plate, a bottom surface forming part of the bottom surface of the baffle plate, and a side surface extending from the top surface of the bridge element to the bottom surface of the bridge element. The through-hole is defined either by the side surfaces of at least two baffle plate elements or by the side surfaces of at least one baffle plate element and of a side surface of at least one bridge element not facing an end orifice of a tube element, which bridge element connects two spaced apart baffle plate elements from the plurality of baffle plate elements.

A filament-transportation device has a plurality of tube elements for transporting filaments from an intake area to an outtake area via an airstream generated by underpressure or overpressure. Each tube element has an end orifice. A baffle-plate unit has a baffle plate having a through-hole, a top surface opposite to the end orifices to stop the transport of the filaments, and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface. The baffle plate includes baffle plate elements associated with the end orifices. Each of the baffle-plate elements has a top surface forming part of the top surface of the baffle plate, a bottom surface forming part of the bottom surface of the baffle plate, and a side surface extending between the top and bottom surface. There is a plurality of bridge elements, each having a top surface forming part of the top surface of the baffle plate, a bottom surface forming part of the bottom surface of the baffle plate, and a side surface extending from the top surface of the bridge element to the bottom surface of the bridge element. The through-hole is defined either by the side surfaces of at least two baffle plate elements or by the side surfaces of at least one baffle plate element and of a side surface of at least one bridge element not facing an end orifice of a tube element, which bridge element connects two spaced apart baffle plate elements from the plurality of baffle plate elements.

A conveyor installation for plastics granulate comprises a dispatch location at which the plastics granulate with a pressurised carrier gas is dispatched into a conveyor line, a target location that in terms of conveyance is connected to the dispatch location, a humidification unit for humidifying the carrier gas and/or the plastics granulate by adding liquid, wherein a separation device for separating the humid carrier gas from the plastics granulate is provided at the target location.

A conveyor installation for plastics granulate comprises a dispatch location at which the plastics granulate with a pressurised carrier gas is dispatched into a conveyor line, a target location that in terms of conveyance is connected to the dispatch location, a humidification unit for humidifying the carrier gas and/or the plastics granulate by adding liquid, wherein a separation device for separating the humid carrier gas from the plastics granulate is provided at the target location.

Mesofluidic separator assemblies are provided that can include at least a pair of supports configured to extend within a pressure differential axis, and at least one level of a plurality of members extending between the pair of supports. Separator assemblies are also provided that can include at least individual members of the plurality defining a plurality of levels extending from a first level configured to have initial contact with the fluid to be separated and a last level configured to have final contact with the fluid to be separated. Assemblies are also provided that can include each member in a set of members being aligned along one axis that is neither parallel nor normal to the pressure differential axis. Assemblies are provided that can include a conduit configured to facilitate the flow of fluid along a pressure differential axis with the conduit defining at least one cross sectional area that is open. Methods for size separating particles within a fluid are provided. The methods can include providing a fluid having solid particles of at least two sizes into a conduit having a plurality of members.