A dry granular material transfer system and method for transfer of granular material such as sand in a dry state through a hose using pressurized air. On a base platform, a conveyor subsystem moves granular material placed on a lower portion to a higher portion while separating clumped material and allowing rocks and debris to fall away, spreading the granular material in a thin layer for ejection at the highest level. A containment subsystem receives granular material and contains the downward fall of material. A portioning subsystem has a turntable with blow-through chambers which receive granular material and move into line with an air inflow tube and air-material outflow tube, and the air-material mixture is blown through the air-material outflow tube and through a transfer hose.

A sanding system for a rail vehicle includes a housing of a cellular wheel sluice having an inlet located at the top and an outlet located at the bottom, a pivotably mounted cellular wheel having a plurality of cells, and a motor that is coupled with the cellular wheel. The sanding system further includes a container connected to the inlet of the cellular wheel sluice for receiving brake sand, or a feed line connected to the inlet of the cellular wheel sluice for transporting brake sand, and a discharge line connected to the outlet of the cellular wheel sluice for transporting brake sand. The motor for driving the cellular wheel is thereby arranged above the inlet.

An input assembly, adapted to receive a quantity of material to be fed, includes a single input opening above and first and second spaced outlet openings below. An output assembly is operatively coupled to and fixedly positioned beneath the input assembly and is adapted to receive material from the input assembly for feeding through dual discharge tubes. A reciprocating assembly, located between the input and output assemblies, includes first and second chambers. A drive mechanism is adapted to reciprocate the chambers between a first orientation where the first chamber is being filled while the second chamber is being discharged and a second orientation where the second chamber is being filled while the first chamber is being discharged.

A reactive hopper assembly for feeding a low pressure cold spray applicator for applying powder coatings is disclosed. A powder feed cartridge provides powder feed to a reaction chamber. An impeller housing is interconnected with the reaction chamber for receiving powder feed from the reaction chamber for metering powder feed received from the reaction chamber. A hopper vessel receives metered powder feed from the impeller housing for providing powder to the low pressure cold spray applicator. The reaction chamber is fluidly connected to a source of a reactive gas for chemically modifying the powder feed for in situ reducing surface oxidation of the powder feed.

A process for pressurizing bulk material in a hopper; wherein the hopper is configured as a lock hopper (29) containing a bulk material, a source of pressurized gas, lines (22, 26, 28) to convey the pressurized gas from the source to one or more inlets (30) of the lock hopper, a valve arranged in the lines, wherein the opening position of said valve (34, 35) is controlled to provide pressurizing gas to the lock hopper at a preset constant gas volume flow rate.

A discharge device for granular materials, with a housing having at least one inlet for the granular materials, and with a rotor that is connected to a motor, rotates about an axis of rotation and has multiple vanes and chambers located between the vanes, the granular materials being conveyable from the at least one inlet to at least one outlet when the rotor rotates. The axis of rotation of the rotor is vertical and the rotor is preferably arranged inside an essentially cylindrical wear liner.

There is herein described an adjustable multi-hole orifice plate in a pneumatic conveying apparatus. More particularly, there is described an adjustable multi-hole orifice plate which can be used in a pneumatic conveying apparatus to assist in the discharge of material.

A system for discharging dry solids into high pressure environments is disclosed. The system includes a hopper, a feeder device coupled to the hopper, and a discharge device disposed downstream relative to the feeder device. The feeder device includes a rotatable casing including a plurality of pockets, a stationary core disposed within the rotatable casing, and a plurality of valves. Each pocket includes an inlet, an outlet, and a plurality of first through-holes. The stationary core includes a plurality of channels, where each channel includes a plurality of second through-holes. Each valve is disposed at the outlet of a corresponding pocket from the plurality of pockets. The discharge device includes a valve actuator configured to actuate each valve.

A reactive hopper assembly for feeding a low pressure cold spray applicator for applying powder coatings is disclosed. A powder feed cartridge provides powder feed to a reaction chamber. An impeller housing is interconnected with the reaction chamber for receiving powder feed from the reaction chamber for metering powder feed received from the reaction chamber. A hopper vessel receives metered powder feed from the impeller housing for providing powder to the low pressure cold spray applicator. The reaction chamber is fluidly connected to a source of a reactive gas for chemically modifying the powder feed for in situ reducing surface oxidation of the powder feed.

A system for discharging dry solids into high pressure environments is disclosed. The system includes a hopper, a feeder device coupled to the hopper, and a discharge device disposed downstream relative to the feeder device. The feeder device includes a rotatable casing including a plurality of pockets, a stationary core disposed within the rotatable casing, and a plurality of valves. Each pocket includes an inlet, an outlet, and a plurality of first through-holes. The stationary core includes a plurality of channels, where each channel includes a plurality of second through-holes. Each valve is disposed at the outlet of a corresponding pocket from the plurality of pockets. The discharge device includes a valve actuator configured to actuate each valve.