Assemblies and methods to extract materials from a retention collection may include a vacuum source including a series of vacuum generators configured to generate a vacuum flow to create a suction between the retention collection and a material collector for extraction of the material from the retention collection and transfer to the material collector. The suction generated by the vacuum flow will be sufficient to draw-in and convey the material in liquid, semi-solid and substantially solid states from the retention collection along a collection conduit and into the material collector for disposal. The vacuum generation assembly may include a filter and sound attenuation chamber connected to the vacuum source configured to receive and filter a vacuum exhaust fluid/air flow portion of the vacuum flow and to attenuate sound generated by the vacuum source.

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.

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.

A method for handling material and conveying air in a pneumatic conveying system for material, which conveying system comprises at least one input point (1) for material, a material conveying pipe (100), which is connectable to an input point (1), and at least two separating devices (10A, 10B), in which the material being conveyed is separated from the conveying air, and also means for bringing about a pressure difference and/or a transporting air flow in the conveying pipe (100) at least during the conveyance of material, which means comprise at least one partial-vacuum source (21). In the method, material is conveyed in a transporting air flow in a material conveying pipe from an input point in a selected manner into one of at least two separating devices (10A, 10B), and that at least one of the aforementioned separating devices (10A, 10B) is configured to function as the standby separating device of a second separating device. The object of the invention is also a separating device arrangement and a waste conveying system.

A method for handling material and conveying air in a pneumatic conveying system for material, which conveying system comprises at least one input point (1) for material, a material conveying pipe (100), which is connectable to an input point (1), and at least two separating devices (10A, 10B), in which the material being conveyed is separated from the conveying air, and also means for bringing about a pressure difference and/or a transporting air flow in the conveying pipe (100) at least during the conveyance of material, which means comprise at least one partial-vacuum source (21). In the method, material is conveyed in a transporting air flow in a material conveying pipe from an input point in a selected manner into one of at least two separating devices (10A, 10B), and that at least one of the aforementioned separating devices (10A, 10B) is configured to function as the standby separating device of a second separating device. The object of the invention is also a separating device arrangement and a waste conveying system.

The invention is directed to a powder supply system (1) for use in an apparatus (100) for producing a three-dimensional work piece by irradiating layers of a raw material powder (4) with electromagnetic or particle radiation. The powder supply system (1) comprises a circuit line (7) configured to conduct a gas stream (9), a conveying device (19) configured to convey the gas stream (9) through the circuit line (7), a powder doser (8) configured to introduce a desired dose of raw material powder (4) into the gas stream (9) flowing through the circuit line (7), a measuring unit (15) configured to measure at least one of a pressure and a volume flow in the circuit line (7) at a position downstream of the powder doser (8), and a control unit (40) configured to control the powder doser (8) based on at least one of a pressure value and a volume flow value measured by the measuring unit (15) in such a manner that the at least one of the pressure value and the volume flow value measured by the measuring unit (15) is within a predetermined range.

The invention is directed to a powder supply system (1) for use in an apparatus (100) for producing a three-dimensional work piece by irradiating layers of a raw material powder (4) with electromagnetic or particle radiation. The powder supply system (1) comprises a circuit line (7) configured to conduct a gas stream (9), a conveying device (19) configured to convey the gas stream (9) through the circuit line (7), a powder doser (8) configured to introduce a desired dose of raw material powder (4) into the gas stream (9) flowing through the circuit line (7), a measuring unit (15) configured to measure at least one of a pressure and a volume flow in the circuit line (7) at a position downstream of the powder doser (8), and a control unit (40) configured to control the powder doser (8) based on at least one of a pressure value and a volume flow value measured by the measuring unit (15) in such a manner that the at least one of the pressure value and the volume flow value measured by the measuring unit (15) is within a predetermined range.

The invention relates to a separator for separating a conveyed medium, preferably air, from a conveyed material (4). Said separator comprises a container (1) which has at least one feed line (3) for the conveyed medium/conveyed material mixture, at east one outlet for the conveyed material (4), and at least one outlet (8) for the conveyed medium. In order to avoid abrasion damage at high conveying speeds or to ensure that said abrasion damage occurs at most only to a small extent, while nevertheless ensuring that the conveying medium and conveying material are reliably separated, an impact wall (14), which adjoins a cover wall (15) at an angle thereto, is located in the housing (1) opposite and at a distance from the outlet end (10) of the feed line (3) in the inflow direction (13) of the conveyed medium/conveyed material mixture. Said impact wall covers the inflow path of the conveyed medium/conveyed material mixture, blocking it from the outlet (8) for the conveyed medium. The conveyed material (4) hits the impact wall (14), which causes the kinetic energy of the conveyed medium to dissipate. The speed of the conveyed medium reduces very quickly after exiting the feed line (13), meaning that it cannot entrain any conveyed material.

The invention relates to a separator for separating a conveyed medium, preferably air, from a conveyed material (4). Said separator comprises a container (1) which has at least one feed line (3) for the conveyed medium/conveyed material mixture, at east one outlet for the conveyed material (4), and at least one outlet (8) for the conveyed medium. In order to avoid abrasion damage at high conveying speeds or to ensure that said abrasion damage occurs at most only to a small extent, while nevertheless ensuring that the conveying medium and conveying material are reliably separated, an impact wall (14), which adjoins a cover wall (15) at an angle thereto, is located in the housing (1) opposite and at a distance from the outlet end (10) of the feed line (3) in the inflow direction (13) of the conveyed medium/conveyed material mixture. Said impact wall covers the inflow path of the conveyed medium/conveyed material mixture, blocking it from the outlet (8) for the conveyed medium. The conveyed material (4) hits the impact wall (14), which causes the kinetic energy of the conveyed medium to dissipate. The speed of the conveyed medium reduces very quickly after exiting the feed line (13), meaning that it cannot entrain any conveyed material.

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 fluff transfer gas from the fluff transfer system as the purge gas in the hydrocarbon recovery system and/or 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.