Method for separating a granular mixture in a flowing medium and device for carrying out said method

Abstract

The invention is used in various branches of industry, in particular in agriculture for preparing seeds for sowing and for selection purposes. The method of separating a granular mixture in a flowing medium is based on a gravitational supply of particles, with an aerodynamic, monotonously increasing action thereon with a cascade of flat jets, said cascade being stabilized in terms of pressure and discharge. Large impurities are removed from the granular mixture beforehand, and stable parameters are maintained in the separation chamber. The device comprises a vibrating screen, an adjustable hopper with an agitator and a vibrating chute, a generator of a cascade of flat jets, which is connected to a drive for supplying air under pressure, a fraction collector and a separation chamber. The output of the separation chamber is covered with a filtering element in the form of a rotating drum with a calibrating sifter on the surface, said sifter being connected to a cyclone.

Claims

1. A method for separating a granular mixture in a flowing medium consisting of providing gravitational supply of the mixture's particles, removing large impurities from the granular mixture, separating the granular mixture with an aerodynamic monotonously increasing action of a cascade of flat jets, at a sharp angle to a vertical plane of the cascade, said cascade being stabilized in terms of pressure and discharge, wherein most of the air flow used for separation is recycled through a return path into a drive supplying air to a generator of the cascade of flat jets, discharging continuously an impassable fraction of volatile impurities together with dust and remaining air stream into environment through a unit in the form of a cyclone, wherein the granular mixture supplied in the flowing medium into an adjustable hopper preconditioned by removing therefrom large impurities of biological and mineral origin, creating a cascade of flat jets for further continuity of the separation process, formed from an entire air stream pressure, previously equalized, and a laminar continuous flow of air, and from a gravitational supply of blown loose granular mixture falling into a separation chamber, setting up the cascade to provide required kinetic energy of falling with simultaneously forced stabilization of the granular mixture volume substances volume, and it continuously supplied for separation, changing automatically a power of the flat jets cascade in case of an unexpected change of quantity or volume of gravitational supply of loose mixture into the separation chamber is carried out by means of a vibrating hopper with the ability to adjust the height of the fall and the volume of the mixture, continuously supplied to the separation or a change of electrical parameters of an electrical conduit, particularly, tension, voltage, frequency, by an unexpected change of local electrical power grid parameters particularly voltage or frequency, by appropriate adjustment of operating mode, or power, of the drive supplying air to the generator, by continuous replenishment of air flow returned through the return path with an additional volume of air to compensate for loss of the air flow lost after removing a part of the air together with dust into the environment by removing continuously or periodically an excess of air pressure in the separation chamber in order to maintain constant flow conditions of separation process of granular mixtures, by protecting the separation zone or area of the granular mixture from impact of the environment on the separation process, particularly influence of weather and other environmental conditions like rain, wind, drafts, wherein the entire process of separationfrom loading granular mixture to discharging of finished fractionsif necessary, can be controlled visually, and finished fractions can be removed and move away to any distance from a fraction collector to the desired location.

2. A device for separating a granular mixture in a flowing medium, comprising a control panel, a generator of a cascade of flat jets, disposed one above the other at an acute angle to the vertical plane nozzles, which is connected to a drive for supplying air under pressure, and covered with side walls, a charging hopper with a vibrating chute mounted beneath the generator, a fraction collector made in the form of a frame with sliding out chutes to remove direct and inverse fractions, rotary shutters located above the side walls, a separation chamber whose output is covered with a filtering element in the form of a rotating cylindrical drum with a calibrating sifter on a surface, that is connected with a cleaner on the outside wherein the cleaner of the filtering element is made in the form of a slotted confuser, with a taken out ventilator and a device for removing impurities into the environment made in the form of a cyclone with a waste adjustable hopper placed in a way that the filtering element is adjacent to a slit of a confuser with a gap, which one of the edges is equipped with a cleaning element, a rotating drum with inside cavity equipped with a return path, which connects the rotating drum to the drive supplying air to the generator of the cascade of the flat jets, a mechanical means situated above the hopper which is used for a preliminary preparation of the granular mixture, made in the form of an inclined vibrating screen, with flat or cylindrical structure, through which the loose mixture falls into the hopper, a technical means located between an actuator and the generator of the cascade of flat jets to straighten air stream pressure and laminar flow along the path, which is made in the form of one or more sliding bars, a loading hopper, having ability to regulate its own height relatively to a top nozzle of the jets generator, with ability of changing an angle of inclination, wherein the hopper is equipped with a rotary agitator to break down holdups of the mixture and with a hemispherical shutter to regulate amount of the supplied mixture to the vibrating chute, wherein the rotary shutters of fraction sets are equipped with an aerodynamic profile made of an elastic or other material with upper ends of streamline shape or a non-resilient covering of a fleece woven/nonwoven material, in the form of lashes, brushes, and others which is a technical means for damping kinetic energy of falling particles of the mixture, wherein the particles collide with edges of the rotary shutters to avoid damage to, deformation and fracture of separated flowing particles of the loose mixture, wherein output tray holes of fraction chutes are installed being capable of turning to any angle, to allow the separated material be removed in any desired location and/or pipes are mechanically connected with sleeves, a product pipe line of the required length, for a possibility of removal of finished fractions at a certain distance from the device, wherein the sleeves are connected to branch pipes by means of flanges or other fastening elements, wherein the control panel of the device is portable, and the device is a self-contained modular with a possibility of dismantling into separate blocks for ease of preventive maintenance, fast replacement of individual blocks, and, if necessary, transportation, especially of large batches of devices to customers, wherein the drive air supply to the generator is made in the form of a centrifugal or other type of a fan, like an impeller, with an electric motor, kinematically connected with a working member of the fan by means of a flexible transmission in the form of a belt, and the drive air supply is provided with a valve for regulation of flow volume of air delivered into the transmission, wherein the auto-regulation mode is performed with a help of a frequency regulator or other similar technical tool.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that when the method is applied to dry granular mixtures, a maximum possible aerodynamic capacity of the cascade of flat jets is applied, and the dried granular mixture is collected in one place, without separation into fractions, wherein if necessary, as determined by moisture characteristics of air at an outlet of the separation chamber, the dried granular mixture is re-directed to the original position for gravity feed to repeat an action on the granular mixture by the cascade of the powerful air jets wherein, during drying, exhaust moist air from the separation chamber is discharged directly into the environment without returning the air into the drive through the return path, wherein the drying, if necessary, is carried out by heated under dried air, which is sucked into the drive from the environment in the summer during a warm weather, or is positively heated by a heater installed before an inlet of an actuator or in any convenient place, wherein in the presence of the return path, the moistened air is returned through the return path to the drive, passing through the air heater, absorbing excess of moisture therefrom, or drying air from the return path by sublimationmoisture freezingor by condensation of moisture from the air stream for which purpose appropriate technical means, like a sublimator or a positioner, are incorporated into the device.

4. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that depending on type and condition of the granular mixture, and on separation tasks, the flat nozzles of the generator of the cascade of flat jets can be formed of parallel plates of the same or different widths or profiles, like corners, or in the way of other mechanical means permitting to create a longitudinal slits in the generator, wherein the generator is made extendable for a possibility of rapid change of one construction to another, wherein the separation chamber is maximally isolated from an ingress of natural environmental factors, which can have a negative influence on the separation process and the environment.

5. The device according to claim 2, is characterized in that when using the device as a dryer, moisture control of exhaust air is carried out by a technical means, like a hygrometer, on parameters of which a degree of the dried, ready free-flowing mixture is assessed, wherein before an entrance to the drive an air heater is mounted for forceful heating air sucked either from the environment or from the return path, if such exists in construction of the device wherein an entrance to the drive air supply may be equipped with a sublimator or an air conditioner for dehydration of air.

6. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the device can be placed on a chassis with driven steering wheels to allow maneuvering of the device without involvement of additional vehicles in the operating position-like in warehouses, grain elevators and during transportation to a new location, wherein the device can be equipped with an automatic loading hopper of the granular mixture in the form of an auger or bucket lift, wherein the device is capable of automatic discharge of the separated or dried material as a finished product, to the desired location.

7. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the trays of collection of fractions are made of a transparent or an opaque fabric or a polymeric material, wherein the trays of collection have a valve to allow sampling fractions, and trays of an unstable form may have a minimum height sufficient only to mount the trays to a frame of the collection of fractions.

8. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that for a possibility of the visual control of the separation or drying process, one of the lateral external surfaces of the entire device or individual units is made of a transparent material, including trays and the return path.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further essence of the proposed technical solutions is explained with the illustrative material, which shows drawings of the proposed device for carrying out the mentioned method of separation of granular mixture in a flowing medium, a side view with a partial section for better demonstrating of the construction and the separation process. The single arrows indicate the air stream in the device, double arrowsreturn of the part of air stream to the generator to reform the cascade of flat jets for separation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

(2) The proposed device for separation of granular mixture 1 in a flowing medium includes a loading unit that consists of a mechanical means for the prior preparation of the granular mixture 1, that is made, for example, in the form of inclined vibrating screen 2 of a flat structure (for this purpose can be used another construction of similar usage, for example, vibrating tables, rotating screens of a drum type). This mechanical tool enables to withdraw from the granular mixture 1 a large impurities of mineral and biological origin and to send it into a specially designed container 3. Under the vibrating screen 2 the hopper 4 is installed with vibrating chute 5 for gravitational feeding of granular mixture 1 into the separation zone. In the hopper 4 the rotating agitator 6 is mounted, that is intended for the destruction of grain vaults in the hopper 4. The amount of output granular mixture 1 from the hopper 4 on the vibrating chute 5 is regulated by a hemispherical shutter 7. The hopper 4 is installed with the possibility of adjusting its height and an angle of inclination with a simple screw mechanism 8 (the mechanism is given as an example, other ones can also be used for this purpose, such as pantograph, the Nurembergal scissors, etc). The described loading unit of the proposed device is located on the vertical column 9.

(3) In column 9 a retractable generator 10 of cascade jets is integrated, as a closed contour volume with a set of a number of flat nozzles 11 for forming a cascade of flat air jets and which are located one under another and at an acute angle to the vertical. The height of cross sections of the nozzles 11, their step and their angle of installation are increasing from top to bottom. In the case of technological necessity, the type and condition of granular mixture 1, the jet generator 10, as a whole, or its nozzle 11 can have another construction, for which the generator is made extendable for the efficiency of replacement it into the necessary part. The jet generator 10 is aerodynamically controlled with the actuator 12 (e.g. with centrifugal fan), that feeds an air stream under the pressure and is kinematically connected (e.g. with a belt transmission 13) with electric motor 14, that sets it in action. In front of the actuator 12 the flap 15 is mounted (made of, for example, in the form of a diaphragm or of another designit does not matter) for the regulation of the air volume, flowing into the actuator 12, as well as at the entrance of the actuator 12, the radiator 16 is located for heating and drying of humid air. This is necessary in case when the device is used as a dryer in order to accelerate and improve the efficiency of the drying process of the grains. If you are using another principle of the dehydration of the air stream that is for drying of the granular mixture 1, before entering into the actuator 12, the air stream supply can be disposed to the sublimator or air conditioner (not shown because of common knowledge). These technical means of heating and dehydration of the air stream can be installed at any other convenient place.

(4) Between the actuator 12 and the generator 10 of a cascade of flat jets, the technical means is arranged to align the air stream according to the pressure and laminar expiration in a cross-section, made in the form of one or more retractable grids 17, the spatial orientation of which in relation to the generator 10 can be changed by their changes in the corresponding slots 18. By the generator 10 from the nozzles 11 the separation chamber 19 is adjacent, which represents a closed volume formed by the side and top walls. At the end of the separation chamber 19, that is on the opposite side from the jet generator 10, a filter element having a form of a rotating cylindrical drum 20 with a calibration sieve 21 (directly the filter) on its cylindrical surface is arranged. The drum 20 at one end is kinematically connected with the rotation drive (not shown because of common knowledge). The second end of the drum 20 is open and adjoin to duct 22 the opposite end of which is adjacent to the drive 12 in order to supply air under pressure to the jet generator 10. The purifier of the air stream from the impassable fractions through the calibration sieve 21 of the impurities is made in the form of successively arranged slit 23, the air suction fan 24, and the cyclone 25 with a hopper 26 for collecting the products of cleaning of the air stream. The slit of the confuser 23 is adjacent to the clearance gauge directly to the calibration sieve 21 of the rotating drum 20. One of the edges (no matter which one) of the slit 23 is provided with a scraper 27 that is made, for example, in the form of a conventional manual brush with the bristles.

(5) Under the separation chamber 19, a fraction collector 28 with trays 29, for collection of direct and returned fractions of the separated material, is situated. After the trays 29 returned fractions occur the lacking volume of air from the environment is sucked in order to compensate the lost air during abstraction of the impurities with help of the slit 23 with the air suction fan 24. The rotary shutter 30 of the fraction collector 28 has an aerodynamic profile and are made of an elastic material with the streamline shape of the upper ends or are covered with a non-elastic plating or with a brushed woven/nonwoven material, in the form of cilia, brushes, etc., that is technical means for damping the kinetic energy of the falling particles of the granular mixture 1 that faces ends of the rotary shutters 30, in order to prevent the injury, deformation and destruction of the separated particles of the granular mixture 1. The shutters 30 may also have a straight or another shape profile, and can be made of metal, wood, etc., if there is a technological need. The nozzles 31 of the outlets of the trays 29 of a fraction collector 28, are installed with the possibility of rotation at any angle that is with the possibility of rotation around its axis. For possibility of exhaust of the separated (finished) material in any desired zone, the nozzles 31 are mechanically connected to the sleeves 32 (units to assign the products) of necessary length in order to allow extraction of the finished fractions at a certain distance from the device, which are connected to the nozzles 31 by flanges or other fastening means. The control panel 33 of the device is made portable or remote, and is connected electromagnatically with the control unit 34 of the device and it is fixed on the column 9, for example.

(6) The device, in general, is made module with the possibility of dismantling it into separate blocks for the convenience of preventive maintenance, for fast replacement of individual units, if necessary, and for easy transportation, particularly of large batches of devices to the customers. The device is mounted on a frame 35, which if necessary, can be installed on a chassis with a driven or non-driven rotatable wheels 36, for the possibility of easy maneuvering of the unit, without involving additional vehicles while changing the operating position, for example, in warehouses, at grain elevators and during the transportation to a new location. However, the wheels 36 is not a mandatory node device. In some cases, for example, when the device is installed in a stationary production line, it just simply leans on the frame, so the wheels in this case are not necessary. The device, if necessary, can be equipped with a hoper automatic loading means of a granular mixture 1, for example, a screw or a bucket lift and with an automatic discharger of the separated or dried material (finished products) in the necessary zone (not shown because of common knowledge).

(7) The proposed method of separation of the granular mixture in a flowing medium, with the help of the proposed device, operates as follows (for example the separation of the grain material).

(8) Before the usage, the device is set up (usually it is done by the manufacturer) according to the kind of granular mixture 1, the mode of air supply to the generator 10, the height and the angle of rotation of the hopper is determined, then the grids 17 are installed in the desired position (stabilizers of the air stream), a set of generators 10 with a variety of nozzles 11 is prepared (according to the type and condition of the granular mixture 1, different designs of nozzles 11 are used that affects performance of the device and the power of the drive 12 for energy optimization of the device), and others. These device settings are carried out in advance for various kinds of granular materials and these settings of parameters are passed to the consumer together with a set of required generators 10 and with the supporting documentation.

(9) The grain material (granular mixture 1) is served as a continuous stream on the inclined vibrating screen 2, where it is separated from the large impurities of mineral and vegetable origin. These impurities are removed in the intended for them container 3, and the purified grain material passes (awakens) through oblique openings of the inclined vibrating screen 2 and get into the hopper 4 and the vibrating chute 5, in which the agitator 6 destroys the grain vaults in event of their occurrence and they move the inclined bottom up responses to the output hopper 4. The amount of the grain material that gets into the vibrating chute 5 is regulated by a hemispherical shutter 7. Next comes the gravitational submission of the granular mixture 1 into the separational chamber 19 from the side of the nozzle 11. On the grains of the granular mixture 1 that are in a free fall and that have a certain kinetic energy of the fall, act flat jets of the generator 10 under an acute angle to the vertical with a cascade of flat jets in their fully developed turbulence that occurs due to distortion by the jets of the generator 10 of the jets, during their expansion in the nozzles 11. At the outlet of the separation chamber 19, laden with dust and mechanical impurities of different shape, the air stream abuts the rotating drum 20, which almost completely covers the output of the separation chamber 19, because it almost equals the width of the chamber. The air stream comes through the calibration sieve 21 into the internal cavity of the rotating drum 20, and the impassable due to the size solid particles remain outside the drum 20, on the surface of the calibrating sieve 21. Thus the calibration of the air current is cleaning of the air stream from the impurities and partially from the dust. After passing the calibration sieve 21 the small impurities fall together with a portion of the air stream inside the rotating drum 20. This part of the air stream together with small impurities enters the air duct 22 and through it returns to the drive 12, almost forcibly by sucking the air from the air duct 22 with the help of the actuator 12. As the drum 20 rotates, its surface (the calibration sieve 21) is continuously cleaned from the failing mechanical impurities with the help of the scraper 27. All waste from the separation process and from the pollution come into the slotted confuser 23, thanks to their suction of the air stream that is created by the air suction fan 24, then they fall into the cyclone 25, where they are separated from the air and then fall into the hopper 26 that is made to collect waste. From the cyclone 25, the cleaned air is returned to the environment with weak power, almost imperceptible stream, and therefore it does not create draughts around the working device.

(10) The returned to the actuator 12 part of the air stream, with a small solid impurities falls on the grids 17, where the air stream is cleaned from impurities, is aligned according the pressure and is transferred into the laminar flowing mode. In this form, the air stream enters the generator 10 of jets and is served into the nozzles 11. During the impact of air jets, the grains of granular mixture 1, are divided into separate fractions and fall into the appropriate for them tray 29 of the fraction collector 28. From the trays 29, the final product is removed by product ducts 32 into the designated area that is selected by the rotation of the nozzles 31 and is defined by the length of the product ducts 32. During the technological breaks, the grids 17 are removed and cleaned of accumulated stains on them, the large impurities from the container 3 is also removed. If there is a need to move the device to a new position, it is autonomously transported on its own wheels 36. If necessary, the generator 10 of the jets can be changed to another one, in accordance with new technological challenges.

(11) In case when the device is used for drying grain material, the filter assembly, the vibrating screen 2, a fractions collector 28 must be removed, because there are not necessary the cyclone 25 may be replaced by a conventional sedimentary chamber that allows to minimize aerodynamic resistance to the movement of air in the separation chamber 19. In this case, the hygrometer is appropriately set, and the mode of drive power 12, and the air supply is changed to the maximum allowable for this type of granular mixture (grain material). The radiator 16 is turned on (if necessary) and so the device is being prepared to be used as an aerodynamic dryer. During the drying of granular mixture 1, the process of impacting of the cascade of jets on the mixture has the similar effects, as at the process of separation.

(12) If one side of all units of the device is made of a transparent material, then it becomes possible to visually observe the whole process of separation (drying), to watch it, and to make timely adjustments. For sampling of the grains material, the respective product ducts 32 can be formed, and the trays 29 can be made of any material, including an unstable form.

(13) A significant difference of the proposed technical solutions from the prior known solutions, lays in a complete stabilization of the process of separation of granular mixture, due to preliminary preparation of the source material, the stabilization according to the pressure, and air stream expiration, in an automatic response to changes in the environment, in possibility of autonomous relocation of the device into the new technological positions, as well as the possibility of withdrawing of the finished product to any desired area, and the use of the process and the device as aerodynamic dryer with heated/not heated dehydrated air. All these differences, allow to qualitatively separate the granular mixture into separate fractions, regardless of any external and internal factors, allow to expand the sphere of the device usage: as for separation, and as for drying, the device is convenient to maintain and relocate it to a new area. None of the known methods of aerodynamic separation and devices for their implementation can have the specified above properties, because they do not contain all the essential features that are inherent in the proposed technical solution.

(14) The proposed technical solutions were tested in practice. The device consists of the conventional parts and components, the method of separation does not contain activities or processes that would be impossible to replicate at the present stage of development of science and technology, particularly, in the field of agricultural engineering, which means, that they are industrially applicable. In the known sources of patent, scientific, technical, and other information, such methods of separation of granular mixture in a flowing medium, as well as devices for their implementation of similar purpose with these great essential features and advantages, are not revealed. Therefore, they meet the criterion of novelty and therefore they are considered to be those that can receive legal protection.

(15) Since the set of essential features that are contained in the proposed technical solutions do not arise and can not be found in the existing prior art, the claimed technical solutions are deemed to contain the required inventive level which will result in issuance of a patent.

Technical Advantages of the Invention

(16) The technical advantages of the proposed technical solutions in comparison with prior art are the following: full stabilization of the separation process (drying) of the granular mixture for all parameters over time due to the lack of influence on the process of external and internal factors; preventing possibility of failure of the device or violation of the separation process by the prior preparation of the granular mixture for the separation process; stabilization of loading of granular mixture in the separation zone due to the presence of technical means in the form of the hopper for breaking grain domes; ability of taking into account the type and physical properties of granular mixture and the kinetic energy regulating its free falling due to the possibility of adjusting the height and the angle of the hopper in the zone of separation; stabilization of cascade jets by supplying the generator aligned according to the pressure and expiration of the laminar air stream; extension of the technical and functional properties of the device due to the possibility of its use, as a separator, and a dryer as dehydrated by heated air and unheated; convenience control of the device due to the remote or portable control panel; the ability to stabilize the separation process due to the timely response to changes in the external (weather) environment and air pressure control in the separation chamber, and the execution of the separation zone isolated from the environment; ease of repairing and preventive maintenance through the use of a block circuit construction scheme of the device; the improved quality of the separation process and preserve the integrity of the grains due to the fact that the rotary shutters have an aerodynamic profile made of elastic material or are provided with the absorbers of kinetic energy of grains falling on them; the possibility of removal of the finished product in any desired area due to the fact that the output connections of the trays are made rotatable and are provided with product ducts; ease of relocation of the device due to the fact that it is mounted on wheels; ease of service by adding to the device additional technical means of loading and unloading of the finished (separated) product; no attachment to a particular kind of electrical network due to the fact that the drive and electric motor are connected kinematically by means of a flexible connection, for example, through a belt transmission; possibility to visually monitor the entire process of separation (drying) of the granular mixture due to the fact that one side of the device is fully or partially made of a transparent material.

(17) The social effect of implementation of the proposed technical solutions, in comparison with prior art devices is obtained by improving the working conditions, ease of maintenance and the transportation of the device, improved quality and increased output of finished products due to the reduction of waste (destroyed and damaged grains).

(18) The economic effect of the implementation of the proposed technical solutions in comparison with prior art devices is obtained by increasing the commercial attractiveness of the device, which will increase the sales, and also by the use of only one device to solve two fundamentally different problemsseparation and drying of the granular mixture.

(19) After the description of the proposed method of separation of the granular mixture in a flowing medium and device for its implementation, for specialists in this field should be apparent that all of the above mentioned is merely illustrative and not restrictive since it is being represented by this particular example. The numerous possible modifications of the device, in particular, its structural elements and units, the principles of parameter settings and methods of operation settings, of course can vary, depending on the type and condition of raw materials, external and internal factors, the volume of production, technological problems, etc., and of course, fall within one of the conventional and natural approaches in this field of knowledge and are so considered in such way that are within the volume of the proposed technical solutions. Set of essential features inherent in the proposed technical solutions obtained through introduction of appropriate structural and technological changes allowed to acquire the proposed method of separation and the device for its implementation for carrying out the above mentioned and other benefits. Introduction of any incremental changes and additions to the proposed items of equipment will naturally limit the range of their advantages, and therefore it cannot be considered as new technical solutions in this field of knowledge, because other similar to the described method of aerodynamic separation of granular mixture in a flowing medium and device for its implementation, will not require any creativity from the designers, technologists and engineers, and therefore can not be considered as the results of their creative activities or a new intellectual property, and no appropriate protection by patent letters can be awarded in accordance with applicable patent law.