초록 ▼

Caustic soda beads are transferred from a railcar to a receiving zone by means of an open loop air circuit. Ambient air is compressed in the circuit to a pressure of at least 75 psig in a compressor which simultaneously demoisturizes the air. Thereafter, the air is delivered to a dryer to be further

Caustic soda beads are transferred from a railcar to a receiving zone by means of an open loop air circuit. Ambient air is compressed in the circuit to a pressure of at least 75 psig in a compressor which simultaneously demoisturizes the air. Thereafter, the air is delivered to a dryer to be further demoisturized. The demoisturized, pressurized air is passed through a pressure reducing valve such that the air pressure is reduced to below 25 psig. A first portion of the low pressure air is conducted to the interior of the railcar. A second portion of the demoisturized, low pressure air is conducted through a control valve and then past an outlet of the railcar to cause caustic soda beads to become entrained therein and conducted to the receiving zone. The control valve is automatically adjusted in accordance with the pressure in the railcar to regulate the amount of pressurized air supplied to the railcar in order to maintain a constant pressure within the railcar.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of transferring caustic soda beads from a railcar having an outlet opening, to a receiving zone, said method comprising the steps of: providing an open-loop air circuit which communicates said outlet opening with said receiving zone by means of a transfer conduit, pressurizing ambient air t

A method of transferring caustic soda beads from a railcar having an outlet opening, to a receiving zone, said method comprising the steps of: providing an open-loop air circuit which communicates said outlet opening with said receiving zone by means of a transfer conduit, pressurizing ambient air to at least 75 psig in a compressor while condensing moisture from the air as it is being pressurized, conducting pressurized, partially demoisturized air from said compressor through a dryer to further demoisturize the air, reducing the pressure of said pressurized, demoisturized air to below 25 psig, conducting a first portion of said demoisturized reduced-pressure air into said railcar to pressurize said railcar, conducting a second portion of said demoisturized, reduced-pressure air through an automatic control valve and into said transfer conduit and past said discharge opening to cause caustic soda beads to become entrained in said air, continually sensing the pressure in said railcar and generating a signal indicative of the sensed pressure, supplying said signal to a pneumatic control system connected to said control valve for automatically opening and closing said control valve in accordance with said signal to vary the amount of said first air portion delivered to said railcar to maintain a predetermined pressure therein, said pneumatic control system operated by pressurized air withdrawn from said circuit ahead of said step of reducing said air pressure, conducting the pressurized air and entrained caustic soda beads in said transfer conduit to said receiving zone, and thereafter discharging said pressurized air to atmosphere.