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A system to fluidize and convey finely divided particulate matter comprises a container with a top and bottom portion separated by a pan with apertures there through and a hatch to receive a volume of particulate matter into the container to be supported on the pan. The pan is funnel-shaped and has

A system to fluidize and convey finely divided particulate matter comprises a container with a top and bottom portion separated by a pan with apertures there through and a hatch to receive a volume of particulate matter into the container to be supported on the pan. The pan is funnel-shaped and has a discharge port at the lowermost portion of the pan. A bridging conveyor tube receives fluidized flow of the particulate matter from the discharge port and conveys the matter to a riser conveyor tube, which elevates the fluidized flow to a receiving bin remove from the container. The bridging conveyor tube and the riser conveyor tube receive gas streams provided through apertures from a bridging gas passage and a riser gas passage, respectively, to sustain fluidized flow from the discharge port of the pan to the receiving bin to minimize the air required to convey the matter.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system, comprising: a selectively sealable container having a top portion, a bottom portion thereunder, a container gas connector, a pan separating the top and bottom portions, and a plurality of apertures through the pan through which gas flows from the bottom portion to the top portion;a disc

1. A system, comprising: a selectively sealable container having a top portion, a bottom portion thereunder, a container gas connector, a pan separating the top and bottom portions, and a plurality of apertures through the pan through which gas flows from the bottom portion to the top portion;a discharge port sealably connected at a low portion of the pan;a bridging conveyor tube having a first end, a second end and a plurality of apertures spaced along a portion of the bridging conveyor tube between the first and second ends, the bridging conveyor tube being sealably connected at the first end to the discharge port;a bridging gas passage, adjoining the bridging conveyor tube, having a gas connector in fluid communication with the plurality of apertures spaced along the portion of the bridging conveyor tube to provide gas flow from the bridging gas passage to the bridging conveyor tube;a vertical riser conveyor tube having a wall with an outer diameter, a plurality of apertures in the wall, a first end connected to the second end of the bridging conveyor tube and a second end positioned adjacent to a receiving bin remote from and elevated relative to the container, the riser conveyor tube being sealably connected at the first end to the second end of the bridging conveyor tube;a riser gas passage, adjoining the riser conveyor tube, having a wall, an outer diameter that is smaller than the outer diameter of the riser conveyor tube, a gas connector and a plurality of apertures in the wall spaced along at least a portion of the riser gas passage, the plurality of apertures sealably engaging the plurality of apertures of the riser conveyor tube through which gas flows from the riser gas passage, through the engaged apertures in the walls of the riser conveyor tube and riser gas passage and into the riser conveyor tube; anda source of the pressurized gas sealably connected to provide pressurized gas to each of the gas connector of the container, the gas connector of the bridging gas passage and the gas connector of the riser gas passage. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the gas connector of the container is sealably connected to provide a flow of a pressurized gas into the bottom portion of the container and through the apertures of the pan into the top portion of the container to fluidize at least a portion of the volume of particulate matter supported on the pan. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein a hatch in the top portion is openable to receive the volume of particulate matter into the container to be supported on the pan there below; and wherein the hatch is closable to seal the container against loss of pressure. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the apertures of the bridging conveyor tube provide a flow of gas from the bridging gas passage into the bridging conveyor tube to sustain the fluidized flow of particulate matter received into the bridging conveyor tube from the discharge port of the pan. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures of the riser conveyor tube and the engaged plurality of apertures of the riser gas passage together provide a flow of gas from the riser gas passage to the riser conveyor tube to sustain the fluidized flow of particulate matter received into the riser gas conveyor tube from the bridging conveyor tube. 6. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a bulk storage unit having an air intake register, an air exhaust register and a filter therebetween; andan air mover to draw air into the air intake register and move the air through the filter and out the air exhaust register. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the bulk storage unit further comprises: a support surface to support bulk packages of the particulate matter to be fluidized and conveyed using the system. 8. The system of claim 6, wherein the source of pressurized air comprises: an air compressor connected to provide pressurized gas to the gas connector of the container, the gas connector of the bridging gas passage and the gas connector of the riser gas passage. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the pressure of the gas provided to the gas connector of the container is greater than the pressure of the gas provided to the gas connector of the bridging gas passage; and wherein the pressure of the gas provided to the gas connector of the bridging gas passage is greater than the pressure of the gas provided to the gas connector of the riser gas passage. 10. The system of claim 9, further comprising: a first pressure regulator to control the pressure of the gas provided to the gas connector of the bridging gas passage. 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising: a second pressure regulator to control the pressure of gas provided to the gas connector of the riser gas passage. 12. A system, comprising: a selectively sealable container having a top portion, a bottom portion thereunder, a pan separating the top and bottom portions and a container gas connector;a discharge port at a low portion of the pan sealably connected to a first end of a bridging conveyor tube having a plurality of apertures;a bridging gas passage having a gas connector in fluid communication with the plurality of apertures of the bridging conveyor tube;a riser conveyor tube having a wall, a first end sealably connected to a second end of the bridging conveyor tube, a second end positioned adjacent to a receiving bin at a location that is remote from the container, and a plurality of apertures through the wall therebetween;a riser gas passage having a wall, an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the riser conveyor tube, a plurality of apertures in the wall that sealably engage the apertures in the wall of the riser conveyor tube and a gas connector in fluid communication with the plurality of apertures;a source of the pressurized gas sealably connected to the gas connectors of the container, the bridging gas passage and the riser gas passage;a first regulator to control the pressure of gas provided from the source of pressurized gas to the gas connector of the bridging conveyor tube; anda second regulator to control the pressure of the gas provided from the source of pressurized gas to the gas connector of the riser conveyor tube;wherein the top portion of the container is openable to receive a volume of finely divided particulate material into the top portion of the container to be supported on the pan; andwherein a flow of pressurized gas from the source, through the gas connector of the container and into the bottom portion of the container passes through the apertures of the pan to enter the top portion of the container as gas streams emerging from the apertures to fluidize at least a portion of the volume of particulate matter supported on the pan to thereby induce the fluidized portion to generally downwardly from the pan through the discharge port. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein a flow of pressurized gas from the source, through the first pressure regulator, through the gas connector of the bridging gas passage passes through the apertures of the bridging conveyor tube to enter the bridging conveyor tube as gas streams emerging from the apertures to sustain the fluidized state of the particulate matter leaving the pan through the discharge port as it moves through the bridging conveyor tube. 14. The system of claim 12, wherein a flow of pressurized gas from the source, through the second pressure regulator, through the gas connector of the riser gas passage passes through the plurality of apertures of the riser gas passage and through the engaged apertures of the riser conveyor tube to enter the riser conveyor tube as gas streams emerging from the apertures to sustain the fluidized state of the particulate matter received from the bridging conveyor tube as it moves through the riser conveyor tube to the receiving bin. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first regulator is set to maintain the pressure of the gas provided to the gas connector of the bridging gas passage at a pressure below that of the gas provided to the gas connector of the container. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second regulator is set to maintain the pressure of the gas provided to the gas connector of the riser gas passage at a pressure below that of the gas provided to the gas connector of the bridging gas passage. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the gas is air. 18. The system of 12, wherein at least a substantial portion of the apertures that provide the flow of gas from the bridging gas passage to the bridging conveyor tube are disposed along a bottom side of the bridging conveyor tube. 19. The system of claim 12, wherein the bulk storage unit further comprises: an air compressor connected to provide pressurized air to the container, the first regulator and the second regulator. 20. The system of claim 12, further comprising: a bulk storage unit having a support surface to support packages of the particulate matter, an air intake register, an air exhaust register, an air mover intermediate the air intake register and the air exhaust register and a filter intermediate the air intake register and the air exhaust register. 21. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures in the riser gas passage are aligned. 22. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of apertures in the riser gas passage are aligned.