Optimizing product flow in a drop chute by controlling the shape and position of vortices present in the system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9801333-B2
Application number	US-201715608005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2017
Priority date	Jun 17, 2014
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

An air cart has a drop chute for conveying an agricultural product such as seed, from a metering device to a venturi portion of a product conveyance tube. The drop chute has a contoured downstream sidewall resulting in changes in drop chute width which introduce vortices providing an enhanced product flow. The downstream sidewall has an inward sloping region reducing the drop chute width beginning closely adjacent the metering device and continuing down about one-third the way from the metering device to the conveyance tube, and an abrupt corner causing an increase in drop chute width near the product conveyance tube followed by a curved region creating a gradual further increase in width terminating adjacent to the product delivery tube. A large low speed vortex is created near the inward sloping region and a small strong vortex is created adjacent the curved region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air cart having a pneumatic source for supplying a flow of air entrained agricultural product downstream in a product conveyance tube from a product hopper to be applied by a utilization implement to an agricultural field, including:
a metering device for supplying product from the hopper to the product conveyance tube; and
an elongated drop chute of a variable generally rectangular cross-sectional configuration having a front wall, a rear wall, an upstream sidewall and a downstream sidewall extending downwardly from the metering device to the product conveyance tube;
the rear wall and upstream sidewall remaining essentially flat from the metering device to the product conveyance tube;
the downstream sidewall having an inward sloping region reducing the drop chute width beginning closely adjacent the metering device and continuing down about one-third the way from the metering device to the conveyance tube; and
an abrupt corner causing an increase in drop chute width near the product conveyance tube followed by a curved region creating a gradual further increase in width formed by an arcuate region extending downwardly and terminating adjacent to the product conveyance tube.

2. The air cart of claim 1 , wherein the product conveyance tube is of a generally hollow cylindrical cross-section and the abrupt corner occurs at a distance approximately one-half the outer diameter of the product conveyance tube from the tube.

3. The air cart of claim 1 , wherein the gradual further increase in area causes a small strong vortex to be formed adjacent thereto.

4. The air cart of claim 3 , wherein the strong vortex accelerates product in a circular motion to facilitate the direction change from vertically downward to horizontal through the product conveyance tube.

5. The air cart of claim 1 , wherein the inward sloping region induces a large low-speed vortex below the metering device in the vicinity of the sloping region and functions to funnel product toward the center of the metering device.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Roberge Martin J
• Roberge Ryan C
• Millie Stewart J
• Bent Ethan C S

Classifications

• B65G29/02

  for inclined or vertical transit · CPC title

• A01C7/084

  Pneumatic distribution heads for seeders · CPC title

• A01C7/206 Primary

  Seed pipes · CPC title

• B65G11/066

  for bulk · CPC title

• A01C7/082 Primary

  Ducts, distribution pipes or details thereof for pneumatic seeders · CPC title