Hopper apparatuses for processing a bulk solid, and related systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9969553-B2
Application number	US-201615235895-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2016
Priority date	Aug 12, 2016
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A hopper apparatus comprises a movable wall comprising opposing walls movably connected to a support assembly and oriented at acute angles relative to a central vertical axis of the support assembly, and movement control devices configured and positioned to move the opposing walls along the support assembly to control dimensions of a discharge outlet at least partially defined by converging ends of the opposing walls; a liner assembly comprising liner structures at least partially overlying inner surfaces of the opposing walls and configured to remain at least partially stationary relative to the opposing walls during movement of the opposing walls; and pressure sensors between the inner surfaces of opposing walls and portions of the liner structures thereover. A bulk solids processing system and a method of processing a bulk solid are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hopper apparatus, comprising:
a movable wall assembly comprising:
opposing walls movably connected to a support assembly and oriented at acute angles relative to a central vertical axis of the support assembly; and
movement control devices configured and positioned to move the opposing walls along the support assembly to control dimensions of a discharge outlet at least partially defined by converging ends of the opposing walls;

a liner assembly comprising liner structures at least partially overlying inner surfaces of the opposing walls and configured to remain at least partially stationary relative to the opposing walls during movement of the opposing walls; and
pressure sensors between the inner surfaces of the opposing walls and portions of the liner structures thereover.

2. The hopper apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the opposing walls of the movable wall assembly are slidably mounted to opposing structures of the support assembly oriented at the acute angles.

3. The hopper apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the movement control devices of the movable wall assembly are configured and positioned to reversibly move the opposing walls of the movable wall assembly along the opposing structures of the support assembly.

4. The hopper apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the opposing walls of the movable wall assembly are each independently oriented at an angle within a range of from about 10 degrees to about 45 degrees relative to the central vertical axis of the support assembly.

5. The hopper apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the movable wall assembly further comprises wheel assemblies connected to the converging ends of the opposing walls.

6. The hopper apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liner structures of the liner assembly wrap around the converging ends of the opposing walls of the movable wall assembly.

7. The hopper apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liner structures comprise metal alloy sheets.

8. The hopper apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liner assembly further includes actuator devices configured and positioned to maintain the liner structures in a substantially taut state around the opposing walls of the movable wall assembly during movement of the opposing walls.

9. The hopper apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensors are configured and positioned to measure compression pressure proximate the converging ends of the opposing walls.

10. The hopper apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensors are configured and positioned to detect a bulk solid fill level within the hopper apparatus.

11. A bulk solids processing system, comprising:
a source of at least one bulk solid;
a hopper apparatus configured and positioned to receive the at least one bulk solid from the source and comprising:
a movable wall assembly comprising:
opposing walls movably connected to a support assembly and oriented at acute angles relative to a central vertical axis of the support assembly; and
movement control devices configured and positioned to move the opposing walls along the support assembly to control dimensions of a discharge outlet at least partially defined by converging ends of the opposing walls;

a liner assembly comprising liner structures at least partially overlying inner surfaces of the opposing walls and configured to remain at least partially stationary relative to the opposing walls during movement of the opposing walls; and
pressure sensors between the inner surfaces of opposing walls and portions of the liner structures thereover;

a computer assembly operatively associated with and configured to receive measurement data from the hopper apparatus; and
control logic in communication with the computer assembly and configured to verify the operability of and control the hopper apparatus and to characterize the flowability of the at least one bulk solid at least partially based on the measurement data received by the computer assembly.

12. The bulk solids processing system of claim 11 , wherein the source of at least one bulk solid comprises one or more of a screw conveyor, a drag conveyor, and a vacuum conveyor.

13. The bulk solids processing system of claim 11 , wherein the control logic is configured to operate the hopper apparatus in a plurality of modes of operation.

14. The bulk solids processing system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of modes of operation comprise:
a first mode of operation configured to characterize the flowability of a stationary volume of the at least one bulk solid from within the hopper apparatus and to adjust positions of the opposing walls of the movable wall assembly to facilitate flow of the at least one bulk solid from the hopper apparatus; and
a second mode of operation configured to characterize the flowability of a mobile volume of the at least one bulk solid the hopper apparatus and to adjust positions of the opposing walls of the movable wall assembly to facilitate substantially continuous, uniform flow of the at least one bulk solid from the hopper apparatus.

15. The bulk solids processing system of claim 14 , wherein the first mode of operation is configured to determine rheological properties of the at least one bulk solid at least partially based on pressure measurements from the pressure sensors and on a minimum width of the discharge outlet of the hopper apparatus facilitating flow of the at least one bulk solid from the hopper apparatus.

16. The bulk solids processing system of claim 14 , wherein the second mode of operation is configured to determine rheological properties of the at least one bulk solid at least partially based on pressure measurements from the pressure sensors and on changes to a width of the discharge outlet of the hopper apparatus during the substantially continuous, uniform flow of the at least one bulk solid from the hopper apparatus.

17. The bulk solids processing system of claim 14 , wherein the second mode of operation is configured to adjust positions of the opposing walls of the movable wall assembly at least partially based on a fill level of the at least one bulk solid within the hopper apparatus.

18. A method of processing a bulk solid, comprising:
determining flowability characteristics of at least one bulk solid using a bulk solids processing system, the bulk solids processing system comprising:
a hopper apparatus operatively associated with a bulk solid source and comprising:
a movable wall assembly comprising:
opposing walls movably connected to a support assembly and oriented at acute angles relative to a central vertical axis of the support assembly; and
movement control devices configured and positioned to move the opposing walls along the support assembly to control dimensions of a discharge outlet at least partially defined by converging ends of the opposing walls;

a liner assembly comprising liner structures at least partially overlying inner surfaces of the opposing walls and configured to remain at least partially stationary relative to the opposing walls during movement of the opposing walls; and
pressure sensors between the inner surfaces of the opposing walls and portions of the liner structures thereover;

a computer assembly operatively associated with and configured to receive measurement data from the hopper apparatus; and
control logic in communication with the computer assembly and configured to verify the operability of and control the hopper apparatus and to characterize the flowability of the at least one bulk solid at least partially based on the measurement data received by the computer assembly; and

Assignees

• Battelle Energy Alliance Llc

Inventors

• Westover Tyler Lott
• Ryan John Chadron Benjamin
• Matthews Austin Colter
• Hernandez Sergio

Classifications

• B65G47/19

  having means for controlling material flow, e.g. to prevent overloading · CPC title

• G01G13/024

  by gravity · CPC title

• B65G11/186

  for bulk · CPC title

• B65G43/08

  Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged {(and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42)} · CPC title

• B65G2201/04

  Bulk · CPC title