Membrane dust-pumping system

Abstract

A diaphragm pump is provided for the pressurized delivery of dusts in a dust feeding device. The diaphragm pump includes a storage hopper which is subjected to inert gas at ambient pressure and which serves for the storage of the dust. A sluicing vessel is provided which is connected via an inlet in the upper region, via a shut-off fitting and via a dust supply line to the dust store of the storage hopper, and is connected via an outlet in the lower region and via a shut-off fitting to a high-pressure device. A diaphragm is mounted in the sluicing vessel. An expansion line is provided, one end of which is connected via a filter element to the sluicing vessel and into which a shut-off fitting is incorporated. The diaphragm pump includes charging line which is connected via a filter element and via a shut-off fitting to the sluicing vessel.

1 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A diaphragm pump for the pressurized delivery of dusts in a dust feeding device, the diaphragm pump comprising:
 a storage hopper which is subjected to inert gas at ambient pressure and which serves for the storage of the dust,   a sluicing vessel whose volume is separated in a gas-tight and liquid-tight manner by a diaphragm into a dust region and an impingement medium region,
 wherein the dust region of the sluicing vessel is connected via an inlet in the upper region, via a shut-off fitting and via a dust supply line to the dust store of the storage hopper, and is connected via an outlet in the lower region and via a shut-off fitting to a high-pressure device, 
 wherein the impingement medium region is connected to a supply and discharge line for an impingement medium, 
   an expansion line, one end of which is connected via a filter element to the sluicing vessel and into which a shut-off fitting is incorporated,   a charging line which is connected via a filter element and via a shut-off fitting to the sluicing vessel,   wherein the shut-off fitting in the dust supply line is configured to be opened for such a length of time that the dust chamber of the sluicing vessel is filled with dust,   wherein the inert gas displaced out of said sluicing vessel in the process can be discharged via the expansion line and the open shut-off fitting,   wherein after the closure of the shut-off fitting in the dust supply line and of the shut-off fitting in the expansion line, the dust chamber can be charged with high-pressure inert gas to the pressure of the high-pressure device via the charging line and via the open shut-off fitting ,   wherein after the operating pressure of the high-pressure device is reached, the pressurized dust passes, by gravity-driven delivery action, into the high-pressure device via the open shut-off fitting at the inlet of the high-pressure device,   wherein after the transfer of the dust out of the sluicing vessel into the high-pressure device, the diaphragm can be moved into the position of maximum displacement, and subsequently the shut-off fitting to the high-pressure device can be closed.   
     
     
         31 . The diaphragm pump as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the other end of the expansion line is connected to the storage hopper. 
     
     
         32 . The diaphragm pump as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein in that the diaphragm is in the form of a pot-shaped diaphragm. 
     
     
         33 . The diaphragm pump as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the diaphragm is in the form of a plate-shaped diaphragm. 
     
     
         34 . The diaphragm pump as claimed  claim 30 , wherein the diaphragm is in the form of a hose-shaped diaphragm. 
     
     
         35 . The diaphragm pump as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the diaphragm is in the form of a piston with rolling diaphragm. 
     
     
         36 . The diaphragm pump as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the diaphragm is substantially circular. 
     
     
         37 . The diaphragm pump as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the filter element is adapted in terms of its shape to the volume omitted by the deflection of the diaphragm. 
     
     
         38 . The diaphragm pump as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the filter element is of large-area form. 
     
     
         39 . The diaphragm pump as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the filter element substantially has an annular shape. 
     
     
         40 . The diaphragm pump as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the impingement medium is in the form of a hydraulic liquid. 
     
     
         41 . The diaphragm pump as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the impingement medium is in the form of a gas. 
     
     
         42 . The diaphragm pump as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the charging line is connected to the high-pressure inert gas supply. 
     
     
         43 . The diaphragm pump as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the charging line is connected to the high-pressure device. 
     
     
         44 . The diaphragm pump as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein multiple feeding devices are arranged for delivering dust into the high-pressure device. 
     
     
         45 . A method for the pressurized delivery of dusts in a dust feeding device,
 wherein the dust feeding device includes:
 a storage hopper which is subjected to inert gas at ambient pressure and which serves for the storage of the dust, 
 a sluicing vessel which is connected via an inlet in the upper region, via a shut-off fitting and via a dust supply line to the dust store of the storage hopper, and is connected via an outlet in the lower region and via a shut-off fitting to a high-pressure device, 
 a diaphragm mounted in the sluicing vessel, 
 an expansion line, one end of which is connected via a filter element to the sluicing vessel and into which a shut-off fitting is incorporated, 
 a charging line which is connected via a filter element and via a shut-off fitting to the sluicing vessel, 
   the method comprising:   opening the shut-off fitting in the dust supply line for such a length of time that the dust chamber of the sluicing vessel is filled with dust,   discharging the inert gas to be displaced out of said sluicing vessel in the process via the expansion line and the open shut-off fitting,   after the closure of the shut-off fitting in the dust supply line and of the shut-off fitting in the expansion line, charging the dust chamber with high-pressure inert gas to the pressure of the high-pressure device via the charging line and via the open shut-off fitting,   after the operating pressure of the high-pressure device is reached, passing the pressurized dust by gravity-driven delivery action into the high-pressure device via the open shut-off fitting at the inlet of the high-pressure device,   after the transfer of the dust out of the sluicing vessel into the high-pressure device, moving the diaphragm into the position of maximum displacement, and subsequently closing the shut-off fitting to the high-pressure device.   
     
     
         46 . The method as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein the dust is delivered by gravity-driven delivery action into the sluicing vessel arranged below the storage hopper. 
     
     
         47 . The method as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein the gravity-driven delivery of the dust out of the storage hopper into the sluicing vessel arranged below is assisted by an opening movement of the diaphragm. 
     
     
         48 . The method as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein the dust is delivered by gravity-driven delivery action into the high-pressure device arranged below the sluicing vessel. 
     
     
         49 . The method as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein the gravity-driven delivery of the dust out of the sluicing vessel into the high-pressure device arranged below is assisted by a displacement movement of the diaphragm. 
     
     
         50 . The method as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein the ratio between the displacement volume of the diaphragm and the dead volume in the sluicing vessel is selected such that, after the refraction movement of the diaphragm, the remaining gas quantity is present at approximately ambient pressure. 
     
     
         51 . The method as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein the gas quantity remaining in the sluicing vessel is expanded to ambient pressure via the filter elements and via the open shut-off fitting in the expansion line. 
     
     
         52 . The method as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein the process is continued cyclically. 
     
     
         53 . The method as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein the diaphragm is deflected hydraulically. 
     
     
         54 . The method as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein the pressurized dust passes together with the charging gas into the high-pressure device and is subsequently supplied to a dust consumer. 
     
     
         55 . The method as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein the pressurized dust passes together with the charging gas into the high-pressure device, which is in the form of an injector, and is supplied to a consumer by injection of delivery gas. 
     
     
         56 . The method as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein multiple feeding devices are provided which operate in a phase-offset manner on a common high-pressure device. 
     
     
         57 . The method as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein in each case two feeding devices operate in tandem such that the charging of one sluicing vessel in one feeding device is performed at the same time as the displacement movement of the diaphragm in the other feeding device. 
     
     
         58 . The method as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein the pressure difference between the storage hopper and the high-pressure device is overcome by multiple feeding devices arranged one below the other.