Proper Valve for a Organic Solid Charge Chute
Proper Valve for a Organic Solid Charge Chute
(OP)
We have several applications where charge solids into vessels via 8" and 6" diameter charge chutes. These vessels may contain organic solids. We have tried knife (gate) valves, qurter turn ball valves and butterfly valves and each failed for a variety of reasons:
Knife Valves get solids stuck on gate and between seats, preventing a good seal. The butterfly valve blocks if the material is too lumpy. The ball valves also get solids stuck to it's surfaces, which score the seals causing leaks.
Any solutions out there that can help?
Knife Valves get solids stuck on gate and between seats, preventing a good seal. The butterfly valve blocks if the material is too lumpy. The ball valves also get solids stuck to it's surfaces, which score the seals causing leaks.
Any solutions out there that can help?





RE: Proper Valve for a Organic Solid Charge Chute
a 6-8-or 10 vaned rotor spins inside a housing. The rotor is driven by a gearmotor at up to around 20 rpm. The solods drop into the rotating wedge-shaped chambers, the rotor carries them around, and they fall out of the bottom
THis is almost exactly the same principle as a scaled-down revolving door.
Profiling of the rotor tips helps to tailor the valve for abrasive, or gummy, or other material properties. Materials of the rotor an housing can be selected for compatibility.
I am familiar with Premier Pneumatics who make such a valve. I will follow with a post and a link.
RE: Proper Valve for a Organic Solid Charge Chute
http://www.premierpneumatics.com/alockQC.htm
RE: Proper Valve for a Organic Solid Charge Chute
Thank you for your response. I should have been more specific. The valve is needed to hold pressure on the reactor once the charge is completed.
I don't think rotary valves would hold pressure (they are typically used to maintain inert atmosphere in charging vessel, are they not?).
I need something that will hold 40 - 50 PSIG once I close it after charging.
RE: Proper Valve for a Organic Solid Charge Chute
Or a ball valve with hard (metal) seats. No organic is THAT hard...
Or a resilient seated butterfly valve, but put a Grizzly screen ahead of the addition hopper to get rid of the lumps. You won't scratch a rubber seat...
There are knife gates where the knife goes straight through the body leaving no cavity to stop the knife from being completely inserted, but I doubt you'll find one of these good for tight sealing.
Or you could put a chute or funnel on the inlet, so the solids fall straight through the hole of an ordinary full-port ball valve and don't get a chance to hang up on the ball and score the seats.
RE: Proper Valve for a Organic Solid Charge Chute
Moltenmetal has some really good tips. the rubber-lined butterfly valve with the rubber-coated vane is a good choice for sticky crumbs. The rotating vane will fracture clumps, and the flexing rubber will break loose any crusts much like the old pneumatic deicer boots on airplanes. FDA-approved materials are just a check box on the order sheet...not tough to get. Tyco/Keystone and Bray are among the manufacturers who make such valves.