Pneumatically conveying open water fish feed is never an easy task. Product breakage must remain minimal to ensure the feed floats or sinks at specific rates. There is also an added complexity of highly variable fatty oil content, ingredients, and bulk density amongst the different blends.
In 2008, Vortex collaborated with an international aqua feed manufacturer to develop a slide gate that would deliver fish feed pellets directly into a lean/dilute phase pneumatic conveying line. The success of the original slide gate design led to further cooperation on an additional aqua feed project in 2012. Many of the design parameters were similar to the previous installation, but with more specific considerations:
* Minimize material breakage by eliminating ledges through the inlet,
* Seal the pneumatic conveying pressure in the lines below the valve to prevent a pressure drop in the system,
* Handle the wide range of product variation,
* Maintain a minimum profile, yet transitioning from a 400mm x 400mm silo outlet to a 250mm diameter PN10 DN outlet flange,
* Provide pneumatically-driven infinite blade positioning and signal feedback to a PLC based on Pronfinet protocol.
Based on those criteria, Vortex engineered, manufactured, and delivered a highly modified Quantum Series Orifice Gate to meet every aspect of the application scope.
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