Washington State University

John M Kirkwood

John W Talbott

An apparatus for breaking up clumps of particulate material into an even dispersion entrained within an airstream. It includes an elongated vortex tube that is open to an intake of a radial blade blower. The opposite end of the vortex tube includes a coaxial choke orifice. Particulate material is fed into the vortex tube through a tangential chute at a location adjacent the one vortex tube end. In operation, a pair of coaxial helical or vortex airstreams are formed within the vortex tube, one contained within the other. The outer vortex includes a directional component directed outward from the blower intake, while the inner vortex feeds toward the blower intake and blower blades. Material fed through the chute is received tangentially within the first outer vortex and is drawn in the outward direction. As its velocity drops, it meets the interface between the two concentric vortices. At this point, a clump of material may be completely dispersed due to the shearing effect of the oppositely moving vortices and the turbulence of the air within the area at the interface. The dispersed material will work its way along the inner vortex and eventually be fed through the blower intake and subsequently forced out its discharge.

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Moscow, ID, United States of America

John M Kirkwood