Vacuum System for Lifting Materials in Tall Industrial Towers

This patent describes a system that uses a vacuum to efficiently lift and move materials within tall structures like refinery towers, while also reducing the noise made by the vacuum equipment.

What it covers

This system extracts or moves materials from a source, especially useful for moving materials to an elevated location, such as the top of a refinery tower. It includes a vacuum generation assembly that creates a vacuum flow to pull the material. A key part is a sound attenuation chamber, which is built into the vacuum system to quiet the noise produced by the vacuum source, as described in the abstract. The system also features a material receiver at the elevated spot, designed to hold and precisely control the flow of the material as it's being moved, ensuring smooth operation.

What it doesn't cover

• —Does not cover material conveyance systems that do not use a vacuum to move the material.
• —Does not cover material handling systems that operate solely at ground level, without moving material to an elevated location.
• —Does not cover vacuum conveyance systems that lack a dedicated sound attenuation chamber to reduce noise from the vacuum source.
• —Does not cover systems that move materials in elevated towers but do not include a receiver capable of staging and metering the material flow.
• —Does not cover methods of moving materials through a tower using mechanical lifts or conveyor belts.

The clever bit

The novelty lies in combining a vacuum system for elevated material transport with an integrated sound attenuation chamber and a material receiver designed for staging and metering. This ensures not only efficient lifting but also quieter operation and precise control over material flow at the destination.

Why it matters

Moving materials within large industrial facilities, especially vertically in tall structures like refinery towers, is a complex and often noisy task. This patent addresses these challenges by providing a system that can efficiently lift materials using a vacuum while significantly reducing operational noise. This can lead to safer working environments, improved operational efficiency, and potentially lower maintenance costs for industrial processes requiring vertical material transport.

Real-world examples

• 1.Material loading in chemical processing plants
• 2.Product extraction in oil refinery towers
• 3.Conveyance systems in tall grain silos
• 4.Industrial vacuum transfer systems for powders or granules
• 5.Elevated material feed systems in manufacturing facilities