US 11,897,000 B2
Device for sorting powder particles
Roeland Geurts, Mol (BE); Ruben Snellings, Mol (BE); Michel Loots, Antwerp (BE); and Vladimir Zyryanov, Antwerp (BE)
Assigned to Value Ash Technologies NV, Antwerp (BE); and Vito NV, Mol (BE)
Appl. No. 17/766,009
Filed by Value Ash Technologies NV, Antwerp (BE); and VITO NV, Mol (BE)
PCT Filed Oct. 5, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/077888
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 1, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/064253, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 8, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 19020552 (EP), filed on Oct. 3, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0347723 A1, Nov. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. B07B 7/086 (2006.01); B07B 9/02 (2006.01)
CPC B07B 7/086 (2013.01) [B07B 9/02 (2013.01); B07B 2220/00 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for sorting powder particles into ranges of particles according to one or more of a density, size, and/or shape of the powder particles, the device comprising:
a particle sorting chamber with at least one sloping side wall, the side wall sloping from a lower part of the particle sorting chamber toward an upper part of the particle sorting chamber,
wherein:
the lower part of the particle sorting chamber is larger dimensioned than the upper part;
at the upper part of the particle sorting chamber a particle flow inlet is provided for supplying a flow of the powder particles to be sorted to the particle sorting chamber;
a particle flow outlet is provided in the upper part of the particle sorting chamber for conducting sorted particles from the particle sorting chamber through a duct to at least one particle sedimentation classifier;
means for generating an upward rotating gas flow in the particle sorting chamber are provided in the lower part of the particle sorting chamber;
the upward rotating gas flow has a rotation axis corresponding to an upward axis of the particle sorting chamber; and
the device provides a closed system, in which a gas supply from the lower part of the particle sorting chamber is provided between the particle flow inlet and the particle flow outlet.