The characteristics of rotary feeders used for the flow control of particulate materials

Rotary feeders are one of the most widely used devices for regulating the f low of powdered and granular solid materials from storage facilities such a s hoppers, silos, bins and bunkers. In this paper the performance character istics of such feeders are examined, from both model and experimental stand points, with a view to enhancing understanding of the operation of these de vices. Through understanding the way in which materials flow through the in let port and into the rotor pockets a model is developed that describes how the feed rate varies with the rotor speed. Experimental work confirms the general form of the characteristics predicted by the model studies. An appr oach is developed for predicting the feed rate characteristics when handlin g free-flowing materials having particle sizes greater than 5 mm. Further w ork is necessary to predict these characteristics when handling materials h ave particles smaller than this size.