SYNTHESIS OF SCREW CONVEYORS-MIXERS

Screw conveyors are quite common equipment in different industries and in addition to the main function of raw material moving; they can be used for mixing, calibration, extrusion, grinding, and other technological operations. Generation of constructions of screw conveyors-mixers is carried out using structural-circuit synthesis by the method of hierarchical groups by means of morphological analysis. As a result of the analysis of the influence of various factors on the processes of transportation and mixing of goods by screw conveyors, the constituent elements of the structures of these conveyors and their relationships were determined, which determine their individual design features. On the basis of this analysis the morphological table of constructive signs and elements of screw conveyors-mixers is made. According to the results of the synthesis and analysis, taking into account the complex needs for quality, total cost and productivity, the total number of generated alternatives to screw conveyors-mixers is insignificant, which allowed the expert method to find the most effective new design schemes. The obtained designs of screw conveyors-mixers basically use the principle of conicity of the chute and screw working bodies, which allows us to significantly improve the quality of the mixing process while ensuring the operation of transportation of goods. Based on the synthesis and generated promising designs of screw conveyors-mixers of conical type, we designed and manufactured an experimental installation, which will be used to study the characteristics of screw conveyors-mixers of conical type with different designs of screw working bodies. Mixing is a technological operation that is most often carried out together with the transportation of raw materials by screw conveyor.