SUBSTANTIATION OF TECHNOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF VOLUME BATCHER OF BULK MATERIALS

Dosing of bulk materials is an important technological process in the feed production. The components portions are formed during this process for feeding into the mixer. The batcher is an intermediate link between the bulk material hopper and the mixer. The mixture quality depends on the coordinated operation of all devices of this technological system. The efficiency of the batcher depends on compliance of required regime of material loading from the hopper, which is characterized by the flow rate of bulk material from unloading orifice. Volume batchers are the most common; these batchers are continuous and discrete types. Substantiating of the volume batcher technological parameters needs that the batcher design, the flow rate of bulk material from the hopper to the batcher and the component portion volume, that must be formed for feeding into the mixer, be taken into account. Analysis of bulk material flow from the hopper orifice allowed obtaining the equations for determining the velocity of bulk material flow which passes through the loading orifice into the working chamber of the batcher. Also, theoretical equations were obtained that allow calculating the flow rate of bulk material to the working chamber (cell) of the batcher and the mass of bulk material portion which is formed by the batcher. In addition, the equation was obtained that defines a relationship between the flow rate of bulk material from the hopper, the design and technological parameters of the volume batcher and the volume of the component portion that must be formed for feeding into the mixer. The technological parameters of the volume batcher allow ensuring the coordinated operation of the technological system “hopper – volume batcher - mixer”.