WO2022158974A1

WO2022158974A1 - Method and apparatus for distributed discharge of a medium displaceable by a pump

Info

Publication number: WO2022158974A1
Application number: PCT/NL2022/050024
Authority: WO
Inventors: Adriaan Cornelis Capelle
Original assignee: Adriaan Cornelis Capelle
Priority date: 2021-01-19
Filing date: 2022-01-19
Publication date: 2022-07-28

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and apparatus (5) for distributed discharge of a medium (M) displaceable by a pump, such as liquid manure, by spraying the medium against a distributing member (8) and drawing the medium flowing along the distributing member off at an edge (10) thereof in a number of sub-flows, wherein the medium is distributed into a thin layer and deflected through more than 90 degrees by the distributing member, wherein solids are separated from the medium flowing along the distributing member. The apparatus comprising a distributing member (8), means (15) for spraying and means (13) for drawing off the medium in a number of sub-flows. The distributing member having a surface (12) directed toward the spraying means which is at least partially concave. The discharge apparatus having an open underside opposite the distributing member and means (34) for separating solids.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTED DISCHARGE OF A MEDIUM DISPLACEABLE BY A PUMP

The invention relates to a method for distributed discharge of a medium displaceable by a pump, in particular liquid manure, by spraying the medium against a distributing member and drawing the medium flowing along the distributing member off at an edge thereof in a number of sub-flows, wherein the medium is distributed into a thin layer and deflected through more than 90 degrees by the distributing member. Such a method is known from applicant’s earlier patent EP 2 608 650 Bl, and is for instance applied to spread liquid manure from a manure tank, which can be placed on a chassis and suspended behind a tractor, over agricultural land, so-called “muck spreading”.

The oldest known discharge method makes use of an outflow conduit connected to the manure tank and a spreader plate placed some distance therebehind. In this method a jet of manure is sprayed out of the tank through the outflow conduit with force against the plate, whereby the manure bursts apart in a curtain or fan and is thus spread over the ground transversely of the direction of travel of the container. As a result of stricter environmental requirements this method of spreading manure is less used nowadays.

In another known method of spreading liquid manure according to US 5 271 567 A use is made of a cylindrical distribution chamber which is connected to a feed conduit from a manure tank. A rotating member (impeller) is accommodated in this distribution chamber, whereby the manure is distributed and possible solids are decreased in size. The distribution chamber has four peripherally distributed outflow openings to which are connected hoses which lead to outlet pipes which are received in ground- working members. These ground- working members are accommodated evenly distributed in a frame extending transversely of the direction of travel behind the manure tank. Distributed in transverse direction, the manure is thus applied to the land in this way.

This known method has the drawback that the distribution of the manure which can be achieved therewith is not optimal. The outlet pipes situated close to the middle of the frame will be supplied with more manure than those on the outer ends. Furthermore, when the feed conduit is opened and closed at the beginning and the end of a field, the feed to the outermost outlet pipes will start later and finish sooner than that to the central pipes, thereby creating a conical discharge pattern. As a result of the presence of a distribution chamber with rotating distributing member, this method of manure spreading further results in a complex construction of the discharge apparatus to be used therewith. Finally, the stench nuisance is often considerable.

A similar method is described in US 5 435 493 A. For distribution of the liquid manure use is made here of a distributing system which is likewise provided with a cylindrical distribution chamber. The manure is supplied through a central opening in the bottom of the chamber, and protruding from the upper wall is an edge around which the manure must flow. The outflow openings are formed around this protruding edge in the upper wall of the chamber. In an alternative embodiment the upright edge forms part of a rotatable member which is provided on its periphery with protruding blades for cutting up solids. Inverse U-shaped discharge pipes connect to the outflow openings, which pipes are in turn connected to hoses which feed the manure to outflow mouthpieces arranged transversely distributed on a frame. In this method use must also be made of a complex construction with moving parts for distributing the manure with solid parts. In addition, these above discussed problems of the non-uniform distribution and the stench nuisance will also occur here.

Finally, the patent EP 2 608 650 Bl stated in the preamble describes a method for distributed discharge of liquid manure, wherein the manure is sprayed against a concave distributing member which defines a number of radial channels. These channels distribute the manure flowing along the distributing member in a number of sub-flows which can be drawn off. The liquid manure is here distributed into a thin layer and deflected through more than 90 degrees by the distributing member. EP 2 608 650 Bl further describes a device for performing this method, with a distributing member, means directed toward the distributing member for spraying the liquid manure and means placed along an edge of the distributing member for drawing off the liquid manure in a number of sub-flows. The distributing member has here a surface directed toward the spraying means which is at least partially hollow, and an underside of the distributing device lying opposite the distributing member is open.

The invention now has for its object to provide an improved method for distributed discharge of a medium displaceable by a pump, in particular liquid manure. According to the invention this is achieved with a method as described in the preamble, wherein solids are separated from the medium flowing along the distributing member. Separating the solids, for instance lumps or pieces of straw, prevents blocking of discharge conduits and outflow openings so that the liquid manure can be discharged in uniformly distributed manner.

In an embodiment the medium is sprayed centrally against the distributing member and the solids are separated when the medium is distributed in sub-flows. The solids can be separated directly in simple manner during the distributing.

The solids can here be separated in that they are stopped by obstacles which a liquid fraction of the medium flows around. Such obstacles form as it were a kind of screen.

The invention also relates to an apparatus with which the above described method can be performed. The apparatus known from applicant’s earlier patent for distributed discharge of a medium displaceable by a pump, in particular liquid manure, comprises a distributing member, means directed toward the distributing member for spraying the medium and means placed along an edge of the distributing member for drawing off the medium in a number of sub-flows, wherein the distributing member has a surface directed toward the spraying means which is at least partially concave, and an underside of the discharge apparatus opposite the distributing member is open.

The discharge apparatus according to a first aspect of the invention is distinguished from these known apparatuses by means for separating solids from the medium. The separating means ensure that only a liquid fraction of the medium is carried through to discharge conduits and outflow openings, whereby blockages are prevented. The separated solids can here leave the apparatus via the open underside.

In an embodiment the separating means comprise obstacles protruding from the surface of the distributing member. The solids are stopped by these obstacles, while the liquid fraction can flow around the obstacles.

The apparatus can be provided here with a number of separating walls protruding from the surface of the distributing member, wherein at least one of the obstacles is arranged on one of the separating walls. The separating walls can serve to distribute the medium in sub-flows, wherein the solids are then simultaneously captured by the obstacles on the separating walls.

In an embodiment of the apparatus the at least one obstacle is arranged close to an outer end of the separating wall connected to the surface. Because the medium with therein also the solids will initially flow along the surface of the distributing member, the solids can there be separated in an effective manner.

The at least one obstacle can here form a discontinuity in a progression of the separating wall. The obstacle is for instance a protruding part of a front edge of the separating wall which takes a stepped form. Because the obstacle protrudes, the remaining part of the front edge is recessed relative to the obstacle, whereby space is created so that separated solids can become dislodged and drop out of the apparatus.

In an embodiment of the apparatus the draw-off means comprise a number of mouthpieces which corresponds to the number of sub-flows, which mouthpieces connect to the edge of the distributing member, wherein the mouthpieces together cover substantially the whole peripheral length of the edge. By utilizing the whole edge for the mouthpieces a maximum throughflow area is created so that the medium experiences minimal resistance. The mouthpieces are here separated from each other by the separating walls.

According to another aspect of the invention, the apparatus is provided with means for feeding a flushing liquid. Flushing the discharge apparatus with liquid, for instance water, after use makes it possible to remove manure residues so that the discharge apparatus will not leak when transported by road. In an embodiment the flushing liquid feed means comprise an external coupling for a feed conduit for flushing liquid. The discharge apparatus can thus be connected to a source of flushing liquid, for instance a water tank or water conduit.

The flushing liquid feed means can further comprise a mouthpiece directed toward the surface of the distributing member. The flushing liquid can hereby be sprayed into the apparatus in similar manner as the liquid manure, whereby an optimal flushing is achieved.

In an embodiment the spraying means comprise an exchangeable spray nozzle placed centrally opposite the distributing member. The capacity of the discharge apparatus can hereby be varied by replacing a spray nozzle with a first diameter with a spray nozzle with a second diameter, which can be greater or smaller than the first diameter.

An apparatus which can be manufactured in simple manner and at low cost is obtained when the distributing member is manufactured at least partially from plastic.

In that case the apparatus can be provided with a metal plate in a central part of the distributing member opposite the spray nozzle in order to withstand the force with which the liquid manure is sprayed in.

In an embodiment of the apparatus the distributing member and the mouthpieces are formed integrally. Hereby, the production costs are limited and a robust embodiment is obtained.

In that case the distributing member and the mouthpieces can be formed by an additive manufacturing technique, for instance by 3D printing. Other manufacturing techniques, such as for instance injection moulding, can otherwise also be envisaged, particularly in the case of production from plastic.

In order to finally have the medium which has been distributed in sub-flows flow to discharge points the apparatus can be provided with a number of discharge conduits which are each connected to one of the mouthpieces.

The invention also relates to a distributing member evidently intended for application in a discharge apparatus as described above.

Finally, the invention relates to an installation for distributed discharge of a medium displaceable by a pump, in particular liquid manure, which is formed by a mobile container arranged on a chassis and at least one discharge apparatus of the above described type connected thereto.

The invention is now elucidated on the basis of a number of embodiments, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which corresponding components are designated with the same reference numerals, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a part of a discharge installation according to the invention with a manure tank and a single discharge apparatus according to a first embodiment, Fig. 2 is a perspective bottom view of a second embodiment of the discharge apparatus, provided with a larger number of draw-off points or mouthpieces, for use in the installation of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a perspective side view of the discharge apparatus of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the discharge apparatus of Fig. 2 and 3 from a different angle, wherein the spray nozzle is detached,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the distributing member and the mouthpieces of the discharge apparatus of Fig. 2, 3 and 4,

Fig. 6 is a perspective bottom view of the distributing member and the mouthpieces of Fig. 5,

Fig. 7-9 are respectively a top view, a front view and a bottom view of the distributing member and the mouthpieces of Fig. 5 and 6,

Fig. 10 and 11 are respectively a left-hand and right-hand side view of the distributing member with the mouthpieces of Fig. 5-9,

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional front view along the line XII-XII in Fig. 11,

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional perspective view along the line XIII-XIII in Fig. 6,

Fig. 14 is a perspective front view of a discharge installation provided with a number of discharge apparatuses, and

Fig. 15 is a perspective rear view of the part of the discharge installation shown in Fig. 14.

An installation 1 for distributed discharge of a medium displaceable by a pump, in particular liquid manure, comprises a container or manure tank 2 which is filled with this medium and which is arranged on a chassis 3 and can therefore travel over a ground surface G, for instance a field (Fig. 1). A feed conduit 4 runs from container 2 to a discharge apparatus 5. Discharge apparatus 5 distributes the flow of medium from feed conduit 4 in a number of sub-flows which are carried via conduits 6 to discharge points 7. Here the medium M thus flows out uniformly distributed over ground surface G. In the shown embodiment the discharge installation 1 is combined with a cultivator 25 (shown highly schematically here). This is formed by a frame 26 suspended from the rear side of the mobile manure tank 2. Attached to this frame 26 are teeth 27 which draw furrows V in the ground. The discharge apparatus 5 with its feed conduit 4 and discharge conduits 6 is mounted on frame 26 of cultivator 25, wherein discharge points 7 are placed behind teeth 27 so that the liquid manure M flows from discharge points 7 into the furrows V.

Discharge apparatus 5 comprises a distributing member 8, means 9 facing toward distributing member 8 for spraying the medium M and means 11 placed along an edge 10 of distributing member 8 for drawing off the medium M in sub-flows (Fig. 2-4).

Distributing member 8 has here the cross-sectional form of a drum which is open on the underside and is formed by a dish with an inner surface 12 - the surface facing toward spraying means 9 - and a ring 18 therearound. The inner surface 12 of distributing member 8 has here a convex part 12A in the centre and a concave part 12B therearound (Fig. 6, 9, 12, 13). Extending from inner surface 12 and along the inner side 23 of ring 18 are a number of radially directed separating walls 13. These separating walls 13 in each case bound one flow channel 14 per pair. In the shown embodiment there are eight separating walls 13, and therefore also eight flow channels 14.

In the shown embodiment spraying means 9 comprise a spray nozzle 15 which is attached to feed conduit 4 by means of a rapid-action coupling 16 - here a bayonet closure with fingers 16A, 16B and protrusions 16C, 16D - and placed centrally opposite distributing member 8. Spray nozzle 15 tapers and acts as an ejector which draws in air when medium M sprays therefrom. By detaching spray nozzle 15 from feed conduit 4 and replacing it with a spray nozzle with a different diameter the capacity of the discharge apparatus can be varied in rapid and simple manner.

Draw-off means 11 comprise a number of mouthpieces 17. The number of mouthpieces 17 corresponds to the number of flow channels 14, and so to the number of sub-flows - in this embodiment eight. The mouthpieces 17 are arranged on the ring 18 of distributing member 8, in which eight openings 19 are formed. These openings 19 cover the whole periphery of ring 18, with the exception of the space which is taken up by the separating walls 13. A maximum throughflow area is thus formed for distributed discharge of the medium M.

As stated, the drum-like distributing member 8 does have a dish-shaped upper wall, but is open on its underside. Clogging of apparatus 5 is hereby prevented on the one hand and air can thus penetrate on the other.

In the shown embodiment ring 18 is connected on its underside to a skirt 20, on which a bracket 24A, 24B is formed on the inner and outer side for the purpose of mounting the discharge apparatus 5 on the surrounding structure of discharge installation 1. Mounted on the bracket 24B on the outer side of skirt 20 is an L-shaped support 22, while a spacer 33 is mounted on bracket 24A on the inner side. This spacer 33 is connected to a sleeve 21 which can be attached to the outer end of feed conduit 4. The exchangeable spray nozzle 15 is then finally mounted via the bayonet connection 16 on this sleeve 21.

Owing to this readily accessible connection the distributing member 8 can also be released in relatively simple manner so that it can be cleaned or optionally replaced with a differently formed distributing member or a distributing member with more or fewer separating walls 13 and mouthpieces 17. The capacity of discharge apparatus 5 can also be adjusted in this way. By replacing for instance the distributing member 8 with four mouthpieces as shown in figure 1 with the distributing member 8 with the eight mouthpieces of Fig. 2-13 twice as many conduit 6 can be connected thereto, and twice as many discharge points 7 can therefore also be provided with medium. A double quantity of medium M can thus be spread over the ground G. The quantity can therefore be varied both by exchanging distributing members 8 and by exchanging mouthpieces 15.

In order to guarantee that the discharge conduits 6 and discharge points 7 will not become blocked the distributing member is here provided with means 34 for separating solids from the liquid fraction. These separating means 34 here take the form of obstacles 35 which are arranged on the front edges 36 of the separating walls 13. The obstacles 35 protrude outside the front edges 36 and therefore form discontinuities. Solids, such as for instance pieces of straw, present in the liquid manure will get caught behind these obstacles 35. Because the obstacles 35 protrude, the other parts of the front edges 36 lie closer to the ring 18 and therefore define a diameter DI which is greater than the diameter D2 defined by the obstacles 35 (Fig. 12). The solids stopped by obstacles 35 can hereby become dislodged therefrom and drop downward along the front edges 36 of separating walls 13 until they drop out of ring 18 and out of discharge apparatus 5. The solids are in this way thus separated from the liquid fraction. The dislodging and dropping out of ring 18 are enhanced further still in that in the shown embodiment the front edges 36 take a sloping form, and so lie increasingly further apart.

Although obstacles 35 are here shown as step-like protrusions along the dish-shaped upper wall, they can also be embodied differently. A somewhat S-shaped progression of front edges 36 could also achieve a similar separation.

According to another aspect of the invention, the discharge apparatus is provided with means 37 for feed of a flushing liquid. In the shown embodiment the flushing liquid feed means 37 comprise a connection 38 for a feed conduit on the outer side of skirt 20, and on the inner side of skirt 20 a mouthpiece 39 directed toward the distributing member 8. In the shown embodiment a coupling piece 41 can be connected to connection 38, to which piece can be coupled a feed conduit for flushing liquid on the one hand and a feed conduit for air under pressure on the other. By spraying the flushing liquid with force against the inner surface 12 of distributing member 8 it will be distributed in the same manner as the liquid manure and so clean all components of discharge apparatus 5. This is particularly important when the installation has to be transported on the public highway. In the shown embodiment the connection 38 and the mouthpiece 39 otherwise take the form of a tube protruding through the skirt 20.

Distributing member 8 can be formed integrally with mouthpieces 17, for instance as plastic injection moulded part. It is also possible to envisage forming the distributing member and the mouthpieces with 3D printing. When the distributing member is manufactured from plastic, it may be necessary to provide the convex part 12A of the inner surface with a metal plate 40 in order to withstand the force of the jet of medium M from the spray nozzle 15.

The operation of the discharge apparatus is as follows. After discharge conduits 6 have been attached to mouthpieces 17 and the feed conduit 4 is opened, the medium M flows with force out of container 2 and sprays against the central convex part 12A of distributing member 8. Here the medium flow is broken and spread as thin film along the inner surface 12 of distributing member 8. Because spray nozzle 15 is placed at a distance from distributing member 8 and has a suitable tapering form, it also functions as ejector and draws in air along its outer side. The thin layer of medium flowing along the inner surface 12 of distributing member 8 is hereby additionally aerated.

The medium is separated by the separating walls 13 into eight sub-flows which run into the eight flow channels 14 and from there through openings 19 into mouthpieces 17. Solids and other contaminants are here stopped by the obstacles 35 before they can reach openings 19, and drop out of the apparatus 5. From the mouthpieces 17 the sub-flows run through conduits 6 to discharge openings 7. Because discharge apparatus 5 is open on the underside, the contaminants do not accumulate but leave the discharge apparatus 5 along spray nozzle 15.

Figures 14 and 15 show a part of a discharge installation 1 provided with five discharge apparatuses 5. For the sake of clarity only conduits 6 and discharge openings 7 of these discharge apparatuses 5 are shown. These discharge apparatuses 5 are each attached to a segment 26A, 26B, 26C of frame 26 of a cultivator 25. The outermost segment 26 A is connected here for pivoting about a shaft 28 to the intermediate segment 26B, which is in turn connected for pivoting about a shaft 29 to the central segment 26C. This central segment 26C can be attached to a tractive vehicle, for instance a mobile manure tank. Outer segment 29A and intermediate segment 29B can be folded together by retracting jacks 30, 31 arranged between segments 26A-C. The installation can hereby be transported by road. Before this is done, discharge apparatuses 5 must then be flushed by carrying flushing liquid and optionally compressed air via feed conduits (not shown here) to the flushing liquid feed means 37 of each discharge apparatus 5, and there spraying it with force into the distributing member 8.

Each segment 26A-C has a number of teeth 27 mounted alternately on the front side and rear side of frame 26. The central segment 26C further has two wheels 32 and the intermediate segment 29B has a wheel 32 with which the cultivator 25 rests on the ground.

Arranged on each segment 26A-C is a discharge apparatus 5 with a number of conduits 6 and discharge openings 7 corresponding to the number of teeth 27. In the shown embodiment the discharge apparatus on outermost segment 26A is adapted to form five sub-flows, the apparatus on intermediate segment 26B is adapted for six sub-flows and the discharge apparatus on central segment 26C for as many as nine sub-flows of the supplied liquid medium M. Three types of discharge apparatus 5 could be used for this purpose, but it is also possible to suffice with one and the same base part on which different distributing members 8 are arranged. The feed of liquid medium M to each of the discharge apparatuses 5 can further be individually controlled, whereby segments can be deactivated or reactivated as required.

Using a relatively compact and structurally simple apparatus the invention makes it possible to distribute a flow of medium displaceable by a pump, such as for instance liquid manure, in equal sub-flows, wherein contaminants are captured before they can result in blockages. Although the invention has been elucidated above on the basis of a number of embodiments, it will be apparent that these can be varied in many ways. The form of the distributing member can thus be other than shown here, and the draw-off means can also be embodied other than as a ring with mouthpieces. There could also be a different choice of connection between the different components. The scope of the invention is therefore defined solely by the following claims.

Claims

1. Method for distributed discharge of a medium displaceable by a pump, in particular liquid manure, by spraying the medium against a distributing member and drawing the medium flowing along the distributing member off at an edge thereof in a number of sub-flows, wherein the medium is distributed into a thin layer and deflected through more than 90 degrees by the distributing member, characterized in that the solids are separated from the medium flowing along the distributing member.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the medium is sprayed centrally against the distributing member and the solids are separated when the medium is distributed in sub-flows.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the solids are separated in that they are stopped by obstacles which a liquid fraction of the medium flows around.

4. Apparatus for distributed discharge of a medium displaceable by a pump, in particular liquid manure, comprising a distributing member, means directed toward the distributing member for spraying the medium and means placed along an edge of the distributing member for drawing off the medium in a number of sub-flows, wherein the distributing member has a surface directed toward the spraying means which is at least partially concave, and an underside of the discharge apparatus opposite the distributing member is open, characterized by means for separating solids from the medium.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the separating means comprise obstacles protruding from the surface of the distributing member.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, characterized by a number of separating walls protruding from the surface of the distributing member, wherein at least one of the obstacles is arranged on one of the separating walls.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the at least one obstacle is arranged close to an outer end of the separating wall connected to the surface.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the at least one obstacle here forms a discontinuity in a progression of the separating wall.

9. Apparatus according to any one of the claims 4-8, characterized in that the drawoff means comprise a number of mouthpieces which corresponds to the number of sub-flows, which mouthpieces connect to the edge of the distributing member, wherein the mouthpieces together cover substantially the whole peripheral length of the edge.

10. Apparatus according to any one of the claims 4-9 or according to the preamble of claim 4, characterized by means for feeding a flushing liquid.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the flushing liquid feed means comprise an external coupling for a feed conduit for flushing liquid.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the flushing liquid feed means comprise a mouthpiece directed toward the surface of the distributing member.

13. Apparatus according to any one of the claims 4-12, characterized in that the spraying means comprise an exchangeable spray nozzle placed centrally opposite the distributing member.

14. Apparatus according to any one of the claims 4-13, characterized in that the distributing member is manufactured at least partially from plastic.

15. Apparatus according to claims 13 and 14, characterized by a metal plate in a central part of the distributing member opposite the spray nozzle.

16. Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the distributing member and the mouthpieces are formed integrally.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that the distributing member and the mouthpieces are formed by an additive manufacturing technique.

18. Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized by a number of discharge conduits which are each connected to one of the mouthpieces.

19. Distributing member evidently intended for application in a discharge apparatus according to any one of the claims 4-18.

20. Installation for distributed discharge of a medium displaceable by a pump, in particular liquid manure, comprising a mobile container arranged on a chassis and at least one discharge apparatus according to any one of the claims 4-18 connected thereto.