Rotary Air Lock Valve – Working, Use and Application

Rotary air lock valves are used in an extensive range of applications where there is a need to reduce system air losses while shifting material from one vessel to other with different pressures. These are also essential components of bulk solids handling, pneumatic conveying and batching systems. These are referred by many different names. Some are suitable and some are not. Some universally accepted names include rotary feeder, rotary valve and airlock feeder. The main function of it is to control flow of bulk solids from hopper, cyclone, mixer, or silo under pressure, gravity and vacuum conditions. These are available in a range of sizes and capacities as needed by people.

These kinds of valves have wide application in industry wherever granules, dry free-flowing powders, pellets, or crystals are used. For example, it is used in pharmaceutical industry, sugar industry, cement, plastics, cereals, flour and mineral industry also. These feeders are also perfect for pollution control applications in paper, wood, grain, textile, food, rubber, paint, and tobacco industries. Rotary valves from standard series work underneath cyclone separators and dust collectors even with high temperatures and different pressure differentials.

Rotary feeders are available with round or square inlet and outlet flanges. These are mainly composed of cast or sheet material. Other materials which are used in its manufacturing include carbon steel, cast iron, 316 SS, and 304 SS. Rotary air lock valves are often obtainable in heavy duty and standard models. These differ from each other bearing configuration and the head plate.

Rotary airlock feeders are mainly of two types; drop through and drop through. The blow-thru feeder is perfect for pneumatic conveying applications in chemical, grain, food, baking, plastics, milling and pharmaceutical industries. It features a low profile with large capacity. Drop through one is designed for rugged applications that require an outboard bearing style unit where abrasive product and /or contamination cannot be handled with an inboard bearing style. These are engineered for use in highly pressured pneumatic conveying systems, where more of an effective seal is essential because of high or excessive wear that come with a simple dust collector.