A system for powder transport based on piezoelectrically excited ultrasonic progressive waves

The transport and dosage of granular materials are an important part of Process Engineering. Thereby, the food, chemical, pharmaceutical and coating industries set high demands on the transport and dosage performances of the used plants. In this context, Ultrasound Process Technology in the past years has developed itself into an attractive alternative compared to presently used classical technologies. This paper describes the application of ultrasonic progressive waves in a powder-feeding device. The use of a specific pipe material with appropriate damping characteristics allows to generate a progressive wave using a single piezoelectric actuator. Small objects can be carried along the surface of a pipe by the elliptic motion at the surface, which is the result of a flexural progressive wave. The operational principle is the same as in travelling wave ultrasonic motors. It was experimentally confirmed that the device can be used for feeding and supplying small amounts of powder. The powder-fed performance, however, strongly depends on environmental conditions, so that a control of the system is required. Construction and characteristics of a trial device are shown.