How to Select and Configure an Air Cannon

In various storage bins, material may form different types of arching blockages due to reasons such as moisture and compression. To accommodate various scenarios, our company offers a range of air cannons for selection. The selection and installation should be based on comprehensive considerations of bin structure, capacity, cross-sectional area, unloading perspective, material properties, discharge cycle, and environmental conditions. 1. General Selection Principles: - Air cannons with volumes of 14 and 30 liters are primarily used for storage bins with lower material density and better fluidity, such as grain silos, wood chip, plastic, and small cement silos, as well as on conveying pipelines. - Air cannons with volumes of 50, 75, and 100 liters are suitable for medium-sized storage bins for general materials like cement, foundry sand, small loading gates, and small slag bins. - Air cannons with volumes of 150 and 300 liters are ideal for storage bins with higher material density, moderate capacity and cross-sectional area, poor flow conditions, and material that tends to cake and compress. Examples include various medium-sized coal loading bins, large raw coal bins, buffer bins, and small concentrator material bins. - Air cannons with a volume of 500 liters are used for large coal storage bins, very dense concentrator material bins, and other special applications. - For hot applications, heat-resistant air cannons should be selected. - In explosion-proof areas, gas-controlled or electrically-controlled explosion-proof solenoid valves should be used. 2. General Installation Principles: - Generally, areas prone to arching and blockages are found at the junction of the vertical bin wall and the conical hopper down to the bottom. Therefore, the focus of air cannon placement is in this region. Based on various conditions, air cannons are installed in layers at simple arching points to form an operational system. The spacing between layers is typically 0.9 to 2.5 meters, and the distance is about 3 meters with alternating arrangements. These are general selection methods. The exact number of cannons and layers in a bin varies depending on the specific situation (see Figure 5). - Air cannon blockage removers are connected via piping, are lightweight with high installation flexibility, and can be conveniently hung using slings or steel cables on nearby concrete or metal structures, or placed on channels or the ground, as long as they are safe, reliable, and easy to maintain. During installation, efforts should be made to minimize the air flow resistance of the exhaust pipe to reduce energy consumption. The exhaust outlet of the air cannon should face downwards to prevent the mouth from being blocked by wastewater or debris, affecting performance. The drain plug on the air cannon body should be facing down to maximize the release of moisture inside the cannon. - For installation on cement preheaters and grate coolers, special high-temperature-resistant air cannons and nozzles should be ordered. Imported solenoid valves should be used. The cannon body should be positioned at a suitable distance from the preheater. 3. Common Issues in Air Cannon Operation: Common issues include back pressure, dusting, moisture in the air, impurities, which can lead to internal component rusting, binding, and malfunction. This is why it's often emphasized that air cannons require regular maintenance. - Rust: In response to rusting issues, the Asian and European air cannon manufacturer has improved the material used in air cannons, opting for 304 stainless steel, which is non-rusting in water. Therefore, it can be used in humid environments. - Material improvements have also enhanced external conditions, while the internal design remains simple. The system requires no annual maintenance and significantly extends the service life. It has reached the level of similar products worldwide and has obtained patent application acceptance from the National Intellectual Property Administration. - Our newly developed air cannon model addresses the common issue of material arching and blocking in storage bins, which has become an unavoidable problem for various types of bins. To improve material flow within bins, and to safely, energy-efficiently, and quickly remove arching, blocking, and sticking, maintaining the continuity of the production process requires the installation of ideal arch-breaking and flow-assisting equipment. - Air cannons have replaced manual poking, compressed air blowing, explosive blasting, mechanical vibration, and sliding plate methods, which are inefficient, unsafe, and costly. They not only reduce labor intensity and ensure production safety but also bring intangible economic benefits to the enterprise. The product has a high explosive impact energy, is non-toxic, non-polluting, and is the most economic, ideal, environmentally friendly, and safe arch-breaking and flow-assisting equipment in the world.