A Fundamental Study on the Running Characteristics of Pneumatic Capsules

胶囊输送系统是一种现代化的输送系统，与其他输送方式相比，具有许多优点，因为该系统不会产生粉尘、废气和噪音。该系统的另一个优点是易于自动化。因此，许多研究者对该系统的特性和胶囊控制进行了理论和实验研究，目的是建立一种分析运行特性的方法，为系统的设计提供必要的数据。首先，对单胶囊运行系统进行了理论和实验研究。其次，对连续输送系统进行了类似的研究，在该系统中，许多胶囊在管道中连续运行，胶囊的投掷间隔恒定。研究了罐内压力、胶囊重量、管壁与胶囊间的间隙以及胶囊投放间隔对胶囊运行特性的影响。然后将理论结果与实验结果进行了比较。研究结果表明：（1）在管壁与胶囊间存在差距的情况下，计算结果与实验结果吻合较好。但在无间隙的情况下，由于其运行条件比较复杂，计算结果与实验结果不一致。(2)胶囊平均速度的变化与间隙间隙等的变化的关系，除了没有间隙间隙的情况以外，都可以用简单的图表表示。

The capsule transportation system is a modern system, and has many merits compared with other transportation method, because this system causes no trouble of dust, exhaust gas and noise. Another merit of this system is the ease of automation. Therefore, a theoretical and experimental studies of characteristics and capsule control are being performed by many researchers.The purpose of this investigation is to establish a method for analysis of running characteristics and to obtain essential data for the design of this system. First, thooretical and experimental studies were performed for the running system of only one capsule. Secondly, similar studies were performed for a continuous transportation system in which many capsules run successively in a pipeline with a constant throwing interval of capsules. In this study, the effects of tank pressure, capsule weight, gap clearance between the pipe inner wall and capsule and throwing interval of capsules on the capsule running characteristics was investigated. The theoretical results were then compared with the experimental ones. The obtained results are summarized as follows;(1) In the case of running taking the gap clearance between the pipe inner wall and capsule, a calculated results agree well with a experimental ones. However, in the case of no gap clearance, a calculated results don't agree with a experimental ones,because the running condition in later case is very complex.(2) A relations of a variation of capsule mean velocity to a change of gap clearance etc. can be represented using the simple diagram except for the case of no gap clearance.