Stirred Bottom Extractors SBE
Stir bottom extractors or dispensers are simple, rugged devices to promote flow of bulk materials from hoppers and bins. They are especially useful where difficult powders must be fed at a slow rate (as with a small feeder) or intermittently ( as with periodic batching to a mix tank).
The agitator is the active element of the Applicon SBE, and is a rotating disk or plow, with single or multiple arms. The arms may have fingers or spring steel blades to extend upward into the bin, to further enhance extraction.
Standard diameters are 450, 600, 800 and 1000 mm but custom sizes and bolt patterns are available. Applicon SBE is typically applied to bins that are 1 m to 3 m diameter, where the hopper cone is truncated and flanged to receive the SBE.
Stir bottom extractors can sometimes be used directly as metering devices, discharging directly to the process below, when coupled to a discharge gate. More often, the SBE is used to with a rotary airlock valve or screw feeder, to eliminate bridging above the feeder and insure that the inlet is full.
Larger diameter stir bottoms can be equipped with two outlets. For example, a single bin with SBE 600 could feed two flexible screw conveyors, each conveying to a separate tank.
Applicon SBE is useful in applic
ations that require nitrogen or argon inerting, because there are no flexible sleeves to fail and leak. The stir shaft and seal assembly can be gas purged. It is also possible to jacket the floor of the extractor, for heating or cooling. SBE can be operated in an ATEX environment.
Applicon SBE is useful to maximize capacity and yet minimize the hopper height under: • Manual bag dump stations • FIBC (bulk bag) dispensers • Bins, hopper and silos