Industrial vacuums for moving beans from one place to another

[ngalls81]

TL;DR Summary

Is there a vacuum on the market or can one be built?

Does anyone know if it is possible to build a vacuum that move bean like material from one spot to another without damaging the beans? From talking with others, I would need something that would create negative air pressure for the suction but at the same time create positive air pressure to push the beans out the other end? Anything dealing with liquids would not be an option.

 

[Baluncore]

Welcome to PF

Does anyone know if it is possible to build a vacuum that move bean like material from one spot to another without damaging the beans?

Yes.
There are systems that are used to transfer dry agricultural products using a vacuum. There is sufficient air drawn in with the dry product to move the product through the conduit.

Those systems use a cyclone separator to drop the product onto a conveyor belt, or where it is needed. The vacuum is drawn at the top, while the product enters from the side, before it falls out at the bottom. The operator must take care to feed it at a rate that does not choke the airflow.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclonic_separation#Operation

 

[jrmichler]

TL;DR Summary: Is there a vacuum on the market or can one be built?

Does anyone know if it is possible to build a vacuum that move bean like material from one spot to another without damaging the beans? From talking with others, I would need something that would create negative air pressure for the suction but at the same time create positive air pressure to push the beans out the other end?

Yes. Start by searching pneumatic conveyor. That will lead to sites showing systems with a suction blower connected to a cyclone separator as mentioned by @Baluncore. Spend some time studying the differences between lean phase, dilute phase, medium phase, and dense phase systems. Here's a good link to start: https://www.pneumaticconveyingsolut...xMxDJOlAV9OzEB52oB17FWyH1rrd9F5Bb-fH6lNu1SacS. There are many others.

There are also systems that use a pressure blower and a venturi. Use search term trim conveyor to find these. These conveyors are typically used to remove paper edge trim at high speeds, but would work in your application. A link (not the only link) for these systems: https://www.converteraccessory.com/products/foxtrim/fox.php#principal. These systems do not need a cyclone. Image of a venturi from the above link:

These systems are very powerful. When turned up too high, they will shred a 2" wide strip of heavy coated paper (as heavy as all of those political ads that infested US mailboxes recently) into inch long pieces.

These are all mature technology. You just need to find a supplier that understands your needs.

 

[Averagesupernova]

Google "grain vac".
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They typically use a rotary air lock to transfer the grain from the suction side to the pressure side. Large multi stage fans are used or roots style blowers. The fan machines spin up around 5000 RPM. Fans are around 30 inches in diameter. Within a few minutes of running the housing around the fan is almost too hot to touch. Roots style blowers machines usually are more efficient but the blowers are not a long life part due to dust.
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[Averagesupernova]

Here is a rotary airlock I have in my shop right now. I believe it was in a flood. Seized up. Pressed the rotor out and gave the outside a bath in molasses to take the rust off. Cleaned everything up and put new bearings and seals in. Very little use apparently. Seems to be little wear. Could not remove any shims from the ends. Here it sits. I'll dig for a few pix of it disassembled also.

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[Averagesupernova]

Here's a few pix of the barrel after a soak in molasses, rinsed, dried and oiled.

 

[Averagesupernova]

Once I got it to move in the press I took it back out and laid it horizontal and fashioned a puller to get it the rest of the way. The rotor won't go all the way through the table on the press. Some of these pic are poor quality. I needed to show someone else these and they were no longer on my phone. I simply shot the screen of the notebook computer they are on.

Here it is rusted up.

 

[Lnewqban]

Does anyone know if it is possible to build a vacuum that move bean like material from one spot to another without damaging the beans?

Welcome, @ngalls81

Please, see:
https://www.iqsdirectory.com/articles/pneumatic-conveyor/vacuum-conveyors.html

https://www.buschvacuum.com/global/en/applications/pneumatic-conveying/

 

[Ranger Mike]

Maybe consider air lift casters
https://airfloat.com/equipment/air-caster-skids/

 

[Baluncore]

Maybe consider air lift casters

Pressure, not vacuum, but especially good for Castor Beans.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricinus