Funnel Design - Motorised anti bridging

[JAHoward]

Hi All,

I'm working on a design to feed Airsoft BB's through a funnel. A simple gravity fed system (I don't want to force them out) Every now and again the BB's get jammed at the end of the funnel.

I would like to use a motor to constantly keep the BB's moving and prevent jams.

The video below highlights the issue Link


I would welcome any tips to improve the design/make it functional.

At the moment my thought is to add ridges to the inside of the funnel, this combined with the mixing action should shift them around enough to prevent the jam?

 

[3DDave]

typically this is handled with either an auger or a vibratory motor. look at marble machine elevators for augers as well as other one-by-one feed systems. look for vibratory sorters for the other kind is just shaking is not enough. Some places sell the motor and weight used in cell phones to make them vibrate. Very small and relatively quiet.

 

[JAHoward]

Hi Dave, Thanks for the reply. A vibration system might well be a good option.

The flow required is completely random so an auger is a bit too precise for this application unless I have it sense when the BB's have backed up for it to stop rotating until there is room for more to flow through.

 

[1503-44]

You'd figure that this being a pipeline and fluid mechanics forum, he'd be more interested in feeding them in, and maybe shooting them out, as some kind of a slurry, or maybe by using a pneumatic feeding scheme, which might be employed for shooting them out as well. I know I would be. Vibratory funnels? Other forum.

“What I told you was true ... from a certain point of view.” - Obi-Wan Kenobi, "Return of the Jedi"

 

[LittleInch]

The problem here is quite interesting and I'm sure that somewhere there is a PhD on this.

One thing that I think you could try is drill some really small holes (1mm) and blow air through it in the area close to the nozzle. The beads really need to be separate from each other and not bind or lock together.

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[LittleInch]

Try looking up hopper design.

E.g.

https://www.pharmaexcipients.com/news/hopper-design-powder-flow-hopper-design-cliff-notes/

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.