Deflection elbow kits for silo-top fill lines
New Smart Elbow Deflection Elbow Kits (photo) allow direct replacement of silo top elbows and piping or tubing that is subject to abrasive wear, with all preparation done safely at ground level. Each kit contains all components required to replace failing elbows, including two Smart Elbow deflection elbows and all necessary piping or tubing, connectors and gaskets. All can be assembled on the plant floor prior to silo-top installation, reducing personnel hazards associated with maintenance at high elevations in all weather conditions. Silo-top sweep elbows are prone to failure due to large volumes of conveyed material impacting the elbow wall at high speed to change direction, causing abrasive materials to wear through the elbow wall, resulting in blow-outs and lost production due to downtime. The Smart Elbow design features a spherical chamber that protrudes partially beyond the 90-deg flow path, causing a loose ball of airborne material to rotate in the same direction as the airstream that powers it, gently deflecting incoming material around the bend without impacting the elbow wall. In addition to preventing elbow wear and failure, the design reportedly precludes friable materials from degrading and dusting, plastics from melting and forming streamers, and heat-sensitive materials from building up and plugging, while reducing pressure drop and offload times by up to 50%. — HammerTek Corp., Bethlehem, Pa.