Bucket Elevator Diverter Valve

General Description

Perdue Farms is a major United States based protein supplier. Finish products include chicken, turkey and pork that make their way to families across the country. Raising so many animals requires an immense supply chain of feed, which is why Perdue Farms also operates a number of feed mills. These feed mills receive grain and other products that are mixed together to produce meal, which is then shipped to nearby farms.

Storage silos are common sights at a feed mill and bucket elevators are typically used to fill them as the materials must be loaded at the top of the silo. Often times, a single bucket elevator will be used to load two separate silos to minimize the amount of equipment on site. Doing so requires a diverter valve fitted to the discharge of the bucket elevator, which can direct the material to either silo while sealing the other to prevent cross contamination. KWS provides diverter valves for many bulk material handling applications and the Perdue Farms project was a perfect fit.

Design Parameters

1. Product Type: Grain/Feed
2. Material Density: 35 to 45 Lbs. per Cubic Foot
3. Capacity: 2,500 Cubic Feet per Hour
4. Duty: 24 Hours per Day, 7 Days per Week

KWS Advantages

KWS diverter valves are designed as a single weldment to minimize the opportunity for material or dust to escape. Fabricated from steel plate, with special shaft seals, all material is contained within the housing. A pneumatically actuated diverter plate with wiper is mounted on a pivot shaft, which allows flow to one of two ports while sealing off the other port.

This simple, efficient design helps keep the mill running lean with minimal maintenance and clean-up.

Special Features

The diverter plate is fitted with a neoprene rubber wiper and UHMW slide plate to provide a tight seal with the housing and to promote material flow. The wear parts can be easily replaced through a bolted access door located on the side of the diverter housing.

Perdue Farms wanted to make sure that there was a provision that will notify the operator if the wiper is not fully located in the desired position. Proximity sensors were added to sense when the diverter plate is in the correct position, further removing the risk of feeding a silo with incorrect material.