Schüttgutkanone

The objective of this master's thesis was the recommissioning and functional enhancement of an existing bulk material launcher designed for reproducible breakage tests of granular materials - specifically, direct reduced iron pellets. The original setup was no longer operational. While key components such as the loading arm, impact plate, and sabot were present, they were limited in their functionality. In particular, a mechanism for precisely adjusting the angle of the impact plate was missing, and particles of varying sizes could not be reliably launched. The purpose of the test setup is to accelerate the particles at a defined velocity toward the impact plate in order to analyze their breakage behavior. As part of this work, the testing device was extensively revised. Among the main improvements is the integration of a spindle drive for accurate angle adjustment of the impact plate. Additionally, the sabot was structurally redesigned and equipped with a replaceable inner sleeve, allowing future tests of particles with different diameters. In this context, the loading arm was also adapted to match the modified inner contour of the guiding unit (sabot), enabling precise projectile feeding. To support the design and evaluation of the system, the projectile trajectories were first calculated analytically and then simulated using the Discrete Element Method (DEM). This included the modeling of particle supply via a vibratory bowl feeder, loading into the sabot, projectile acceleration, impact angle, and collision behavior on the impact plate. A complementary error analysis based on the Gaussian law of error propagation was carried out to assess how measurement uncertainties affect result quality. Upon completion of this thesis, a complete mechanical and computational foundation for the reconstruction of the bulk material launcher is now available. The physical implementation and commissioning will follow, allowing for targeted investigations into the breakage behavior of direct reduced iron pellets and other granular materials under controlled conditions.