AUTOMATISCHES TEILCHEN-TRANSPORTSYSTEM

A system is disclosed for transporting solid particles having a size range from 1/10 micron to 22 mm. in diameter, including a feed hopper (10) formed of an inverted cone frustum (12), a cylindrical tube (14), and an lower inverted cone (16), a source of solid particles contained in the feed hopper (10), a transport pipe (22) inserted into the feed hopper (10) coaxially with the axis of the feed hopper (10), fluid introducing pipes for introducing fluid such as air into the bottom of the feed hopper including a spout inlet feed pipe (30) at the apex of the inverted cone (16) and coaxially located opposite the transport pipe (22) and forming an adjustable gap (28) between the bottom of the transport pipe (22) and the top of the spout inlet pipe (30), and at least one annulus feed pipe (54) entering a side wall (36) of the inverted cone (16), and computer controlled means to regulate the temperature, humidity and rate of flow of the introduced fluid. The solid particles are fluidized in the hopper and then fed into the transport pipe (22) to be delivered where desired, In one preferred embodiment the solid particles obscure infrared radiation, and accordingly, a cloud of such particles vented outside a vehicle from inside a vehicle is effective to obscure the movement of such a vehicle from infrared ray detectors.