Abstract: A hydrated granular carrier is prepared for microbe immobilization in a biological treatment apparatus such as for treating waste water and exhaust gas. The carrier contains hydrated granular gel particles coated with a finely ground organic powder. The gel particles are made of a polymer insoluble in cold water but soluble in hot water. In making the hydrated gel particles, heated water is added to the polymer while stirring at high speed. Then, the finely ground organic powder is added together with heated water while stirring at high speed to coat the finely ground organic powder on the gel particles. Preferably, the polymer is polyvinyl alcohol having a degree of polymerization of 1000 to 2500 and a degree of saponification of 98% or more. Heated water added to the polyvinyl alcohol is added by spraying at 10 to 15 liters per minute at a temperature of 40.degree. to 100.degree. C. in an amount of 50 to 150 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the polyvinyl alcohol.

Abstract: The invention provides an efficient method for controlling the flow rate of a particulate material through a pneumatic transportation pipe at a preset value with a high accuracy and rapid response to an external disturbance added to the system by controlling the flow rate of the booster gas. Different from conventional methods in which the flow rate of the booster gas is controlled with the feedforward factor of the variation in the actual flow rate of the particulate material, the inventive method utilizes the variation in the pressure in the receiving unit as the feedback to control the flow rate of the booster gas so that the above mentioned advantages are obtained in the accuracy of control and rapidness of the response to an external disturbance.

Abstract: A method of distributing powdered or granular material to a plurality of feeding ends in a system having a pressurizing tank for pressurizing and fluidizing a powdered or granular material, a plurality of transportation pipes having one ends constituting discharge nozzles opening above a fluidized bed in the tank and the other ends connected to different feeding ends so as to introduce the material to the feeding ends, and a plurality of booster gas supply pipes for supplying respective transportation pipes with a booster gas. The internal pressure of the tank is controlled by a controller provided with a set valve in accordance with the mean value of the terminal pressures at the feeding ends, the mean value of predetermined set flow rates of the booster gas in the booster gas supplying pipes, and the mean value of predetermined set rates of transportation of material to the feeding ends.

Abstract: An apparatus for distributing powdered particles from a single pressurized transporting vessel to a plurality of receiving ends through a plurality of transporting pipes. The vessel is supplied with a pressurized gas to fluidize the powdered particles, which then are distributed to the transporting pipes which include discharge control valves to control the discharging rate of the particles in each of the transporting pipes. The transporting pipes are supplied with booster gas, the flow rate of which is controlled by a booster flow rate control valve. The booster flow rate control valve in each pipe is controlled in cascade by a booster flow rate controller receiving an output signal from a differential pressure detector for detecting a differential pressure of a discharging nozzle at the end of the pipes.

Abstract: Powdered particles are continuously distributed from a pressurized transporting vessel to a plurality of receiving ends such as tuyers of a blast furnace through a plurality of transporting pipes for each receiving end. A speed of gas supplied to the vessel is controlled depending on a weight changing ratio of the vessel and an internal pressure of the vessel, so that the speed of gas is maintained at constant. Booster gas is supplied to each of the transporting pipes. A discharging rate of the powdered particles is controlled by a cascade control system for each of the pipes by individually controlling a flow rate of booster gas depending on a differential pressure in each discharge nozzle of the pipes, or on an output of solid-gas mass-flow meter in each of the pipes, or on a solid-gas ratio corresponding to each length of the pipes and a mass-flow rate of the particles in the vessel per total gas flow rate.