Casey,
The current project has been to return the delivery system to operation. It will be used in daily operation.
The bagged sand will be dumped into an underground tank.
Air (90psi) is fed from the reservoir to the tank through a pipe which ends just above the bottom of the tank.
A larger pipe beginning just above the bottom of the tank, located close to the inlet pipe, is connected to the hopper located above the roof.
When air enters the tank from the reservoir its only exit is through the larger pipe.
Because both pipes are buried in the sand at the bottom of the tank sand is entrained in the air leaving the tank through the larger pipe.
The sand is carried to the hopper above the roof where it drops out of the air flow by gravity and fills the hopper.
The "spent" transport air vents out of the side of the hopper near the top through a small pipe.
Sand can then be dispensed by means of a butterfly valve through a hose to the sand dome.
When the entire project is complete "green" sand can be dried in a slotted V shaped hopper built around and above a large stove in the sand house.
When dry the sand is shoveled through a screen to supply the underground tank.
The enemy of this system is water.
The first phase of this project has been to ensure that the delivery system is kept free of water infiltration.
In daily practice locomotive air will be used to power the system,
Pre dried bagged sand will be used.
John Bush