Pneumatic Transport

6.0 PNEUMATIC TRANSPORT

6.1 Introduction

For many years, gases have been used in

industry to transport particulate solids.

Dense phase pneumatic transport vs.

dilute suspension.
o Solids are not fully suspended.
o Low air requirement.
o Lower energy requirement
o Product degradation due to attrition
and pipeline erosion not major
problems anymore.

Pneumatic transport of solids:

o Dilute (lean) phase flow
o Dense phase flow

6.2 Dilute phase flow

o High gas velocity - > 20 m/s.
o Low solid concentration - < 1% by volume.
o Low P/L - < 5mbar/m
o Limited to short route.
o Continuous transport of solid at rates less
than 10 tones/hour.
o Operating under negative pressure.
o Fully suspended in the gas.
o Solids behave as individuals.
6.3 Dense phase flow
o Fluid-particle forces dominate.
o Low gas velocity (1 5 m/s)
o High solid concentration more than
30% by volume.
o High P/L - > 20 mbar/m.
o Particles are not full suspended.
o A lot of interactions between particles.

No clear-cut boundary between dense

phase and dilute phase.

Choking and Saltation velocities

Generally, choking velocity and saltation

velocity are used to mark the boundary
between dense phase and dilute phase
flow.

6.4 Dilute-phase horizontal pneumatic transport

AB curve obtained for gas only.

CDEF for solid flux G1.
Curve GH for higher solid rate, G2.

 Point C the gas velocity is sufficiently

high to carry all the solids in very dilute
suspension.
As gas velocity reduces (at the same solid
feed rate), the frictional resistance and
P/L decrease.
At point D solids begin to settle out in the
bottom pipe saltation velocity, Usalt.

Further decease in gas velocity cause

rapid salting out and rapid increase in
P/L as the area available for flow of gas
is restricted by settled solids.
Region E to F some solids move in
dense phase and some in dilute phase.
Saltating velocity marks the boundary
between dilute phase flow and dense
phase flow.

6.5 Dilute phase vertical pneumatic transport

At point C, the gas velocity is high, the

concentration is low, and the frictional
resistance between gas and pipe wall
predominates.

As the gas velocity is decreased, the

frictional resistance decreases

 The concentration of suspension

decrease, thus static head required to
support the solid increases.
If the gas velocity is decreased below
point D, then the increase in static head
outweighs the decrease in fiction
resistance and P/L rises again.
If the gas velocity is decreased below
point D, then the decrease in static head
outweighs the decrease in frictional
resistance and P/L rises again.
In region DE, the decreasing velocity
causes a rapid increase in solid
concentration and a point is reached
when the gas can no longer entrain all
the solids.
At this point, slugging fluidized bed is
formed in the vertical line.

6.6 Choking Velocity in Vertical Transport.

P across a length of transport line has 6

components
P due to acceleration of gas.
P due to particle acceleration.
P due to gas to pipe friction.
P due to solid to pipe friction.
P due to static head of the solids.
P due to static head of the gas.

Ms

where G s A

Ms = mass of solid
A = cross sectional area
of the pipe.
Assumption : USLIP = Vt

Choking can be reached by decreasing

the gas velocity at a constant solid flow
rate, or by increasing the solid flow rate at
a constant gas velocity.

Punwani correlation;
U CH

CH

0.77
g

Vt

Gs

s 1 CH

Equation (6.1) and (6.2) must be solved

simultaneously to give CH and UCH by
using trial and error method.

(6.1)

4 .7
2250 DT CH
1

U CH

V
t

CH

(6.2)

6.7 The saltation velocity in horizontal

transport

Rizk correlation (1973):

Ms
1

U SALT

g U SALT A 10 1440 d 1.96 gD

1100 d 2.5

Ms

g U SALT A is the solid loading

where

mass of flowrate of solids

mass flowrate of gas

and

U SALT
gD

Froude

Number

at

saltation

Rearranging above equation;

1

U SALT

2 1

4 M s 10 g 2 D 2

where
(6.3)

1440 d 1.95
1100 d 2.5

6.8 Gas and particles velocities

(ii) Actual gas velocity, Ug

There are four types of velocities:
Superficial gas velocity, Uo
Uo
U

g
Actual gas velocity, Ug

Solid velocity, Vs
Slip velocity, USLIP
(iii) Solid velocity, Vs
Us =

(i) Superficial gas velocity, Uo

Operating gas velocity;
Uo =

US

Qs

Vs

Us

volume flow of gas

X-sectional area of pipe

Q
Uo
A

or

Volume flow of solid

X-sectional area of pipe

Vs U o 1 0.0638d 0.3 s0.5

(6.4)

- Hinkle correlation.

(iv) Slip velocity, USLIP

6.8

USLIP = Urel

6.9 Continuity Equations

M s Av s 1 s

Urel = relative velocity between

solid and gas
Urel = Ug Vs

For the particle:

(6.5)

For the gas:

M g AU g g

It is often assumed that in vertical

dilute phase flow, USLIP = Urel = Vt

(6.6)

Ratio of mass flowrates = solid loading

Ms

Solid loading = M
g

v s 1 s
U g g

6.10 Pressure drop along the pipeline

P P1 P2

g U g2

s 1 v s2

2
2
s L 1 g sin g Lg sin

Fgw L Fsw L

(1) - P due to gas acceleration

(2) - P due to particle acceleration
(3) - P due to gas-to-wall friction
(4) - P due to solid-to-wall friction
(5) - P due to static head of the solids
(6) - P due to static head of the gas
3 g
D U g vs

where f s 8 C D d v
s
s

Fsw .L 0.057G s L

g
D - for vertical flow

Konno and Saito (1969)

Fgw .L

Fsw. L

2 f g gU 2 L
D

and

2 f s s 1 v s2 L
D

- for horizontal flow

6.11 Design for dilute phase transport

6.11.1 Gas velocity
Generally, for systems that have two types
of transport, i.e. horizontal and vertical
pipes, saltation velocity > choking velocity.

If the transportation consists of both types,

then gas velocity, Uo must be more than
USALT and thus, choking is avoided.

Ideally, Uo from the system is slightly more

than point D (on the diagram of horizontal
pipe).

Point near D a bit unstable and could

cause saltation.

For lift line (vertical pipe) system, UCH

becomes critical.

If a small perturbation occurs in the line, it

gives rise to an increase in solids feed
rate, then pressure gradient in vertical line
increases.
o Resulting in back pressure to the
blowers, and reduce volume flow of
gas.
o Less gas means higher pressure
gradient and the system reach
choking condition.

Line that is filled with solid can be

restarted by draining of the solid from line.

Thus, uncertainty in predicting choking

and saltation velocity allow 50% for
safety margin.

Thus, for operating gas velocity,

UO = 1.5 USALT

6.11.2 Bends

Bends complicate the design.

o Advisable to use as less bends as
possible.
o Increases P in line and points to create
serious erosion and particle attrition.

Solids form salt at bends

o Due to centrifugal forces during traveling.
o Particles slow down, re-entrained and
reaccelerated at bends.

Down flowing vertical to horizontal:

o More tendency of saltation
o Solid remain at the bottom of pipe for a
long distance before they disperse.
o Try to avoid down flowing vertical to
horizontal bends at all possible in dilute
pneumatic transport systems.

Zenz (1964) recommended blind tees to

be used instead of sloping elbows:
o Particles form cushion at the dead
branch
conveying particles impinge upon
stagnant cushion instead of
material walls.

Bodner (1982) found that:

o Service life of blind tee is higher than
radius bends or elbow (15 times
higher) because of the cushion.
o P and particle attrition rates for the
blind tee is almost the same as radius
bends.
Practically for bends:

P for bends = 7.5 m P of vertical lines.

Dilute-phase transport systems i.e.

positive pressure and negative pressure
refer Figure 6.5 and 6.6 on page 151.

 Discrete plug flow: discrete plugs of solids

occupy the full pipe cross section.
Dune flow: layer of solids settled at the
bottom of the pipe move along in the form
of rolling dunes
Plug flow: A hybrid of discrete plug flow
and dune flow in which the rolling dunes
completely fill the pipe cross-section but in
which there are no discrete plug.
Saltating flow: is encountered at gas
velocities just below the saltation velocity.
Particles are conveyed in suspension
above a layer of settled solids. Particles
may be deposited or re-entrained from this
layer.