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
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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.
o Fluid-particle forces dominate.
6.3 Dense phase flow
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

phase and dilute phase.

Generally, choking velocity and saltation

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

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dense

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.

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 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.
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 As the gas velocity is decreased, the

frictional resistance decreases
The
concentration
of
suspension
decrease, thus static head required to
support the solid increases.

90

 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.
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 P due to solid to pipe friction.

P due to static head of the solids.
P due to static head of the gas.

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 )

(6.1)

4.7
2250 DT CH
1

U CH

V
t

CH

(6.2)

Ms
G
=
s
where
A
Ms = mass of solid
A = cross sectional area of the pipe.
Assumption : USLIP = Vt
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Equation (6.1) and (6.2) must be solved

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

6.7 The saltation

transport

velocity

in

horizontal

Rizk correlation (1973):

Ms
1

U
= (1440 d +1.96 ) SALT
g U SALT A 10
gD

where

(1100 d + 2.5 )

Ms
g U SALT A is the solid loading

mass of flowrate of solids

mass flowrate of gas
and

U SALT

= Froude Number at saltation

gD

Rearranging above equation;

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U SALT

4 M s 10 g 2 D
=
g

where

2 2

1
+1

= 1440d + 1.95
= 1100d + 2.5

6.8 Gas and particles velocities

There are four types of velocities:

Superficial gas velocity, Uo

Actual gas velocity, Ug

Solid velocity, Vs

Slip velocity, USLIP
(i) Superficial gas velocity, Uo
Operating gas velocity;
Uo =

volume flow of gas

X-sectional area of pipe

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(6.3)

Q
Uo =
A
(ii) Actual gas velocity, Ug

Ug =

Uo

(iii) Solid velocity, Vs

Us =

Volume flow of solid

X-sectional area of pipe

US =

Vs =

or

Qs
A

Us
1

Vs = U o 1 0.0638d 0.3 s0.5

(6.4)

- Hinkle correlation.
(iv) Slip velocity, USLIP
USLIP = Urel
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Urel = relative velocity between solid and

gas
Urel = Ug Vs

6.9

It is often assumed that in vertical dilute

phase flow, USLIP = Urel = Vt
Continuity Equations

For the particle:

M s = Av s (1 ) s

(6.5)

For the gas:

M g = AU g g

(6.6)

Ratio of mass flowrates = solid loading

M s v s (1 ) s
Solid loading = M = U
g
g
g

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6.10

Pressure drop along the pipeline

P = P1 P2 =

g U g2

s (1 )vs2

+
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
Fgw .L =

2 f g gU 2 L

and

2 f s s (1 )v s2 L
Fsw. L =
- for horizontal flow
D
3 g
D U g vs

f
=
C
where s 8 D d v
s
s

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g
Fsw .L = 0.057G s L
D - for vertical flow

Konno and Saito (1969)

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.
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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

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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.
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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.

6.12

Dense Phase Transport

For horizontal transport, there are five

different flow patterns i.e. continuous dense
flow, plug flow, discrete plug flow, dune flow
and dune flow.
Continuous dense flow: solids occupy the
entire pipe is virtually extrusion. Transport in
this form requires very high pressures and is
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limited to a short straight pipe lengths and

granular materials.

Discontinuous dense phase flow can be

divided into three flow patterns: discrete plug
flow, dune flow and plug flow.

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

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 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.

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