Dense-phase pneumatic conveying: Improving efficiency
A dense- phase pneumatic conveying system's efficiency can be reduced by major air losses, which can result from the way air is supplied to the system or the way the system uses air. This article's first section discusses basic information about dense-phase pneumatic conveying efficiency. The next two sections discuss ways of modifying a dense-phase pneumatic conveying system to minimize air supply losses and air usage losses. The last section summarizes the system modification results.
Pneumatic conveying is a means to transport dry bulk materials from one point to another. Two common methods of pneumatic conveying are dilute-phase and dense-phase. In dilute-phase conveying, a low concentration of particles is suspended in air and conveyed through a pipeline. In dense-phase conveying, low air velocity in the conveying line allows the particles to settle; as the pressure builds, the settled particles form a plug that fills the conveying line. The conveying air then pushes the plug through the line, transporting it to another process or to a storage container. This article concentrates on improving the efficiency of a dense-phase pneumatic conveying system.