Getting the information you need to troubleshoot your pneumatic conveying system — Part I
Problems with a pneumatic conveying system are easier to diagnose if you have good information about the system's operating variables. This two-part article explains how you can obtain, store, and analyze this data so that you can successfully troubleshoot your conveying system. Part I covers the measurements you need and describes transducers for monitoring system variables. Part II (April) covers portable data acquisition systems for sampling and storing system data and concludes with a case study showing how system data was used to troubleshoot a pneumatic conveying system plagued by intermittent line blockages.
Not every pneumatic conveying system operates as it's intended. Problems that commonly affect a system include a failure to achieve the desired conveying rate, line blockages, particle attrition, and erosive wear of the conveying line and other components. Identifying a problem's source and fixing it are much easier when you have the right information about your pneumatic conveying system's operation. Most of this information takes the form of measurements of the system's operating variables.