How conveying line diameter (area) affects system capacity
Changing one operating parameter of a pneumatic conveying system affects other operating parameters. In a series of quarterly columns, Paul E. Solt -- a private consultant with more than 34 years experience in installing and troubleshooting pneumatic conveying systems -- looks at pneumatic conveying through the computer eye to analyze the relationships among several operating parameters.
In this third column, we'll determine how conveying line diameter [or area] affects the capacity of a pneumatic conveying system when all other variables -- operating pressure, line length, material characteristics, and pickup velocity -- remain constant. To maintain a constant pickup velocity, the air volume will change in proportion to the area change of the chosen conveying line.