CHAPTER 6

PNEUMATIC TRANSPORT
 Course Learning Outcomes
• Able to differentiate flow of powders in
vertical and horizontal transport.
• Able evaluate types of gas velocities involved
in transportation of powders and design dilute
phase transport
 6.1 Introduction

• For many years, gases have been used in industry to

transport particulate solids.
• Dense phase pneumatic transport vs. dilute
suspension. (similarities)
– Solids are not fully suspended.
– Low air requirement.
– Lower energy requirement
– Product degradation due to attrition and pipeline erosion
not major problems anymore.
 Pneumatic transport of solids

Dilute (lean) phase flow Dense phase flow

 6.2 Dilute phase flow (characteristics)
1. High gas velocity - > 20 m/s.
2. Low solid concentration - < 1% by volume.
3. Low P/L - < 5mbar/m
4. Limited to short route.
5. Continuous transport of solid at rates less than 10
tones/hour.
6. Operating under negative pressure.
7. Fully suspended in the gas.
8. Solids behave as individuals.
9. Fluid-particle forces dominate.
 6.3 Dense phase flow(characteristics)

1. Low gas velocity (1 – 5 m/s)

2. High solid concentration – more than 30% by
volume.
3. High P/L - > 20 mbar/m.
4. Particles are not full suspended.
5. A lot of interactions between particles.

• No clear-cut boundary between dense phase and dilute

phase.
• Generally, ‘choking velocity’ and ‘saltation’ 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.
 6.7 The saltation velocity, Usalt in horizontal transport
• Rizk correlation (1973):
1100d  2.5 
Ms  1 U SALT 
  1440d 1.96  
 gU SALT A 10  gD  (a)

Gs
 H  1
Ms
 the solid loading
 gU SALT A
U SALT
 pU PH
 Froude Number at saltation Where:
gD

• Rearrange the equation (a) : U PH  Vs

1 Where:
 
 2 2  
   1

 4M s 10 g 2 D      1440d  1.96
U SALT     1100d  2.5
  g 
 
 6.5 Dilute phase vertical pneumatic transport
1. point C, the gas velocity
is high, the concentration
is low, and the frictional
resistance between gas
and pipe wall
predominates.
2. As the gas velocity is
decreased, the frictional
resistance decreases
3. The concentration of
suspension decrease,
thus static head required
to support the solid
increases.
4. If the gas velocity is decreased below point D, then the increase in static
head outweighs the decrease in friction resistance and P/L rises again.
5. 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.
6. At this point, slugging fluidized bed is formed in the vertical line.
 6.6 Choking Velocity, UCH in Vertical Transport.

• 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.
 How to calculate UCH?
• Punwani correlation; εCH = voidage in the pipe at the
choking velocity
ρs @ ρp = particle density
ρg = gas density,
G = mass flux of solids
DT = Pipe Diameter
VT = terminal velocity, of a single
particle in the gas Equation (6.1)

Equations (6.1) and (6.2) must

be solved simultaneously by trial
and error to give εCH and UCH.
 Calculation for VT
Data booklet (pg 1)

4 p  f  p  f g
d 3

CDRET2 =
3  2f

 f VT d p
where, Re T 
f
 Calculation for εCH @ εv
U
U pv   VT (a)
 CH

G   p 1   CH U PV (b)

Substitute eq. (a) into (b), Combining these equations gives a quadratic in εCH which has
only one possible root.

 G 
 VT  VT U   CH  U   0
2

p 
CH


εCH < 1
 6.8 Gas and particles velocities

• There are four types of velocities:

1. Superficial gas velocity, Uo
2. Actual gas velocity, Ug
3. Solid velocity, Vs
4. Slip velocity, USLIP

1. Superficial gas velocity, Uo

volume flow of gas
Operating gas velocity; U  
X - sectional area of pipe
Q
U 
A

2. Actual gas velocity, Ug

Uo
Ug 

3. Solid velocity, Vs

Volume flow of solid

Us 
X - sectional area of pipe

US 
Qs
A
or 
Vs  U o 1  0.0638d 0.3  s0.5  - Hinkle correlation.
U
Vs  s
1 

4. Slip velocity, USLIP

USLIP = Urel
Urel = relative velocity between solid and gas
Urel = Ug – Vs

It is often assumed that in vertical dilute phase flow,

Uo = USLIP = Urel = Vt
 6.9 Continuity Equations

• For the particle:

M s  Avs 1    s
• For the gas:
M g  AU g g
• Ratio of mass flowrates = solid loading

M s vs 1    s
– Solid loading = 
Mg U g g
 6.10 Pressure drop along the pipeline

 g U g2  s 1   U p2
P  P1  P2    Fgw L  Fsw L 
2 2
 s L1   g sin    g Lg sin  For horizontal pipe:
• Component 5&6 = 0
• P across a length of transport line has 6 2 f s  s 1   U p2 L
components Fsw. L 
– (1) - P due to gas acceleration D
2
– (2) - P due to particle acceleration 3 g D  U g  U p 
fs  CD
– (3) - P due to gas-to-wall friction 8 s d  U p 
– (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 For vertical pipe:
g
Fsw .L  0.057Gs L
For both horizontal and vertical pipe D
2 f g  gU 2 L
Fgw .L 
D
 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.
• Resulting in back pressure to the blowers, and reduce volume flow
of gas.
• 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.

– Advisable to use as less bends as possible.
– Increases P in line and points to create serious erosion and particle
attrition.
• Solids form salt at bends –
– Due to centrifugal forces during traveling.
– Particles slow down, re-entrained and reaccelerated at bends.
• Down flowing vertical to horizontal:
– More tendency of saltation
– Solid remain at the bottom of pipe for a long distance before they
disperse.
• 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:
– Particles form cushion at the dead branch
– conveying particles impinge upon stagnant ‘cushion’
instead of material walls.
• Bodner (1982) found that:
– Service life of blind tee is higher than radius bends or
elbow (15 times higher) because of the cushion.
– P and particle attrition rates for the blind tee is
almost the same as radius bends.

• Practically for bends:

P for bends = no of bend x7.5 m  P/L of vertical

lines.

• Dilute-phase transport systems i.e. positive

pressure and negative pressure – refer Figure 6.5
and 6.6 on page 151.
Dilute-phase transport: positive pressure system

Text book pg. 223

Dilute-phase transport: negative pressure system

Text book pg. 223

 6.12 Dense Phase Transport

• For horizontal
transport, there
are 6 different
flow patterns:
1. Continuous
dense flow
2. Discontinuous
dense flow
1. Plug flow
2. Discrete plug
flow
3. Dune flow
3. Saltating flow.
• Continuous dense flow: solids occupy the entire pipe is
virtually extrusion. Transport in this form requires very
high pressures and is 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
– 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.
 exercise
A new dilute-phase pneumatic transport system with a length of 60 m horizontal
and 30 m vertical is installed in a factory. This system is used in delivering powder
A (dp = 160 µm). The diameter of the pipe is 6 cm and there are five 90° elbow
bends along the pipe system. The allowable system pressure loss is 0.8bar. As a
process engineer in the factory, you are asked to:

Data:

The flowrate of the materials, ms =0.30 kg/s

Density of material, ρp = 1300 kg/m3
Density of transporting gas, ρg = 1.3 kg/m3
Viscosity of transporting gas, µg = 1.6 x 10 -5 Ns/m2
Choking voidage , εCH = 0.9219
Saltation voidage, εH = 0.9931
Gas friction factor , fg = 0.006
Solid friction factor, fs = 0.0113
1. suggest operating velocity of the system and determine the velocity of the vertical line
which could cause powder slugging
2. Calculate the total pressure drop throughout the system and analyzed whether the
system will operate as required.
Thank you