SIMPLIFIED PNEUMATIC CONVEYING DESIGN GUIDE

Aman Kapur, Class XII-ADelhi Public School, Mathura Road, New Delhi

I discovered my passion for pneumatic conveying when I was just about seven
oreight years old. I used to see my mother vacuum the whole house and
alwayswondered how does it actuallywork and where does all the dust vanish
once it gotinto the storage compartment of the vacuum cleaning
machine.Thisinterestevolved further during my visit to a local hospital to meet
mygrandmother who was being treated for some illness. While settling bills
Igot theopportunity to see a live tube conveying system and was
fascinatedbythe way sucha complex technology was made to work in such a
simpleway. Bills, reports,samples etc. from every department were being sent
to the centralized billprocessingcenterand other departments at the click of a
button.My interest in the technology and my good luck helped me complete
my internship atNew Logic Automation, a leading manufacturer of Pneumatic
Conveying Systems in India during the summer of 2016. I got an opportunity to
learn about the design,development, manufacturing, assembly, testing &
installation of actual pneumatic conveying systems for conveying sugar, flour,
gram flour etc. The design of Pneumatic Conveying Systemsis a very complex
exercise since it involves a lot of variables including diverse material properties.
I decided to work onthe same with an objective to come out with a Simplified
Pneumatic Conveying Design Guide
PNEUMATIC CONVEYING DESIGN GUIDE
Pneumatic Conveying is defined as the art of transporting dry bulk materials
through a pipeline by using either a negative or a positive pressure air stream.
The principal limiting factor in the use of pneumatic conveyors is usually the
material to be conveyed, Materials to be conveyed should be dry and relatively
free-flowing. Friable materials as a rule should not be conveyed pneumatically,
except when partial degradation of the material being conveyed is
inconsequential to end use of the material. Without booster stations, vacuum
systems are practical up to 500 m in length and pressure systems up to 2 km or
more.The following are the main conveying systems :a) Low Pressure System,1)
Positive pressure system,2) Negative pressure system,3) Combined negative-
positive pressure system, b) Medium Pressure System, and c) High Pressure
System,
Low Pressure System
—Low pressure systems are ideal for in-plant use to convey non-abrasive or
mildly-abrasive dry pulverized materials. Air pressure used is normally limited
to 760 mmHg (1 atmosphere), and the air supply is provided by a positive
displacement lobe type of blower. Because of the low pressure, these systems
are restricted to a relatively short distance and small flow rate.
Positive pressure system
is normally used for conveying material from one source to several remotely
located discharge points. A typical positive pressure system is illustrated in
Fig.1
Negative pressure system 
is normally used for conveying material from severals ources to one remotely
located discharge point. A typical negative pressure system is illustrated in Fig.
2.
A combined negative-positive pressure system is generally used for conveying
materials from several sources to several discharge points. This type of system
is quite versatile and is commonly used for conveying materials from railway
container wagons and/or storage bins to different points of use. A typical
negative-positive pressure system is illustrated in Fig. 3.
Medium Pressure System
-In medium pressure system, the material is first compacted in a variable pitch
screw before it is mixed with compressed air in the mixing chamber of the
screw type pump. This system thus requires a screw directly coupled with
motor in addition to a compressor for providing air at pressures ranging
between 760 to 2280 mmHg (1 to 3 atmospheres). Air pressure which can be
used in this system is limited because of the necessity of providing a seal
between the screw and the mixing chamber. This type of pump conveys
continuously. A single stage rotary compressor is generally connected directly
with the screw type pump for supplying the required compressed air.
High Pressure System
-High pressure system uses dense stream conveying with low ratio of air to
material resulting in lowest particle degradation when handling friable
materials. Because of higher air pressure used, smaller pipelines can be usedin
this system.
High pressure conveying pumps are batch type units which use compressed air
only when conveying. These pumps are used for continuous, intermittent or
batching operations. In a continuous process operation, a surge hopper is
provided above the pump for collecting the material during the discharge cycle
of the pump. A typical high pressure system is illustrated in Fig. 4.

For high pressure conveying system a double stage compressor is normally

used for supplying compressed air at pressures ranging between 3040 to 5320
mmHg (4 to 7 atmospheres). Pumping being a batch operation, an air receiver
is required for the compressed air. The air receiver should be sized in such a
way that full pressure in the air receiver is recovered in the time the pump
performs the filling and discharging operation. The compressor delivers air
continuously during the discharge cycle and should be completed by the time
the pump is filled again with material.

Factors for Design and Use

The material to be conveyed should be known by all its characteristics including
bulk density, particle size and shape, temperature, susceptibility to moisture,
corrosiveness, nature of material, abrasiveness and moisture.
Bulk Density
-The mass per unit volume should be known under three conditions, namely, in
poured condition, stored in bin and when under influence of aeration. The
material may enter the system in the poured state, but when it is discharged, it
maybe in the aerated state, which means that more bulk is involved at the
discharge than at the entrance. Volumetric capacity, as well as flowability is
vitally affected by this phenomenon.
Particle Size
-The particle size of material to be conveyed may be classified as below: Very
fine-All passing 150micron sieve [see IS:460-1962 Test sieves (revised)"] Fine-All
passing 1.00mm sieve Granular-All passing 12.5 mm sieve Lumpy and irregular-
More than 12 mm in any direction Irregular materials are those that are
fibrous, stringy, etc
Moisture Content
-The moisture content of material should be known. Theconveying rate of
material reduces with increase in moisture. For satisfactoryoperation, free
moisture should normally not exceed 1 percent by mass.
Corrosiveness
-The pH (a symbol denoting acidity on alkalinity) value of material should be
known. This information is necessary for selecting the material of construction
for conveying equipment and also the type of cloth to be used in dust collector.
A highly corrosive material may require special materials of construction.
Explosive or Combustible Nature of Material
-Even though pneumatic conveyingis amongst the safest material handling
techniques, however inhandling explosive orcombustible materials,
precautions in the system must be taken. Some of these materials may require
inert gas to be used as conveying medium.
Abrasiveness
-Abrasiveness may be classified as follows:
Class Abrasiveness
1 Non-abrasive
2 Slightly abrasive
3 Medium abrasive
4 Highly abrasive

Materials having hardness above that of ’highly abrasive’ materials are mostly
too abrasive to be handled in pneumatic conveyors.
Duty Requirement
-In conjunction with conveying rates, the severity of operation should also be
determined. The construction of pneumatic conveyor can be linked to the
degree of design and construction of speed reducer. Severity of operation can
be classified as follows:
Class Hours of Operation per Week
1 160
2 280
3 340
4 420

With the above classification, the degree of sturdiness to which the conveyor
mustbe constructed, can be determined. It will also tell the appurtenances
necessary to meet the requirements of the operation.
Elevation and Environmental Condition
Elevation of the installation In relation to sea level should be known. Difference
in air density is very pronounced in the operation of pneumatic conveyors and
should always be considered. b) Environmental condition, that is, whether
system is exposed to hazardous dusts and gases or corrosive elements should
be known.
Design Procedure
Based on the factors mentioned above, the Tables 1, 2 and 3may be used for
determining the type of conveying to be used.
Estimation of Pneumatic Conveying design parameters using Nomographs (for
preliminary design). This method provides conservative approximations for
conveyor size & power for a given product bulk density.
Step 1:
Preliminary calculations are started with determination of equivalent length of
the system under consideration. The equivalent length is the sum of vertical
and horizontal distances along with allowance for all the pipe fittings
used.Allow ance for most common pipe fittings are as under:
Long radius 90 degree elbow pipe : Equivalent length =25ft ~7.6m
45 degree, elbow pipe : Equivalent length =15ft~4.6m
Step 2:
Next find the air velocity needed to convey the solids. This can be found using
table for air velocity for various bulk densities, as under:

Step 3:
Assume a pipe diameter and draw a straight line on Nomograph 1 between the
air velocity and the pipe-diameter scales. The same line when extended shall
intersect the air volume scale at some point.
Step 4:
Once we know the air volume we can now go to Nomograph 2 and draw a
straight line between air volume and system capacity under consideration. This
line shall cut & give corresponding value of solids ratio. In case value of solids
ratio exceeds 15 repeat step 3 with a large diameter pipe.
Step 5:
Next go to Nomograph 3 and draw a line joining known value points of pipe
diameter & air volume. This shall give us value of design factor, or P100 ie
thempressure drop per 100ft (30.5m) (Point of intersection of center scale).
Step 6:
Go to Nomograph 4 and draw a line connecting known values of equipment
length of system & design factor. This line may be extended to intersect the
pivot linein the centre. Once we join this point on pivot line with point on solids
ratio line, the intersecting point gives value of system pressure loss. Incase
system pressure loss exceeds 10 PSI (70 kPa),repeat step 3,4,5& 6 assuming a
large pipe diameter.

Step 7:
In case system pressure loss is ≤ 70 kPa, go to Nomograph 5 and draw a straight
line connecting corresponding values of system pressure and air volume.
Step 8:
The point of intersection of the system pressure loss & air volume shall give
value of horsepower required.
In short the various Nomographs provide the following critical information
forsystem design:
Nomograph 1.
Velocity - Pipe Diameter - Air Volume
(m/min) (mm) (m3/min)
Nomograph 2
Air Volume -Solids Ratio - System Capacity
(m3/min) (kg/hr)
Nomograph 3
Pipe Diameter -Design Factor - Air Volume
(mm) (m3/min)
Nomograph 4
Equivalent length- Design Factor&System Pressure Loss - Solids Ratio
(m) (kPa)
Nomograph 5
System PressureLoss - Horsepower - Air Volume
(kPa) (Metric) (m3/min)

Working Example:
Masala Conveying
Bulk Density:450 kg/m3
System Capacity:1200 kg/hr
Length ofpipe (Horizontal + Vertical): 150m
No of Bends: 12 Nos.
Calculations as per Nomographs:
1Equivalent length of pipe = 150m+ (12x25 /3,28)= 241.2m

2Air velocity needed to convey the solids from the table for bulk density of 450 kg/m3
 = 1487m/min = 24.8m/sec
3 From Nomograph 1, assuming pipe diameter = 3” (76.2mm) air volume = 245 cfm =416.43
m3 /hr = 6.94 m3/min
4 From Nomograph 2, corresponding value of solids ratio = 2.7
5 From Nomograph 3, Design factor = 60
6 From Nomograph 4, System Pressure loss = 7 PSI 48 kPA
7 Horse Power from Nomograph 5 11 HP

Calculations as per conventional formulas:

System capacity = 1200 kg/hr Consider material to air ratio :2.5:1
Consider conveying velocity of 25m/sec
Quantity of air required 1200/2,5 = 480 kg/hr
M3/hr = 83.14 x ((273+30)/1013) x (480/29)=411.6 m3/hr
Q = A x Vi.e 411.6/3600 = ( (pi x d2)/4)x25
d= 0.076 m = 76mm=3’’ Pipe Diameter
System Pressure Loss, considering 1 PSI/100 ft =(791/100)= 7,91PSI = 8PSI
Roots Blower required 411.6 m3 /hr @ 7.91 PSI
Select Model Expo 1(From Everest Blowers Standard Product Catalogue)
Q (FAD At Inlet Of Blower) =411.6 m3/hr (242.158 CFM)
P (Differential Pressure across the blower) =7.91
PSIN(Blower Operating Speed)=3420 rpm
BHP(Power Consumption)= 12.43 BHP
Recommended Motor = 15 HP/2 Pole

Calculations from Nomographs & conventional formulas yield similar

results,hence preliminary design calculations using nomographs may be
considered for design data & power consumption approximations

Bibliography
1.Pneumatic Conveying Systems–Design,Selection and Troubleshooting
withParticular Reference toPulverizedFuel Ash–DavidMills & V.K. Agarwal
2. Pneumatic Conveying Of Solids–A theoretical and practical approach–
R.D.Marcus, L.S. Leung, G.E. Klinzingand F. Rizk
3. Pneumatic Conveying Design Guide–DavidMills
4. Pneumatic Conveying–Aconcise treatment of the principles, methods
andapplications of pneumatic conveyance of materials, with special
reference tothe conveying and elevating of heavy solid materials for
engineers, worksmanagers and students–ErnestGeorge Phillips
5. IS : 8647–1977(Reaffirmed 2006)–DesignCriteria For
PneumaticConveying Systems
 6. Flow assessment of powders in pneumatic conveying : a bench
topassessment–M.K. Desai–Universityof Wollogong
7. Pneumatic Conveying Systems–A.Bhatia–Continuing Education and
Development, Inc.
8.The Heart Of Pneumatic Conveying Systems–Positive Displacement
Blower Calculations–RogerE. Blanton
9. A View From India–PneumaticConveying Of Bulk Materials–G.D.
Nigudkar
10 . Material Conveying with Pneumatic and Vacuum Systems–HankVan
Ormer
11. Physical Properties and Conveying Characteristics of Corn and Barley
Seeds using suction type Pneumatic Conveying Systems–H.Ghafori, A.
Hemmat,A.M. Borghaee and S. Minaei
12. Design and Development of a Dense-Phase Suction Pneumatic
System for Conveying Granular Materials in Agriculture–Hasan Ghafori,
Abbas Hemmat, Ali Mohammad Borghaee, Saeid Minaei
13. Pneumatic Conveying Of Bulk Solids–P.W. Wypych – University Of
Wollongong
14. Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook–RobertH. Perry, Don W.
Green,James O. Moloney

Rule of thumb for estimating max. SLR

There is a rule of thumb for estimating max. possible SLR (Solids to Air Ratio).

Physical background is roughly:

a) Air expands along the conveying pipe
b) Max. conveying pressure at beginning of conveying pipe defines max. amount of air
(voidage)

Therefore approx.:

SLR = K x 1 / SQR (Lred)

with

K= apprx. 250-300 for coarser particles [Geldart A/B (fine sand, fine limestone)]
K= apprx. up to 400-550 for fine particles [Geldart A (very fine Cement, very fine Flyash
etc.)]
and

Lred= LP + LK+ LV

where
LP = Total length of pipe (m)

LK = Additional "length for bends" (no. of Bends x 5 - 8 ) (m)

LV = Additional "length for vertical pipe section" (0,2 x vertical length) (m)

Example:
- Cement
- 160 m total pipe length
- thereof 40 m vertical

- 6 bends R = 5 => 6 x 7 m

LP = 160 (m)
LK = 6 x 7 = 43 (m)
LV = 0,25 x 40 = 10 (m)

K = 500 (Cement)

=> SLR = 500 / SQR (160 + 43 + 10) = 34,2

Caution:
Use this formula only as a first shoot
Never base your calculation on this formula without a deep knowledge of all material
characteristica

Greetings from Cologne, Germany

Klaus Schneider
Pneumatic Conveying Blower Options & Capacities

Pneumatic Conveying UK Ltd supply roots type blowers ranging from 75m³/hr –
36,000m³/hr with a pressure range of 500 to 2000 mBar atmospheric.

For the smaller duties, we can supply side channel blowers that can move between 2m³/hr
and 1100m³/hr.
Pneumatic Conveying Overview
Pneumatic conveying is a method of bulk solids handling utilizing pressurised gas (carrier
phase) to move solid particulates (transported product) along pipelines. Transporting materials
down pipelines is not a new concept with people as far back as the bronze age 4000BCE using
clay pipes to carry waste away with water in what would be the first effective sewer systems.
More recently water has been used to transport products in a wide range of industries, this is
known as hydraulic transport. However, if the product is affected by water in any way this
method is unviable. Thus, in the 1950’s a German man named Gasterstadt began
experimenting with moving solid particles down pipelines using air as the carrier fluid. His
experiments utilised a high air mass flow rate with little pressure requirement to suspend the
particles in the pipeline. This would later become known as Dilute phase/ Lean Phase
pneumatic conveying. Gesterstadt’s research inspired students from Japan and companies in
the United States to conduct their own research. This research resulted in another method of
pneumatic conveying to be discovered, dense phase conveying. Dense phase conveying is the
polar opposite of its lean phase counterpart in that it utilizes high pressure and low gas
volumes to push the product along the bottom of the pipeline. Since then large amounts of
research have taken place in an effort to make these two key methods of conveying as
efficient as possible.

At present pneumatic conveying features, heavily in a wide range of process industries,

moving the solids between locations on site. A few examples of these industries include;
chemical, aggregates, food, pharmaceutical, agricultural and manufacturing etc. The two main
alternative methods of bulk solid handling that pneumatic conveying is competing against are
belt conveying and screw conveying. The pros and cons for each method are as follows:

Pneumatic Conveying

Belt Conveying

Screw Conveying

Pros

 Flexible routing
 Prevents contamination of product
 Short-long run length
 Low maintenance

Pros

 Short-very long run

 Very low energy consumption
 Minimal material degradation

Pros

 Low energy consumption

 Low material degradation
  Prevents contamination of products

Cons

 High power consumption

 High material degradation (in lean phase)
 Easy to get wrong

Cons

 Difficult to move around bends

 Higher maintenance requirements
 Contamination potential

Cons

 Very short-short run

 High maintenance requirements
 Difficult to move around bends

Whilst pneumatic conveying certainly has its benefits a poorly designed system can consume
two or three times the energy of an efficient system. Despite this the pneumatic conveying
market continues to grow. This is validated by research from 2014 showing an expected to
market rise to $30.67 Billion by 2022.

Research conducted by the Wolfson centre and compiled in 2015 quantify the power
consumption of the four key methods of bulk solid handling (belt conveying, screw
conveying, dense and lean phase conveying). As can be seen in Figure 1 lean phase conveying
is the most inefficient method of conveying with the specific power consumption being
between 17-30 W/m/t/h. Whereas compared to belt conveying which has a specific power
consumption between 0-2 W/m/t/h.

Specific Power Consumption of Bulk Solids Handling Methods

Figure 1 Specific Power Consumption of Bulk Solids Handling Methods

This is reflected by the research suggesting that, in 2014, Pneumatic conveying systems
accounted for approximately 4% of the UK’s energy requirements. This value is expected to
rise with the growth in the Pneumatic conveying market. In an ever-changing climate, it is
important to ensure that energy is utilised and not wasted. Ensuring that pneumatic conveying
systems operate as efficiently as possibly could greatly reduce the energy consumption for
huge numbers of industrial plants around the world. To do this pneumatic conveying and the
physics of multiphase flows need to be understood.

Pneumatic Conveying Modes

To understand pneumatic conveying, the two key methods of pneumatic conveying must be
clearly understood. The two key methods of pneumatic conveying are lean phase (otherwise
known as dilute phase or suspension phase) and dense phase (also known as non-suspension
phase).
Figure 2 Pneumatic Conveying Modes of Flow

Lean Phase

Lean Phase systems operate by suspending the particles in the air stream to move it along the
length of the pipeline. The key component of a lean phase system is the mass flow of the air.
As a side effect of moving product in this mode there is a pressure requirement due to
pressure loss caused from gas-wall, particle-wall, particle-particle interactions etc that all
effect the pressure loss in a system. Nonetheless, lean phase systems rarely require more than
1BarG to move the product unless moving very large distances. Solids Loading Ratio (SLR)
is the ratio of solid mass over the gas mass. Lean phase systems will operate between 2-25
SLR, i.e. they can move 25 times the amount of solid mass to gas mass in the most efficient
systems. However, this is largely dependent on material, nearly all materials will convey up to
an SLR10. The benefit to this mode of conveying is that there are no limitations of material.
The downside to this method of conveying is that due to the requirement for high gas mass
flow rate the minimum conveying velocity for lean phase systems tends to be around 15m/s.
This can pose a problem to brittle products or products that deform under relatively low
temperatures (such as plastic pellets). It becomes even more of a problem when Eq.1 is
factored in and as the pressure falls the velocity increases. Thus, in a system that starts at
15m/s with a pressure drop of 1BarG you would expect velocities around 30m/s at the outlet.
This is another reason why higher pressures are not used in lean phase systems as a 4BarG
system would see an outlet of approximately 75m/s in a single size pipeline.

Dense Phase

Dense Phase systems operate at much lower air velocities to their lean phase counterparts.
This is due to the fact that dense phase systems do not suspend the particles in the air stream
when conveying them. Dense phase systems are typically associated with high pressure
requirements; however, this is dependent on conveying distance and material. It is true that
dense phase conveying methods require higher pressure per metre than lean phase due to the
larger shear forces incurred by moving product along the bed of a pipeline. Nonetheless
global pressure loss for a lean phase or dense phase system largely depends on conveying
distances and materials. There are two key sub categories of dense phase pneumatic
conveying; fluidized dune flow (also known as moving bed flow) and low velocity slug/plug
flow.

Fluidized Moving Bed/ Dune Flow

Fluidized flow is a method of conveying which operates by trapping gas particles amongst
fine powders turning them from static solids into fluid-like entities. The key factor behind this
working high level of air retention by having approximately 40% of the particles less than
30μm for this to work. Fluidization is a balancing act, to convey a fine powder using moving
bed flow the minimum velocity must be over 3m/s approximately as anything less than this
and the aerodynamic drag is too low to move the particles. Above this value and the particles
begin to exhibit fluidic behavior. Increasing the velocity too high however to approximately
10m/s for fine powder and the particles will become suspended moving it into a lean phase
mode of conveying. The key benefit to this method of conveying is it can move SLR’s up to
250 allowing for the same amount of air as a lean phase system 10x the product to be moved.
The key downside is the requirement for only fine material to be moved with it.

Slug/Plug Flow

Slug/Plug flow is a method of dense phase conveying that works for air permeable materials.
I.e. materials that have a very narrow size distribution (mono-sized particles). According to
the Wolfson centre at Greenwich University materials where the particle size d90 can be no
larger than 2.5x the d10 value [4]. Materials such as plastic pellets, pills or uniform food
substances classify as air permeable. The gaps between the particles allow air to pass through
the material, even if the line is completely full. The mono-sized particles thus get pulled
through the pipe due to differential pressure in front/behind the plug and aerodynamic drag on
the particles. This method requires very low air velocities to move the product, typically
around 3m/s. This has the benefit that unlike lean phase conveying the particle are not
smashed into the bends at high velocities. The downside is that unlike its dense phase
counterpart it is limited to an approximate SLR of 40. Whilst it is an improvement on lean
phase SLR the significantly lower velocities mean that the solid throughput is usually equal to
or less than lean phase conveying.
All of these methods of conveying have their benefits and limitations. Lean phase systems
however are the most common accounting for approximately 70% of industrial pneumatic
conveying.

Positive vs Negative Pressure Systems

Whilst both lean phase and dense phase systems can operate in positive and negative pressure.
In lean phase systems both positive and negative pressure systems are utilized. Both systems
offer their own benefits and drawbacks. The most common type of feeder for positive
pressure systems are rotary valves one of the big drawback to these valves is the rate of air
leakage dependent on differential pressure above and below the valve, thus limiting them to
approximately 1BarG in most scenarios. This attribute of rotary valves means that positive
pressure systems can provide product to multiple locations without losing air/pressure,
however if feeding from multiple positions the rotary valve air leakage will accumulate and
losses will be considerable. Vacuum systems are inverse allowing to pick up from multiple
locations but deposit in a single location.

Another consideration when specifying either a pressure or vacuum system is that to achieve
the same air velocity a larger pipe diameter is required for the vacuum line. This is due to the
fact that a vacuum line picks material up at atmospheric conditions and the gas expands as it
moves down the line, a pressure system picks material up with compressed gas which expands
to atmospheric as it moves down the line. Thus, the larger volume of gas at the inlet of a
vacuum system requires a larger pipe size to attain the same minimum conveying velocity as a
pressure system.

Other factors worth noting are that in most positive pressure systems the conveying pickup
point is after the compressor, i.e. the gas will be much hotter in a pressure line (unless pre-
conditioned). Also, the receiving hopper/silo for vacuum systems need to be pressure rated to
handle the negative pressure whereas none of the vessels need to be pressure rated in positive
pressure systems.

When it comes to dense phase systems they avoid the issue of rotary valve air leakage by
batch conveying using a blow tank. Dense phase vacuum systems are uncommon. This is due
to the pressure range available in vacuum. In positive pressure, a system can reach in excess
of 7BarG, whereas vacuum systems are limited to a maximum of 1Bar vacuum. Thus, whilst
dense phase vacuum system is an option they are limited and only used over very short
distances. Most dense phase systems therefore operate in positive pressure.

Pneumatic Conveying Equipment

Pneumatic conveying systems can vary quite dramatically, but the basic principle is the same.
A method of supplying air/pressure, a method of introducing solid product and a method of
separating the product/ air.
Figure 3 Typical Positive Pressure Lean Phase System

Figure 4 Typical Negative Pressure Lean Phase System

Figure 5 Typical Negative Pressure Lean Phase System

Figure 6 Typical Positive Pressure Dense Phase System

Compressor
The compressor is largely dependent on the mode of conveying. For example, lean phase
systems operate predominantly up to 1BarG pressure and a wide range of volumetric flow
rates. The sunburst diagram below shows how compressors can be classified. There are three
main considerations when specifying a compressor for a pneumatic conveying system. when
specifying a pneumatic conveying line compressor is that the compressor supplies dry clean
air. Thus, reciprocating compressors are not often used in pneumatic conveying. When liquid
ring and screw compressors (oil cooled) are utilised, the air has to be dried and filtered first.

Another consideration when selecting a compressor is that the volumetric flow rate does not
change too greatly with pressure. This is key to ensuring that the air speed does not drop
below the minimum conveying velocity due to pressure fluctuations in the pipeline. Positive
displacement compressors are far superior to aerodynamic compressors for pneumatic
conveying systems, as the volumetric flow rate exhibits minimal changes with pressure
change, unlike aerodynamic compressors were the volumetric flow rate can change anywhere
between greatly with pressure changes.

The final consideration is that the compressor can achieve the duty required of it, this is where
Figure 8 features. The most common compressors for lean phase systems are roots type
blowers the reasons for this are as follows; there is no oil in contact with the air being moved
ensuring the air is clean, they can maintain volumetric flow rates despite pressure fluctuations,
they are offered in a wide range of flow rates and pressures up to 1BarG (in line with most
lean phase systems).

The rotary screw compressor is the most common compressor offered with dense phase
systems for the same reasons as the roots type blower however the rotary screw will typically
operate between 1-10BarG (dependant on whether it is dry screw or oil cooled) unlike the
roots type blower.
Figure 8 Compressor Performance Comparison

Feeder

The feeder much like the compressor is largely dependent on the mode of conveying. There
are three key considerations when specifying a feeding device. The first consideration is
pressure in the line and above the feeder. For example most lean phase systems will operate at
a maximum of 1BarG and will feed from atmosphere thus there is a differential pressure of
1Bar across the feeding device. Therefore, either a blow tank or a rotary feeder would be
suitable for this application. Venturi feeders and gate valves cannot withstand high pressures
commonly. Screw feeders can handle the higher pressure however if there is a large pressure
gradient the air will simply escape past the screw.

The second consideration is whether the material is being batch or continuous conveyed. In
this instance the screw, rotary valve and Venturi can operate in either batch or continuous
whereas blow tank and gate valves will only offer batch in a single line. The third
consideration is feed rate control and for this the screw feeder is the only truly accurate
method.

In lean phase systems, rotary feeders are the most common used method of feeding as they;
are cheap, can withstand differential pressures of around 1BarG (before air begins to leak
considerably from the pressurised line past the product to atmosphere), and they also offer
reasonably accurate federate control. Whereas dense phase systems commonly utilise blow
tanks, this batch method allows material to be introduced to a tank which is pressurised, once
at pressure the conveying line is opened and product is moved down the line. Blow tanks can
operate continuously with twin tanks so that one tank is feeding and another is loading.
However, this can become expensive. Screws will commonly be utilised with both of these
methods; rotary feeders and blow tanks to offer accurate control over product flow rate.

Gas/ Solid Separation

Gas solid separation is a key process within pneumatic conveying. The main method of
separating a gas and solid is by using a filter that allows the air to pass through and prevents
the solid particles. The key design point of a filter unit is ensuring that the filter is sized
appropriately. This is based on the volume of air passing the filter and the filter velocity. The
filter velocity commonly being around 1.1m/min. This means that for a system moving
0.15m³/s of air with a filter velocity of 0.0183m/s the minimum required filter area would be
8.2m². Ensuring that the area is such that the filter velocity it equal to or less than 1.1m/min
prevents particles from embedding themselves in the filter material.

Whilst this is a key factor behind specifying a filter unit it is not the only factor, material
being conveyed, if the product is explosive, particle sizes, and cleaning method are all factors.

There are two key methods of filter cleaning, mechanical cleaning (shaker) and pneumatic
cleaning (reverse jet filter). Reverse jet filter units are the most common, as they are
considered to be the most effective for cleaning the filter elements. They work by releasing
pressurised gas through nozzles to force particles out of the filter elements from the inside. A
common cause for a system failing is the filters being blocked, this makes it difficult for the
air entering the system to leave, this intern causes the pressure to rise. If the pressure rises in a
system the velocity at the inlet will drop and could therefore see it fall below minimum
conveying velocity, it could also cause the system to shut down due to pressure switches or
relief valves. A clean filter unit should only cause 15mBar of pressure loss on a system.