Pneumatic conveying is the process of transporting bulk materials in a gas stream through a pipeline. If improperly designed/operated, a pneumatic conveying system can experience:
- Plugging or buildup – deposits leading to blockage or reduced throughput
- Throughput restrictions – conveying system cannot meet required capacity
- Elbow or line wear – abrasive wear of elbows/sweeps from hard bulk materials
- Particle attrition – tendency for particles to generate fines during transport
The key to solving or preventing pneumatic conveying problems is to determine the conveying characteristics of the powder or bulk solids. Knowing how a material behaves during pneumatic conveying allows accurate specification of conveying mode (i.e., dilute or dense phase), gas flow and solids loading, and type of gas mover (e.g., fan, blower, or compressor).
Jenike & Johanson understands the complexity of pneumatic conveying, and specializes in troubleshooting problems, as well as implementing a new system for a challenging powder or bulk solid. Review our solution approach below, which is based on proven pneumatic conveying theories, material conveying characteristics, and decades of experience designing pneumatic conveying that work from the start and operate reliably for life.
Our Solution
Jenike & Johanson provides effective functional engineering for pneumatic conveying systems. Our designs consider:
- Configuration that meets your needs (e.g., capacity, transport distance)
- Powder or bulk solids conveying properties needed to select mode of transport and operating parameters
- Pipeline – size (diameter) and layout including type of elbows/sweeps, minimum acceleration zone length, diverter
- Gas mover – specification of gas flow rate for fan, PD blower, or compressor
- Operating conditions – calculated pressure drop (energy loss), solids loading ratio (ratio of solids to gas), velocities
- Innovative features – specialized components that address abrasive wear, particle attrition, buildup, streamers/snakeskins/angel hair (resins)
Experience Highlights
- Design of pressure differential (PD) truck unloading line for reliably conveying pebble lime into silos at coal-fired power plant
- Operational changes for pneumatic conveying line handling bisphenol-A flake to reduce particle attrition and energy costs (using nitrogen for transport)
- Design modifications and operational changes to finished cereal line to reduce product damage during conveying into cyclone
- Engineering review of pneumatic conveying system that handles dusty and abrasive fly ash
What’s Next
After completion of the pneumatic conveying system’s functional design, Jenike & Johanson can review your vendor quotations to ensure the system proposed is appropriate for your material being conveyed.
Contact us to discuss our full-range of engineering services and how we can strive to meet your pneumatic conveying needs.
