Basics of Air Transport for Bulk Materials

This course covers the fundamental aspects of air transportof bulk materials. It can be tailored to requirements and to the site specific examples or materials.

• Basics of bulk materials and the impact on air transport
• Why use air transport?
• Using air flow to transport bulk materials
o Negative pressure – “vacuum” conveying
o Positive pressure – pneumatic conveying
o Other methods – air slides
• Fundamentals of air transport
o Pressure
o Air flow
o Limitations
• “Vacuum” transport systems design
o Generating a negative pressure flow
Machine types – fans, blowers, liquid ring pumps
Venturi
o Recovering bulk from the airstream. = Gas Solid separator design
Damage
Separation
o Design of transport duct/pipe systems = Design for Air flow and velocity requirements to system sizing and pressure requirements. Pipe sizing design.
System size/complexity/length
Bends and junctions
Balancing flows
o Design aspects to consider = maintenance and troubleshooting
Access, where and why
Clean out
Wear
Selection of materials for the system
o Dust management

Problem Identification and Resolution = maintenance and troubleshooting
• Pressure but no flow
• Airflow but no bulk material flow
• Pipe system design errors
• Valves
• High wear, erosion and corrosion
• Attrition of bulk material