1

DESIGN EXAMPLE DILUTE PHASE PNEUMATIC

CONVEYING

A plastics production plant wants to increase the capacity through an existing conveying
system. The existing system has 6 inch ID pipes and is configured as shown in the
diagram below.

The High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) particles have an average size of 4 mm. The
conveying gas is at 68
o
F. The existing blower can produce 1375 SCFM.

The desired capacity increase is from 20,000 lbm/hr to 30,000 lbm/hr. Can the existing
blower and pipe system meet this increase in capacity?

Assume the pressure drop across the cyclone is 5 inches of water. The pressure drop
across the blower inlet pipe and silencers is 0.3 psi. The pipe bends have R/D =6. Pipe
roughness is k =0.00015 ft. The particles have density
p
=59 lbm/ft
3
. Terminal
velocity of the particles is
t
U =30.6 ft/s.















a
b
c
d
e
f
g
HOPPER
BLOWER
CYCLONE
325 ft
50 ft (vertical rise)
100 ft
2
SOLUTION

Push conveying systems are conveniently calculated from
exit to inlet (the exit pressure boundary condition is
known). Hence, on the figure the points at which the pipe
line is segmented are labeled a through g from exit to
inlet.

a-b Cyclone

P
a
=14.7 psia (exit atmospheric pressure)

P
b
-P
a
=
cyclone
P =5 inches water (given)

P
b
=P
a
+
cyclone
P =____________

b-c Horizontal Pipe
L =325 ft
Use density and velocity values at point b




= = =
s P
psi
ft
ft
P
P
A
Q
V
b b
STP STP
g
60
7 14
1963 0
1375
2
3
min .
.
min /
_________

Gas friction factor, from Churchills equation
( )
16
16
9 0
12 1
2 3
12
37530
27 0
7
1
457 2
1 8
2
(

=
(
(
(
(
(

|
|
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ |
.
|

\
|
=
(
(

+
+ |
.
|

\
|
=
Re
.
Re
ln .
Re
.
/
/
B
D
k
A
B A
f


k =0.00015ft, Re =363,037

f =0.00419






Gas density at point afrom ideal
gas law
3
3
0753 0
528
29
73 10
7 14
ft lbm
R
lbmol
lbm
R lbmol
ft psi
psi
RT
PM
o
o
g
/ .
.
.
=
= =

psi
inches
psi
water 18 0
68 27
1
5 .
.
" = |
.
|

\
|


P
b
=0.18 +14.7 =14.88 psi





2
2 2
1963 0
4
5 0
4
ft
ft D
A .
) . (
= = =


Velocity at point b
s ft
ft V
g
/ .
min /
.
.
.
3 115
6920
88 14
7 14
1963 0
1375
=
= =



Viscosity is insensitive to pressure
At 68
o
F
s ft
lbm
cP
g
0000114 0 017 0 . . = =
Gas density at point b
3
/ 0762 . 0
7 . 14
88 . 14
0753 . 0
ft lbm
P
P
STP
b
gSTP g
=
= =



037 363
000014 0
5 0 3 115 0762 0
3
,
/ / .
. / . / .
Re
=
=
s ft lbm
ft s ft ft lbm




( )
c
g g
z horiz
g
V
D
L
f P
2
4
2

+ =
3
Solids mass to air mass ratio

_ __________
min min / / .
/
=
= =
60 1375 0752 0
30000
3 3
hr
ft ft lbm
hr lbm
Q
w
STP gSTP
s

z
for particles with d
p
>500 microns





=_________


=_________



z
=____________


Hence
=
bc
P __________









At point c

P
c
=P
b
+ =
bc
P _________

= = =
s P
psi
ft
ft
P
P
A
Q
V
c c
STP STP
g
60
7 14
1963 0
1375
2
3
min .
.
min /
_________

7 14
0753 0
.
.
c
STP
c
gSTP g
P
P
P
= = =________





=4.833






d
p
=4mm =0.01312 ft
D =0.5 ft

( )
3 826
5 0 174 32
3 115
2
2
.
. / .
/ .
= =
ft s ft
s ft
Fr

( )
2218
01312 . 0 / 174 . 32
/ 6 . 30
2
2
= =
ft s ft
s ft
Fr
p


z
=0.001564



( )
( )
psi
in
ft
x
s lbf
ft lbm
s ft ft lbm
x
P
bc
729 1
144
774 32 2
3 115 0762 0
5 0
325
833 4 001564 0 00419 0 4
2
2
2
2
3
.
.
/ . / .
.
. . .
=

+ =



At point c

P
c
=14.88 +1.729 =16.61 psi

g
V =101.3 ft/s



g
=0.0850 lbm/ft
3




1 0
25 0 86 0 3 0
082 0
.
. . .
.
|
|
.
|

\
|
=

p
s z
d
D
Fr Fr
gD
V
Fr
g
2
=
p
t
p
gd
U
Fr
2
=
4

c-d Pipe Bend

cd
P =___________



For 6 >
D
R
B =________


cd
P =___________

At point d

P
d
=___________

= = =
s P
psi
ft
ft
P
P
A
Q
V
d d
STP STP
g
60
7 14
1963 0
1375
2
3
min .
.
min /
_________

7 14
0753 0
.
.
d
STP
d
gSTP g
P
P
P
= = =________

d-e Vertical Pipe
z =50 ft





f =_________

Fr =_________

z
=____________


=________


=________




p
V =_________





=4.833 from previous page
(loading is constant)


B =0.5 for this R/D

( )
psi
in
ft
x
P
cd
286 0
144
1
174 32 2
3 103 0850 0
833 4 1 5 0
2
2
2
.
.
. .
) . ( .
=

+ =


P
d
=16.61 +0.286 =16.89 psia


g
V =101.55 ft/s

g
=0.0850 lbm/ft
3


Note
g g
V =constant
Hence, Re does not change.
Since f =f(Re, k/D) then f does not
change.
f =0.00419
=constant =4.833
p
Fr =constant =2218
( )
= =
ft s ft
s ft
Fr
5 0 174 32
55 101
2
2
. / .
/ .
641.05



=0.001946



=0.7425

p
V =75.40 ft/s
( )
s ft ft lbm ft
s hr hr lbm
/ . / .
/ / ,
40 75 59 1963 0
3600 1 000 30
1
3 2
=
=0.9905

( )
c
g g
bend
g
V
B P
2
1
2

+ =
( )
c c
g g
z vert
g
g
z
g
V
D
L
f P + + =
0
2
2
4

1 . 0
25 . 0 86 . 0 3 . 0
082 . 0
|
|
.
|

\
|
=

p
p z
d
D
Fr Fr
( )
p p
s
p g
V A
w

=
+ =
1
1
0
5 0 3 0
123 0 1
. .
.
p p
g
p
d
V
V
=
5 0 3 0
59 01312 0 123 0 1
. .
) . ( . =
g
p
V
V
5
59 9905 0 1 0850 0 9905 0
0
) . ( ) . ( . + = =0.6485
lbm/ft
3
psi
ft lbf
P
de
465 0
43 32 64 35
50
174 32
174 32
6485 0
174 32 2
55 101 0850 0
5 0
50
833 4 001946 0 00419 0 4
2
2
.
/ . .
.
.
.
.
) . ( .
.
) . . . (
=
+ =
+

+ =

At point e
P
e
=___________

= = =
s P
psi
ft
ft
P
P
A
Q
V
e e
STP STP
g
60
7 14
1963 0
1375
2
3
min .
.
min /
_________

7 14
0753 0
.
.
e
STP
e
gSTP g
P
P
P
= = =________


e-f Pipe Bend




ef
P =___________


At point f

P
f
=___________

= = =
s P
psi
ft
ft
P
P
A
Q
V
f f
STP STP
g
60
min 7 . 14
1963 . 0
min / 1375
2
3
_________

7 . 14
0753 . 0
f
STP
f
gSTP g
P
P
P
= = =________





















P
e
=0.465+16.89 =17.36psia


g
V =98.83 ft/s


g
=0.0889 lbm/ft
3





( )
psi
in
ft
x
P
ef
273 0
144
1
174 32 2
83 98 0889 0
833 4 1 5 0
2
2
2
.
.
. .
) . ( .
=

+ =




P
f
=17.36 +0.273 =17.63 psia

g
V =97.30 ft/s


g
=0.0903 lbm/ft
3












( )
c
g g
bend
g
V
B P
2
1
2

+ =
6


f-g Horizontal Pipe
L =100 ft plus has acceleration zone

These calculations are similar to pipe section b-c plus the
addition of the acceleration

accel horiz fg
P P P + =

=_________




Intermediate value for P
g
(used for calculating V
g
that is
used in calculating the
accel
P
horiz f g
P P P + = ' =

= = =
s P
psi
ft
ft
P
P
A
Q
V
g g
STP STP
g
60
min
'
7 . 14
1963 . 0
min / 1375
'
2
3
_________

7 . 14
'
0753 . 0
'
g
STP
g
gSTP g
P
P
P
= = =________



=_________


Pg =_________





Pressure Drop Across Blower

Inlet pressure to blower

P
in
=14.7 0.3 =14.4 psia



in g blower
P P P = =_____________


This is the pressure increase
required by the blower.

( )
= =
ft s ft
s ft
Fr
5 0 174 32
30 97
2
2
. / .
/ .
588.49



=0.002095

( )
( )
psi
in
ft
x
s lbf
ft lbm
s ft ft lbm
x
P
horiz
473 0
144
774 32 2
3 97 0903 0
5 0
100
833 4 002095 0 00419 0 4
2
2
2
2 3
.
.
/ . / .
.
. . .
=

+ =
'
g
P =17.63 +0.473 =18.11psia

g
V =94.76 ft/s


g
=0.0927 lbm/ft
3



V
p
/V
g
=0.7425 (from previous)

accel
P =0.734 psi

P
g
=18.84 psia













blower
P =18.84 14.4
=4.44 psi

( )
c
g g
z horiz
g
V
D
L
f P
2
4
2

+ =
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
g
p
c
g g
accel
V
V
g
V
P

2 1
2
2
1 . 0
25 . 0 86 . 0 3 . 0
082 . 0
|
|
.
|

\
|
=

p
p z
d
D
Fr Fr
7




Check Saltation Velocity

Use the Rizk Correlation

( )
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
(
(

=
+ =
+ =
1
1
10
5 2 1 1
96 1 44 1

gD
A
w
V
d
d
g
s
gs
p
p
. .
. .


Note, d
p
is in mm

From the Rizk equation, the largest saltation velocity
occurs at the smallest gas density (at the exit of the
cyclone). Use this condition to calculate the saltation
velocity.

|
.
|

\
|
+
(
(
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|
=
=
=
1 9 6
1
9 6
2
3
2
72 7
5 0 174 32
075 0 1964 0
10
3600
30000
.
.
.
. .
. .
_________
_________
ft
s
ft
ft
lbm
ft
s
hr
hr
lbm
V
gs

=71.2 ft/s


The smallest velocity in the pipeline occurs at point g
(94.76 ft/s) hence the velocity everywhere in the pipeline
exceeds the saltation velocity.

Assuming the blower is capable of the 4.44 psid pressure
increase, the velocity provided by the flow rate of 1375
SCFM exceeds the saltation velocity everywhere in the
pipe line, hence the blower and pipe system is capable of
conveying 30,000lbm/hr of solids.



























90 6 5 2 4 1 1
72 7 96 1 4 44 1
. . ) ( .
. . ) ( .
= + =
= + =
mm
mm