FM 301 Flow of Solids through Bins and Pneumatic Conveying

Date of Experiment : 28th September Date of Presentation : 3rd October

Lab Group: B-6 (b)

Rupak Kumar 09D02033 (Report)

Akshansh Gupta 09002039 (Presentation) Sourabh Biswas 09002044 (PPT)

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PART A: Flow of solids through Bins

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our experiment is to study the effect of the powder level above the exit and the effect of particle diameter and orifice diameter on the mass flow rate. MOTIVATION: Several chemical processes involve solid raw materials or products in the form of powders (e.g. cement manufacture, pharmaceuticals, etc). The powders need to be transported during their processing, hence their flow properties are of considerable importance. An application, which is very common, is the flow of powders from storage bins & hoppers, under the influence of gravity. THEORY: Particulate flow consists of both liquid-like and solid like characteristics. They occupy the volume of the container, and exert pressure on the side walls of the containers, which is liquid like behaviour. Unlike liquids, the shearing stress is proportional to the normal load rather than to the rate of deformation. Like solids, they can sustain a shear stress, though the magnitude of the shearing stress at a point is generally indeterminate. The discharge flow rate depends mainly on the orifice geometry, the nature of the powder and is nearly independent of the height of the powder above the exit, and the vessel diameter. If the effect of particle diameter is ignored, then based on the dimensional analysis, the mass flow rate is given by

Where Do is the orifice diameter, g is the acceleration due to gravity, is the bulk density of the solids and C is constant. Beverloo et al. (1981) have shown that the mass flow rate is given by

where d is particle diameter, k and C are constants. By plotting W2/5 versus Do, we can check whether straight lines are obtained for the two different particle sizes. The constants C and k can be obtained from the slopes and intercept of the lines respectively.

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EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE:

Fix the plate having orifice diameter as 7.9 mm at the bottom of the bin

Fill the bin with the materials of particle size 1.1 mm size upto 300 mm height in the bin

Weigh the sand collected

Release the cork to allow the sand to flow out and record the time taken till the sand stops coming out

Repeat the above 4 steps for different orifice plate

Follow the same above procedure for particle size 0.7 mm

Figure 1 : Flowchart showing the procedure followed in the experiment

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SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM:

Figure 2 : Schematic diagram of the apparatus

CALCULATION PROCEDURE:

Calculate the mass flow rate

Draw the graph between W2/5 and orifice diameter Do and obtain equation of line obtained From the slope of graph calculate the constant C by comparing it with Beverloos equation

From the intercept and value of C calculate value of constant k

Figure 3 : Calculation procedure followed

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OBSERVATIONS: Weight of the tub = 189 gm Average particle diameter = 1.1 mm Orifice Diameter (mm) 7.9 7.9 10.8 10.8 15.8 15.8 20.5 20.5 Height (mm) Mass collected (kg) 2.302 1.608 2.288 1.598 2.403 1.634 2.332 1.666 Actual Mass collected (kg) Time Taken (sec) Mean Mass flow rate W (gm/s) 8.753 8.717 22.211 20.671 60 40.704 132.202 129.561

300 200 300 200 300 200 300 200

2.113 1.419 2.099 1.409 2.214 1.445 2.143 1.477

241.4 162.77 94.5 68.16 36.9 35.5 16.21 11.4

Average particle diameter = 0.7 mm Orifice Diameter (mm) 7.9 7.9 10.8 10.8 15.8 15.8 20.5 20.5 Height (mm) Mass collected (kg) 2.186 1.545 2.273 1.564 2.283 1.592 2.273 1.646 Actual Mass collected (kg) Time taken (sec) Mean Mass flow rate W (gm/s) 9.486 9.511 24.639 23.301 64.056 63.570 143.724 134.907

300 200 300 200 300 200 300 200

1.997 1.356 2.084 1.375 2.094 1.403 2.084 1.457

210.5 142.56 84.58 59.01 32.69 22.07 14.5 10.8

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GRAPHS:

W^(2/5) Vs D for grains of 1.1 mm with Height 300 mm

Mass flow rate^(2/5) (gm/sec)
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 Series1 Linear (Series1) y = 0.3672x - 0.54 R = 0.9984

Orifice Diameter D (mm) From the above graph, slope = 0.367 Intercept = -0.54

W^(2/5) Vs D for grains of 1.1 mm with Height 200 mm

Mass flow rate^(2/5) (gm/sec)
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 Series1 Linear (Series1) y = 0.3501x - 0.529 R = 0.9569

Orifice Diameter D (mm) From the above graph, slope = 0.350 Intercept = -0.529

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W^(2/5) Vs D for grains of 0.7 mm with Height 300 mm

Mass flow rate^(2/5) (gm/sec)
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 Series1 Linear (Series1) y = 0.3781x - 0.5397 R = 0.9974

Orifice Diameter D (mm) From the above graph, slope = 0.378 Intercept = -0.539

W^(2/5) Vs D for grains of 0.7 mm with Height 200 mm

Mass flow rate^(2/5) (gm/sec)
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 Series1 Linear (Series1) y = 0.3668x - 0.4536 R = 0.9993

Orifice Diameter D (mm) From the above graph, slope = 0.366 Intercept = -0.453

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RESULTS: Particle size of diameter 1.1 mm Height of sand level (mm) 300 200 Value of constant C 0.0182 0.0162 Value of constant k 1.337 1.374 Particle size of diameter 0.7 mm Height of sand level (mm) 300 200 Value of constant C 0.0499 0.0323 Value of constant k 1.001 1.154

Error Analysis
Standard deviation (s)

For particle size of diameter = 1.1 mm C = 0.002 or (10.9%) k = 0.037 or (2.69%) For particle size of diameter = 0.7 mm C = 0.017 or (35.27%) k = 0.153 or (13.25%) For particle size of diameter = 1.1 mm C = 0.0172 0.002 k = 1.3555 0.037 For particle size of diameter = 0.7 mm C = 0.0411 0.017 k = 1.0775 0.153

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CONCLUSION: The graph between W2/5 vs Do is a straight line for both the samples of the sand and the slope and the intercept in both the graphs are nearly equal. The Particle flow depends only on the orifice and the particle diameter while the fluid flow depends on the height of the column and the diameter of the orifice and the vessel. The mass flow rate is independent of height because the stress is mostly borne by the walls of the container and the stress at the orifice is hence independent of H. Also, the mass flow rate increases with increasing orifice diameter and decreases with increasing particle size. Unlike liquids, the shearing stress in particulate solids is proportional to normal load rather than the rate of deformation. The value of constant k appearing in the Beverloos equation decrease with decrease in the particle size. The term (DO kd) accounts for the effective diameter that is available to the particles to exit from the vessel. Further, k signifies the resistance that is offered by the walls of the opening of exit to the particle flow. Thus, as the particle size decrease, resistance decreases & so does the value of k. This is proved experimentally too as we obtain lesser value of k for diameter 0.7 mm.

SOURCES OF ERROR AND PRECAUTIONS: While filling the sand in the bin, the container should not be shaken in order to level the sand as it will then resemble a packed bed, and not the free flowing sand that is required for the experiment. The height level on top should be levelled out by filling the last 10 mm of sand by hand, so that the height level of the sand is uniform throughout the cross section of the bin. The orifice should be placed such that it is inclining downwards like the inner side of a funnel. The stopwatch should be started as soon as the stop cork is taken out, and this is a source of error that will propagate into mass flow rate calculations. Also, care should be taken that the sand does not fall out of the container.

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PART B : Pneumatic Conveying

OBJECTIVE: The objective is to study qualitatively the different flow regimes for different gas and solids flow rate for horizontal pneumatic conveying and also to measure pressure drops for gassolid flow for different gas and solids flow rates. MOTIVATION: Pipeline transport of particulate solids has a number of advantages over conventional transportation systems such as conveyor belts, the former systems are compact and require much less maintenance. They are commonly used for in-plant transports of solids (e.g. in cement plants) as well as for loading and unloading materials from trucks and ships (e.g. food grains). THEORY: Dilute Phase Transport: When the gas volume flow rates are much higher than that of the solids, the transport of solids is said to be in the dilute phase. In this case there is a nearly uniform distribution of solids across the pipe cross-section of the pipe and along its axis. In this case the pressure drop for the flow is given by

where Pf is the pressure drop due to flow of gas alone and d is the extra pressure drop due to the pressure of the particles. f can easily be evaluated from friction factor charts. An expression for calculating d is

Where, = density u = velocity = volume fraction of gas in the pipe and the Subscripts f and p refer to fluid and particle respectively, L is the length of the pipe, and m = Gp /Gf is the ratio of solid to gas mass flow rates, Cds is the drag coefficient for a single particle moving through the fluid at a velocity (uf - up). Dense Phase Transport: As the air flow rate is reduced below a threshold limit, the particles start to fall out of the gas stream, and settle to the bottom of the pipe. This decreases the actual flow area, thus increasing the pressure drop across the pipe. Further reduction in flow rate leads to more and

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more pressure drop. This phase is known as the Dense Phase, and is undesirable for solid transport. The velocity at which the solid particles first begin to settle is known as the Saltation Velocity. In designing, the saltation velocity is used as a basis for choosing the design gas velocity in a pneumatic conveying system. Usually, the saltation gas velocity is multiplied by a factor, which is dependent on the nature of the solids, to arrive at a design gas velocity. When the gas velocity becomes low (below the Saltation Velocity the particles settle at the bottom of the pipe. The settled particles are transported by partly sliding along the pipe. The distribution of solids in such cases where mass flow rate(m) is high generally nonuniform and this results in large pressure fluctuations. An empirical correlation for the pressure drop in dense phase transport is

Where, D is the pipe diameter and ds is the mass per unit volume of solids in the pipe. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE:

Start compressor and fill the bin with sand

Adjust the flow rate of air to high value

Measure the flow rate of sand by collecting it for a fix time

Start the flow of sand

Also meaure the presure dropand observe the flow regime

Decrease the flow and repeat the procedure

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SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM:

OBSERVATIONS: Weight of the mug = 110 gm Average particle diameter = 1.1 mm Density = 2.8 gm/cc Air P(mm) Flow(m/hr) 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6
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13 11 9 8 15 19 26 27

Mass collected (gm) 353 341 339 343 279 245 209 184

Time taken (sec) 20.28 20.31 20.08 20.22 18.98 20.30 20.18 19.91

Actual mass collected (gm) 243 231 229 233 169 135 99 74

Mass flow rate (W) (gm/sec) 11.982 11.373 11.404 11.523 8.904 6.650 4.905 3.716

RESULTS AND CONCLUCIONS:

Mass flow rate vs Pressure difference

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Mass flow rate (gm/sec)

12 10 8 6 4 2 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 y = -0.005x2 - 0.2543x + 14.404 R = 0.9304 Series1 Poly. (Series1)

P(mm of CCl4) The Air Mass flow rate vs Pressure drop was plotted as shown below. Initially, as the air flow rate is very high, dilute phase is observed. There is no settling of particles at the bottom of the pipe, and a well mixed stream of particles and air exits from the pipe.

Pressure drop vs Air flow rate

Pressure drop (mm of CCl4
30 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Series1

Air flow rate (m3/hr) The above graph indicates the different phases. The first decreasing part shows the dense phase where the sand particles are accumulating in tube. The increasing part of the graph shows the dilute phase in which there is no accumulation. From the above graph, the optimum flow rate to minimize the pressure drop across the tube is 10 m3/hr. And the corresponding mass flow rate is 11.523 gm/s.

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From graph we see that as the flow rate was decreased, the pressure drop reached a minimum value and then started increasing. Now in the dense-phase pneumatic conveying more and more solids settle down at the bottom of the pipe as the flow rate of air is decreased. This is characterised by increase in pressure drop mainly due to large amount of frictional losses between solid particles and pipe. In the dilute phase transport, the physical forces contributing to the pressure drop are air-topipe friction, air-to-particle friction and pipe-to-particle friction. In the absence of gravity, the particles will never settle down at the bottom of the pipe. Thus, the particles will always be uniformly distributed across the cross section of the pipe, whether the gas flow rates are low or high. SOURCES OF ERROR AND PRECAUTIONS: The readings should only be taken once steady state is achieved and the pressure difference becomes constant. Moreover, the collection of sand and starting of stop watch should be simultaneous and the actual time should be considered while doing the calculations. The stopping of stop watch and the removal of mug should also be simultaneous. Also, the hopper should be continuously refilled with sand.

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APPENDIX: Sample calculations for flow of solids through bins. From graph 1, Comparing with We get, (C x x g)0.4= 0.367 (C x x g)0.4 x K x d = 0.54 Solving we get, K = 0.54/(.367 * 1.1) = 1.337 C = 0.3672.5/( x g) = 0.0182 W2/5= 0.35 Do -0.529 W = C x x g (DO kd)5/2 = M/ (h x x d2 x ) = 1.425 gm/ cm3 W2/5= 0.367 Do - 0.54 W = C x x g (DO kd)5/2 = M/ (h x x d2 x ) = 1.425 gm/ cm3

From graph 2, Comparing with We get,

(C x x g).4= 0.35 (C x x g).4 x K x d = 0.529 Solving we get, K = 0.529/(0.35 *1.1) = 1.374 C = 0.352.5/( x g) = 0.0162 W2/5= 0.378 Do - 0.539 W = C x x g (DO kd)5/2 = M/ (h x x d2 x ) = 1.365 gm/ cm3

From graph 3, Comparing with We get,

(C x x g).4= 0.378 (C x x g).4 x K x d = 0.539 Solving we get, K = 0.378/(.539 * 0.7) = 1.001 C = 0.5392.5/( x g) = 0.0499 W2/5= 0.366 Do - 0.453 W = C x x g (DO kd)5/2 = M/ (h x x d2 x ) = 1.365 gm/ cm3

From graph 4, Comparing with We get,

(C x x g).4= 0.366 (C x x g).4 x K x d = 0.453 Solving we get, K = 0.366/(.453 * 0.7) = 1.154 C = 0.4532.5/( x g) = 0.0323 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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