Pneumatic Conveying Systems
Pneumatic conveying moves material through enclosed pipelines using controlled airflow. It is particularly suited where containment, routing flexibility, cleanliness or reduced manual handling is important. The correct conveying regime depends on the product, required capacity, distance, elevation, pickup arrangement and acceptable product degradation.
Lean-phase conveying
- Material is suspended in a relatively high-velocity air stream and conveyed through the pipeline.
- Commonly considered for free-flowing powders and granules where higher conveying velocity and continuous transfer suit the process.
Dense-phase conveying
- Material moves at lower velocity and higher concentration, often in plugs or controlled batches.
- May reduce product degradation and pipe wear for suitable materials, subject to detailed testing and design.
Vacuum conveying
- Material is drawn through the system under negative pressure.
- Can support contained transfer, controlled pickup and cleaner operation in feeding, batching and packaging duties.
Typical applications
- • Powder and bulk-solids transfer
- • Batch mixing and blending
- • Reactor and extruder feeding
- • Packaging and filling operations
- • Transfer between storage, process and discharge points
Conveying method and guaranteed duty must be based on verified material data and process requirements. Bulk density, particle size, moisture, abrasiveness, fragility, temperature, flow behaviour and explosion risk may affect the design.
