Pneumatic Conveying Of Dry Material

By Doug Carroll, Food Group Industry Manager, Schenck Process LLC

Pneumatic conveyance of dry material is a proven method for moving products from place to place in many operations. However, there are multiple types of system configurations possible. Each configuration has strengths and weakness thus, the proper selection depends on the specific process needs. The following article will provide some insight into the different factors to consider when applying a pneumatic conveying solution to a process.

The purpose of a pneumatic conveying system is to move a dry granular or powder material from one unit operation to another in a production or processing facility. The method of transport is airflow through a pipeline moving from an area of high pressure to a relatively lower pressure destination. The success of a pneumatic transport system is greatly influenced by the proper system configuration selection to match the process and specific site needs. The two main variables to consider when making the configuration selection are Pressure vs. Vacuum and Lean Phase vs. Dense Phase. Within these two selections are further configurations based on process needs. For brevity, this article will focus on the technologies that are applicable to sugar production and processing.