Energy efficiency in pneumatic conveying: performance analysis of an alternative blow tank

Abstract

This work presents the experimental characterization of a novel industrial bulk solids feeder, named Batchpump, and aims to validate the performance in terms of transport capacity and compressed gas consumption of an unconventional compact pressure vessel, used as a feeding device for dense phase pneumatic conveying. Experimental test data was collected for limestone as the conveyed material. The developed device was shown to have similar performance parameters (transport rate and gas consumption) when compared to conventional versions of blow tanks operating at 4 bar pressure and conveying powder material at about 9 t/h rate, albeit the smaller dimensions and simplification in operation, resulting in significative advantages in retrofits and in the implement a new conveyor line.

Keywords:

• Blow tank
• energy efficiency
• pneumatic conveying
• pressure vessel
• solids feeder

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Zeppelin Systems Latin America company as all the experimental studies were conducted at the company’s plant.

Disclosure statement

According to Taylor & Francis’s policy and my researcher’s ethical obligation, We declare that we received funding from CNPq and from Zeppelin Systems Latin America, a company that may be affected by this research reported in the enclosed article. We have disclosed those interests fully to Taylor & Francis, and we have in place an approved plan for managing any potential conflicts arising from that financial support.

Additional information

Funding

The present work was financially supported by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) under Grant [140368/2018-3], the Federal University of ABC (UFABC) through the Industrial Academic Doctoral Program (DAI), and under Grant [163815/2018-6], through the Graduate Program on Energy (PGENE), and by Zeppelin Systems Latin America.