Effect of Internal Air Pressure to Fluidized Powder Conveying in a Horizontal Channel

Abstract

This study has experimentally investigated dense phase pneumatic conveying in a horizontal rectangular channel by fluidizing air. The powder was glass beads of the Geldart B particle, with mean particle diameter of 118μm, particle density of 2623kg/m³ and minimum fluidizing velocity of 12.3mm/s. Fluidizing velocities to the bottoms of powder discharge vessel and horizontal channel changed against minimum fluidizing velocity. The result showed that steady powder conveying achieved when height and pressure of powder bed at discharge vessel maintained the constant value. Mass flow rate of powder increased rapidly and reached the constant when fluidizing velocity at the bottom of a horizontal channel exceeded minimum fluidizing velocity. Solid loading ratio also increased with increasing fluidizing velocity, and took a maximum value. We found that powder conveying by fluidizing air realize high dense pneumatic transportation. In addition, we revealed that air pressures at powder discharge vessel and horizontal channel greatly influenced to mass flow rate.