Pneumatic Conveying Systems

What is the Purpose of a Pneumatic Conveying System?

The purpose of a pneumatic conveying system is to transport large quantities of dry, powdered, or granular materials through a pipeline using air or another gas as the conveying medium.

What are the Components of a Pneumatic Conveying System?

The system typically consists of a blower or compressor to generate the conveying air, a feeder to introduce the material into the pipeline, and a series of pipes and valves to direct the flow.

Types of Pneumatic Conveying Systems

The three types of pneumatic conveying systems that are commonly used are dilute phase, semi-dense phase, and dense phase conveying.

Pressure systems utilize positive pressure to transport material through a convey line into the receiver hopper. Positive-pressure dilute phase conveyors are best suited for conveying materials loaded from a single entry point to one or multiple destinations.

Vacuum systems utilize a negative-pressure system that works best in situations where materials are loaded from numerous inlet points and discharging them at a single point.

Dilute Phase

Dilute phase pneumatic conveying is a continuous process where a constant low pressure, high velocity airstream pushes or pulls materials at a low material-air ratio. Dilute phase conveying is generally used for materials that have a light bulk density, those that are easily fluidized such as lime, cement, flour, resins, fly ash, soda ash, and other dry bulk chemicals.

Semi-Dense Phase

Semi-dense conveying uses medium-pressure and medium velocity which suspends only a portion of the material to flow through the air stream. As an intermediary step between dense and dilute phases, this type of conveying is most suitable for products such as cement or fly ash.

Dense Phase

Dense phase pneumatic conveying is an intermittent or batch process where pulses of high pressure, low velocity air propels a slug of material to another location. This differs from dilute phase as the material-air ratio is much higher and, as a result, dense phase conveying is often used for materials that are friable or susceptible to product damage such as granular products, sticky products, or highly abrasive products.

Features&Benefits

Features & Benefits

While there are 3 types of pneumatic conveying: Dilute Phase, Dense Phase, and Semi-Dense Phase, our engineers are experts in dilute phase pneumatic conveying system design. Dilute phase pneumatic conveying is a continuous process where a constant low pressure, high velocity airstream pushes or pulls materials at a low material-air ratio. Dilute phase pneumatic conveying systems are especially suitable for systems with multiple points to a single destination and applications where dust can be an issue.

Dilute phase conveying is generally suitable for materials that have a light bulk density, those that are easily fluidized such as:

• lime
• cement
• flour
• resins
• fly ash
• soda ash
• and other dry bulk chemicals

Using a pneumatic conveying system is a better choice than screw conveyors or other methods when your dry bulk material has a more complex path to follow.

In many circumstances, using a pneumatic conveying system to move bulk solids long distances is generally more viable and economically efficient than mechanical options such as a conveyor belt system. Pneumatic conveying systems provide an advantage over mechanical conveying for the following three reasons:

Flexible to Build:
Pneumatic conveying systems provide more options in terms of route changes and expansion. They can transport bulk materials almost wherever it is possible to install a pneumatic line, and this includes over, around or underneath your existing infrastructure.

Economical to Maintain:
Pneumatic conveying systems are relatively easy to install, maintain and operate at an economical price point.

Safe to Use:
If necessary, pneumatically conveyed materials can be completely isolated from moving parts and the environment. As a result, pneumatic conveying limits contamination and reduce dust/air quality concerns.

Benefits of Choosing a Pneumatic Conveying System from Carmeuse Systems

Carmeuse Systems has over 50 years of experience building and servicing dilute phase pneumatic conveying systems for both vacuum and pressure applications. Whether you are looking to convey dry bulk chemicals such as quicklime, hydrated lime, soda ash, magnesium hydroxide, or bulk materials that need to be conveyed without contamination, our systems will ensure that you can meet your target design requirements for throughputs. Carmeuse Systems has the knowledge and experience to select the correct air to product ratios to suit your bulk material and convey rates. We are committed to delivering system solutions and aftermarket services that exceed our customer expectations throughout the lifecycle of the system.

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