Energy efficiency of a solid feeder for pneumatic conveying systems in dense phase
Pneumatic conveying can be defined as a mechanical device that uses gas to displace solid materials, such as dust or granules. The displacement of the particulate occurs by a pressure differential along a pipeline, which transports the particles from the highest-pressure region to the lowest pressure region. This work, submitted to the PhD qualification assessment to the Graduate Program in Energy at the Federal University of ABC, addresses the development, modeling, and optimization of a pneumatic equipment for industrial applications. It is a small-size feeder that supplies solids for pneumatic conveying, designed to use compressed air as a driving force. Here, the pneumatic system is designed to transport particulate material in dense phase with applicability for different industrial segments, such as food, ore, and ash, for the transport of powders, seeds, pellets, and granules, considering that more than 70% of all industrial products are particulate at some stage. The methodology of this work starts from the investigation of the state of the art of pneumatic conveying through gas fluid. The experimental stage took place at the Industrial Research, Development, and Innovation Laboratory of the company Zeppelin Systems Latin America Equipamentos Industriais LTDA, which is a partner of UFABC, and is responsible for the development of the equipment at its RD & I center, where this project was named Batchpump. The experiments started with the characterization and experimental design at different operating conditions. Methods for the validation of transport tests were applied through the treatment of data from flow, pressure, time, and mass sensors, to investigate the flow behaviors of the pressurized feeder, to evaluate the equipment and its viability. Subsequently, the parameterization of the pneumatic system on industrial scale was defined, as well as the optimization of energy efficiency. The results validated the equipment (Batchpump) as a practical and advantageous alternative when compared to the classic pressure vessel for transporting particulates in the form of batches. Compared to the pressure vessel used in conventional pneumatic transport, the Batchpump brings significant and practical advantages such as reduced operating complexity, smaller size, and lower acquisition cost. We intend to verify, prove, and improve the energy efficiency for the proposed technology.