Influence of Fluidizing Velocity on Fluidized Powder Conveying in a Horizontal Rectangular Channel

Abstract

This study experimentally investigated the high dense pneumatic conveying of glass beads in a horizontal rectangular channel using the fluidizing air. The powder used belongs to Geldart A particle, where the mean diameter is 53 μm, the particle density is 2523kg/m3 and the minimum fluidizing velocity is 4.329mm/s. The fluidized powder conveying system consists of a powder supply hopper, a horizontal rectangular channel at the side of hopper and a receiving tank. The powder was fluidized by air through the porous membrane at the bottom of hopper and horizontal channel. Then, this system could be transported the fluidized powder toward the horizontal direction. In this study, the mass of transported powder, the bed height of powder in a hopper and the supply air pressure were measured when the fluidizing velocities at the bottom of hopper and horizontal channel were changed. The mass of transported powder with the fluidizing air to the bottom of hopper multiplied rapidly when the fluidizing velocity at the bottom of horizontal channel was larger than the minimum fluidizing velocity. Therefore, the fluidizing air at the bottom of hopper and horizontal channel was important to obtain smooth powder conveying on this system. Also, the mass flow rate of powder and the solid loading ratio were estimated from the mass of transported powder against the elapsed time. As the result, the solid loading ratio has taken a one peak when the fluidizing velocity at the bottom of channel was larger than the minimum fluidizing velocity. It was found from the analyzed solid loading ratio that the high dense powder conveying was possible in this system.