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Abstract The effect of self-excited soft fins on a pneumatic conveying with different vertical curved 90° bends was experimentally studied to reduce pressure drop, power consumption and conveying air velocity. The distributions of particle velocity and particle fluctuating velocity near and in the first bend were measured based on the high-speed PIV. The polyethylene particles with a diameter of 2.3 mm were used as conveying materials. The superficial air velocity was varied from 10 to 14 m/s, and the stable mass flow rate was fixed at 0.45 kg/s. Compared to the non-fin pneumatic conveying, the pressure drop, the minimum pressure drop (MPD) velocity, power consumption, and additional pressure drop can be reduced by using soft fins for two bends of different radii (R/D = 3.2 and 4.4) in lower air velocity range. The maximum reduction rates of the MPD velocity and power consumption by using soft fins is about 8.2% and 8%, respectively. At the upstream of the bend, the particle velocity of the soft fins is higher than that of the non-fin. The effect of soft fins on the particle velocity and its fluctuating energy remains in the bend. The particle velocity and fluctuating energy of particle velocity of the soft fins are higher than that of the non-fin in the first vertical bend. At the downstream of the bend, the fluctuating energy of particle velocity of the soft fins is higher than that of non-fin in the large radius bendon the top part of the pipe. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • A pneumatic conveying with vertical bends by using soft fins was studied. • The pressure drop, additional pressure drop and particle velocity were measured. • The pressure drop and conveying velocity were reduced by fins. • Particle velocity of fins was higher than that of non-fin near and in the bend. • Effect of fins on the particle velocity and fluctuating energy remains in the bend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper proposes an application of a rotation swirler to swirling flow pneumatic conveying for reducing the conveying velocity and pressure drop decrease. A comparison with the swirling flow pneumatic conveying generated by a non-rotation swirler and axial flow pneumatic conveying was made, the total pressure drop decrease, minimum conveying velocity, energy consumption, and additional pressure drop decrease were evaluated experimentally. In addition, the cross-section profiles of the particle velocity and particle fluctuation velocity along a pipeline near the minimum pressure drop decrease were measured by the PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) technique. The pipeline was a 5-m-long horizontal straight acrylic pipe with an inside diameter of 80 mm. Polyethylene particles of diameter of 2.3 mm were used as the conveying materials. The initial swirl number was varied from 0 to 0.66. The solid mass flow rates of 0.1, 0.28, and 0.47 kg/s were applied, and the superficial air velocity was varied from 9 to 16 m/s. It is revealed that the total pressure drop decrease and power consumption of the swirling flow using the rotation swirler exhibit the smallest values among all cases in the region of low air velocity, and are almost the same as the axial flow in the high air velocity region. The particle velocity and particle fluctuation velocity of the swirling flow originated by the rotation swirler are almost the same as the axial flow in the acceleration regime, but become larger than that of the axial flow near the bottom of the pipeline in the fully developed regime. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • A rotation swirler was applied to swirling flow pneumatic conveying. • Pressure drop, minimum velocity and particle velocity were measured. • The rotation swirler pneumatic conveying exhibits the lowest pressure drop • High particle velocity and fluctuation velocity were observed near the bottom of pipe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The particle velocities are measured by the high-speed particle image velocimetry (PIV) in the acceleration and fully developed regimes of a horizontal pneumatic conveying. Based on the measured particle fluctuation velocities, continuous wavelet transform and one-dimensional orthogonal wavelet decomposition were applied to reveal particle dynamics in terms of time frequency analysis, the contribution from wavelet level to the particle fluctuation energy, spatial correlation and probability distribution of wavelet levels. The time frequency characteristics of particle fluctuation velocity suggest that the small-scale particle motions are suppressed and tend to transfer into large scale particle motions from acceleration regime to fully developed regime. In the near bottom part of pipe, the fluctuation energy of axial particle motion is mainly contributed from the wavelet levels of relatively low frequency, however, in the near top part of pipe, wavelet levels of relatively high frequency make comparable contribution to the axial particle fluctuation energy in the suspension flow regime, and this contribution decreases as particles are accelerated along the pipe. The low frequency wavelet levels exhibit large spatial correlation, and this spatial correlation increases as the particles flow from acceleration regime to fully developed regime. The skewness factor and kurtosis factor of wavelet level suggest that the deviation of Gaussian probability distribution is associated with the central frequency of wavelet level, and the deviation from Gaussian distribution is more evident as increasing central frequency. The higher wavelet levels can be linked to small sale particle motions, which lead to irregular particle fluctuation velocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A horizontal dilute-phase pneumatic conveying system using vertically oscillating soft fins at the inlet of the gas–particle mixture was studied to reduce the power consumption and conveying velocity in the conveying process. The effect of different fin lengths on horizontal pneumatic conveying was studied in terms of the pressure drop, conveying velocity, power consumption, particle velocity, and intensity of particle fluctuation velocity for the case of a low solid mass flow rate. The conveying pipeline consisted of a horizontal smooth acrylic tube with an inner diameter of 80 mm and a length of approximately 5 m. Two types of polyethylene particles with diameters of 2.3 and 3.3 mm were used as conveying materials. The superficial air velocity was varied from 10 to 17 m/s, and the solid mass flow rates were 0.25 and 0.20 kg/s. Compared with conventional pneumatic conveying, the pressure drop, MPD (minimum pressure drop), critical velocities, and power consumption can be reduced by using soft fins in a lower air velocity range, and the efficiency of fins becomes more evident when increasing the length of fins or touching particles stream by the long fins. The maximum reduction rates of the MPD velocity and power consumption when using soft fins are approximately 15% and 26%, respectively. The magnitude of the vertical particle velocity for different lengths of fins is clearly lower than that of the vertical particle velocity for a non-fin conveying system near the bottom of the pipeline, indicating that the particles are easily suspended. The intensities of particle fluctuation velocity of using fins are larger than that of non-fin. The high particle fluctuation energy implies that particles are easily suspended and are easily conveyed and accelerated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In order to reduce pressure drop and conveying air velocity, the paper studied the effect of the dune model and soft fins in horizontal pneumatic conveying involving a 90° bend. Experimental measurements were performed in terms of the pressure drop, conveying air velocity and additional pressure drop. The distributions of particle velocity near and in the curved 90° bend were measured by high-speed PIV. The test pipeline consisted of a 4.5m-long horizontal straight acrylic tube, a curved 90° acrylic bend (mean radius of curvature 250mm) and a 1.5m-long horizontal straight acrylic tube, having an inside diameter of 80mm. The polyethylene particles with diameter of 2.3mm were used as conveying materials. The superficial air velocity was varied from 10 to 14m/s, and the solid mass flow rate was fixed at 0.45kg/s. Comparing with the conventional pneumatic conveying, the pressure drop, the minimum pressure drop (MPD) velocity and additional pressure drop can be reduced by using soft fins in lower air velocity range. The reduction rates of the MPD velocity by using soft fins and dune model were about 4.1% and 8.3%, respectively. At the upstream of bend and in the bend, the particle velocity of using the dune model is evidently higher than that of the conventional pneumatic conveying and using soft fins. However, the effect of soft fins and dune model on the particle velocity is maintained downstream of the bend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In order to reveal the mechanism of the steady transport at the low conveying velocity by using soft fins, the high-speed particle image velocimetry (PIV) is used to measure and analyze particle fluctuation velocity near air conveying velocity of the minimum pressure drop (MPD) in a horizontal self-excited pneumatic conveying. The study focuses on the effect of the different fin's lengths on the horizontal pneumatic conveying in terms of the time-averaged particle concentration and velocity, power spectrum, auto-correlation coefficients, two-point correlation coefficients, fluctuation intensity of particle velocity, skewness factor and probability density function. It is found that the power spectra peaks of fins, especially the longer fins, are larger than that of non-fin even at lower air velocity, suggesting the accelerating efficiency of fins' vibration. Meanwhile, the profiles of particle fluctuation velocity intensity indicate that the fins' oscillation generates large particle fluctuating energy even at lower air velocity so that the particles are more easily accelerated and suspended. This is one of the important reasons why the fins' oscillation results in the low pressure drop and low MPD air velocity. From the distribution of the skewness factor and the probability density function, it is found that the particle fluctuation velocities of all cases follow the Gaussian distribution in the lower and middle parts of pipe, and departure from the Gaussian distribution in the upper part of the pipe. The particle fluctuation velocity of the most efficient Fin320 more obeys the Gaussian-type fluctuation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A horizontal pneumatic conveying by using oscillating soft fins to touching particle streams in the inlet of the gas–particle mixture is experimentally studied, to reduce power consumption and conveying velocity. The effect of different fin’s lengths and fin’s arrangement on a pneumatic conveying is evaluated in terms of the pressure drop, conveying velocity, power consumption coefficient, additional pressure drop, particle concentration, particle velocity and intensity of particle fluctuation velocity. Because the oscillating fins directly touch particle streams, the pressure drop, the MPD (minimum pressure drop) and critical velocities, power consumption coefficient and additional pressure drop can be largely reduced comparing to the conventional pneumatic conveying. It is found that the pressure drop, power consumption coefficient and additional pressure drop are reduced and are almost independent on the fins’ length and fins’ arrangement (horizontal or vertical). The maximum reduction rates of the MPD velocity, critical velocity and power consumption coefficient by using soft fins are about 15%, 13% and 23%, respectively. The length of fins effects on the MPD and critical velocities, but the difference of MPD velocity between the vertical and horizontal fins is very small. In the acceleration regime, particle velocity and particle fluctuation energy of fins are larger than those of the no-fin even though the conveying velocities of fins are lower than those of non-fin. It indicates that the oscillating fins play an important role to accelerate particles in the acceleration region for realizing low conveying velocity and steady pneumatic conveying. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Multi-scale characteristics of particle fluctuation velocity at the MPD (minimum pressure drop) air velocity in the acceleration and fully-developed regimes are experimentally investigated. The high-speed particle image velocimetry (PIV) is first used to measure the fluctuating particle velocities at the MPD air velocity in a horizontal pneumatic conveying. Then the fluctuating particle velocities in the acceleration and fully-developed regimes are analyzed by the continuous wavelet transform and orthogonal wavelet multi-resolution technique. It is found that the wavelet components of low frequency dominate the fluctuating energy of axial particle velocity in the bottom part of the pipe, and contribute about 70% and 84% to the acceleration and fully-developed regimes, respectively. The more contribution to the fluctuating energy of vertical particle velocity, however, comes from the wavelet components of high frequency, accounting for about 82%. The low frequency component of auto-correlation suggests a large-scale particle flow in both acceleration regime and fully-developed regime. The low frequency wavelet component also makes a large contribution to spatial correlation of axial particle velocity, which increases from the acceleration regime to fully-developed regime. The PDF of low frequency components are asymmetrical near the bottom of the pipe, but the PDF of the relatively high frequency exhibits symmetry and the spread of the PDF evidently shrinks for increasing frequencies, implying a reducing fluctuation of high frequency component. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The high-speed particle image velocimetry (PIV) is employed to measure the distribution of particle fluctuation velocity near the minimum conveying velocity in the acceleration and fully developed regimes in a horizontal pneumatic conveying. The fluctuation characteristics of particle velocity are examined in terms of time-averaged particle velocity and concentration, power spectrum, auto-correlation coefficients, two-point correlation coefficients, intensity of particle fluctuation velocity, skewness factor and probability density function. It is revealed that the profile of the time-averaged particle velocity depends on the conveying velocity and solids loading ratio in the bottom part of the pipe in the fully developed regime. A quasi-periodical particle flow pattern with the lower frequency appears in this region and dominates the pressure drop of the pneumatic conveying. The intensities of particle fluctuation velocity of the sliding strand flows in the bottom part of pipe are smaller that of the suspension flows in the top part of pipe, revealing that the low intensity of particle fluctuation velocity can result in the low conveying pressure drop. The particle fluctuation velocity of the low or minimum conveying velocity follows the Gaussian probability distribution in the fully developed regime. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In order to reduce power consumption and conveying velocity, a new pneumatic conveying system where soft fins are mounted in a horizontal plane through the pipe axis in the front of inlet is proposed in this paper. The experimental study focuses on the effect of the different fin''s lengths on the horizontal pneumatic conveying system in terms of frequency characteristics of fin''s oscillation, pressure drop, conveying velocity, particle flow pattern, power consumption and additional pressure drop. The test pipeline consisted of a horizontal smooth acrylic tube with an inside diameter of 80mm and a length of about 5m. The polyethylene spherical particles of density 978kg/m3 and 952kg/m3 with diameters of 2.3mm and 3.3mm are used as conveying materials. The mean air velocity is varied from 10 to 17m/s, and the solid mass flow rate is from 0.20 to 0.45kg/s. Comparing with the conventional pneumatic conveying, the pressure drop, minimum and critical velocities, power consumption and additional pressure drop can be reduced by using soft fins in lower air velocity range. The efficiency of fin is quite evident with increasing the length of fin. The maximum reduction rates of the minimum velocity and power consumption by using soft fins are about 14.8% and 25.5%, respectively. By analyzing the frequency characteristics of fin''s oscillation, Strouhal number of more efficient fins is about S t =0.65 in the range of low air velocity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The purpose of this study focuses on analyzing the particle velocity and concentration characteristics in a horizontal pneumatic conveying with dune model, so as to reveal the mechanism of the low conveying velocity and saving-energy conveying. The test pipeline consisted of a horizontal smooth acrylic tube with an inside diameter of 80mm and a length of about 5m. The polyethylene particles of density 978kg/m3 and 952kg/m3 with diameters of 2.3 and 3.3mm are used as conveying materials. High-speed PIV was first applied to measure the time-averaged particle velocity and was proven to be an efficient measurement technique in the pneumatic conveying. Then the particle velocity and concentration distributions of three locations were measured at mean air velocities of 12m/s and 13m/s and the solid mass flow rates of 0.45kg/s and 0.43kg/s. A comparison of the particle velocity and concentration profiles between dune model and non-dune model was performed. It is found that the particle concentration of using dune model becomes higher in the upper part of pipeline and becomes lower near the bottom of pipeline in the acceleration region. The particle velocities of using dune model are clearly higher than that of the conventional pneumatic conveying along pipeline and display a uniform profile at the downstream. It is also clear that the particles can be effectively accelerated by increasing air velocity and impacting the surface of dune model. The effect of dune model on the velocity profile of relatively small particles is larger than that of the larger particles and maintains to the downstream. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In order to reduce power consumption and conveying velocity, a pneumatic conveying system where a dune model is mounted in a pipeline is proposed in this paper. The experimental study focuses on the effect of the mounted dune model in the horizontal pneumatic conveying system in terms of pressure drop, power consumption and conveying velocity. The test pipeline consisted of a horizontal smooth acrylic tube with an inside diameter of 80mm and a length of about 5m. Polyethylene spherical particles with a density of 952kg/m3 and diameters of 2.3 and 3.3mm are used as conveying materials. The mean air velocity is varied from 9 to 16m/s, and the solid mass flow rate is from 0.25 to 0.45kg/s. Firstly, the effect of the dune model location on pneumatic conveying is experimentally studied. It is found that in the lower air velocity range, the pressure drop of the pneumatic conveying with a mounted dune model is lower than that of a conventional pneumatic conveying system. A lower conveying velocity and energy-saving conveying can be realized by installing a dune model in the conveying pipe. Especially the case of fixing the dune model on the bottom of the pipe at the inlet of particle feed is more effective. The particle flow patterns also show that the dune model reduces the deposition of particles. Then, the effect of different surface materials of the dune model is examined. By using a surface material of the dune model with a large coefficient of restitution, the pressure drop of conveying large particles is the lowest. When conveying relatively small particles, however, the pressure drop becomes the lowest by a small coefficient of restitution. The maximum reduction rates of the minimum velocity and power consumption by the dune model are about 19% and 34%, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the pneumatic conveying process, the particles move to the bend under the influence of inertia to form a particle rope, which will cause a serious collision between the pipe wall and the particles. In order to reduce energy consumption, three sizes of dune models were designed according to the bend structure and blockage ratio. The system pressure drops, particle flow pattern, particle velocity distribution, and pulsation velocity intensity are studied in this research, and the wavelet multi-resolution analysis is used to perform the particle velocity. The findings indicate that the dune model effectively reduces the ideal conveying gas velocity and pressure drop, and the maximum reduction rate of ideal conveying gas velocity is 10.26%. The dispersion of particles is fully in the vertical pipe in the condition of dune model and the axial velocity is larger than the condition of no model. Moreover, the large-scale low-frequency motion dominates the movement of particles in the pipe, while the appearance of small-scale high-frequency motion breaks the pattern of low-frequency motion. [Display omitted] • Dune model is installed in a 90° bend to reduce energy consumption and wear. • Increasing tail size of dune model facilitates particle dispersion in vertical tube. • The maximum reduction rates of optimal conveying gas velocity is 10.26%. • Large-scale low-frequency motion dominates the movement of particles in tube. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on multi-scale particle dynamics of horizontal pneumatic conveying equipped with two types of soft fins at the air velocity of the minimum pressure drop. The particle velocity fields of non-fin and using soft fin's cases are measured by high-speed particle image velocimetry. Then the particle fluctuation velocities are decomposed into various scales based on one-dimensional orthogonal wavelet decomposition. It is found that the non-uniform case of Fin260 yields the highest axial- and vertical- particle velocities and fluctuation energies, giving rise to the lowest pressure drop and conveying air velocity. The overall relative energy distributions of wavelet components suggest that the particle fluctuation energies become more concentrated at wavelet levels 3 and 4 by using fins, especially for the case of non-uniform Fin260. The energy concentration on specific wavelet levels indicates a more organized particle motions under the effect of air turbulence induced by non-uniform soft fins. The correlation analysis suggests that the spatial correlation of wavelet component is associated with the contribution of wavelet component to the measured particle fluctuation energy. The oscillating soft fins modulate the air turbulence and promote the particle motions to be spatially correlated in a range of specific frequency. [Display omitted] • Multi-scale analysis of particle fluctuation velocity is performed • Particle fluctuation energies become concentrated at levels 3 and 4 by using fins • Multi-scale spatial correlation is associated with particle fluctuation energy • The oscillating soft fins promote the particle motions to be spatially correlated [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]