Effect of particle size distribution on hydrodynamics of pneumatic conveying system based on CPFD simulation

The effect of particle size distribution on the hydrodynamics of dilute-phase pneumatic conveying system was analyzed using computational particle fluid dynamics (CPFD) simulation. The influence of a simula-tion parameter, i.e., correction factor of drag coefficient (k), on the hydrodynamics of pneumatic convey-ing system was determined via CPFD simulation. When results of simulation were compared with experimental data of previous studies, the average error of pressure drop per length predicted by the CPFD approach with the correction factor was below 4.4%. Saltation velocity and the pressure drop per unit length declined as the drag force coefficient increased. Simulation results also revealed that the pres -sure drop per length and the saltation velocity were decreased when the fine powder fraction in the par-ticle size distribution was increased, although the width of particle size distribution was widened, and the standard deviation was increased. Finally, the Relative Standard Deviation (RSD) of pressure drop per length was measured and compared with median diameter (d(50)), Sauter mean diameter, geometric mean diameter, and arithmetic mean diameter. The RSD of the Sauter mean diameter was 5.8%, approx-imately twice less than the RSD value of d(50) commonly used in pneumatic conveying. (C) 2021 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. and The Society of Powder Technology Japan. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study analyzed the effect of particle size distribution on the hydrodynamics of dilute-phase pneumatic conveying system using computational particle fluid dynamics simulation. Results showed that the pressure drop per unit length and saltation velocity decreased as the fine powder fraction in the particle size distribution increased.