Effect of Close-Coupled Bends in Pneumatic Conveying

Pressure drop in a close-coupled double bend in pneumatic conveying of fly ash is studied. Tests are carried out with a 6.35 cm (2.5 in) diameter 169.8 m (557 ft) long pipeline with various combinations of airflow, ash flow, phase density, and conveying velocity. The pressure drop across two close-coupled 90-degree bends is compared to the pressure drop in an isolated single 90-degree bend. Six ash samples of different physical and chemical compositions are used in the tests. Resulting bend pressure drops are correlated to the corresponding phase density and superficial air velocity at the bend inlet. The correlation pattern represented by the relationship {\Delta P_{solids} \over {SLR}} = Y1 \cdot V^{Y2} is established and found to vary with ash properties. For both single and close-coupled double bends and operating test conditions with \Delta {\rm P}_{\rm solids} / {\rm SLR} 0.15 at the bend entry, 86% of the measured test points fall within the range of - 20% of the \Delta {\rm P}_{\rm solids} / SLR calculated point. Below this threshold, the test results show that the pressure drops due to solids flow through a close-coupled double bend and single bends are often indistinguishable. Consequently, the loss through a close-coupled double bend cannot be considered as the cumulative effect of two isolated single bends.     

低速高能效的浓相气力输送技术

低速浓相输送装置的出现,解决了物料在输送过程中易破碎、堵塞和磨蚀管道等难题,降低了耗气量。本文中综述了低速浓相输送的几种定义和输送过程中的相图、物料流动形态及相应的判定、影响浓相气力输送特性的因素等技术参数,并介绍了输送过程中经常遇到的堵管和磨损现象以及气力输送过程中的检测和自动控制技术,指出了今后的研究方向。     

内激励型振荡衰减流作用下输流管道动力不稳定分析

振荡衰减流作为一种内激励形式,对输流管道的稳定性和共振特性将产生影响.基于输流管道横向振动运动微分方程,引入指数衰减函数模拟水锤发生时流速呈现的振荡衰减特性,推导得到内激励型振荡衰减流作用下输流管道动力不稳定区域的表达式.在无衰减周期脉动流激励条件下,计算得到两种不同支撑输流管道的不稳定区域,与前人数值研究结果吻合良好...     

Analysis of Gas-Solids Feeding and Slug Formation in Low-Velocity Pneumatic Conveying

Gas and solids feeding is a key operation in pneumatic conveying of particulate materials. This article presents an analysis of the interfacing effects between a nozzle gas supplier, a rotary valve solids feeder with dropout box, and the pipeline of a pneumatic conveying test rig for low-velocity dense-phase flow. Experiments were carried out to examine the flow pattern of slugs in different combinations of gas flow conditions and solids loading ratios. The effect of gas and solids feeding on the formation of slugs is analyzed by using both experimental data and computer-modeled results. Solids accumulation and sliding motion at the bottom of the dropout box and near the entrance of the downstream pipe, which happen prior to the bulk motion in the form of a slug, are found important in determining the size of a slug. Gas retention and pressure buildup characteristics in the feed section are also found crucial in influencing the flow patterns of slugs.     

An Experimental Technique for the Analysis of Slug Flows in Pneumatic Pipelines Using Pressure Measurements

An experimental technique has been developed to measure the flow characteristics of slugs in dense phase pneumatic conveying using pressure measurements. This method is based on the unique characteristics of slug flows in pipes, i.e., an axial pressure fluctuation along the pipeline and a pressure difference in the radial direction at the back of a slug. Standard differential pressure transducers were used in this study and the influence of the finite response time of these transducers was considered. Experiments were conducted over a range of gas-solids flow conditions and experimental data were analyzed to describe the behavior of solids slugs through pipes. The calculated slug velocity and length using axial pressure measurements were confirmed by video recordings, and the synthesis between axial and radial pressure signals showed reasonable agreement in flow pattern analysis. This relatively simple measuring technique has been found effective in detecting solids slugs traveling through horizontal pipes and will distinguish various flow regimes. It provides a useful and easily applied tool for system optimizing and benchmarking in industrial applications.     

An Experimental Technique for the Analysis of Slug Flows in Pneumatic Pipelines Using Pressure Measurements

An experimental technique has been developed to measure the flow characteristics of slugs in dense phase pneumatic conveying using pressure measurements. This method is based on the unique characteristics of slug flows in pipes, i.e., an axial pressure fluctuation along the pipeline and a pressure difference in the radial direction at the back of a slug. Standard differential pressure transducers were used in this study and the influence of the finite response time of these transducers was considered. Experiments were conducted over a range of gas-solids flow conditions and experimental data were analyzed to describe the behavior of solids slugs through pipes. The calculated slug velocity and length using axial pressure measurements were confirmed by video recordings, and the synthesis between axial and radial pressure signals showed reasonable agreement in flow pattern analysis. This relatively simple measuring technique has been found effective in detecting solids slugs traveling through horizontal pipes and will distinguish various flow regimes. It provides a useful and easily applied tool for system optimizing and benchmarking in industrial applications.     

Measurement of the Stress Transmission Coefficient of Material Slugs in an Aerated Radial Stress Chamber

In dense-phase pneumatic conveying, particles are transported along a pipeline at relatively low conveying speeds. Due to the relatively gentle handling characteristics of this mode of flow, it is suitable for conveying fragile and brittle bulk materials used in the food and chemical industries. The simulation of the stress field within a slug aims at developing an accurate prediction model for the pressure drop along a pneumatic conveying line. A reliable prediction of the pressure drop strongly depends on an accurate assessment of the particle properties, the pipeline dimensions, and the operating conditions. In past decades, a few models have been developed to serve this purpose, most of them including the mean particle diameter as a crucial parameter. This generally limits the selection of materials to those of nearly spherical particle shape, as it is extremely difficult to obtain a representative diameter for irregularly shaped particles or bulk commodities comprising differently sized and/or shaped particles. Another previously conflicting parameter is the so-called stress transmission coefficient k w , which relates the lateral wall stress within a slug of material to the axial stress. Previously, this parameter could not be measured directly in a test rig and had to be estimated; therefore, inaccuracies within the prediction were unavoidable. Consequently, a new test chamber was developed to measure the lateral and axial stresses within a slug, which leads directly to the stress transmission coefficient. The design of the test apparatus is outlined and the initial tests undertaken are reported. A strong dependence of the radial stress measurements on temperature changes of the test rig induced by the airflow was discovered. Possible solutions to compensate for this influence are addressed and further discussed.     

管道锈蚀射线检测技术

目的：研究高分辨率的X射线数字成像技术在管道锈蚀检测中的应用。方法：将射线光线转换技术，慢成像技术，非线性滤波等计算机图像处理应用于管道锈蚀成像。结果：利用该技术可真实地显示管道内部结垢，堵塞，腐蚀等情况，结论：利用上述结果可分析和判定管道的运行状态，测定管道腐蚀速率，评估管道安全可靠性，合理确定管道使用寿命。     

Identification of partial blockages in pipelines using genetic algorithms

A methodology to identify the partial blockages in a simple pipeline using genetic algorithms for non-harmonic flows is presented in this paper. A sinusoidal flow generated by the periodic on-and-off operation of a valve at the outlet is investigated in the time domain and it is observed that pressure variation at the valve is influenced by the opening size of blockage and its location. In this technique, the unsteady (steady oscillatory) pressure time series at only one location is required to identify two blockages. In the proposed methodology, the solution of the governing hyperbolic PDEs of pipe flow is obtained using the method of characteristics. For any piping system similar to the hypothetical pipe system used in the simulations, generalized best amplitude and best frequency of the valve operation are determined, which give maximum deviation in pressure responses for a specific blockage at different locations for a given constant-head reservoir. The generalized best amplitude and best frequency of the valve operation are also obtained for two blockages. Accuracy of the proposed methodology in identifying blockages in a hypothetical simple pipe system with increased noise in the simulated measurements is studied. A non-dimensional variable is proposed to determine whether the proposed methodology is applicable to isolate partial blockages in a piping system. Finally, the proposed methodology is experimentally validated on a laboratory piping system for a single blockage and two blockages.     

解决输氧管路冻堵的技术改造

根据液氧、气氧管道并网输送的特点,对供氧工序、管道结构进行技术改造,使输送的氧气中少含水分,保证冬季氧气输送管路不冻堵。     

The Characteristics of a Gas Pipeline in the Presence of Hydrate Deposits

The paper deals with the flow of a wet hydrocarbon gas in a pipeline, which is accompanied by the process of gas-hydrate deposition (sclerosis) on the internal surface of the pipeline. The pipeline sclerosis may occur in two ways, namely, under conditions of thermal balance and under conditions of water deficit. In so doing, in the initial region behind the pipeline cross section in which the condition of gas-hydrate formation sets in, the process of deposition exhibits the former pattern. The hydrate formation causes the flow depletion of water and, as a result, starting from some cross section, the pipeline sclerosis takes the latter pattern.     

Investigating Straight-Pipe Pneumatic Conveying Characteristics for Fluidized Dense-Phase Pneumatic Conveying

This article presents results from an investigation into the pneumatic conveying characteristics (PCC) for horizontal straight-pipe sections for fluidized dense-phase pneumatic conveying of powders. Two fine powders (median particle diameter: 30 and 55 µm; particle density: 2300 and 1600 kg m^?3; loose-poured bulk density: 700 and 620 kg m^?3) were conveyed through 69 mm I.D. × 168 m, 69 mm I.D. × 148 m, 105 mm I.D. × 168 m and 69 mm I.D. × 554 m pipelines for a wide range of air and solids flow rates. Straight-pipe pneumatic conveying characteristics obtained from two sets of pressure tappings installed at two different locations in each pipeline have shown that the trends and relatively magnitudes of the pressure drops can be significantly different depending on product, pipeline diameter and length and location of tapping point in the pipeline (indicating a possible change in transport mechanism along the flow direction). The corresponding models for solids friction factor were also found to be different. There was no distinct pressure minimum curve (PMC) in any of the straight-pipe PCC, indicating a gradual change in flow transition (change in flow mechanism from dense to dilute phase). For total pipeline conveying characteristics, the shapes of the PCC curves and the location of the PMC were found to be significantly influenced by pipeline layout (e.g., location and number of bends) and not entirely by the dense-to-dilute-phase transition of flow mechanism. Seven existing models and a new empirically developed model for PMC for straight pipes have been evaluated against experimental data.     

Wall effects on separation of flow past a circular cylinder

Abstract

The nature of the flow past a circular cylinder has been a classical problem, raising many questions concerning the various wake phenomena that have been observed. This study focused on the critical Reynolds number for the onset of the recirculation region for a flow restricted in a channel. The influence of the bounded walls is examined. The trend is that larger critical Reynolds numbers are accomplished with larger values of blockage ratio (defined as the ratio of cylinder diameter to the channel width). Furthermore, as the blockage ratio tends to zero, the trend seems to imply that the critical Reynolds number approaches the experimental value for flows in an unbounded domain.     

Design and modelling of a self-dispersing twisted pipe to mitigate settling in coal water suspension

The hydrotransport of the industrial powders and bulk solids such as minerals, mineral tailings, coal and ash is considered to be an efficient mode of transportation. The pipelines ranging from a few meters to few kilometers in length are used for such transportation purposes. If not well addressed, the issue of particle settling in such pipelines can lead to blockage and even bursting of the pipeline due to the continued deposition of the solids. The present study proposes the introduction of a twisted pipe section of a suitable length and geometry, that produces enough turbulence in the flow, sufficient for the re-dispersion of the already settled particles and check their further deposition. To achieve this objective, 5 different geometries (each having 4 different lengths) of twisted pipes are designed and used to model the dynamics of the particles’ flow through them and in their downstream region. A low influx velocity (where particle settling is expected) of 0.5 m/s is selected for all the cases and the influx solids’ mass concentration ranges from 40 to 60%. The results generated by the commercial CFD software are in good agreement with the experimental data. The parameters viz. mixing index, pressure loss, and specific energy consumption are evaluated to choose the best design of the twisted pipe section. The 0.2 m long 3 lobes twisted pipe section is found to deliver the suspension of highest homogeneity at the cost of a slight increase in pressure loss and specific energy consumption. The present solution ensures the mitigation of particles’ settling and the other related issues.     

Horizontal pneumatic conveying: a 3d distinct element model

Pneumatic conveying is widely used for transporting bulk solids in chemical, process and agricultural industries. It is environmentally friendly, flexible and can be fully automated. But it can also involve high power consumption, wear, abrasion, blockage and particle degradation. Hence understanding the physics can help to optimise design and operation. Conveying in a horizontal pipe involves complex multiphase flows, potentially with lean and dense phase regions, stationary particles and blockage.The Distinct Element Method (DEM) is a powerful tool to study granular dynamics. It models interactions at the particle level and reproduces the assembly physics. This paper presents a 3D DEM model to predict pressure drop, flowrate and flow patterns in pneumatic conveying. The inter-particle forces are modelled using the spring-dashpot-slider analogy. A novel gas flow model is developed. The pipe is divided into sections. In each section a lean and dense region is determined on a voidage criterion based on particle positions. Given the pressure at the boundaries, the fluid flow is determined assuming steady state conditions. This uses the Ergun equation for the flow through the dense phase and the equations of Wen and Yu for modified single spheres and wall resistance for the lean phase. It uses an iterative algorithm adjusting the fluid flowrate so that the pressure in each section is the same in the dense phase and lean phase and maintaining the boundary pressures. Once the fluid flow profile has been calculated the fluid drag on each particle can be determined. The results compare well with experimental data relating pressure gradient and solid and gas flowrates from Molerus (1993), Molerus (1996). Flow patterns for all the flow regimes, fully suspended flow, strand flow, slug flow, and conveying over stationary layer are observed.     

A Pressure Drop Model for Positive Pneumatic Conveying of Flour Through a Vertical Pipeline

A differential equation of motion for gas-flour two-phase flow in a vertical pipe was first derived based on the momentum conservation and by adopting two empirical expressions for the velocity ratio of flour to gas and frictional coefficient between flour and pipe wall, and then a pressure drop model for dilute positive pneumatic conveying of flour through a vertical pipeline was developed by employing the continuity and state equations for gas. The conveying tests were conducted on a positive pneumatic conveying system of flour in a flour mill. Under each of the six different flow conditions, the conveying parameters, such as the flour and gas mass flow rates and the pressure drop between two selected cross sections on the vertical pipeline were measured. The pressure drop between the two selected cross sections was evaluated using the pressure drop model for each of the six flow conditions. The calculated values of pressure drop agree well with the measured data, and it is demonstrated that the model is applicable to vertical positive pneumatic conveying systems of flour.     

红外热成像技术在多联机故障检测中的应用

制冷管路堵塞是多联机系统运行中的重要故障现象之一,严重影响了系统的正常工作。常规的检测方法是依据技术人员的经验,配合在管路上布置热电偶所获得的数据,进行综合分析,从而判断故障原因及故障点位置,检测效率低。本文采用红外热成像技术,通过最大负荷制冷工况、名义制冷工况、最大负荷制热工况和名义制热工况试验,研究了多联机在制冷管路堵塞情况下的红外数据、图像及其与热电偶测试数据的比较。研究结果表明,红外热成像技术能够快速、直观、准确地定位故障位置,可应用于多联机的故障检测并提高检测效率。     

Analysis of Forced Flow of Granular Materials in Vertical Pipes without and with Air Permeation

The problems associated with grain elevation and conveying under forced flow in vertical pipes are discussed. Based on experimental results, a theory is presented to describe forced flow with varying degrees of air permeation up to and just beyond the fluidization point. The theory takes into account the boundary and internal frictional properties, the degree of consolidation of the bulk granular material, and the stress fields that occur during forced flow. The force to elevate grain in a vertical tube is shown to be composed of two components, one to overcome Coulomb friction and initiate motion, and the other a time-dependent component that depends on the stiffness and damping characteristics of the granular material. The Coulomb friction component increases approximately exponentially with column height due to the positive feedback effect of the shear stresses at the pipe wall opposing the motion. Air permeation is shown to significantly reduce this component of the conveying force by reducing both the internal friction and the apparent bulk specific weight, the latter being the actual bulk specific weight less the air pressure gradient. Air permeation has a very significant effect on reducing both the bulk stiffness and, particularly, the damping characteristics, thereby reducing the time-dependent component of the conveying force.     

Experimental Study on Particle Deposition and Blockage in Small-Size Straight Fracture Channels

Based on the technology of using particles to block air-leakage fractures around drainage boreholes, pneumatic conveying experiments were conducted to explore the mechanism of particle deposition and blockage in fractures. Two small-size straight fractures (1000 mm × 40 mm × 2 mm and 1000 mm × 40 mm × 4 mm) were performed. The experimental results show that for the conditions under which fractures could not be blocked, average deposition height fluctuates around a certain value. This value is significantly influenced by air pressure but little impacted by mass flow rate. The average deposition height fluctuates sharply when solid flow rate increases. The effective blockage length curve slowly increases followed by a fast decrease. According to the effective blockage length, the optimum blockage effect is obtained at mass flow rate of 0.042 kg/s and air pressure of 0.25 MPa for a 2 mm-wide fracture, while for a 4 mm-wide fracture, the optimum blockage effect is obtained at mass flow rate of 0.042 kg/s and air pressure of 0.15 MPa. Both air pressure and fracture width have approximately equivalent effects on the blockage time, whereas mass flow rate does not contribute a noticeable effect.     

基于螺旋理论的管道蠕动并联机构的奇异性研究

以3-(P)URU(P)并联机构为主体的管道蠕动机构通过交替移动动定平台及连接两平台的3条URU支链实现在管道内的蠕动,从而可以应用于工农业运输管道的监测和探伤等.机构的奇异性会影响其使用效率和工程质量等,因此提出了一种移动并联机构的奇异分析方法并对该机构进行奇异性研究.首先,根据螺旋理论并结合线几何法分析了支链奇异、...