Energy efficiency in the development of an innovative industrial pressurized solids feeder for pneumatic conveying systems

This paper presents the development of a pressurized ejector for particulate material handling by means of pneumatic transport, defined as a way to transport materials mainly in powder or granular form using a gas stream. Operating through high-pressure batches, the proposed equipment consists in an alternative to the conventional Pressure Vessel commonly used in pneumatic transport, having as advantages the reduction in complexity of operation; equipment dimensions; energy expenditure and production cost. The experimental part of this work took place in the Research and Development Center from Zeppelin Systems Latin America in a collaboration with the Industrial-Academic Doctorate program of the Federal University of ABC. The analysis of the obtained experimental results counted on statistical methods in the process of transport performance evaluation, controlling influence variables such as flow, pressure, time and mass transported. The purpose of this work was to elaborate an empirical model for the transport through the proposed equipment and its feasibility, aiming to establish points of maximum energy efficiency.