Glossary of Pneumatic Conveying Terms

1 Acid Dew Point

The temperature at which acid vapor in flue gas condenses into free moisture. The acid dew
point is higher than the water dew point.
2 Aerated
Material that has been subjected to fluidizing.
3 Air Lock
A multi-chambered device for moving material from one pressure zone to another; for example,
from a baghouse at negative pressure to a pipe conveyor at positive pressure.
4 Air Retention
The ability of a bulk material to retain air in the interstitial spaces between particles for a
period of time. Very fine materials such as cement can exhibit this property, and when first
poured into a container the material can behave almost like a liquid.
5 Blow Tank
The principal material transfer mechanism in a dense phase conveying. The blow tank is
alternately filled with material and then pressurized, after which the contents are discharged
under pressure through the conveyor pipeline.
6 Booster Sections
Sections of reduced diameter placed in a pipeline conveyor. They are intended to increase
velocity at points that are either potentially or actually prone to plugging. The inclusion of
booster sections is usually a post installation fix.
7 Choking
Choking occurs in vertically upward flow and is the process that commences when solid particles
near the pipe wall begin to flow downwards. As the process continues the pipeline eventually
becomes blocked or chokes.
Note: Choking in vertical transport is somewhat analogous to saltation in horizontal transport,
for both phenomena represent the onset of saturation conditions in dilute phase flow.

8 Conveying Line Inlet Air Velocity

This is the superficial air velocity at the point where the material is fed into the pipeline.
Note: In a single bore pipeline this will be the lowest air velocity in the conveying line and so it
must be greater than the minimum conveying air velocity required to ensure successful
conveying of a material. This is also referred to as the pick-up or entrainment velocity. In a
vacuum conveying system it is approximately equal to the free air velocity.
9 Conveying Line Exit Air Velocity
This is the superficial air velocity at the end of a conveying line where the material is discharged
into the receiving vessel.
Note: In a single bore pipeline this will be the highest air velocity in the conveying line. In a
positive pressure conveying system, it is approximately equal to the free air velocity.
10 Dense Phase Conveying
Dense phase conveying occurs when materials are conveyed with air velocities lower than those
required for dilute phase over all or part of the pipeline.
11 Dilute Phase Conveying
Dilute phase conveying occurs when a material is conveyed in suspension in the flowing air. The
dilute phase mode of conveying is sometimes referred to as lean phase or suspension flow.

To keep the material in suspension in the pipeline it is necessary to maintain a minimum value of
conveying line inlet air velocity. The conveying line inlet air velocity for most materials is of the
order of 13 to15 m/s.
12 Exhauster
Device for introducing air flow into a pneumatic vacuum conveyor. May be either a rotary
mechanical device or a venturi type powered by air, water or steam.
13 Fluidizer
A porous element arranged so that ash (granular material) is on one side of the element and low
pressure air is applied to the other. The air permeating through the element raises and separates
the ash particles, and provides a curtain of air around them. This reduced interparticle friction
and thus shear strength, which allows the ash to flow more readily. Fluidizers are used in
precipitator hoppers, ash feeders, silo bottoms, and other equipment.

14 Fluidizing
The action produced by fluidizers as described above.
15 Free Air Conditions
Free air conditions are specified as those at which pressure = 101.3 kN/m2 absolute (standard
atmospheric pressure) and temperature = 15°C (standard atmospheric temperature).

Note: Free air conditions are generally used as the reference conditions for the specification of
blowers and compressors.
16 Free Air Velocity
This is the superficial velocity of the air when evaluated at free air conditions.
17 Gates
The preferred term for valves used in pneumatic pipeline conveyors. They are available in
various configurations, including butterfly, slide, swing disc, dome, etc.
18 Loading
Expression for the concentration of particulate matter in a pipeline conveyor. Units for
pneumatic conveyors are kilograms/pounds of ash per kilogram/pound of air. For hydraulic
conveyor, loading is expressed as weight percent; e.g., 15% solids by weight.
19 Minimum Conveying Air Velocity
The minimum conveying air velocity is the lowest superficial air velocity that can be used to
convey a material.
Note: Most data for minimum conveying air velocity are generally determined experimentally or
from operating experience. In dilute phase flow this is the lowest air velocity that can be
achieved without saltation or choking occurring. Some investigators have recommended the use
of a velocity 2 to 2.5 times the saltation velocity. The literature often recommends a velocity 20
percent above the saltation velocity as a minimum. The value of the minimum conveying air
velocity in dense phase flow is significantly influenced by the solids loading ratio of the conveyed
material, in the case of materials having good air retention properties.

20 Mohs’ Scale
The Mohs’ scale of hardness is based on the ability of each material to scratch ones that come
before it on the scale. Each material is allocated a number, 1 for the least hard material through
to 10 for the hardest material. These are talc 1, gypsum 2, calcite 3, fluorite 4, apatite 5,
feldspar 6, quartz 7, topaz 8, corundum 9 and diamond 10.
21 Permeability
This is a measure of the ease with which air will pass through a bed of bulk particulate material
when a pressure difference is applied.
 Note: Pelletized materials generally have very good permeability for there is little resistance to
the flow of air through the interstitial passages. Materials that have a very wide particle size
distribution generally have very poor permeability. If a pipeline blockage occurs with such a
material a small plug of the material is often capable of holding an upstream pressure of 5 bars
for a period of several minutes.
22 Pickup Velocity
The point of increasing air velocity through a conveyor pipe at which material deposited on the
bottom of the pipe is substantially entrained into the air stream.
23 Pneumatic Conveying
The transport of solids through a pipeline in a moving mass of compressible fluid, usually air or
flue gas.
24 Saltation
Saltation is the process of deposition of solid particles along a horizontal pipeline.
Note: This phenomenon occurs in dilute phase flow when the air velocity falls below the
minimum conveying value. The saltation velocity is the minimum velocity at which a dilute
phase system will operate and is equivalent to the minimum conveying air velocity.
25 Solids Loading Ratio
Solids loading ratio is the ratio of the mass flow rate of the material conveyed to the mass flow
rate of the air used for its conveying.
26 Stepped Pipeline
A continuous pipeline in which the diameter of the conveying pipe changes to a larger bore, at
points along its length. The purpose is to accommodate the change in volumetric flow rate of the
conveying air as the pressure changes, without the velocity falling below the minimum value of
conveying air velocity at any point.
27 Superficial Air Velocity
This is the velocity of the air disregarding the presence of the solid particles or porous media.

Note: In a pipeline it is the air velocity based upon the cross-sectional area and neglecting the
space occupied by the conveyed material. For flow across a membrane or filter it is the open
duct velocity normal to the surface.
28 Transient
A temporary continuous changing rate of flow caused by non-steady state flow conditions, such
as starting up and shutting down conveying systems, particularly where blow tanks are
employed.
29 Vacuum Breaker
Vacuum relief valve used on pneumatic pipeline conveyors to interrupt the vacuum, allowing
receiving equipment to dump accumulated ash.
30 Valley Angle
The angle formed with the horizontal of two adjacent sides of a pyramidal ash storage hopper.