Multiple Use Systems

All pneumatic conveying systems are not dedicated to the conveying of a single material over just one distance. In many cases, several materials have to be conveyed to a number of different reception points. In a manufacturing process, a single pipeline is used to convey a diverse range of materials from a number of supply hoppers to a single delivery point for blending. In many industries, such as glass and food, a wide variety of materials have to be conveyed by a common system, since there is a requirement to deliver a given menu for a particular process. In ship off-loading, a single line may be used to unload several different materials and to convey them to separate locations. In all of these cases, it is essential that each material should be conveyed successfully. However, each material may have different conveying characteristics and as a consequence, the air requirements for the conveying of different materials and the material flow rates achieved can vary significantly. Conveying distance can also have a significant influence on conveying performance. Some of the materials to be transported may be capable of being conveyed in dense phase, and hence at low velocity, while others may have no dense phase capability and will have to be conveyed in dilute phase with a high conveying air velocity. The conveying performance of different grades of the same material can also widely differ.