Experimental determination of cutting and deformation energy factors for wear prediction of pneumatic conveying pipeline

Abstract

Pneumatic conveying has become a well established method of transporting materials in the resource and process industries. Erosion is a phenomenon that occurs in pneumatic conveying pipeline due to the inherent nature of conveying process. In pneumatic conveying, particulate material is transported by the motive of compressed gas with velocities usually less than 60 m/s. In the present investigation, erosion tests were performed in order to study the wear behaviour and determine specific energy factors of pipeline material for the predictive models of wear in dense phase mode of pneumatic conveying pipeline. These tests were performed on mild steel and aluminum surface with alumina and Ilmenite particles. Double disc method was used to measure the particle impact velocities with different powder mass flow rates at different compressed air pressures for erosion tests. Erosion rate and erosion behaviour were studied under the influence of solid particle erosion at dense phase conveying condition. Deformation and cutting energy factors were then determined for predicting wear based on the material removal mechanisms. These factors will then be incorporated in a generic software algorithm to predict the service life of pneumatic conveying pipeline.