Course Description

A pneumatic conveying system is defined as a method of transporting bulk solid materials-such as powders, granules, pellets, and flakes-through an enclosed pipeline using a high-velocity stream of air or gas as the primary conveying medium. Unlike mechanical conveyors such as belt conveyors, screw conveyors, or bucket elevators, pneumatic systems have no moving parts in direct contact with the material being moved. This absence of contact parts significantly reduces contamination risks, which is why pneumatic conveying is the preferred choice in food and pharmaceutical applications. The system relies entirely on a pressure differential created by an air mover, which can be a blower, fan, or compressor, to generate sufficient airflow to entrain and move solid particles. Because the pipeline is completely enclosed, pneumatic conveying is inherently dust-free, making it superior for environmental compliance and worker safety. You will find these systems widely used in cement plants, plastic pellet transfer, flour mills, chemical processing, and mining operations.

What you'll learn in this course?

• By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Differentiate between dilute phase, dense phase, and lean phase pneumatic conveying systems based on solid-to-air ratios and material properties.

• Calculate key system parameters including conveying velocity, pressure drop, and air flow rate for a given bulk solid.

• Select appropriate components (blower, rotary valve, filter receiver, pipeline) based on material abrasiveness and friability.

• Diagnose common operational problems such as saltation, plugging, and excessive wear using systematic troubleshooting methods.

• Apply safety standards (NFPA, ATEX) for explosive dust handling in pneumatic conveying designs.

• A pneumatic conveying system is defined as a method of transporting bulk solid materials (such as powders, granules, pellets, and flakes) through an enclosed pipeline using a high-velocity stream of air or gas as the primary conveying medium.

• Unlike mechanical conveyors (belt, screw, or bucket elevators), pneumatic systems have no moving parts in contact with the material, which reduces contamination risks and maintenance requirements.

• The system relies entirely on a pressure differential created by an air mover (blower, fan, or compressor) to generate sufficient airflow to entrain and move solid particles.

• Pneumatic conveying is widely used in industries such as food processing, pharmaceuticals, cement, plastics, chemicals, and mining due to its enclosed, dust-free nature.

Prerequisites

• Basic engineering knowledge and familiarity with industrial systems and engineering units Wiscademy | Pneumatic Conveying Systems 2