Dilute Phase Conveying

Dilute Phase Conveying

Dilute phase conveying is a relatively high-velocity process, utilizing either positive or negative pressure to push or pull materials. Although mostly used for finer particles, dilute phase conveying can be used with almost any materials including powders, grains, chemicals, wood chips, bone fragments, lead dust, limestone and food. Used in applications where product degradation and high material velocities are not a factor, dilute phase conveyors are often utilized by industries such as industrial, food and chemical processing, pharmaceutical, mining and dairy. In addition, dilute phase conveyors are often used in railcar unloading due to their ability to provide continuous conveying, making them a time-efficient choice of conveyor.

Dilute phase conveying can be done with either pressure or vacuum pneumatic systems, as long as high air velocity is created and maintained. Dilute phase conveying can utilize either positive or negative pressure, although each pressure type best works for certain applications. For example, positive-pressure dilute phase conveyors are best suited for conveying materials loaded from a single entry point to one or multiple destinations. Positive-pressure systems can transport materials over a relatively long distance and use a minimum quantity of air to move the material. Conversely, negative-pressure dilute phase conveyors work best in transporting materials loaded from numerous inlet points and discharging them at a single point. In addition, there are a variety of different dilute phase conveyor system designs. A closed-loop dilute phase conveyor uses an inert gas as the conveying medium to convey the material in a closed-loop system. This type of dilute phase conveying is useful for handling hazardous chemicals. A centrifugal blower dilute phase conveyor can use a combination of pressures or other system designs but use centrifugal blowers in place of positive displacement power packages.