Plant Design for atomized slip pneumatic conveying: environmental impact reduction in the ceramic industry avoiding product wear and fragmentation

One of the most important unsolved problems in ceramic industry is the atomized slip conveying, that is currently transported by conveyor belts that pick up the material from the spray nozzle bottom and then cover long distances, crossing the working environment and rising up to stocking silos. This kind of transport produces fine particles spread out, causing dust pollution and generating risk for workers’ health (silicosis). This paper describes an innovative atomized slip pneumatic conveying to solve this problem, based on the control of fluid-dynamical and thermo-hygrometric parameters. A test facility will be carried out both to confirm fluid-dynamical conveying parameter foreseen by a software simulator (TPSimWin) and to evaluate and control the behaviour of atomized slip humidity and temperature along the pipeline. Moreover, the test plant will allow to study in detail the relationship between atomized slip static and kinetic friction factors, that are deeply involved in plug flow motion characterization. In fact plug dynamic, from starting condition (i.e. standing, ready to start) to stationary speed, depends mainly on wall friction factor. Wall friction generates pressure losses that must be well known to correctly choose air compressor, that means energy saving and plant reliability.