📋 Case Study

Pneumatic Conveying of Catalyst Powder in Fluidized Bed Reactor Feed System

Catalyst attrition and line plugging due to intermittent slug flow and particle segregation

🏗️ Project Overview

Ammonia synthesis plant retrofit in Netherlands

🎯 Challenge

Catalyst attrition and line plugging due to intermittent slug flow and particle segregation

🔧 Design Approach

Reconfigured feed geometry using CFD-derived velocity profiles; introduced rotary airlock + dense-phase conveying regime with choked flow control

📐 Design Diagram

AI-generated project design illustration

📐 Key Calculations

Saltation Velocity

Uₛₐₗₜ ≈ 0.5 √(g dₚ ρₛ/ρₐ)

Result: 7.2 m/s

Minimum velocity to avoid settling

📊 Results

Zero unplanned outages in 24 months, 92% reduction in catalyst fines generation, 27% lower air compressor energy use

💡 Lessons Learned

• •Particle density ratio ρₛ/ρₐ governs saltation threshold
• •Choked flow ensures constant mass flux despite upstream pressure fluctuations

✅ Key Takeaways

• 1Particle density ratio ρₛ/ρₐ governs saltation threshold
• 2Choked flow ensures constant mass flux despite upstream pressure fluctuations