CEV 504 PARTICLE AND BULK MATERIAL HANDLING

ASSIGNMENT 1

1. With an aid of diagram, select one chemical substance to describe the porosity.
(4 marks)

2. Determine the bulk density and voidage if 0.5 tons of powder is required to transport
across a pipeline with diameter equals to 50cm and achieve a bed height of 10 m.
(ρp =1250 kg/m3).
(6 marks)
Given:
0.5 tons = 500 kg
Diameter = 50 cm = 0.5 m
ρp =1250 kg/m3
height = 10 m

Bulk Density:
Volume of pipeline = ∏r2h = ∏ (0.25 m)2 (10 m) = 1.9635 m3

ρB = mass of particle / hydrodynamic volume

= 500 kg / 1.9635 m3
= 254.6473 kg/m3

Voidage:
ρB = (1 - ɛ) ρp
254.6473 kg/m3 = (1 - ɛ) (1250 kg/m3)
ɛ = 0.7963
 Figure 1: Plot cumulative frequency against weighing function g(x)

3. Describe the shaded area in Figure 1 in mathematical expression defining the means
as described by Svarozsky (1990)

1
∫0 𝑔(𝑥)𝑑𝐹
g(x) = 1 , ∫01 𝑑𝐹 = 1 , 1
g(x) = ∫0 𝑔(𝑥)𝑑𝐹
∫0 𝑑𝐹

(6 marks)
4. As a chemical engineer in a fertilizer plant, you are assigned to do size sampling in the
urea granulation line. Demonstrate the required steps to obtain an acceptable degree of
particle size accuracy from the sampling action.

(4marks)

There are two golden rules of sampling:

1. The powder should be in motion when sampled.

2. The whole of the moving stream should be taken for many short time increments.

Since the eventual sample size used in the analysis may be very small, it is often necessary to
split the original sample in order to achieve the desired amount for analysis. These sampling
rules must be applied at every step of sampling and sample splitting.
5. Stream Sdn. Bhd is having a serious problem on a hopper. The hopper in question feeds
a conveyor belt and periodically blocks at the outlet. As the one who responsible on the
problem, you make an investigation by going through the existing design and shear cell
data of the hopper. Evaluate the reason of the problem and suggest modification required
if any.

(15 marks)
Existing design:

- Material of wall: mild steel

- Semi-included angle of conical hopper - 30°
- Outlet-circular, fitter with 25 cm diameter slide valve

Shear cell test data:

- Effective angle of internal friction: 40°
- Angle of friction on a mild steel plate: 16°
- Bulk density: 1000 kg/m3
- Powder flow function: refer chart

Powder flow function

1.80
Unconfined yield stress, σy (kN/m2)

1.60
1.40
1.20
1.00
0.80
0.60
0.40
0.20
0.00
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
Compacting stress, σc (kN/m2)
Given:
Semi-included angle of conical hopper, θ = 30°
Outlet-circular, fitter with 25 cm diameter slide valve, B = 0.25 m
Effective angle of internal friction, δ = 40°
Angle of friction on a mild steel plate, ɸW = 16° and a 3o safety margin
Bulk density, ρB = 1000 kg/m3

The relationship σy = σc / ff is plotted on the same axes as the powder flow function:
σy = (σc / 1.5) = 0.67σc

Refer to plotted graph:

ff = 1400 N/m2 at θ = 33o – 3o = 30o
σc = 2100 N/m2

The powder flow function intercept with σy = (σc / ff)

Which will give the critical unconfined yield stress, σcrit = 1500 N/m2

H(θ) = 2.0 + (θo / 60o)

= 2.0 (30o /60o)
= 2.50

B = [H(θ).σcrit] / [ρB.g]
= [2.50 x 1500 N/m2] / [1000 kg/m3 x 9.81 m/s2] *1N = 1 kg m/s2
= 0.3823 m

In the nutshell, mass flow without blockages is ensured by using a mild steel conical hopper with
a circular outlet diameter of at least 0.3823 m / 38.23 cm. However, the present discharge
diameter is only 25 cm because of the restriction of the slide valve, which is the cause of the
blockages. The solution offered is to remove the slide valve with a circular opening diameter of
at least 38.23 cm to be fitted.