A study of gravitational powder flow during discharge from reservoirs

• Grant number: 13/07031-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2013
• End date: July 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Industrial Operations and Equipment for Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Maria Do Carmo Ferreira
• Grantee: Lucas Massaro Sousa
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In this project the discharge of powders from storage reservoirs will be investigated with the purpose of identifying the factors that affect flowability of particulate materials. Galvanized iron cylindrical reservoirs with different discharge orifice diameters and internal angles of conical basis will be built. Three powders will be tested: aluminum oxides (alumina) of two different sizes, whole milk powder and skim milk powder. The effects of conical basis internal angle, discharge orifice size, powder mean size and powder fat content on the powder flow rates will be experimentally investigated. The experiments will be conducted based on the Design of Experiments (DOE) methodology. Factorial designs will be proposed for the experiments and the results will be statistically analyzed with the purpose of evaluating the influence of each variable on the solids discharge flow rates. Finally, empirical correlations will be fitted to estimate the solid flow rates as a function of the investigated variables. Besides contributing to the development of methodologies aimed at characterization of powders produced at the Drying Center of Pastes of DEQ/UFSCar, the experiments and fitted equations may be also applied in didactic experimental procedures for training undergraduate engineering students on operations related to powder processing and powder characterization methodologies. (AU)