Powder flow down a vertical pipe: the effect of air flow

Abstract

The dynamics of dry granular flows down a vertical glass pipe of small diameter have been studied experimentally. Simultaneous measurements of pressure profiles, air and grain flow rates and volume fractions of particles have been realized together with spatio-temporal diagrams of the grain distribution down the tube. At large grain flow rates, one observes a stationary flow characterized by high particle velocities, low particle fractions and a downflow of air resulting in an underpressure in the upper part of the pipe. A simple model assuming a free fall of the particles slowed down by air friction and taking into account finite particle fraction effects through Richardson–Zaki's law has been developed: it reproduces pressure and particle fraction variations with distance and estimates friction forces with the wall. At lower flow rates, sequences of high-density plugs separated by low-density bubbles moving down at a constant velocity are observed. The pressure is larger than outside the tube and its gradient reflects closely the weight of the grains. Writing mass and momentum conservation equations for the air and for the grains allows one to estimate the wall friction, which is less than 10% of the weight for grains with a clean smooth surface but up to 30% for grains with a rougher surface. At lower flow rates, oscillating-wave regimes resulting in large pressure fluctuations are observed and their frequency is predicted.