Plug Conveying in a Horizontal Tube

TL;DR

This paper investigates horizontal plug conveying using discrete element and pressure field simulations, comparing it with vertical conveying, and analyzes slug dynamics through porosity, velocity, and force profiles.

Contribution

It introduces a simulation approach combining particle and gas dynamics for horizontal plug conveying and compares it with vertical conveying.

Findings

Slug dynamics depend on simulation parameters.

Porosity, velocity, and force profiles characterize slug behavior.

Horizontal and vertical conveying differ in their dynamics.

Abstract

Plug conveying along a horizontal tube has been investigated through simulation, using a discrete element simulation approach for the granulate particles and a pressure field approach for the gas. The result is compared with the simulation of the vertical plug conveying. The dynamics of a slug are described by porosity, velocity and force profiles. Their dependence on simulation parameters provides an overall picture of slug conveying.