Abstract

In the case of pneumatic particle transport lines; modelling of gas-solid two phase flow which has an unsteady and complicated nonlinear dynamical nature is commonly used.
In this paper; the concept of time-periodic; pulsatile pipe flow which is a special unsteady field is discussed as a control and modelling tool. The state of art is introduced with an emphasis to transitional characteristics of pulsatile flows referring to the measurements of an ongoing experimental research. A sinusoidal pulse with low frequency and varying amplitudes is causing a retarded passage of turbulence extending the transitional period of laminar flow of air through a pipe-line of length 17 m. In the determined transitional range; variation of local pressure measured at 7 different measurement stations are expressed in terms of local friction factors.
The measurements are expressed in comparison with the experimental results taken from the related literature on gas-solid two phase fields as an inspection method for the so-called dispersed suspension and dune flows. The utilization of pulsatile transitional air flow to convey solid particles in a horizontal pipe line is also presented as a simulation study to reveal the unsteady features of gas-solid phase flow.