In your case I think you are going to need huge amounts of pnuematic energy simply because you are trying to propel spheres which of course will have a tendency to allow air pass them due to their shape.

A simpler way would to use a little giant elevator or possbly an auger or even a counterweight dumping/dosing basket. ■

The suspension velocity of a steel ball of 2 mm will be approx. 22 to 25 m/sec in atmospheric conditions.

Assuming a required air velocity , of approx 3 to 4 times the suspension velocity(to keep the particles afloat), the required air velocity would become:

66 m/sec to 88 m/sec

Also corresponding steel ball velocities would occur.

Indeed, a huge amount of compressor power will be needed.

Imagine the noise of steel balls at 45m/sec (100mph) going through a steel pipe and entering into a cyclone.

An academic case, I would say.

success

teus ■

This sounds like shot recovery system from a shot-blasting machine.

I only have experience with 1mm steel balls and they require 35 m/s exit

velocity for lean phase conveying. 2mm will be in the slightly higher

you’ll have to make a guess. Last but not least “you don’t need a steel

pipe” other materials work fine and don’t forget to line the cyclone also. ■

Like the others have indicated; if you use pneumatic conveying then you are in for a rattling good time.

5m along is not very far. Won't the little darlings roll down a slope? Then you could catch them on a magnetised wire rope, lift them 3m & scrape them off the rope at the top. I'd talk to Eriez, or somebody similarly placed in the magnetics field, oops, to see what they have. ■