Basics of Pneumatic Conveying

• Engineers
• Maintenance
• Operations
• Service and Salespeople
• Management Personnel who need a basic understanding about pneumatic conveying and all its terminology

At the conclusion of this course, students will understand the various types of pneumatic conveying, and know when and why to use each type. They will know why each component is important and how it works. They will know what it takes to design, operate, maintain, and troubleshoot a safe pneumatic conveying system for a variety of materials.

Todd Baker, Horizon Systems 

Todd Baker is currently vice president of innovation at Horizon Systems. He is responsible technical support to the company, product development and management of Horizon Systems material testing facility. Baker has over 35 years experience integrating and troubleshooting bulk material processing systems including pneumatic conveying, weighing/batching, dust collection and instrumentation. He has worked in a broad range of industries including plastics, food, minerals and chemicals. Baker is also a member of the NFPA committees 652 Fundamentals of Combustible Dust and 660 Standard for Combustible Dust.

Nathan Petrie, IAC
Nathan is operations manager of IAC’s Bulk Material Handling Division and is responsible for process design and project management teams, with a special emphasis on pneumatic conveying. He received his bachelor's of science degree in mechanical engineering from Kansas State University. Petrie has spent his professional career in the bulk material handling and pneumatic conveying industries, designing and managing over $100M in turnkey capital equipment projects for the food, pet food, petrochemical, cement and aggregates. His areas of expertise include pneumatic systems, bulk material storage, explosive material handling, automated process controls and systems integration.

Brad Schultz, Magnum Systems
Brad Schultz has been with Magnum Systems for the last 22 years and in the pneumatic conveying industry for a total of 33 years. Schultz ran three different pneumatic conveying test centers for seven of those early years and has held positions from Test Lab Operator, Technical Group/Estimator, Regional Sales Manager to Sales Manager in his career.  He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Kansas State University.

Todd Smith, Kansas State University
Todd Smith helps lead Kansas State University’s Bulk Solids Technology Center, which is the only university-based facility and staff in North America dedicated to helping industry with powder and bulk solids challenges.  Previously, Todd spent 38 years in the bulk solids industry, first at four different DuPont plants, then as engineering manager at MAC Equipment (now Schenck Process) and general manager of Coperion K-Tron Salina and vice president of the company’s Global Systems Group. He earned a Mechanical Engineering degree in 1981 and an M.B.A in 1998.  He has authored one book, as several magazine articles and technical papers. Smith serves as a board member or advisor for several trade journal, university and industry organizations.

Kevin Solofra, Kansas State University
Kevin Solofra earned his B.S. and M.S. in ceramic engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla, now Missouri S&T. Kevin has a background ranging from research engineering with product scale-up through process/production management in various industries. His experience started in the realm of electro-ceramics for appliances, followed by low wear ceramics and body armor and most recently the glass industry for architectural, automotive and glass insulation. From a process point of view, Kevin has dealt with all aspects from spec’ing raw materials, through conveying materials, and all the way to finished part quality analysis. All of this has led to a strong blend of technical expertise combined with a manufacturing and business viewpoint to approaching, understanding and working through industrial opportunities.

Jonathan Thorn, Schenck Process
Jonathan O. Thorn holds the position of executive director, process technology at Schenck Process LLC in Kansas City, MO. Thorn earned a master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA) where he focused on pneumatic conveying related studies. With over 25 years of industry experience, Thorn works in many facets of application, design and R&D as it relates to dry materials handling and processing.

All times below are in Central Time (CT).

8 a.m. | Registration

8:30 a.m. | Welcome
Todd Smith, Kansas State University
Kevin Solofra, Kansas State University

8:45 a.m. | How Does a Pneumatic Conveying System Work? 
Todd Smith, Kansas State University

9:15 a.m. | Explanation of Various System Types with + and - of each
Todd Smith, Kansas State University

10 a.m. | Break

10:15 a.m. | Material Properties Testing
Kevin Solofra, Kansas State University

10:45 a.m. | Introduction to Case Study Project
Todd Smith, Kansas State University
Kevin Solofra, Kansas State University

11 a.m. | Project Step 1: Material Properties Application
Todd Smith, Kansas State University
Kevin Solofra, Kansas State University

• System selection
• Project engineering

11:45 a.m. | Lunch

12:30 p.m. | Project Step 2: Blower Sizing and Selection
Jonathan Thorn, Schenck Process

1:10 p.m. | Project Step 3: Feeding Devices and Options
Brad Schultz, Magnum Systems

• Airlock sizing
• Selection

1:50 p.m. | Project Step 4: Piping and Ancillary Equipment
Nathan Petrie, IAC

2:30 p.m. | Break and Travel

3:10 p.m. | Demonstration
Todd Smith, Kansas State University
Kevin Solofra, Kansas State University

3:50 p.m. | Hands-on Demo
Todd Smith, Kansas State University
Kevin Solofra, Kansas State University

4:50 p.m. | Conclusion Day 1
Todd Smith, Kansas State University
Kevin Solofra, Kansas State University

5 p.m. | Industry Dinner and Drinks (optional), sponsored by Horizon Systems

All times below are in Central Time (CT).

8:15 a.m. | Review Insights from Day 1
Todd Smith, Kansas State University
Kevin Solofra, Kansas State University

8:30 a.m. | Project Step 5: Application of Valves for Various Needs
Kevin Solofra, Kansas State University

• Slide gates
• Butterfly valves
• Diverters
• Shut-off valves

9:05 a.m. | Project Step 6: Filters and Cyclones
Todd Baker of Horizon Systems

• Filter media selection
• Basic sizing

9:50 a.m. | Overview of Vacuum Sequencing Systems
Todd Smith, Kansas State University

10:20 a.m. | Break

10:35 a.m. | Overview of Dense Phase Conveying
Todd Smith, Kansas State University

11:15 a.m. | Sizing of Bins/Hoppers/Silos
Kevin Solofra, Kansas State University

11:30 a.m. | Gravity Flow Problems and Flow Aids
Kevin Solofra, Kansas State University

Noon | Lunch

12:45 p.m. | Analyze Case Study Project
Todd Smith, Kansas State University
Kevin Solofra, Kansas State University

1:45 p.m. | Break and Travel

2:30 p.m. | Demonstration of Vac Sequencing Systems and Dense Phase Conveying
Todd Smith, Kansas State University
Kevin Solofra, Kansas State University

3:40 p.m. | Basic Instrumentation and Safety
Todd Smith, Kansas State University

4:15 p.m. | Basic Troubleshooting of Pneumatic Conveying System
Todd Baker, Horizon Systems
Todd Smith, Kansas State University

4:40 p.m. | Closing and Evaluation
Todd Smith, Kansas State University
Kevin Solofra, Kansas State University