Design and optimization of vacuum operated air amplifier

Mechanical and pneumatic systems are used to transfer solids (grains, particles, etc.). Although mechanical systems have been used for many years, they cause partial breakage, noise, and dust of the transferred products. Pneumatic systems are operated in two different ways: blowing and vacuum, allowing the grains to be transported more efficiently and without damage. In this effort, vacuum-operated pneumatic conveying systems were investigated. In this report, by using the SolidWorks program, the whole of the system in general and the fragment of air amplifier in particular designed and then the flow simulation part of SolidWorks application is used for analyzing the flow of fluid that has described in further parts of this report by showing on figures. The process of transferring the grains by using an air amplifier is examined experimentally and by using the Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis. As a result, noise and the amount of dust generated in the environment are reduced significantly and the grain is transferred safely without damage. In addition, the required air amplifiers features have been determined and optimized to achieve the desired carrying capacity according to the need. Keywords: Air Amplifier, Vacuum, SolidWorks, Pneumatic conveying, FEM