International Teaching | PARTICLE TECHNOLOGY

cod. 0622800027

PARTICLE TECHNOLOGY

	0622800027
	DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING
	EQF7
	FOOD ENGINEERING
	2025/2026

PERCORSO FOOD ENGINEERING Cohort 2024/2025

	YEAR OF COURSE 2
	YEAR OF DIDACTIC SYSTEM 2024
	SPRING SEMESTER

TEACHING UNITS

	SSD	CFU	HOURS	ACTIVITY	TYPE OF ACTIVITY
	ING-IND/25	6	60	LESSONS	OPTIONAL SUBJECTS

PROFESSORS

	MASSIMO POLETTO T Curriculum
	DIEGO BARLETTA Curriculum

	Objectives
	THE COURSE AIMS TO PROVIDE THE PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION AND THE DESIGN METHODOLOGY FOR EQUIPMENT DEDICATED TO THE STORAGE, TRANSPORT AND PROCESSING OF PARTICULATE SOLIDS. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING THE STUDENT WILL UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF PARTICLE SIZE, MATERIAL AND PARTICLE DENSITY, POROSITY, SHAPE FACTORS, SURFACE MORPHOLOGY, AND INTERACTION WITH FLUID MEDIA FOR NON-SPHERICAL PARTICLES HAVING MICROMETRIC AND NANOMETRIC DIMENSIONS. THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS IN A SYSTEM OF PARTICLES AND THEIR DESCRIPTION, THE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS, THE MODELS TO APPROXIMATE THE DISTRIBUTIONS, THE PARTICLE AND SYSTEM POROSITY AND DENSITY, THE PHYSICAL-MATHEMATICAL MODELS FOR THE DESCRIPTION OF INTERPARTICLE FORCES, THE FLOW PROPERTIES OF PARTICLE SYSTEMS AND CORRESPONDING METHODS OF MEASUREMENT. THE STUDENT WILL KNOW THE MAIN PHENOMENA RELATED TO THE STORAGE AND FLOW OF GRANULAR SOLIDS IN A DENSE PHASE. HE WILL KNOW THE BASIC DESIGN PROCEDURES FOR HOPPERS IN SILOS AND DETERMINE THE PROFILES OF WALL STRESSES IN SILOS AND HOPPERS. HE WILL KNOW THE OPERATING PRINCIPLES, THE BASIC DESIGN AND THE EXCHANGE PROPERTIES OF FLUIDISED BEDS, THE BASICS OF MODELLING GAS-SOLID REACTORS IN FLUIDISED BEDS AND THE ELEMENTS OF PNEUMATIC TRANSPORT. APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING – ENGINEERING ANALYSIS: THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE LIMITS OF VALIDITY AND APPROPRIATENESS OF DIFFERENT METHODS OF CHARACTERISATION AND MODELLING APPROACHES FOR THE SYSTEMS DESCRIBED IN THE COURSE. APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING – ENGINEERING DESIGN: THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO PERFORM THE SIZE DESIGN OF STORAGE, HANDLING AND PROCESS EQUIPMENT FOR PARTICLE SYSTEMS, EVEN IN THE PRESENCE OF A PROCESS FLUID. MAKING JUDGMENTS - ENGINEERING PRACTICE: THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY AND FACE THE CRITICAL PROCESS AND STORAGE CONDITIONS FOR PARTICLE SYSTEMS BASED ON THE INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM THEIR CHARACTERISATION. TRANSVERSAL SKILLS - COMMUNICATION SKILLS: THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO PRESENT A TOPIC RELATED TO PARTICLE TECHNOLOGY. LEARNING SKILLS – TRANSVERSAL SKILLS: THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS THAN THOSE PRESENTED IN THE COURSE, AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO REFINE THEIR OWN KNOWLEDGE. LEARNING SKILLS – INVESTIGATION SKILLS: THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO PERFORM AND UNDERSTAND THE MEASUREMENT OF PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS AND SHAPE, AS WELL AS THE MAIN MECHANICAL AND FLUIDISATION PROPERTIES OF PARTICULATE SYSTEMS.

THE COURSE AIMS TO PROVIDE THE PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION AND THE DESIGN METHODOLOGY FOR EQUIPMENT DEDICATED TO THE STORAGE, TRANSPORT AND PROCESSING OF PARTICULATE SOLIDS.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
THE STUDENT WILL UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF PARTICLE SIZE, MATERIAL AND PARTICLE DENSITY, POROSITY, SHAPE FACTORS, SURFACE MORPHOLOGY, AND INTERACTION WITH FLUID MEDIA FOR NON-SPHERICAL PARTICLES HAVING MICROMETRIC AND NANOMETRIC DIMENSIONS.
THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS IN A SYSTEM OF PARTICLES AND THEIR DESCRIPTION, THE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS, THE MODELS TO APPROXIMATE THE DISTRIBUTIONS, THE PARTICLE AND SYSTEM POROSITY AND DENSITY, THE PHYSICAL-MATHEMATICAL MODELS FOR THE DESCRIPTION OF INTERPARTICLE FORCES, THE FLOW PROPERTIES OF PARTICLE SYSTEMS AND CORRESPONDING METHODS OF MEASUREMENT.
THE STUDENT WILL KNOW THE MAIN PHENOMENA RELATED TO THE STORAGE AND FLOW OF GRANULAR SOLIDS IN A DENSE PHASE. HE WILL KNOW THE BASIC DESIGN PROCEDURES FOR HOPPERS IN SILOS AND DETERMINE THE PROFILES OF WALL STRESSES IN SILOS AND HOPPERS. HE WILL KNOW THE OPERATING PRINCIPLES, THE BASIC DESIGN AND THE EXCHANGE PROPERTIES OF FLUIDISED BEDS, THE BASICS OF MODELLING GAS-SOLID REACTORS IN FLUIDISED BEDS AND THE ELEMENTS OF PNEUMATIC TRANSPORT.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING – ENGINEERING ANALYSIS:
THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE LIMITS OF VALIDITY AND APPROPRIATENESS OF DIFFERENT METHODS OF CHARACTERISATION AND MODELLING APPROACHES FOR THE SYSTEMS DESCRIBED IN THE COURSE.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING – ENGINEERING DESIGN:
THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO PERFORM THE SIZE DESIGN OF STORAGE, HANDLING AND PROCESS EQUIPMENT FOR PARTICLE SYSTEMS, EVEN IN THE PRESENCE OF A PROCESS FLUID.

MAKING JUDGMENTS - ENGINEERING PRACTICE:
THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY AND FACE THE CRITICAL PROCESS AND STORAGE CONDITIONS FOR PARTICLE SYSTEMS BASED ON THE INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM THEIR CHARACTERISATION.

TRANSVERSAL SKILLS - COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO PRESENT A TOPIC RELATED TO PARTICLE TECHNOLOGY.

LEARNING SKILLS – TRANSVERSAL SKILLS:
THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS THAN THOSE PRESENTED IN THE COURSE, AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO REFINE THEIR OWN KNOWLEDGE.

LEARNING SKILLS – INVESTIGATION SKILLS:
THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO PERFORM AND UNDERSTAND THE MEASUREMENT OF PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS AND SHAPE, AS WELL AS THE MAIN MECHANICAL AND FLUIDISATION PROPERTIES OF PARTICULATE SYSTEMS.

	Prerequisites
	PREREQUISITES OF THE COURSE ARE: - BASIC CONCEPTS OF STATICS AND DYNAMICS OF SOLIDS - BASIC CONCEPTS OF CONTINUUM MECHANICS - BASIC CONCEPTS OF FLUID DYNAMICS AND MOMENTUM TRANSFER - BASIC CONCEPTS OF ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS

	Contents
	PROPERTIES OF PARTICULATE SYSTEMS (TH. 12; PR. 3; LAB. 2) CHARACTERISTICS OF SINGLE PARTICLES: SIZE, MATERIAL, PARTICLE DENSITY, POROSITY, SHAPE FACTORS, SURFACE MORPHOLOGY, COHESIVE FORCES (VAN DER WAALS, CAPILLARY AND ELECTROSTATIC), FUNDAMENTALS OF THE MECHANICS OF INTERPARTICLE CONTACTS, EQUATION OF MOTION OF SOLID PARTICLES IN FLUIDS, DRAG FORCES, TERMINAL VELOCITY. STATIC ASSEMBLIES OF PARTICLES: DIFFERENT DIAMETER AVERAGES AND THEIR MEANING, POWDER VOIDAGE AND BULK DENSITY. MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF ASSEMBLIES OF PARTICLES: COULOMB YIELD CRITERION, MOHR-COULOMB FAILURE ANALYSIS, CHARACTERISTIC ANGLES, THE STRESS-STRAIN RELATIONSHIP, AND DRAG FORCE BETWEEN A FLUID AND A BED OF PARTICLES. CHARACTERISATION METHODS FOR POWDER FLOW PROPERTIES (UNIAXIAL COMPACTION TESTER, SHEAR TESTER) STORAGE AND FLOW OF BULK GRANULAR SOLIDS (TH. 12; PR. 3; LAB. 3) STORAGE IN SILOS: PROFILES OF THE STRESSES ON THE SILO AND HOPPER WALLS. DISCHARGE RATES OF FREE-FLOWING SOLIDS: SEMI-EMPIRICAL RELATIONSHIPS AND THE BEVERLOO EQUATION, THE APPROACH OF BROWN AND RICHARDS. DISCHARGE OF COHESIVE SOLIDS: MASS FLOW AND FUNNEL FLOW. DESIGN PROCEDURES TO PREVENT THE FORMATION OF ARCHES AND RATHOLES. FLUID FLOW THROUGH BEDS OF PARTICLES (TH. 12; PR. 3; LAB. 4) PERCOLATION: DARCY'S LAW AND ERGUN EQUATION. FLUIDISATION: MINIMUM VELOCITY FOR FLUIDISATION, FLUIDISED BED EXPANSION, BUBBLE MOTION IN FLUIDISED BEDS. ELEMENTS OF THE THEORY OF TWO-PHASE FLUIDISATION. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE MODELLING OF SOLID-GAS REACTORS, FLUIDISED BEDS. PNEUMATIC TRANSPORT (TH. 4; PR. 2) CHOKING VELOCITY AND SALTATION VELOCITY. PRESSURE DROPS IN PNEUMATIC CONVEYORS, DESIGN CRITERIA OF A PNEUMATIC CONVEYING LINE. CYCLONIC AND INERTIAL SEPARATORS. PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION AND DESIGN CRITERIA.

Contents

PROPERTIES OF PARTICULATE SYSTEMS (TH. 12; PR. 3; LAB. 2)
CHARACTERISTICS OF SINGLE PARTICLES: SIZE, MATERIAL, PARTICLE DENSITY, POROSITY, SHAPE FACTORS, SURFACE MORPHOLOGY, COHESIVE FORCES (VAN DER WAALS, CAPILLARY AND ELECTROSTATIC), FUNDAMENTALS OF THE MECHANICS OF INTERPARTICLE CONTACTS, EQUATION OF MOTION OF SOLID PARTICLES IN FLUIDS, DRAG FORCES, TERMINAL VELOCITY. STATIC ASSEMBLIES OF PARTICLES: DIFFERENT DIAMETER AVERAGES AND THEIR MEANING, POWDER VOIDAGE AND BULK DENSITY. MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF ASSEMBLIES OF PARTICLES: COULOMB YIELD CRITERION, MOHR-COULOMB FAILURE ANALYSIS, CHARACTERISTIC ANGLES, THE STRESS-STRAIN RELATIONSHIP, AND DRAG FORCE BETWEEN A FLUID AND A BED OF PARTICLES. CHARACTERISATION METHODS FOR POWDER FLOW PROPERTIES (UNIAXIAL COMPACTION TESTER, SHEAR TESTER)

STORAGE AND FLOW OF BULK GRANULAR SOLIDS (TH. 12; PR. 3; LAB. 3)
STORAGE IN SILOS: PROFILES OF THE STRESSES ON THE SILO AND HOPPER WALLS. DISCHARGE RATES OF FREE-FLOWING SOLIDS: SEMI-EMPIRICAL RELATIONSHIPS AND THE BEVERLOO EQUATION, THE APPROACH OF BROWN AND RICHARDS. DISCHARGE OF COHESIVE SOLIDS: MASS FLOW AND FUNNEL FLOW. DESIGN PROCEDURES TO PREVENT THE FORMATION OF ARCHES AND RATHOLES.

FLUID FLOW THROUGH BEDS OF PARTICLES (TH. 12; PR. 3; LAB. 4)
PERCOLATION: DARCY'S LAW AND ERGUN EQUATION. FLUIDISATION: MINIMUM VELOCITY FOR FLUIDISATION, FLUIDISED BED EXPANSION, BUBBLE MOTION IN FLUIDISED BEDS. ELEMENTS OF THE THEORY OF TWO-PHASE FLUIDISATION. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE MODELLING OF SOLID-GAS REACTORS, FLUIDISED BEDS.

PNEUMATIC TRANSPORT (TH. 4; PR. 2)
CHOKING VELOCITY AND SALTATION VELOCITY. PRESSURE DROPS IN PNEUMATIC CONVEYORS, DESIGN CRITERIA OF A PNEUMATIC CONVEYING LINE. CYCLONIC AND INERTIAL SEPARATORS. PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION AND DESIGN CRITERIA.

	Teaching Methods
	THE COURSE IS TAUGHT IN ENGLISH AND INCLUDES 60 HOURS OF INSTRUCTION THROUGH LECTURES, EXERCISES, AND LABORATORY WORK (6 ECTS CREDITS). SPECIFICALLY, THERE ARE 40 HOURS OF CLASSROOM LECTURES, 11 HOURS OF EXERCISES, AND 9 HOURS OF LABORATORY ACTIVITIES. DURING THE CLASSROOM LECTURES, THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF THE TOPICS ARE PRESENTED AND DISCUSSED WITH THE CLASS, SOMETIMES FORMING ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION GROUPS WHEN REQUIRED. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE CLASSROOM EXERCISES IS TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO PRACTICE DATA PROCESSING CALCULATIONS FOR EVALUATING PROPERTIES RELEVANT TO PARTICULATE SYSTEMS AND FOR DESIGNING EQUIPMENT. THE LABORATORY EXERCISES INCLUDE STUDENTS' USE OF THE MAIN TOOLS FOR CHARACTERISING PARTICULATE SYSTEMS. LECTURES ARE PROVIDED IN CLASSES IN THE PRESENCE OF STUDENTS. ATTENDANCE TO LECTURES IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.

Teaching Methods

THE COURSE IS TAUGHT IN ENGLISH AND INCLUDES 60 HOURS OF INSTRUCTION THROUGH LECTURES, EXERCISES, AND LABORATORY WORK (6 ECTS CREDITS). SPECIFICALLY, THERE ARE 40 HOURS OF CLASSROOM LECTURES, 11 HOURS OF EXERCISES, AND 9 HOURS OF LABORATORY ACTIVITIES. DURING THE CLASSROOM LECTURES, THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF THE TOPICS ARE PRESENTED AND DISCUSSED WITH THE CLASS, SOMETIMES FORMING ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION GROUPS WHEN REQUIRED. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE CLASSROOM EXERCISES IS TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO PRACTICE DATA PROCESSING CALCULATIONS FOR EVALUATING PROPERTIES RELEVANT TO PARTICULATE SYSTEMS AND FOR DESIGNING EQUIPMENT. THE LABORATORY EXERCISES INCLUDE STUDENTS' USE OF THE MAIN TOOLS FOR CHARACTERISING PARTICULATE SYSTEMS.

LECTURES ARE PROVIDED IN CLASSES IN THE PRESENCE OF STUDENTS. ATTENDANCE TO LECTURES IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.

	Verification of learning
	THE ASSESSMENT OF THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE LEARNING OUTCOMES WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN AN ORAL EXAMINATION. THE EXAMINATION HAS A VARIABLE DURATION BETWEEN 30 AND 45 MINUTES. THE EXAMINATION WILL INCLUDE THREE QUESTIONS, EACH ON ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TOPICS: THE TECHNIQUES AND THE BASIC PRINCIPLES USED IN CHARACTERISING PARTICULATE SOLIDS; THE DESIGN OF STORAGE EQUIPMENT FOR PARTICULATE SOLIDS; AND THE BASIC PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATION OF FLUID-SOLID SYSTEMS. TO PASS THE EXAM, THE STUDENT MUST DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND AND KNOW HOW TO APPLY THE MAIN CONCEPTS AND METHODOLOGICAL TOOLS ELUCIDATED IN THE COURSE. THE FINAL MARK, OUT OF THIRTY (THE MAXIMUM IS THIRTY CUM LAUDE), DEPENDS ON THE MASTERING ABILITY OF THE COURSE CONTENTS OBJECT OF THE EXAM, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE QUALITY OF THE ORAL REPORTING AND THE JUDGMENT ABILITY DEMONSTRATED. IN PARTICULAR, THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PRINCIPLES AT THE BASIS OF METHODS FOR CHARACTERISING PARTICULATE SYSTEMS AND THE DESIGN OF THE EQUIPMENT DISCUSSED IN THE COURSE IS NECESSARY TO PASS THE EXAM. THE STUDENT ACHIEVES EXCELLENCE WHEN THEY ARE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE THE AUTONOMOUS USE OF THESE PRINCIPLES FOR THE COMPLETE AND CORRECT FORMULATION OF RELEVANT MATHEMATICAL MODELS OF MEASUREMENT AND DESIGN PROCEDURES, AS WELL AS IN CASES THAT SHOW SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES FROM THE CASES COVERED IN THE COURSE.

Verification of learning

THE ASSESSMENT OF THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE LEARNING OUTCOMES WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN AN ORAL EXAMINATION. THE EXAMINATION HAS A VARIABLE DURATION BETWEEN 30 AND 45 MINUTES. THE EXAMINATION WILL INCLUDE THREE QUESTIONS, EACH ON ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TOPICS: THE TECHNIQUES AND THE BASIC PRINCIPLES USED IN CHARACTERISING PARTICULATE SOLIDS; THE DESIGN OF STORAGE EQUIPMENT FOR PARTICULATE SOLIDS; AND THE BASIC PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATION OF FLUID-SOLID SYSTEMS.

TO PASS THE EXAM, THE STUDENT MUST DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND AND KNOW HOW TO APPLY THE MAIN CONCEPTS AND METHODOLOGICAL TOOLS ELUCIDATED IN THE COURSE. THE FINAL MARK, OUT OF THIRTY (THE MAXIMUM IS THIRTY CUM LAUDE), DEPENDS ON THE MASTERING ABILITY OF THE COURSE CONTENTS OBJECT OF THE EXAM, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE QUALITY OF THE ORAL REPORTING AND THE JUDGMENT ABILITY DEMONSTRATED. IN PARTICULAR, THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PRINCIPLES AT THE BASIS OF METHODS FOR CHARACTERISING PARTICULATE SYSTEMS AND THE DESIGN OF THE EQUIPMENT DISCUSSED IN THE COURSE IS NECESSARY TO PASS THE EXAM. THE STUDENT ACHIEVES EXCELLENCE WHEN THEY ARE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE THE AUTONOMOUS USE OF THESE PRINCIPLES FOR THE COMPLETE AND CORRECT FORMULATION OF RELEVANT MATHEMATICAL MODELS OF MEASUREMENT AND DESIGN PROCEDURES, AS WELL AS IN CASES THAT SHOW SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES FROM THE CASES COVERED IN THE COURSE.

	Texts
	REFERENCE TEXTBOOKS FOR LECTURES ARE: J.P. SEVILLE, U. TUZUN AND R. CLIFT, PROCESSING OF PARTICULATE SOLIDS, BLACKIE ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL (CAPTERS 1 TO 4) R.M. NEDDERMAN, STATICS AND KINEMATICS OF GRANULAR MATERIAL, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS CHAPTERS (CHAPTERS 2; 3; 5; 6; 10) D. KUNII AND O. LEVENSPIEL, FLUIDIZATION ENGINEERING, BUTTERWORTH-HEINEMANN (CHAPTERS 3; 5; 6) D. SCHULZE, POWDERS AND BULK SOLIDS, SPRINGER (CHAPTERS 2; 3; 4; 9; 10)

Texts

REFERENCE TEXTBOOKS FOR LECTURES ARE:

J.P. SEVILLE, U. TUZUN AND R. CLIFT, PROCESSING OF PARTICULATE SOLIDS, BLACKIE ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL (CAPTERS 1 TO 4)
R.M. NEDDERMAN, STATICS AND KINEMATICS OF GRANULAR MATERIAL, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS CHAPTERS (CHAPTERS 2; 3; 5; 6; 10)
D. KUNII AND O. LEVENSPIEL, FLUIDIZATION ENGINEERING, BUTTERWORTH-HEINEMANN (CHAPTERS 3; 5; 6)
D. SCHULZE, POWDERS AND BULK SOLIDS, SPRINGER (CHAPTERS 2; 3; 4; 9; 10)

	More Information
	Teaching is provided in English. THE COURSE IS DELIVERED AT THE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING. FOR THE INDICATION OF THE TIMETABLE AND OF THE CLASSROOM, PLEASE LOOK INTO THE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE: HTTPS://CORSI.UNISA.IT/06222/EN/TEACHING/CALENDAR

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International Teaching | PARTICLE TECHNOLOGY