Pneumatic Bulk Training.

Same here. I just haul the ingredients

 

I just started frac hauling. It took a couple of day to get the basics down. When I started it took me 1.75 hr. after learning my trailer a little better I’m down to 1.5 hr unload time.

 

If A & R hasn't changed they haul mostly plastic pellets. Thats probably the easiest & cleanest bulk hauling there is. I had a friend that worked at Chemical Leaman the same time I did. When they went broke he went to A & R and stayed untill he retired.

 

LMAO Yeah, good point.

 

I pulled pneumatics for about 9 months and NEVER once heard about reverse pumping! Now I'm curious to know how much frustration I could have saved myself! Would one of yall be so kind as to elaborate a bit more -- to satisfy my own curiosity, as well as to help other people looking to get into pneumatics? I did a quick search on it but came up empty.

 

I take it that you mean when you get plugged up. Someone may be able to explain it better than I can, but I have been pulling pneumatics for almost 7 years. You can start buy shutting the blower down[ I don't myself, close off all product valves, close off all the aerators and open the line air valve all the way and open the bleed off valve all the way[the one the bleeds off tank pressure]. Now with the blower running you open and close one of your product valves repeatedly[preferably one that is already empty, but if none are empty yet, no worries, it's just easier if one is empty]. You will see your hose jumping around and maybe your trailer may move up and down almost like it's ready to jump off the ground. Jerk that product valve open and close repeatedly[I know I said this once already] until you see your pressure drop, once that happens, you are unplugged and can close off the bleed off valve, open up your aerators, build your tank pressure back up and go back to your normal unloading procedure. Sorry if some of this may sound like mumbo jumbo, but that is what I do to unplug a line if thats what you meant by reverse pumping. Hope that helps.

 

If you are talking about clearing a plugged line on a dry bulk tanker you almost have to have an empty hopper. I was never able to do it without an empty hopper. This worked with plastic pellets some times. You need maximum pressure in the tank. Close all the valves on the trailer then open the bottom valve on the empty hopper. Then open the blow down valve. When the air starts to leave the tank sometimes it will create enough suction to unplug the line. You may have to pressurize the tank a couple of times.

 

Yeah, you need an empty hopper or an almost empty hopper in order for it to work... As most of the time (with cement anyways) it is easier to plug up when you are finishing up a pocket or something that may have lower pressures.

Here is how I thought it was to unplug your line.. but don't quote me on this as I haven't had to do it "yet". Well I had to on another guys trailer... but I just kicked the line and it broke free pretty easily lol!

If you catch a plug up early enough you can shut all pockets off and open your air assist all the way and hopefully it will just blow out...

If that doesn't work...

1. Close all pockets
2. Keep air assist open all the way
3. Open up blow down
4. Open up an empty pocket for 3-5 seconds and then shut it for another 3-5 seconds
5. Repeat previous step until unplugged.
6. Each time you open the pocket the trailer should be jumping and sound pissed off. If it is not jumping you are either not doing it right or your blowdown doesn't have a big enough pipe.

Some incidents you may encounter plugs are... Your blower breaks down for some reason... This will instantly plug up your trailer! Your hot hose breaks off (due to age, etc...), this will also instantly plug up your trailer!


Sometimes if you don't have a big enough blow down pipe on the trailer, and your trailer tank relief valve is working correctly... bring your tank pressure to the pop pressure of the valve and then try opening up an empty pocket for a few seconds at a time.
NOTE* I have seen many trailers where the pressure release valve does not work correctly on the trailer... so that is why I stated IF it is working correctly

 

Good stuff, gents! Thanks! I guess I'd never heard it called reverse pumping, but we would do something similar if the line got plugged -- either close all the valves except the one to your product line and 'hammer' it (open and close that valve quickly), or (if you already have an empty pod) build up pressure in the line and 'release' it into the tank via that pod's product valve (perhaps this is closer to what you're referring to?).

Or the ever-popular and oh-so-much-fun -- disconnect the line from the silo (that's what we usually went into), let it empty out (or have to beat it out) into 5 gallon buckets one way or another, hook the line back up, and start all over again, meanwhile trying to figure out how you're going to make it back home with that hour you just wasted.. lol