Robert



I have a way to measure the solids flowrate using a special designed turbine device. The turbine is installed in a vertical standpipe. The device is simple and has a relatively high accuracy.

An article appeared in Powder Technology gives a description of the protype of the device: JingyuanLiu, Bowen Huan, “Turbine meter for the measurement of bulk solids flowrate”,Powder Technology, 82, 145-151(1995).

I had more tests in IRL, New Zealand with Dr. Clive Davies. The tested materials included sand, plastic pellets, wheat, urea pellets, rupin seeds and so on. It performed very well.

Jingyuan Liu ■

Hello Bob

What about using load cells to measure the mass in your feed or exit bins ? This can give you mass flow rate averaged over say 1 minute.

Regards

Mark Kilfoil

Mechanical Engineering, Technikon Witwatersrand, South Africa ■

Mark,

Thanks for the reply. I didn't make myself clear in my question. I have two flows entering a vessel. I need to know what each flow is in order to control the recipe used to make each flow. This is Polyethylene and the flows are from extruders. We use the flowrate to control the recipe in the pellets being made.

The vessel the flows are going into is on load cells, but that doesn't help when I have two independent flows entering the vessel.

The vessel is very tall so I don't want to put a very important measurement instrument up ~120 feet in the air. The maintenance on the instrument would not be adequate.

So, my need is for a flow meter as I described, in the conveying line going to the vessel. ■

Hi Bob could you look at Pfister web tehe produce a metering system wit dense phase trasportation the web is www.pfister.de

best regards. ■

Hi Bob

Thanks for the clarification. I have some ideas but they need work (R&D). Unfortunately that does not help you.

Regards

Mark kilfoil

Mechanical Engineering

Technikon Witwatersrand ■

I can consider installing this in a vertical position going up, not going down. The pick up point at the classifier is at grade and the discharge point is at 120 feet. What ideas do you have?

I cannot live with 10% accuracy, I am looking for 1% or better.

Thanks for the feedback.

Bob Sander

robert.sander@bpsolvaype.com ■

ABB have solids flowmeters currently being fitted into coal fired plant in Europe and the USA. These are typically 17" diameter.

Small diameter versions 40mm dia are operational at the coal research labs of Cassella Ltd at Stoke Orchard near Cheltenham, UK. Contact there is Brian Armstrong. Brianarmstrong@cassellagroup.com

4" versions have also been tested.

Contact at ABB is Ray.Keech@Gb.abb.com

ABB Ltd

Oldends Lane

Stonehouse, Gloucesteshire GL10 3TA, UK

J Coulthard ■

Thanks David.

No, neither of these extruders have melt pumps on them to use as mass flow meters. I am familiar with this idea on other lines in our plant.

In the meantime, I have elected to use old technology to solve my problem. I am going to use weigh belt feeders to meter the solids flow rate. ■