Do Your Own Test
Forget the Handbooks Aaron,
In this business there is no substitute for getting your hands dirty by handling the product.
Friction testing is a first-year engineering exercise. Knock up your own rig with your home kitchen appliances. It's amazing what you can learn by actually smelling the stuff.
Sgt John Rozentals
CEO Bionic Research Institute
www.latviantourists.com.au ■
Re: Do Your Own Test
Originally posted by john.rz
Forget the Handbooks Aaron,
In this business there is no substitute for getting your hands dirty by handling the product.
Friction testing is a first-year engineering exercise. Knock up your own rig with your home kitchen appliances. It's amazing what you can learn by actually smelling the stuff.
Sgt John Rozentals
CEO Bionic Research Institute
www.latviantourists.com.au
Good point. Being in an office makes doing hands-on testing unrealistic (although it is what I would prefer). I figured I wouldn't reinvent the wheel if possible.
Thanks ■
Re: Wood Chips
Half of lifes problems are caused by NOT knowing the material. I work in an office but make sure where ever possible I see a representative sample, NEVER rely on a name to define a materials property.
Most of the time it's possible to knock up some sort of test rig, even if it's in the garage at home. Thing is, when I started there was no internet, no Google just a very limited number of reference books so if I wanted a property I had to measure it. ■
Leveling A Wood Chip Pile
This is a case where the properties could be highly variable, more due to potential inlerlocking than direct frictional values, so it would be prudent to both err on the conservative side and consider equipment that can adjust the load that it has to overcome according to the size of pile to be levelled. Why try to do it all in one 'bite'. Cutting away at the edge of the repose surface with a plough shape might be better than trying to push the full depth across. ■
Re: Wood Chips
The tool of the day is the bull dozer. This is what is needed and that is that. Nothing to calculate, just hire one or buy one.
Depending on the age of the pile and the operating conditions it is common to find tall vertical faces when trying to reclaim from the side. These invariably collapse at the most inappropriate time so do it from the top. ■
Clean Hands Do Not Safe Money
Hello AaronS,
like designer said
problems are caused by NOT knowing the material
and problems makes loose you time and money and ...
Hire an consulting company which measure this friction
in case you do not follow the advice of john.rz
and you can go ahead
Afterwards, with data, ask here for feeders, silos, conveyors or barbecue
and you will get help
You wont to discharge a silo with wet nasty heterogeneous wood chips ...
... just a picture ... 
Others will give you other choices ■
Re: Wood Chips
Friction is the force resisting the relative lateral (tangential) motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, or material elements in contact. It is usually subdivided into several varieties, to know more about the coefficient of friction from woods and some other materials you can check this site.http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com that for sure make it easier for you.. ■
Wood Chips
Does anyone have information on the friction coefficients for wood chips, both hard wood and soft (wood/wood interface, both wet and dry)? I'm trying to find the force required to level a chip pile.
Thanks,
AaronS ■