Material flow is the movement of bulk solid materials from silos or hoppers to downstream equipment, such as conveyors, feeders, mixers, etc. Material flow is essential for many industries, such as food, chemical, pharmaceutical, mining, construction, agriculture, etc. However, material flow can also pose many challenges, such as material flow problems, material degradation, segregation, or contamination, loss of storage capacity, energy waste, and production downtime.
One of the most effective solutions to control and optimize material flow is to use bin activators. Bin activators are devices that attach to the bottom of silos or hoppers and create vibrations to fluidize the material and facilitate its flow. Bin activators can adjust and regulate the flow rate, flow direction, and flow pattern of the material.
However, to ensure the best performance and efficiency of bin activators, it is also important to monitor and measure the material flow. Monitoring and measuring the material flow can help to detect and prevent any potential problems, such as material blockage, leakage, or spillage, as well as to evaluate and improve the material quality, accuracy, and consistency.
In this blog post, we will explain the benefits and applications of bin activators, as well as their design and operation principles. We will also explain how to monitor and measure material flow with bin activators, using various sensors, indicators, controllers, and software.
Benefits and Applications of Bin Activators
Bin activator offer several advantages over other methods of material discharge, such as pneumatic hammers, air cannons, or fluidized pads. Some of these advantages are:
- They provide a uniform and controlled flow of material, regardless of the material properties or the geometry of the silo or hopper. This means that the material is discharged at a constant rate and volume, without any fluctuations or interruptions. This can improve the efficiency and quality of your production process, as well as reduce the waste and downtime.
- They prevent the material from degrading, segregating, or contaminating, as they do not subject it to excessive force or air injection. Excessive force or air injection can damage the material structure, cause the material to separate into different fractions, or introduce foreign particles into the material. This can affect the material quality, performance, and safety. Bin activators, on the other hand, gently fluidize the material and maintain its integrity and homogeneity.
- They increase the storage capacity of the silo or hopper, as they prevent the material from compacting or bridging in the upper part of the structure. Compacting or bridging can reduce the effective volume of the silo or hopper, and cause the material to stagnate and spoil. Bin activators, on the other hand, keep the material loose and flowing, and utilize the entire volume of the silo or hopper.
- They reduce the energy consumption and maintenance costs, as they operate with a low power motor and have no moving parts or consumables. Other methods of material discharge, such as pneumatic hammers, air cannons, or fluidized pads, require high power and air consumption, and have parts that wear out or need to be replaced. Bin activators, on the other hand, have a simple and robust design, and require minimal maintenance and service.
Bin activators can be used for a wide range of materials, such as flour, sugar, salt, cement, sand, coal, plastic pellets, animal feed, etc. They can be applied in various industries, such as food, chemical, pharmaceutical, mining, construction, agriculture, etc. They can also be customized to suit different sizes, shapes, and configurations of silos or hoppers, as well as different environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, etc.
Design and Operation of Bin Activators
Bin activators consist of three main components: the cone, the seal, and the vibrator. The cone is the conical-shaped part that is attached to the bottom of the silo or hopper. The cone has a baffle plate at its center, which helps to direct the material flow and impart force to the material to break down any potential arches or bridges. The cone also has a secondary deflector plate below the baffle, which acts as a wedge to relieve the weight of the material from the lower part of the cone and push it around the areas near the cone surface.
The seal is the flexible connection between the cone and the silo or hopper. The seal is made of an engineered polymer that prevents the material from leaking and the cone from slipping off. The seal also isolates the vibrations from the silo or hopper, so that only the cone vibrates and not the entire structure.
The vibrator is the motor that generates the vibrations for the cone. The vibrator is housed in a single sealed enclosure, with no belts or oil to cause maintenance issues or contamination. The vibrator has adjustable eccentric weights that allow the vibration intensity and frequency to be changed according to the material characteristics and flow requirements.
The operation of bin activators is based on the principle of gravity and vibration. When the material comes in contact with the cone, it compresses and compacts the material before discharging it. The cone vibrates horizontally and vertically, creating a fluidized zone of material around the cone. The vibration also transmits force to the material in the upper part of the silo or hopper, as the movement propagates from particle to particle. As a result, all the particles flow freely in the bin activator towards its outlet. As long as there is no obstruction in the outlet, the material will be discharged from the bin activator.
The outlet of the bin activator is designed to be large enough to allow the material to flow without restriction. The outlet can be connected to various downstream equipment, such as screw conveyors, belt conveyors, pneumatic conveyors, etc. The bin activator can also be equipped with a slide gate valve or a butterfly valve to control the flow rate and stop the flow when needed.
How to Monitor and Measure Material Flow with Bin Activators
Bin activators can monitor and measure material flow by using various sensors, indicators, controllers, and software. These devices can help to detect and prevent any potential problems, such as material blockage, leakage, or spillage, as well as to evaluate and improve the material quality, accuracy, and consistency. Some of these devices are:
- Flow sensors: Flow sensors are devices that measure the amount of material that is discharged from the bin activator per unit time. Flow sensors can be installed at the outlet of the bin activator, or at the inlet of the downstream equipment. Flow sensors can use different technologies, such as ultrasonic, microwave, optical, etc. to measure the material flow. Flow sensors can provide real-time data on the material flow rate, volume, density, etc. Flow sensors can also be connected to a display or a controller to show or adjust the material flow.
- Level sensors: Level sensors are devices that measure the amount of material that is stored in the silo or hopper. Level sensors can be installed at different heights of the silo or hopper, or at the top or the bottom of the structure. Level sensors can use different technologies, such as radar, laser, capacitance, etc. to measure the material level. Level sensors can provide real-time data on the material level, weight, pressure, etc. Level sensors can also be connected to a display or a controller to show or adjust the material level.
- Vibration sensors: Vibration sensors are devices that measure the vibration intensity and frequency of the bin activator. Vibration sensors can be installed on the cone, the seal, or the vibrator of the bin activator. Vibration sensors can use different technologies, such as piezoelectric, strain gauge, accelerometer, etc. to measure the vibration. Vibration sensors can provide real-time data on the vibration amplitude, frequency, phase, etc. Vibration sensors can also be connected to a display or a controller to show or adjust the vibration.
- Temperature sensors: Temperature sensors are devices that measure the temperature of the material or the bin activator. Temperature sensors can be installed on the cone, the seal, or the vibrator of the bin activator, or on the material itself. Temperature sensors can use different technologies, such as thermocouple, thermistor, infrared, etc. to measure the temperature. Temperature sensors can provide real-time data on the temperature of the material or the bin activator. Temperature sensors can also be connected to a display or a controller to show or adjust the temperature.
- Humidity sensors: Humidity sensors are devices that measure the humidity of the material or the bin activator. Humidity sensors can be installed on the cone, the seal, or the vibrator of the bin activator, or on the material itself. Humidity sensors can use different technologies, such as capacitive, resistive, optical, etc. to measure the humidity. Humidity sensors can provide real-time data on the humidity of the material or the bin activator. Humidity sensors can also be connected to a display or a controller to show or adjust the humidity.
- Dust sensors: Dust sensors are devices that measure the amount of dust that is emitted from the bin activator. Dust sensors can be installed at the outlet of the bin activator, or at the inlet of the downstream equipment. Dust sensors can use different technologies, such as optical, electrostatic, acoustic, etc. to measure the dust. Dust sensors can provide real-time data on the dust concentration, particle size, etc. Dust sensors can also be connected to a display or a controller to show or adjust the dust emission.
- Noise sensors: Noise sensors are devices that measure the amount of noise
