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From: George Herold on 15 Apr 2010 23:08
On Apr 15, 8:59 pm, "lektric....(a)gmail.com" <lektric....(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
> I need help finding technology for a different kind of flow sensor.  I
> have a project where I need to monitor the flow of a ground organic
> material (think oregano or pepper ground to 100-400 microns).  It's
> coming from a horizontal discharge tube (twin augers) down into a
> vertical collector about 2" in dia. and 4" tall, then into a funnel
> (with an opening just under 1/2").  There's a top on the collector
> (everything's made of stainless), and everything is under 5-10 psi of
> nitrogen.  I need to 1) make sure the material is flowing down and
> through the funnel, and 2) is not jammed up.  I've got a
> phototransister/IRLED set-up, and it can detect when the light beam is
> blocked, but can't tell when there is a jam.  Same with ultrasonic or
> millimeter-wave radio (radar), a light beam reflective sensor, or a
> capacitance/conductance sensor.  I was thinking about some sort of
> acoustic or impingement sensor (like a microphonic probe), but the gas
> flow and feeder noise make that problematical, plus anything in the
> stream can cause a plug/jam.  Sensor needs to take up less than 1" of
> process stream length.
>
> Ideas?  Have I missed anything?

OK now I like John L.'s sound idea, can you put some blockage/ turn in
the flow and listen for the noise of the particles hitting it?

George H.



From: Ecnerwal on 15 Apr 2010 23:16
In article
<bd494899-9359-4c9a-9a88-5b16c09d92b4(a)i25g2000yqm.googlegroups.com>,
"lektric.dan(a)gmail.com" <lektric.dan(a)gmail.com> wrote:

> I need help finding technology for a different kind of flow sensor. I
> have a project where I need to monitor the flow of a ground organic
> material (think oregano or pepper ground to 100-400 microns). It's
> coming from a horizontal discharge tube (twin augers) down into a
> vertical collector about 2" in dia. and 4" tall, then into a funnel
> (with an opening just under 1/2"). There's a top on the collector
> (everything's made of stainless), and everything is under 5-10 psi of
> nitrogen. I need to 1) make sure the material is flowing down and
> through the funnel, and 2) is not jammed up. I've got a
> phototransister/IRLED set-up, and it can detect when the light beam is
> blocked, but can't tell when there is a jam. Same with ultrasonic or
> millimeter-wave radio (radar), a light beam reflective sensor, or a
> capacitance/conductance sensor. I was thinking about some sort of
> acoustic or impingement sensor (like a microphonic probe), but the gas
> flow and feeder noise make that problematical, plus anything in the
> stream can cause a plug/jam. Sensor needs to take up less than 1" of
> process stream length.
>
> Ideas? Have I missed anything?

The same thing I posted for the water flow would work here - product
stream flowing by carries heat away, product stream stopped up allows
heat to build up (even better with your dry product). Put in heat
(constant power, or pulsed power) and measure temperature, or put in
heat to maintain temperature and measure current/power input. Look for
temperature to rise in the first case, or power input to drop in the
second case. Good thermistors can give very fine resolution.

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by
From: lektric.dan on 16 Apr 2010 17:50
On Apr 15, 8:56 pm, Sjouke Burry <burrynulnulf...(a)ppllaanneett.nnll>
wrote:
>
> Put a scale under the container and monitor the weight of the container.
> When a jam occurs, the weight stops increasing.

This is called a "Loss in Weight" metering system. To add this would
cost $1-5 thousand. We thought about this when we bought our hopper/
feeder and decided to go with a volumetric system.
From: Tony on 16 Apr 2010 18:05
On Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:59:57 -0700 (PDT), "lektric.dan(a)gmail.com" <lektric.dan(a)gmail.com>
wrote:

>I need help finding technology for a different kind of flow sensor. I
>have a project where I need to monitor the flow of a ground organic
>material (think oregano or pepper ground to 100-400 microns). It's
>coming from a horizontal discharge tube (twin augers) down into a
>vertical collector about 2" in dia. and 4" tall, then into a funnel
>(with an opening just under 1/2"). There's a top on the collector
>(everything's made of stainless), and everything is under 5-10 psi of
>nitrogen. I need to 1) make sure the material is flowing down and
>through the funnel, and 2) is not jammed up. I've got a
>phototransister/IRLED set-up, and it can detect when the light beam is
>blocked, but can't tell when there is a jam. Same with ultrasonic or
>millimeter-wave radio (radar), a light beam reflective sensor, or a
>capacitance/conductance sensor. I was thinking about some sort of
>acoustic or impingement sensor (like a microphonic probe), but the gas
>flow and feeder noise make that problematical, plus anything in the
>stream can cause a plug/jam. Sensor needs to take up less than 1" of
>process stream length.
>
>Ideas? Have I missed anything?

Why not just make sure it doesn't jam? Eg a slowly rotating rough shaft or screw down
through the middle?

Cheers Tony
From: John Fields on 16 Apr 2010 18:21
On Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:59:57 -0700 (PDT), "lektric.dan(a)gmail.com"
<lektric.dan(a)gmail.com> wrote:

>I need help finding technology for a different kind of flow sensor. I
>have a project where I need to monitor the flow of a ground organic
>material (think oregano or pepper ground to 100-400 microns). It's
>coming from a horizontal discharge tube (twin augers) down into a
>vertical collector about 2" in dia. and 4" tall, then into a funnel
>(with an opening just under 1/2"). There's a top on the collector
>(everything's made of stainless), and everything is under 5-10 psi of
>nitrogen. I need to 1) make sure the material is flowing down and
>through the funnel, and 2) is not jammed up. I've got a
>phototransister/IRLED set-up, and it can detect when the light beam is
>blocked, but can't tell when there is a jam. Same with ultrasonic or
>millimeter-wave radio (radar), a light beam reflective sensor, or a
>capacitance/conductance sensor. I was thinking about some sort of
>acoustic or impingement sensor (like a microphonic probe), but the gas
>flow and feeder noise make that problematical, plus anything in the
>stream can cause a plug/jam. Sensor needs to take up less than 1" of
>process stream length.
>
>Ideas? Have I missed anything?

---
Maybe...

How do you clear/plan to clear the jams?

JF
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