Flow Measurement of Large Bulk Solids with a Flow Meter

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When measuring the flow rate and totalization of a bulk solid materials with a flow meter, there are a lot of options.  However, when the particles of the bulk solid are large, irregular shaped, and vary greatly in bulk density, the options quickly dwindle down to a few.

Large Bulk Materials like tobacco, recycled plastic bottles, recycled carpet pieces, trash, construction debris, biomass feed stocks (like wood products, hay, straw, and leaves) and the like are not only difficult to move through a process, but their product characteristics make it almost impossible to accurately measure the flow.
CentriFlow LDM Meter
Biomass Materials - Hay/Straw
Measure the Flow Rate with a CentriFlow
Biomass Materials - Wood Chunks/Chips

Gravimetric Flow Meter for Solids
Recycled Plastic Bottles

CentriFlow Meter Solids Flow Meter
Construction Debris
To get an accurate mass flow measurement of bulk solids with large particles and irregular product characteristics the mass flow meter that is used must be able to measure the flow and have no dependence on these varying product characteristics like bulk density, particle size, and product composition.  The typical device used for these types of product is a weigh belt.  However, due to the large nature of the product and bulk density variation, the weigh belt would not provide a very high degree of accuracy.  These products can have bulk densities that are very low and varying greatly when moving, making the averaging weight based measurement technique of the weigh belt inadequate.  Impact meters cannot handle these types of bulk materials either, due to the very low density, large particles, and variable density as well.  In fact some of these materials would plug the impact meter immediately.

THE CENTRIFLOW LDM METER FROM EASTERN INSTRUMENTS
LDM Meter

The CentriFlow LDM Meter has been specifically designed to handle these large particle, variable density, bulk materials.  The LDM meter uses the same mechanical design and gravimetric technology to measure these Bulk Materials.  The key is the Centripetal Force Measurement Technology behind the CentriFlow.

Principle Behind the CentriFlow Meter
The LDM Meter has a larger Measurement Pan than a standard CFM Meter, thus allowing the large particle bulk materials to pass through the meter in a similar manner, thus obtaining very high accuracy.  The meter can be installed either In-Line Flow or in Reverse Flow Orientation off a belt conveyor, giving two very simple installation options for these types of bulk materials.  The meter can also be fed from a vibratory feeder as well.

For more information on the CentriFlow LDM Meter please visit our website easterninstruments.com, call us at 910-392-2490, or send us an email at sales@easterninstruments.com today!

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