Modern silos are designed to with reliable and efficient flow in mind. However, even silos with reliable flow experience flow issues, especially if the stored material has caking properties. Flow aids eliminate caking and agglomerating problems since they agitate materials and enhance movement. It ensures that a silo takes little time to empty, which goes a long way in improving productivity. That said, you could still make flow aids more efficient for even better performance. This article explores the different ways of getting more from silo flow aids. Read on.
Ensure Low Moisture Levels -- As mentioned earlier, different materials have different caking properties, which affects the flow efficiency. Although flow aids improve the flow of caking-prone materials, high moisture levels work against the devices. The reason is that moisture increases the cohesive strength of materials, making it even harder to flow out of a feedout. Therefore, you will be forced to increase the amplitude of a flow aids' vibrations to get material flowing; however, it requires a lot of energy to do so. Consequently, it is crucial to keep moisture levels as low as possible whenever there is any activity in a silo. It will keep the material in storage dry and prevent excessive caking and packing; therefore, ensuring efficient flow aid performance.
Use Multiple Flow Aids -- A silo operator can increase or lower the amplitude of a flow aid's vibrations depending on a material's stubbornness. However, the number of flow aids you use can have a significant impact on their efficiency. For instance, silos come in different sizes in terms of diameter and height. Therefore, installing the same number of flow aids on a 20ft by 50ft silo and a 50ft by 120ft silo would make little sense. Notably, bigger silos require several flow aids because they need stronger vibrations to reach the centre. As such, you can only get more from each of your flow aids if you match their number to the size of a silo.
Strategic Flow Aid Positioning -- The efficiency of flow aids does not stop at the number you use or moisture level. You must think about the position of flow aids because haphazard installations can compromise efficiency. For instance, flow aids installed near the top of a silo will not do much to loosen caking material near a feedout section. Similarly, installing a single flow aid on one side of a silo will not address agglomerating issues on the opposite side. Therefore, ensure that you install flow aids in locations where they provide maximum efficiency.
Reach out to a professional for more information about flow aids.
Share21 September 2020
Hey, there! My name is Dan. If you are looking for a cool new guide to industrial supplies, you have come to the right place. The articles I have published on this blog will help you to develop your understanding of different types of industrial supplies. I'm no expert when it comes to this subject but I'm married to a man who works in this sector. Over the years, he has taught me lots of cool things about his work and I thought it only fair to share some of my knowledge here. I hope you enjoy reading this blog.
