Bindicator alternative help

We have a storage silo here that is filled with flour. it is 10 feet in diameter, 18 feet tall and is cone shaped on the bottom with the feeder in the center of the bottom.

The fill line for the flour on top is slightly off center so top of the flour cone will be off center some what to.

We use 2 bindicators (220v) just to keep the silo full. The high level one is 1 foot from the top of the silo and we use another bindicator about 4 feet from the bottom.

About 3-4 times a year the high level bindicator fails. The shafts become clogged with flour and fail to shut the system off. It is not a pretty sight when the vent bags blow off and there is several thousand pounds of flour one the floor.

I am wondering what the recommendations are to replace these paddle type bindicators? I was thinking about ultrasonic or radar but I am not to sure which one will be able to "see" through the flour dust the best.

Also, this system is not set up on a plc system yet, but it is in the capitol request. Is there on sensor that has both discrete and analog outputs so it can be easily changed over when the plc is installed? The plc will be Allen Bradley.

Thanks for any suggestions or recommendation you may have.

I have used guided radar from E&H before, I can't remember the powder type though so I don't know if there was much dusting or not. Anyway, it seemed to be a nice upgrade and it was analog so you had a better picture of how much product was in the silo.

Had trouble with those too in very dusty mineral sand so tried a Vegapuls 67 radar sensor, worked well on 3 250 tonne silos but the 4th one the dustiest, no good so now looking to try a Vegaflex 82 guided wave.

For an easy swap out you can look at something like this:

http://www2.emersonprocess.com/en-U...ion/Series-VLS-Vibrating-Rod/Pages/index.aspx

I've used these in silo's before and had good luck with them. I was in your position--had trouble with material getting around the shift & stopping. Yes I've seen what happens when a silo over fills....


You may want to try a different model but I used the LS2000.
The longer the shaft the better. I installed them in a 14 foot diameter silo and used a 5 foot probe. They are SS and you can always cut them off if needed.
Terry


http://www.babbittlevel.com/ls2000.html

I have used the Babbitt sensor mentioned with good results. I have also used a capacitive proximity sensor on the end of a pipe.

http://www.ifm.com/products/us/ds/KG3500.htm
http://www.ifm.com/products/us/ds/U10000.htm
http://www.ifm.com/products/us/ds/E18206.htm

You can use the same bindicator housing and reduce the pipe to 3/4" and the efector sensor will fit the end of it.

We spent a couple million trying and using almost everything under the sun to solve the exact same issue just with ground plastics and not flour.

We have these now http://www.apm-solutions.com/upload...12162413@BRO0000100 APM Profile Rev 2 web.pdf

Which sense and make a 3d model of the material in the silo and we have not had a single issue since installation.

For you silo size they would be between 3-5K each depending on the features you want.