RECTANGULAR AIR PAD

BULLETIN 933

The Monitor air pad bin aerator is an aeration device used to promote the flow of dry bulk powders from a storage vessel.

Principle of Operation

The Air Pad operates by continuously introducing air into the body of the dry powder. When a powder is first conveyed into a storage vessel it is actually a highly aerated mixture of air and particulate. In this state the mixture flows quite readily. However, as the powder settles the solid particulate and air separate resulting in a decrease in volume and an increase in bulk density. In this deaerated state powders can behave more like a single large solid structure rather than a fluid-like mixture. By replacing the naturally lost air, the air to particulate mixture ratio is held thus maintaining the fluid like characteristic of the aerated powder.

Applications

For best results in promoting the flow of dry bulk powders, multiple rows of air pad bin aerators should be used. The number of rows and quantity of air pads in each row will differ by application. Monitor application engineers are ready to provide you with the best recommendation for your specific material flow problem.

Generally, four rows of air pad bin aerators on 12 inch (305mm) or 15 inch (381 mm) centers is recommended. While the effective radius of each air pad is approximately 10 inches (254 mm), the air pads should be spaced so that the entire troublesome area is within the sphere of influence of the air pads.

Features

Effective radius of 10 inches (254 mm)
Adapts to almost any bin configuration
Low cost
Easy Installation
Minimal maintenance

Accessories

An external mounting kit is available. This kit can completely eliminate the need to enter the bin to install or service air pad bin aerators. Using a 2-5/8 X 6-5/8 inch (66.5 x 162 mm) cutout hole in the bin wall, the mounting kit can be completely installed and serviced from outside the bin. Our air pad and external mounting kit can easily install in existing cutouts of other brands.

The external mounting kit includes gaskets, clamp bracket, rectangular mounting bracket and necessary hardware for mounting with your air pad bin aerator and its mounting hardware. An external mounting kit for high temperature applications is also available.

Specifications

Warranty

Monitor Technologies warrants each air pad it manufactures to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service within two (2) years from the date of purchase. The purchaser must notify Monitor of any defects within the warranty period, return the product intact, and prepay transportation charges. The obligation of Monitor Technologies LLC under this warranty is limited to repair or replacement at its factory. This warranty does not apply to any product which is repaired or altered outside of Monitor Technologies' factory, or which has been subject to misuse, negligence, accident, incorrect wiring by others, or improper installation.

933A.7.1106

SiloPatrol^® SE
Measuring coal powder levels when nothing else will work ….

Coal-fired power plants are commonplace around the world.  In order for these power generating stations to create huge amounts of electricity the turbines need to be feed with steam and the steam created by boilers that are fired by … yep, coal.  But coal as it comes from the mining operations is not what is fed to the burners.  First it is ground or pulverized into powder.  It is not unusual for the coal powder to be stored in silos awaiting the demand for it to be fed to the burners.  The inventory of coal powder in these silos needs to be monitored to allow for efficient operation of the power plant.

So, how do we monitor the inventory of coal powder in a silo?  Not easily.  In one typical application the power plant personnel found that the only technology that would work reliably is the modern smart weight & cable system from Monitor Technologies LLC, the SiloPatrol^® SE.

Anhui Tongling power plant in Anhui province in China had tried almost ever technology possible to get a reliable level measurement in their 5 coal powder silos.  Radar, ultrasonic and others were tried, but none worked reliably.  It wasn’t until Beijing Conasen walked in and proposed that the Tongling plant use the SiloPatrol SE smart cable-based inventory monitoring system that the power plant personnel found a reliable solution.

Mr. William Yuan, sales manager for Beijing Conasen indicates that the power plant tried many major brands of ultrasonic, radar, and other technologies but that due to good relations with the Tongling plant personnel he was able to sell three SiloPatrol SE model SMU sensors and an HMI operator interface to them.  The units were installed by plant personnel.  Because of the heavy amount of coal dust in the silos an air purge using dry compressed air was used.  The SiloPatrol sensor incorporates the patent-pending use of Hall-effect sensor technology, a split-compartment enclosure, microcontroller, redundant optics and many other valuable features and technology to ensure reliable measurement even in challenging dust applications like coal powder.

The SiloPatrol SE system has been working reliably and the plant has since purchased two additional sensors and connected them into the same HMI operator interface.  This same sensor technology is working reliably at other coal-fired power stations in China as well.

For more information on the SiloPatrol SE click here or contact Monitor Technologies LLC at 800-766-6486 in the USA and 630-365-9403 worldwide.

>>Click here for more information about SiloPatrol SE from Monitor Technologies.
>>Download Product Bulletin 343A