Flexar™ Continuous Level Systems Successful on Cement Powder
and Flyash at Batavia Concrete
PROBLEM:
“I have no idea how much material we have left in our cement
and flyash bins. We need a reliable solution to make us more
efficient.”
EXPLANATION:
Batavia Concrete is located in Montgomery, IL and is one of many
concrete batch plants operated by Prairie Materials in northern Illinois. Like
most concrete plants, Batavia uses cement and flyash as ingredients. Ready
mixed concrete batch plants take the basic components needed to form
concrete, i.e. sand, rock, cement powder and flyash and batch them
together for loadout into concrete trucks. Concrete is used
as a versatile construction material and there are literally tens
of thousands of batch plants around North America.
Unfortunately,
Batavia’s facility only used high and low level indicators. Their
operations manager, Fred Thompson, had no idea how much material was
remaining at any given time. This delayed replenishment and sometimes
they couldn’t fit a truckload of cement or flyash into the bin. They
needed to know the level of the material at any given time in order
to become more efficient.
SOLUTION:
Chief application engineer for Monitor Technologies, Andy Bowman,
decided to employ the Flexar technology and product to help Batavia
Concrete. Monitor Technologies introduced the Flexar™ guided
wave radar continuous level measurement system to Batavia Concrete
in December 2005. Monitor strategically acquired this level
sensing system during 2005 to add to its significant solution capability
for powder and bulk solids applications. Flexar is proven
technology combined with five decades of bulk solids experience
and unique inventory management software solutions. Monitor
knew it had the right solution for Batavia Concrete.
Flexar is a guided wave radar continuous level sensor. Distance/level
is measured by the time-of-flight of the reflection of a microwave
signal (transmitted down the wave-guide, which is a heavy-duty
0.3” SS cable with 3.9 ton tensile strength) off the material
surface. Cement and flyash both have relatively low dielectric
constants and Flexar’s direct measuring mode was successful
in providing real-time continuous updates of the material level
during filling and draw-down.
Both Flexar units are installed with 34’ cable length. The
4-20mA signal from each Flexar unit is connected to a panel meter
in the control room. Fred Thompson, Regional Operations Manager
of Batavia Concrete, has been satisfied with this solution ever
since it was installed. Observations during filling cycles
were very good right off. Flexar didn’t skip a beat,
even with the heavy dust kicked up during pneumatic filling.
Fred Thompson reports that he desires to install Flexar units
at other plants within his regional area of responsibility. He
prefers the true continuous nature of Flexar guided wave radar
units.
Give Monitor Technologies a call and let us put our creative solutions
to work for you!
Global Flour Processor Uses Flexar® Guided Wave Radar
A large global flour processor and food products company recently began using the Flexar® guided wave radar in a total of eighteen (18) silos and bins to manage their finished product inventory. Readings from these continuous level sensors is reported as being reliable and accurate, even during pneumatic filling, contrary to their previous measuring system. A previous non-performing ultrasonic system was replaced by the Flexar level sensors. Flexar guided wave radar level sensors were chosen as the best for pneumatically filled dust laden flour silos.
Eight (8) Flexar level sensors are installed in load-out silos that fill bulk trucks with processed and finished flour. These silos are 12ft in diameter and 35ft tall. The finished flour is pneumatically conveyed into these silos. During filling the internal environment of the silos is very dusty and turbulent. The finished flour in these silos is used for loading bulk transport trucks for distribution. In addition, ten (10) Flexar level sensors are installed in 40ft high bins that contain bran. This material is also sent by bulk transport to end users.
All of the Flexar level sensors are equipped with an RS485 digital communications output that is connected to a PC with a graphical user interface for inventory management purposes. Monitor’s SiloTrack™ inventory management software is used by the facility to monitor and manage material inventories of both the finished flour and the bran. SiloTrack allows for multiple user viewing and data access via LAN and this is how the facility will be using the software that provides a flexible, graphical user interface, alarms, report generation and history analysis functions.
Guided wave radar is especially well suited to level measurement applications of dusty powder materials even when measuring during pneumatic filling. Flexar guided wave radar utilizes TDR (time domain reflectometry) technology. Radar pulses are continuously transmitted down the sensor’s probe and guided to the material surface where they are reflected back to the electronics along the wave guide. The time-of-flight of the pulses is measured and directly related to the distance to the material surface and its level.
PROBLEM:
Unfortunately,
Batavia’s facility only used high and low level indicators. Their
operations manager, Fred Thompson, had no idea how much material was
remaining at any given time. This delayed replenishment and sometimes
they couldn’t fit a truckload of cement or flyash into the bin. They
needed to know the level of the material at any given time in order
to become more efficient. 
CLICK HERE TO SEND
PAGE TO A FRIEND