Inside the Bulk Solids Innovation Center - Full-Scale Test Lab

The full-scale test lab at the Kansas State University Bulk Solids Innovation Center is the heart of what the center is intended to provide for students and industry workers. Here students will be able to see the equipment in action and learn what the difference is between dense phase pneumatic conveying and dilute phase conveying, and better understand powder flow problems. Below is a floor map, as well as an image that details some of the more specific equipment that makes up the full-scale test lab.

Room	Description	Supplier	Purpose
121	Full Scale Laboratory		Equipment and Controls for measurement of actual bulk solids behaviors including storage, conveying, gravity flow, blending, segregation, degradation, dust collection, safety, and air pollution control
BBU	Bulk Bag Unloader	Spiroflow	Holds a 2,000 lb bulk bag of product and discharges it into the process.
BBU	Hoist	Kenrich/Harrington	Lifts the bulk bag onto the bulk bag unloader
BBF	Bulk material filling system for bulk bags and other containers	National Bulk Equipment Inc.	Ensures reliable, repeatable, highly accurate bulk bag and bulk container filling and weighing; reduces dusting and material loss; provides optimal line speed; improves safety of personnel and product.
PLC	Programmable Logic Controller	Rockwell Automation	This is the "brain" of the control system. All devices, motors, and instruments are connected to it. It reads the status of each input and sends an output signal to control each device in the full scale lab.
PLC	Control Panels and Programming	Coperion K-Tron	Design and programming of the control system. Design and assembly of the control panels.
DePh	Dense Phase Conveying	Coperion K-Tron	Provides slow motion conveying to prevent damage to fragile products, or reduce wear with abrasive materials. Includes continuous conveying with rotary valve or batch conveying with a pressure vessel.
DilPh	Dilute Phase Conveying	Coperion K-Tron	Provides industry-proven higher velocity pneumatic conveying, using either pressure or vacuum
HMI	Human/ Machine Interface	Rockwell Automation	Touch-screen operator control screen. This is where the operator reads information, starts, stops, and controls all of the systems in the full scale laboratory.
HMI	HMI Progamming	Coperion K-Tron	Programming of all the controls automation. Design and assembly of the electrical enclosure panels.
Vac Seq	Vacuum Sequence Conveying	Coperion K-Tron	Provides inexpensive conveying for small and medium rates up to 15,000 lb/hr.
Vac DePh	Vacuum Dense Phase Conveying	Coperion K-Tron	Provides slow motion conveying under negative pressure.
LIW	Loss-in-Weight Feeders	Coperion K-Tron	Provides precise weighing and feed control of ingredients into processes.
	Steel Structures/Mezzanine Supports/Stairs	Hawk Installation & Coperion K-Tron
RACK	Pallet Rack	Fastenal	Pallet rack to hold pallets of test material.
PIPE	Piping Systems	Coperion K-Tron & Morris Coupling	3, 4, and 6 in. pipe systems, with configurable distances up to 920 ft horizontal length and 65 ft vertical height.
BFLY	Butterfly Valves	White Equipment Controls	Uses a rotating disc to open or close the valve, which allows or prevents flow through the valve.
LC	Load Cells & Weighing Instruments	Rice Lake Weighing Systems	Hoppers and vessels are mounted on load cells, which send an electronic signal indicating the weight of material in the vessel. A floor scale is used to weigh moveable containers.
CPLG	Pipe Couplings	Gruvlock	High pressure, re-usable pipe couplings.
KG	Knife Gate Valves	Vortex Valves	Uses a sliding knife plate to open or close the valve, which allows or prevents flow through the valve.
GRAV	Diverter Valves for Gravity Flow	Vortex Valves	Uses a pivoting blade to direct flow to one leg or the other.
LEV	Level Controls	BinMaster	Detects high or low level of material in a hopper or silo.
RV	Aerolock Rotary Valves	Coperion K-Tron	Feeds material into the process or conveying system.
RV	Motors	Barr-Thorp Electric /Toshiba	Industrial grade, high-efficiency motors, inverter duty.
DV	Diverter Valves for Conveying	Vortex Valves	Uses a slide gate with an orifice to direct flow to one pipe direction or the other.
WZK	Diverter Valves for Conveying	Vortex Valves	Uses a rotating tunnel to direct flow to one pipe direction or the other.

Images and equipment lists provided by Coperion K-Tron and Kansas State University Salina.

Click here to for an inside look of the first floor of the Kansas State University Bulk Solids Innovation Center.

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