Purdue Develops New Powder Flow Aid TechnologyPurdue Develops New Powder Flow Aid Technology

August 30, 2019

2 Min Read
Purdue Develops New Powder Flow Aid Technology
Image courtesy of Purdue University

A new technology developed by researchers at Purdue University enables operators to improve the flow and consistency of powders without having to hammer on the side of bins, the institution announced in a release Wednesday. The Bluetooth-controlled powder flow aid created by the university is used inside the bin to vibrate powder and monitor the material. 

“This device directly transfers vibration energy to the powders without affecting the structural integrity of the bin,” said Dr. Kingsley Ambrose, and associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue who lead the team of researchers, in a statement. “This device could also monitor powder parameters like temperature, humidity and pressure, which in turn indicate any change in quality.”

While some powder flow aid technologies are currently available, they are most commonly used outside of the bin. The technology developed by Purdue has several advantages over equipment currently in use. 

“There are flow aids that can be used outside the bin,” said Ambrose. “These aids present numerous problems in reliability, and typically are very expensive and require additional support such as compressors.”

Users of Purdue’s new powder flow aid technology can modify the vibration intensity of the device and its location within the bin to achieve greater product consistency. Ambrose said the technology has applications for the agricultural and grain industries, as well as other end-use markets. 

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