Jenike & Johanson, Inc.

Dean Lance Brone

David Bruce Hedden

Bruno Caspar Hancock

James K Prescott

Scott A Clement

Thomas G Troxel

Michael A McCall

A method makes use of a minimally-shearing feeder mechanism supplying a desired flow of particulate solids mixture, with minimal to no sifting segregation to a desired location. The feeder methodology maintains a uniform concentration of each size of particle within the mixture.

Method of uniformly supplying a mixture of particulate solids

A bed of particulate solids is fluidized in a test chamber to yield multiple test samples for subsequent evaluation of segregation effects. A controlled stream of gas enters the chamber in a series of flow rate cycles each progressively increasing to a maximum rate of gas flow and then decreasing, the maximum rate increasing for successive cycles. An indicating function is formed from measurements of corresponding rates of gas flow and pressure across the bed. Upon termination of the fluidization, multiple samples are sequentially extracted from a single space at the bottom of the test chamber.

Method and apparatus for segregation testing of particulate solids

A method and apparatus enables testing of sifting segregation of a particulate solid mixture in a storage bin or hopper. The apparatus makes use of a convergently and divergently angled hopper for collecting the mixture. The apparatus further makes use of a minimally-shearing feeder mechanism supplying a desired flow of mixture, with minimal to no sifting segregation, to the angled hopper. A collection mechanism removes samples of the mixture from the angled hopper for analysis with minimal disruption of the particles of the mixture relative to each other. Thus, samples resulting from the testing apparatus, and corresponding method, are highly representative of mixture conditions within a larger storage hopper.

Method of segregation testing a mixture of particulate solids

Segregation testing apparatus for powders and granular materials

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Dean Lance Brone