Silo Load Cell Mounting for Movable Bulk Material Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for monitoring bulk material in silos are complex, expensive, and often not feasible for movable silos due to the laborious and costly installation of load cells, which can break under transportation impacts, and require electric power and communication cables, limiting their use and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous system that uses load cells installed on silo legs without drilling or adhesives, powered by solar energy and radio communication, allowing for self-sufficiency and installation without power or data cables, with built-in microprocessors for weight monitoring and stock management, including out-of-stock warnings and ordering recommendations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If load cells are installed by screwing and adhering them to the legs of the silo, then the amount of material can be monitored, but the installation becomes laborious, complex, and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the monitoring function into independent modules: load cells on individual legs, a summation box for aggregation, and separate communication components. This modular approach simplifies installation and maintenance while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
A summation box is introduced as an intermediary device that collects signals from multiple load cells and transmits them to the control cabin. This intermediary simplifies the overall system architecture and reduces the complexity of direct connections between each load cell and the control system.
2Measurement precision
If load cells are installed on movable silos, then weight monitoring is possible, but the load cells break or misadjust due to transportation impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates protective measures before transportation impacts occur. Load cells are pre-installed with adequate mounting clearance and structural support to absorb impact forces during moving and erecting operations, preventing breakage and misadjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows for calibration and adjustment of load cell parameters after installation to compensate for any minor shifts caused by transportation. The summation box and control system can recalibrate measurements to maintain accuracy despite environmental changes.
3Loss of information
If cables are channeled through underground conduits to the control cabin, then data transmission is achieved, but the installation becomes more complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the communication function from the structural installation by using separate, dedicated cable routing through conduits. This separates the data transmission pathway from the load-bearing structure, allowing independent installation and maintenance of each system.
Solution Approach 2:
The summation box serves multiple functions: it aggregates signals from load cells, provides electrical isolation, and acts as a connection point for communication cables. This multi-functional component reduces the overall number of devices needed and simplifies the system architecture.
4Measurement precision
If precise boreholes are made in the web of the beam for installing load cells, then accurate weight measurement is achieved, but the installation process becomes slower and more expensive
Solution Approach 1:
Load cells are pre-positioned and pre-calibrated before final installation on the silo legs. Mounting holes are pre-drilled with precise dimensions to ensure proper fit and alignment, eliminating the need for time-consuming field adjustments and ensuring measurement accuracy from the start.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses pneumatic or hydraulic drilling equipment to create precise boreholes in the beam web. This automated drilling method achieves accurate dimensions and alignment much faster than manual drilling, significantly reducing installation time while maintaining precision requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides robust, efficient, and cost-effective monitoring and management of silo contents, enabling real-time tracking and maintenance, suitable for both fixed and movable silos, reducing installation time and costs, and allowing for continuous operation without external power or cables.
Implementation Method 1
load cells that adhere to the legs of the silo... measuring by weight the amount of material in the silo
Implementation Method 2
an accelerometer to detect the motion of the silo
Data Source
AI summary
Management System for managing bulk material inside a silo, that includes: load cells bolted to brackets that are welded to the legs of the silo; an electronic device that measures the weight from the load cells and transmits that information via radio to a gateway that connects to the Internet, a photovoltaic panel to obtain power from solar energy; a set of Supercaps to operate at night-time, a thermistor to compensate for temperature, a XYZ accelerometer to detect movement of the silo and its inclination, a real time clock and a radio communications channel.