Miller Magazine Issue: 139 July 2021

63 COVER STORY MILLER / july 2021 POPULAR LEVEL SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES FOR GRAIN AND MILLING Over the past decade, there have been advancements in level sensor technology that allow for non-intrusive, non-contact measurement of the contents of storage bins and process vessels. Instrumentation is designed for precise measurement in very dusty environments with little or no maintenance of the sensor being required. Radar using the 80 GHz range is among the most pop- ular type of level sensor being installed at milling and grain facilities today. Unlike radars using the 26 GHz range, these sensors are accurate despite heavy dust that can be present when filling bins or milling flour. They employ a narrow beam technology that enables them to pinpoint a specific measurement location on the material surface whilst avoiding any structure that may interfere with measurement, such as bracing or ladders. For large diameter bins or those where grain piles un- evenly due to poorly flowing material or the use of multi- ple filling or emptying locations, a sensor using three-di- mensional measuring may be beneficial. A sensor using acoustics to survey the grain material topography at multi- ple locations within the bin will be able to consider surface variations when calculating the volume of grains or flours in the vessels, thereby making the reporting more accu- rate than a single point measurement. Three-dimensional level sensing and visualization can also attribute for con- ditions such as the buildup of material along the sidewall or detect areas where grain is hung up due to moisture or compaction and has resisted flowing from the vessel. Cost-sensitive facilities may consider a plumb bob or weight and cable style sensor. This sensor acts as an automated tape measure dropping a weighted cable to a surface of the grain at timed intervals. It is an extremely reliable technology that is minimally intrusive in the bin and is proven to be extremely long lasting. IMPROVE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY BY AUTOMATING GRAIN BIN INVENTORY Combining Cloud-based software applications and ad- Bin Level Data flows from the sensor through a Gateway to the Software. Grain monitoring on phone or PC.