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Pozzolan Material Flow Test

Pozzolan is a dry bulk powder with the consistency of all-purpose flour or baking soda. It doesn’t agglomerate when compressed by hand and has moisture content of 10%.

Pozzolan can clump and block the discharge. In this material flow test, about.668 cubic feet of material (equivalent to a five-gallon bucket) was poured into a hopper and packed down to simulate a blockage. Two AirSweep VA-06 units were installed 180 degrees apart at approximately 4 and 10 inches above the outlet.

• Before AirSweep: When the discharge opened, only a few clumps of material flowed out.
• After AirSweep: The VA-06 units operated at 60 PSI and pulsed every two seconds. After just two pulses, the hopper was completely emptied out.

Pumicite Material Flow Test

Pumicite is a dense material with particles of different sizes. Its consistency is similar to damp sand. The particles can become cohesive, and aggregate when compressed.

AirSweep is very effective for this type of bulk material. In this material flow test, a hopper was filled with approximately 0.668 cubic feet of material, equivalent to a five-gallon bucket. The material was packed down to simulate a blockage. Two AirSweep VA-06 units were positioned 4 and 10 inches above the outlet, while two more were installed 8 inches above the outlet.

• Before AirSweep: When the discharge opened, only a few clumps of material flowed out.
• After AirSweep: The VA-06 units operated at 60 PSI and pulsed every two seconds. Each pulse moved the dense material–and after just seven pulses, the hopper was completely empty.

Amorphous Alumina Silicate Material Flow Test

Amorphous Alumina Silicate is a dry, dense material with different-sized particles. It has the consistency of dry beach sand and a moisture content of 10% to 20%.

Amorphous Alumina Silicate has a tendency to clump and pack together. However, AirSweep can activate the material to create on-demand flow.

In this material flow test, approximately 0.668 cubic feet of material (equivalent to a five-gallon bucket) was poured into a hopper. The material was packed down to simulate a blockage. Four Airsweep VA-06 units were installed above the outlet, 180 degrees apart.

• Before AirSweep: When the discharge opened, only a few clumps of material flowed out.
• After AirSweep: The VA-06 units operated at 60 PSI and pulsed every two seconds. The material immediately started flowing. It took just two air pulses to completely clear the hopper.

Felspar Material Flow Test

Felspar is a type of sandstone used to make roads and buildings. Though it is a durable and widely available construction material, it is dense and has particles of various sizes–similar in texture to brown sugar or wet sand.

Felspar has poor flow characteristics and has a tendency to become cohesive. It needs a material flow aid–and AirSweep can do the job.

In this flow test, about 0.668 cubic feet of Felspar (equivalent to a five-gallon bucket) was poured in a hopper and packed down to simulate blockage. Four AirSweep VA-06 units were installed near the vessel discharge.

• Before AirSweep: Even when the discharge was opened, only a few clumps of material fell out.
• After AirSweep: The VA-06 units operated at 60 PSI and pulsed every two seconds. It took just 13 pulses for all the Arkose to flow out of the hopper.

AirSweep can also be installed on larger vessels or placed higher up in the hopper to prevent bridging or compaction.

Spent Grain Material Flow Test

Spent brewer’s grain is a by-product from mixing barley malt and other cereals or grains for making wort or beer. Since it has a lot of protein and fiber, the spent grains are dried and sold as animal feed.
The wet mixture of malt and grains is very dense and glutinous. It has a tendency to stick to vessel walls or form large clumps.
Spent brewer’s grain poor flow properties can be seen in this material flow test.
First, 1.3 cubic feet of material was poured into the hopper with a 28” diameter, a 60-degree cone, and a 4” diameter outlet. After the discharge was opened, the material did not flow even when tapped with a rubber mallet. This indicates that Brewer’s grain will not flow readily, if at all, without aid.
Then, four Airsweep VA-06 units were installed on the vessel. Two were placed 180 degrees apart at approximately 4” and 10” above the outlet. The other two were installed 180 degrees apart at approximately 8” above the outlet.
The units were set up to release air pulses starting from the lowest unit, with a pulse duration of 0.25 each and a rate of one pulse every 2 seconds. Material flow increased immediately with the first pulse, and continued to flow until the hopper was emptied entirely.
AirSweep is the most effective pneumatic flow aid for dense, sticky, and compact materials. For this reason, it is used extensively in the pet food industry, including one of the largest pet food manufacturers in North America.

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Sugar Beet Shreds Material Flow Test

All industries need reliable material flow to ensure productivity and product quality. However, the food industry has particularly strict standards – not only because of strict industry regulations but the type of materials that it works with.

Many food materials have challenging flow properties and can become moist and compact during storage and handling. This material flow test shows how sugar beet shreds have plugged the hopper outlet. Even when the discharge was opened, it refused to flow even if the hopper was tapped with a rubber mallet.

AirSweep resolves material blocks and produces on-demand, first-in/first-out flow. The units are also positioned at key areas and pulsed in a sequence to move material in a reliable, cost-efficient way. For example, positioning some of the units near the bottom of the outlet can help start the initial flow of blocked material. 

The AirSweep team tailors each installation according to the material, vessel, and process. Read more about how it is used in different food applications.

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Dried Distillers Grain Material Flow Test

Dried distillers grain and many other materials have a tendency to draw moisture and clump together in storage. This can make it very difficult to move the material, which affects productivity and even the material’s integrity and safety.

AirSweep is particularly effective for damp materials that have a tendency to clump, bridge, or rathole. In this material flow test, the dried distillers grain was mixed with one cup of water, packed down, and left in the hopper for five days. By then, it had formed clumps and begun to adhere to itself.

AirSweep resolved all of these material blocks – breaking up the clumps and flushing all the dried distiller’s grain out of the hopper. It is the proven solution for tough flow problems.

For very difficult materials that sit in the hopper for long periods of time, AirSweep standard units can also be combined with the AirSweep straight shooter, which emits a concentrated column of air.

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Pine Wood Chips Material Flow Test

Pine wood chips (PWC) are used for making paper and composite wood products and are a sustainable source of biofuels. However, it has challenging flow properties and needs a reliable flow aid to prevent material blocks.

This material flow test demonstrates AirSweep’s efficiency and control. At the start of the test, a hopper was filled with half a cubic foot of PWC. The hopper had a 28” diameter and a 4” diameter outlet.

Four AirSweep VA-06 units were installed on the vessel and were programmed to release short air pulses every three seconds.

Without the use of any flow aid, the PWC dropped in slow clumps through the discharge. But from the moment the AirSweep unit released its first pulse, the material began to flow steadily until the hopper was completely emptied.

AirSweep is the most effective flow aid for pine wood chips and other fibrous materials like powdered hemp and organic natural fibers.

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Recycled PVC Plastic Material Flow Test

Recycled PVC plastic is 100% recyclable. It is a sustainable material with a lower carbon footprint than fresh raw materials.

However, recycled PVC plastic can have challenging flow properties. It is dry, lightweight and has a tendency to leave particles on all the surfaces that it touches.

AirSweep is the best flow aid for recycled materials. In this material flow test, a hopper was filled with approximately 0.668 cubic feet of recycled plastic. The material was compacted into the outlet with a 6×6 piece of wood.

Then, two AirSweep VA-06 units were activated. After just seven pulses, the AirSweep swept all the material out of the hopper.

While a thin layer remained because of the material’s stickiness, the flow test proves how AirSweep can effectively solve bridging, ratholing, and other stubborn material blocks. Check out our video library for more material flow test videos.

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Cedar Wood Chips Material Flow Test

Cedar wood chips, a byproduct of the wood industry, are often used in gardening, mulching, smoking meats, and making crafts. It is very light and has a tendency to clump when it is stored or processed.

Wood Chips respond to aeration, but fluidizers don’t have enough power to break apart clumps. It needs a powerful pneumatic flow aid like AirSweep.

In this material flow test, a hopper was filled with .668 cubic feet of cedar wood chips. Four AirSweep VA-06 units were strategically installed at various points of the vessel and set to pulse every four seconds.

At the start of the test, the material was allowed to flow “naturally” without the use of any flow aid. It fell in slow clumps and, in time, would have clogged the discharge completely.

Once the AirSweep units were turned on, it took just a few pulses to move the material completely out of the vessel.

AirSweep is the most effective flow aid for cedar wood chips and other fibrous materials like pine wood chips and powdered hemp.

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