Loss-In-Weight Application and Venting Guide

BV-I5139 GB
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Note: The original manual is in English

Loss-In-Weight Application Site (Rev. 1 GB)
Loss-In-Weight feeding is the principle most common for precise dosing of fine bulk solids, at a
feed rate of 0.1 to 10.000 kg/h. As users know, the delicate weighing system will operate
accurately and reliably only in an environment which is suitable and properly arranged.
Planning errors and shortcomings on site may disturb even a correctly selected and fabricated
feeder and result in malfunction. This has often led to much discussion and unexpected work
during commissioning. Being the manufacturer of the weighing system, it is in our best interest
to have influence on the site design and include surrounding components into our scope of
supply and responsibility. We would like to pass on to our staff and customers the experience
SCHENCK Process LLC has gained in more than 20 years of Loss-In-Weight applications.

1. Refill Systems

The weighing electronics monitor the fill level by the weight of the hopper. At the set minimum
level, refill is requested and the scale switches to volumetric mode. When the desired maximum
level is reached, refill is stopped and after a certain settling time, the scale goes back to
gravimetric mode. The refill system performs all tasks between these two points and it may
become quite complex.

Hints for design of an optimized refill:

 The filling device must be capable of delivering the required amount in the allowable time.
This time is usually between 3 to 10 seconds. As a rule of thumb, the required refill rate is
about 10 to 20 times the maximum dosing feed rate.
 It is generally preferable to refill a small amount frequently, rather than a big amount only a
few times. Many customers are concerned that frequent refill may reduce accuracy, yet the
opposite is true, especially when feeding fine or difficult flowing powder. For manual refill,
consider 6 refills per hour. For automatic refill, consider 30 (for a small hopper) to 60 (large
hopper) refills per hour as a maximum.
 A system with definable feed rate or capacity (e.g. screw, flexible screw feeder, rotary star
feeder, vibratory feeder, pneumatic hopper loader) should be sized and controlled to have
start, conveying and stop finished within the specified refill time.
 For a system with gravity flow (e.g. flap or slide gate), we specify the suitable diameter
according to our experience and ask you not to deviate or to consult us before doing so. A
smaller diameter may increase the refill time. A larger diameter may lead to overfilling of the
hopper.
 We generally prefer using a butterfly type on/off valve rather than a slide gate. The butterfly
valve is quick acting, lightweight and economic. The rotating movement when opening
helps to get powder flowing. In case of abrasive bulk solids, select a suitable flap sealing
material. For granules, a metallic sealing is best. Hard granules, however, may pinch
between flap and sealing. In this case, a special slide gate design is preferred, but do
consult SCHENCK Process LLC anyway.
 Slide gates in standard design have a closing time of > 1 sec, which may lead to overfilling
of the hopper. Therefore, a large vent must be provided for the pneumatic cylinder as a
minimum. For nominal diameters from DN 250 especially, the air connections should be
oversized to ensure quick opening and closing. With a slide gate, you have more mass to
move and more weight to be supported from the piping. Compressed air consumption is
also much higher than with a butterfly valve of identical size. Using a slide gate does make
sense when feeding very difficult flowing bulk solids or those that bridge even between
vertical walls, such as: large flakes or fibres, agglomerating sticky powder, recycling plastic
flakes. Here, it is an advantage to have the full open diameter available without an obstacle.

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 Flexible connections to the weighed parts of the feeder may need to be protected against
contact with powder, otherwise, deposits and crusts could lead to shunt forces and wear.
We offer a refill funnel combining the functions of:
- slowing down and equalizing the gravity flow
- protection of the flexible connections
- cleaning the pipe from powder deposits after refill.
It is installed below the refill device or directly above the weigh hopper.
 A prehopper upstream of the feeder should be sized to hold a minimum amount of two
refills. Aerated powder should be allowed to de-aerate completely in the prehopper to
prevent it from flushing during refill. This may be achieved by sizing the prehopper larger or
using an agitator.
 Pneumatic loading of the prehopper requires over-pressurization or under-pressurization
that may through the powder propagate into the weigh hopper and disturb the weighing. In
such cases, ensure via interlocks that the prehopper is not loaded during refill of the weigh
hopper, or maintain a sufficiant large buffer of powder at all times.
 When feeding difficult flowing powder, the prehopper will have to be equipped with a flow
aid, (e.g. bin activator/vibrator, agitator, knocker, fluidization) to ensure constant flow for
refill. The flow aid should be in operation during the refill time and should start without
delay.

 Take care of eventual delays. When the weighing electronics send the command to stop
filling, the refill system should be completely closed within one second, so that the powder
stops falling into the weigh hopper. Delay may result from:
- inertia of the refill device (e.g. of a screw). A motor with break may be used.
- signal run time or processing time (e.g. in a PLC or fieldbus). We recommend controlling
the refill system via digital contacts of our weighing electronics. In cases less critical,
fast fieldbus (Profibus) may be used.
- long closing time of valves: pneumatic instruments or piping sized too small,
compressed air pressure too low.
- long stop time of a bin vibrator or scraper, sometimes several seconds. A motor with
break may be used.
 After the refill system is closed, no powder must drop into the weigh hopper. This results in
a weight increase and leads to remarkable dosing error even if the quantity is small. Such
errors may occur:

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 - if the refill device is not tight. Check flap or slide gate sealings regularly. Provide an
extra shut-off valve below a refill screw feeder.
- if powder sticks to the pipe wall and drops down later on. Prevent static electricity by
proper earthing. Powder easily deposits in a flexible connection, and the powder should
not come in direct contact with it. We offer inlet funnels that ensure this by covering the
flexible joints and blowing off deposits with air or nitrogen after each refill.
- if the powder is very lightweight and highly dusty (e.g. SiO2) so that it hovers in the
weigh hopper or vent pipe and sinks down during the gravimetric period. See also the
hints at venting.
 Avoid long refill pipes. Position the refill device directly above the weigh hopper or as close
as possible. Free fall more than 1 m is critical, because:
- larger portions of bulk material are still falling, even if the refill system is already closed.
This leads to overfilling and delay.
- bulk material arrives at high speed, and has a compacting effect on the material in the
hopper. The increase of bulk density may lead to dosing error and cohesive powder
may form lumps. In case of heavy bulk material, the load cells might be exposed to a
peak load that disturbs the fill weight monitoring or even trips the feeder.
- free fall over long distance will intensively mix a powder with air and may lead to
aeration of the powder in the hopper, resulting in flushing through a metering screw.
- sticky or bridging powder may deposit in the pipe, leading to weighing errors and finally
blocking of the pipe.
If long pipes are unavoidable, special constructions may be used (e.g. with two shut-off
valves or flow aids for the pipe).
 If a refill pipe is used, locate the refill device upstream of this pipe, directly underneath the
prehopper.

We will gladly assist you in the planning of a refill system, or design and supply a complete
package. You are welcome to share our experience.

2. Venting and De-Dusting

During refill mode, the refilled amount suddenly displaces an equivalent volume of air or gas
from the hopper, which may be laden with dust. This portion of air needs to be vented and the
dust must not pollute the surroundings. In normal mode, the amount of bulk material discharged
by the feeder needs to be replaced by an equivalent volume of air. The feeder sucks in air,
which must not be inhibited, otherwise the hopper becomes under-pressurized. To enable this
“breathing“ of the feeder, the hopper is provided with a vent stub.

Hints for design of an optimized venting:

 Most important: every Loss-In-Weight feeder should be vented individually, independent of

any other equipment or part of a production plant. It is the only way to achieve a reliable
system. Any deviation from this rule must be evaluated critically.
 If your bulk material is free from dust (e.g. hard granules) or you refill manually and the
surrounding tolerates a minimum dust pollution, you may vent to the atmosphere directly
without a filter. Caution: a protection grid must be provided to prevent touching of rotating
inner parts! However, since there is no 100% dust-free bulk solid, for automatic refill, you
would need to provide a simple bag filter. This also ensures that no dirt or foreign objects
can get into the hopper and into your products.
 For low-dusty bulk material (e.g. granules with some fines from transport, coarse powder or
grits) and for a feeder that can easily be accessed for maintenance, a dust filter bag
mounted on the vent stub is sufficiant. However, do check and maintain this simple filter
regularly. Where maintenance is difficult or likely to be forgotten, we do not recommend this
solution.
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 With any type of filter cloth, even if the dust load is small, be aware of the high flowrate
during refill and provide a filter surface area of sufficiant size in order to keep the flow
resistance to a minimum. Otherwise, the displaced air cannot escape quick enough, which
leads to a build up of pressure in the weigh hopper and disturbs the weight and fill level
measurement. Furthermore, as a result of pressure in the hopper, powder may be pressed
through the helix.
 Avoid high air velocity in the vent stub, otherwise, dust or even powder is carried with the
flow into the vent. The diameter of the vent stub, selected by SCHENCK Process LLC, is
sufficiant to prevent such an effect. Please do not reduce it without our approval. Highly
dusty or lightweight powders (small sinking velocity) may require a diameter larger than
usual.
 After closing of the refill system, a certain settling time is necessary to ensure the bulk
material is completely motionless and de-aerated and the pressure in the hopper is
atmospheric. After this settling time, the dosing system goes to gravimetric operation again.

Highly dusty or somewhat dangerous bulk materials or a surrounding with requirements for
cleanness require advanced solutions. Below, we will address the expansion tube, jet filter,
balancing pipe and suction system.

2.1 Expansion Tube

The expansion tube is a simple method to reduce the dust load to

be filtered and can be combined with both a filter bag or jet filter.
Above the vent stub, a pipe is connected which can hold the
volume of displaced air, and above this pipe you place the filter.
This way, most of the dusty air stays in the pipe and does not
come to the filter cloth. After refill, the dust sinks back into the
hopper. Advantages are: the filter can be sized smaller and it lasts
longer. A simple type of filter may be used even for highly dusty
powder.

 The larger the diameter of the pipe and filter selected, the less
air velocity and dust load you get in the filter. As a rule, the
speed should not exceed 2 m/s. Select the diameter as large
as the vent stub as a minimum, and avoid narrowing.
 Pipe volume is R2  L  1 to 3 x Refill volume, depending on
the dust concentration.
 The pipe is fixed by the user to a rigid support and connected
flexibly to the vent stub.

2.2 Jet Filter

A jet filter uses several filter hoses or cartridges to enlarge the filter surface within a relatively
small housing. The clean gas side (vent stub) of the filter must have atmospheric pressure.
Selection and sizing of such a filter requires extensive experience and should be done by the
filter vendor. The operating principle is to deform the filter cloth regularly by short blasts of air
jets, so that the dust layer falls down and the cloth remains clean.
This filter type is recommended as the best de-dusting method for a Loss-In-Weight feeder
because it combines the essential requirements: individual and independent de-dusting, best
filtering efficiency and low maintenance requirements.

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 The jet cleaning should be done during or immediately after the refill. Our weighing
electronics can trigger this operation with a contact. The loose dust falls into the hopper
before gravimetric operation is resumed.
 A small and lightweight filter may be fixed to the hopper lid. However, this is an exception
only practical for a small or medium dust load and relatively high feedrate. Reinforcement of
the hopper lid may be required, and mounting space must be checked. This installation is
well suited for venting of large LIW-feeders (e.g. SIMPLEX or 1200 Series Feeder).
 For most applications, we recommend using a support for filter and providing a flexible
connection to the feeder’s vent stub, best combined with an expansion tube. This is the
optimum and the most reliable solution for highly dusty powder.
 Due to the impact of pressure fluctuation on the weighing system, the clean gas stub of the
filter must never be directly connected to a suction system, see below.

2.3 Pressure Balancing Pipe

Users are often in favour of a pressure balancing pipe, which is a

connection from the vent stub into the prehopper. At first sight, this method
has the advantage of a filter being omitted. However, due to major and
crititical disadvantages, the use of a balancing line is safe or advisable
only in one of the following situations:

1. The prehopper is a day bin (i.e. it is not refilled during operation of the
feeder) and it has atmospheric pressure at all time.
2. The prehopper is refilled with a bag discharge device which is open to
the atmosphere during bag discharge and emptying of a bag does not
generate pressure fluctuation.
3. For nitrogen purge or blanketing, where the system cannot be open to
the atmosphere to avoid contact with oxygen and loss of nitrogen, see
below. Also, pressure in the hopper must be constant and near
atmospheric.

A balancing pipe is against the basic rule to vent the feeder independent of
other equipment. Even if the user has originally planned the prehopper
carefully and avoided pressure influences, which is difficult, it is likely that
an operating staff, ignorant of the impact on the feeder, connects a pipe
here or closes a vent there, and the feeder begins to have strange errors
or accuracy losses, the cause of which is hard to detect. Please try to
influence engineering to avoid balancing pipes. Notify the user that he is
probably about to reduce the reliability of the dosing system.

Overview of disadvantages:

 Pressure fluctuations in the prehopper (e.g. during its refill) propagate to the weigh hopper
and disturb the measurement. To avoid this, you need to ensure that the prehopper is never
filled during gravimetric operation. This is possible only with a day bin.
 Therefore, you would have to shut the balancing pipe in gravimetric operation and open it
for refill of the feeder only. For this task, you need a valve that opens simultaneously with
the refill device. On the other hand, you must ensure the feeder can breath to replace the
discharged volume with gas, even if the balancing line is closed. This means you need an
additional vent to the atmosphere, also closed with a valve and equipped with a filter for
refill, or you need to provide infeed of gas at minimum pressure.
 The investment in piping and control to get a reliable solution is expensive. Further, much
maintenance is required that only well trained operating staff can understand and perform.

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 In case of piping or equipment modifications later on, the impact on the feeder is often
ignored.
 In case of a dust explosion hazard in the hopper, thorough inert gas blanketing must be
maintained because via the balancing tube, dust explosions in the prehopper will propagate
to the feeder and vice versa.

2.4 Suction System

Connection to a suction system is possible, but generally not recommended. Remember the
feeder is largely influenced by pressure fluctuation. Some hints:

 If a gas tight connection is desired (i.e. from the suction pipe to the weigh
hopper via a flexible connection), a pressure of 5 to 10 mbar and a
fluctuation of  0.5 mbar must not be exceeded, which is hard to realize, and
the hopper must be fitted with a pressure compensation device. Otherwise,
you have to close the suction pipe with a valve only to be opened during
refill, and make provisions for the breathing of the feeder, see balancing
pipe. Such systems may eventually be used in case of inert gas blanketing to
facilitate recycling of the expensive nitrogen.
 Favourable and often used is an open connection. You leave the vent stub
open or extend it with a short pipe, and at a certain distance place a “chinese
hat” inlet piece to the suction system. This way, the weigh hopper is free from
any pressure influence and additional shut-off valves are not needed. Pay
attention to the speed in the suction pipe; it should be >10 m/s to ensure that
all particles are carried away and layers of dust on the weigh hopper are
avoided. For adjusting pressure and air speed during commissioning, you
would provide a throttle valve near the inlet.
 A chinese hat is best combined with an expansion pipe as well, otherwise, a
layer of dust may form on the weigh hopper and lead to changing of tare
weight and pollution.

3. Dust Explosion Protection

Many common bulk solids, particularly polymers and coal dust, are carbon-based and form a
combustible combination of oxygen and dust if exposed to or mixed with air. By sparks (in case
of dust clouds) or by self ignition (in case of a dust layer on a hot surface), this mixture may
ignite and a dust explosion result. The user of a system handling combustible dust or operating
in a hazardous area has to consider provision of explosion prevention, explosion surpression or
explosion relief.

Please note that, although this is often mixed up, the measures to be taken against dust
explosion are very much different from those against gas explosion.

One of the following measures is typically taken by:

1. preventing the formation of a combustible mixture of material and oxygen.

2. avoiding sources of ignition (e.g. hot surfaces, sparks generated by electrical components
or resulting from electrostatic charging).
3. keeping an explosion harmless (secondary explosion protection) by:
- explosion relief (i.e. controlled venting of the explosion to a safe location), or
- encapsulation to contain flame and gases within the housing.

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For handling of combustible dust or operation in a hazardous area, Loss-In-Weight feeders are
designed in a way that they cannot be a source of ignition in normal operation. To achieve this,
the electrical housings and hoppers are designed dust tight, and the surface temperature of
variable speed motors is monitored. Build-up of static electricity is avoided by continuous
earthing of all metal parts. However, since inside the weigh hopper a source of ignition may be
present (e.g. by friction of rotating parts in case of fault, or by hot lumps of powder that arrive in
the hopper from the upstream equipment), the hopper itself must be protected as well.

Coal dust feeding systems are designed flameproof for this purpose (i.e. the hopper can
contain the explosion pressure of up to 10 bar without damage). For chemical or polymer
plants, such a design is not reasonable because the weight and price are too high.
For very big Loss-In-Weigh feeders, a bursting disk may be applied. It bursts at a defined
pressure (well below the design pressure of the hopper) and opens to vent the hot explosion
gas to the atmosphere through a wide and short (max. 3 m) vent pipe. The investment and the
space required in the building for explosion venting are high, therefore, it is only mentioned for
the sake of completeness. Applicable standards of authorities and local laws must be observed.

Inert Gas Blanketing

The recommended and common method is to reduce the level of oxygen in the system by
replacing it with inert gas, typically nitrogen, to a level where a fire or explosion cannot occur.
The nitrogen should mix with the powder or form a blanket on the powder surface. Inert gas is
constantly fed to the hopper at a low pressure, 0.5 to 5 mbar. The required flow is equal to the
volumetric feed rate (i.e. the volume discharged must completely be replaced by nitrogen). Inert
gas infeed is done:

1. via a flexible hose into the hopper lid

2. into the vent system
3. into the refill system.

Pro’s and Con’s:

1. The hose is mechanically sensitive to bending or cutting. It must be installed and

maintained with caution, and even then it generates a certain shunt force. At low feed
rate, we do not recommend it. In other cases, it is the most simple design.
2. For gravimetric operation, the vent pipe should be shut off because the nitrogen could
escape to the vent instead of flowing into the hopper. An additonal valve is needed.
3. No con’s. To allow the feeder to “breath” nitrogen during discharge, place the infeed
nozzle downstream of the refill device. The fill funnel would be a good position, for
example.

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In any case, the vent must not allow ingress of oxygen. Therefore, it should be closed to the
atmosphere and/or connected to a permanent suction system.

4. Pressure Compensation

Nitrogen blanketing always requires an operation over-pressurization. The pressure difference

to the atmosphere results in a force on the load cells and disturbs the measurement. Therefore,
we recommend equipping the weigh hopper with a pressure compensation device. This is an
entirely mechanical device with a defined surface area that balances the pressure forces by
generating a counter force of equal value. For constant infeed at low pressure (0.5 mbar),
higher feed rate and low accuracy requirement, this measure may not be necessary. However,
for unstable nitrogen pressure, pressure level > 0.5 mbar, low feed rate and high accuracy, it is
essential. The allowable operating pressure is 5 mbar (safe), maximum 10 mbar. Higher
pressure levels up to 20 mbar are an exception to be checked.

Over-pressurization or pressure fluctuation may also act on the discharge nozzle, resulting from
downstream equipment (e.g. turbulances from a high-speed mixer, process gas from a reactor).
In this case, the discharge should be equipped with a mechanical compensation device.
Methods and criteria are the same as for the hopper. The feeder can then be safely operated in
the range -0.5 to +5 mbar. Cases of higher pressure must be checked.

In case of under-pressurization at the discharge nozzle, there is the additional risk that powder
may be sucked through the helix, resulting in uncontrolled flow. It may be necessary to provide
a balancing tube from the discharge to the weigh hopper to ensure that the hopper is at the
same pressure level. This balancing pipe can be integrated into the feeder.

5. Requirements for the Installation Site[Type a quote from the document or the summary of
an interesting point. You can position the text box anywhere in the document. Use the Drawing
Tools tab to change the formatting of the pull quote text box.]

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Beware of:

 wind: especially for small feed rate, a shelter may be required.

 heat, especially if only from one side. Protection against heat radiation from other
equipment or from the sun may be required.
 movement, inclination or vibration of support structure, resulting from traffic, dynamic forces
of machines, air movement or heat. The feeder’s support floor should be separated from
floors subjected to movement of people or machines.
 movement or vibration of the refill system, the vent pipe (if any) or the discharge nozzle
downstream connection pipe.

For further hints and values for allowable inclination, acceleration and frequency of vibration of
building or machines, see your equipment instruction manual..

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