Case Study: Cement Powder Level Monitoring

Reliable, maintenance-free monitoring of cement powder level in storage silo

Cement is a valuable and essential material in construction and other industries. A concrete masonry producer required a continuous level sensor for monitoring the level of cement powder in a silo.

Reliable, real-time measurements were needed to effectively manage the silos inventory, ensuring a sufficient supply of cement is available for production and helping to optimize supply chain management.

The environment inside the tank was highly dusty, making level measurement difficult. ABM’s cellular, non-contact ultrasonic level sensor for solid material was selected for this application.

Problem

Cement powder is highly dusty, and the fine particles it releases can interfere with level sensors and mechanical measurement devices. Historically the plant relied on a paddle-type level switch to monitor their silo. However, dust build-up on the device caused maintenance issues. In addition, the switch could not provide the plant with the real-time data needed for improving inventory management and production.

Solution

ABM’s remote, non-contact ultrasonic level sensor for solid materials met and exceeded the plant’s criteria for a level sensor.

Real-Time Data and Remote Support

The ultrasonic sensor has a built-in cellular modem that connects the sensor to ABM servers, providing the plant with remote data monitoring and complete sensor control. The plant has visibility of its inventory 24/7 to improve and optimize production.

The plant also receives full remote support from ABM. Once installed, ABM engineers virtually set up and adjusted the sensor’s parameters for optimal performance, which included applying a special filter to eliminate false echoes from the paddle switch and tank ladder that were very close to the sensor.

With ongoing remote monitoring, ABM engineers observed build-up on the tank walls (Fig. 1). Another filter was applied to eliminate influence on the sensor’s performance, ensuring accurate and reliable measurements.

Build-up information was also transferred to the customer. The plant proactively scheduled maintenance and avoided unplanned downtime by identifying the issue early.

Figure 1: Echo profile with build-up on tank walls.

Maintenance-Free Level Measurement

A common challenge with ultrasonic sensors for cement powder is build-up on the transducer face that reduces accuracy and reliability over time.

ABM’s self-cleaning design alleviated the customer’s concerns. The highly active driver in the sensor produces strong pulses that eliminate build-up, providing reliable, maintenance-free operation.

Plug-and-Play Operation

In addition to automatic cleaning, the ultrasonic sensor benefits from ABM’s self-adjusting design. The plug-and-play sensor has continuous feedback with the environment, automatically adjusting the transmitted energy, gain in the receiver, and echo detection threshold to match the current silo environment.

False echoes from the silos walls or other small obstructions are automatically pushed under the noise and eliminated.

Conclusion

With automated measurements and no routine maintenance, the plant was able to save time and money. Remote monitoring and virtual support from ABM engineers eliminates the need for costly service visits and climbing on silos for manual readings.

ABM’s remote, ultrasonic level sensor proved to be a reliable, maintenance-free solution, helping the plant manage inventory and production more efficiently.