A Review on Non-Destructive Methods for Evaluation of Particle Flow Characteristics Inside Silos

A safe and economic design of bulk material handling facilities is highly dependent on the correct estimation of the flow properties. It is an established fact that, the bulk response of granular material is controlled by the interaction of individual particles. Accordingly, there is a crucial need for understanding of the micro-scale properties of the particulate systems. Recently, couple of non-destructive techniques have been developed, which provides particle scale information, such as Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), X-ray Tomography and Discrete Element Method (DEM). The current paper will evaluate each method and provide an overview on capabilities of each technique.