IPC Classes  ?

• G01G 3/14 - Weighing apparatus characterised by the use of elastically-deformable members, e.g. spring balances wherein the weighing element is in the form of a solid body stressed by pressure or tension during weighing measuring variations of electrical resistance
• G01G 3/18 - Temperature-compensating arrangements
• G01G 11/08 - Apparatus for weighing a continuous stream of material during flowConveyor-belt weighers having means for controlling the rate of feed or discharge
• G01G 17/04 - Apparatus for, or methods of, weighing material of special form or property for weighing fluids, e.g. gases, pastes
• G01G 23/10 - Means for damping oscillations, e.g. of weigh-beams by electric or magnetic means
• G01G 23/48 - Temperature-compensating arrangements

Abstract

A silo content monitoring system (100) for a silo (102) fitted with a rotatable discharge auger (114, 118). The system has a strain gauge (150) affixed to at least one of the support struts (124) supporting the silo shell (104) above the ground. The strain gauge output (1500) is proportional to the compressive strain in the said silo strut (124), and is used to obtain an estimate of the silo's weight, and hence the weight of the silo's content, by subtracting a tare value. The system also has a motion sensor (152), which detects rotation of the discharge auger (118). A central processor of the system calculates: during a night time interval, an overnight silo content weight measurement (1502) based on the strain gauge (150) readings; and during a daytime interval, an estimated dispensed weight by subtracting a certain weight for each rotation or part-rotation of the auger (118). By doing this, the system (100) is able to display, on a read-out device (158), a dead reckoning silo content weight estimate (174), which is the overnight silo content weight measurement, minus the estimated dispensed weight since the last overnight silo content weight measurement.

IPC Classes  ?

• G01G 3/14 - Weighing apparatus characterised by the use of elastically-deformable members, e.g. spring balances wherein the weighing element is in the form of a solid body stressed by pressure or tension during weighing measuring variations of electrical resistance
• G01G 17/04 - Apparatus for, or methods of, weighing material of special form or property for weighing fluids, e.g. gases, pastes
• G01G 23/10 - Means for damping oscillations, e.g. of weigh-beams by electric or magnetic means
• G01G 23/48 - Temperature-compensating arrangements
• G01G 3/18 - Temperature-compensating arrangements
• G01G 11/08 - Apparatus for weighing a continuous stream of material during flowConveyor-belt weighers having means for controlling the rate of feed or discharge