In the operation of a granulating or coating apparatus wherein a particulate material is processed in a granulation chamber into granules, the material may be photographed during the course of carrying out the granulation process by utilizing a photography probe wherein a bundle of optical fibers are utilized to project a source of stroboscopic illuminating light in the form of a generally flat beam through a portion of the granulating chamber and a photographic camera is focused within the projected light beam along an optical line of sight oriented generally perpendicular to the projected light beam to produce an image of granules within the beam against a relatively dark background. Simultaneously, a stream of gas is directed into the region of the intersection of the projected light beam and the line of camera sight to disperse the charge material to promote photography of individualized particles of the charged material while at the same time preventing accumulation of charge material on the photographic probe.
A method and a device function for monitoring and/or controlling and regulating a granulation, agglomeration, instantization, coating and drying process in a fluidized layer or a moving bulk by determining the product moisture. At least during one process segment the total product moisture is measured substantially continuously over a period of seconds, in a contact-free manner using electromagnetic radiation in the high frequency or microwave range, by evaluation of the attenuation of the radiation as a measure of this total product moisture. Taking into account the product temperature, the measurement result is used to hold the total product moisture in a pre-determined range via a control circuit by changing the spray rate and/or the gas temperature and/or the volume flow.
An apparatus and method in which a still image, or still images, are obtained of a plurality of particles suspended in a fluid medium. Each still image is transferred to an image analyzing unit that measures a set of dimensional characteristics per particle for particles appearing in the image and determine an occurrence characteristic for particles having a matching set of dimensional characteristics. Preferably, a three dimensional representation of the characteristics is displayed in real time. More preferably, the displayed three-dimensional representation is continuously updated and further entries are accumulated on the display as image analysis is performed. The display provides information to a viewer enabling the viewer to determine a shape distribution of the particles within the suspension even when multiple particle shapes are present.
A seed treating device is mounted on a seeding implement to treat untreated seeds carried by the implement with inoculants or other treating material before the seeds are planted into the ground. The implement conveys seeds in a flow of air carried by conduits to entrain the seeds within the air flow. The seed treating unit is placed on the implement remote from the storage tank for the seeds to receive airborne seeds from an inlet tube, treat the seeds with a coating material, and discharge the seeds through an outlet tube to planting mechanisms. The seed treating unit includes a conical mixing chamber to induce the air/seed flow into a whirling motion where the coating material is introduced for an even coating of the individual seed particles. The inlet line is oriented generally tangential to the circular mixing chamber, while the outlet line is generally perpendicular to the inlet line and is centrally connected to the main axis of the mixing chamber.
