Sulfur Storage Silo

Hello every One

Recently we have installed sulfur recovery and sulfur solidification unit in our refinery. We have solid sulfur storage silo with diameter 8 meter and length 7 meter. A non contacting radar based single point level transmitter is installed to monitor level inside silo. We do not have any other measurement means to measure level/volume or mass of sulfur inside silo (inventory). The present level transmitter give single point reading of silo. As the level inside sulfur storage silo is always uneven. So we do not rely on this reading. 

considering the storage silo as custody transfer case, we need highly accurate measurement technique (Instrument) to measure level/volume/ mass inside storage silo. Kindly suggest the best possible solution for this problem.

Details of storage silo (diagram) and current level transmitter data sheet is attached for your reference.    

Thank you 

The only solution to this is to have installed the silo on load cells to measure the weight (mass) of the silo.  Alternatively, you will need to place many radar/laser level instrumentations to produce a "map" of the surface.  However, this only gets you volume of the solid sulfur (pellets, pastiles, whatever shape you are making).  Since the solids are being "poured" into the silo, the packing fraction will not necessarily be constant.  You will need to measure the bulk density of dumped pellets in a small scale experiment and apply that to your level measurement to get a mass inventory in the silo.

 

Using a silo for custody transfer is very difficult because of the challenges of getting an accurate measurement.  Better to measure the mass as you load it into rail cars or a ship using a conveyor that measures weight-flow.

Sir

You have explained all the details. Kindly explain bulk density experiment. Because laboratory only measure density without any force. however in silo the top most layer has no force while as going down silo the force is high so density will be high. How i can interpret this density. Moreover Emerson are providing as 3D acoustic based level scanner so kindly suggest it is useful for us not. Any limitation we will face by installing this level scanner? 

Currently we measure empty sulfur lorry weight and filled lorry weight for custody transfer. But audit department is raising non conformance and they need counter check from silo measurement.

Thank You

Bulk density can be measured by filling a container (as large as possible) with the pellets and measuring the weight of the pellets, dividing by the volume of the container (or the volume taken up by the pellets).  The bulk density should not change significantly from the top to bottom of the silo (or else your pellets are crushing!!!).  

An acoustic level instrument can work - depends on whether it is measuring a single point or giving you a "map" of the solid bed surface in the silo.  

The measurement of the lorries will be far more accurate than the silo measurement, in my experience.  Can you measure the mass flowrate of liquid sulfur to the forming system with a coriolis meter?

We have liquid sulfur tank, we measure the flow rate by using the decrease in liquid sulfur level in tank and convert it into volume and mass. 

Hello Muhammad,

I do not have solution to your query but have question.

Working in a soap mfg company we procure sulphur which comes in trucks at our company and then we pack it in jumbo bag of 1000kg and store it.

Problem is Filling from truck to jumbobags is done by workers with their hands. you would be well aware of hazards associated with sulphur.So we are now thinking to move to automation in packing.

Would like to know packing system at your premise

we have seen some of the vendors from internet but they doesn't seem to be reliable.

This is all about safety of people working..creating safe work environment.

I'd appreciate if you'll help

Thank you!!

We don't have this facility at our production unit. 

http://www2.sandvik....pdf?OpenElement

Hi ,

Let you try your favorite search engine ,key words Sulfur pellets handling .

 A link above as an example .

Hope this is helping you

Breizh

Hi. If you are still facing the level measurement challenge in solid silos, you can explore 3D level sensors. Below is link of a video.

"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMB6OSb6jX0"

Edited by Moree, 24 March 2022 - 06:13 AM.

Hi, sir. I think you use solidfication machine for transfer liquid sulfur into solid.

So I suggest to use a liquid mass flow meter to measure the mass.