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

A safe and economic design of bulk material handlingfacilities is highly dependent on the correct estimation ofthe flow properties. It is an established fact that, the bulkresponse of granular material is controlled by the interactionof individual particles. Accordingly, there is a crucial needfor understanding of the micro-scale properties of theparticulate systems. Recently, couple of non-destructivetechniques have been developed, which provides particlescale information, such as Particle Image Velocimetry(PIV), X-ray Tomography and Discrete Element Method(DEM). The current paper will evaluate each method andprovide an overview on capabilities of each technique.