Measuring granular flow through a funnel with a force sensor

TL;DR

This paper introduces a force sensor-based apparatus for measuring granular flow through a funnel, improving accuracy over traditional stopwatch methods, while addressing measurement confounds caused by the setup.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel, reproducible force sensor method for granular flow measurement and analyzes the impact of setup-induced forces on accuracy.

Findings

The force sensor method enhances measurement precision.

Setup-induced forces can significantly affect readings.

Theoretical and experimental analysis evaluates measurement accuracy.

Abstract

This paper presents an apparatus to measure the flow of granular matter through a funnel with a force sensor. In addition to being easily reproducible, our proposed method enhances measurement accuracy from the popular method that uses a stopwatch. We notice, however, that our proposed setup induces an unwelcome force that confounds force sensor readings. This issue is discussed, and its significance on measurement accuracy is evaluated through theoretical and experimental work.