Patent ID: 8201708

Claim:
A method of discharging an electrically conductive solid from a silo such that a flow characteristic of said solid that is either different or subject to change while resident therein will become substantially uniform upon discharge, said method comprising: configuring a discharge cross-section of said silo to be subdivided into a plurality of partial portions; flowing said solid substantially continuously through each of said partial portions; heating at least a portion of said resident electrically conductive solid by passing electrical current therethrough; determining a temperature of said resident solid within said partial portion on the basis of said electrical current flowing through said electrically conductive solid within said partial portion; and separately controlling a discharge speed of said solid flowing through each said partial portion such that said flow characteristic that is dependent upon a combination of said temperature and said discharge speed of a corresponding part of said solid that flows through each said partial portion is substantially uniform with parts of said solid that flows through the remaining ones of said partial portions.