Patent ID: 7295932

Claim:
A method for diagnosing particulate flow distribution within a particulate evacuation system that includes a plurality of collection vessels for collecting particulate and emptying the particulate to a transport line system in an emptying event, the method comprising the steps of: reading process data indicative of the amount of particulate emptied from each of the plurality of collection vessels during an emptying event; determining the particulate flow distribution within the plurality of collection vessels of the particulate evacuation system, wherein the particulate flow distribution is derived from the process data; storing the particulate flow distribution for use with a particulate flow distribution derived from process data in one or more subsequent emptying events; and making adjustments to the operation of the particulate evacuation system as necessary in light of the particulate flow distributions read, determined and stored in said steps of reading process data, determining the particulate flow distribution and storing the particulate flow distribution.