Patent ID: 8355129

Claim:
A device for measuring bulk unconfined strength of powder material, comprising: a test cell having a cavity with a top opening and a bottom opening; a removable top cover and a removable bottom cover configured to retain powder with the cavity and between the bottom and top openings; a rotation arm having an axis of rotation, the test cell attached to the rotation arm a radial distance from the axis of rotation, the cavity oriented with the cavity center axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation; a light source for directing light in a direction through the cavity; a light detector configured to detect light from the light source after the light passes through the cavity; such that, when a powder material is deposited within the cavity and the cavity rotated about the axis of rotation to first consolidate the powder in the cell and then, after removing the top and bottom covers, rotating the cavity again until the event of the powder being forced out of the cavity, the event detected by detecting the light passing through the cavity.