(198e) Teaching Bulk Solids Handling - Development of Course Material

Evidence of the need for widespread education in Bulk Technology may be seen in almost every plant that handles particulate solids. Shortcomings highlighted in the Rand reports continue to be reflected in current projects. One obstacle to improvement is the enormous scale of applications, which extends over a vast range of industries. This situation is hardly likely to be redressed by the paucity of content of the subject in current undergraduate courses within mainly chemical engineering syllabuses. The British Materials Handling Board identified broad industrial education in bulk solids technology as a prime means to secure a radical improvement in industrial performance. The requirements are seen as the provision of basic guide and instructional publications that enable all those concerned with industrial activities to develop a framework of concepts and understanding that allows the importance of bulk technology to be recognised in the selection and specification of equipment, rather than permitting decisions to be dominated by initial capital cost. To this end, a series of guides and educational documents are available and in preparation, with practical desktop models that illustrate particular features of bulk behaviour.