Maurer discharges

In the case of charged powder entering a silo, the Maurer discharge mechanism continuously dissipates charge as shown in Fig. 10. The details of this mechanism—thresholds, inlet flow requirements, etc.—are not as well-documented or understood as they should be. 

B. Maurer, Discharges Due to Electrostatic Charging of Particles in Large Storage Silos, German Chemical Engineering (1979), 3 189-195. 

Figure 10. Maurer (cone) discharges manifest themselves as irregular sparks spreading outward toward the wall from the top of the conical powder heap. They are only active when charged material is being added. (Maurer, 1979.)...

Maurer, B., Discharges due to electrostatic charging of particles in large storage silos Ger. Chem. Engrg., 2 189-195 (1979)... 

Maurer, B., Glor, M., Liittgens, G., and Post, L., Test rig for reproducible generation of discharges from bulked polymeric granules, J. Electrostatics, 23 25-34(1989)... 

M. Glor and B. Maurer, Ignition Tests with Discharges from Bulked Polymeric Granules in Silos (Cone Discharge), Journal of Electrostatics (1993), 30 123-134. 

P. Boschung, W. Hilgner, G. Luttgens, B. Maurer, and A. Wider, An Experimental Contribution to the Question of the Existence of Lightning-Like Discharges in Dust Clouds, Journal of Electrostatics (1977), 3 303-310. 

Maurer, B., Damage to Enamel on stirred apparatus triggered by static electricity discharges of material being stirred, J. Electrostatics, 40 41, 517-522, 1997. 

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