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That's right.  According to a professor at Kansas State University and a representative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there was a total of 13 grain explosions reported in 2005.  This compared to only 6 in 2004.

Unfortunately these thirteen explosions had 2 deaths and 11 injuries associated with them.  They were spread around the country, with three in Minnesota alone.  Other states where these explosions occurred included North Carolina, Kentucky, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma and Washington.

Causes of these explosions are still partly unknown, 5 out of 11.  Known sources include welding/cutting, extensions light, bearing failure and static electricity.

So, how do we prevent these catastrophic failures from occurring.  The loss of life is irreplaceable.  The cost of the damage runs over $500K in most instances.

Here's a link back to a couple of other related blog postings that provide more information about dust explosions and also about silo failures (an explosion qualifies).

Silo Failures and Dust Explosions (last post on this page)

Let's work together make 2006 much safer,
Joe Lewis
Vice President - Marketing & Sales
Monitor Technologies LLC
jlewis@monitortech.com
www.monitortech.com
www.flexar.info

Blogging is becoming increasingly popular in technical circles as a way to post information and communicate ideas.  This information and these ideas might be technical in nature, but blog postings can also be about industry happenings and activities.  All of these subjects have been demonstrated here at Powder And Bulk Dot Com.

What's Next

Print media is now venturing into the blogging arena.  Take a look at the latest issue of InTech magazine.  InTech is the print magazine for the ISA (Instrument Society of America) and they also have a website.  In the February issue, the "perspectives from the editor" introduces their new weblog and promotes it as "a way to get a quick look at industry issues and events, offering insight and opinion on an immediate basis".  Print media seems to be recognizing their audiences' bent towards the online world and blogging as a way to share information and ideas.

Powder And Bulk . Com led industry by introducing this weblog early in 2005.  With much work by Powder And Bulk management, our moderator and bloggers that have contributed their ideas, opinions and information, I think it has been shown what a valuable commodity a weblog can be in the life of an Engineer.

The InTech editor unfortunately expresses an opinion that "we won't get caught up in marketing hype, but rather, give insight to industry issues".  I understand the desire and goal of not producing advertorial documents, however, solutions take the form of applying product to application problems and needs.  Therefore, disclosing the source of a solution is important to the practicing engineer so that they may learn and apply it.  In addition, where do you think some of the bloggers come from?  Some come from the supplier end of the business and, of course, present their solutions as a part of their blogging.

Have We Done Enough

The Powder And Bulk weblog and its contributing bloggers have spent an untold amount of time and effort to bring information and insight on issues of interest to those in the business of processing, moving and storing powders and bulk solids.  We have sought out and provided information on problems/solutions and tools and information to help the powder and bulk solids professional engineer.   It is compensation enough to know that we have assisted others in some way, brought enlightenment and ideas and maybe even a little bit of controversy and entertainment into the daily lives of thousands of viewers of this weblog.

But, have we addressed things of importance to you?  If not, tell us.... please!  If we aren't staying on topic, then let us know.  If we are hitting on the right things, great and let us know so we stay on topic.  If we are getting too advertorial, let us know so we can change.  We hope to hear from you.

Other Blogs

Here's another blog about a technical subject.  Click here.  This is about rubber products and the blog is sponsored and hosted by a supplier.  It's an interesting approach, both to marketing of their company, products and services and an interesting source for some good general information about rubber products.  Will powder and bulk equipment suppliers join the blogging world in a similar world?  Perhaps.  It's another way to communicate and has caught on in personal interaction and is catching on in industry.

Brussel Sprouts

I've enjoyed the blogs here at Powder And Bulk . Com over the last several months, I hope every reader has as well.  I wish success to InTech and its editorial staff as it ventures into blogging.  However, regarding Don Dunnington's most recent blog post and his comments about cooking and eating brussel sprouts..... I think I'll pass.

Joe Lewis
Vice President
Monitor Technologies LLC
jlewis@monitortech.com
www.monitortech.com
www.flexar.info

I was scanning Blogline’s list of most popular (subscribed to) blogs, when I came upon Cooking For Engineers, an exceptionally well done site by Michael Chu, an engineer living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Chu's home page declares, "Have an analytical mind? Like to cook? This is the site to read!" And well-read it is. Technorati lists Cooking For Engineers at number three in the top ten food blogs.

Chu started Cooking For Engineers in June 2004 as a place where he could store and share the recipes that he likes to use. "Basically, I started the site as a place to store all the food related stuff that I didn't want to have to carry around in my brain, but I would want to reference later."

Good Enough to Make Me Love Brussels Sprouts

So how good is an engineer at sharing cooking tips with the world? Good enough to completely change my mind about Brussels sprouts, probably the vegetable I most detested before reading Chu's secret to cooking them right. In his introduction to  Recipe File: Braised Brussels Sprouts Chu wrote:

"Why did everyone complain about these wonderful tasting vegetables and why was it the butt of many jokes in American family sitcoms? I'm not sure, but I think it might have to do with overcooking (which can release noxious smells). Forget the Brussels sprouts of your past and try this fast, simple, and flavorful preparation."

Overcooking. That's the simple answer to why I'd never found the appeal of this little cabbage. As luck would have it, just minutes after reading Chu's article, I walked into the kitchen and found my wife starting to cook Brussels sprouts. I hurriedly shared with her the news that overcooking must have been the culprit over all these years in my inability to share her enthusiasm for this one vegetable. So she handed me the fork and as she walked away said, "fine, you watch them."

"Cooked just right," Chu wrote, "the Brussels sprouts should be sweet and nutty with a slight hint of bitterness (but not even close to the bitterness of many other vegetables such as bok choy). Remove from the water and toss in 1/2 Tbs. butter and season with fresh ground black pepper to taste. The addition of butter helps augment the nuttiness of the Brussels sprouts."

The result was just amazing. It was delicious, and I can’t wait to try them again, just to make sure this wasn’t a fluke.

Michael Chu is a computer engineer. He has worked as a network engineer, software programmer, PDA hardware designer, computer vision researcher, and, most recently, notebook hardware application engineer. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the College of Engineering at University of California, Berkeley in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Don Dunnington
Moderator