Analysis of Silo Asymmetry Normal Pressures due to Eccentric Discharge using DEM Simulation
Silos are widely used for storage of bulk solids in the mining, chemical and agricultural industries. The consideration of loads acting on a silo wall is a particularly important aspect of silo design and performance to ensure the integrity of the silo structure. The eccentric discharge of bulk solids from a silo can lead to asymmetry in the normal pressure distribution around the silo walls. The non-uniformity and eccentricities of the wall loads, causing bending stresses in the circumferential direction at various levels, can have serious structural consequences. Understanding how the wall loads are affected by eccentric discharge is an aspect of silo design of major importance. This article examines a range of discrete element modelling (DEM) simulations to investigate wall loads during eccentric discharge for a coal silo with only one of two outlets in operations. For further reading:
