Experimental investigation of load exerted on a double-cone insert and effect of the insert on pressure along walls of a large-scale axisymmetrical silo

摘要

Applications of flow aid devices (commonly referred as inserts) improve the silo discharging mode. Considerable efforts have been made in finding best configurations between the inserts and silos to achieve the optimal functional results. In the present investigation, experiments were carried out to measure the loads imposed on a double cone insert by the particulate solids (free flow sand) when it was fitted within an axisymmetrical large scale silo. A concentric filling / discharging was implemented to fulfil such measurements. Pressures developed along the walls of the silo were also measured. Analyses of the measurement results showed that: 1.) the loads on insert were rather stable in total, but appeared to be asymmetrical at the end filling; 2.) a sudden increase was observed of the loads on the insert at the transition from filling to discharging, this increase did not last soon afterward; 3.) such loads decreased slowly but remained rather high for large part of discharge. Effects of the double cone insert on the pressures along the silo walls were discussed.