DYNAMIC MEASUREMENT AND SIMULATION OF BULK SOLIDS DURING SILO DISCHARGE

Abstract

This paper deals with the experimental investigation and numerical simulation of silo discharge processes, including dynamic interactions between silo filling and elastic silo walls.

The experiments have taken place in a large model silo with a height of 3m and a rectangular base of 800 to 400mm. Optical measurement techniques have been applied to investigate the flow profile, while load cells on the silo walls have registered the stress’ evolution, e.g. a stress peak (switch) move from the outlet to the transition of hopper and shaft.

The measured data have been compared with simulation results of the Institute of Applied Mechanics at the Technical University of Braunschweig. It has been possible because the numerical simulation examples have been chosen to be similar to the experimental test silo. The discharge process in the simulation is described by a system of nonlinear differential equations. Via the Finite Element Method (FEM) based on an Eulerian reference frame deformation rate, velocity field, porosity and stress distribution can be calculated without the need for re-meshing the FE grid.