Design of Storage and Handling Systems for Cohesive Bulk Solids
摘要
This chapter presents a comprehensive methodology for the design of storage bins and hoppers for cohesive bulk solids, with a primary focus on achieving reliable discharge. Emphasis is placed on mass‑flow design principles, in which bin geometry is selected to ensure that internal stress levels exceed the material’s yield strength at discharge while maintaining safe wall loadings. The chapter integrates bulk solids characterisation, including flow functions, wall friction, consolidation effects, and environmental influences, with analytical and empirical models based on Jenike’s flow theory and the passive stress field formulations developed by Enstad and subsequently extended and generalised by Arnold et al. Key design parameters, hopper half‑angle, flow factor, arch thickness, and critical outlet dimensions, are developed using closed‑form solutions and validated design charts for both conical and plane‑flow hoppers. Practical application is demonstrated through worked design examples and industrial case studies, highlighting the influence of time consolidation and material variability. The resulting procedures provide engineers and students with a coherent, test‑based framework for achieving predictable, blockage‑free flow in industrial storage and handling systems.