Reprinted with permission from CEP (Chemical Engineering Progress), November 2013.

Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

Back to Basics

Ten Steps to an
Effective Bin Design
Eric Maynard Before choosing a bin and hopper for your
Jenike & Johanson, Inc.
bulk solids application, the flow properties and
characteristics of the powder or bulk material must be
known. Use this ten-step approach to determine the
optimal bin design for your process.

T
he design process for silos, bins, and hoppers is often ability — can significantly affect the bin’s design.
thought of as a “black art,” known by only a chosen Figure 1 illustrates a typical bin installation. A conveyor
few. However, a proven, practical method for storage delivers the bulk material to the bin, which provides storage
bin process design has been in use for over 60 years. Just as capacity within the flow path; a feeder (a rotary valve in this
a pump must be designed specifically for the liquid it will case) controls the solids discharge from the bin and feeds
handle, so, too, must a silo be designed for a particular pow- the material to the next part of the process. In any industrial
der or bulk solid. The characteristics of the material being application, negative consequences may arise if the bin does
handled will dictate the storage vessel design. not reliably discharge the powder or bulk solids to the down-
Although design requirements such as storage capac- stream process or if the discharging material no longer meets
ity, throughput, overall height, and other spatial features quality specifications.
are important inputs, other critical parameters — including This article details a step-by-step process to design bins
powder cohesion, coefficient of sliding friction, and perme- that will ensure reliable discharge of powders and bulk
solids based on their unique flow behaviors and the require-
Solids In Conveyor ments of the process. The terms bin and silo are used inter-
changeably throughout the article.

Step 1. Define the storage requirements

Silo or Bin The first step in designing a bin to store a powder or bulk
solid is to review key storage requirements and operating
conditions. These include:
• storage capacity. How much material (e.g., pounds,
tons, cubic feet or meters, truck load, railcar) must be
Hopper stored? Is one bin sufficient or are multiple bins required?
Where will the bin be located (e.g., indoors, outdoors)?
• discharge frequency and rate. How long will the bulk
solid remain in the bin without movement? What are the
maximum, minimum, average, and instantaneous discharge
Feeder rates? Is the rate based on weight (mass) or volume? What is
Solids Out the required feed accuracy?
• temperature and pressure. Is the material at a higher
p Figure 1. A typical bulk-solids handling operation includes an inlet feed or lower temperature than the surrounding environment? Is
conveyor, a storage bin, and an outlet feeder that controls solids discharge. the material being fed into a positive- or negative-pressure

CEP  November 2013  www.aiche.org/cep  25

Back to Basics

environment (e.g., reactor, pneumatic conveying line)? capacity — as low as only 10–20% of the bin’s rated stor-
• fabrication materials. Is the bulk solid corrosive or age capacity. Additionally, material stagnation in a poorly
abrasive (e.g., alumina, iron ore)? Are corrosion-resistant designed bin can lead to caking of materials, spoilage of food
alloys needed? Are ultrahigh-molecular-weight (UHMW) powders, or other forms of quality degradation. Collapsing
plastic liners acceptable? Is the application subject to any arches, ratholes, and nonuniform loading contribute to local-
regulatory compliance requirements (e.g., U.S. Food and ized, and at times catastrophic, storage vessel failures.
Drug Administration)? Many of these flow problems occur in a bin that is
• safety and environmental considerations. Are there discharging material in an undesirable flow pattern. The
material explosibility concerns, maximum dust exposure discussion of Step 5, choosing the type of flow pattern in the
limits, or other safety or environmental issues? bin, explains how the flow pattern can directly influence the
• bulk solid uniformity. What is the required material uni- type of material flow performance you will experience.
formity (e.g., particle size, shape, potency, moisture content,
color)? Is particle segregation likely with your material? If so, Step 3. Measure the flow properties of the bulk solid
how will segregation affect production and the final product? The flow properties of the material must be measured
in order to predict and control how it will behave in a bin.
Step 2. Understand bulk-solids flow problems These flow properties can be measured (1, 2) in a bulk-solids
While bulk-material handling problems can be expe- testing laboratory under conditions that accurately simulate
rienced in a variety of equipment (e.g., feeders, transfer how the material is handled or processed in your facility.
chutes, dust collectors), they most often occur in bins. Com- If the bulk solid’s properties change rapidly or if special
mon flow problems include: precautions are required, tests should be conducted onsite.
• arching or bridging — a no-flow condition in which Table 1 lists the most important bulk-solids handling
material forms a stable arch (bridge, dome) across the outlet properties that are relevant to predicting flow behavior in
of a bin (Figure 2) bins and hoppers. Each of these parameters can vary with
• ratholing — a no-flow condition in which material changes in:
forms a stable open channel within the bin (Figure 3), result- • moisture content
ing in erratic flow to the downstream process • particle size, shape, and hardness
• flooding or flushing — a condition in which an aerated • temperature
bulk solid behaves like a fluid and flows uncontrollably • storage time at rest
through an outlet or feeder • chemical additives
• flowrate limitation — an insufficient flowrate, typically • pressure
caused by counter-flowing air slowing the gravity discharge • wall surface.
of a fine powder
• particle segregation — separation of particles by size, Step 4. Calculate the approximate size of the bin
shape, density, etc.; segregation may prevent a chemical The approximate height of the cylinder section needed to
reaction, cause out-of-spec product, or require costly rework. store the desired capacity (initially ignoring the capacity in
There are many consequences of flow problems. A bin the hopper section) is simply:
experiencing ratholing will have limited live (i.e., useable)
avg ()
where H is the cylinder height (m), m is the mass to be
stored (kg), ρavg is the average bulk density (kg/m3), and A is
the cross-sectional area of the cylinder section (m2).
The final cylinder height needed to hold the required
volume depends on the volume lost at the top of the cylinder
due to the bulk solid’s angle of repose, as well as the volume
of material in the hopper section. Because this design pro-
cess is iterative, a reasonable estimate for cylinder height is
sufficient at this point.
Try to keep the height of a circular or square cylinder
between about one and four times the cylinder’s diameter or
p Figure 2. An arching flow p Figure 3. Ratholing is a flow
width. Values outside this range often result in designs that
obstruction is a no-flow condition obstruction that can cause erratic
that prevents material discharge discharge from a bin, as well as are uneconomical.
from a bin. induce material caking. Note that the bin’s calculated storage volume and its

26  www.aiche.org/cep  November 2013  CEP Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
 Table 1. Critical flow properties of bulk solids are required for proper selection of bins, hoppers, feeders, and chutes.
Without this information, bin geometry may be chosen based on guesswork.
Parameter Measured By Required To
Cohesive strength Direct shear tester Calculate outlet sizes to prevent arching and ratholing
Wall friction Direct shear tester Calculate hopper angles for mass flow, internal friction
Bulk density/compressibility Compressibility tester Calculate pressures, bin loads; design feeder
Permeability Permeability tester Calculate discharge rates, settling time
Segregation tendency Segregation tester Predict whether or not segregation will occur
Abrasiveness Abrasive wear tester Predict the wear life of a bin liner
Sliding at impact points Chute tester Determine minimum angle of chute at impact points
Particle friability Annular shear tester Determine effect of flow pattern on particle breakage

live, usable volume are not necessarily identical. Depending

on the type of flow pattern in the bin (described in the next
section), stagnant regions of material in a bin will reduce the
usable capacity.

Step 5. Determine the type of flow pattern needed

Although it is natural to assume that a bulk solid will
flow through a storage bin in a first-in/first-out sequence (just
as liquid moves through a tank), this typically is not the case.
Many bins discharge bulk solids in a funnel-flow pattern. Stagnant
With funnel flow, some of the material moves in the Material

center of the hopper while the rest remains stationary along

p Figure 4. Funnel-flow discharge p Figure 5. Mass-flow
the hopper walls (Figure 4). This first-in/last-out sequence is results in material stagnation along discharge occurs when material
acceptable if the bulk solid is relatively coarse, free-flowing, the hopper walls. Many undesirable flow is achieved against the
and nondegradable, and if segregation during silo discharge flow effects can occur with a funnel- sloping hopper walls. A mass-
flow pattern. flow pattern prevents ratholing,
is not an issue. Provided that the bulk material meets all four
allows first-in/first-out flow, and
of these criteria, a funnel-flow bin may be the most econom- minimizes segregation.
ical storage choice.
Unfortunately, with many bulk materials, funnel flow Use the flowchart in Figure 6 and the requirements
can create serious product quality and process reliability identified in Step 1 to determine which flow pattern your bin
problems. Arches and ratholes may form, and flow may be needs. As indicated in the diagram, if segregation, caking,
erratic. Fluidized powders often have no chance to deaerate, spoilage, flooding, or ratholing are likely to occur, then a
so they remain fluidized in the flow channel and flood when mass-flow discharge pattern should be selected.
exiting the bin. Some materials cake, segregate, or spoil. If a mass-flow bin is required based on the flow char-
In extreme cases, unexpected structural loading results in acteristics of the powder or bulk solids, the next step is to
equipment failure. determine an appropriate outlet size and feeder. Keep in
These problems can be prevented by designing storage mind that the mass-flow bin design process is iterative. The
vessels to move materials in a mass-flow pattern. With mass actual outlet size will depend on the required discharge rate
flow, all the material moves whenever any is withdrawn from the bin and the feeder selected. These factors, in turn,
(Figure 5). Flow is uniform and reliable; feed density is affect the slope and shape of the mass-flow hopper wall, as
independent of the head of solids in the bin; there are no discussed in the next section.
stagnant regions, so material will not cake or spoil, and level
indicators work reliably; sifting segregation of the discharge Step 6. Define the hopper geometry
stream is minimized by a first-in/first-out flow sequence; based on the chosen flow pattern
and residence time is uniform, so fine powders deaerate. Designing for mass flow. With this flow pattern, it is
Mass-flow bins are suitable for cohesive materials, powders, essential that the converging hopper section is steep enough
materials that degrade with time, and whenever sifting segre- and the wall-surface friction low enough to facilitate solids
gation must be minimized. flow without stagnant regions whenever any solids are

Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) CEP  November 2013  www.aiche.org/cep  27
Back to Basics

withdrawn. In addition, the outlet must be large enough to Note that a 60-deg. (from horizontal) hopper angle for a
prevent arching and achieve the required discharge rate. cone is usually not sufficient to provide mass flow for most
Andrew Jenike, renown as the founding father in the bulk solids. This angle is optimum for manufacturing the
field of bulk solids handling, developed hopper design hopper with minimal waste — it will not guarantee mass
charts showing the limits of mass flow for conical and flow as is sometimes promised.
wedge-shaped hoppers (1). In these charts, the hopper angle Calculating the outlet size needed to overcome arching
(measured from vertical) is on the abscissa, and wall friction is more challenging. Arching can be analyzed by measuring
angle is on the ordinate, as shown in Figure 7 for conical the cohesive strength of the material. First, the flow function
hoppers and Figure 8 for wedge-shaped hoppers. The wall of the material (i.e., the cohesive strength vs. consolidating
friction angle is determined through powder testing with pressure) is measured through laboratory testing. This test
various wall surfaces, such as carbon steel, stainless steel, is also conducted according to ASTM D-6128 using a direct
plastic, abrasion-resistant liners, etc. The coefficient of shear tester (2). As in the wall friction test, consolidating
sliding friction for the powder against a wall surface can be forces are applied to material in a test cell, and the force
calculated from the tangent of the wall friction angle. Tests required to shear the material is measured. This information
are conducted using a direct shear tester according to ASTM directly relates to a material’s ability to form a cohesive arch
standard test method D-6128 (2). or a rathole. Once the flow function is determined, minimum
Depending on the combination of hopper angle and wall outlet sizes required to prevent arching can be calculated
friction angle, either mass-flow or funnel-flow discharge using the design charts published by Jenike (1). Reference 3
with the particular bulk material will result. Simply speak- provides the step-by-step Jenike method for hopper outlet
ing, a highly frictional bulk solid, such as sand, will require calculation based on a material’s cohesive strength.
a steep hopper angle to achieve mass flow, whereas a Sizing the outlet for the required discharge rate is
low-friction bulk solid, such as smooth catalyst beads, can straightforward, provided the bulk material is both coarse
achieve mass flow at a relatively shallow hopper angle. and free-flowing (4). A material is considered coarse if the
majority of its particles are larger than 1/8 in. or 3 mm. A
Evaluate funnel- free-flowing material is one that does not experience arching
flow bin design
or ratholing flow problems. Assuming that the bulk material
is both coarse and free-flowing, such as plastic pellets, the
following equation can be used to approximate the maxi-
Is segregation Yes mum discharge rate from a converging hopper:
important?
Use mass-flow 30
bin design
No Angle of Internal Friction
30 deg. 50 deg.
25 40 deg. 60 deg.
Will caking or Yes
spoilage occur? Is the outlet No
large enough for Enlarge outlet or
use fluidization
Wall Friction Angle, deg.

the rate? 20
No
Yes

Is flooding Yes
15
Is the
likely? feeder speed Yes Mass-flow bin
reasonable? design achieved
θʹ
No 10
No

Will ratholing Yes Use larger or 5

occur? different type of
feeder
No
0
Use a 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
funnel-flow bin Hopper Angle from Vertical, deg.

p Figure 7. This chart for conical hopper design determines wall slope
p Figure 6. Use this flow-pattern selection diagram to determine the based on the wall friction angle. Mass flow results from a combination of
most-effective bin design for your powder or bulk solid storage application. sufficiently low wall friction and steep enough hopper angle.

28  www.aiche.org/cep  November 2013  CEP Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
 large funnel-flow bins have a higher ratholing tendency. In
=ρ () mass flow, there is no chance of ratholing, so the size of the
( ) bin is not important.
where M is the mass flowrate (kg/s), ρ is the bulk density The requirement that the funnel-flow bin be capable of
(kg/m3), A is the outlet area (m2), g is acceleration (m/s2), B self-cleaning can usually be met by making the hopper slope
is the outlet size (m), q is the mass-flow hopper angle mea- 15 deg. to 20 deg. steeper than the wall friction angle. This
sured from vertical (deg.), and the unitalicized m is a term assumes that a stable rathole has not formed.
that generalizes the equation for use with either a conical or
wedge-shaped hopper, with m = 1 for a circular outlet and Step 7. Develop the overall bin geometry
m = 0 for a slot-shaped outlet. A square or rectangular straight-sided section at the top
Equation 2 will not accurately estimate the flowrate of a of a bin is preferable to a circular cross-section, because it
fine powder (e.g., fumed silica, terephthalic acid). Because is easier to fabricate and it provides a larger cross-sectional
it does not account for the material’s resistance to airflow area per unit of height. However, material flow or struc-
(or permeability), it will grossly overestimate the hopper’s tural issues often outweigh these advantages. Flat walls are
discharge flowrate capability. A more-accurate estimation susceptible to bending, whereas a cylinder is able to resist
of powder discharge rate can be made using the powder’s internal pressure through hoop tension. Therefore, thinner
permeability (5, 6), but the analysis is complex and beyond walls and less external reinforcement are needed for circular
the scope of this article. cross-sections. In addition, there are no corners in which
Designing for funnel flow. The key requirements for material can build up, which is particularly important at the
funnel flow are sizing the hopper outlet large enough to interface between the bin and the hopper.
overcome arching and ratholing, and making the hopper Hoppers come in a variety of geometries. Figure 9 shows
slope steep enough to be self-cleaning. some of the more common hopper shapes. When choosing a
Determining the minimum dimensions to overcome hopper, consider these factors:
arching and ratholing requires knowledge of the material’s • headroom. Typically, a wedge-shaped hopper (Fig-
cohesive strength and internal friction. References 1 and 3 ures 9b and 9c) can be 10 deg. to 12 deg. less steep than
provide the relevant design procedures. It is important to a conical hopper and still promote mass flow. This can
note that with funnel-flow bins, overall size matters, whereas translate into significant savings because of the lower
the design of mass-flow bins is essentially independent of hopper height, which is important when retrofitting existing
scale. Ratholing is affected by consolidating pressure; thus, equipment in an area with limited headroom.
• outlet sizes. To overcome a cohesive or interlocking
50
arch, a conical hopper needs to have an outlet diameter that
Angle of Internal Friction
is roughly twice the outlet width of a wedge-shaped hopper
30 deg. 50 deg.
40 deg. 60 deg.
40
Wall Friction Angle, deg.

30

20 θʹ a b

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Hopper Angle from Vertical, deg. c d

p Figure 8. This chart for planar (wedge) hopper design determines wall p Figure 9. Conical (a), wedge (b), transition (c), and pyramidal (d) hoppers
slope based on wall friction angle. Wedge-shaped hoppers are typically are typical storage vessel geometries. Cones and pyramids are the most
10-deg. less steep than cones for mass flow. popular, though not necessarily the best geometry for reliable flow.

Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) CEP  November 2013  www.aiche.org/cep  29
Back to Basics

(provided the outlet length is at least three times its width). diameter (tapered) conical shaft followed by a section of
Thus, cones generally require larger feeders. increasing pitch.
• discharge rates. Because a slotted outlet typically has a Belt feeders. Like screws, belt feeders can be a good
larger cross-sectional area than a circular outlet, the maxi- choice for an elongated hopper outlet. Belt feeders are use-
mum flowrate from a wedge-shaped hopper will be larger ful for handling cohesive or coarse bulk solids that require
than that of a conical hopper. a high discharge rate. Since the idlers of a belt feeder can
• sharp vs. rounded corners. Pyramidal hoppers (Figure be mounted on load cells, a belt feeder can also be used to
9d) usually cause a funnel-flow pattern to develop because weigh the solids being fed (i.e., gravimetric operation).
of their in-flowing valleys, which are less steep than the Belt feeders are not as good as screws and rotary valves
adjacent side walls. Conical and transition hoppers do not for handling fine or dusty materials. Therefore, if your plant
have corners, which tend to allow material buildup. is handling combustible or toxic dusts, belt feeders are not
• capital cost. Each application must be looked at recommended, unless the entire feeder is enclosed, sealed,
individually. While a wedge-shaped hopper requires less and incorporates proper dust collection measures.
headroom and can use a less-expensive liner than a cone, the The key to a proper belt-feeder design is to provide
feeder and gate-valve (if necessary) may be more expensive. increasing capacity along the direction of feed. An effective
way to increase capacity is to install a belt-feeder interface
Step 8. Select the outlet feeder (Figure 11).
The feeder is just as important as the hopper above it. Rotary valves. Rotary valves (Figure 12) are a com-
To be effective, the feeder must uniformly draw material mon feeder, especially for discharging bulk materials into
through the entire cross-section of the bin’s discharge outlet a pneumatic conveying system. The use of rotary valves is
(7). An obstructed outlet, due, for example, to a poorly generally limited to hoppers with circular or square outlets.
designed feeder or partially opened gate, will result in funnel They should not be used for handling highly cohesive solids,
flow regardless of the hopper design. because such materials have a high propensity for bridging
Three common types of bulk solids feeders, along with that requires large hopper outlets.
key features required to ensure uniform withdrawal of mate- A properly designed interface must be provided above
rial from the entire outlet of the hopper, are discussed in the the rotary valve to ensure that solids are withdrawn uni-
following paragraphs. formly across the entire hopper outlet cross-section. Typi-
Screw feeders. These are well suited for use with hoppers cally, a short vertical section, with a height of about 1 to 2
that have elongated outlets. Since a screw feeder is totally outlet diameters, should be placed between the hopper outlet
enclosed, it is good for use with fine, dusty materials. In and rotary valve inlet, as shown in Figure 1. Without such
addition, it has few moving parts, so it requires less mainte- an interface, a preferential flow channel develops on the side
nance than a belt feeder. of the hopper outlet where the solids are first exposed to
The key to a proper screw-feeder design is to provide an the empty pockets, which results in nonuniform discharge.
increase in capacity in the direction of feed. This is critical Material then stagnates over the remaining portion of the
when the screw is used under a hopper with a slot-shaped hopper outlet, thereby increasing the tendency for bridging
outlet. One common way to accomplish this is by using a and other flow problems.
mass-flow screw feeder design as shown in Figure 10 (8).
Each of the screws shown in this figure has a decreasing-

Hopper

Nose

Belt

Interface

Bulk Material

p Figure 11. A mass-flow belt-feeder interface is required to enforce

p Figure 10. Mass-flow screws use a combination of a tapered shaft uniform withdrawal of bulk material from the hopper outlet, thereby
section followed by an increasing pitch section. maintaining mass-flow discharge.

30  www.aiche.org/cep  November 2013  CEP Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
 Shallow sloping internal walls located at the inlet of provide testing and expertise. Reference 9 explains how to
many rotary valves can reduce the active hopper opening, limit dust explosion hazards and Ref. 10 outlines test proce-
causing material to remain stagnant and obstructing the dures for determining explosivity.
solids discharge from the hopper above, as well as upsetting • access doors, manways, and poke holes. Poke holes
the mass flow in the hopper. (nozzle ports on the hopper walls) are not recommended in
mass-flow hoppers, as they have a tendency to prevent flow
Step 9. Select the other functional components along the walls — creating a problem that mass-flow bins
Bin design also involves making decisions about other are intended to solve. Access doors are also a frequent cause
system components, including: of problems; if they are essential, it is better to locate them
• outlet gate or shut-off valve. In general, a slide gate at in the cylinder rather than in the hopper.
the bin outlet should only be used for maintenance purposes, • ladders, railings, and platforms. Although these seem
not to modulate the solids flowrate. Therefore, it should be like minor details, depending on the need to access the ves-
operated only in the full-open or full-closed position. sel roof for maintenance, they may become important.
• number of outlets. Although a multi-outlet hopper may
be attractive for production flexibility, its design can have Step 10. Choose the material of construction
negative consequences structurally and from a flow per- Storage bins and silos for handling powders and bulk
spective. This also applies to hoppers that have asymmetric solids come in a variety of materials, although they are typi-
geometries (e.g., one sloping wall, one vertical wall). cally constructed from metal or reinforced concrete.
• bin vent or dust collector. Depending on the method of Metal silos. Metal silos (Figure 13) can be made from
vessel filling, an air-solids separator may be required. carbon steel, stainless steel, or aluminum. They can be skirt-
• conservation vent. A dual-acting conservation vent is supported down to a concrete pad, or they can have simple
typically installed on thin-shelled steel tanks to avoid exces- leg supports. They can have panels that are seam-welded,
sive pressure and vacuum conditions and prevent damage. bolted, or flanged, or use a hybrid construction. Metal silos
• level detectors. There are two different types of have several advantages over concrete silos:
level detection: point level detection and continuous level • flexible fabrication. Metal silos can be shop-fabricated,
detection. Point level detectors are typically attached to field-fabricated, or made with a hybrid construction, where
the side wall or roof of a bin, and measure solids by direct the vessel is started in the shop and is finished in the field.
contact using capacitance sensors, pressure diaphragms, • sanitary construction. Stainless steel tanks are com-
or other means of proximity sensing. Common point level monly used for pharmaceutical and food applications that
detectors include rotary paddles, tilt switches, and vibrat- require full sealing, cleanability, and corrosion resistance.
ing rods. Continuous level detectors usually consist of a Welded construction is preferred to bolted/gasketed con-
roof-mounted device that emits radar or ultrasonic signals. struction to meet sanitary requirements.
The signals project down to the surface of the bulk material, • wide variety of materials. In some cases, alloys such as
and then rebound to a receiver for processing. Ultrasonic, Hastelloy or Inconel, or metals such as titanium have been
guided-wave radar, or plumb-bob (i.e., yo-yo) detectors are used for silo construction. Fiberglass tanks can also be used.
commonly used to provide continuous detection of the top
surface of the bulk material.
• explosion protection. Depending on the explosivity
characteristics of the powder, explosion vents, isolation, sup-
pression, or inerting may be required. Numerous explosion-
protection equipment and consulting firms are available to

p Figure 13. This steel silo has a metal leg-support construction. Note that
p Figure 12. A rotary valve can be used as a feeder, an airlock, or this silo’s structural components are not adequate to support mass-flow
combination of the two. discharge.
Article continues on next page

Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) CEP November 2013 www.aiche.org/cep 31
Back to Basics

• construction flexibility. Local weather conditions, such ing for, or converting an existing bin to, mass flow, because
as freezing temperatures, may preclude the construction of unusually high localized loads may develop at the transi-
concrete silos. tion between the vertical section and the mass-flow hopper.
Concrete silos. Generally speaking, when the silo Qualified structural engineers should calculate the complex
diameter is larger than 9 m (30 ft), reinforced concrete silos loads that may be induced in the silo, bin, or storage vessel.
become economically attractive, especially for bulk solids
that are abrasive or hot, or if the storage structure will incor- Closing thoughts
porate additional functionality, such as processing equipment. This step-by-step bin design approach has been effec-
Concrete silos (Figure 14) have the following advantages tively used for over 60 years in thousands of installations
over metal silos: handling bulk solids, including fine chemical powders, gran-
• corrosion resistance. Concrete silos require less ular resins, cohesive centrifuged wet cake, biomass, fragile
maintenance than metal silos because they are less prone to cereal flakes, and abrasive ores (among others). Although it
corrosion. may be appealing to select a standard hopper design with a
• resistance to abrasive wear. Concrete silos are gener- 45-deg. or 60-deg. angle, if it is not suitable for your bulk
ally more resistant to abrasive wear effects than standard material, you will likely incur costs far beyond replacing the
metal silos. They are also better able to withstand impact original equipment. CEP

loads. A bulk solid’s abrasiveness against various materials

of construction can be determined to assess liner or surface Literature Cited
service life. Details can be found in Ref. 11. 1. Jenike, A. W., “Storage and Flow of Solids,” Bulletin 123, Utah
• ability to withstand non-uniform internal pressures. Engineering Experiment Station, Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City,
Reinforced steel construction can resist localized buckling UT (1964).
and bending moments that can be detrimental to metal silos. 2. ASTM International, “Standard Test Method for Shear Testing
• no need for painting. External corrosion on metal silos of Bulk Solids Using the Jenike Shear Cell,” ASTM D-6128,
ASTM, West Conshohocken, PA (2006).
will require periodic sanding, priming, and painting, whereas
3. Mehos, G., “Designing Dust Collectors,” Chem. Eng. Progress,
concrete silos do not. 107 (9), pp. 32–38 (Sept. 2011).
• lower cost for large diameters. Because metal silos 4. Carson, J. W., “Sizing Hopper Outlets and Gates — Step-by-
require thick walls, reinforced concrete can be more eco- Step,” Chem. Processing, Powder & Solids Annual (2000).
nomical for large-diameter tanks. 5. Purutyan H., et al., “Increase Powder Flow via Gas Injection,”
Structural design considerations. The bin must be Chem. Eng. Progress, 102 (7), pp. 38–43 (July 2006).
6. Royal, T. A., and J. W. Carson, “Fine Powder Flow Phenomena
designed to resist the loads applied to it by both the bulk in Bins, Hoppers and Processing Vessels,” Presented at Bulk
solid and external forces, such as seismic, wind, or ancillary 2000: Bulk Material Handling Towards the Year 2000, London,
equipment loads. This is particularly important when design- U.K. (1991).
7. Carson, J. W., “Feeding of Bulk Solids: A Review,” Bulk Solids
Handling, 20 (3), pp. 279–282 (2000).
8. Marinelli, J., and J. W. Carson, “Use Screw Feeders Effec-
tively,” Chem. Eng. Progress, 88 (12), pp. 47–51 (Dec. 1992).
9. Ebadat, V., “Managing Dust Explosion Hazards,” Chem. Eng.
Progress, 105 (8), pp. 35–39 (Aug. 2009).
10. National Fire Protection Association, “Standard for the
Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing,
Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids,”
NFPA 654, NFPA, Quincy, MA (2013).
11. Johanson, J. R., and T. A. Royal, “Measuring and Use of Wear
Properties for Predicting Life of Bulk Materials Handling Equip-
ment,” Bulk Solids Handling, 2 (3), pp. 517–523 (1982).

EriC MaynarD is the director of education and a senior consultant at

Jenike & Johanson, Inc. (400 Business Park Dr., Tyngsboro, MA 01879;
Phone: (978) 649-3300; Fax (978) 649-3399; Email: epmaynard@
jenike.com; Website: www.jenike.com). The firm specializes in the
storage, flow, conveying, and processing of powders and bulk solids.
During his 18 years at J&J, he has worked on more than 500 projects
and has designed handling systems for bulk solids including chemicals,
plastics, foods, pharmaceuticals, coal, cement, and other materials. He
p Figure 14. These concrete silos for handling grain have a skirt-support received his BS in mechanical engineering from Villanova Univ. and an
construction that allows simple foundation design and a weather-protected MS in mechanical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
processing area below the silo hopper.

32 www.aiche.org/cep November 2013 CEP Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)