Influence of Hopper Eccentricity on Discharge of Cylindrical Mass Flow Silos with Rigid Walls

Abstract

The influence of hopper eccentricity on silo discharge has always concerned researchers. Eccentric discharge brings about asymmetries in the distribution of normal pressures, the values of which are not known with precision. This study presents a three-dimensional model of the dynamic discharge of a silo with an eccentric hopper, considering the Drucker-Prager plasticity model for the behavior of stored material. The results obtained for different hopper eccentricities reveal that pressures decrease in the hopper along the generatrix of the silo above the outlet, as compared to the opposite side. An increase in normal pressures occurs at this generatrix, as compared to the diametrically opposite generatrix, in the lower part of the cylindrical wall above the silo-hopper transition.