A partition plate and/or a circular cone has been inserted into a circular hopper in order to reduce the static compressive stresses exerted by a bulk solid. The circular cross section of the hopper has been vertically divided into four, crosswise by means of a partition plate. The circular cone has been laid at the centre of the top of the partition plate. Experimental results show that the vertical stress measured when filled with a bulk solid could be conspicuously reduced by the partition plate and/or the circular cone.
A method for estimating the static stresses has been obtained from a force balance on a differential volume of the bulk solid on the assumption that the vertical stress was uniform over the cross section of the hopper.
Calculated vertical stresses are in sufficient agreement with measured values for both the hopper alone and that equipped with the partition plate. For the hopper equipped with both the partition plate and the circular cone, the cone has functioned to reduce the vertical surcharge stress at the level of the cone bottom. A coefficient for estimating the effect of the cone, the values of which were determined from comparison between the measured and calculated vertical stresses, has been shown to be dependent of the diameter of the circular cone.
A further purpose of this work is to prevent a stable arch above the hopper opening and to ensure gravity flow of the bulk solid.
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