As a storage system for granular materials, we have developed “RDM Silo Storage System.” This new concept consists of the RDM (Rotary Discharge Machine) that is manufactured for reclaiming granular materials by Louise GmbH of West Germany and concrete silos.
We carried out the experiments with an RDM Silo Pilot Plant that is on the same scale as the practical silo scale. In the previous report we proposed the test methods for the flow characteristics of coarse granular materials. This report shows the derivation of the equation for the stresses in an asymmetric hopper, and the comparsion between calculated and experimentally determined critical bridging spans at the pilot plant.
Through the experiments and analysis we confirmed that blockades in silos never take place when the properties of stored materials are fully understood, and discharge outlets are designed appropriately.
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