Effect of bevelled silo outlet in the flow rate during discharge

We investigate the effect of a bevelled (or slanted) outlet on the discharge rate of mono-sized spheres from a quasi-two-dimensional silo, using the discrete element method. In contrast to hopper discharges, where the bevelling is across the entire base of the container, we study a bevelled opening that is significantly smaller than the silo width and in which the slanting is limited to half a sphere diameter at the boundary of the outlet. We show that the bevelling increases the flow rate comparably to the inclination in hopper walls. Using Beverloo's model, we relate this increase in rate to what we define as the 'effective opening' of the silo and analyse the velocity profiles associated with the discharges. We show that different openings, having effectively the same discharge rates, give rise to distinctly different internal dynamics in the silo. These results have the potential to aid industrial processes by fine-tuning and improving control of silo discharges, with a minimal impact on silo design, thus significantly reducing production and handling costs.

Automated summary

In this study, we use the discrete element method to investigate the effect of a bevelled outlet on the discharge rate of mono-sized spheres from a quasi-two-dimensional silo. We show that the bevelling increases the flow rate comparably to the inclination in hopper walls, and different openings with similar discharge rates result in distinctly different internal dynamics. These findings have the potential to improve control of silo discharges and significantly reduce production and handling costs.