Flow & Techniques
Bulk Solids Handling
Bulk solids handling
was developed mainly due to the work of Dr Andrew W. Jenike.
Dr. Jenike developed a scientific approach to the storage
and flow of bulk solids. Jenike developed design charts that
allow conversion of a solid's wall friction angle to a
hopper angle required to ensure mass flow. Comprehensive
material testing and analysis will determine the physical
and mechanical properties and also the behavior of the bulk
material so that actual rather than theoretical data can be
used to determine the final equipment and plant layout. WTW
Americas will, if the client wishes test difficult
material and investigate flow characteristics. The two most
important considerations for mass flow are opening size and
hopper angle (wall friction values). The lower the
coefficient of sliding friction, the less steep the Silo
walls need to be to ensure mass flow. This can be measured
using the Jenike Shear Tester by determining the force it
takes to slide a sample of material across a stationary wall
surface.
Several days at rest storage tests are done to determine time consolidation in a Silo. All assimilated data is fed into a special computer program that gives the necessary information for later calculation to determine the correct design of plant components. Installations engineered and manufactured incorporate the benefits gained from over 30 years experience in design of silos and materials handling systems and this ensures that the client’s production requirements are completely catered for.
