Bin and Hopper Design

How is a hopper designed?

 Measure
- powder cohesion/interparticle friction
- wall friction
- compressibility/permeability
 Calculate
- outlet size
- hopper angle for mass flow
- discharge rates
What about angle of repose?
Pile of bulk
solids


Angle of Repose
 Angle of repose is not an adequate
indicator of bin design parameters
“… In fact, it (the angle of repose) is only useful in the
determination of the contour of a pile, and its
popularity among engineers and investigators is due
not to its usefulness but to the ease with which it is
measured.” - Andrew W. Jenike
 Do not use angle of repose to design
the angle on a hopper!
Bulk Solids Testing
 Wall Friction Testing
 Powder Shear Testing - measures both
powder internal friction and cohesion
 Compressibility
 Permeability
Sources of Cohesion (Binding Mechanisms)

 Attraction
Solids Bridges
Forces
-Mineral
-van der bridges
Waal’s
-Chemical reaction
-Electrostatics
-Partial melting
-Magnetic
 -Binder hardening
Interfacial forces
-Crystallization
-Liquid bridges
-Sublimation
-Capillary forces
 Interlocking forces
Testing Considerations
 Must consider the following variables
- time
- temperature
- humidity
- other process conditions
Wall Friction Testing
Wall friction test is simply Physics 101 - difference for bulk
solids is that the friction coefficient, , is not constant.

P 101

N
F = N
F
Wall Friction Testing
Jenike Shear Tester

WxA
Bracket Cover

Ring
SxA Bulk Solid

Wall Test
Sample
Other Shear Testers
 Peschl shear tester
 Biaxial shear tester
 Uniaxial compaction cell
 Annular (ring) shear testers
Janssen Equation - Example
A large welded steel silo 12 ft in diameter and 60
feet high is to be built. The silo has a central
discharge on a flat bottom. Estimate the pressure of
the wall at the bottom of the silo if the silo is filled
with a) plastic pellets, and b) water. The plastic
pellets have the following characteristics:

ρ = 35 lb/ft3 ’ = 20º
The Janssen equation is
Pv = (ρ g D/ 4  K) (1 - exp(-4H K/D))
In this case:
D = 12 ft  = tan ’ = tan 20º = 0.364
H = 60 ft g = 32.2 ft/sec2
ρ = 35 lb/ft3
Janssen Equation - Example
K, the Janssen coefficient, is assumed to be 0.4. It can vary
according to the material but it is not often measured.
Substituting we get Pv = 21,958 lbm/ft - sec2.
If we divide by gc = 32.2 lbm ft/lbf s2, we get Pv = 681.9 lbf/ft2
or 681.9 psf

For water, P =  g H and this results in P = 3744 psf, a factor

of 14 greater!
Types of Bins
Conical Pyramidal

Watch for in-

flowing valleys
in these bins!
 Chisel
Types of Bins
Wedge/Plane Flow

L
B L>3B
Process Questions
 How much is to be stored? For how long?
 Materials of construction
 Is batch integrity important?
 Is segregation important?
 What type of discharger will be used?
 How much room is there for the hopper?