Modeling and analysis of gravity driven granular discharge

An experimental investigation on the modeling and analysis of granular matter flow through a gravity driven vertical cylindrical silo is presented in this thesis. The experimental investigation consists of discharge of modeled silo content as separate test systems. In the first system a single granular matter stored in random loose distribution is used. In the second system storage of two different granular matters distributed as layer by layer alignment in vertical direction and center – side horizontal alignment in cross-sectional area of silo is used. The granular matter discharge is through a variety of orifices having different outlet diameters, D located at the center of flat bottom and conical bottom plates to determine the influence of shape and size of orifice outlet. The granular matter is a variety of particles having different physical characteristics. The modeling of the particles, measurement of the physical characteristics of particles and their storage characteristics are covered before the discharge measurements. The particles of granular matter are lentil, mung bean, semolina, zeolite, polyethylene pellets, empty capsule, and filled capsule. The shapes of the particles are ranging from spherical to non-spherical ones .The utilized particle characteristics are defined as the size which is given by equivalent particle diameter deq , shape of the particle which is defined by sphericity Φ and form factor FF. The silo storage is described by content bulk density ρb and porosity Ɛ. The covered ranges are 0.8mm < deq < 12.6mm, 0.01< d/D < 0.31, 69 kg/m3 < ρb < 881 kg/m3, 0.01<Ɛ<0.91, 0.027<Φ<1, 1