ABSTRACT
Blockage in a storage vessel is one of the serious problems to handle powders or particulate materials smoothly. It causes stoppage or extreme delay of solids flow. Unpredictable discharge rate of solids, nonuniform residence time, and segregation of solids mixtures are also observed because of blockage in storage vessels. From the operational viewpoint, the blockage is sometimes deteriorated by tapping, vibration, and aeration, in case of gravity flow. Even cohesionless coarse particles are able to form a stable arch at a converging section of the container. The centrifugal experiment is often used in the geotechnical engineering and is efficient to simulate a large-scale structure by a miniature model. In designing storage vessels, a bigger outlet is the most effective, and other contrivances are also useful, such as a steeper wall for the hopper portion, smooth surfaces with smaller wall friction, avoidance of acute corners, and proper inserts.
