Converging Orifice Used to Control the Discharge Rate of Spherical Particles from a Flat Floor Silo

The effect of the converging orifice geometry in a model silo on the discharge rate of monosized spherical particles was studied experimentally and numerically. The cylindrical container was equipped with interchangeable inserts with converging discharge orifices of various upper diameters in the upper base and a constant lower diameter in the lower base. Plastic PLA beads and agricultural granular materials: wheat, rapeseeds, and linseeds were tested. A series of discrete element method simulations corresponding to the performed experiments was conducted with a largely extended set of experimental discharge conditions. In the case of the constant thickness of the insert, the discharge rate initially increased with an increase in the half cone angle of the converging orifice and then the tendency reversed. In the majority of cases, the discharge rate through the converging orifice was higher than through the hopper with the same orifice diameter.