Finite element investigation of load acting on the hotspot detector located inside the silo caused by material discharge

Abstract

Spontaneous ignition caused by material discharge inside a silo causes considerable economic damage. To prevent this, we developed a silo hotspot detector that can be installed inside the silo to monitor the temperature according to the depth of the silo. However, if the silo hotspot detector located inside the silo is destroyed because of the pressure and load generated during material discharge, it could lead to a larger accident. Therefore, the structural safety of the silo hotspot detector should be evaluated based on material discharge; currently, there is no particular method to achieve this. Therefore, in this study, the theoretical formula is obtained through Eurocode, and the pressure and tensile force acting on the silo hotspot detector are predicted through the finite element method (FEM) using the Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian(CEL) method. These result were verified by comparing the load measurement data acting on the silo hotspot detector when the silo material was discharged. It was confirmed that simulation using the CEL method can sufficiently simulate the behavior of the silo according to material discharge. Additionally, we confirmed that the structural safety of the silo hotspot detector inside the silo can be evaluated through FEM.