Hoppers; How they work and general advice on how to avoid gravity flow problems

Published: Sept. 1, 2019, 9:35 p.m.

As a consultant engineer to the bulk solids handling and processing industry, problems relating to unreliable flow from storage vessels (hoppers, silos, bunkers) are a regular occurrence. This paper sets out to explain how hoppers work, how design for reliable flow for a new vessel and retrofit techniques that be used to improve the discharge from existing vessels.