Application of DEM-based metamodels in bulk handling equipment design: Methodology and DEM case study

Designing regression approach for mode frequency prediction of empty and filled steel silos

In this study the primary objective is to design prediction model for the free vibration analysis of thin circular cylindrical steel silos having various aspect ratios in empty and varying filled conditions for different types of closures. A finite element method (FEM) is used to carry out the free vibration analysis of steel silos. It is found that the effect of different aspect ratios slender, intermediate slender and squat steel silos is very significant for dynamic response of silo. The silos are considered having open, flat and cone type of closures at its top end. The clamped-free (cantilever) boundary condition is taken for this approach as actual silos are fixed at flat-base. The structural mass of thin cylindrical shell steel silo is made constant for a particular height and diameter. The eigenvalues of the thin cylindrical shell steel silos are extracted by using block Lanczos method. The free vibrations of thin cylindrical shell steel silo with different aspect ratios, radius to thickness ratio are studied. From the present studies it is seen that as aspect ratio increases the fundamental frequency is reduced in empty silo. It is more in the case of squat silo. It can be seen that the fundamental frequency is less in the case of flat closure in all the aspect ratios of the silo. The frequency values are more in the case of cone closure is observed. Also as the mode number increases the modal frequency value increases. Further, as the filling level is increased the modal frequency also increases. Finally, regression approach is adopted for predicting the mode frequency of empty and filled silos for wide range of aspect ratios.