Patent Application
20160376098
The subject matter described herein relates to a silo cap that is configured to assist with efficiently and effectively dispensing material from a silo.
A silo can have a variety of uses, such as for storing materials in bulk. For example, silos can be used for storing grain, coal, cement, and food products. Some silos can also assist with dispensing their stored materials. Dispensing materials from some silos can be time consuming and the amount of material waste can be significant. For example, material can become trapped in the silo such that it is unable to be dispensed, thus wasting the trapped material.
Aspects of the current subject matter include a silo cap that is configured to assist with efficiently and effectively dispensing material from a silo. In one aspect, a method of the current subject matter includes activating an aerator that is in fluid communication with at least one aeration port located along a silo cap. The silo cap can be secured to a silo body thereby forming a storage area contained within the silo cap and the silo body, and the silo cap can have a tapered shape and positioned in a concave up configuration. The method can further include allowing flowing air from the aerator to flow through the aeration port and into the storage area, and the flowing air can cause a material contained within the storage area to move about the storage area. The method can further include opening a discharge port proximate to an apex of the silo cap, and the discharge port can be configured to allow the material to exit the storage area when the discharge port is open. In addition, the method can include allowing the material to exit the storage area through the discharge port.
In another aspect of the current subject matter, a silo system can include a silo body having a sidewall that extends between a first silo end and a second silo end, with the second silo end comprising an opening. The silo system can include a silo cap and can be positioned in a concave up configuration, as well as including a tapered sidewall extending between a first cap end and a second cap end. The second cap end can be configured to secure to the second silo end thereby forming a storage area defined by the silo cap and the silo body, and the storage area can be configured to contain a material. The tapered silo cap can further include an aeration port that is configured to allow flowing air from an aerator to flow into the storage area for moving the material about the storage area and a discharge port proximate to an apex of the silo cap and is configured to allow the material to exit the storage area when in an open configuration. The silo system can further include a manifold having an aeration line that is configured to extend between the aerator and the aeration port and a discharge line that extends a distance from the discharge port.
In some variations one or more of the following features can optionally be included in any feasible combination. The tapered shape of the silo cap can include at least one of a conical shape, a pyramidal shape, a domed shape, and a tetrahedral shape. The silo body can include a sidewall that extends between a first silo end and a second silo end, and the second silo end can include an opening and configured to allow the silo cap to secure to the silo body. The silo cap can include a tapered sidewall extending between a first cap end and a second cap end, and the second cap end can be configured to secure to the second silo end with the first cap end including the discharge port. The apex can be centrally located along a centerline of the silo cap. The at least one aeration port can include a plurality of aeration ports disposed around the discharge port. The method can further include an aeration line extending between one or more of the at least one aeration ports and the aerator, and a discharge line extending from the discharge port. The silo cap can include a funnel feature that assists with directing the material contained in the storage area to the discharge port.
The details of one or more variations of the subject matter described herein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages of the subject matter described herein will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, show certain aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein and, together with the description, help explain some of the principles associated with the disclosed implementations. In the drawings,
When practical, similar reference numbers denote similar structures, features, or elements.
The current subject matter is directed to a silo system that can store and dispense material. The silo system can include a silo cap that can include features for assisting with dispensing the material efficiently and effectively. For example, the silo cap described herein can assist with dispensing material from the silo system such that the amount of wasted material (e.g., material that gets trapped or left behind in the silo system) can be reduced compared to other silos. In some implementations of the silo cap, for example, the amount of wasted material can be reduced by approximately 75%. In addition, the silo cap described herein can assist with dispensing material from the silo system more quickly than other silos. For example, the silo cap can save approximately 30% to approximately 70% in the amount of time it takes to dispense material from the silo system. As such, the silo system described herein, including the silo cap, can reduce resources required to deliver a material to a location, such as by reducing the amount of time required to dispense the material and reduce the amount of wasted material.
As shown in
In some implementations, the silo cap can include a tapered sidewall that extends between a first cap end 109 and a second cap end 111. The first cap end 109 can be open and include features that assist with securing the silo cap 102 to the silo body 104 (e.g., a flange, attachment holes, clamps, etc.). The second cap end 111 can include the discharge port 108.
The silo cap 102 can also include one or more aeration ports 110. Each aeration port 110 can allow flowing air from an aerator 112 to flow through the aeration port 110 and into the storage area 106. Once in the storage area 106, the flowing air can force at least some of the material contained within the storage area 106 to move about the storage area 106. For example, the flowing air can force the material to move about such that the material becomes less dense. The material can become less dense, for example, as a result of the flowing air fluffing or spreading out the material within the storage area 106. This less dense material can be more easily dispensed out through the discharge port 108, which can allow the material to be dispensed more quickly. In addition, by forcing the material to move about the storage area 106, the flowing air can assist with reducing the amount of material that gets trapped or left behind within the storage area 106, thereby reducing material waste.
The discharge port 108 can be positioned such that it is located at a distal most end of the silo cap 102. For example, the discharge port 108 can be positioned at an apex 118 of the tapered shape of the silo cap 102, as shown in
In some implementations, the adaptable silo body 104 can include a sidewall 120 that extends between a first silo end 122 and a second silo end 124. The second silo end 124 can include an opening that can communicate with the discharge port 108, such as when the silo body 104 and silo cap 102 are coupled together. The storage area 108 can be formed between the coupled silo body 104 and silo cap 102 and can store a material that is dispensable through the discharge port 108. The first silo end 122 can be substantially closed in order to assist with containing the material within the storage area 106.
The second silo end 124 can include a body attachment feature that assists with coupling the silo cap 102 to the silo body 104. In addition, the first cap end 109 of the silo cap 102 can include a cap attachment feature that assists with coupling the silo cap 102 to the silo body 104. The silo cap 102 can be coupled to the silo body 104 in any number of a variety of ways, such as by bolting or welding the silo cap 102 to the silo body 104. As discussed above, the silo cap 102 and silo body 104 can be unified such that there is only a single unified silo body, thus not requiring the silo cap 102 to be coupled to a silo body 104. However, in some implementations, the silo cap 102 can be configured to be coupled to a variety of adaptable silo bodies. The silo cap 102 can also be releasably coupled to a silo body 104, which can allow the silo cap 102 to be removed from the silo body 104, such as for cleaning or repair.
The silo system 200 can also include a manifold 250, as shown in
As shown in
In the descriptions above and in the claims, phrases such as “at least one of” or “one or more of” may occur followed by a conjunctive list of elements or features. The term “and/or” may also occur in a list of two or more elements or features. Unless otherwise implicitly or explicitly contradicted by the context in which it is used, such a phrase is intended to mean any of the listed elements or features individually or any of the recited elements or features in combination with any of the other recited elements or features. For example, the phrases “at least one of A and B;” “one or more of A and B;” and “A and/or B” are each intended to mean “A alone, B alone, or A and B together.” A similar interpretation is also intended for lists including three or more items. For example, the phrases “at least one of A, B, and C;” “one or more of A, B, and C;” and “A, B, and/or C” are each intended to mean “A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A and B and C together.” Use of the term “based on,” above and in the claims is intended to mean, “based at least in part on,” such that an unrecited feature or element is also permissible.
The implementations set forth in the foregoing description do not represent all implementations consistent with the subject matter described herein. Instead, they are merely some examples consistent with aspects related to the described subject matter. Although a few variations have been described in detail herein, other modifications or additions are possible. In particular, further features and/or variations can be provided in addition to those set forth herein. For example, the implementations described above can be directed to various combinations and sub-combinations of the disclosed features and/or combinations and sub-combinations of one or more features further to those disclosed herein. In addition, the logic flows depicted in the accompanying figures and/or described herein do not necessarily require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. The scope of the following claims may include other implementations or embodiments.
