Storage Silos – Types & Advantages [PDF]

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A silo is a pit structure used to store bulk materials like cement, carbon black, woodchips, etc. in large industries. Based on the bulk material it carries, the silos can have several types like bunker silos, tower silos, etc. The engineers design and construct the silo structure to gain maximum life and storage duration.

The main features and types of storage silos used in industries are explained below.

Features of Storage Silos

• The silos can be used in the agriculture field to store food products, chemical industries use to store plastic resins, cement factories use to store cement, calcium oxides, and many other materials like activated carbons, etc.
• The most common geometry of silos is a cylinder that has a metal support. Other than cylinder-shape, the silos can take the shape of a rectangular or a square.
• The silos are constructed using wood, reinforced plastic, reinforced concrete, or stainless steel.
• The construction and design of silos are dependent on the quantity of product to be stored, the environmental conditions, and site conditions. 
• Silos have an opening and closing provisions for loading and unloading the materials. The interior surface of the silos is made smooth and lined with special coatings to avoid any reaction with the content stored.

Types of Storage Silos

There are three main types of silos, namely Tower Silos, Bunker Silos, and Bag Silos.

1. Tower Silos

Tower silos have a diameter of 4 to 48 meters with a height of 3 to 40m. Tower silos are constructed using wood, steel, or concrete. The most commonly used silos are tower silos. Air slides or augers facilitate the unloading of cement or woodchips or grain from the silos. It can be unloaded into trucks or conveyor belts or rail cars. 

2. Bunker Silos

Bunker silos are trenches, which are filled and packed with the help of tractors and loaders. Bunker silos are made from concrete walls. Plastic tarp covers the fully packed bunker silos to make it airtight. Loader or tractor can unload the materials from the bunker silos.

Agriculture and large manufacture industries demand bunker silos to store a high quantity of materials. A critical application of bunker silos is in the military. The military adopts bunker silos to deposit and handle missiles.

3. Bag Silos

Bag silos are used to store grains and fodder. It is made out of plastic or hermetic bags or tubes. Bag silos have a diameter of 2 to 21m. The height of the silo depends on the quantity of material intended to store. Bag silos are one of the most economical silos.

Advantages of Storage Silos

1. Storage silos consume less storage space compared to horizontal storage warehouses.
2. The materials or products are stored under optimal conditions.
3. Storage silos cost less compared to other storage options.

Disadvantages of Storage Silos

Storage silos face few issues when it comes to their handling. Some of the problems of storage silos are:

1. Storage of fumigants and pesticides in the silos results in intoxication.
2. Silos result in the accumulation of carbon-di-oxide, which causes suffocation while opening it.
3. The decomposition of grains stored in silos results in inflammable vapors. These vapors bring suffocation and may result in poisoning if inhaled.

Important Highlights 

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