It's all about the material: Ten questions to answer before selecting a bulk storage vessel
Choosing a bulk storage vessel based on your material's characteristics is the best way to ensure that the vessel will contain and discharge your material without problems. Here are 10 questions to answer about your material before you select a tank or silo, along with information about these vessel types, examples showing how vessels were selected for different materials, and a sidebar describing discharge patterns in storage vessels.
One of the most common mistakes in tank and silo selection is choosing a vessel based on a preference for a certain vessel type rather than on the stored material's requirements. While this approach may be easy for the vessel supplier, it can lead to unreliable discharge from the vessel, as well as other problems, including vessel wall damage and deformation and even complete vessel failure. A better approach is to base vessel selection on a sound understanding of your dry bulk material's characteristics and to work closely with the supplier to design a vessel that can handle these characteristics. The result will be a bulk storage vessel that gives many years of trouble-free containment and smooth, reliable discharge.