Steel silo

Steel silo Introduction

Steel plate silo, also known as steel silo, are a common type of metal silo made from steel plates. They are primarily used for storing various bulk materials, such as grains, cement, fly ash, and chemical raw materials. Steel plate silo are capable of bearing, storing, discharging, and transferring granular materials, playing roles in balancing the production process, ensuring continuous production, saving labor, and improving the level of mechanization.

The main functions of steel silo

Storage Function

Steel plate silos are cylindrical structures designed for storing granular materials such as cement, fly ash, slag micro-powder, clinker, grains, and other powdered or granular materials. They can even be used for storing liquids, such as sulfuric acid.

Moisture and Pest Prevention

Steel plate silos have excellent sealing properties, which prevent materials from getting damp, moldy, and infested by pests, ensuring the quality of the stored materials.

Balancing Consumption and Ensuring Continuous Production

Steel plate silos play a role in balancing consumption during the production process, ensuring the continuity of production and preventing disruptions in production schedules due to insufficient or interrupted material supply.

Labor Saving and Mechanization Improvement

The automated design of steel plate silos can greatly reduce labor requirements, improve the level of mechanization, and enhance production efficiency.

Environmental Protection and Energy Saving

The use of steel plate silos helps reduce carbon emissions during transportation and storage of materials, contributing positively to environmental protection. Additionally, their energy-saving design reduces energy consumption and improves energy utilization efficiency.

Intelligent Monitoring

Modern steel plate silos are typically equipped with intelligent monitoring systems that can monitor parameters such as temperature, humidity, and gas concentration inside the silo in real time, ensuring the safe storage of materials. These systems can also detect anomalies promptly and take action, reducing management costs.

Structural composition of steel silo

Silo Roof Section

• Silo Roof Cone: Serves as a support for the roof panel and acts as the entry channel for materials. It is also equipped with a level sensor and the outlet bend of the temperature measurement cable.
• Roof Panel: Made from hot-dip galvanized sheets, formed and punched by a numerical control production line. It features double bending ribs, ensuring good sealing, rigidity, and enhanced load-bearing capacity.
• Safety Ring: Made from hot-dip galvanized steel pipes, it forms an integrated roof structure, playing a crucial role in resisting external wind forces.

Wall Body Section

• Corrugated Panel: As the main component of the steel silo, it is manufactured on a numerical control production line, characterized by high precision, high compatibility, easy assembly, and strong sealing properties.
• Wall Panel: The wall of the steel silo is typically composed of multiple steel plates connected by high-strength bolts. It offers the advantages of quick and easy installation and minimal footprint. Wall panels can be either fully galvanized or coated with color, each with its specific benefits.

Support Structure

• Columns (Reinforcement Ribs): As an essential part of the silo body, they determine the overall stability of the silo. The columns feature a deep trapezoidal section with wings, offering good symmetry and strong load-bearing capacity.
• Columnar Support: Columns are set up inside the steel silo to support the wall panels.

Other Components

• Weather Vane: Composed of a cap, wind pipe, and flange, forming an integrated unit.
• Bolt Set with Gasket: Used for connecting and securing the steel silo to the columns. It consists of bolts, nuts, and rubber gaskets, serving to seal and prevent backflow.
• Grain Condition Monitoring System: Equipped with temperature measurement cables, level and temperature sensors, it monitors the temperature and humidity of the grain in real-time.
• Intelligent Ventilation System: When the grain condition monitoring system detects that the grain temperature exceeds the standard, it automatically activates the ventilation fans and roof fans, facilitating heat exchange between cold air and materials, thus cooling and dehumidifying the grain.
• Grain Cooling System: Through a grain cooler, it lowers the temperature of the grain inside the silo, achieving low-temperature storage, slowing down the “respiration” of the grain, preventing pest breeding, and improving the quality of stored grain.

The main advantages of steel silo

Space Saving

The land area required for grain storage in steel plate silos is only 1/4 of that in traditional warehouses.

Grain Storage Safety

For grains such as wheat, rice, and corn that are of good quality and free from pest infestation, steel plate silos can ensure safe storage for the same period as traditional warehouses, with an optimal storage period of about 3 years, provided that moisture is controlled within a safe range.

Convenient, Safe, and Efficient Operation

Steel plate silo are equipped with a comprehensive support system, flexible processes, and a high degree of automation. Operators can manage the entire silo from the control room. Compared to the large labor force required for grain storage in warehouses, only a few people are needed for loading and unloading grains in steel plate silos.

Low Construction Cost and Fast Speed

Steel plate silo are lightweight and cost-effective, with a total investment cost lower than that of traditional warehouses; additionally, the construction period is short and not affected by seasons or weather.

Good Overall Performance and Long Service Life

Steel plate silos have better overall strength, stability, and seismic resistance than traditional grain storage in warehouses. Their service life can reach 20-50 years.

Durable and Robust

Built with high-quality steel plates, steel plate silo have high strength and stability, capable of withstanding significant pressure and impact, and are not easily damaged.

Fire and Moisture Resistance

Steel plate silo are constructed with high-quality fire-resistant materials, offering good fire protection; at the same time, their tightly sealed lids prevent water from entering the silo, providing good moisture resistance.

Easy Installation and Customizable

Steel plate silo are easy to install and can be adjusted in height and position as needed, with fast installation speeds that save time and labor costs. They can also be customized in different sizes, shapes, and materials to meet the needs of various occasions and uses.

Environmentally Friendly and Energy Saving

Steel plate silos are built with eco-friendly materials, causing no environmental pollution; moreover, their good sealing performance effectively reduces energy waste.

Good Thermal Conductivity

The walls of steel plate silo are thin, offering good thermal conductivity, which allows for a faster reduction in the temperature of the stored materials inside the silo.

Easy Maintenance and Reusable

The structure of steel silos is simple, making maintenance easy, requiring only regular inspection, cleaning, and maintenance. Moreover, steel silos can be disassembled and reassembled, making it convenient to dismantle, transport, and reassemble for situations that require frequent relocation or demolition.

Application scope of steel silo