15 Silos 93400m³ Petroleum Coke, CPC & Fire Water Bulk Storage Project

Design of Steel Silos for Petroleum Coke and CPC Continuous Feeding

Capacity Allocation for Petroleum Coke and CPC Silos

This design was for a carbon material production facility in Baise, Guangxi for Tiandong Baikuang Santian Carbon Co., Ltd. The project included 15 steel silos for storage of Petroleum Coke (PC), Calcined Petroleum Coke (CPC) and a fire water storage tank. It also considered the continuous operation of the calcination and carbon production processes with the flow of material under high dust operational conditions.

Petroleum coke and calcined petroleum coke storage differ greatly. The bulk density of petroleum coke is in the range of 0.75-0.90 t/m³, whereas calcined petroleum coke is in the range of 0.95-1.15 t/m³. The design of this project included silo allocation based on the approach of production and the consumption rate, logistics cycle, and the reserve storage requirement. The system was designed to hold raw materials up to 7-15 days and the final product 3-7 days in order to minimize the effect of the transport and production activity.

To achieve the goal of having production flow uninterrupted, the engineers designed separate storage areas for the incoming petroleum coke and the outgoing CPC. This design also helped to reduce the conveying distance more than 20% as compared to the traditional storage layout design, and helped to reduce dust and energy consumption in the production process.

Design of Steel Silos for Process Integration in Carbon Production

In the carbon production process, storage, conveyor, calcination, screening, and packaging systems must be well synchronized. For this reason, steel silo design was applied within the process flow, and silos could not be viewed as standalone storage.

This project used high-strength steel silos. Structural calculations took into account winds, seismic events, material loads and their variations, and temperature changes. Each silo was designed considering the loading conditions of at least 8,000 hours of operation per year, and the silos were expected to have a service life of over 25 years.

Important Design Criteria

• Congruency: Congruency between silo and daily production and shipment volumes was established for balanced stock.
• Sure Flow: The hopper design and flow control devices were selected based on the petroleum coke particle size distribution and the flow characteristics of carbon pump coke.
• Dust Control: To dustproof the environment, a system of dust collectors was installed at all loading, unloading, and transfer operations.
• Ease of Maintenance: Maintenance ladders, inspection platforms, and ease of access monitoring systems were provided.
• Integrated Control: The system was designed for integration of programmable logic control systems and future digitized inventory systems.

The storage complex was connected to a system of multiple belt and bucket conveyors, and process integration reduced manual intervention for most production operations and maximized material handling.

Stable Discharge System Design For High-Dust Bulk Materials

Both petroleum cokes and CPC are considered difficult-flow bulk solids due to their high dust content (high carbon content), irregular particle shapes, and high levels of dust generation. The stable discharge performance was considered paramount.

Designing and engineering the system required the evaluation of material flow mechanisms to determine the internal friction angles, bulk density variances, and the potential for arching. Based on these parameters, the discharge system was designed using mass-flow principles, wherever practical.

How to Ensure Safe Raw Material Storage and Stable Feeding in Carbon Production Lines

Anti-Bridging And Flow Enhancement Measures

• Refined Hopper Angles: Based on traditional flow angles, sloped hoppers above the minimum flow angle, to limit the stagnation of the bulk material.
• Discharge Control Devices: Mechanical discharge equipment controlled the rate of material extraction.
• Flow Geometry Design: The discharge system dimensions were designed based on the particle size distribution and storage pressure.
• Sealed Connections: Dust generation was minimized, and air was limited to the inner system.

The silo system enabled stable feeding performance, with the system designed for continuous cycles exceeding 24 hours per day, ultimately enabling continuous production for the carbon processing facility.

An effective storage and feeding system is key to controlling carbon production and reducing interruptions. We invite you to collaborate with our engineers to design advanced steel silo systems to optimize storage, improve design flow, and enhance reliable operations.

Environmental and Sealing Control Solutions Under High-Dust Operating Conditions

Since both materials create large amounts of dust, the major dust transfer points were incorporated with environmental controls. Protection against explosions was implemented as a result of dust hazard assessments. Safety in operations was achieved with a combination of ventilation and pressure relief systems. The dust collection system demonstrated control at several loading and unloading points and improved site conditions.

Integrated Construction Scheme for Fire Water Storage and Production Storage

—— Integrated Steel Silo and Fire Water System Design

Petroleum Coke and CPC Storage Design Elements

An integrated system design involved the combination of storage silos for raw materials and finished product, the conveying systems, and the fire protection systems within the same design system. The storage facilities for petroleum coke and CPC were designed to be separate but would incorporate common systems for utilities and monitoring.

Fire Water and Production Storage System Design Coordination

The design included a fire water storage system that would be more than adequate to support emergency operations for the entire production site. The inclusion of the fire water storage system within the design of the site’s other storage systems resulted in a positive impact on design constrains and control of site lines.

The design coordination resulted the following benefits:

• Positive impact on construction with shared use of access ways, foundations, and utility corridors.
• Optimized space use with minimal required layout and planning adjustments.
• Assurance of fire water resources reserved for operational responses.
• Lower Lifecycle Costs: Combined Engineering minimizes the need for duplicative infrastructure investments as well as maintenance.

We specialize in complete steel silo EPC solutions that are tailored for your materials, capacity, and production needs by providing the EPC services from the steel silo engineering and fabrication to the building construction.

Future Directions For Large Carbon Material Storage Silo Systems

• Centralization Of Raw Materials And Automated Feeding

Centralized storage systems that integrate automated feeding systems are becoming the preferred choice by large scale carbon material producers. This trend is even more evident among companies that handle over 100,000 tons per year as they seek to optimize storage and reduce the cost of moving materials within their operations.

• Moving To Enclosed Environmental Storage Solutions

Compliance to environmental regulations is pushing the construction of fully enclosed steel silo facilities. Compared to formal open stockpiling, storage that is enclosed will greatly reduce dust emissions, lead to improvements in the quality and stability of the stockpiled materials, and minimize the impacts of weather.

• The Emergence of Digital Storage in the Carbon Sector

Digital storage solutions will become the foundational building block of the modern storage infrastructure of the future. Modern storage facilities will include integrated systems for the digital monitoring of inventories, automated level measurements, and the diagnostics of equipment. The carbon production facilities of the future will rely on automated storage and smart conveying systems, combined with the digital monitoring of storage to enhance operational and production efficiencies.

Contact Us Now! —— Explore how our steel silo systems will enable you to enhance the automation of your bulk storage solution while minimizing loss and maximizing your return on investment.