1. Executive Summary
Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs), commonly known as 'Bulk Bags,' are essential for transporting bulk materials across a wide range of industries and applications. These bags offer significant advantages, such as lightweight construction, compact storage, dust-free discharge, antistatic properties, and cost-effectiveness, while also providing versatility. For processing plants, while FIBCs offer significant advantages in handling bulk materials, the lack of established methods to predict their discharge rates and prevent blockages presents unique challenges. Addressing these factors is crucial to fully realising the plant’s capacity to maximise uptime and throughput.
This project was initiated in response to the International Fine Particle Research Institute (IFPRI) and its industry members' need for a better understanding of FIBC discharge behaviour. The report marks the first phase of this project, which takes a hybrid approach by combining numerical work using Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations with experimental and theoretical methods to study the geometry of flexible bins and their discharge regimes. A comprehensive literature review has been conducted, covering flow theories, material properties, consolidation loads, and bin stresses.
By incorporating fundamental bulk material theory and leveraging recent advancements in the study of bulk solid mechanics, the project aims to develop flow models for FIBCs. Experimental testing will play a critical role, as we examine the discharge patterns of specific powders and analyse their flow properties in our laboratory. The report concludes with an outline of the next steps required to complete the research.