Feed Silo at the House: Cone, Boot and the Line Leaving It
- The tower is only useful once feed leaves the cone into the line.
- Hopper angle on a pellet tower is usually 55–60°. Below 45° the cone holds feed. Bolts inside the cone are round-head, so nothing hangs on a thread.
- 75, 90 and 110 mm are feed-line diameters, not the silo throat. The boot is larger than the tube that runs to the house.
A feed silo at the house is a lid, an upper cone, a cylinder, a hopper, a boot, legs, a ladder and a sight glass. Weifang Splendid sets the boot to the line the house already runs. The tower that will not empty is a storage problem, not a capacity problem.
Cone and boot
Pellets flow when the hopper is about 55–60° from horizontal. A shallower cone, under 45°, is where bridging starts, especially with fines or a damp load. Round-head bolts on the inside stop feed catching on a nut. The boot under the cone takes a slide gate, then the auger or the flex line. A level sensor, a vibrator on the cone, and a diverter for two houses are add-ons. They do not replace the angle.
The tube into the house is commonly 75, 90 or 110 mm. That is the line, chosen for the run length and the tonnes per hour the pans need. The opening at the silo is the boot, wider than that tube. Ordering a tower "with a 90 mm outlet" and meaning the boot will choke the draw.
What stops the draw
Damp feed swells and sticks. Fines from a long pneumatic fill pack in the cone if the truck overfills and the vent is blind. A side outlet leaves a dead pocket of old feed. First in, first out needs the draw on the centre. A sight glass on the cylinder tells the next driver whether yesterday's ration is still in there before a new load goes on top.
| Point | What to check |
|---|---|
| Hopper | 55–60° on pellets. Round-head bolts inside. |
| Boot | Wider than the 75 / 90 / 110 mm line. |
| Draw | Centre outlet. Side pocket keeps old feed. |
| Lid | Closes after fill. Pneumatic fill also needs a vent. |
| Sight glass | Shows the level before the next truck. |
Legs, foundation, weather
The tower stands on its own concrete, with anchor bolts cast in. A 10-tonne tower wants a leg spread on the order of 4.5 m. A 20-tonne tower wants on the order of 6 m. That is the circle the legs describe, not a rule that every soil will take the same pad. Wind load on an outdoor tower is calculated for the site. Coastal yards and high ground add bracing and heavier anchors. A skirt or apron keeps wash from cutting under the pads.
Zinc at 275 g/m², with the lid seal actually shut, is the coat these towers are designed around. Service on that coat is often talked of as 15–20 years inland. Salt air shortens it. The seam and the boot rust before the cylinder does, which is where inspection starts.
What to send
Nominal tonnes, pellet or mash, line diameter, one house or two, and the wind or coastal note. Weifang Splendid matches the boot and the cone to that line.
FAQ
What hopper angle keeps pellets moving?
About 55–60°. Under 45° the cone is where bridging starts.
Is 90 mm the silo outlet?
No. 75, 90 and 110 mm are the feed line. The boot is larger.
What foundation does a 10-tonne tower need?
Its own pad and anchors, leg spread on the order of 4.5 m, checked for the site's soil and wind.
What should I send for the boot?
Tonnes, pellet or mash, line diameter, and whether two houses draw from one tower.
Send the line diameter with the tonnes.