Due to bad transfer chute design the reliability of
belt conveyors not always is reflected in an increase in reliability for
the overall plant. Improving the design of transfer stations requires
observation and experience but increasingly it requires an improvement
in the application of available technologies such as DEM.
The
present requirement for higher annual throughput capacity in the iron
ore industry generally demands higher design capacity and speeds for
belt conveyors. Conveyor belt technology has advance to meet the demand.
However the reliability of the belt conveyor at high capacity is not
reflected in an increase in reliability for the overall plant.
In
part this is due to the transfer chute, an increase in unscheduled
downtime such as blockages and schedule downtime such as increase in
maintenance requirements.
Improving the design of transfer
stations requires observation and experience but increasingly it
requires an improvement in the application of available technologies
such as flowability technology and discrete element methodology. These
technologies require test work on representative samples to determine
the input data. Reliable data is required to predict outcomes such as
the likely hood of blockage and predictable flow trajectory.
This article illustrates present knowledge and future potential for transfer chute design.
Talk to the team at Hamilton By Design with regard to DEM
