GENERAL DESIGN ENERGY PRINCIPLES FOR BULK

CONVEYING OF PARTICULATE SOLIDS

John Dartnall, 200
! INTRODUCTION
These notes relate to belt conveyors, screw conveyors, bucket elevators and other derivatives
of these devices that continuously carry or slide particulate dry or partially wet (not where the
fluid is used as a carrier) solid materials. The notes do not apply directly to pneumatic and
hydraulic conveyors in which the solids are swept along by a carrier fluid such as air or
water.
The notes treat the systems in a general way and their purpose is to give an understanding of
the underlying general principles. They are not intended to be used for detailed design or
selection of equipment. There are design manuals, tables, charts and software programs for
this purpose.
2 GENERAL LAYOUT OF E"UIP#ENT
igure ! shows a general arrangement of typical elements of a system. The diagram shows the
conveyors as being hori"ontal and the elevators as being vertical. This is not always the
situation. #ften the hori"ontal and$or the vertical materials handlers may be inclined. %
variable often present is the inclination angle of the conveyors or elevators.
&ach of the materials handling units is an independent machine that has its own merits. 'ucket
elevators are usually employed for lifting materials vertically, whilst screw conveyors, which
are used to both move and lift material, are often mildly inclined. 'elt conveyors are used
predominantly to move bulk solids long distances often involving some undulation.
igure ( illustrate some machines in a more realistic way than igure !.
!
Horozontal conveyor:
Chute, Belt conveyor, screw
conveyor, air slide, pneumatic
conveyor, drag conveyor, other.
Friction losses:
Machine losses per unit length
Material friction losses per unit length
Entry loss
Eit loss
Motor and
transmission:
Motor losses
!ransmission
"ertical conveyor #elevator$:
Buc%et elevator, screw conveyor,
pneumatic conveyor. drag conveyor,
other.
Friction losses:
Machine losses per unit length
Material friction losses per unit length
Entry loss
Eit loss
Motor and
transmission:
Motor losses
!ransmission losses
Feeder:
&ower
consumed.
Hopper:
&ower
consumed'
mass flow
m(
mass flow
m(
H
)
Figure 1: Possible general arrangement of conveyor and/or elevator
or a designer, these systems, whose purpose is to cause flow of the particulate solids, are
basically systems of individual machines involving motors, transmissions, friction, corrosion,
wear, environmental, structural strength, control, maintenance considerations, etc. The
material flow could be called interrupted)continuous. This is because it often ceases when
emerging from one materials handling machine into the feeding hopper of another. %t this
point the kinetic energy (and some potential energy) in the material is lost and further energy
is often required to feed the ne*t machine.
The material does not necessarily flow in the easier way that many liquids do. There is always
friction in the machine elements and this is present even when the machine is not loaded with
any material. %dditionally the bulk solid will e*hibit friction both internally as it moves
against itself and e*ternally as it slides against machine members. +hen a machine is
operating (, hours per day for the whole year e*cept for down)time the friction energy can
amount to a considerable cost.
The machine designer$specifier needs to understand where energy is lost and how to ma*imise
the efficiency of these machines.
% simplified -.&...%. formula for power to drive a conveyor belt is/
0ower (k+) 1
!222
3! . 4
$ 5 $6 ((k7 8 k9 (+m 8 +b) 8 2.2!:+b) 8 (; $ +m))
(
+here/
5 1 ;ori"ontal distance between pulley centres (m )
; 1 6ertical distance between pulley centres (m)
6 1 'elt velocity (m$s)
+m 1 .ass of material per metre run (kg)
+b 1 .ass of belt per metre run (kg)
2.2!: 1 actor accounting for friction in return belt run
k7 1 factor from belt slip and idler rotational resistance
<k7 1 2.222=3(+m 8 +b) 8 2.2(( (rotating mass of idlers per metre) (kg$m)>
k9 1 resistance of belt to fle*ure as it moves over the idlers
Length Lift kY kY kY kY
m m 500t/hr. 1000t/hr. 2000t/hr. 3000t/hr.
100 20 0,035 0,030 0,026 0,022
200 20 0,032 0,026 0,022 0,020
200 40 0,030 0,022 0,020 0,020
400 20 0,030 0,022 0,020 0,020
400 40 0,026 0,020 0,020 0,020
800 40 0,022 0,020 0,020 0,020
1000 40 0,020 0,020 0,020 0,020

Table 1: Selection of the kY factor based on belt length, lift and capacity
% number of other formulae have been used over the years and these are constantly being
refined (?taples, !44!@ Aordell, !443@ Aordell, !444). ?oftware has been developed that
assists with design optimi"ations, taking costs into account, %shford (!443).
or each of these bulk materials handling machines there are various approaches available for
energy analysis. Bt is worth pointing out that the energy analysis is serve a double purpose. Bt
C
enables us to look at the running cost of the machines and it also (iteratively during design)
enables us to design the machine and its elements for strength to accommodate safety and
reliability.
FUNDA#ENTALS OF ENERGY ANALYSIS FOR T%ESE
#ATERIAL %ANDLING DEVICES
+e may view the various empirical power equations as being built up from some basic
elements. These equations are intended to assist understanding and not intended for direct use/
1 Po!er to lift the material
rom an ideal point of view, none of these machines needs any power unless it lifts the
material, in which case the power consumed will be/
gH m P
elevating
=
" Po!er to accelerate the material
#ften the machines are required to dig or accelerate a static input (feed). Bn this case this
component of power consumed will be/
(
(
!
V m P
accel
=
# Po!er to overcome machine friction $other than prime mover and transmission
losses%
.achines are often tested under standard conditions with no material present such as the belt
conveyor operating hori"ontally. % similar standard testis done with screw conveyors, of
standard pitch and mounted hori"ontally (Damage, !442)
) , E , , (
!
parameters m A L f P
friction mac
=

The parameters are like the k7 and k9 above and are available from all sorts of tables.
,. Po!er to overcome both internal and machine/material interface friction due to the
material flo!ing
) , E , , (
(
parameters m A L f P
friction flow
=

,
%gain, parameters are like the k7 and k9 above and are available from all sorts of tables.
&omenclature

=
elevating
P
theoretical power to elevate the material
m 1 mass flow of material

g
1 acceleration due to gravity
H 1 height through which material is elevated

=
accel
P
0ower consumed in digging and$or accelerating the material as it loads it.
V 1 'ulk mean flow velocity of material

=
friction mac
P
machine friction

=
friction flow
P
flow friction

!
f
1 function

(
f
1 function
L 1 conveyor length
:

'ucket &levator


Submerged chain conveyors for cooling and conveying of hot bottom ash in power stations.



Figure ": Three important bulk materials handling units
& E'A#PLES
&$! S(r)* (on+),or )-a./l)
rom Doberts, !44:/ F 1 2.= m@ F
c
1 2.C2, m@ p 1 2.= m@ 5 1 !3p@
A 1 GC rpm@ H 1 2.3 ton$m
C
@I
s
1 (:
2
to C2
2
!. Theoretical (Doberts) method solved in class. This gave about (( k+
=
(. Theoretical power/
gH m P
elevating
=
1 !:2J(!222$C=22)J4.3!JC.4 1 !.= k+
Aote &fficiency 1 !.=$((J!22K 1 G.CK not goodL
C. Damage method/
% 1 3.=, -5MJ!2
):
k+ 1 3.=,J(!:2$2.3)J!2.3J!2,J!2
):
1 !G.: k+
-heck this problem by the methods of companies such as/
http/$$www.martinsprocket.com$?ec;NT#-.htm
http/$$www.goodmanconveyor.com$
http/$$www.conveyoreng.com$
%lso, some others on/
http/$$www.screw)conveyors.com$
&$2 B0(1)t El)+ator )-a./l)
?ee ;oskings e*ample, handed out in class.
?olution/
or correct head)shaft speed to give centrifugal discharge/
C
(
3! . 4
(
=
r
V
imperial unitsL
-.&...%. and ;et"el
( )
!222 C
=2 (,2
(3 . C 3! . 4 (
( (

+
= V
6 1 ((J4.3!JC.(3
(
$!2)
2.:
1 ,.:4 ft$sec 1 !., m$s
G
51!3J2.= m
1!2.3 m
(2
2
;1!2.3 sin ((2
2
) 1
C.4 m
(a) O 1 6$r 1 !.,$.C 1 ,.=G rad$s 1 (,.=GJ=2)$((JP) 1 ,,.= rpm
(b) %ctual speed !!!$( 1 ::.: rpm.
6 1 Or 1 (P(A$=2)r 1 (P(::.:$=2)2.(, 1 !., m$s
Theoretical power should be/
0
theor
1 (
(
(
!
V m P
accel
=
) 8 (
gH m P
elevating
=
)
= m m6$; 1 :2J!.,$,2.= 1 !.G( kg$sec
0
theor
1 2.: J!.G(J!.,
(
8 !.G(J4.3!J,2.=
1 !.=4 8 =3: +
1 (miniscule) 8 2.=4 k+
Figging power 1 6 1 !3(J!., 1 (:: + QQ (miniscule),
interesting)inefficient diggingL
Total power 1 2.4: k+
.otor shaft power 1 2.4:J(!$2.4:)J(!$2.3)J(!$2.4:)J(!$2.4:)J(!$2.4:) 1 !.C4 k+
(c) 0ull on the drive chain
0 1 (P(A$=2)T T 1 (!C42J=2)$((PJ::.:) 1 (,2 Am
1 T$r 1 (,2$(2.(C!$() 1 (232 A
(d) ?tarting torque )Q 1 (232J(.(: 1 ,=32 A
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
5ook under the website below,
http/$$www.ckit.co."a$ then click on 5atest papers and find the attached/
http/$$www.saimh.co."a$beltcon$'eltcon!$paper!(.html under/
http/$$www.saimh.co."a$beltcon$beltNmainNinde*!.html
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