GRAVIMETRIC FEEDER CALIBRATION / COMMISSIONING CHECKLIST

The following preliminary checks are to be done :

1. Check all cable connections for tightness and proper termination in both local and
remote.
2. Check tightness and proper mounting of all cards in local and remote.
3. Check all fuses for continuity.
4. Check proper earthing connections.
5. Set thumbwheel switch at FRD (A4) card at PCR to 20 for 50 TPH span.
6. Set thumbwheel switch at LCA (A2) card at local to 20 also. The right switch is to be
0 and left one 2.
7. Check that the main motor and the conveyor motor are healthy (use 1KV meggar).
A. The following is the procedure to put the feeder for trial and belt
stretching :
1. Verify that all the 4 feeder doors are open and proper tools available for belt tracking
and tension adjustment.
2. Verify that the load cells and calibration weight are mounted and the belt is tightened
properly and equally on both sides.
3. Verify SSF (REMOTE/OFF/LOCAL) switch is in OFF (PCR).
4. Verify SSC (Conveyor RUN/OFF) switch is in OFF (PCR).
5. Verify SSL (REV/OFF/FWD) is in OFF (Local).
6. Verify SLF (Feeder OFF/RUN) is in OFF (Local).
7. Verify incomer main switches CS-1 and DS-1 are OFF.
8. Adjust Coal on belt, Discharge plugged and Shear Pin Failure switches.
9. Charge incoming power supplies.
10. If OK, put ON DS-1 and CS-1.
11. Check voltage across transformer T1 secondary (X1 and X2) is 115 VAC.
12. Check voltage across transformer T2 secondary (1X1 and 1X2) is 95 VAC.
13. Check voltage across transformer T2 secondary (1X1 and 1X3) is 115 VAC.
14. With no demand applied at TBC-6 :72 and 73, adjust MIN FEEDRATE pot (R23) in A2
(ISF) card to get 1.00 +/- 0.025 V at TP1 (BLUE) of same card.
15. With 20.00 mA demand applied at TBC-6 :72(+) and 73(-), adjust SPAN pot (R18) in
A2 (ISF) card to get 5.00 +/- 0.005 V at TP1 (BLUE) of same card.
16. Remove demand signal.
17. Put SSL to LOCAL.
18. Press Phase failure reset button and proceed to local.
19. Put switch SSL to FORWARD.
20. Briefly (for 3 to 4 seconds) put Switch SLF to RUN. Feeder belt should start.
21. Verify direction of belt rotation and correct if required.
22. Put SLF to RUN briefly and verify correct rotation of belt.
23. Put SLF to OFF, SSL to REVERSE, again SLF to RUN briefly and verify reverse rotation
of feeder. Keep the belt OFF.
24. Put Switch SSC in RUN(PCR) and check for correct rotation of Cleanout conveyor.
Rectify if required.
25. Start feeder in forward direction. It should run at about 300 RPM. Cleanout conveyor
should also run.
26. Check and adjust for proper belt tracking.
27. When belt tracking is OK for about 3 to 4 minutes, increase speed demand by giving
16 mA at TBC-6 : 72(+) and 73(-).
28. Check and adjust for proper tracking and belt tension.
29. Let the feeder run for 6 to 8 hours under constant watch and intermittent adjustment
for proper belt tension and tracking (if reqd). For adjustment of belt tension, tighten
only by half turn on both sides at a time.

2. The following is the procedure for local calibration of the feeder

1. After running feeder for 6 to 8 hours as per step 30 of sec A, stop the feeder and
conveyor by putting SSL and SSC in OFF.
2. Ensure calibration weight is not engaged.
3. Use checkbars and shims to adjust load cells proper and equal loading. After
adjustment remove checkbars. Checking can be done in the following way:
a. Engage calibration weight.
b. Measure voltage (peak value) at TP4(WHT) and TP5(BLU) of LCA(A2) card.
These should be within 7.5 +/- 1.0 V DC, and the difference between the two
should be within 1.0 VDC. When this is achieved, the load cell alignment is OK.
4. Tighten load cell check nuts and verify readings as in step 3.
5. Disengage calibration weight .
6. Adjust 0.0 +/- 0.01VDC at TP8(GRN) of LCA (A2) by COARSE TARE adjustment pot
R33.
7. Engage calibration weight.
8. Adjust 6.5 +/- 0.25VDC at TP8(GRN) of LCA (A2) by COARSE SPAN adjustment pot
R19.
9. Disengage calibration weight.
10. Check CMMR contacts are not actuated as the feeder is not running now.
11. Run feeder in local (SSL in RUN) and verify that when coal on belt paddle is actuated,
feeder trips after about 2 seconds.
12. Run the feeder and check CMMR contact is operated now.
13. Put feeder off.
14. Thread in the calibration probes at the designated locations after removing the caps.
These should engage on the punch mark on the feeder.
15. Put 4 reflective stickers on the teeth of the belt towards the Electronic card side in
such a way that the minimum distance between the stickers is more than the
calibration probe span length. Ideally, the stickers should be equidistant on the
periphery of the belt.
16. Place the calibrator at a convenient location with switch in OFF position.
17. Connect the cable having 7 pins to the feeder electronics cage and corresponding
socket of the calibrator.
18. Connect the remaining two cables from the probes to the calibrator. The probe nearer
to the feeder inlet side is to be connected to A and the probe nearer to the feeder
outlet side is to be connected to B on the calibrator.
19. Verify that the calibration weight is not engaged and start the feeder from local (SSL
to RUN).
20. Adjust speed to around 900 RPM.
21. Set feedrate code to 20 in calibrator.
22. Set Event Select to 4 in calibrator.
23. Put calibrator switch to BELT and after 10/15 seconds press RESET.
24. The display count will start increasing and after one full belt revolution, it will stop.
Note this count.
25. Repeat the procedure by pressing reset until the counts are tallying within +/- 10, and
there is no definite trend of increase or decrease in count.
26. When BELT count as above is satisfactory, let the latest count remain. DO NOT RESET.
27. Turn the switch in the calibrator to TARE and press RESET. The counter will start
counting downwards and stops after one full belt revolution. The result of the
downward count can be positive (steady value) or negative (flashing value).
Remember this value with sign.
28. Measure the voltage V at TP8(GRN) of LCA card.
29. Calculate the change in voltage required as
C= TARE COUNT /[ {(BELT COUNT) (TARE COUNT)} / V]
30.
a. If the TARE reading had been positive, then by adjusting FINE TARE pot (R34)
clockwise set a value of V+C volts at TP8(GRN) of LCA card.
b
b. If the TARE reading had been negative, then by adjusting FINE TARE pot (R34)
anticlockwise set a value of V-C volts at TP8(GRN) of LCA card.
31. Press RESET and again the calibrator starts decrementing from the same value.
Repeat adjustments as above until repeatability within +/- 5 counts is achieved.
32. Engage the calibration weight.
33. Put switch in SPAN position at the calibrator.

34. Press RESET. The count resets to 100.00 and starts downward count after a little
while. The display stops after one full revolution of the belt. The final value can be
positive or negative (flashing). This is the % error in span. Note it as S.
35. Calculate adjustment voltage as follows:
a. Place the calibration switch in TARE mode.
b. Measure voltage V at TP8(GRN) of LCA (A2) card.
c. Calculate change in voltage C= V * (S/100)
36. Adjust as follows:
a. If the % error was positive, then by suitably turning the COARSE or FINE SPAN
adjust pot clockwise get a voltage of V+C at TP8(GRN) of LCA card. (PLEASE
NOTE THAT THOUGH THE CALIBRATOR IS IN TARE MODE, WE ARE
ADJUSTING THE SPAN POT AND NOT THE TARE POT).
b. If the % error was negative, then by suitably turning the COARSE or FINE SPAN
adjust pot anticlockwise get a voltage of V-C at TP8(GRN) of LCA card. (AGAIN
PLEASE NOTE THAT THOUGH THE CALIBRATOR IS IN TARE MODE, WE
ARE ADJUSTING THE SPAN POT AND NOT THE TARE POT).
37. Put calibrator in SPAN mode and press RESET.
38. Repeat span adjustment by calculation as above or by trial and error until the final
error reading is within +/- 0.10/
39. Stop feeder and put the calibrator to OFF position.
40. Disconnect all cables to the calibrator and remove the calibration probes. The stickers
may or may not be removed. These can be used for later calibration.
41. Disengage the calibration weight. (This step can be bypassed if immediately
afterwards feeder remote calibration is taken up).
42. Put SSF in remote panel to OFF.

3. The following is the procedure for remote calibration of the feeder :

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Engage calibration weight if not already engaged.

Keep the Coal on Belt switch (LSFB) operated by tying the paddle at the feeder.
Remove the field wires to the feedback mA output terminals (4 sets).
Simulate external start command by shorting TBC-1 : 8 and 9 and TBC-1 : 7 & 8
Put SSF on REMOTE.
Feeder should start with TPH display.
Increase speed to 100% by giving 20.00 mA demand.
Measure Frequency at TP3(ORN)/FRD(A4). Verify that this gives 10 times the TPH
reading.
9. If the TPH reading is hunting or the feeder is oscillating between gravimetric and
volumetric mode, then adjust by damping pot R30 on MSC(A1) card.
10. Adjust GRAVIMETRIC FEEDRATE pot (R45) in ISF(A2) card to get 50 TPH on FRI and
500 Hz at TP3(ORN)/FRD(A4).
11. Adjust the 4 tachometers as follows :
a. Set span switch to 13.
b. Put feeder off by putting switch SSF to OFF.
c. Adjust the OFFSET pots to get 4.00 mA.
d. Run feeder to full demand.
e. Adjust SPAN pots to get 20.00 mA
f. Repeat procedure to get correct 4 20 mA.
12. Set speed demand to 4.00 mA.
13. Adjust MINIMUM FEEDRATE pot (R23) on ISF(A2) card to get 10 TPH at FRI and 100Hz
at TP3(ORN)/FRD(A4).
14. Give full demand and check for 50 TPH. Repeat the above steps for correct 10 to 50
TPH.
15. When above adjustment is complete, when the feeder is running to full demand
measure the frequency F at TP2(YEL) of FRD(A4) card. Note it down.
16. Set demand at 4 mA and adjust CR2 to just operate.
17. Set demand at 12 mA and adjust CR1 to operate at 12 mA increasing.
18. Take calibration readings for gravimetric mode as follows :
Demand Normalised Feedrate
demand
TBC6:
TP1/BLUE
FRI
72/73
of A2
mA
VDC
TPH
4.00
8.00
12.00
16.00
20.00

TP2 YEL
of A4

Hz

TBC6: 76/77 motor speed

(Select counter
for 12 pulses)
RPM

Tachometer feedbacks
1

mA

mA

MA

mA

19. During the above operation verify that the Total coal integrators on the feeder cabinet
and on the SCP integrate.
20. Operate Discharge chute pluggage paddle and verify feeder trip. Put SSF to OFF.
21. Disengage calibration weight.
22. Start the feeder by putting SSF to REMOTE and increase demand to 20 mA. Feeder
will run in volumetric mode and will display RPM.
23. Adjust VOLUMETRIC FEEDRATE pot (R42) on ISF(A2) card to get same value of RPM as
was obtained in column 4 (TBC-6:76/77 with counter set for 12 pulses) of Gravimetric
calibration readings (Step 16) for 20.00 mA demand input.
24. With demand at 20 .00mA, measure the frequency at TP2(YEL) of FRD(A4) card.
Compare it with the value F measured in step 15. Adjust VOLUMETRIC FACTOR pot
(R56) on the ISF(A2) card to get the same value as was noted in step 14.

25. Take volumetric calibration readings as follows:

Demand

Normalised
demand
TBC6: 72/73 TP1 BLUE/A2
mA

VDC

Speed

TP2 YEL of
A4 card

FRI
RPM

Hz

TBC6: 76/77
(Select counter for
12 pulses)
RPM

4.00
8.00
12.00
16.00
20.00
26. Stop feeder. Remove remote start command shorting loop from TBC-1 : 8 and 9.
27. Calibration is now complete. Normalise feeder, cables, etc., and close all doors of the
feeder after verifying that the calibration weight is disengaged.