CEMA Bucket Elevator Book

Chapter 13

HP and Calculations

Chapter Lead: Kris Gililland, PE

Contacts and References

Name Company E-Mail

Kris Gililland, PE KWS Manufacturing Kgililland@kwsmfg.com

DRAFT HISTORY

Draft Number Date

1 May 3rd, 2013
Draft Chapter 13 – HP and Calculations
First Draft May 3, 2013

Chapter 13 – Horse Power and Calculations

There are many variables to consider when designing a Bucket Elevator. As discussed in previous
chapters these include bucket size, bucket spacing, speed, and various components. This chapter can
act as a guide for determining the Horse Power (HP) requirements of a Bucket Elevator.

When designing a Bucket Elevator there are more variables to be consider that can be listed in this
publication. It should be noted that a small mistake in calculating the required HP of a small, low capacity
Bucket Elevator may not result in a unit failure, but a small mistake on a large, high capacity bucket
elevator may result in a catastrophic failure. This is why it is important to always work with an
experienced Bucket Elevator Manufacturer who can help in the design and implementation of a
successful project.

Determining Horse Power

To be able to accurately determine the power requirements of a Bucket Elevator, it must first be
understood the internal forces acting on the unit. Although there are many components in the Bucket
Elevator, only the upward movement of the conveyed product needs to be considered. This is because
the weight of the Belt/Chain and Cups are identically balanced on both sides of the head shaft. Only the
internal friction caused by the movement of these components needs to be considered when calculating
the HP requirements.

There are many variations of Horse Power (HP) calculations found in historical and individual
manufacturer’s literature. The formulas below are used to determine the power requirements of a Bucket
Elevator throughout the industry.

A basic power calculation is the measure of force over a distance per time period

𝐹𝑥𝐷
𝑃=
𝑇
Equation 13.1 – Power Formula

Where:
P = Power
F = Force
D = Distance
T = Time

In a Bucket Elevator the power requirement can be directly calculated using this formula.

𝑊𝑥𝐻
𝑃= +𝐶
𝑇
Equation 13.2 – Bucket Elevator Power Formula

Where:
P = Power to convey the product
W = Weight of material being lifted
H = Lift Height
T = Time
C = HP required to overcome the friction in the system.

Using the above formula and substituting the gravimetric rate of a bucket elevator the follow equation can
be derived.
Draft Chapter 13 – HP and Calculations
First Draft May 3, 2013

𝐿𝑏𝑠
𝐺 ( ) 𝑥 𝐷𝐻 (𝐹𝑇)
𝑃= 𝐻𝑟 +𝐶
𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝐿𝑏𝑠 𝐹𝑇
60 ( ) 𝑥 33000 ( )
𝐻𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑛
Equation 13.3 – Bucket Elevator Power Formula

Where:
P = Power (HP)
G = Gravimetric Rate (Pounds Per Hour)
DH = Discharge Height (FT)
C = HP required to overcome the friction in the system.

System Friction

Factor “C” is an estimate of the friction in the system and is required to accurately determine the power
requirements of a Bucket Elevator.

Friction includes the following variables

a. Cup Digging
b. Belt slip on the head pulley
c. Chain slip on sprockets
d. Bearing friction
e. Drive Inefficiencies

Note: Motor inefficiency is not used because these formulas are used to determine the Motor size. Motor
HP ratings include their inherent inefficiencies.

There are two methods used to determine the power required to overcome the friction in the system. The
first is the Length Equivalency Method. This method uses a factor of the tail pulley diameter to determine
the additional power required to account for the system friction. The second method is the Friction Factor
Method. This method uses a multiplication factor of account for the friction in the system.

Length Equivalency Method

System friction can be accounted for with a length equivalency factor. This factor is dependent on the
pulley diameter and is shown below

𝐿𝑏𝑠
𝐺 ( ) 𝑥 (𝑑 𝑥 𝐿𝑒𝑞)
𝐶= 𝐻𝑟
𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝐿𝑏𝑠 𝐹𝑇
60 ( ) 𝑥 33000 ( )
𝐻𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑛
Equation 13.4 – Bucket Elevator System Friction – LEQ Method

Where:
C = System Friction (HP)
G = Gravimetric Rate (Pounds Per Hour)
d = Tail Pulley Diameter (FT)
Leq = Length Equivalency Factor

The Length Equivalency Factor ranges from 5 to15, depending on the application. Consult your Bucket
Elevator Supplier for additional information.

Combining Equations 13.3 and 13.4 yields the following equation.

Draft Chapter 13 – HP and Calculations
First Draft May 3, 2013

𝐿𝑏𝑠
𝐺 ( ) 𝑥 (𝐷𝐻 + (𝑑 𝑥 𝐿𝑒𝑞)) (𝐹𝑇)
𝑃= 𝐻𝑟
𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝐿𝑏𝑠 𝐹𝑇
60 ( ) 𝑥 33000 ( )
𝐻𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑛
Equation 13.5 – Bucket Elevator Power Formula – LEQ Method
Where:
P = Power (HP)
G = Gravimetric Rate (Pounds Per Hour)
DH = Discharge Height (FT)
d = Tail Pulley Diameter (FT)
Leq = Length Equivalency Factor

Friction Factor Method

Another way to account for the system friction is to add a multiplication factor to the calculated HP in
Equation 13.3. This multiplication factor typically ranges from 10% to 30%, depending on the application.
Consult your Bucket Elevator Supplier for additional information.

𝐿𝑏𝑠
𝐺 ( ) 𝑥 𝐷𝐻 (𝐹𝑇)
𝑃=[ 𝐻𝑟 ] 𝑥𝐹
𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝐿𝑏𝑠 𝐹𝑇
60 ( ) 𝑥 33000 ( )
𝐻𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑛
Equation 13.6 – Bucket Elevator Power Formula – Friction Factor Method

Where:
P = Power (HP)
G = Gravimetric Rate (PPH)
DH = Discharge Height (FT)
F = Friction Multiplication Factor