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BUCKET ELEVATOR
Mechanical Engineering Department
Carlos III University
BUCKET ELEVATOR
TRANSPORTATION
BUCKET ELEVATOR
BUCKET ELEVATORS
Bucket elevators are the most used systems for vertical
transport of bulk, dry, wet and even liquid materials.
Designed with various options of height,
speed and constructive details depending on
the type of material to be transported.
Are constructed by pieces or units to allow to
define efficiently the needed height.
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BUCKET ELEVATOR
COMPONENTS
Head hood
Discharge
spout
Boot inlet hopper
Engine
Tensioning
device
Bucket
Clean
outdoors
Drive and pulley
Casing
Belt
Boot
BUCKET ELEVATOR
DEPENDING ON THE LOAD
Directly to the input hopper
By digging
Used for transport of materials that offer no resistance
to extraction, like fine grain and dusty materials.
Used for transport of abrasive and big size materials.
Chain/belt travelling speed is low.
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BUCKET ELEVATOR
DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF DISCHARGE
Centrifugal
It is the most common.
Great travelling speeds (1.2 and 1.4 m/s).
Loading is carried out by dredging the material at the
bottom of the elevator.
The separation distance between the buckets is 2 to 3
times the bucket height.
BUCKET ELEVATOR
DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF DISCHARGE
Gravity or continuous
Lower travelling speeds (0.5 and 1.0 m/s).
It is taken advantage of self weight.
Classification:
Free gravity. It is necessary to change the free branch
line or incline the bucket.
Forced. The buckets are situated one after the other
without separation between them. The discharge takes
place due to gravity by means of the lower part of the
preceding bucket that acts as a discharge spout.
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BUCKET ELEVATOR
DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF DISCHARGE
Positive
Similar to the gravity elevator safe that
buckets are fitted at the edges with two
cords.
Bucket speed is low are appropriate for
light, aired, sticky materials.
Cords
BUCKET ELEVATOR
MATERIAL TRANSPORTED FLUX
c
P i j =
Material weight
(kg)
Bucket volume (l)
Density (kg/l)
Fill in bucket coefficient
(0,6 0,9)
3.6
c
P v
Q
t

=
Transported
material flux (t/h)
Pitch:
Standard buckets:
Flake bucket:
[ ] h h t 3 , 2
h t =
chain
t cte t =
For chains:
Bucket height
Travelling
speed (m/s)
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BUCKET ELEVATOR
POWER
0
( )
3.6
a
Q
F H H
v
= +

The force the drive pulley needs to move the belt (kg):
Elevating height
(m)
Fictitious height
(m)
15.3 Big
11.4 Medium
7.6 Little
By digging
3.8 From the inlet hopper
Value of H
0
(m) Material size Load system
Power of the engine (CV):
75
a
a
F v
N

Engine efficiency
BUCKET ELEVATOR
MAXIMUM TENSION OF THE BELT
a a
T F k =
Maximumtension of the belt (kg):
Coefficient that
depends on the pulley
1.49 Dry layer
1.73 Humid layer
1.64 Dry smooth
3.20 Humid smooth
K Pulley conditions
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BUCKET ELEVATOR
m
MATERIAL DISCHARGING
A
m g

m g
cos m g
m g sin
2
m v
R

2
cos
R
m v
F m g
R

=
2
cos
R
F v
m g g R
=

<
=
>
0
BUCKET ELEVATOR
O
MATERIAL DISCHARGING
2
cos
R
F v
m g g R
=

O
2
v
g R

cos
0
90
+ -
1
0
2
1
v
g R
<

2
1
cos
v
g R

Predominance of
the centrifugal
forces
2
2
cos
v
g R

Predominance of
gravity forces
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BUCKET ELEVATOR
MATERIAL DISCHARGING
2
cos
R
F v
m g g R
=

O
2
v
g R

cos
O
0
90
+ -
2
1
v
g R
<

A
C
2
1
v
g R
=

B
BUCKET ELEVATOR
h
s
MATERIAL DISCHARGING
Pulley diameter
c g
F F =
2
V
m m g
R
=
2
V
R
g
=
Material path
2
1
2
s v t a t = +
v
s
780 480 0.4
1220 600 0.5
440 360 0.3
195 240 0.2
50 120 0.1
S
v
(m) S
h
(m) TIME (s)
v = 0.5 m/s
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BUCKET ELEVATOR
Design the features of a belt conveyor that has
to transport dry clay of density 1700 kg/m
3
with an approximate capacity of 15t/h:
Size of the bucket
Spacing
Belt speed
Pulley diameter
EXAMPLE
BUCKET ELEVATOR
EXAMPLE
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BUCKET ELEVATOR
EXAMPLE
Load weight=(2/3)bucket volumedensity=
(2/3)0,741700=0,84 kg per bucket
To move 15t/h we need:
(15000/0,84)=17857 buckets/h=5 buckets/s
Spacing
Pitch=[2h,3h] if bucket height is 105mm Pitch=300 mm
Belt speed=5 bucket/s 300 mm=1,5 m/s
Pulley diameter: D=2R=2(v
2
/g)=460 mm