29 MATERIALS HANDLING MECHANICAL

CONVEYORS

rs 104 Selecting Bucket Elevators

Bucket elevators are mostly vertical but can also be inclined – angle of inclination to horizontal being 75-80o
Bucket elevators are also classified by their speed or mode of discharge-
(a) central discharge which have low linear speed and load drops between strands of chain
(b) centrifugal discharge which have higher linear speeds and load is thrown off by centrifugal action.
Most elevators are now centrifugal discharge and linear speeds are between 1 - 1.5 m / sec.
buckets are fixed either to a belt or to one or two strands of chains according to capacity and height.
Capacity of an elevator is dependent on capacity of the bucket, their spacing. Speed and loading of buckets.

Title Symbol Unit Equation

3
Capacity L m /hr L = v × B × 3600 × f/(1000 × t)
Capacity Q tph Q=L×y
Centre distance between wheels C m
Capacity of bucket B litres
Loading of bucket f %
Power drawn at shaft P kw P = p + pe
p = 0.0105 × Q/w
Mechanical loss p Kw
0.00105 × Csin α × Q
Load power pe Kw pe =
w
Bulk density of Material y t/m
3 Q
∴ P = 0.0105 × (10 + C sin α)
w
Spacing between buckets t M
when α = 90o
Width of bucket w M 0.0105 Q
P= (10 + C)
Linear speed of buckets v m/sec w

o = 0.0105 Q (10 + h)
Angle of incline of elevator α n
h = C sin α
Vertical distance
between top & Bottom wheels
h m when α = 90o
h=C

Source : Ottolabahn Cement Engineers Handbook

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