Belt Conveying of Bulk Solids

Overview of Belt Conveying Systems

Dr Craig Wheeler
Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering
Associate Director, TUNRA Bulk Solids Research Associates
The University of Newcastle, Australia.

Types Of Belt Conveyors 2

Open Belt Conveying Systems

• Conventional Troughed
g Conveyor
y Belts
• Cable Belts
• RopeCon System
• Power Strip Conveyor
• Air Supported Belts
• Pocket Conveyors

Closed Belt Conveying Systems

• Sandwich Belt Conveyors
• Pipe Conveyors
• Pouch Conveyors

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 Belt Conveyor Selection 3

• Capacity
• Maximum Particle Size and Size Distribution
• Environmental Constraints
• Conveying Distance
• Topography
• Inclination and declination angle
• Vertical and horizontal curves

Main Components 4

Feed Chute

Loading Skirts Discharge Chute

Head Pulley

Troughing Idlers Bulk Solid

Tail Pulley

Return Side Idlers

Snub Pulley

Gravity Take-up
Cross Section Through
Carry Side

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 TUNRA - Belt Conveyors 5

Typical Belt Conveyor Travel Paths 6

Ref: Belt Conveyors for Bulk Materials, CEMA 2nd Ed, 1979.

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 Typical Belt Conveyor Travel Paths 7

Ref: Belt Conveyors for Bulk Materials, CEMA 2nd Ed, 1979.

Long Overland Belt Conveyors 8

El Abra Overland Conveyor - Chile

14.5km long and 1,600mm wide
9 500t/hr Copper Ore
9,500t/hr

Channar Overland Conveyor - Australia

10.1km and 10.4km (9km Horizontal Curve)
1,050mm wide, 2,200t/hr Iron Ore

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 Long Overland Belt Conveyors 9

Curragh North Overland Conveyor - Australia

20.3km (Mid-Point Tripper Drive)
1,200mm wide (ST1500), 2,500t/hr Coal

Ref: Steven, R.: High Tech Conveyor Belt Development for the
World’s Longest Single Flight Intelligent Conveyor, 2007.

Horizontal and Vertical Curves 10

Soma Power Station - Turkey

8.5km - Coal

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 Horizontal Curves 11

Photographs Courtesy Beumer Australia

Horizontal Curves 12

Belt Inclined

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 Calculating Horizontal Curves 13

Belt Direction
R
T
FT

FT = FM BS + FM B + FR
T
Tilted Carry
Side Idlers


FM BS = Radially acting force component
from deadweight of bulk solid.
FM B = Radially acting force component
g (MBS + MB)
from deadweight of belt.
FR = Radially acting friction force from
FM BS + FM B tilting carrying idlers.

Horizontal and Vertical Curves Simulation 14

Channar 20.5 km
Overland Iron Ore
Belt Conveyor
y

Simulation Rig

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 Conventional Troughed Belt Conveyor 15

• Capacity 100t/hr – 40,000t/hr

• Lump Size Typically < 400mm
• Conveying Distance < 20km
• Inclination Angle < 200
• Belt Speeds < 15m/s
• Belt Width < 3m
• 200, 350, 450 Conventional Troughing
Angles

Belt Conveyor Static Analysis 16

Static analysis methods include:

• ISO5048 – International Standard
• DIN22101 – German Standard
• CEMA – Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers
Association Handbook
y Handbook
• Goodyear
C
Conveyor B
Belt
l
• Yokohama Handbook Manufacturers
• APEX Handbook

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 Carry Side Tensions Return Side Tensions 17

Ffu = C fr1L g (qru + qb)

Ffo = C fr1L g (qro + qb)

Ffu + Ffo = FH1

Ffu Ffu
Empty Belt / Idler Friction Tension

Ffm = C fr2 L g qm cos

Load Friction Tension

Fst = H g qm

Load Slope Tension

Fsb = H g qb

Belt Slope Tension

Steady State Belt Tension Distribution 18

Total Tension Distribution

Carry Side Tensions Return Side Tensions

Fe = FU
F1

F2 Ftail Ftail

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 Steady State Belt Tension Distribution 19

Total Tension Distribution

Fe = FU
F1

F2(min)
Ref. Ftail
Ftail Ftake-up

L L

Conveyor Belt Selection 20

Fabric and Steel Cable Conveyor Belts

Steel Cable – Fabric Reinforced

Conveyor Belt
Fabric Conveyor Belt

Steel Cable Conveyor Belt

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 Cable Belt Conveyors 21

Reinforced Wire Mesh Belt

• Similar to Conventional
Troughed Conveyors
• Increased Conveying
Distances < 30km
• Increased Inclination
Angle < 250

Polyurethane Wheels
Steel Ropes, ‘Triton’ Plastic
Coated or Zebra® Ropes

Cable Belt Conveyors 22

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 Cable Belt Conveyors 23

Acrobat Document

METSO Corporation 2003

Cable Belt Conveyors – Drive Station 24

METSO Corporation 2003

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 Cable Belt Conveyors 25

Charlestown, Virginia USA

6km Long and Belt Speed 4m/s
1,000 t/hr Coal – Rugged Terrain

Cable Belt Conveyors – Ravine Crossings 26

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 Cable Belt Conveyors 27

Worsley Aluminium, Western Australia

Total Conveying Distance 50.5 km
30.0 km and 20.5 km
Bauxite at 2040 t/hr, Belt Speed 6.1 m/s.

Cable Belt Conveyors - Ropes 28

ZEBRA® vs STEEL
Benefits
Increased Cable Life
Increased Pulley Life
Increased Cable Strength
Reduced Vibration
Reduced Noise
Reduced Operating Cost

METSO Corporation 2003

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 Cable Belt Conveyors – Horizontal Curves 29

METSO Corporation 2003

RopeCon Conveying System 30

Ref: Doppelmayr Transport Technology GmbH, Austria. www.doppelmayr.com

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 RopeCon Conveying System 31

Ref: Doppelmayr Transport Technology GmbH, Austria. www.doppelmayr.com

RopeCon Conveying System 32

Ref: Doppelmayr Transport Technology GmbH, Austria. www.doppelmayr.com

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 RopeCon Conveying System 33

Ref: Doppelmayr Transport Technology GmbH, Austria. www.doppelmayr.com

RopeCon Conveying System 34

•Single conveyor lengths up to 20,000 m

•Capacity
C i up to 10,000
10 000 tonnes/hour
/h
•Tower spacing up to 2,000 m

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 Power Strip System 35

Power Strip Conveyor

Power Strip System 36

Fabric Belt

Conventional
Carry Side Idlers
High Strength
Steel Cord Belt

Conventional
Return Side Idlers

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 Belt Conveying Systems 37

Power Strip Conveyor

Belt Tension

T1 conv
Taux. drives

Belt Length

Air Supported Belt Conveyors 38

Hinged
g Cover Bulk Solid

Plenum

Fabric Belt
Return Idlers

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 Air Supported Belt Conveyors 39

Air Supported Belt Conveyors 40

• Reduced motion resistances, therefore less energy

consumption
• Lower belt tensions due to reduced motion losses,
hence lighter belts
• Low noise
• Steeper
p slope p than conventional idler systems
y due
no lift-off at the idler sets
• Limited in lump size carry capacity

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 Air Supported Belt Conveyors 41

Air Supported Belt Conveyors 42

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 Pocket Belt Conveyors 43

Svedala Flexolift®
Tunnelling Operation
Limestone at 1200 t/hr

Pocket Belt Conveyors 44

Pocket Designs
Side Wall Base Belt

Base Cleat

Side Wall

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 Pocket Belt Conveyors 45

• High lift systems with conveying angles up to 900

• Reduced transfer points

Types Of Belt Conveyors 46

Open Belt Conveying Systems

• Conventional Troughed
g Conveyor
y Belts
• Cable Belts
• RopeCon System
• Power Strip Conveyor
• Air Supported Belts
• Pocket Conveyors

Closed Belt Conveying Systems

• Sandwich Belt Conveyors
• Pipe Conveyors
• Pouch Conveyors

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 Sandwich Belt Conveyors 47

Cover Belt

Carry Belt

Sandwich Belt Conveyors 48

Continental Conveyor HAC® (High Angle Conveyors)
Copper/Zinc Ore – Zimbabwe

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 Sandwich Belt Conveyors 49
Continental Conveyor HAC® (High Angle Conveyors)
Coal Silo – Bethenergy, USA
Coal - 725 t/hr, 76m High and 2.8m/s

Dos Santos International - Snake Conveyors 50

Steel Mill – Spain
Coal (-50mm) - 250 t/hr, 35m High and 2.2m/s

Acrobat Document

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 Sandwich Belt Conveyors 51

• Benefits of troughed conveying systems, but with

unlimited conveying angles
• High capacity
• Reduced transfer points

Pouch Conveying Systems 52

Sicon System Enerka Becker System

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 Pouch Conveying Systems 53

Sicon Conveyor System

Pouch Conveying Systems 54

Enerka Becker Conveyor System

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 Pouch Conveying Systems 55

Innovative Conveyor System (ICS)

Pouch Conveying Systems 56

Innovative Conveyor System (ICS)

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 Pouch Conveying Systems 57

Innovative Conveyor System (ICS)

Pouch Conveying Systems 58

Distributed Drive Systems

Beltt Tension

T1-single
Tmid drive
T1-multi

Belt Length

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 Pouch Conveying Systems 59

• Enclosed, almost dust free conveying

• Return part enclosed therefore reduced spillage
g
• Belt can also be filled on return part
• Horizontal as well as vertical curves possible
• Flexible routing, no transfer points needed
• High angles of inclination are possible
• Low radii for horizontal curves

Pipe Conveying Systems 60

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 Pipe Conveying Systems 61

Pipe Conveying Systems 62

Reference: Kock Materials Handling www.kocktrans.com, 2004.

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 Pipe Conveying Systems 63

Pipe Conveying Systems - Curves 64

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 Pipe Conveying Systems 65

• Dust free transportation

• Return part is enclosed therefore reduced spillage
• Belt can also be filled on return part

Selection Considerations 66

• Capacity - Throughput
• Characteristics of the Bulk Material:
- Maximum Particle Size and Size Distribution
- Bulk Density
- Cohesiveness and Bulk Strength,
- Internal Friction and Boundary Friction
- Process Conditions - Moisture Content and Temperature

• Environmental Constraints - Dust, Toxicity

• Conveying Distance - Height of Lift - Conveying Angle
• Topography and Space Constraints
• Feeding, Transfer and Discharge Requirements

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 90
67

ANGLE OF ELEVATION (deg)

80

70 In-Plant Pocket Belt

Operations
60 Bucket
50 Screw
40

30
Pipe Belt
20

10

0 4
mm)

1
Troughed Belt
LUMP SIZE (m

100
Cable Belt
200

300

400
1 10 100 1000 104
THROUGHPUT (m3 /h)
Ref: A.W. Roberts, 2008.

Conveyor Selection Based on Cohesive Strength

68
16
(kPa)

14 Very Cohesive –
Very Difficult to Handle
c

12
ONFINED YIELD STRENGTH

10

Handleability 8
Ff = Flowability Index
c 6
Ff =
1 + 10
4
UNCO

2
Belt Conveying

Free Flowing
0
Bucket Elevator;
Screw,
Pneumatic
Conveying

0 2 4 6 8 10
Chain

1 (kPa)
High Lift Belt

MAJOR CONSOLIDATION STRESS

Ref: A.W. Roberts, 2008.

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