2.

2 Reclaiming methods

The most important reason to choose a specific reclaim method is to prevent abolishing of a stacking
method whereby blending was important. An other reason can be the reclaim capacity or area use.
The discussed reclaiming methods are specific for a bucket wheel reclaimer.

The five most common methods for reclaiming are:

• Long travel (2.2.1)
• Bench reclaim (2.2.2)
• Block reclaim (2.2.3)
• Pilgrim step (2.2.4)

2.2.1 Long travel

With the long travel reclaiming method a

reclaimer moves along the stockpile without
any other movements. The reclaim height and
depth is set at the begin of a stockpile and
wouldn’t change during travelling. At the end
of the stockpile, the reclaim height and depth
are set again and the reclaimer would travel
backwards. Since a bridge reclaimer can only
travels is this, is the only possible method to
reclaim for that type reclaimer.
Figure 2.6 shows the process of reclaiming
using the long travel method.
Figure 2.7 shows the path of the bucket Figure 2.6 Long travel reclaiming
wheel during reclaiming.

Figure 2.7 Path of the bucket wheel using the long travel reclaiming
method

11
2.2.2 Bench reclaiming

By the bench reclaiming method the

stockpile is reclaimed slice by slice. The
reclaimer only slews during reclaiming.
When the reclaimer reached the maximum
slewing angle, or when the max width of the
stockpile is reached, the entire
stacker/reclaimer travels one step forward.
Than the reclaiming starts again during
slewing back. When a whole layer (bench
named) is reclaimed, the entire reclaimer
travels back to the begin of the stockpile, to
start with a new layer. This is necessary
because the reclaimer cannot rotates more Figure 2.8 bench reclaim
than +110o/-110o and therefore it is not
possible to reclaim during backward travelling.
Figure 2.8 shows an overview of reclaiming with a bucketwheel stacker/reclaimer, using the bench
reclaiming method.
Figure 2.9 shows the path of the bucket wheel during reclaiming.

Figure 2.9 Path of the bucket wheel using the bench reclaiming method.

2.2.3 Block reclaiming

The reclaimer uses the same movements with the block

reclaiming method as the bench method. The difference
between those two methods is that using the block reclaiming
method, the reclaimer reclaims not till the end of the stockpile.
There will be a layer reclaimed for a certain distance (for
example a half length) of the stockpile. Then the
stacker/reclaimer travels back and starts to reclaiming the next
layer. The advantage of this method can be the use of area. For
example, if a half stockpile has to be reclaimed the
implementation both methods is: with the bench method is the
half height of the stockpile reclaimed and the with block method
the half length of a stockpile.

Figure 2.10 Block reclaim

12
2.2.4 Pilgrim step

The pilgrim step method is a variation of the block method.

The difference is that the block method reclaims a certain
block length before the reclaimer travels back. (For example a
half stockpile). The pilgrim step travels back after a certain
slew movements. This number of slewings should be an even
number because the reclaimer boom should be above the rails
during travelling back. Mostly the number of slewing
movements is 6, 8 or 10 (by ABB1)

Figure 2.11 Pilgrim step method

Figure 2.12 Path of the bucket wheel using the pilgrim step reclaim method

Since the bench, block and pilgrim method are looking very similar (they use the same movements),
are these terms sometimes used interchangeable. Figure 2.13 shows clearly the differences between
those three methods. For example, if a half stockpile has to be reclaimed, then the numbers in the
figure indicate the order of reclaiming.

Figure 2.13 differences between Bench, block and pilgrim step reclaiming method

1
See reference I
13
2.3 Relation between a stacking and reclaiming methods.

The selection for a stacking method is often based on blending. To avoid abolishing of the blending
during reclaiming also the choice for a reclaiming method is indirectly based on blending.
The efficiency of blending can be calculated by:

Variations before Stacking (at 95% probability )

Blending Efficiency =
Variations after Re claim i ng ( at 95% probability )

The figures Figure 2.14 and Figure 2.15 give an indication of the blending efficiencies. Figure 2.14
indicates that for a boom-type machine (a bucket wheel reclaimer). The pilgrim step reclaiming
method and the windrow stacking method result in the best blending efficiency. On the other hand,
Figure 2.15 shows the blending efficiency for bridge-type reclaimers. Those numbers are higher then
at the boom reclaimers.
So, if the blending efficiency is an important selection criterion for the stacking method, then the
selection of the reclaiming method will be based on the stacking method to avoid abolishing of the
blending efficiency.
For example, ash is stacked in windrow (because blending is important) with a stacking rate of
2000tph. A bucket wheel reclaimer with bench reclaiming method results in a blending efficiency of
2.01 On the other hand, if the reclaiming is performed by a bridge reclaimer, the blending efficiency
is already 3.7. Almost twice as good.

Figure 2.14 Blending efficiencies boom-type machine (By A.T. Zador2)

2
See reference III
14
Figure 2.15 Blending efficiencies bridge-type machine (By A.T. Zador2)

15
3 Determination of the reclaiming capacity
A selection criterion for a reclaiming method is the capacity. To make an estimation of the capacity for
each reclaiming method, it is necessary to determine the shape of the reclaimed volume and the
velocity of the motions of the reclaimer.

3.1 Reclaiming capacity with a slewing reclaiming method (m3/hr)

This chapter describes the reclaiming capacity with a slewing reclaiming method. The reclaimer only
slews during reclaiming, during the; bench, block and the pilgrim step reclaiming method.

3.1.1 Cross-sectional area of a slice

During bench, block and pilgrim reclaiming, the reclaimer is mostly slewing. This results in reclaiming
the pile in slices. A slice has a so called moon shape, both seen from top- as from side view.
Figures 3.1 and 3.2 give an indication of this shape.

Figure 3.1 slice pattern (top view)

Figure 3.2 slice in 3d

16
Figure 3.33 slice

h = reclaim height [m]

θ = slewing angle [rad]
∆x = travelling step of the reclaimer [m]
∆r = slice thickness (depending on slewing angle) [m]

The reclaimer boom rotates and the bucket wheel follows a circular path. After a maximum rotation
(for example 900) , makes the reclaimer a (travel) step forward (∆x) and rotates back. The distance
between the clockwise circular path and the counter clockwise path is a distance ∆x. Both paths are
two overlapping circles.
This ensures that a moon shaped slice arises. See Figure 3.4.

Figure 3.4 slice, top view

3
Picture from www.bulkcn.com
17
Figure 3.5 cross-sectional area of a slice

Figure 3.5 indicates a cross sectional area of a slice.

Where;
rb = bucket wheel radius [m]
h = reclaim height [m]
∆r = slice thickness (depending on slewing angle) [m]

The cross-sectional area of a slice can be calculated4 in detail with:

∆r ∆r
A = rb (π − (2 ⋅ cos −1 ( ) − sin(2 ⋅ cos −1 (
2
)) (3.1)
2 ⋅ rb 2 ⋅ rb

A simplification5 for the cross-sectional area is:

A ≈ h ⋅ ∆r (3.2)

Since the thickness of slice varies with the slewing angle θ, ∆r = f(θ)6

∆r (θ ) ≈ ∆x ⋅ cos(θ ) (3.3)

Formula (3.3) combined with (3.2):

A ≈ h ⋅ ∆x ⋅ cos(θ ) (3.4)

4
Elabored in Appendix A1
5
Elabored in Appendix A2
6
Elabored in Appendix A3
18
The sides of the slice are slanting due to the angle of repose. This results in the reclaim height h =
f(θ). Therefore equation (3.4) is not valid at the begin and end of the slice where the cutting height is
not constant. The slewing angles where the condition of the height changes are:

θ1 = Slewing angle where reclaiming starts.

θ2 = Slewing angle where maximum reclaim height is reached
θ3 = Slewing angle where maximum reclaim height ends
θ4 = Slewing angle where reclaiming ends
These angles are shown in the figures 3.6 and 3.7:

Figure 3.6 slice, front view

Figure 3.7 top view

The angles θ1 to θ4 can be calculated. For the equations to calculate those angles see Appendix A5.

19
At the sloping parts, the height can be calculated7 with:

h(θ , ϕ ) = R ⋅ tan(ϕ ) ⋅ tan(θ ) (3.6)

Where;
R = Horizontal distance between slewing/rotation center to end of the bucket wheel(boom length)
φ = angle of repose
θ = slewing angle

 h=0 θ < θ1
h = R ⋅ tan(ϕ ) ⋅ tan(θ ) θ1 < θ < θ 2

h(θ , ϕ ) =  h = hmax θ2 < θ < θ3 (3.7)
h = R ⋅ tan(ϕ ) ⋅ tan(θ ) θ3 < θ < θ4

 h=0 θ > θ4

At some point there will be no slope anymore at the end of the slice. Then θ3 = θ4 = θmax
This occurs when the rotation center of the boom passes the begin of the stockpile.

Figure 3.8 shows the cross sectional area as a function of the slewing angle.
The cross-sectional area increases during the first slewing degrees. Then it will decrease. The last few
degrees it will decrease faster when θ3 > θ4 (as an effect of the slant side)

Figure 3.8 Cross –sectional area as function of the slewing angle

7
Elabored in Appendix A4
20