Abstract
Belt conveyors are used for efficient and gentle bulk material transport. Transfer devices must also fulfil these properties and are therefore constantly being improved. The devices currently used for transferring bulk material between two belt conveyors have problems such as wear, blockages, and caking. In addition, the discharge belt is usually subjected to heavy loads during bulk material transfer with conventional devices. Therefore, a patent has been registered at the Chair of Mining Engineering - Conveying Technology and Design Methods to minimize these problems. The aim of the master thesis is to check the feasibility of the patented system and to analyse the real properties of them. For this purpose, discrete element simulations are performed and evaluated first. Subsequently, a prototype of the new transfer device is designed and built, on which tests are carried out. Tests on the existing conveyor circuit reproduce the real behaviour of the device. The prototype consists of three coupled and troughed rubber crawler tracks, which are driven by friction. The friction drive is realized with a friction wheel, which is located between the discharge belt and the middle rubber track. Simulations show that the impact energy of the bulk material on the discharge belt is significantly reduced with this new type of transfer device compared to conventional solutions. Furthermore, the simulations bring out that the lugs of the rubber tracks have a positive effect on the slope downforce. They prevent the bulk material from sliding off. Laboratory tests indicate that it is possible to drive the device using a suitable friction wheel. A wheel with a profiled pneumatic tyre is best suited for this purpose, because it is less sensitive to dirt than a wheel with an unprofiled solid rubber tyre. Performance measurements on the geared motor of the discharge conveyor show that the slope downforce caused by the bulk material at the transfer device helps to minimize the power consumption of the three-phase motor. High mass flows have a positive effect on power reduction.
Translated title of the contribution | Bulk material transfer device for critical boundary conditions |
---|---|
Original language | German |
Qualification | Dipl.-Ing. |
Awarding Institution |
|
Supervisors/Advisors |
|
Publication status | Published - 2020 |
Bibliographical note
embargoed until nullKeywords
- bulk material transfer
- rubber track
- crawler drive
- friction wheel
- belt conveyor