Transport of Solids Types of Equipment used in the transport of solids Classified into broad categories Screw, belt, continuous-flow,

w, apron, basket, pneumatic, and vibratory Selection of Solids Transport Equipment Relatively complicated because of many interrelated factors that must be considered Capacity Requirement An overriding factor in the selection Length of Solid Transport Limited for certain types of conveyors E.g. the travel length of belt conveyor can be several kilometres while that of an air conveyor or vibrating conveyor is no more than 200 to 300 m. Bucket Elevators Most economical in moving the solid material vertically Table 12-14

Remember: when both vertical lift and horizontal travel are involved, other conveyors are considered the chemical and physical properties of the solid can directly affect the selection Important Characteristics of Solids Particle size Flowability Corrosivity Initial Cost of a solid conveyor system Usually related to life expectancy as well as to the design flow rate Costs for conveyor systems should be compared only the basis of a specific study for each conveyor system

Conveyor drives May account for 10 - 30% of the total cost of the conveyor system Fixed-speed drives Used when the conveyor speed remains constant during the course of normal operations Adjustable-speed drives Used when variations in operations are anticipated Screw and Belt Conveyors Physically consists of a helicoid helix or a sectional flight mounted on a pipe or shaft that rotates in a through Power to convey to convey the solid material is transmitted through this pipe or shaft and is limited by the diameter of this conveyor component Screw Conveyors Useful in other processing conditions Almost any degree of mixing can be achieved with variations in the rotating mechanism E.g. use of ribbon flights allows sticky materials to be handles Variable-pitch, tapered-flight, or stepped-flight screw conveyors can provide excellent feed control of solids. Short-pitch screws Used in inclined and vertical conveying applications, and double-flight, short-pitch units effectively minimize flushing action Belt Conveyors Can transport solids for many kilometres at speeds up to 5 m/s and handle up to 4500 t/h (metric) Narrow, Flat Belts Used for transporting small quantities of solids Belts wider than 0.35 m are nearly always troughed since this mode of operation nearly doubles the carrying capacity of the belt Temperature, Chemical Activity and Hours of Continuous Service Play an important role in belt selection Belts are fabricated from variety of elastomers, special rubbers, cotton, and asbestos fibers

fewer plies to achieve the necessary tensile strength with good belt troughing characteristics. The transport of abrasive or very lumpy material also requires a belt width larger than that recommended for transporting fine or regular granular material Continuous-Flow Conveyor Employ a chain-supported conveying element that is transversely pulled through the solid being transported The conveying action of the various designs of continuous-flow conveyors varies with the type of conveying flight use These units are totally enclosed and provide a relatively high capacity per unit of cross sectional area The most common chain conveyor is the apron conveyor These units are available in a wide variety of sizes for both horizontal and inclined transport The typical design is a series of pans mounted between two strands of roller chains, with pans overlapping to minimize solid losses Pneumatic Conveyor Solids ranging from fine powders to 6.35-mm pellets and bulk densities of 15 to 3200 kg/m3 can be suspended in a high-velocity airstream and moved in a pneumatic conveyor both vertically and horizontally over distances of 100 m. The capacity of the pneumatic conveying system depends on the solid bulk density, the diameter and length of transport system, and the energy content of the air throughout the conveying system Pneumatic conveyors are generally classified into the five types. 1) Pressure-controlled pneumatic conveyor the solid material is dropped into an airsteam where it is suspended until the airstream reaches the receiving vessel where the solid once again is separated from the air. Pressure systems are used for free-flowing solids of any particle size up to 6.35 mm, and solid flow rates exceed 2.5 kg/s. These systems are preferred when one source of solids must supply several receivers 2) Vacuum system the advantage is that all the pumping energy is used to move the solid. Operation of a vacuum system is similar to that for the pressure system Are generally used when solid flows do not exceed 2 kg/s and the conveying length is no more than 300 m. These units are widely used for moving finely divided solid materials 3) Pressure vacuum system combines the advantage of the

Belt width and belt speed Functions of bulk density and lump size of the material being transported Even though a lower initial conveyor cost can generally obtained by using the narrowest belt for a given lump size and operating it at the maximum speed, it may be more economical on a long-term basis to use a wider belt with

previous two systems to induce solids in the storage onto the conveyor and then transports the solids in suspension to the receiver vacuum is used in the first step followed by the use of pressure in the second step the most typical application is combines bulk vehicle unloading and solids transport to product storage 4) Fluidized system generally convey prefluidized, finely divided, non-free-flowing solids over short distances Fluidizing is accomplished in a chamber in which air is passed through a porous membrane located at the bottom of the conveyor At the point of incipient fluidation, the solid particles take on the characteristics of free flow Prefluidizing reduces the volume of air required per unit mass of solids transported, and this, in turn, reduces the power requirement Characteristics of the rest of this system are similar to those of regular pressure- or vacuum type conveyors 5) Blow tank pressurized air is introduced into a pressure vessel that is used for the storage of powders and granules If the solid material is freeflowing, it will flow through a valve at the

bottom of the vessel and move through a short conveying line depending on the solid characteristics The blow tank principle can be used to feed regular pneumatic conveyors Vibrating Conveyors Essentially directional-throw units which consist of a spring-supported horizontal pan that is vibrated by a direct-connected eccentric arm and rotating eccentric weights The motion imparted to the solid materials particles may vary, but its purpose is to throw the material upward and forward so that it will travel along the conveyor path in a series of short hops Bucket elevators The simplest and most dependable approach for transporting nonstciky solids in vertical direction The conveyor can be visualized as a belt conveyor with the belt replaced by a series of buckets The latter are linked together to form a continuous chain that moves up and down between rotating top and bottom sprocket wheels Can be enclosed for dust control but cannot operate leak-free for operation with controlled environments or under reduced pressures Common in mineral processing where vertical lifting of abrasive and lumpy material is encountered

General Design Procedures for Solid Transport Equipment Preliminary estimate of the power required for the horizontal movement of solids in a SCREW CONVEYOR

Where: P = Power in kW = mass flow rate of the solid in kg/s L = the length of the conveyor in m The constant accounts for both power components and the type of solid being conveyed

Belt Conveyor

or ( )

SAMPLE PROBLEM: DETERMINATION OF THE POWER REQUIREMENT OF A BELT CONVEYOR A cement clinker solid with a bulk density of 1600kg/m3 is to be transported a horizontal distance of 365 m up an incline of 5o. A troughed belt conveyor has been selected to handle 101 kg/s of this material with a running angle of repose of 19o. Assuming a normal belt speed, what is the minimum belt width that should be selected? What is the power requirement for this solid transport? Actual length of the belt conveyor is given by:

Lift of the conveyor is: Using the equations and graphs given: ( ) ( )( ) ( )( )

The actual power requirement will be at least 10 to 20 percent more to account for the losses in the drive gear and motor. [ Pneumatic Conveyor ( ) ( )]( )

Pneumatic conveying refers to the moving of solids suspended in or forced by a gas stream through horizontal and/or vertical pipes. Pneumatic conveying can be used for particles ranging from fine powders to pellets and bulk densities of 16 to 3200 kg/m3 (1 to 200 lb/ft3). Work of moving the solid: Work in elevating the solid: Work involved in the sliding friction: Additional work: Total friction power: ( ( ) Total power requirement: Pressure drop:

) (

Sample Problem A 0.154m diameter tube is used by a pneumatic conveyor to transport a finely crushed material with a bulk density of 1000kg/m3 at a solids transport rate of 2.5kg/s. The 100m conveyor tube contains two 90o long sweep elbows and provides a lift of 15m. Air for the transport is available from another source at a velocity of 73.4m/s, at a temperature of 38o C, a pressure of 101.3 kPa, and a density of 1.132kg/m3. After compression and cooling of the gas, the inlet conditions to the pneumatic conveyor system are 38 oC and 186 kPa. What is the theoretical power requirement for this solid transport system?