Originally Posted by Swapna K

Hi all,

I'm working in a Cement Plant and we've been encountering the following problem for the last two days due to which work is held up at site.

We have a Deep Pan Conveyor Belt and the gallery carrying the same is operating at a height of 65m. It's designed to carry a material that has to be cooled down to 110 degrees but at site it's only being cooled down to 200 degrees due to which the conveyor belt has to be changed every once in six months. For a span of every 15m, the gallery is resting on the trestle supports below.

Now, the problem is the replacement of this belt. There are high wind loads in the last three days and The trestle below doesn’t seem to be able to take the belt pulley load(about 5-7 tons) which is already erect. Due to the wind loads, the pulley is swaying sideways and hitting the trestle sides, resulting in bending in the trestle below. Also, The take up pulley is hanging freely in air and the counterweight load+pulley load are too high, that the trestle's bending fiercely. There are neither staircases nor any platforms in the 60m trestle structure. Thus the belt couldn’t be pulled up and replaced. Can you present with any feasible solution for the same.

Thank you,

Swapna.

I would be more worried about the trestle falling over if it is bending as you describe.

assuming replacement of the system is desired end.

It also sounds as if the trestle foundation is shallow and or the steel used to build the trestle is too thin a metal gauge.

Many power plants in high wind areas enclose their belts in a metal shell with a walkway for its entire length and they use heavy steel to make a squre tube to support the conveyor.

The power plant at the Fort Drum army base enclosed its belt in a large diameter pipe on towers to eliminate the wind loading.

The take up could then be replaced with a hydraulic take up and set on the ground.

lzaharis ■

Hello,

Can someone explain me how to calculate the load on the belt conveyor gallery due to Vertical gravity take up?

Ravi ■

Originally Posted by mrbits

Hello,

Can someone explain me how to calculate the load on the belt conveyor gallery due to Vertical gravity take up?

Ravi

A conveyor belt gallery is typically referred as an underground installation in my case anyway.

Are you referring to the tension per square inch at rest of the belt or the weight of the take up weight including the frame rails, wore rope, weight basket, pulley, bearings, and guards, and the weight of the belt that is wrapped around it or the wind loading per sqaure inch of exposed surface area?

It also depends on whether the gravity take up is attached and ground mounted using a railed sled on an incline or under the frame of the belt suspended above ground but attached to a steel frame under the belt. ■

Originally Posted by mrbits

Hello,

Can someone explain me how to calculate the load on the belt conveyor gallery due to Vertical gravity take up?

Ravi

If I take your question at face value, then the load on the gallery will be equal to the gravity take-up weight. ■