Greetings Hilton,

You still have not told us much in relation to your question.

Question number 1 is:

a. what is your budget for said stock yard and equipment?

What is or what will be the layout of the coal stock yard in question?

Is the stacker reclaimer diesel or electric powered? Do you have access to high voltage three phase power as typically these units require high voltage with a trailing cable and surface rated mine switch gear dragging behind the reclaimer. have you considered the need for power to the stock yard and the number of apliances /switch gears/ wet or dry transformers/regulating transformers/ trailing cables needed? Voltage line drop is a big factor in any case for any high voltage useage.

Have you considered the use of a central horizontal stacker belt with a tripper and WR Stamler belt feeder reclaimer or a Long Airdox belt feeder used in concert with a tracked excavator to load the belt feeder?

Using a central tripper belt allows for a high, long, narrow trapezoidal storage profile and it can be enclosed with a long geodesic dome as well.

Where is it going to be installed? at a fresh water or salt water

port berth?, inland with rail or conveyor delivery to the stock yard?

what type of fire suppression will you have? deluge guns on

towers? hydrants and hose reels at certain locations?

The deluge guns can double as dust control if desired.

Is the end use for steel making or steam generation?

You have not mentioned the type of inbound delivery and this is a necessary item to know simply because the delivery method will be half of the algebra problem.

What grade or grades of coal will be handled?

2.Will the coal stockyard be covered with a roof or enclosed to control fugitive dust or will tarping be used to control dust and reduce coal water run off to reduce pollution of the ground water?

3.Will it have underdrains to direct and control coal waste water runoff to a collection point with pollution control of some type-clarifiers/thickeners/sludge processesing and disposal?

Assuming and I am assuming the stockyard is one continous yard

and as you wish to use a reclaimer and the yard will have a perimiter belt for reclaiming outby and one for feeding inby the stacker reclaimer.

If the conveying distance to the stock yard is one mile or more and the yearly tonnage is one hundred thousand tons or more the capsule pipeline is more efficient-see below- assuming you also control/own the method of delivery to the stock yard location.

If the conveying distance from the stock yard to the point of use is one mile or more the capsule pipeline is a more effiecient method of transport than rail, truck or conveyor/tube conveyor per <www. pnuetrans.net>

Have you considered a geodesic dome for the storage with a central reclaim and stacker as these can be made any size or shape and the central reclaimer is out of the weather as well.

The cost of any reclaim system depends on the initial cost of the reclaimer, depreciation/labor/electricity costs for operation/ operating cost per hour including labor and maintenance costs for repairs and recommended minimum parts stockage/spares.

The main advantages for a geodesic dome enclosed storage is simply control and more control with dry storage and centralised stacking and recliam with low pollution potential and zero rainfall on the coal in storage the dome will also allow for better fire control from potential spontaneos combustion of the coal which is common as it will smolder during storage.

You must have adequate maintenance for the machinery and an adequately trained maintenence department and staff are a necessity.

In the case of the use of capsule pipe line for transport the system itself requires much fewer personnell to maintain the capsule pipeline than a belt conveyor as it has no conveyor belts idlers, splices drive units transfer points etc.

Related to the above if you are going to cogenerate electric power for this stockyard a capsule pipeline will cost even less to operate as you will beusing power made by the plant and not purchased saving a lot money.

lzaharis ■

Please be sure to send me "your" email address ■

Originally Posted by Hilton

Hi all.

I am considering the design and layout of a coal stockyard. The stockyard will have a total capacity of 320 000tons. The coal itself will have a moisture content of 10.5% with density around 900kg/m3 (maximum 950kg/m3). I need to be able to process this material (both stack and reclaim) at a rate of 4000m3/hr.

To achieve this reclaim rate, I am considering two options:

1) A four quadrant bucket wheel reclaimer

2) A drum reclaimer

Is there anyone who can provide me with operating and maintenance costs for these two types of machines in a similar application.

I would also appreciate any information on the expected downtime and the relative reliabilities of these two types of machines.

Finally does anyone have information on the fine material generation (ie material degradation) using these two types of machines.

Thank you

Hilton

Reliability & fines generation will be about the same for either option: Although the drum has less moving elements than the bucket wheel job the real whammy is that when the drum goes down it is "dead in the water"...unless you have a 400 tonne payload helicopter handy. With bucket wheel machines you can sit them on a transfer car & slot them, or a replacement machine, into place at the end of the tracks.

Unless you really want some fancy blending,,& even then,, it's a no-brainer in favour of bucket wheel machines.

For the 3rd time this year alone "I'm amazed that anybody is still making drum reclaimers." If they are out there, just ask them about their pendular leg arrangement.

For a very modest fee..... ■