I'm looking at an installation with four inline square storage bins, reclaimed by belt feeders for a new Molybdenum operation in Western Australia. We are looking to feed these with a shuttling conveyor. The issue presents itself if the centre two bins go down due to downstream equipment failure and how to get material to the end two bins, without passing over the centre two bins to avoid overfilling them and spilling. With a three inline bin arrangement in another area of the plant we can overcome this relatively easily by ensuring the bin height is sufficient. The three bin arrangement does not have dividing walls between them and by drawing a line up at 60 degrees (conservative internal angle of friction) from the outter two reclaim hoppers, the intersection points of these lines sets the minimum bin height. This enables us to have the centre bin down and pass over it with material flowing without the concern of it over topping, providing the outter two bins are being reclaimed. So back onto the four bin arrangment....using this approach the bin height increase results in a very tall structure, about 45 metres. Not desirable at this stage. Have thought of stopping the shuttle conveyor as it traverses across the "dead" bins, but the feed to it coming from the up the main feed conveyor can not be stopped, so a "mini" bin between the main feed conveyor and shuttle conveyor would be required to hold the materila whilst the shuttle stops and traverses over the dead bin. But at 6500 tph, the "mini" bin required to achieve this is not so mini after all, particularly installed at this location, at height above the bins. Have thought of a fixed main feed conveyor transferring onto two parralel shuttling conveyors. The first one servicing 1 and 2 bin and the other servicing 3 and 4 bin. Would work, but not elegant if you know what I mean.

Has anyone seen a clever installation that overcomes this problem? I've talked to people that have seen many installations in the world but couldn't pin point how its been done elsewhere. I've seen an installation with 10 inline bins feeding 10 cone crushers. Bins were fed by a shuttling conveyor, but if two or more adjacent bins go down, they have to shut down the entire feed system (shuttle, feed conveyor and screening building prior) as the shuttle traverses across the dead bins and then restart the feed. Perhaps I'm being to fussy hear......would really appreciate a suggestion, or perhaps some perspective! ■