An Excuse To Say Bunker Hunt
To 3)
The usual solution to avoid blocked chutes in UK coal mines, later discovered by the American mines, was a storage bunker.
Many varieties of bunker existed: the 2 most poular were the Fletcher Sutcliffe Wild moving bed bunker & the Walker Horrocks (Butterley) moving car bunker. A moving bed bunker shifts the material to & fro as demanded by a heavy duty chain flight conveyor whilst a moving car bunker retracts or advances material over a free running supportive belt.
Moving bed operation is 'en masse' & therefore needs a bit of umphph.
Moving car operation is just tractive effort & requires sod all power...on the flat. Unfortunately these superb machines have been lost underground & their potential is not seen out in the open air. If you are aware of the terms 'bunkering in' & 'bunkering out', as you now are, you will appreciate that there is no place for blocked chutes in a new design. It is very easy to incorporate a bunker into a chute. Too easy for some who prefer to do it the hard way.
I used to have a copy of the UK National Coal Board booklet on Underground Storage Bunkers but they told me I shouldn't read it because it was only for mine managers & higher. We made the things but weren't supposed to know about them. A leftover from the Second World War build up. ■
Unplugging of Belt Conveyor Chutes
alternatives unplugged chute in belt conveyors
Dear friends:
i have a question in case that one conveyor have a plugged load chute:
i know many options
1) the drive unit and conveyor component must be design to start under plugged condition but
advantage: always conveyor start under plugged condition and minimized deat hour during emergency stop of conveyor
disadvantage: oversize of all conveyor component and more investment cost and low electrical motor efficiency
motor-coupling- gear, and fluid coupling have 1.6 torque factor.
2) i am not sure but the conveyor mus be used VFD
advantage: high torque and eliminate fluid coupling and unlimited capacity transfer torque (theorical)
dis advantage: more complex control system and more investment cost
3) i ear that in a mining operation there are ancillaries unit (low speed and high torque) for plugged situation.
advantage: running unit drive is optimal
disadvantage: more cost to one additional unit drive
4) the unit drive is not design to start under plugged chute and the chute will have design (special gate) to reclaim the material with tema of man.
i wait you reponse and comments to know wich is better option or also is designer criterial
if you have any experience in this matter advantage and disadvantage are true o lie
thaks in advance
Daniel Carrasco
Mechanical Engineer ■