Bulk Material Handling – Conveying & Silos

911metallurgist.com/blog/bulk-material-handling

David December 15, 2016

Michaud

After beneficiation we now need to focus on the storage handling, and transport of the
mined product which can be ore or coal to get it to the customer. As the products of
mining are mostly grain able materials that are handled by disciplined known as bulk
materials handling, which is the specialty of the discipline of mechanical engineering. In
most cases, only a small proportion of the mined product can be sold to local customers
which makes it necessary to use appropriate methods of handling and transportation to
take the product to an export facility which maybe a long way away. Usually before the
ore leave on a ship, it has been through multiple handling processes. After processing
the ore is blended and stack on stock piles before it is dispatched of site using conveyors
rail to rail transport. Belt conveyors are typical means to transport bulk materials over
shorter distances or road rail transport are the preferred for long distances.

Once the product arrives at the port facilities it is discharged and stacked on stockpiles
gangue before it is finally loaded onto belt carriers to be exported overseas.

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The procedures with the design of a storage and handling
plant and equipment are mostly well established, and they
follow our basic steps; determination of bulk material
characteristics such as float properties and bulk strength,
determination of the handling and storage equipment
geometry to ensure the desired capacity and flow patents
with acceptable characteristics for reliable and predictable
discharge, load estimation on storage structures like bin and
hopper rolls, as well as on the feeders and the shoots under
operating conditions. Design and detail in the handling
plant including the structure and machinery.

The characterization of the bulk material properties involves

the determination of the strength and flow properties of the
bulk solids under operating conditions. These include;
conditions during loading and consolidation during storage.
They must take account of environmental factors such as
temperature and humidity. Laboratory tests are usually
performed to measure physical properties including: Shear
strength, yield strength, flow properties, internal and wall friction angle, and bulk
density of bulk material. Different types of storage systems are used to accommodate
the ore at different stages on its way to the customer. The most common of these are:
stock piles and storage bins and silo. Whenever large quantities of ores are to be
accommodated, stock piles are the most spaced and cost efficient option.

Stock piles can be formed by dumping into piles from trucks ad pushing it to hips by
dozers or by delivery unto a pile from a conveyor boom. A more controlled method to
operate stock pile is the chief by the use of stackers and recliners. Alternative storage
options, or smaller quantities are bins and silos. These are rectangular or seemingly
upright structures with a tape and hopper at the bottom to facilitate discharge of
materials to trucks, conveyors or entrain in the picture while widens.

There two major modes of flow recognize in material that are moving through a hopper,
these are known as mas-flow and funnel flow. In mas flow the whole bulk material is in
motion at every point within the bin during discharge. With mas flow the first ore in is
the first ore to be discharged. Mas flow requires steep smooth hopper surfaces, with
narrow broth transitions. If the hopper wall inclination is too low and all the surface
roughness is too high, funnel flow will occur. This flow patent is the first in last out
principle with the top surface fading to the centre and folding to a vertical flow channel
that forms above the opening. Bulk material handling systems or the handling of
granular products are mostly made up of stationery equipment including conveyor
belts, stackers, recliners, tracks and roll car dumpers, and ship loaders. This is usually
combined with storage facilities such as stock yards, stock piles and storage silos.

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At the interface between storage and transport systems, mas transport systems such as
transfer sheets and feeders are used. The function of a feeder is to control the meter the
gravity flow of bulk solids from bin to stock piles.
Maintaining direction at the correct speed or different
flow rates while minimizing impact forces and wear.
Transfer sheets are used in conjunction with feeders to
direct and discharge material flow onto a receiving
conveyor or to redirect the flow from one conveyor to the
next. Belt conveyor are the most widespread continuous
transportation system in bulk material handling
operations. Every bulk materials behave in a different
way, and its properties depend upon a multitude of
parameters. It’s important to get the handling and
transport equipment in a mining situation right.
Inefficient or ineffective handling equipment can have
significant cost implications for a mining operation.

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