Microwave Blocked Chute

Detection Applications
 Microwave switches replace nucleonic devices in blocked chute detection applications

Hycontrol’s Microsense thrubeam microwave switch system is being successfully utilised in demanding blocked chute
detection applications, thousands of miles apart. The installations, one on the primary crusher at Hanson’s Batts
Combe limestone quarry in Somerset and the other on ore chutes at the Bajo de la Alumbrera copper-gold mine in
northwest Argentina, have replaced more expensive and potentially hazardous nucleonic switches.

It is well recognized that transferring bulk solid materials over long or

short distances can present a number of operational problems.
Conveyors, transfer lines, inlet /outlet chutes and inlet hoppers can all
be prone to blocking, bridging or jamming, resulting in severe site
problems including lost production, crippled and damaged plant, lost
material and long down times. This is a worldwide issue and whether
companies are processing stone or gold ore, in Bristol or Buenos Aires,
reliable detection of imminent blockages in chutes before they reach a
critical level is of major importance. Traditional optical methods of
detecting blockages, such as proximity through beam sensors, cannot
cope with the hostile environments encountered at mines and quarries,
where the extreme dust and high vibration culminate in repeated failures when sensitive optics are damaged or
become coated in dust.

As a result, nucleonic devices were considered to be one of the only reliable forms of instrumentation for blocked
chute detection applications that was capable of surviving the extreme hostile environments. The nucleonic switches
are based on a gamma radiation beam source and a
detector. These devices are very expensive to install and,
although considered relatively safe to operate, there is still
concern about safety aspects and the long term
environmental impact. As one would expect, controls on the
use of these devices are extremely strict and extensive
training is required to operate them. They need initial
licensing and also have to be periodically verified, either by
the manufacturer or an authorised external authority. The
nuclear source degrades over time and from an
environmental point of view the disposal must be carefully
controlled, all of which adds further to the cost of
ownership.

Now Hycontrol’s new generation of microwave switches called Microsense is proving to be an extremely reliable,
robust and cost effective alternative, offering operators a 100% safe solution for blocked chute detection. This range
of Microwave level switches provides a simple non-contact, non-intrusive option suitable for many applications on
both liquids and solids. An installation comprises of a transmitter and a receiver, which are mounted facing one
another at distances up to a maximum of 40 m apart. During operation the transmitter emits a continuous, low power,
microwave beam at 24 Ghz to the receiver
and an output relay is energised or de-
energised when this beam is obstructed by
the material being monitored. The switch
trigger point is determined by the amount of
microwave energy received and can therefore
be adjusted to cater for different products
and applications. As microwaves easily
penetrate any surface contaminants it makes
the switches ideal for applications with high
build up on the tank or silo walls, which also
means this switch is immune to problems with
airborne contaminants such as powders or dust.

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Microwave power levels are well below any required industry standards and therefore this device requires no special
procedures for its operation and use. A wide range of flanges and connections make this range extremely easy to fit to
new or existing installations, utilising original process connections if required.

The system is extremely easy to set up and calibrate and a key advantage of this latest generation microwave
technology is its ability to ‘see through’ low dielectric materials such as refractory bricks, ceramics, plastics and
polymers. This means that low cost windows can easily be fitted into the sides of a vessel or container, keeping the
process closed and causing no disruption to material flow. The Microsense probes can then be mounted at some
distance from the application, well away from damaging vibration and abrasion. The switch is adjusted so that the
beam passes unaffected through the windows and falling product, only being triggered if the material being detected
builds up and permanently breaks the microwave beam. If the windows suffer any physical damage or wear they can
be simply replaced, leaving the switch intact!

Two quite different applications highlight the effectiveness of Hycontrol’s non-invasive microwave technology.

Situated on the edge of Cheddar village, Batts Combe Quarry, owned and operated by Hanson Aggregates, currently
processes 4000 tonnes of limestone per day. Primary crusher crash
boxes at quarries are a vital part of the crushing process and it is
essential that adequate warning is given of any potential blockages
before they result in costly plant down time. However given the
ferocity of the environment where huge rocks are being crushed,
peripheral equipment is constantly being subjected to extreme
vibration, impact damage and abrasion.

To overcome these problems at Batts Combe, Hycontrol engineers

and the on site Hanson engineers worked closely together to come
up with the solution of mounting the Microsense switch
components up from the floor beneath the crusher head, 200 mm
back from the walls to prevent the units being shaken to pieces by
the intense vibration. A 60 mm window made in each side of the crash box allows the microwave beam to pass from
one side of the box to the other. In the un-switched state the narrow beam from the transmitter is detected by the
receiver. If the path of the beam is then permanently interrupted by a build up of material in the crash box, the
internal relay is triggered initiating an alarm.

The Bajo de la Alumbrera copper-gold mine, operated by Minera Alumbrera Limited, is located in Catamarca province,
1,100km north west of Buenos Aires. In the absence of alternative switching technology, the company had been using
nucleonic switches for detecting blockages in their ore chutes, but their engineers were keen to find a lower cost and
less onerous alternative. However failure to detect blocked chutes has a major impact on the mine’s productivity so
any replacement had to be 100% reliable. Hycontrol were confident the Microsense would work effectively and to put
the mine’s engineers at rest, they installed the Microsense on one of
the ore chutes on a three month trial. Following the success of this,
the customer was so pleased with the ease of set up and performance
that they have since ordered another 11 systems, with the intention of
replacing the remaining nuclear devices with Microsense systems.

Hycontrol’s sales director Nigel Allen is very pleased with these latest
extreme level measuring successes and as he concludes: “These
applications, in different hemispheres, demonstrate the versatility of
our products and engineering experience. Our range of level
measurement technologies, combined with our expertise and system capabilities, give us the ability to solve extreme
level measuring applications without compromise. The Microsense is rapidly being accepted by mining and quarrying
companies, who are keen to move away from the difficult and costly ownership aspects of nucleonic technology.
There are little or no ongoing costs or maintenance issues with the microwave technology and customers appreciate
the ease of set up and versatility of this new Hycontrol system.

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 To read more of our applications in the chemical, food & beverage, nuclear, water & waste,
recycling, quarrying and metals industries, please go online at hycontrol.com

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