I BAU HAMBURG I BAU HAMBURG

Your efficient partner for modern and effective bulk material handling
PLANT DESIGN - ENGINEERING - EPC-CONTRACTING

CEMENT - THERMAL POWER - MINERALS

Central Cone Silos EPC-Contracting

Single silos. Piling.

Ring silos. Civil works.
Multicompart- Steel structure,
ment silos. supply/erection.
From 2 to Electrical/
22 chambers, mechanical
diameters:  supply and
14 to 27 m. erection.

Marine Cement Terminals Silo Conversions

Floating Economic
terminals. modifications
Mini terminals. with advanced
Silo systems. cutting-edge
Dome systems. technology.
Flat storage
terminals.

Cement Carriers Components

Advanced The key for

technology for a well
self-discharging functioning plant:
Cement Carriers Components,
including the all made
Midship tunnel. to measure.

Ship Unloaders Spare Parts

Stationary or
mobile types:
High stock
availability:
I BAU HAMBURG
From the Just-in-time
5,000 class supply
up to the
60,000 class.
of spare parts.
After-sales
Alumina
Service.

Handling Systems
ꇴ + 49 (0) 40 36 13 090 www.ibauhamburg.com info@ibauhamburg.de
H/05/17/Alumina Handling Systems

A HAVER & BOECKER Company

Alumina Handling Systems from IBAU HAMBURG
Bulk material
handling at
aluminium smelter
plants
Modern aluminium
smelter plants are
designed for production
capacities of approx.
600,000 tonnes/year.
There has been a marked
rise in the demands made
on the bulk material
handling of such plants
in recent years.
Besides reliability and
minimum environmental
impact, importance is
increasingly attached to
improved technology and
high process stability.
In this sector I BAU
HAMBURG has proved
itself to be a competent
partner who offers the
relevant technological
expertise, advanced inter-
national experience and
cutting-edge technology
for such plants.
Since the company was
founded in 1975, it has
planned and built well
over 5000 large-capacity
silos alone for the storage
of a wide range of bulk
materials.
As the base materials for
molten-salt electrolysis
fresh alumina (Al2O3) is
required as well as alu-
minium fluoride (AlF6)
and cryolite (Na3AlF6)
as the fluxing agent.
Approx. 1.9 kg of alumi-
na is necessary for 1 kg
of primary aluminium.
Accordingly, a 0.6 Mta
plant uses approx.
1.15 Mta (million tonnes/
annum) Al2O3 and
2 3
Information
IBAU HAMBURG
has solved
the problem:
The bottom under
the cone is
completely covered
with individual
fluidslides, like the
annular area outside
the cone.
The material in the
annular area is con-
veyed into the cone
using a fluidslide
discharge tunnel.
The centre cone
and the covers of the
radial fluidslide
discharge tunnels
are made of concrete
or steel.
The silo bottom does
not only slope
towards the centre
outlet point but also
towards the
fluidslide discharge
tunnel of each
section.
The system provides
for full silo
emptying up to 99%
of the nominal
storage capacity.
Material distribution system at a large-capacity silo containing alumina Alumina silo with airlift feeding, distribution and a discharge system with homogenisation effect.
Alumina Handling Systems from IBAU HAMBURG
approx. 0.01 Mta of the
additive AlF6. Al2O3 is
delivered by rail or ship.
Transport by sea is gener-
ally via Handymax and
Panamax ships with a
capacity of up to 80,000 t.
The most important steps
for bulk material handling
include:
• unloading of ships or
railway wagons
• mechanical or pneu-
matic material trans-
port
• silo storage and load-
ing equipment.
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I BAU storage
technology and bulk
material handling
For alumina a storage
capacity covering the
consumption for a 14-day
production is the mini-
mum requirement.
Large aluminium smelter
plants therefore require
several storage silos with
capacities up to 65,000 t
and silo diameters of
45 m. If material is deliv-
ered by ship, pneumatic
ship discharge systems
are used for unloading
capacities of 600 - 800 t/h.
The material is transport-
ed to the port terminals
via belt conveyors fol-
lowed by a downstream
System for emptying railway wagons
Information
mechanical or pneumatic the material to the storage caused by the fine materi- tem, thus offering opera- discharge is carried out the silo bottom with
vertical mechanical trans- silos via a further al, normally accounting tors of aluminium smelter via sectional aeration of blower air is ensured by
port system also designed mechanical or pneumatic for 5 - 10%, with particle plants improved process the silo bottom. For ho- annular butterfly valves
for 600 - 800 t/h. One transport system. Either sizes < 45 µm. Segrega- stability. mogenisation blending of and components, used as
alternative is to deliver bucket elevators or tion phenomena occur- the material is performed a standard in the tried and
the material via railway so-called airlifts are used ring in certain zones of Its patented system firstly from individual aeration tested central cone silos
wagons or trucks, which here. the storage silo may prevents segregation sections of the silo of I BAU HAMBURG .
provide for direct trans- cause enrichment of the occurring due to dead bottom. The material is
port to the alumina silos An airlift system takes up fine material. areas of flow in the silo discharged from the I BAU silos with aerated
of the smelting plant. little space and does not by ensuring even silo alumina silo at rates of bottom discharge are
involve mechanical de- After discharge in the filling via a distribution 300 - 500 t/h. Storage used to store additives.
There are generally no vices. A nozzle is used to downstream process system with fluidslides. silos with a centre outlet
special conditions for pass the material from an chain this will impair the have proved to be practi- Such silos have a diame-
unloading the wagons. aerated vessel directly to efficiency of the elec- Systematic venting of the cal here. The material is ter ranging between
However, pneumatic a vertical conveying pipe. trolytic cells and increase displaced air firstly pro- discharged downwards 3.0 and 5.0 m and a height
collectors for the alumina HF emissions, thus hav- duces air flows in the silo from the centre outlet via of 12 - 15 m offering a
have proved to be eco- This system provides ing an adverse effect on that prevent dead areas a fluidslide. storage volume of approx.
nomical when installed at for very high conveying the smelting process. of flow and segregation. 150 m3. A silo battery
the emptying system. capacities and high verti- Secondly, the silo dis- Silo discharge is carried with 2 - 3 silos provides
cal distances. Alumina This is why alumina stor- charge system is designed out using an I BAU flow for the storage of
They consist of an in- takes the form of a fine age silos are generally to ensure homogenisation control gate, which pro- approx. 300 - 450 m3 of
clined bottom with white powder with a equipped with a so-called of possible segregations. vides for the controlled additives, which are de-
fluidslides and a dosing relatively small grain anti-segregation system. The silo operates accord- discharge of material. livered either in contain-
device with flow rates of size distribution between I BAU HAMBURG has ing to the "first-in / first- Actuation of the individ- ers or Big-Bags. After
600 t/h, which conveys 1 - 200 µm. A problem is revolutionised this sys- out" principle. Material ual aeration sections of emptying the additives
Silos with truck-loading equipment for additives
Alumina Handling Systems from IBAU HAMBURG
are conveyed to the stor-
age silos pneumatically.
At many aluminium
smelter plants the dis-
tances between storage
silos and the daily silos
for molten-salt electroly-
sis are very large so that
pneumatic or mechanical
conveying is not suitable
here.
The storage silos for the
additives are therefore
equipped with loading
equipment for trucks,
which transport the mate-
rial from the port silos to
the daily silos.
Standard loading
capacities for the trucks
are between 300 - 400 t/h.
6 7
I BAU
silo discharge
With the large silo diam-
eters of alumina silos fea-
turing a central discharge
it is normally extremely
difficult to ensure an
even discharge from
a radial bottom segment.
I BAU HAMBURG has
solved this problem. For
example, a cone measur-
ing 7 m in diameter is
installed in a silo with a
diameter of 44 m on
the inclined bottom of the
silo to provide a storage
capacity of 65,000 t.
The bottom under the
cone is completely cov-
Discharge area under the central cone
Information
ered with individual flu- individual aeration
idslides, like the annular sections. For example,
area outside the cone. 12 sections are provided
The material in the annu- for a 44 m silo. The silo
lar area is conveyed into bottom does not only
the cone using a fluid- slope towards the centre
slide discharge tunnel. outlet point but also
towards the fluidslide
Controlled inlet of the discharge tunnel of each
aerated material into this section.
tunnel from the side is
possible. The centre cone Alternating actuation is
and the radial covers of used for the individual
the fluidslide discharge aeration sections so that
tunnels are made of con- the entire material in the
crete or steel. silo is put into motion
during a complete cycle.
The diameter of the cen- This avoids all problems
tre cone and the number regarding dead zones.
of fluidslide discharge The system provides
tunnels depend on the for full silo emptying up
diameter of the silo and to 99% of the nominal
the maximum size of the storage capacity.
Central steel cone with segmental design
Alumina Handling Systems from IBAU HAMBURG Information

Material discharge in the annular area of the silo via the fluidslide discharge tunnel

Truck-loading equipment with I BAU SIMPLEX loader Typical discharge section in the annular area of the silo

8 9
Alumina Handling Systems from IBAU HAMBURG
In practical terms the flu-
idslides used in alumina
silos do not differ from
those installed by I BAU
HAMBURG in other silos.
The fluidslides consist of
lower boxes provided
with aeration fabric. The
air for aeration is intro-
duced underneath the
fabric and fluidises the
material above the fabric.
For alumina and
additives as required in
aluminium smelter
plants, this fabric
provides for a service life
exceeding 10 years or
several track times of the
electrolytic cells. Inter-
mediate cleaning of the
fabric is not necessary.
10
Information
Pneumatically operated I BAU flow control gate
I BAU modular throughput of different components from
system volume flows. There are I BAU HAMBURG used
a range of drive concepts in the aluminium industry
The conveying elements here. Pneumatic drives such as airlifts, mobile
for alumina and additives are mainly used in loaders and fluidslides
used in aluminium aluminium smelter plants. are also available in the
smelter plants are based required sizes for alumi-
on the tried and tested I BAU flow control gates na and additive handling.
modular system from are available in many
I BAU HAMBURG . different sizes. Sizes The proper functioning of
300 - 500 are used for a plant not only depends
I BAU flow control gates material discharge from on tried and tested cut-
are used for the volumet- alumina silos and provide ting-edge technology but
ric flow control of mass for controlled discharge also the correct dimen-
flows from a silo. An of up to 500 t/h. sioning and design of
adjustable roller is used plant and components.
for this purpose. As alumina is a relatively
free-flowing material, Here I BAU HAMBURG
It offers different roller no special measures or can offer international
apertures depending precautions are necessary experience with such
on the application and for the silo discharge. plants that stands com-
thus provides for the All other machines and parison in all cases. Silo discharge with I BAU flow control gate and downstream closed fluidslide
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Alumina Handling Systems from IBAU HAMBURG Information

Storage silos from I BAU HAMBURG Illustration of an airlift for vertical conveying

12 13
Alumina Handling Systems from IBAU HAMBURG Information

Quality control during production Drive assembly for flow control gates

I BAU flow control gate for bulk material handling I BAU railway wagon unloading

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