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Effective Transfer Chute Design including Dust Control for Handling Grains
and other Products

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Effective Transfer Chute Design including Dust Control for Handling
Grains and other Products

Timothy J. Donohue1*, Alan W. Roberts1, Craig Wheeler1, Dusan Ilic1, Andre

Katterfeld2
1
TUNRA Bulk Solids, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, 2308, Australia
2
Institute of Logistics and Material Handlings, University of Magdeburg, Germany
*Corresponding author. E-mail: Timothy.Donohue@Newcastle.edu.au

Abstract
The effective design of transfer chutes is of utmost importance in the materials handling
chain to ensure reliable flow of the product being transported. In addition to this, the control
of fugitive dust is needed to meet occupational health and safety standards as well as
environmental concerns. In the design of transfer chutes classical continuum methods [1]
(Roberts, 2003) are available to utilise as well as more recent computational techniques. This
paper presents the well-established continuum method as well as two computational
techniques available to analyse flow through transfer chutes. Discrete Element Modelling
(DEM) is an excellent tool to model and visualise the granular flow through a transfer chute,
while Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is more focussed on the flow of air (and dust)
through transfer chutes. Details of these modelling techniques will be presented in this paper
as well as case studies to illustrate the application of these methods. By way of example, one
case study will demonstrate the advantages of fast, controlled density, accelerated flow in a
grain ship loading chute in which the dust emissions during grain loading were reduced by up
to 60%. This problem was solved by pilot scale testing in combination with computational
simulation.
Key words: transfer chutes, dust, modelling, grain
1. Introduction
In many bulk material handling operations the major dust problems result from the loading,
unloading and transfer operations of belt conveying systems. The magnitude of this problem
is identified by the U.S. Department of Labor (1987) [2] which cite these areas of belt
conveyor operations as the most frequent sources of dust emissions. For example, a
particular mine in Australia uses 85x106 litres of water to control dust generation in only
seven conveyor transfer stations. In terms of water usage alone, the annual use for dust
control would be very significant indeed, but in addition to this other external energy sources
such as dust extraction fans are also used. Given that the use of water or other external
energy costs increase running costs, there is a great need for passive dust control systems.
As the tools for effective transfer chute design are discussed in this paper the theme of
passive dust control is also present.

The modelling of granular flow is itself a very complex task, and is affected by a number of
factors including the implicit material properties, the plant geometry and the interaction of
these two (wall friction). In the past when analysing the flow of material through a conveyor
transfer station the well-established continuum method [1] (Roberts, 2003) has been used in
which the stream of material is treated as a continuum and some other relevant assumptions
are made. However, as the continuum model does not deal with individual particles, there is
no facility available to study the flow of dust through a transfer station. Another of the other
main tools available for studying granular flow is Discrete Element Modelling (DEM), which
models individual particles and makes calculations based on Newton’s laws of motion at very
small time steps. While it is not possible to model dust directly using DEM, it can serve as a
valuable design tool for transfer chutes in a similar manner as the continuum method does.
The last design tool discussed in this paper is Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), which
can model the dust directly through a multiphase simulation. The purpose of this paper is to
present an overview of these design tools and illustrate how they can be used effectively in
the design of transfer chutes, with a particular focus on dust control.

2. Continuum Method

The continuum method, developed by Roberts (1969) [3], is a design tool developed for the
analysis of streamlined flow of the bulk solid through a transfer chute. It has been shown
that streamlined flow is a very effective flow mode for passive dust control. The continuum
method primarily deals with hood sections (Figure 1a) and spoon chutes (Figure 1b) and is
based on a lumped parameter model. The basis for the continuum method is shown in Figure
1. The application of the continuum method to an industrial case study is discussed at a later
stage in this paper, and the reader is referred to the work of Roberts [1,3] for further details
on the specifics of the continuum model.

Figure 1: Chute Flow Models (Roberts [1, 3])

3. Discrete Element Modelling

Discrete Element Modelling (DEM) is a numerical method for simulating the flow of granular
bulk solids. The basic principle of DEM is to model each individual particle as a separate
entity that can undergo a range of forces as in reality. These forces typically include gravity,
contact forces with other particles and walls, with cohesive and adhesive forces being
typically applied as well if the bulk solid is cohesive in nature. Calculations for the forces, and
resulting displacements, are made for every particle at very small time steps throughout the
simulation. As a result, DEM simulations can be very computationally intensive. The reader is
directed to [4] (Gröger and Katterfeld, 2007) and [5] (Katterfeld and Gröger, 2007) for more
fundamental information about DEM and its uses in bulk solids handling.

For a first evaluation of the dust emission in a transfer chute, it is often sufficient to analyse
the material flow in the system, which can be done using DEM. Generally, it can be said that
dust is generated where there is an abrupt change of the particle speed or direction. These
changes in direction cause a change in the porosity of the bulk solid which has a twofold
effect;
  A bulk solid dispersing or dilating, for example during free fall, will tend to induce air
into the falling stream of material
 A bulk solid that is being compacted, for example in an impact zone, will cause an
exhaustion of air
Within a transfer chute, there will always be a certain amount of fine particles suspended in
the air. These suspended dust particles become important in the impact zones where there
will be a large exhaustion of air. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure a smooth redirection of
the material flow with a minimum loss of momentum. Furthermore, it is necessary to ensure a
compact material flow as any dispersion of the flow will increase the porosity, thus leading to
an increase in the air flow induced into the stream. This dispersion can potentially create
more dust as it will need to be exhausted from the granular stream upon impact. With the
help of these two guidelines for smooth redirection and compact material stream, it is
possible to evaluate the general dust emission behaviour of many transfer chutes.

As an example of this type of approach, consider the two designs of a transfer chute
presented in Figure 2. The figure shows a comparison of the steady state material flow in a
transfer chute with the original design (left) and the optimised design (right). The design
criteria discussed previously can be easily evaluated via the simulated particle flow and the
particle velocity (particle colour).

Figure 2: (a) Original Design (b) Optimised Design

The above example shows the benefits of implementing the basic guidelines of ensuring a
smooth redirection of flow and a compact material stream. The main advantage of this type
of approach over a method such as the previously discussed continuum method is the ability
to visualise the effect that the change in geometry has on the flowing granular stream. While
the use of DEM on its own, or in conjunction with the continuum method, has its benefits, air
flow patterns can only be visualised through the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).
This is discussed in the following section.

4. Computational Fluid Dynamics

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a numerical modelling technique that can be used
for a wide variety of applications. A great deal of literature exists covering the fundamentals
of CFD and the associated set of equations that are solved. The focus of this paper is on the
use of CFD and how it can assist in analysing transfer chute flows, so the reader is referred
elsewhere to the great wealth of information that exists for a detailed explanation on the
fundamentals of CFD.
For transfer chute analysis using CFD, a multiphase simulation is typically used, of which
there are two main approaches. The first approach is known as the Eulerian-Lagrangian
method where the fluid phase is treated as a continuum and the dispersed phase is solved
by tracking a large number of particles. This method is limited to small volume fractions, as
computationally the process for large volume fractions is too intensive. However, this method
models the real behaviour of the particles where a coefficient of restitution is defined
between particle to particle and also particle to wall. The other method is the Eulerian-
Eulerian approach where all of the phases are treated as interpenetrating continua. This
approach requires the solid dispersed phase to have a low value of dynamic viscosity so that
it can be modelled as a fluid. This method can be used to solve flow fields for densely
packed solids. However there is no direct accounting for the friction between the solid
phased and the walls.

To illustrate the combined approach of continuum and CFD modelling, a case study is
presented in which a grain ship loading chute is analysed. A pilot scale test rig was built to
investigate a range of chutes, with each chute being evaluated in terms of dust generation.
The pilot scale test rig can be seen in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Pilot scale test rig

Using the previously described continuum method and the design guideline of keeping the
stream concentrated, a constant radius spoon was designed to replace the original chute.
Photos of the chutes used in the scale modelling can be seen in Figure 4. Using a DustTrak
aerosol monitor, the average dust concentration level for the series of tests showed more
than a 50% reduction in dust compared to the original loading spoon. The reduction in dust
levels were attributed to the concentrated product stream entraining the dust. A complete
overview of this pilot scale testing can be found in the work by Wheeler et al (2007) [6].

Using CFD, a further optimisation of this chute was found through the inclusion of a
converging section leading into the constant radius spoon. The two geometries for the
loading spoon chute that were used in the CFD modelling can be seen in Figure 5. For this
CFD modelling, a three phase Eulerian-Eulerian simulation was used which included an air
phase, a solid dispersed phase of 1mm particles, representing the grains, and also a solid
dispersed phase of 0.1mm particles representing the dust. A full discussion of the CFD
simulation can be found in Donohue et al (2009) [7].
Figure 4: (a) Original design with spring loaded gates (b) Constant radius spoon revised design

Figure 5: CFD modelling results for two spoon chute geometries (a) Standard chute (b)
Converging chute
Results for the volume solid fraction for the grains as they flow through the two chutes can be
seen in Figure 5. As the figure shows, the converging section has the effect of streamlining
the flow and concentrating the flow towards the back wall of the spoon chute. The impact
angle with the back wall is also smaller in the converging chute, which leads to faster
discharge velocities from the spoon chute (evident by the smaller burden depth of material
discharging from the chute). Comparisons of the dust profiles can also be made, with Figure
6 showing the volume fraction of dust through the cross-section at the discharge point. As
the figure shows, the top layer of material at the discharge point for the standard chute
contains a significant proportion of dust. In comparison, the top layer of the material for the
converging chute contains almost no dust. The principal reason for this is due to the dust
becoming better encapsulated in the material stream due to the converging section. This is
advantageous as when the material travels through the chute and discharges on to a
 stockpile the encapsulated dust within the material stream will be embedded into the
stockpile thus reducing the amount of dust that becomes airborne. Experimental testing in
the pilot scale test rig supported these CFD findings in that a further 20% reduction in dust
was found through the use of the converging chute compared to the standard chute.

Figure 6: Comparison of dust volume fraction through the cross-section at the discharge poin
for (a) Standard chute, and (b) Converging chute
5. Concluding Remarks

A well-established continuum method in addition to two numerical modelling techniques has

been presented as possible options to approach the design of transfer chutes. In particular,
the design of transfer chutes with respect to dust control was discussed. Methods such as
the continuum method and DEM can be useful as a first approach in designing transfer
chutes for optimum dust control performance, and when used the basic principles of fast,
controlled density, accelerated flow should be maintained. However, to investigate the flow of
air (and dust) directly in transfer chutes then the numerical tool of CFD is necessary. A case
study was presented to highlight the use of CFD in approaching the problem of controlling
dust in transfer chutes.

6. References

[1] Roberts, A.W., 'Chute Performance and Design for Rapid Flow Conditions', Chemical
Engineering Technology, Vol 26, 2003.

[2] U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Dust Control
Handbook for Minerals Processing, 1987.

[3] Roberts, A. W.; An Investigation of the Gravity Flow of Non-cohesive Granular Materials
through Discharge Chutes, Transactions of A.S.M.E., Jnl. of Eng. in Industry, Vol. 91 (2),
Series B, 1969, pp 373-381.

[4] Gröger, T.; Katterfeld, A.; Application of the Discrete Element Method in Materials
Handling: Basics and Calibration; Bulk Solids Handling Vol. 27 (1), 2007, pp 17-23

[5] Katterfeld, A; Gröger, T.; Application of the Discrete Element Method in Materials
Handling: Transfer Stations; Bulk Solids Handling Vol. 27 (3), 2007, pp 158-167

[6] Wheeler, C.A.; Krull, T.; Roberts, A.W.; Wiche, S.J.; Design of Ship Loading Chutes to
Reduce Dust Emissions, Process Safety Progress, Vol. 26 (2) 2007, pp 229-234

[7] Donohue, T.J.; Roberts, A.W.; Wheeler, C.A.; McBride, W.; Computer Simulations as a
Tool for Investigating Dust Generation in Bulk Solids Handling Operations, Particle and
Particle Systems Characterisation, Vol 26, 2009, pp 265-274.

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