If you are feeding pellets, keep slope around 12 Deg to prevent roll-back.

Frequency control AC drive looks appropriate as you handle materials with densities varying from 0.8T/m3 to 2.2T/m3.

Location of drive and take up will depend on layout of plant. A reputed conveyor manufacturer will give you advice. ■

Greetings Bulent,

If you have room you should consider five storage domes with a common below grade reclaim tunnel for movement of blast furnace sinter, coke, pellets,lump ore, fluxes and ferrous material.

As silos will freeze up if the weather is very cold.

The domes could be fed with a twenty four inch delivery belt above the dome structure with a belt tripper at each dome. a dome will allow for easier inventory control and reduce moisture to a minimum and it can remain in the same foot print of a silo.

Another option is a common longtitudinal dome for all products used in separate piles and eliminating the need for a silo in any case and their potential problems. a dome will eliminate a need for a heavy foundation.

The dome or domes would utilise a common reclaim tunnel below grade with individual stacker reclaim units using twenty four inch belts and separated by walls or a large distance with in the dome structure.

A common reclaim tunnel will allow you to place all the domes or reclaims in one line with little effort and construction as it will be a cut and cover set up with box culverts useed for the tunnel itself. The reclaim should have a small apro feeder at a right angle to the take away belt to allow for easier maintenance,

The conveyor componenets:

The head pulley will need to be away from the blast furnace mouth with a chute to drop materials in to the furnace.

The drive unit can be on the ground near the storage domes and still do its work very effectively as middle drive unit. This will alllow you to use a hydraulic take up unit with little trouble as middle drive units typically have them installed within the drive unit itself.

You must insure you have a substantial foundations for same. The drive unit should also have a jib crane set in the same foundation to allow for maintenance. The jib crane should long enough to extend over and beyond both ends of the drive unit and allow for carrying rolls of belt and heavy components such as gear boxes and electric motors.

You must ensure a substantial foundation for the drive unit as it will be generating huge amount of force in two directions. A substantial foundation is also needed for the tail pulley.

Rubber lagging should be incorporated in the drive and head pulley. a beater pulley should be used in the tail pulley to aid in belt cleaning.

The splices:

Hot vulcanised splices are the least worrysome and they do not leak, this is not to say that mechanical splices are not good as well but they leak unless you use a lot of latex caulk often to seal them.

The conveyor:

A tower mounted conveyor will require substantial

piling foundations to resist wind load.

Many conveyors are enclosed in thier entirety to reduce the effect of weather on the belt components and to reduce the amount of material being blown off the belt-case in point is the new conveyor belt installed at the Fort Drum army base when it was upgraded the conveyor was installed inside tubular sections to facilitate installation speed and maintenance.

Walk ways should be installed on both sides of the belt for maintenance repairs and inspection.

The belt controls:

We got along very well with belt timers and standard controls until they were replaced with Square D PLC controls as our conveyor belt distances were over 7 miles.

With your short distance and work load a simple belt control may be best even with the use of dome storage and a reclaim tunnel with a small apron feeder under each rclaim.

You have not mentioned whether you are using a scale system for inventory control, a weigh and dump system(tippy dump) is very good for geenral use.

The conveyor for ore delivery to the dome or domes will need one motor drive unit gear box-typically 480 volt three phase.

The delivery belt to the blast furnace will require one drive motor and gear box which is incorporated in th edrive unit.

The reclaim apron feeders if used are typically 480 volt three phase.

The stacker reclaimers will require at least three motors 480 volt three phase per reclaim unit and they will pack a large amount of material-blast furnace feed materials in a small space with easy reclaim and inventory

The added advantage of a reclaim tunnel is all the wiring is run in one space out of the weather.

Making the installation as simple and linear as possible will reduce your headaches, maintenance and problems in the long run.

You have not mentioned rail access or egress for

your project will you be using belly dump cars or a rotary car dumper/tippler for delivery of blast furnace ore, sinter, coke etc?

Will you utilise a a rail car spotter for moving the railcars or a locomotive?

Will you own and operate the rail component?

George, John, lyn, Mr. Nordell my apologies if I missed something.

All the regular members of the forum are very willing to help you so do not hesistate to ask a question. ■