Clam Shell Gates
Hi Direnzo
Cleveland Potash in the UK used clam shell gates without any problems. The system loaded static rail wagons to 65t and was very reliable.
Envisage the product bin with a short outlet pipe with the clam shell at the bottom, this short section is the choke area. Then below this you have a loading spout you can lower to the wagon
If this is not clear, mail me and I will see if I can get you some kind of drawing. ■
Re: Rail Loading Top Up System
Originally posted by Direnzo
Hi all,
I'm an Undergraduate Engineer employed by a design consultancy and currently involved in a rail 'top up' project.
The site operates at 8Mtpa with all material (Iron Ore) currently loaded on to train wagons through the use of 2 loaders. The client wishes to upgrade the plant and install an automatic train loading system. However, there is still a contractual agreement between the client and the loader operators and as such the client has requested the new facility only top up the wagons to the desired weight.
The weight of each wagon is restricted to 70 tonne as governed by the railway owners however the wagons capacity far exceeds this weight. Due to the inherent nature of manual loaders being unable to accurately fill the wagons, the client suffers the risk of either overloading or under-loading each wagon and as such has requested the top up system accurately fill each wagon to 70 tonne.
The proposed upgrade will see the wagons filled to approximately 60 tonne by the loaders then topped up to 70 tonne through the loading system. After research of such systems a suitable setup for such a task appears to be as follows:
- Wagons are filled to approx 60 tonne by loaders
- Wagons pass through loading system where load cells weigh the wagon
- The necessary amount of material is then placed in the wagon until the desired mass is reached
My question lies in how this last component is completed. I have eliminated the possibility of using a 'clam shell' flooding system as such systems rely on the material becoming choked. In order for the material to become choked the wagon will completely be filled and the maximum allowed rail load exceeded. Am I correct in this being the consequence of using such a system? Most systems I have come across require the train be moving whilst the loader fills the wagon. Do these systems have problems with the locomotive maintaining an exact speed or are they generally reliable?
I’ve come across both fixed position feeders and shuttle systems feeders. Clearly a fixed position feeder would be a simpler and cheaper system however I’m unable to obtain any information on how the flow rates of such systems is regulated. Do these systems use slide gates that vary the size of the opening dynamically? Also, due to the fact that the material in the wagon will have dips and peaks in it from the loader, are there measures that can be taken (ie sensors) which can be used to then vary the flow rate of the material as required. I have heard of rake systems being used to level out the material in the wagon, do such arrangements exist?
Another query I have is whether such top up systems are common and if so what setup is generally employed? At present it appears the loader operators will fill approximately 18 of the wagons (total train length of 126 wagons) at which point these wagons will be passed through the loading system. This however will lead to the operators being unable to work until all wagons are processed and the train has come to a stop. How long approximately will a common system take to fill 18 wagons with 10 tonne each?
Thankyou for any input you can provide. I apologise if my description is lengthy or incoherent, as I am new to the game and somewhat green on the topic. You’re forum has already been an invaluable resource and I look forward to your re
Using the fast, simple and dumb approach: using mine ore skip loader pantleg bins will solve the problem once and for all; contact oldenburg about a pantleg bin system for topping off the gondola cars.
If you want to really impress your boss the skip loaders can eventually be used to replace the car loading crews with one person. ■
Re: Rail Loading Top Up System
I am sure that your supervisor from your group should be providing U with some more guidance.
I assume that a flood loading system is good where the density variation is not much - as used on coal systems.
If U have a FEL loading > and U seem to indicate that the loading profile is not even. U need to determine what the rail co will accept wrt wheel/bogey loadings.
U may have 60T in but not evenly distributed from front to back.
If there is a load limit per bogey, then this will be interesting.
We have a system of travelling shuttle and wagon speed monitoring and loco speed control. It loads tonnes to suit wagon position to get an even load from front to back. All very elaborate and requires some smart programmers.
Locos speed controllers are also special - so limits loco pool.
The whole system is a few $$$.
I think that U should be looking at the FEL loading ops....ie play around with this first. Can U adapt for flood/choke loading > even profile along wagon>>>???
Cheers
James ■
Re: Rail Loading Top Up System
Thankyou for your repsonses. I have heard of scrapers that are placed on the wagon or feeder chute which effectively rake the material to distribute it evenly in the wagon.
Do these systems exist and if so wouldnt they be a cheaper alternative to using sophisticated control systems?
In this way the material in the wagon would be raked after being filled to 60 tonne with the FEL but prior to being topped up and as such the top up system need not account for any dips or peaks? ■
Re: Rail Loading Top Up System
Hi Di Renzo
We are trying to solve the same problem - to top up wagons
( 65 t net) with wet phosphate.
Today the wagons are loaded via one chute & moving train,
so ... overloading and underloading problems.
Our solution: a short shuttle conveyor ( 7 m long) fed via the
existing chute and moving ( in automatic or manual regimes ) at speed of 10 m/min along top opening of an immovable wagon . The head chute of the shuttle will be equipped by TV helping
to the operator to avoid dips and peaks.
Next step - load cell under the immovable loaded wagon.
The project should be completed in 6-8 months and the loading
time is 4.5-5 min/wagon.
Dr Michael Rivkin
Consulting Engineer ■
Rail Loading Top Up System
Hi all,
I'm an Undergraduate Engineer employed by a design consultancy and currently involved in a rail 'top up' project.
The site operates at 8Mtpa with all material (Iron Ore) currently loaded on to train wagons through the use of 2 loaders. The client wishes to upgrade the plant and install an automatic train loading system. However, there is still a contractual agreement between the client and the loader operators and as such the client has requested the new facility only top up the wagons to the desired weight.
The weight of each wagon is restricted to 70 tonne as governed by the railway owners however the wagons capacity far exceeds this weight. Due to the inherent nature of manual loaders being unable to accurately fill the wagons, the client suffers the risk of either overloading or under-loading each wagon and as such has requested the top up system accurately fill each wagon to 70 tonne.
The proposed upgrade will see the wagons filled to approximately 60 tonne by the loaders then topped up to 70 tonne through the loading system. After research of such systems a suitable setup for such a task appears to be as follows:
- Wagons are filled to approx 60 tonne by loaders
- Wagons pass through loading system where load cells weigh the wagon
- The necessary amount of material is then placed in the wagon until the desired mass is reached
My question lies in how this last component is completed. I have eliminated the possibility of using a 'clam shell' flooding system as such systems rely on the material becoming choked. In order for the material to become choked the wagon will completely be filled and the maximum allowed rail load exceeded. Am I correct in this being the consequence of using such a system? Most systems I have come across require the train be moving whilst the loader fills the wagon. Do these systems have problems with the locomotive maintaining an exact speed or are they generally reliable?
I’ve come across both fixed position feeders and shuttle systems feeders. Clearly a fixed position feeder would be a simpler and cheaper system however I’m unable to obtain any information on how the flow rates of such systems is regulated. Do these systems use slide gates that vary the size of the opening dynamically? Also, due to the fact that the material in the wagon will have dips and peaks in it from the loader, are there measures that can be taken (ie sensors) which can be used to then vary the flow rate of the material as required. I have heard of rake systems being used to level out the material in the wagon, do such arrangements exist?
Another query I have is whether such top up systems are common and if so what setup is generally employed? At present it appears the loader operators will fill approximately 18 of the wagons (total train length of 126 wagons) at which point these wagons will be passed through the loading system. This however will lead to the operators being unable to work until all wagons are processed and the train has come to a stop. How long approximately will a common system take to fill 18 wagons with 10 tonne each?
Thankyou for any input you can provide. I apologise if my description is lengthy or incoherent, as I am new to the game and somewhat green on the topic. You’re forum has already been an invaluable resource and I look forward to your re ■