Dear Jonathan,

One needs to know the configuration of the chute and skirtboard dimensions. The drag is created by a number of conditions:

1. length and width of skirts - tapered slot back-to-front and/or side-to-side?

2. type of skirt liners

3. length and width of slot above skirt ore flow opening- plan view

4. internal friction coefficient of material

5. wall friction of material

6. ore configuration within chute after a plugged chute stop

7. chute/skirt flow opening configuration

8. wet and soft when plugged and dries to hard and strong?

The material drag can be estimated by the 100 kg of load where we assume it's all to be sheared by the exit opening. This will not be enough. ■

Dear Mr. Jonathan Davies,

The calculation for required force to move the belt below the choked chute, is a complicated matter as mentioned by earlier respondent.

You have a 500mm wide and 5m long belt conveyor under building aggregate material. For immediate solution to your problem, you may open the backside of the skirt board (partially or fully as required / judged) and remove some quantity of material (few cubic feet). Alternatively, you can also remove some material from the forward opening across skirt board. This will remarkably reduce the material pressure on belt and then you may take chance to start the conveyor.

Regards,

Ishwar G Mulani.

Author of Book : Engineering Science and Application Design for Belt Conveyors.

Author of Book : Belt Feeder Design and Hopper Bin Silo

Advisor / Consultant for Bulk Material Handling System & Issues.

Email : parimul@pn2.vsnl.net.in

Tel.: 0091 (0)20 25882916 ■

Hi Johnathon..

Come round to my house on Wednesday evening, and I will show you the quick and simple rule of thumb method to calculate this.

Regards

LSL Tekpro ■