TY - THES

T1 - Airflow in transfer points of conveyor belts for bulk material handling

AU - Schartner, Peter

N1 - embargoed until null

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - Dust created in mining operations poses a threat not only to the environment but also to the labourers engaged in production processes. One of the greatest sources of dust is the material handling process. The transfer points located along conveyer belt systems in the bulk material handling operations are the areas where most of the dust is produced. In countries where water supplies are limited, engineers must come up with alternative solutions to control the dust created in mining operations. The Dust Project focuses on passive dust control. To optimize passive dust control, it is essential to understand the shape of the air currents in the transfer points along the conveyer belt systems. In order to study the air currents within these transfer points, I designed a test rig which models these kinds of transfers. The test rig was designed such that experiments with different drop heights could be conducted. Furthermore, the rigs design allows one to incorporate different chutes. The material stream can be guided by impact plates and chutes, just like in a real transfer point. Additionally, a part of the test rig can be separated by a gate which allows the air to slow down in order for dust particles to settle. The experiments illustrated that the shape of the transfer can influence the air currents. This can help optimize the passive dust control in conveyer belt transfer points.

AB - Dust created in mining operations poses a threat not only to the environment but also to the labourers engaged in production processes. One of the greatest sources of dust is the material handling process. The transfer points located along conveyer belt systems in the bulk material handling operations are the areas where most of the dust is produced. In countries where water supplies are limited, engineers must come up with alternative solutions to control the dust created in mining operations. The Dust Project focuses on passive dust control. To optimize passive dust control, it is essential to understand the shape of the air currents in the transfer points along the conveyer belt systems. In order to study the air currents within these transfer points, I designed a test rig which models these kinds of transfers. The test rig was designed such that experiments with different drop heights could be conducted. Furthermore, the rigs design allows one to incorporate different chutes. The material stream can be guided by impact plates and chutes, just like in a real transfer point. Additionally, a part of the test rig can be separated by a gate which allows the air to slow down in order for dust particles to settle. The experiments illustrated that the shape of the transfer can influence the air currents. This can help optimize the passive dust control in conveyer belt transfer points.

KW - Staubentwicklung Passive Staubkontrolle Förderbandübergaben Luftströmungen

KW - transfer points belt conveyors passive dust control air flow

M3 - Master's Thesis

ER -