Bucket elevators play a pivotal role in the mining industry, facilitating the vertical transportation of various materials. This equipment, characterized by hoppers fixed on drag chains or belts, efficiently moves dry or pulped ore in a nearly vertical direction. The selection of a suitable bucket elevator involves considering factors such as material characteristics, physical properties, specific gravity, and conveyance requirements.
Factors Influencing Bucket Elevator Selection:
- Material Characteristics:
- Powder, granular, small block, or large block form.
- Physical Properties:
- Presence of adsorption or viscosity, aqueous nature.
- Specific Gravity:
- Design considerations for materials with a bulk specific gravity below 1.6.
- Conveyance Requirements:
- Consideration of the material discharge rate per unit time.
Material Discharge and Elevator Design: The material’s morphology directly influences the discharge mechanism, with centrifugal projectile discharge for powdered materials and gravity discharge for bulk materials. The choice of hopper design, whether shallow, curved, or deep, impacts the handling capacity. The overall conveyor capacity is determined by integrated parameters such as bucket speed, material proportion, properties, and the number of buckets.
Selection Process: The bucket elevator selection process involves a systematic evaluation based on specific gravity, transmission model, material properties, unloading method, hopper design, and the series of bucket elevators, culminating in the determination of the appropriate model.
Performance Parameters: Given the dynamic nature of bucket elevator performance, exact specifications, throughput, chain (belt) speed, and power must be calculated. Preliminary selection using model parameter tables or assistance from conveying equipment engineers streamlines the design selection process.
Belt Hoist Overview: The bucket elevator machine comprises a running section, upper drive rollers, lower tensioning drum, intermediate multi-stage casing, and drive components. It is suitable for transporting materials with a bulk density below 1.5t/m3, with a lifting height of up to 40m. The hopper forms include Q-type (shallow), H-type (arc bottom), ZD-type (deep), and SD-type (deep), each designed for specific material characteristics.
Three Ring Chain Hoist – Type Bucket Elevator: This type features a HL-ring chain centrifugation bucket hoist, designed for large vertical transport of abrasive materials. With components such as moving parts, drive sprockets, tensioning sprockets, and a gravity automatic tensioning device, this elevator is suitable for materials with a temperature not exceeding 250 ℃.
In summary, understanding material properties and operational requirements is crucial for selecting the right bucket elevator, ensuring efficient vertical transportation in mining and minerals industries.
how does a bucket elevator work in gold mining:
A bucket elevator employed in gold mining operates by vertically transporting materials through a series of hoppers affixed to drag chains or belts. Positioned beneath the storage area, these hoppers scoop up the material. As the conveyor belt or chain ascends, it reverses direction after passing the top wheel, depositing the material into the receiving tank. This apparatus is commonly utilized for elevating dry or pulped ore in the mining sector. Engineered to carry diverse materials such as grain, minerals, or fertilizers, the buckets serve as efficient transport vessels[4]. The bucket elevator is well-suited for raising materials from lower to higher levels, offering adjustable conveying speeds to regulate the transported material volume. Renowned for its straightforward design, economical maintenance, high efficiency, and broad applicability, this conveying equipment is widely employed for vertically lifting materials.