Coursecode: wb3412
Coursename: Bulk Materials Handling Systems and Equipment

DUT creditpoints: 2.5
ECTS creditpoints: 4

Subfaculty of Mechanical Engineering and Marine technology
Lecturer(s): Gerstel, dr.ir. A.W.

Tel.: 015-2786706
Catalog data:
Bulkterminals, logistics, grabcranes, beltconveyors, stacking equipment, wheel-on-boom reclaimers, weighing and dosing, bulk materials properties and mechanics, silos, hoppers, feeders, mammothsilo's, conventional blending piles, circular piles, homogenizing, buffering, wheelreclaimers and scrapers.		 Course year: 4
Period: 0/0/2/2
Hours p/w: 2
Other hours: 0/0/2/2
Assessment: Oral
Assessm.period(s): 1, 3, 4
(see academic calendar)
Prerequisites:
 wb3406a, wb2307, wb2302, ctme209, wb3408a.
Follow up:
wb3407a, wb3407b
Detailed description of topics:
  • Analysis of the design and operation of bulkterminals. Functions and requirements, lay-out, input-, output- and
  • other handling equipment. Discussion of several concepts for the slewing upperpart of stacker-reclaimers equipped with
  • wheel-on-boom. Concepts to support the lower part with wheels and bogies on the rails.
  • Strategies of the building and recovery of the storage piles. Regular versus random built stockpiles in the stockyard lanes. Consequences in view of outputcapacity and use of ground area. Alternative machine for wheel-on-boom devices, operating over the width of the storage lane.
  • Equipment and strategies for loading inland ships and barges with bulkmaterial.
  • Logistic aspects regarding number and lengths of unloading berths, waiting time of ships, pattern of arrival and degree of occupation of the unloading cranes.
  • Construction and functioning of beltconveyors, determination of resistance forces. Accelaration of the input material. Driving force and power at the driving drum, possibilities of a two drum drive. Types of belt stretching devices. Combined operation of electric motor and fluid clutch during start of the conveyor. Optimisation of the trough of the conveyor.
  • Weighing and dosing, necessity and location of weighing devices in bulk materials handling facilities. Several weighing principles, static weighing of silos, dynamic weighing of belt conveyor load.
  • Analysis and judgment of several types of feeders from viewpoint of process control and mechanics.
  • Blending pile systems, composing, homogenisation and buffering function. Building and reclaiming strategies and equipment. Construction and functioning of scraper and wheelreclaimer. Application of probality theory to predict homogenisation efficiency.
  • Characteristics of bulk material as cohesion, adhesion, distribution of particle sizes, specific mass and internal friction. Elementary mechanics, stresses and forces, circles of Mohr, angle of repose, active and passive shearing of the material.
  • Construction and operation of silos, formulas for vertical and wallpressure, analysis of bridging in the hopper. Material flow patterns in the silo.
  • Mammothsilos, construction and operation of the input- and outputequipment, especially the screwconveyor. Massflow and resistance forces on the screw in relation to the diameter, the pitch of the screw, as well as the number of revolutions around the srcew axis and the central column.
Course material:
A.W.Gerstel: Bulk Material and Equipment. Drawings and annotations.
References from literature:
  • Bulk Solids Handling, International Journal
  • Book "Silos and feeders", F.J.C.Rademacher, c.s
Remarks (specific information about assesment, entry requirements, etc.):
Main subject in final study in Transport Technology
Goals:
  • Explanation and demonstration of methods for the analysis and design of bulk handling systems and equipment.
  • Application and integration of basic disciplines in the design proces. Learning thinking in materials movements and behaviour. Intuitive and mathematical judgment. Specification of selection criteria.
Computer use:
Laboratory projects:
Design content: 100 %