February 1st, 2012

BELT CONVEYORS

Vincent GUILLEMOT

RBL-REI
RBL-REI is active in the field of
bulk handling for:
more than a century through its branch La

Stphanoise.
more than 50 years through REI.
more than 30 years through RBL.

The main activities of our company are:

Handling by belt conveyor

Storage and extraction of materials
Loading and unloading of trucks and wagons
Preparation of materials
Conditioning

RBL-REI activities are made in the following

industries:
Mines
Quarries
Port infrastructures
Processing industries (cement factories,
fertilizers, mineralurgy, etc)
Food industry
Environment (biomass )

CESECO Presentation
1) Belt conveyors / principle
2) Belt Conveyors applications
3) Why choosing a belt conveyor transportation instead of road or rail
mode ?
4) Types of belt conveyors
5) Equipments
6) Calculation and design of a belt conveyor
7) Global procedure for a project

Belt conveyors / principle

Belt conveyors / principle

Subject :
Handling of bulk or conditioned materials from A to B.
Belt conveyors technology has been existing since
1870s. At this time, the first tests had been made with
coton belts without coating and wooden idlers.

Belt conveyors / principle

Belt conveyors / principle

PRINCIPLE

Driving unit
Feeding

Head

Tensioning system

Tail

Belt conveyors / principle

Driving unit :
Composants
Belt

Feeding skirts

Idlers support /
idlers

Scraper

Pulleys

COMPONENTS

Belt Conveyors Applications

Mines and quarries
Tunnels
Ports
Food/fertilizers
Mobile equipments
Airports, automatism
Industries

Mines and quarries

Quarries

VICAT ENIEU

VICAT ENIEU

Mines

Tunnels

Tunnels

Tunnels

Tunnels

TUNNEL

TUNNEL

Tunnels

TUNNEL

Ports
PORTS

Ports

Portuaire

Ports

Portuaire

Ports

Ports

FOOD / FERTILIZERS

Fertilizers

Mobiles Equipments

Portuaire

3. WHY CHOOSING A BELT CONVEYOR

TRANSPORTATION INSTEAD OF A ROAD OR
RAIL MODE ?

Compared to the road transportation

Limitation of pollution

Cost price by transported ton very low

Few security problems

Very low power consumption

Limitation of transshipments (setting/taking back )

Very high reliability of the process

Infrastructure in design and maintenance less expensive

Reduced staff

Compared to the rail transportion

Limitation of transshipments (setting/taking back)

Infrastructure in design and maintenance less expensive
Installation adapted to short and average distances

SOME FIGURES

More than 1000 conveyors of which 35 of more than 5000 m et 50

integrating vertical curves and especial range of horizontal curves
Range of capacities: from a few tph to 20 000 tph
Speed of the belts: between 0.5 m/s to 8 m/s for the fastest.
Power: from a few hundred watts to 10 500 kW.
Length: from a few meters to more than 16 kms.
Rays of horizontal curves : from 150 m to several kms.

Case study

Types of belt conveyors

 Rights, concave or convex conveyors

Curves conveyors
Raising conveyors
Descending conveyors
Generator conveyors
Belt conveyor with two loading strands
Conveyors going through natural obstacles
Extensible conveyors
Change of angle
Stackers
Tripper
Reserve of belt
Belt extractors
Belt with side

On the ground

P.R.S (Reconstitued welded beams)

Gallery

Ground / P.R.S/ Gallery

Tube

Concave belt conveyors

Concave belt conveyors

Convex belt conveyors

Curved belt conveyors

Curved belt conveyors

Curved belt conveyors

TURNING RADIUS
Conveyors with horizontal curves are called : CURVODUC
(mark deposited ).
The first we achieved was commissioned in 1963.
95 % of very long conveyors are conveyors which have
horizontal curves due to the facts of natural obstacles or
agrarian constraints.

CurvoducTM

Curved belt conveyors

Curved belt conveyors

Raising conveyor

Descending conveyor

Generator conveyor
Supply of power to the network

Belt conveyor with two loaded strands

Belt conveyor with two loaded strands

Conveyor going through natural

obstacles
GOING THROUGH NATURAL OBSTACLES
Different solutions:
PRS structure or gallery for a crossing span up to 80 m
Between 80 and 200 m, suspended bridge
Beyond, we start a particular study

Conveyor going through natural

obstacles

Transporteurs passant des obstacles

naturels

Conveyor going through natural

obstacles

Conveyor going through natural

obstacles

Conveyor going through natural

obstacles

Change of angle

Change of angle

Stacker

Extensible conveyor

Diaporama 1

Belt Storage

Belt extractor

Edges Belt

Equipments

Driving unit
Belt

Feeding Skirts

Idlers support /
idlers

Scraper

COMPONENTS
Pulleys

Belts
Belts are characterizes by :
-The type of carcass.
-The type of coating
-The elements of the structure
The type of carcass:
Three types of carcass exist:
- The SteelCord belt.
Made of steel cables.
-The textile belt multipli
Equipped with several fabric folds (coton,
polyester, polyamide, aramide)
-The belt textile monopli
A monopli carcass made of polyester
Polyamide.

Type of coatings :
The coating is the part of the belt in contact with the product, it can be:
- Abrasive Resistant
- Heat Resistant
- Cold Resistant
- Grease Resistant
- Anti-static
- Flame Resistant
- Impact Resistant
- Anti-clogging
- Food products dedicated

The elements of the structure :

The belt can also be equipped with elements of the structure such as:
- Plate
- Chevrons,
- Side
-..

Belt Conveyor Driving

It exists many ways to drive a conveyor:
Thanks to one driving unit or several, connected to one or several pulleys

1 single driving unit connected to a single driving pulley

5 driving unit shared on 4 driving pulleys

Belt Conveyor Driving

Generally, a driving unit is composed of :
-Motor 4 poles 1500 tr/mn with legs.
-High Speed coupling (semi-elastic) / brake
-Parallel or perpendicular reducer
- Low Speed coupling (semi-rigid) or
Reducer with hollow shaft
2 Driving Units with Hollow Shafts

Note : For inclined conveyors, a back stop system is recommanded

Booster
Booster function is to reduce the belt tension

Booster

Cleaning
Cleaning :
The cleaning of the belts is an important
element in designing conveyors. Il is
generally done by Scapers with blade
type underlying or tangential.

scraper

On long conveyors, systems of belt returns

are generally employed.

Underlying scraper

Tensioning system
Tensioning systems:
Every conveyor is equipped with a tension system to:
- Permit the power transmission by friction between the driving
unit and the belt.
- Absorb the differences of belt length due to belt extension.

Three main systems of belt tension exist:

1/ Screw tension for conveyors with low Axis Distance Center
2/ Gravity counterweight
3/ Tension with electric winch.

Tensioning system
Gravity Counterweight through take-up pulley

Tensioning system
Gravity Counterweight through horizontal trolley

Tensioning system
Electric Winch

Covers
Hooding
Complete hooding

Covers
Hooding
Protection of upper strand only

Safety

Safety
Emergency wires along the belt conveyor
Clogging detector
Speed switch
Belt Deviation switch

Control Box

Supervision screens

Calculation and design of a belt

conveyor

Parameters to calculate and design

a belt conveyor

Product :
Physical characteristics :
Density
Pulverulent (cement)
Round (fertilizer)
Abrasive (clinker, granite )
Liquid (muds)
Granulometry ( 0-1000 mm)
Sticking (clay)
Cutting (glass, slate)
..

Chimical charcterisrics :
Corrosive
Explosive
Dangerous
..

The type of the product will determine the length, the speed and
the belt coating.

Parameters to calculate and design

a belt conveyor
Implantation:

The implantation of a conveyor is necessary for:

- The power calculation
- The implantation of the elements of the conveyor and in particular, the tensioning
system.
The environnement of the conveyor is also important (interior, exterior, wet, dusty,
wind, seism, snow, etc. ..)

Parameters to calculate and design

a belt conveyor
Capacity :

The capacity of a belt conveyor is reached thanks to the trough capacity

Formed by the belt on the idler supports.

For example, the sectional capacity of this type of through is 0, 39 m.

With a belt speed of 1 m/s, the flow is: 0,39 m3 x 3600 s = 1404 m3/h.
For a product with a density of 2 at a speed of 2,5 m/s and an angle of dynamic slope angle of 10
The calculated flow of the conveyor will be of: 1404 x 2 x 2,5 = 7020 tph

Capacity (usual table) :

 Idlers/Idler supports:
Idlers are the rolling metal support
A Idler support can be equipped with 2,3 or 5 idlers according to
conveying needs.
Generally, they are with 3 idlers for the superior parts. For inferior
parts, conveyors can be equipped with plate or V idlers at 10.

Transitions :
The transition of the trough is the necessary length to put the belt on trough, it
is determined in function of the type of the belt and the angle of the trough.
In a usual way, we consider that the transition must not be inferior to 8 times
the depth of the trough.

 Pinching
The idlers pinching is important for the belt to
be well-held on the track. The upholding of the
belt is done by the friction belt / idlers.

Idlers:
Idlers are greased for life and generally
have standard diameters (89, 133, 159 mm
or more).
The idlers are determined in function of the
product load, the idlers supports span, and
the belt speed.

 Functioning timetable:

Special idlers :
The idlers can be equipped with special coatings:
- Rubber for shock absorber idlers.
- Rubber rings for the anti-plug

Calculation and design of a belt conveyor

A conveyor is determined by 2 phases:

- The choice of the belt and the trough angle of the conveyor.
- The calculation of the power of the conveyor.

Example of calculation :
Example for a conveyor having the hereafter characteristics:
Axis distance center: 100 m, rectilinear.
Slope: 5,7
Product: scories (scoria)
Flow required: 800 tph
Density of the product: 1,3 t/m3
Dynamic slope angle: 10
Maxi speed of the belt: 2 m/s
Maxi loading rate: 70%
Determination of the belt width:
The researched flow in m3/H is of 615 m3/h
The maxi speed being of 2 m/s, the flow at 1 m/s will so be of 308
m3/h.
With a maxi filling rate of 70 %, the belt flow has to be of 440 m3/h

Selection

Filling rate with a belt of 1200 mm , trough 30 : 61%

Calculation of the conveyor :

In our case :

P3 = 1,5 * 1,2 * 2 = 3,6 KW

PT = 13,14 + 21 + 3,6 = 37,7 KW
PM = 37,7 /0,9 = 42 KW soit : 45KW

 Choice of the belt:

This hereafter calculation allow to
make a approach of the type of the
belt for a conveyor with simple
geometry and one motorization.
- Angle denroulement :
200,
- FS between 8 and 10.
(security factor)

In our case, with the use of a belt with a security coefficient to junction 1:
K = CR * PT
CV V

K = 17 * 37,7
1
2

The belt will be of Trioflex 400 type or more

K = 320 N/mm

CHARACTERISTICS OF PRODUCTS -1-

CHARACTERISTICS OF PRODUCTS -2-

CHARACTERISTICS OF PRODUCTS -3-

CHARACTERISTICS OF PRODUCTS -4-

CHARACTERISTICS OF PRODUCTS -5-

CHARACTERISTICS OF PRODUCTS -6-

Global procedure of a project

GLOBAL PROCEDURE OF A PROJECT

Analysis of the customers needs

Seeking solutions
Calculation
Phase of achievement

ANALISIS OF THE
CUSTOMERS NEED

 Lifespan of the equipment

Annual flow and time to reach
Daily, monthly and annual mode of use
Characteristics of the product (density, granulometry,
moisture, abrasion etc.)
Geographical considerations between the feeding point and
the discharging point
Obstacles to be taken into account
Constraints of environment (pollution, dust and noise)
Safety constraints

SEEKING SOLUTIONS

Elements to be taken into

account
Altimetry of the ground
Natural obstacles such as rivers, cliffs, etc .
Obstacles of infrastructures such as roads, railways,
powerlines, etc .
Predimensioning of the conveyor with an approach of the
possible horizontal radii by sections according to the
various efforts in the belt

CALCULATION AND
FIGURING

In starting
In steady state operation
In normal deceleration, emergency stop
In the event of electrical supply network shutdown

CALCULATION OF BELT STABILITY

IN HORIZONTAL CURVE

DYNAMIC CALCULATION

PHASE OF ACHIEVEMENT

 Validation of the alignment and of rise

Validation of the means of self-supporting quality
on the ground and dimensioning of the bridges
or tunnels
Phase of construction
Phase of assembly
Phase of tests

Validation of belt conveyor route and profile

Validation of supporting structure design (on the
ground and in elevation)
Fabrication and procurement
Erection and commissioning phase
Tests phase

THANK YOU FOR YOUR

ATTENTION