Bucket elevators are conveying devices that elevate material vertically from a lower level to a higher level. For those looking to buy a bucket elevator, here is an article that discusses its design and precautionary tips to be considered before you order.
Design of Bucket Elevator
The bucket elevator in general consists of the following components:
- Head discharge section with drive shaft
- Boot section with take-up assembly and inlet
- Intermediate
- Leg Casing
- Seals
- Elevator buckets and standard belt (belt is optional as per request)
In the basic bucket elevator, buckets are attached to a chain drive or a reinforced belt. The chain drive basically moves slowly while material pulsates heavily.
- The leg or a reinforced belt design is generally used in the grain industry.
- This belt travels very quickly and creates a high frequency of pulsation.
- Bucket elevators are considered as constant speed devices as it produces constant discharge velocities.
How working methodology differs with speed requirement
- Slow speed: Wherever flow pulsation on slower moving elevators is needed mechanical damping is utilized.
- High Speed: Higher speed elevators cause more material abrasion due to higher discharge velocities.
AAG Engineering Technologies has expertise in designing the Bucket Elevators catering to your requirements. Through our years of experience, we ourselves can analyze your requirements and guide you in designing of perfect bucket elevator that will not only suit your needs but also would deliver long-term robust performance.
Precautions to be taken while designing Bucket Elevator
When using a bucket elevator, precautions should be taken to improve its efficiency or it may hamper the overall process. Listed below are few tips:
- Dead box arrangement: Inaccurate arrangement of the dead box can limit the impact and wear on the inlet.
- Material flow: It should be tuned to the volumetric capacity of the weigh feeder. The inlet should always have enough material to allow for consistent shearing.
- Overfilled inlet: If the inlet is overfilled, it could jam or plug and damage the belt or shear gate.
- Underfilled inlet: If the inlet is underfilled, the material profile won’t be consistent for optimum weighing accuracy.
- Low-Speed Bucket Elevator: In order to reduce the speed of pulsation, knife or rod gate valves can be used effectively to dampen flow pulses.
- Mounting of the valve: The valve should be mounted at an opening that will provide the most effective damping without causing material plugging and/or backup.
- High Speed Bucket Elevator: For high discharge velocities, a dead box arrangement can help limit the velocity and reduce wear when required, if the material is abrasive. The use of the gate valve is not required with a high-speed bucket elevator.
We at AAG Engineering not only offers the bucket elevator that is tailor made but we continuously develop to suit ever increasing plant and process requirements with higher performance, flexibility and service life.
The quality, strength, and reliability of our bucket elevators have made them outstanding and efficient vertical transport for any kind of bulk material under severe operating conditions and in continuous operation.
These factors copied with the low initial capital outlay and minimal maintenance requirements during their long service life makes AAG’s bucket elevators the most popular choice for elevating the bulk materials.
For additional information on these or other AAG products please visit www.aagengg.com or if you wish to enquire about our products contact our sales team at sales-west@aagengg.com.
