Asynchronous Feeder Blades for High Volume Ore Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional large electric and hydraulic excavators are inefficient due to high unproductive time during loading cycles, leading to increased costs and reduced productivity, especially with the need for expensive equipment and high fuel consumption.
Innovation Solution
A maneuverable stacker conveyor system with paired crawler tracks, an inclined conveyor, and double-hinged feeder blades that operate asynchronously to continuously feed material from an apron to a truck, eliminating the need for an excavator to pull ore and reducing equipment costs by using a bull-dozer for power, thus minimizing the need for expensive hydraulic systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional large electric or hydraulic excavators are used to load material into trucks, then the loading capacity is sufficient (70-80 cubic yards for electric shovels, 45-50 cubic yards for hydraulic excavators), but the productivity is limited by dead time during each loading cycle (typically 35 seconds per cycle)
Solution Approach 1:
The loading system is divided into two independent working sides (left and right). Each side has its own bucket and can load trucks independently and simultaneously. This segmentation allows continuous operation without the idle time that occurs in single-bucket systems when waiting for trucks to be positioned or loaded.
Solution Approach 2:
The dual-bucket system enables continuous loading operation where one bucket is loading while the other is being repositioned or preparing. This eliminates the intermittent stop-start nature of single-bucket systems, maintaining continuous productive action and reducing dead time between loading cycles.
2Productivity
If conventional large electric shovels are used to achieve high loading capacity, then the loading rate can reach about 14,000 tons per hour, but the equipment cost is very expensive (typically in the range of $30 million for a 70 yard shovel)
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the extremely expensive large electric shovel (costing $30 million) with a dual hydraulic excavator system using more affordable equipment. While individual excavators cost less than a single electric shovel, the combined system achieves comparable or superior productivity at a lower total cost, making the expensive equipment effectively replaceable with more economical alternatives.
3Duration of action of moving object
If conventional large electric or hydraulic excavators operate with multiple trucks lined up on either side, then the operating time is maximized, but the truck idle time increases and fuel consumption rises due to the high cost of operating these vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The loading operation is segmented into two simultaneous independent loading zones (left and right sides). This allows trucks to be loaded concurrently from both sides, reducing the total time trucks spend waiting in line and thereby reducing fuel consumption associated with idle truck operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Continuous loading operation from both sides simultaneously reduces the total cycle time and minimizes the duration trucks spend idle in queue. This continuous productive action decreases the overall fuel consumption of the truck fleet by reducing waiting time and improving throughput efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A loading apparatus and method including a stacker conveyor having paired crawler tracks, an inclined conveyor, and an intake end and a discharge end. A wide apron is positioned at the intake end of the conveyor. The apron includes a left-hand side and right-hand side load receiving area that are arranged on opposing sides of the feeder conveyor. Two double hinged feeder blades are positioned at a rear edge of the apron. The feeder blades are arranged to operate asynchronously. Each feeder blade includes a main blade and a wing blade. A straight mechanical drive unit including an engine and two planetary gearboxes that generate the torque required to drive the conveyor. The drive unit includes a torque converter and two planetary gearboxes with planetary sprockets. A chain extends between each planetary sprocket and a corresponding head shaft sprocket on a main head shaft which drives the conveyor.