Conveyor Dust Capture Housing with Segmented Access Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dust formation during the handling and transportation of wet or high moisture content bulk materials, such as coal, petroleum coke, and recycled glass, poses environmental and health concerns, and existing solutions are inadequate in effectively controlling dust and material spillage in conveyor systems.
Innovation Solution
A dust capture and reclamation system for rubber conveyor belts, featuring a housing with idler and return roller assemblies, a trough for material collection, and a mechanism to move granular material to a collection point, along with optional features like spray heads and skirtboards to reduce spillage and enhance dust collection efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a traditional roller conveyor is used to transport bulk materials, then material transport is achieved, but dust and granular material are generated causing environmental and health concerns
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system is divided into separate functional zones: a loading side for material intake, a return side for material transport, and a dedicated dust collection zone. The housing is segmented into multiple compartments with specific functions (idler roller assembly, return roller assembly, trough) to address different aspects of dust control while maintaining continuous material transport.
Solution Approach 2:
A dust collection mechanism acts as an intermediary system between the conveyor belt and the environment. This mechanism includes a trough for capturing granular material and a dust collection system that intercepts dust particles before they are released into the surrounding environment, thus mediating between the necessary material handling and the need to prevent dust generation.
2Ease of operation
If the conveyor belt is exposed to the environment, then ease of operation is maintained, but dust and material spillage are not controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The dust collection system is nested within the housing structure. The trough is positioned underneath the conveyor belt within the housing, and the dust collection mechanism is integrated into the same enclosed space. This nested arrangement provides dust control functionality without adding external complexity or affecting the operational simplicity of the conveyor system.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing provides a flexible enclosure that can be configured to match the conveyor belt dimensions. The housing walls are designed to contain dust and granular material while allowing the conveyor belt to operate with minimal interference. The flexible design enables the housing to adapt to different conveyor configurations without compromising ease of operation.
3Ease of repair
If access panels are added to access roller assemblies, then ease of repair is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented with dedicated access panels for different roller assemblies. The first access panel provides access to the idler roller assembly while the second access panel provides access to the return roller assembly. This segmentation allows repair personnel to access specific components without needing to disassemble the entire housing, thus improving ease of repair with minimal increase in overall structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A dust capture and reclamation system for a rubber conveyor belt having a housing for mounting over a portion of the rubber conveyor belt, a plurality of idler roller assemblies, a plurality of return roller assemblies, a trough for mounting under the rubber conveyor belt to catch granular material falling from the rubber conveyor belt, the trough having an inside surface, a mechanism for moving granular material along the inside surface to a collection point, a first access panel through one side for accessing an idler roller, and a second access panel through one of the pair of opposed side walls for accessing a return roller assembly.