Rotable Bucket Wheel Assembly Demountable Boom Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The maintenance and repair of rotatable bucket wheel assemblies in bucket wheel reclaimers are difficult and costly, requiring disassembly of components, which renders the reclaimer inoperable during maintenance and often necessitates the use of expensive and limited heavy lift cranes.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable bucket wheel assembly designed with a structural frame that allows demountable attachment to a boom, enabling the assembly to be decoupled and transported as a unit for maintenance, using a transfer system with coupling points and connecting mechanisms for alignment and support, allowing for crane-free lifting and relocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If the bucket wheel assembly is disassembled for maintenance, then maintenance access is improved, but the reclaimer becomes inoperable and heavy lift cranes are required
Solution Approach 1:
The bucket wheel assembly is segmented into modular components including the bucket wheel, drive system, drive shaft, bearings, ring chute and discharge chute, allowing selective disassembly and maintenance of individual parts while maintaining overall system functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The bucket wheel assembly can be extracted as a complete unit from the reclaimer boom, allowing the entire assembly to be removed for maintenance without disassembling individual components, thereby maintaining reclaimer operability during maintenance operations
2Ease of repair
If the bucket wheel assembly is disassembled and maintained in place, then maintenance can be performed, but downtime increases and heavy lift cranes are needed
Solution Approach 1:
The bucket wheel assembly is pre-configured with demountable attachment mechanisms to the boom, allowing rapid coupling and decoupling operations before maintenance is needed, thereby reducing overall maintenance downtime
Solution Approach 2:
The complete bucket wheel assembly can be extracted as a single unit from the reclaimer and transported to a maintenance location, eliminating the need for time-consuming in-place disassembly and heavy lift cranes, thereby reducing maintenance downtime
3Ease of operation
If heavy lift cranes are used for maintenance, then the bucket wheel assembly can be moved, but costs increase and equipment availability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
A transfer system acts as an intermediary mechanism between the bucket wheel assembly and the maintenance location, providing controlled lifting and transport capabilities without requiring expensive heavy lift cranes, thereby reducing maintenance costs
Solution Approach 2:
The bucket wheel assembly is extracted as a complete unit and transported using the transfer system, eliminating the need for heavy lift cranes during both removal and installation operations, thereby reducing equipment costs and availability constraints
Data Source
Figure 1~2b
Figure 3a
Figure 3b~3c
AI summary
A bucket wheel assembly (40) includes a structural frame (42) that in use forms a structural part of the boom of a bucket wheel reclaimer. The structural frame (42) supports a bucket wheel (44) having a plurality of attached buckets (46); a ring chute (48) and an associated discharge chute (50). The bucket wheel (44) is attached to the middle of shaft (51), which is supported by two bearings (52). The drive unit is attached to the shaft (51) to provide the rotation torque, and the drive unit is also attached to the structure (42). The structural frame (42) couples to a portion of the boom and transfers the assembly load to the boom when the reclaimer is in operation.