South Africa: Air cannons solve chute build up

Martin Engineering credited with eliminating blockages.

 

{reg}In South Africa, a high-volume coal handling operation in South Africa has solved material build-up problems in the transfer chute feeding its export silo and discard bin with a strategically-timed series of air cannons that blast the accumulation from chute and vessel walls, preventing bottlenecks and maintaining throughput rates, according to Hub 4.

 

The air cannons from Martin Engineering RSA are credited with eliminating the blockages, which sometimes became so severe that the conveyor had to be shut down until the mass could be dislodged, effectively halting the entire process.

A 50:50 joint venture between Anglo American Inyosi Coal (AAIC) and BHP Billiton Energy Coal South Africa (BECSA), the Phola coal processing plant is fed equally by AAIC's Zibulo Colliery and BECSA's Klipspruit Mine. The twin-module coal washing operation delivers a throughput of nearly 1,200 tons per hour from each module.

The $450 million plant features two mineral sizers, a rotary breaker and two 8,500 ton silos, as well as four stackers and three bucket wheel reclaimers./reg}