Bulk Material Transport and Handling Systems

Any loose and unpacked material such as sand, crushed stones, blasted coal or rock mass, powdered material are referred to as bulk material. Raw materials for most of the industries are bulk materials. Mining and metallurgical industries are involved in large scale handling of bulk materials. Agriculture, food, textile, and construction industries also use bulk materials. The handling operation of bulk materials include transferring, transporting, size reduction, screening, storing, disposal, drying, weighing, etc. Such operations use different techniques and equipment depending on the characteristics of the material being handled, the quantity being handling and the degree of safety and quality to be maintained. The mining activities is basically bulk material handling. Advanced technology involving application of GPS, tracking using radio frequency are now used in bulk material handling. Advanced Management techniques are applied to optimize the performance of bulk material handling system. Thus to use operation research, management theory to the benefit of the mining industry it is essential to properly understand the technology available and deployed in bulk material handling. This course Bulk Material Handling covers the industrial materials handling machinery and brings out various aspects of their constructions, safe operation, maintenance, and repair. The topics include conveyors, feed and discharge devices, screens, and crushers, and bulk material storage systems. Bulk material properties and flow patterns are examined to help develop methods for improving stockpile design, blending/mixing accuracy and preventing segregation in bins, feeders and chutes. Students will develop the skill of systematic thinking to select components of bulk material handling system for specific situations for optimal performance.INTENDED-AUDIENCE: Undergraduate students of Mining, Metallurgical, Agriculture, Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial and System Engineering.PRE-REQUISITES:Engineering Mechanics, Mechanics of Solids, Introduction to Electrical Engineering.INDUSTRY-SUPPORT: CIL, HCL, NALCO, SAIL, NTPC, NLCIL, HZL, Essel Mining, JSW, BEML, HEC, L&T.

Week 1:Introduction to Mining Systems: Classification of Mining systems and the bulk material handling systems; Properties of bulk material vis-a-vis different bulk handling operations; Fundamentals of Mine Transport: Capacity and Productivity Concepts; Bulk material handling in Processing plants: Crushing and Screening Flow Charts.
Week 2:Automous Vehicle for bulk material transport; Belt Conveyor: Constructional components: Trends of Developments; Belting for Bulk Material Conveyor; Belt Cleaners and Idlers.Week 3:Feed and Discharge Devices; Safety and Troubleshooting; Conveyor Design Calculations: Size selection and Power calculation; Hydraulic Conveying System: Principle of operations and applicability.Week 4:Basic design Calculations; Pneumatic Conveying: Principle of operations and applicability; Basic design Calculations; Stacking, blending and reclaiming; Stackers and reclaimers Classification and their selection criteria.Week 5:Comparison of various types of stackers; Comparison of various types of Reclaimers; Case studies of stacker and reclaimers application; System LayoutWeek 6:Bin, Bunker and Silo: Bulk Solids Flow Properties and Application to Design; Case studies examples to illustrate operational problems and how they were overcome; Feeder Selection and Design; Mineral Processing Plant Equipment; Crushers: Classification and selection.Week 7:Screen: Classification and Selection; Monitoring and maintenance of Processing plant Equipment; Gravity concentration – separation exploiting the differences in specific gravity of minerals via the use of centrifugal concentrators; Size classification – screening, de-sliming, cycloning.Week 8:Froth flotation techniques, Magnetic separation; Jigs and Thickeners; Case Studies of Coal Washery Equipment and Practices; In-pit Crushing and Conveying System: Classification and selection; Case studies.
Week 9:Transportation Machinery for Surface Mines: Off-Highway trucks and Haul Roads; Recent Developments: hybrid system of transportation; RopeCon, Pipe Belt Conveyor; Aerial Ropeways: Basic design.
Week 10:Transportation Machinery for Underground Mines: Rope Haulage; Locomotive; Low profile dumper.
Week 11:Introduction to Cage and Skip Winding; Winding calculations; Safety and mainteance; Case Studies.
Week 12:Automation and Monitoring: Basic Principles; Automation and online monitoring of bulk material handling system.