Section 2 | Loading the Belt

Figure 8.1
Whatever the cargo’s
source, the material
is almost always
transferred onto the
receiving conveyor
through a transfer chute.

Chapter 8

Conventional
Transfer
Chutes
Functions of a Conventional Transfer Chute...................................................... 101
Factors in the Design of Chutes.. ................................................................... 104
Safety Concerns......................................................................................... 113
Typical Specifications................................................................................... 113
Advanced Topics......................................................................................... 114
The Work of Chutework............................................................................... 115

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 Conventional Transfer Chutes | Chapter 8

In this Chapter… Because conveyors usually do not stand

In this chapter, we focus on conventional alone but are part of complex systems,
transfer chutes: their function, design, compromise is often necessary during de-
and specifications. We discuss a variety of sign. Consequently, these objectives are not
methods that can be used to safely manage absolute requirements but rather the goals
material flow, decrease wear, and control for the design of an effective transfer chute.
airflow to minimize dust and spillage and There are many “rules of thumb” for de-
preserve the life of the chute. An equa- signing conventional transfer chutes based
tion for calculating valley angles is also on experience and engineering principles.
included. Sometimes these rules overlap or conflict.
A conveyor receives its cargo from other Chute design is a combination of science
and art, so it is always wise to consult a
8
conveyors, storage containers, feeders,
mobile equipment, rail cars, or other conveyor engineer experienced in design
materials-handling systems. Although the systems for specific bulk-materials handling
sources may vary, the materials are almost applications. (See Chapter 22: Engineered Flow
always transferred to the receiving convey- Chutes for a discussion about advanced chute
or through a device called a transfer chute design.)
(Figure 8.1). This chapter covers conven-
Transferring the Material
tional transfer chute design.
The primary function of a transfer chute
Because each material and each ap- is to reliably transfer the bulk material at
plication has its own characteristics, an the specified rate of flow. If the material
effective transfer chute must be more than will not flow reliably through the chute,
just a hollow vessel through which mate- then meeting any or all other objectives is
rial is channeled. A well-designed chute irrelevant.
will control the flow path of the material,
prevent blockages, and minimize spillage Bulk materials should flow through a
and dust, thereby reducing plant mainte- transfer chute evenly and consistently. A
nance costs. The designer of an effective transfer chute that places surges of material
chute must take into consideration not only onto the conveyor belt poses a number of
the bulk-material characteristics, which problems for the conveyor system. Periodic
may vary over time, but also the material’s heavy deposits of material on the belt may
interaction with various parts of the overall cause the center of gravity to shift and the
system. belt to track off-center. Surge loading also
has the potential to over-stress the compo-
nents of the conveyor system, particularly
FUNCTIONS OF A CONVENTIONAL the drive motor or the belt-support system,
TRANSFER CHUTE and may lead to plugging problems if the
A conventional transfer chute accom- cross-sectional area of the chute is too
plishes its purpose when it achieves the small.
following objectives (Figure 8.2):
Figure 8.2
A. Provide the transfer of the bulk material A well-designed
at the specified design rate without plug- conventional transfer
ging chute provides
the transfer of the
B. Protect personnel from injury bulk material at the
specified design rate
C. Minimize escape of fugitive materials without plugging,
D. Return belt scrapings to the main mate- while minimizing risk
rial flow to personnel and the
escape of fugitive
E. Be service-friendly material.

101
 Section 2 | Loading the Belt

New methods, such as computer-based also be large enough to reduce dust emis-
Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) meth- sions by allowing sufficient volume to
od, are now available to verify that mate- reduce the positive pressure and the veloc-
rial will flow reliably. The vast majority of ity of the air flowing in and through the
conventional chutes are still designed based transfer.
on long-used “rules of thumb.”
There are a number of interrelated
Protecting Personnel design elements that affect the creation of
fugitive materials in the form of dust and
While open transfers are common in
spillage. A key factor in reducing material
some industries such as aggregate and
escape is the placement of the cargo in the
underground mining, the trend in con-
8 ventional chute design is to enclose the
center of the belt.
transfer point as much as possible from the Off-center loading—placing the cargo
discharge pulley to some distance along the predominantly on one side of the belt—is
receiving conveyor. Simply enclosing the a problem at many transfer points that con-
transfer point is an effective way to contain tributes to generation of fugitive materials
the bulk material, reduce the escape of (Figure 8.3). The problem is most com-
fugitive materials, limit noise, and prevent mon on non-linear transfer points, where
the exposure of personnel to the conveyor’s the material’s direction of travel is changed.
numerous pinch points. Off-center loading can also be found on
in-line transfer points, where material has
Minimizing the Escape of Fugitive accumulated within the transfer chute or
Materials when changes in material characteristics
The size of the enclosure is often based (such as moisture content, particle size, or
on the space available, which can lead to speed) have altered the material’s trajectory,
a less than desirable design. The transfer resulting in material being piled deeper on
chute should be large enough to allow any one side of the receiving belt. This dis-
service that might be required. It should placement causes tracking problems and
may result in spillage over the edge of the
belt outside the transfer point (Figure 8.4).
Figure 8.3
Off-center loading— Although the ideal is to design a transfer
placing the cargo chute to prevent the problems associated
predominantly on
with off-center loading, there are solutions
one side of the
belt—is a problem at that can be implemented within the loading
many transfer points zone to compensate for it. Training idlers
that contributes to and other belt-aligning systems are limited
generation of fugitive in their ability to counter the effects of
materials.
off-center loading. Installation of correc-
tive measures, such as deflectors or flow
aids within the loading zone, in combina-
Figure 8.4 tion with belt-aligning systems, provides
Off-center loading an effective approach. (See Chapter 16: Belt
results in material Alignment for more information.)
being piled deeper
on one side of A number of fixtures—such as deflec-
the receiving belt, tors, liners, baffles, shapers, screens, grizzly
leading in turn to
bars, or rock boxes—can be placed within
tracking problems
and material spillage. the transfer chute to help direct the flow
of material and provide a balanced load-
ing pattern; they are discussed later in this

102
 Conventional Transfer Chutes | Chapter 8

chapter. The geometry of loading gates lifting heavy sections of chute wall or other
or chutework should be calculated during components to be serviced. Many suppli-
the design of the chute, based on expected ers provide service-friendly arrangements
material flow patterns, to promote center- of their components only to have these
ing of the load. features canceled out by the design of the
structure or by the placement of utility
Returning Belt Scrapings to the piping and conduits or other components
Material Flow (Figure 8.6).
Belt cleaners are installed at the discharge
Simply providing sufficient space for
pulley to remove residual material that has
access and setting the work platforms at
adhered to the belt beyond the discharge
point.
heights convenient for service will go a
long way toward making a transfer chute
8
The material removed by cleaners should service-friendly. The Conveyor Equipment
be returned to the main material flow so Manufacturers Association’s (CEMA) BELT
that it does not build up on the walls of the CONVEYORS for BULK MATERIALS, Sixth
head chute or other components. Conse- Edition, provides recommended clearances
quently, a large dribble chute that encloses around chutes. (See also Chapter 26: Conveyor
the belt-cleaning system with steep walls is Accessibility.)
usually required to accommodate the re-
It is often necessary to put scaffolds or
moved material and direct it back into the
work platforms inside the transfer chute for
main material stream. Carryback has high
adhesion, so whenever possible, the dribble
chute should have steep, almost vertical Figure 8.5
walls. In transfer-point
design, the
Accomplishing this design objective may shallowest angle
require the use of oversize chutes, low-fric- is the valley angle
between two
tion chute liners, and/or auxiliary devices
chutewalls.
such as vibrating dribble chutes, air can-
nons, and scavenger conveyors. (See Chapter
14: Belt Cleaning.)

When designing a transfer, it should be

kept in mind that the shallowest angle is
the valley angle between two chutewalls
(Figure 8.5). The steeper the valley angles
need to be to minimize the adherence
of carryback, the steeper the wall angles
must be. To achieve a given valley angle,
wall angles with even steeper pitch(es) are
needed. Whenever possible, the corners Figure 8.6
should be rounded to reduce opportunities
A conveyor can have
for the buildup of fines. its service-friendly
capabilities canceled
Being Service Friendly out by the placement
of utility piping and
Designing the transfer chute so that com- conduits and other
ponents can be easily accessed for service components.
is critical to efficient maintenance. Often
this is as simple as designing the structure
to accommodate the preferred location
of components or providing a means for

103
 Section 2 | Loading the Belt

maintenance. It is not unusual for the setup A conventional transfer chute usually
and teardown of the scaffold to take longer consists of the following basic parts (Fig-
than the maintenance task. Installing ure 8.7):
brackets or pockets to accommodate work
platforms inside the chute (away from the A. Head chute
material flow) is an effective practice that The area surrounding the head pulley
will save a considerable amount of time. of the feeding conveyor

Designing the transfer chute so that B. Drop chute

maintenance on critical components can be The area where the material is in freefall
performed without confined-space entry or
8 “hot work” permits will improve mainte-
nance productivity.
C. Loading chute
The area where the material comes
in contact with the receiving belt (also
A transfer chute that is easy to maintain
called the load zone)
and clean will be one that is maintained
and cleaned, leading to more production D. Settling zone
and less downtime. (See Chapter 26: Conveyor
While not technically part of the trans-
Accessibility and Chapter 28: Maintenance for
fer chute, an extension of the chutework
more information.)
attached to the transfer chute to settle
airborne dust
FACTORS IN THE DESIGN OF
System Parameters
CHUTES
The following are the minimum param-
Conventional Transfer-Chute Design eters a designer must have before starting
Conventional transfer-chute design is to design a transfer chute between two belt
normally done by an experienced designer conveyors:
or bulk-materials handling engineer us-
ing industry-accepted “rules of thumb.” A. Rated capacity—tons per hour (st/h)
Many engineering firms establish their B. Ambient operating environment ranges
own design rules; many industries have C. Bulk density as conveyed—kilograms
developed consistent approaches to chute per cubic meter (lbm/ft3)
design that solve issues particular to their
D. Loose bulk density—kilograms per cu-
needs. While these various rules may vary,
bic meter (lbm/ft3)
there is general agreement on at least the
order of magnitude for many of the design E. Bulk-material classification—size distri-
requirements for conventional chute design. bution, material characteristics, and any
Guidelines for the design of conventional special conditions
transfer chutes have been published in a F. Discharge and receiving belt widths,
number of references. The following is a speeds, and trough angles
brief summary of some of the more com- G. Cross-sectional area of the load on the
mon design rules and approaches. belt—square meters (ft2)
H. Process flow sheet showing sequence of
Figure 8.7 conveyors
A conventional I. General arrangement drawing showing
transfer chute plan and elevation views, critical di-
usually consists of
the following basic
mensions, and the planned relationship
parts: A) Head Chute, between the discharge and receiving
B) Drop Chute, C) conveyors
Loading Chute, and
D) Settling Zone.

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 Conventional Transfer Chutes | Chapter 8

Many times, the listed capacity for con- stream will first impact the head chutewall.
veyors is down-rated 10 to 20 percent from From there, the material stream is assumed
its actual engineered capacity, for several to be reflected from the chutewall much
reasons. De-rating the capacity allows for like a light beam being bent with a series
surge loads, reduces spillage, and provides of mirrors. CEMA’s BELT CONVEYORS for
a factor of safety in meeting the specified BULK MATERIALS, Sixth Edition, provides a
throughput. When sizing transfer chutes, detailed discussion of calculating and plot-
the conveyor’s full load and cross-sectional ting material trajectories.
area should be used.
The most common mistakes made at this
The material’s angle of repose is often stage of design are developing an incor-
used in conventional drop chute design to
represent the angle of internal friction and
rect initial material trajectory and failing to
consider the effects of friction when plot-
8
interface friction values of the bulk mate- ting subsequent reflections of the material
rial. The angle of repose is also used for es- stream from the transfer chutewalls.
tablishing the minimum slope of chutewalls
and the height of the material pile on the The current thinking in transfer-chute
inside of the skirtboard. In addition, the design is to control the stream of bulk ma-
angle of repose is often used for calculating terial and not allow it to free fall from the
the head load or weight of material on a discharge to the receiving belt. With this
belt that must be started with a full hopper controlled approach, the designer assumes
above it. While widely used for these pur- the material cross section does not fan out
poses, using the angle of repose for these or open up significantly. Drop heights are
calculations is often unsatisfactory, because minimized to help reduce material deg-
the angle of repose does not represent the radation, dust creation, and wear on the
ability of the bulk material to adhere to receiving belt.
itself or chutewalls. This approach requires some knowledge
A better course would be testing the of the friction values between the bulk ma-
properties of the actual material as it is terial and transfer chute materials. DEM
conveyed through the system. This material method is being used in conventional chute
testing will establish the range of bulk-ma- design as an aid to the designer in assessing
terial properties that the drop chute must the effects of changing properties, such as
accommodate. It will also help eliminate the coefficient of friction. There are several
the most common mistakes made in the DEM software packages on the market
design of transfer chutes: the assumptions designed for this purpose.
of maximum lump size and the differences
Distance, Angle, and Overlap
between bulk density as conveyed and loose
between Conveyors
bulk density. (See Chapter 25: Material Science
for additional information on material properties Ideally, all belt-to-belt transfers would be
and testing.) in-line: The discharging and receiving belts
would run in the same direction (Figure
Material Trajectory 8.8). This type of transfer allows for suf-
The path the bulk material takes as it ficient belt overlap in order to avoid loading
is discharged from the delivery conveyor on the transition area of the receiving belt,
is called the trajectory. Trajectory is af- where the belt goes from flat at the tail
fected by the speed of the belt, the angle pulley to its full trough angle. Transition-
of inclination of the discharging belt, and ing in this manner also makes it relatively
the profile of the material on the belt. In easy to place the material on the receiving
conventional transfer-chute design, the belt with the load moving in the direction
trajectory is plotted and used as a starting of the belt, thus reducing unnecessary
point for estimating where the material wear and spillage. In-line transfers are

105
 Section 2 | Loading the Belt

often incorporated into systems in order More typically, a change in the direction
to reduce the length of the conveyor when of the material movement is required as
insufficient drive power or tension is avail- one conveyor loads onto another (Figure
able for a single belt, to extend the length 8.9). A non-linear transfer may be required
of the conveyor system, or to accommodate to accommodate changes in material flow
mechanisms to blend, crush, or separate direction, to allow for diverting the material
the material. for stockpiling, or for splitting the material
for separation.
Figure 8.8
Problems associated with non-linear
With in-line conveyor
transfers, the
transfer points include: difficulty in main-
8 discharging and
receiving belts would
taining the material’s proper speed, tra-
jectory, and angle; problems controlling
run in the same dust and spillage; and issues of increased
direction.
wear on (and the resulting higher cost for
replacement of) transfer-point components.

If material is loaded on the belt in a

direction that is not in line with movement
of the receiving belt, wear patterns may
Figure 8.9
become visible on the inside of the head
A non-linear transfer (discharge) chute. These patterns will cor-
may be required
to accommodate
respond to the path the material takes as
changes in material it bounces off the inside of the chute as it
flow direction tries to attain the direction and speed of
required by site the moving belt. Although turbulence may
restriction or to
not be visible as the load exits the skirted
allow for material
separation or area, the ricocheting movement of the
stockpiling. material within the transfer chute acceler-
ates wear on liners, skirtboard, and sealing
systems. The force of the loading material
may mistrack the belt and push it out from
under the skirting on one side of the belt,
allowing the sealing strip to drop down
and preventing the belt from returning to
its centered position. The belt will attempt
to return to its center as material loading
changes, forcing the belt into contact with
the sealing strip and cutting through the
strip, resulting in significant spillage oppor-
tunities (Figure 8.10).
Figure 8.10
Fortunately, a number of strategies and
Off-center material
components can be employed to guide the
loading may push the
belt out from under flow of material into the desired direction
the skirting, allowing of travel and load it onto the center of the
the sealing strip to receiving belt.
drop down where the
belt runs against the The most common mistakes made in
seal.
the transfer chute design stage include not
providing enough overlap of the conveyors.
This leads to loading on the belt transition

106
 Conventional Transfer Chutes | Chapter 8

and not allowing enough room for install- that might fall from the belt as the belt
ing belt cleaners. Without attention to changes from troughed to flat on the head
proper conveyor design, including sufficient pulley. The inlet area of the head chute
overlap, the operation is burdened with a should be controlled with dust curtains on
conveyor that plugs often, generates loads the carrying sides and barrier seals on the
of fugitive material, and creates excessive belt return side, because these areas are key
wear problems. factors for controlling the amount of air
flowing through the transfer chute (Figure
Loading in the transition area of the re- 8.12).
ceiving belt is done in an attempt to reduce
costs by saving a few meters of conveyor Once the bulk-material flow direction has
length. It is recognized that this practice
creates numerous problems in loading, seal-
been changed by the first contact with the
head chute, material is often channeled into
8
ing, and belt wear and should be avoided. drop (transition) chutes. These drop chutes
can be extended with duct-like chutes that
It should be noted that in order to reduce place the material stream into proper align-
the load absorption requirements and ment with the receiving conveyor. All of
dust creation opportunities of a conveyor these drop chutes need to be steep enough
transfer system, drop height should be kept to prevent the bulk material from stick-
at a minimum; however, engineered hood ing to the walls; they also need to be large
and spoon designs use gravity to maintain enough to prevent plugging.
material flow speed (Figure 8.11) and
often require greater drop heights in order It is commonly accepted that the drop
to implement them. Engineered spoons chute cross-sectional area should be a mini-
provide many benefits and should be con- mum of four times the cross-sectional area
sidered as part of the original design or as of the material profile. It is also commonly
part of the requirement of a future retrofit.
(See Chapter 22: Engineered Flow Chutes.) Figure 8.11
Engineered hood and
Design Considerations of the
spoon designs use
Transfer Chute gravity to maintain
The volume of the head (discharge) material flow speed.
chute around the discharge pulley is usually
dictated by the general arrangement of the
conveyors, access requirements for service,
and the initial material trajectory.

Head pulley diameter and face width

help determine the width and height of
the head chute. The space between the
chutewall and the pulley rim should be
small enough that large lumps are not able Figure 8.12
to pass from the carrying side to the return To control the air
and are not caught between the pulley and flowing through the
the chutewall. A typical space is 50 to 75 chute, the inlet area
millimeters (2 to 3 in.) per side. Mainte- should be controlled
nance of the pulley and pulley lagging as with dust curtains on
the carrying side and
well as access to the shaft bushings should barrier seals on the
be considered in making this decision. belt return side.

The head chute should start at the last

full transition idler on the delivering con-
veyor to help contain any fugitive material

107
 Section 2 | Loading the Belt

accepted that the minimum dimensions (Figure 8.13). It is important to provide

for width and/or depth should be at least enough clearance between a deflector and
2.5 times the largest lump expected to pass the head pulley of the discharging conveyor
through the chute. Many designers increase to prevent large lumps from blocking the
these ratios based on their experience with passage or cohesive material from adhering
particular materials. In some cases, where to the plate, which could cause the transfer
the bulk material is uniform in size and free chute to plug.
flowing, these ratios can be reduced, espe-
cially when the chute is engineered using Once the material flow leaves the first
the specific properties of the bulk material point of contact with the chute, it may be
being conveyed. necessary to fine-tune the flow of the mate-
8 The loading (receiving) chute width
rial on start-up of the system. Deflectors,
or “kicker plates,” are often included in the
should be designed to maintain the mini- original plan or installed at start up to steer
mum belt edge necessary for sealing and the material flow.
accommodating mistracking. (See Chapter
11: Skirtboards.) During the start-up of a new conveyor
system, it is common practice to install
The most common mistake made at deflectors within the loading chute to help
this stage of design is making too abrupt a center the load. The process of getting
transition between the drop chute and the a desired flow path through the chute is
loading chute, creating chutewall angles often one of trial and error. These deflec-
that promote buildup leading to plugging. tor plates should be field-adjustable so they
Current design practice is to use valley can be repositioned to achieve the desired
angles at a minimum of 60 degrees, with effect. They should be accessible to allow
75 degrees preferred (Figure 8.5). efficient replacement. Inspection and access
points are critical to observing and main-
Managing Wear and Material Flow taining the proper direction for deflected
The transfer chute is usually designed materials.
for full flow and a consistent material
Load placement may be enhanced with
path. However, the flow of a bulk mate-
deflectors installed on the inside surface of
rial through the chute will change as the
the loading chute to direct lumps of mate-
material changes properties, the tonnage
rial toward the center of the load zone.
changes, the chute wears, or the bulk mate-
Center-loaded lumps are less likely to slip
rial builds up on the chutewall.
off the edges of the belt or damage the
skirtboard seals.
Deflectors
Deflectors may be used inside a transfer Deflector wear liners inside the bottom
chute to absorb impact and minimize wear, of the loading chute next to the belt may
starting at the point where the mate- reduce the problems associated with off-
rial trajectory first meets the head chute center loading. One or more deflectors or
impact plates may be necessary to retard
Figure 8.13 the forward momentum of the material, re-
Deflectors may be direct it in the proper direction, and center
used inside a chute the load on the receiving belt. These liners
to absorb impact and
minimize wear.
feature a bend or angle that turns the mate-
rial toward the center of the belt and away
from the belt edges. Deflector wear liners
should be used with care, because they may
contribute to other problems, such as mate-
rial entrapment and transfer chute choking.

108
 Conventional Transfer Chutes | Chapter 8

Popular ways to manage the flow of bulk in order to avoid accumulations that can
materials through the transfer chute and choke the chute. Rock boxes should not
minimize impact are installation of scalp- be used in transfer points handling fragile
ing bars or the use of rock boxes. bulk materials that might suffer degrada-
tion or materials with large lumps that can
Scalping, or Grizzly, Bars block or choke the flow; nor should they be
Scalping bars—also called a grizzly or used if a conveyor will carry more than one
grizzly bars—within the transfer chute material.
allow the fines to pass through first to form
a protective bed on the belt. The lumps, Figure 8.14
which are unable to pass between the bars, Scalping bars—also
slide down the incline and land on the belt called a grizzly or 8
on a cushion formed by the previously grizzly bars—within
the chute allow
deposited fines. Plants use grizzlies like a
the fines to pass
grate at truck dumps or other installations through first to form
to keep oversize lumps away from conveyor a protective bed on
systems (Figure 8.14). the belt. Plants use
grizzlies to keep
oversize lumps away
Rock Boxes
from the conveyor
Rock boxes consist of a ledge inside the systems.
drop chute where a pile of the conveyed
material accumulates (Figure 8.15). Figure 8.15
Subsequent material moving through the A rock box consists
chute flows over or deflects off this pocket of a ledge inside
of captive material. Abrasive force is shifted the chute where a
pile of the conveyed
from the chutework to the accumulated bed material accumulates.
of material, and the overall drop height is
reduced and impact force dissipated as ma-
terial bounces off the material on the ledge
(Figure 8.16).

Rock ladders, composed of a series of

baffles, or “mini” rock boxes, are used to
reduce impact and control material veloc-
ity over drops of greater distance (Figure
8.17). Rock ladder shelves are typically ar-
ranged on alternating sides of the chute, so
the material never has a free drop of more
than 1,5 to 2 meters (5 to 6 ft).

Rock boxes and rock ladders are most

appropriate for chutes handling materials Figure 8.16
such as sand, gravel, or hard rock (Figure Rock boxes shift the
8.18). The boxes are most successfully used abrasion from the
if physical conditions and flow rates do not moving material from
change over time, because it is important the chutework to
the bed of material,
that the flowing material move consis- and impact force is
tently across the buildup in the rock box. dissipated as material
Care must be taken to accurately judge bounces off the
the cohesive characteristics of the mate- material on the ledge.
rial (under wet conditions, for example)

109
 Section 2 | Loading the Belt

Impact Plates or Grids and circumstances (such as available space

Another method of diverting flow and and budgets) prevent the engineering of
absorbing impact within the transfer chute ample chutes.
is the use of impact plates or grids in the Some impact grids are designed to catch
material path (Figure 8.19). An impact material to develop a material-on-material
plate is placed inside the chute to absorb impact that preserves the chutewalls. Sub-
the force of the moving material stream. sequent material bounces off the captured
Impact plates are often used in angular material without actually hitting the grid or
transfers where high belt speeds are present the chutewall. The gap between the head
pulley and the impact plate should be care-
8 Figure 8.17
Rock ladders are a
fully considered to minimize problems from
oversize rocks or tramp material becom-
series of baffles, or ing hung up between the pulley and the
“mini” rock boxes,
used to reduce
plate, or from the buildup of cohesive or
impact and control high-moisture materials that can choke the
material velocity over transfer chute.
drops of greater
distance. The selection of appropriate materials
and careful attention to design and po-
sitioning of impact plates and grids may
significantly improve the life of these wear
components.

Wear Liners
The constant impact and sliding of mate-
rial against the sides of the transfer chute is
the main source of wear in a chute. In ad-
dition to the grids, rock boxes, and impact
plates discussed above, one way to reduce
wear of the chute itself is the use of sacrifi-
Figure 8.18 cial liners inside the chute. Liners may also
Rock boxes and be installed to reduce wall friction and/
rock ladders are or material adhesion. In selecting a mate-
most appropriate rial for use as a liner, the goal is to select a
for chutes handling
materials such as material that will both resist abrasion and
sand, gravel, or hard enhance flow. (See Chapter 12: Wear Liners for
rock. Note: looking more information.)
down the chute from
the head pulley. Loading the Receiving Belt
Another phenomenon that occurs at
transfer points where material falls verti-
Figure 8.19
cally onto a high-speed belt is called pool-
Impact plates are ing. Material not yet moving at belt speed
placed in the material
path inside a loading
piles up on the belt and creates a “pool” of
chute to divert flow material in the loading zone (Figure 8.20).
and absorb impact. When a lump of material drops onto the
belt, it bounces and tumbles, dissipating the
energy supplied by the previous conveyor
and from its fall until the lump is caught
by the motion of the receiving belt. In the
meantime, the material can bounce off the

110
 Conventional Transfer Chutes | Chapter 8

pool or pile toward the side or rear of the late on shut down, build up, and eventually
conveyor, resulting in spillage. The greater plug the chute. Typical valley angles for
the difference between velocity of the ma- conventionally designed chutes are between
terial stream and the speed of the receiv- 60 and 75 degrees from the receiving belt
ing belt, the longer and deeper the pool of line (Figure 8.5).
material. As this body of “pooled” material
grows, it becomes increasingly difficult to Managing Air Flow
maintain a sealed, spillage-free transfer A well-designed and constructed transfer
point and control belt cover wear. chute can significantly reduce airborne
dust by limiting the creation of induced air
A speed-up conveyor can be used to rem-
movement. The skirtboard sections should
edy this condition (Figure 8.21). Another
solution is the use of a curved gate, ramp,
be large enough to provide a plenum that 8
stills air currents and reduces the positive
or spoon to control the speed and direc-
pressures that can carry airborne particles
tion of the material stream until it reaches
out of the enclosure. (See Chapter 7: Air
the speed and direction of the receiving
Control and Chapter 11: Skirtboards for more
belt (Figure 8.22). These curved loading
information.)
chutes steer the material flow, “pouring” it
onto the center of the receiving belt. The The enclosure should be spacious enough
smoother positioning of the load on the re- to permit a significant reduction in the
ceiving conveyor reduces the movement of speed of air currents and, therefore, allow
the material to the edges of the belt and re- airborne particles to settle back into the
leases less energy and air movement, mini- load before the conveyor leaves the enclo-
mizing dust. The angle at which the chute sure.
descends from the unloading structure onto
the receiving belt should be flat enough to Chute Structure
prevent lumps from bouncing excessively The transfer chute is typically fabricated
after they land on the belt. A chute with as from plates of mild steel or stainless steel,
low as possible valley angle, combined with with selection depending on the conveyed
proper load direction and speed, allows the material and the conditions in the facility.
lumps to strike the belt at a grazing angle
(Figure 8.23). This allows the material to
Figure 8.20
bounce gently as it is carried in the direc-
Pooling occurs when
tion of belt movement rather than rebound
belt cargo that is not
back into the face of the incoming material yet moving at belt
stream. A curved chute reduces the risk of speed piles up in the
damage to the belt and minimizes material loading zone.
degradation and dust generation.

It should be noted, however, that if the

chute angle is too flat, the material stream
might slow to the point that it can accumu-

Figure 8.21
A speed-up conveyor
can be used to
raise the velocity of
the material until it
reaches the proper
speed and direction.

111
 Section 2 | Loading the Belt

The selection of transfer chute plate system. Local codes usually govern the
thickness depends on the characteristics structural design of chutes, but it is up to
and volume of material moving through the designer to consider all the loads that
the chute, the structural strength require- may be present. Some of the more im-
ments, and the margin for wear if the chute portant loads are the weight of the chute,
will not be fitted with a replaceable liner accumulations of fugitive materials, snow
and ice, the weight of a chute full of bulk
Figure 8.22 materials, and wind loads. Work platforms
A curved gate, ramp,
around the chute need to be sturdy enough
or spoon can place to handle maintenance activities.
the material stream
8 on the receiving belt
with the proper speed
Transfer chutes should be fabricated in
sections that are convenient for transport
and direction. and subsequent erection on site. For retrofit
systems, chute sections must also be de-
signed to fit through available openings to
reach the construction site.

Care must be exercised in the construc-

tion of transfer chutes to avoid imperfec-
tions in the surface that might disrupt
the material flow and negate the careful
Figure 8.23 engineering that went into the design.
The angle at which
Variations of ± 3 millimeters (1/8 in.) may
the chute descends present problems when matching sections
from the unloading of wear liner or truing up the chutework
structure onto the to the belt. The investment of time in a
receiving belt should precise chute installation will be returned
be flat enough so
the material strikes many times over through improved efficien-
the belt at a grazing cy, simplified maintenance, and reduced
angle, to prevent fugitive material.
excessive bounce of
the lumps. Despite the best intentions and practices
of transfer chute designers, there are oc-
casions when material will accumulate in
transfer chutes. Materials with high levels
of moisture may adhere to walls or even
freeze during winter operations (Figure
8.24). Continuous operation may com-
press the material encrustation more firmly
onto the chutewall, allowing for additional
material buildup and possibly leading to
Figure 8.24
complete chute blockage. During the chute
Despite the best
design process, it is wise to make provisions
intentions and
practices of chute for future requirements for flow-aid devices,
designers, there such as vibrators or air cannons. (See Chapter
are occasions 9: Flow Aids and Chapter 22: Engineered Flow
when material will Chutes.)
accumulate inside
transfer chutes.
Chute Access
An enclosed transfer chute must have
openings to allow for visual inspection and

112
 Conventional Transfer Chutes | Chapter 8

doors for worker entry, and there must be a disassembly is one approach to mainte-
clear path for workers to reach these open- nance. (See Chapter 26: Conveyor Accessibility.)
ings. Inspection openings, such as hinged
access doors, should be positioned away
from the flow of material yet located where TYPICAL SPECIFICATIONS
personnel can observe material movement A. Direction
and inspect for wear (Figure 8.25).
In general, the transfer chute should be
Screens or guards should be positioned designed to direct the material in the
to protect workers observing material flow direction of the receiving conveyor and
from pinch points and rolling components. center it on the belt.
Covers or doors should be corrosion resis-
tant and provide a dust-tight seal. Safety
B. Drop height 8
barriers should be in place to prevent mate- The drop height from the discharge
rial from escaping the chute and to keep system to the receiving conveyor should
personnel from reaching into the material be as short as possible while providing
trajectory.
Figure 8.25
Often forgotten in the design of transfer Inspection and
chutes is the provision for some method of access doors should
access to replace liners inside the chute or be positioned out of
to maintain belt cleaners. the flow of material
yet located where
personnel can
Consideration of future service require-
observe material
ments is particularly important on transfer movement and
chutes too small for personnel to work in- inspect for wear.
side. Fabricating chutes in sections for easy

Safety Conc erns

Safety considerations Personnel working in, on, or around

require that access be limited transfer chutes must be aware of the
so personnel cannot enter the chute potential for falling materials, either
until appropriate safety procedures are cargo from the belt above or buildup on
followed, including lockout / tagout / the chutewalls. It is recommended that
blockout / testout procedures of both the chute be inspected and thoroughly
discharging and receiving conveyors. No cleaned before entering for any reason.
one should enter chutes without proper
training in confined-space safety proce- It is important to pay attention to safety
dures. procedures when working around nuclear
devices installed on transfer chutes for
The structural and liner components of level detection or on-line bulk-material
transfer chutes tend to be large and heavy analysis.
and should be handled with appropriate
equipment and due care. Chutes and their structures should be
grounded to prevent the buildup of static
If flow-aid devices (such as air cannons) electricity.
are installed, proper de-energization and
lockout / tagout / blockout / testout pro-
cedures must be followed for this equip-
ment prior to service.

113
 Section 2 | Loading the Belt

adequate space for equipment installa- ADVANCED TOPICS

tion and maintenance.
Chute Width
C. Speed
The belt is 1200 millimeters (48 in.) wide
Material from the discharge should be with 30-degree troughing idlers. What is
loaded so it is moving at the same speed the recommended chute width where the
as the receiving conveyor is traveling. chute matches up with the skirtboards?
D. Slope The CEMA 2/3 rule results in a chute
The transfer chute should be adequately 800 millimeters (32 in.) wide.
sloped to prevent material from bounc-
8 ing excessively after it lands on the Another method to determine the recom-
mended distance between the skirtboards is
receiving conveyor, which can increase
dust generation and impact damage. based on the amount of belt edge necessary
for an effective seal and accomodation of
E. Volume belt wander. The recommended skirtboard
The volume of the drop chute should width for a belt 1200 millimeters (48 in.)
be at least four times that of the load wide with a 30-degree troughing angle is
stream of the feed conveyor. The 894 millimeters (35.2 in.). (See Chapter 11:
transfer sections should be large enough Skirtboards.) The difference between the
to provide a plenum to minimize air CEMA method and the belt-edge method
currents. is more pronounced for very narrow and
very wide belts.
Figure 8.26
Calculating Valley Angles
The valley angle is
the angle created by A new chute with a minimum valley
the side wall joining angle of 60 degrees was required. A side
with the back wall. wall angle of 75 degrees and a back wall
angle of 60 degrees were selected, because
these angles were within the recommended
range (Figure 8.26). The equation can be
used to check the design (Equation 8.1).

In this example, the valley angle is ap-

proximately 57 degrees, so the designer
should reconsider the design of the chute
to maintain a minimum of 60 degrees as
required. If the angles were changed to 65
degrees and 75 degrees, the valley angle
would be 61 degrees, which would be steep
enough to maintain flow.

( )
Equation 8.1
Calculating Valley α = arc cot cot2 (β) + cot2 (γ)
Angles
Given: A designer has selected a side wall angle of 75° and a back wall angle of 60°.
Find: The valley angle of the chute.
α Valley Angle degrees
β Back Wall Angle to Horizontal 60°
γ Side Wall Angle to Horizontal 75°

α = arc cot ( cot2 (60) + cot2 (75)) = 57.5

α Valley Angle 57.5°

114
 Conventional Transfer Chutes | Chapter 8

It should be noted that the valley angle Looking Ahead…

will never be greater than the smaller of This chapter about Conventional Trans-
the other two angles (back wall and side fer Chutes, the third chapter in the section
wall). Loading the Belt, focused on the transfer
The design would be an iterative process chute and methods to manage material
of selecting wall angles based on geom- flow to reduce spillage and dust. The fol-
etry and calculating the valley angle. If lowing chapter continues this section with a
the valley angle is not appropriate, dif- discussion about Flow Aids.
ferent wall angles should be selected and
the valley angle calculated for the selected
References
angles. This process is repeated until the
wall angles fit within the geometry available 8.1 Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers
8
and the valley angle is in the correct range Association (CEMA). (2005). BELT
based on the material. CONVEYORS for BULK MATERIALS,
Sixth Edition. Naples, Florida.

THE WORK OF CHUTEWORK 8.2 Martin Marietta Corporation. Dust

Control Handbook for Minerals Processing,
In Closing… Contract No. J0235005.
Designed correctly, conventional transfer
8.3 Morrison, J.N., Jr. (1971). “Envi-
chutes offer an effective method to safely
ronmental Control Applied to Belt
transfer material from one elevation to
Conveyor Transfer Points.” In Bulk
another, with minimal fugitive material and
Materials Handling: Volume 1. Univer-
low maintenance requirements. Incorporat-
sity of Pittsburgh.
ing the items discussed in this chapter into
the plans will provide both the designer 8.4 Taylor, H.J. (1989). Guide to the Design
and end user with suitable tools to under- of Transfer Chutes and Chute Linings for
stand how chutes operate from a practical Bulk Materials. The Mechanical Han-
level and how to design or modify them for dling Engineers’ Association.
improved performance.

115