Coal Unloader
Coal Unloader
area assigned to a “coal pile.” However, at many industrial and all utility plants a mechanical system for
receiving coal from the delivery system, conveying it to storage, holding it safely, then reclaiming it for
use will have been provided.
COAL UNLOADING
In almost every case of coal handling, equipment may be selected from among a large number of devices
radically different from one another so that no standard systems may be described. Each installation is an
individual problem based on the immediate surroundings.
The primary types of unloaders are the clamshell unloader, continuous bucket ladder unloader, and the
vertical screw unloader (Black & Veatch, 1996).
When coal is delivered to the plant by barge, unloading is readily accomplished by grab bucket operated
from a high coal tower adjacent to the wharf. The coal is hoisted high enough before being dumped into a
receiving hopper that it can then flow by gravity to either live or dead storage (Morse, 1953).
TYPES OF UNLOADERS
Clamshell Bucket Unloader/Grab Rope Trolley Ship Unloader.
A clamshell bucket unloader, also called a grab bucket unloader, is a giant mechanical apparatus used in
ports and terminals to unload bulk materials like coal, ore, and woodchips from ships and barges. Imagine
a giant clamshell with two hinged halves acting as a bucket. These machines are designed with a seaborne
arm that can be raised and lowered together with a cable-operated grab trolley (Equi, 2017). The
clamshell bucket unloader, as shown in Figure 3.X, uses a bucket suspended from a set of hoisting cables,
that is opened and closed by a set of control cables. Unloading is cyclical, about one bucketful of material
every 30 to 40 s. The clamshell bucket unloader for river barges usually has a low to moderate capacity.
A moderately sized clamshell bucket unloader has a maximum unloading rate, or free digging rate, of
1,500 tons (1,360 tonnes) per hour when starting to unload the barge. This rate decreases considerably as
the barge is emptied and a full bucket is harder to obtain. For a complete barge, including clean-up and
barge positioning, the average unloading rate is about 50% of the free digging rate, or 700 to 800 tons
(635 to 725 tonnes) per hour (Black & Veatch, 1996).
The clamshell bucket unloader for ocean barges or ships is similar in design and operation to the unloader
described for river barges, except that the machine travels on a set of rails on the dock (see Figure 3.X).
This allows the ocean barge or ship, because of its size, to remain stationary while the unloader
repositions from hold to hold. In addition, the boom is hinged at the front of the support tower and can be
raised to allow the ships to dock. The clamshell bucket unloader for ocean barges and ships can have a
maximum free digging rate of 3,000 tons (2,720 tonnes) per hour, falling to about 50% of the free digging
rate for the complete unloading operation.
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Here's a breakdown of its key components and operation (Richmond Engineering, 2017):
Clamshell bucket: This is the heart of the machine, resembling two hinged halves of a giant clam.
It's made of robust steel and designed to withstand the wear and tear of handling heavy materials.
Winches and wire ropes: These operate the opening and closing of the clamshell bucket, allowing
it to scoop up material from the vessel's hold.
Hoisting arm: This raises and lowers the clamshell bucket, enabling it to reach different depths
within the cargo hold.
Hopper: The clamshell bucket discharges the scooped material into a hopper, which acts as a
temporary holding area.
Feeder system: This system, often involving conveyors or belts, transfers the material from the
hopper to its final destination or storage location.
Continuous Bucket Ladder Unloader.
The continuous bucket ladder unloader for ocean barges or ships may have design and operation similar
to that for the unloader described for river barges, or it may use the bucket chain assembly "L" shaped at
the bottom to improve the reach in the hold. The machine travels on a set of rails on the dock as does the
clamshell unloader for ocean barge or ship, as shown in Fig. 5-16. In addition, the boom and digging head
assembly can be rotated to improve the machine reach. Also, the boom is hinged or pivoted at the support
tower to clean the ship during docking.
The continuous bucket ladder unloader, for ocean barges and ships, can have a maximum free digging
rate of 5,000 tons (4,540 tonnes) per hour when starting to unload the vessel, or a finished unloading rate
of about 65% of the free digging rate.
The continuous bucket ladder unloader employs a series of buckets supported between two strands of
roller chain running in a continuous loop (digging head assembly), as shown in Fig. 3.X. The buckets are
filled as they are dragged through the material in the barge and are emptied as they pass over a discharge
sprocket (Black & Veatch, 1996).
1. Pneumatic CBU. Basically the material in the hold is sucked through a suitably-shaped device into a
collector and stored in a tank connected to a vacuum unit through a filtering system. The material
collected in the tank is then conveyed to its destination using a pneumatic pressure handling system.
Usually there are a few intermediate storage tanks near the quay, which work in parallel in order to
guarantee continuous unloading. The suction collector usually runs on tracks on the quayside in order to
run parallel to the ship and pick up the material all along the ship's length (Equi, 2017).
Pneumatic systems transport bulk material to the pier at high product speed using telescopable spouts,
airlocks, filter systems and the suction nozzle, as seen in Figure 3.X.
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Principle of Operation - Two-vessel vacuum/pressure unloading system, see Figure 3.X (Equi, 2017).
1. The three-section vacuum arm (1) and vacuum nozzle (2) are manipulated through the material.
2. Material is drawn by vacuum through the arm piping and hoses into the transfer vessels (3).
Suction is created by a rotary lobe vacuum blower (4).
3. The vacuum air is separated from the material by multiple high-efficiency filter cartridges (5).
Material falls by gravity to the kettle bottom.
4. Once the kettle is full, it is pressurized by air supplied by an oil-free screw compressor (6). The
pressurizing air is introduced into the top of the kettle, as well as through multiple aeration pads
(7) to fluidize the material in the kettle bottom.
5. Upon reaching optimal pressure, the discharge valve opens (8) and the material is conveyed into
the pipeline (9). A multistage air bypass system (10) controls the air/ material mixture for optimal
efficiency.
6. While one kettle is pressurizing and discharging, the other kettle is filling – assuring
uninterrupted, high-capacity conveying.
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2. Elevator Bucket Chain CSU. Continuous ship unloaders (CSU) are equipped with an L-shaped,
bucket-elevator-type unloading device that is suspended from the CSU's boom. The material to be
unloaded is scooped up by the bucket elevator at the horizontal segment of the "L", while at the vertical
segment, the bucket elevator transports the material to the top of the CSU's boom, where it is unloaded
onto a belt conveyor. The entire L-shaped system can rotate 360°, allowing full access to the entire hold.
The design of the horizontally suspended portion of the bucket-elevator-type unloading device allows for
superior emptying, thus minimizing the manual cleanup needed by dozers. Our continuous ship unloaders
feature a cantilevered, but guided chain-and-bucket suspension that protects the bottom of a ship's hold.
The CSU traverses on pier-mounted rails along the full length of a ship, see Figure 3.X (Equi, 2017).
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Here's how an Elevator Bucket Chain CSU works (https://tenova.com/technologies/csu-bucket-chain-
type):
Boom and Bucket Chain: The CSU has a long, movable arm called a boom, equipped with a
tailor-made bucket chain that runs along its entire length. This bucket chain is designed to
efficiently collect material from the ship's hold.
Digging and Conveying: As the boom extends into the ship's hold, the bucket chain scoops up
material and continuously carries it upwards along the boom.
Discharge: Once the buckets reach the top of the boom, they discharge the material onto a
conveyor belt or into a hopper for further transport.
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Vertical Screw Unloader.
The vertical screw unloader is used for coal and is similar in concept to the continuous bucket ladder
unloader in that the coal is continuously discharged from the barge or ship. The lower end of the vertical
screw may have a counterrotating feeder or a horizontal feeder screw to feed the coal to the vertical
screw. The vertical screw conveyor is supported from a cantilevered boom. The travel of the machine, the
rotation of the boom, and the tilt of the vertical screw permit the unloading of coal from all areas of the
hold.
The vertical screw unloader can have an unloading rate of 2,000 tons (1,810 tonnes) per hour and an
average unloading rate for the complete vessel of 60% of the unloading rate. The self-unloading ship has
a conveyor system beneath the hold's hopper bottom to discharge the material from the cargo holds and
elevate it to the boom conveyor. The boom conveyor can be rotated perpendicular to the ship and
discharged either into a hopper or onto the ground (Black & Veatch, 1996).
The Vertical Screw unloader is designed to move bulk cargo from ship to shore in the shortest possible
time. It can handle most dry bulk cargoes ranging from powders via granules to lumps. The capacity
range suits most bulk operator needs to handle one cargo or multiple cargoes through the same unloader.
The same machine can be used for handling feedstuff one day and fertilizers another without requiring
changes to the equipment (see Figure 3.X).
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Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348708554/figure/fig1/AS:1022794397671435@1620864595282/Screw-ship-
unloader-a-model-of-screw-ship-unloader-b-diagram-of-coal-unloading-by-screw.png
Components of Vertical Screw Unloader:
Feeder/Feeding Head: A rotating head, often counter-rotating, that breaks up and gathers
material, feeding it into the vertical screw conveyor.
Vertical Screw Conveyor: A large, spiraling shaft (screw flight) housed within a cylindrical
casing. The screw flight is typically made of steel and rotates continuously.
Horizontal Screw Conveyor: An optional component used to transport the material horizontally to
a receiving hopper or conveyor belt.
Rotating Tower: A central structure that allows the vertical conveyor to reach different points
within the hold of a ship or storage silo.
Electric Control System: Manages the operation of the motor, hydraulics, and other components.
Hydraulic Auxiliary System: Powers the movement of the unloader, including rotation, lifting,
and reaching mechanisms.
Functionality and Material Transport (https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/materials-handling/all-about-
screw-conveyors/):
The vertical screw conveyor is capable of transporting dry to semi-fluid materials and is
commonly used in applications such as wastewater facilities, wood production, chemical and
food industries, and mining operations. It is designed to take up a small footprint and is efficient
in transporting materials on vertical paths and steep inclines.
The method of feeding these conveyors depends heavily on the product being transported. For
example, light material cannot be fed using a gravity hopper alone, as the auger blades act as a
fan and blow the material out. Therefore, a screw-type feeder is most often paired with these
designs to regulate feeding flow and ensure the passage of a uniform volume of material into the
conveyor.
Components and Operation (https://www.nar-robotics.com/screw-type-ship-unloader/) [1] &
(https://www.iqsdirectory.com/articles/screw-conveyors.html) [2]:
The main components of a vertical screw unloader include a horizontal screw conveyor, vertical
screw conveyor, and special reclaiming device. The driving device and discharge port are
generally placed at the same end of the conveyor to keep the screw shaft in a more favorable
tension state, while the feed port is placed near the tail of the other end as far as possible [1].
To maintain a constant speed, reduce wear and power consumption, and increase efficiency,
controlling the amount of bulk material fed to the screw conveyor is critical. Bulk metering
devices such as screw feeders are necessary for this purpose [2].
COAL UNLOADER SELECTION.
To be able to determine the appropriate unloader for the designed power plant, different parameters such as unloading rate and time, lowest
amount of operating expense (OPEX), working time, and the specific power consumption are considered. The table below shows the comparisons
of the specifications of different types of unloaders.
UNLOADER SPECIFICATIONS
Clamshell Bucket/Grab Continuous Bucket Ladder
FEATURES UNIT Vertical Screw
Rope Trolley Ship Pneumatic Elevator Bucket Chain
Coal Dust Formation [1] - Medium Medium Medium Low
Unloading Rated Capacity [2] tph 3000 1200 5000 2500
Power Consumption (per
kWh/t 0.4 0.9 0.45 0.6
rate unloaded tph) [2]
Operational Efficiency [2] % 55 65 75 70
OPEX (per ton unloaded) [2] US$/t 5.20 4.30 3.5 4.6
Source: [1] Heyl & Patterson, Inc., n.d., [2] Equi, 2017
Using the summary table, the unloading time for each unloader can now be obtained through computation. The computations below show the
unloading time for each unloader if it is selected using the equation below.
Capacity of Bulk Carrier
Unloading Time =
Unloading Rated Capacity
UNLOADER SPECIFICATIONS
Clamshell Bucket/Grab Continuous Bucket Ladder
FEATURES UNIT Vertical Screw
Rope Trolley Ship Pneumatic Elevator Bucket Chain
Coal Dust Formation [1] - Medium Medium Medium Low
Unloading Rated Capacity [2] tph 3000 1200 5000 2500
Power Consumption (per
kWh/t 0.4 0.9 0.45 0.6
rate unloaded tph) [2]
Operational Efficiency [2] % 55 65 75 70
OPEX (per ton unloaded) [2] US$/t 5.20 4.30 3.5 4.6
Source: [1] Heyl & Patterson, Inc., n.d., [2] Equi, 2017
The unloaders have a different Rated capacity, Unloading time, OPEX and Energy Consumption. Therefore, the selected coal unloader is Elevator
bucket chain unloader since comparing the data of the 4 unloaders Elevator bucket chain has the lowest amount of operating expense (OPEX),
energy consumption and the highest unloading capacity rate this makes the work more efficient and less expensive.