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Bulk Material
Handling Systems

Dust Explosion
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Mobile Units

Heat Exchange
with Olds Elevators

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Dust-Free Elevation

Dense Abrasives

Volumetric
Feeders

Pneumatics versus
Olds Elevators

OLDS ELEVATOR™ Publications

A Radical Approach to the Vertical Conveyance of Bulk Materials: the OLDS ELEVATOR™

6. Combined feeder/elevator

Bulk Solids Material Handling, Bulk Material Transfer

Figure 13 - The flow rate (CFH) for the OLDS ELEVATOR™ is directly proportional to the rate of rotation of the outer casing. Therefore, it can be used as combined elevator and feeder.

Figure 14 - In preliminary tests the OLDS ELEVATOR™ was shown to be a reliable feeder over 15 trials of foundry sand elevation, with flow rates ±5% of the average. Furthermore, 96.6% of the tests had less than 3% variability and 70% of the tests showed variation of -1%. Better results are anticipated using more accurate measuring and testing equipment and tighter controls. The elevator used for the test is a basic machine without the ideal feed hopper or features that enhance performance.

The facility to use a single machine with a low pick-up as an elevator and volumetric feeder could have dramatic implications in future plant design and the layout of bulk materials handling equipment (figures 13, 14). Currently, plants that feed a process via volumetric screw feeders often need to use overhead hoppers to gravity feed the screw feeders. These hoppers, in turn, must be filled by yet a third piece of equipment like a bucket elevator or pneumatic conveyor. The ability to take material from floor level and feed a process directly as a controlled volumetric feeder/elevator offers significant saving in cost, floor space, headroom and maintenance.

7. Case Studies

Beans and Grains

In 2004 Bean Growers Australia (BGA), Australia's largest bean processors sought to replace three bucket elevators that were deployed to feed various sorting, grading and packaging units with five inclined belt conveyors with U-shaped belts. Prior to installing the inclined belt conveyors, BGA learned about the OLDS ELEVATOR™.

The Kingaroy facility ultimately replaced their three bucket elevators with two OLDS ELEVATORS™, saving thousands of dollars in capital costs and recovering significant floor space at their plant (figure 15). The elevators are fitted with variable speed drives to control the flow rate. A large reduction in the ambient noise level of the plant was also realized. Recently, BGA placed a repeat order for two further elevators to upgrade their bagging section. The two initial OLDS ELEVATORS™ were both 152mm (6") diameter, one 7 m high and the other 7.5 m high. The two further are 152mm (6") diameter by 10.7 m high, and a small unit with a 101.6 mm (4") diameter by 8 m high.

Figure 15 – 152 mm (6”) by 10.7 metres lift OLDS ELEVATOR™ is lowered into position at Bean Growers Australia, Kingaroy plant April 2006.

Gypsum

A leading American gypsum company processes gypsum powder by feeding the gypsum into a calciner to drive off water. Currently, their calciner is fed by a horizontal volumetric screw feeder 6m (20 feet) above floor level and filled by gravity from an overhead hopper fed by a 12m (40-foot) tall bucket elevator. A 100mm (4 inch) diameter by 4,5m (15 foot) tall OLDS ELEVATOR™ was purchased for evaluation by their R & D group. Extended trials confirmed that the flow rate of the elevator was precise enough to act as a volumetric feeder, indicating that a machine scaled up to the necessary could use a single 7.6 m (25 foot) OLDS ELEVATOR™ in the place of a 12m (40 foot) bucket elevator, an overhead storage hopper and separate volumetric screw feeder to free up the third and fourth stories of the plant. These plants are currently operated at maximum capacity. Converting to OLDS ELEVATORS™ could increase production capacity within existing floor space.


Figure 15 – 152 mm (6”) by 10.7 metres lift OLDS ELEVATOR™ is lowered into position at Bean Growers Australia, Kingaroy plant April 2006.	Figure 16 – The Sandpiper uses an OLDS ELEVATOR™ for refilling sand boxes in locomotives.

Sanding of Rail Locomotives

Figure 17 – The Sandpiper is self-contained and self-driven.

The OLDS ELEVATOR™ has been adapted into the 'Sandpiper’, a portable unit, featuring a built-in sand hopper with a 1.25 tonnes capacity (figure 16). Rail locomotives carry sand in boxes, which is dispensed onto the railway tracks to aid traction in slippery conditions. The Sandpiper refills a locomotive's sand boxes in minutes, often saving a time-consuming trip to the service yard. Various models are in use in Queensland and New South Wales including a self propelled version with wheels and OLDS ELEVATOR™ electrically driven from an onboard diesel generator (figure 17).

CONTINUE >> Reasearch and Development: A Radical Approach to the Vertical Conveyance of Bulk Materials: the OLDS ELEVATOR™

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OLDS ELEVATOR™
Advantages
1. Olds Elevator Innovative
Material Elevation

No Segregation
No Breakage
No DustMore…

Dissatisfied by conventional methods with bucket elevators, screw elevators, pneumatic conveyors and inclined belt conveyors? OLDS ELEVATOR™ has
developed a radical concept that overcomes all the obstacles of elevating while providing engineering design, elevator manufacturing, installation and service.
MA, Massachusetts, NH, New Hampshire, CT, Connecticut, RI, Rhode Island, VT, Vermont, ME, Maine, New England and all of the United States and Canada