Screw Conveyors can be operated with the flow of material inclined upward. When space allows, this is a very economical method of elevating and conveying. It is important to understand, however, that as the angle of inclination increases, the allowable capacity of a given unit rapidly decreases.
A standard Screw Conveyor inclined 15° upward will carry 75% of its rated horizontal capacity. At an inclination of 25°, a standard conveyor may only handle 50% of its horizontal capacity. These are estimated figures and will vary with the characteristic of the material being handled. Inclined Screw Conveyor capacities can be increased over short distances, if no intermediate hangers are required.
Other aids in conveying on an incline are the use of shorter than standard pitch and/or tubular housings or shrouded conveyor trough covers. Very often it becomes necessary to use high speed to overcome the tendency of material to fall back.
The above aids are resorted to in order to overcome the tendency of a screw conveyor to become less efficient as the angle of incline increases. Vertical conveying by Screw Conveyor, on the other hand, is quite successful and it remains that a 45° incline or angles approaching this figure, are the most difficult on which to achieve successful conveying.
Additional power is needed to convey on an incline. This added power is a function of the power required to lift the material. Judgment and experience in the art of conveying are required.
1 Comment