Vertical Bucket Elevators
A vertical bucket elevator is a piece of equipment used for lifting materials in a vertical or nearly vertical direction. It typically consists of a vertical supporting structure, one or more bucket chains or belt conveyors, and buckets. The bucket chains or belt conveyors lift the materials from the bottom to the top. The materials are loaded into the buckets, which then rise vertically as the bucket chains or belt conveyors move. Once at the top, the materials can be discharged through an outlet into a target location, such as a storage bin or other processing equipment.
Processing Procedures
Material input
The materials to be lifted are placed into the feed inlet of the elevator column.
Elevator chain operation
The elevator chain is a closed-loop chain with a series of buckets attached to it. Driven by a transmission device (such as a motor and gearbox), the chain moves up and down along the inner wall of the elevator column.
Material loading
As the buckets on the bucket elevator chain pass by the feed inlet during operation, they scoop up and load the material into the buckets.
Lifting
Once the buckets are filled with material, the chain continues to operate, lifting the filled buckets to the vertical height.
Discharging
When the buckets reach the vertical height and arrive at the discharge position, the material falls by gravity into the target location, completing the unloading process.
Repeated Cycle
The empty bucket continues to operate after unloading, returns to the feed point position, and once again fills with material for cyclical lifting and transportation.
Equipment Features
Vertical bucket elevators typically have the following characteristics:
Height Elevation
Vertical bucket elevators can handle substantial vertical lifting of materials, ranging from several meters to dozens of meters or even higher.
Large Capacity
They can handle a substantial volume of materials, ranging from a few tons to several hundred tons per hour, depending on the size and design of the equipment.
Space-Efficient
Compared to other types of material handling equipment, vertical bucket elevators have a smaller footprint. Their design allows for vertical transportation within a compact area, making them suitable for locations with limited space.
Wide Applicability
Vertical bucket elevators are suitable for handling a variety of material types, including granular, powdered, and bulk materials. They can be used for vertical transportation in industries such as construction materials, metallurgy, chemical processing, grain processing, and mining.
Low Energy Consumption and Maintenance Costs
Vertical bucket elevators have relatively low energy consumption, especially when there is minimal horizontal displacement during material transport. Additionally, their simple structure and limited number of wear parts contribute to lower maintenance costs.
Safety Features
Vertical bucket elevators are typically equipped with safety devices such as limit switches, chain breakage protection systems, and anti-jamming devices to ensure safe operation of the equipment.
Application
Vertical bucket elevators have widespread applications across various industries. Here are some common uses:
Grain Processing
Vertical bucket elevators are commonly used in grain processing plants to lift grains, rice, flour, and other materials from the ground or lower levels to storage silos, mills, or other processing equipment.
Mining and Ore Processing
In mining and ore processing, vertical bucket elevators are used to lift ores, slag, coal, and other materials from underground or lower levels to higher processing equipment or storage silos.
Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industries
In the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors, vertical bucket elevators are often used to lift chemical raw materials, granular drugs, powders, and other substances from the ground or lower levels to reactors, mixers, dryers, or other processing equipment.
Construction Materials and Cement
In the construction materials and cement industry, vertical bucket elevators are widely used to lift limestone, gypsum, sand, cement, and other materials from the ground or lower levels to kilns, coal mills, mortar mixers, or storage silos.
Fertilizer Production
In the fertilizer production process, vertical bucket elevators are used to lift fertilizer raw materials, granular fertilizers, and other substances from the ground or lower levels to mixers, granulators, packaging machines, or storage silos.
Other Industries
Vertical bucket elevators are also used in many other sectors, such as energy, metallurgy, and glass manufacturing, to lift various granular materials.
Summary
Overall, vertical bucket elevators are suitable for scenarios where materials need to be lifted from lower levels or the ground to higher levels or processing equipment and storage silos. They offer characteristics such as high elevation, large capacity, and reliable safety features, providing a stable and dependable material handling solution. This enhances production efficiency and simplifies the material handling process.
