FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF TUBE CHAIN CONVEYORS

A. Katterfeld, F. Krause
Otto-von-Guericke-Universitt Magdeburg
Institut fr Frder- und Baumaschinentechnik, Stahlbau, Logistik (IFSL)
Universittsplatz 2
39106 Magdeburg, GERMANY
Abstract This paper describes some of the necessary knowl-
edge using and designing tube chain conveyors (TCC). It is based
on the newest results of experimental tests on TCC and on the ex-
perience of many expertises. The aim of the research work is the
formulation of generally valid and easy to use technical regula-
tions for the tube chain conveyor. The measurement results show
the inuence of some major parameters. Further it shows how the
quite new discrete element method could help to solve some of
the major problems nding a general theory calculating TCC.
1. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT TUBE CHAIN CONVEYORS
The tube chain conveyor (TCC) is used exclusively for the transport of bulk solids and belongs
to the mechanical continuous conveyor group with circulating train means. The quite old conveyor
technology working on the damming up disks principle was promoted by the use of new materials
and new chain designs since 1970.
The TCC is a continuous conveyor with many advantages in comparison with belt feeders, trough
chain conveyors, screwconveyors and bucket chain conveyors. While the most mechanical continuous
conveyors only a straight conveying direction can manage, changes in the conveying direction, either
three dimensional or at, are no problem with a TCC.
Also dust,-gas- and pressure-tightness is easy to realize. Another advantage is the possibility to
work in difcult environments. Temperatures about 250

C and the transportation of abrasive bulk

solids can be managed. Nevertheless tube chain conveyors have a lower power consumption then e.g.
screw conveyors. At this reason TCC serve the protection of the environment and that of man.
Typical reasons for trouble with such conveyors are chain breaks or breaks of transportation disks
as shown in section 3.
Hence one of the research activities of our institute (IFSL) on the University of Magdeburg is to
study the behaviour of TCC to get the rst scientic principles for calculating such systems and to
prevent conveyor defects.
Fig. 1a,b shows components of the TCC of the IFSL-pilot plant as a example for a typical TCC.
The closed conveying system consists of several metallic tubes connected with standard anges, a
driving unit, a tensioning unit, a conveyor chain and depending on the conveyor direction a tube bend.
(a) Pilot Plant at IFSL
Driving
Unit
Bin
S
crew
co
n
veyo
r
T
u
b
e ch
ain
co
n
veyo
r
Redirection Unit
in
out
(b) 3D CAD Modell (c) TCC transporting wheat
Fig. 1: Tube chain conveyor test rig
Bulk solid is conveyed in the tube by disks xed on the chain in a denite distance as shown in g-
ure 1c. The route of the tube conveyor can be horizontally, vertically, or with an inclined orientation.
2. TYPICAL FAULTS
After years researching TCC and many expertises concerning defects of TCC the most important
aspects of designing can be comprised as follows:
Fig. 2: Typ. 3D-conveyor routes of TCC
First of all a decent design of the conveyor route
is very important for a smooth function of TCC.
One of the major advantages of the TCC is the pos-
sible three dimensional conveyor route. But the
TCC is not a pneumatic conveyor! Long conveyor
routes with many redirections are generally prob-
lematic. Figure 2 shows some of real working con-
veyor routes. Until a complete theory for calculat-
ing TCC is presented, the authors suggest a carefull
design of TCC and a critical behaviour of all users
against unserious manufacturers!
To change the direction of the conveyor route it
is necessary to utilise a tube bend or a redirection
station. A sprocket or a rim wheel (g. 3a,b) can
be used for redirecting the chain in small radii.
A major fault is the usage of a sprocket wheel
while transporting bulk solids with a high lling
level. The abrasion between chain, bulk solid and
sprocket wheel is so enormous, that the conveyor
will be damaged after a short period of time (g.
3c).
High tension of the chain cause high abrasion (g. 4a) between the chain links and in the worst
case chain break. The strength of the chain lock must be equal to the other chain links.
(a) Sprocket Wheel (b) Rim Wheel (c) Wrong usage of a sprocket wheel and
high lling level
Fig. 3: Possible equipment to redirect the chain and its wrong usage
abrasion
(a) Abrasion on a chain link causes change of chain pitch
and defect of conveyor
(b) Double sided reversed bending
fatigue crack in the weld between
disk and chain
Fig. 4: Typical problems while using TCC, reference [2]
The welding of the disks on the chain decreases the strength of the chain steel because the
introduced heat changes the texture (g. 4b). That is the main reason for conveyor defects
caused by broken disks. The problem could be solved by the usage of the new developed disks
shown in [1]. Due to point press welding of short bolts and the new design of the self-blocking
disks the danger of disk-breaking will be minimized.
There are two typical kinds of TCC, depending on the tube section. TCC with circular sections
have more advantages in comparison with square sections. The circular disks can not wedge or
block the tube like square disks. Further the usage of a tube bend or a rim wheel to redirect the
chain with circular disks is easy. The major advantage of square disks is the easier assembly.
But this advantage is insignicant for work.
3. THEORY
In [3, 4] was given an introduction to the theory of motion resistances of TCC. As a result of the
complicated transportation processes in the TCC a correction value k was introduced to the presented
theory. Sticking of bulk solid between tube and disks and unknown stress distributions are exam-
ples for inuences which are collected in the k-value. Due to the newest research the mathematical
statements calculating the chain tractive force as a symbol for the effecting motion resistances can be
summarized as follows.
Horizontal parts:
F
h
= (1+k
h
)l

KS
q
KS
+ gA
i

1+

I

. (1)
Vertical parts:
F
v
= (1+k
v
)H

q
KS
+
d
3
R
i
g
16l
TS

e
4
w

v
d
R
i

I
l
TS
1

. (2)
Tube bends with variable angles :
F
b
= cos() gA
i

1+

I

h
+
sin()
Hd
3
R
i
g
16l
TS

e
4
w

v
d
R
i

I
l
TS
1

+ T(), (3)
with
T() =
1
1 +
2
KS

q
KS
r

(
2
KS
1) cos() 2
KS
sin()

KS

q
KS
r

(
2
KS
1) cos(
0
) 2
KS
sin(
0
)

(1 +
2
KS
)T(
0
)

. (4)
This recursive equation stands for the motion resistance due to the friction between disks and
the upright 90

tube bend like it is used in the test rig.

4. RESULTS
Extensive test series were done. It generally shows the inuence of the bulk solid properties as
well as the inuence of the most of handling parameter of the conveyor. The used measurement
equipment is shown in [4] and [5]. Due to the development of a new telemetric system it was possible
to measure the chain tractive force (CTF) out of the closed metallic sealed system (Faraday screen)
over the whole conveyor route. The diagrams in g. 5a-f are showing the CTF in the horizontal and
vertical part, as well as in the tube bend.
While transporting wheat following parameters (see section 4) could be calculated:
Table 1: Calculated parameters fr wheat regarding section 4
lling level
I

V
horizontal part vertical part
< 50% k
h
= 0.084 k
v
= 0.031

h
= 0.3
v
= 3.4
active strength condition passive strength condition
> 50% k
h
= 0.11 k
v
= 0.52

h
= 3.4 passive strength condition
7 8 0 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6
distance [m]
c
h
a
i
n
t
r
a
c
t
i
v
e
f
o
r
c
e
[
k
N
]
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
1
2
3
4
5
measured values (wheat)
calculation parts
(a) Example for measuring the CTF (transporting wheat, 0.3
m/s, 95% lling level)
0

7

8

9

10
1
2
3

4

5
6
redirection

station
drive station
(b) Calculation parts on the pilot plant
distance [m]
c
h
a
in
t
r
a
c
t
iv
e
f
o
r
c
e
[
k
N
]
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
empty
sand
washing powder
wheat
horizontal bend vertical
(c) Comparison of CTF while transporting different bulk
solids (0.3 m/s, 95% lling level)
distance [m]
c
h
a
in
t
r
a
c
t
iv
e
f
o
r
c
e
[
k
N
]
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
ca. 95% filling level (wheat)
ca. 50% filling level (wheat)
horizontal bend vertical
(d) Comparison of CTF while transporting with different
lling levels (wheat, 0.3 m/s)
distance [m]
c
h
a
in
t
r
a
c
t
iv
e
f
o
r
c
e
[
k
N
]
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
0
1
2
3
4
velocity 0.15 m/s (wheat)
velocity 0.3 m/s (wheat)
horizontal bend vertical
(e) Comparison of CTF while transporting with different
chain velocities (wheat, 95% lling level)
distance [m]
c
h
a
i
n
t
r
a
c
t
i
v
e
f
o
r
c
e
[
k
N
]
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
0
1
2
3
4
5
calculated hor. part
calculated bend part
calculated vert. part
measured values
horizontal bend vertical
(f) Comparison measured and calculated CTF (wheat, 95%
lling level, 0.3 m/s)
Fig. 5: Results of experimental and theortical work
Concerning the shown diagrams 5c-e, it can be easily concluded that the CTF depends on the
bulk solid properties and the lling level and not on the chain velocity. Diagram 5f shows the good
correspondence between practical and theoretical results.
5. OUTLOOK
The aim of the further research work is to de-
Fig. 6: Numerical Simulation of transport-process in-
side a TCC with the DEM
termine the k-parameters (depending on the bulk
solid stress condition) for other representational
bulk solids e.g. ne cohesive powders or heavy
abrasive material.
Further the rst investigations for the numer-
ical simulation of the particle-mechanical pro-
cesses inside the TCC were done. The Discrete
Element Method (DEM) should be used to allow
the rst direct conclusions for the inuence of
particle size and the design of the transport disks
(g. 6).
With extensive tests and the use of the DEM the theory will be improved and a comprehensive
understanding of TCC could be reached.
6. NOMENCLATURE
A
i
sectional area inside the tube [m
2
] q
KS
weight per meter of chain with disks [m]
d
R
i
inside diameter [m] r radius of the tube bend [m]
F
h
CTF in the horizontal part [kN] T() CTF in tube bends due to the friction
F
b
CTF in the tube bend [kN] between disks and tube [kN]
F
v
CTF in the vertical part [kN]
I
capacity efciency
g acceleration of gravity [m/s
2
]
V
volumetric efciency
H total height of vertical parts [m]
h
lateral pressure ratio in horizontal parts
l length of horizontal parts [m]
v
lateral pressure ratio in vertical parts
l
TS
disk pitch [m]
KS
friction coefcient disk/tube
k
h
correction factor of CTF in horizontal parts bulk solid density [kg/m
3
]
k
v
correction factor of CTF in vertical parts circumference angle of the used tube bend [

]
7. REFERENCE
[1] Firma Schrage Rohrkettensysteme GmbH: Firmenschrift. 2002
[2] KRAUSE, F. ; BANSE, W. ; SCHMOLKE, S. ; LORZ, S. : Beanspruchung der Rundstahlkette von
Stauscheibenfrderern (Rohrkettenfrderer). In: Tagungsband Schttguttagung Otto-von-Guericke-
Universitt Magdeburg, Institut fr Frder- und Baumaschinentechnik, Stahlbau und Logistik, 1997
[3] KRAUSE, F. ; BANSE, W. ; SCHMOLKE, S. ; WERNER, A. : Theoretische und experimentelle Unter-
suchungen an Rohrkettenfrderern. In: Tagungsband zur Fachtagung Schttgutfrdertechnik Otto-von-
Guericke-Universitt Magdeburg, Institut fr Frder- und Baumaschinentechnik, Stahlbau und Logistik,
1998
[4] KRAUSE, F. ; SCHMOLKE, S. ; KATTERFELD, A. : Experimental Tests and Design of Tube Chain Convey-
ors. In: 7th International Conference on Bulk Materials, Storage, Handling & Transportation Centre for
Bulk Solids & Particulate Technologies, ASBSH, 2001
[5] SCHMOLKE, S. ; KATTERFELD, A. : Measurement Signals of the Chain Tractive Force from a Closed Pipe
Circuit. In: Conference Proceedings MAT, Messegesellschaft Nrnberg, 2001