by
Vaughn Entwistle, Features Editor, Milling and Grain
Last month’s Milling and Grain carried a special feature on the dangers of dust explosions and explored several strategies for reducing the risk of these serious incidents.
So, it was with great interest that at the recent VIV Europe 2018, I discovered a relatively simple and cost-effective piece of technology for potentially preventing dust explosions on conveyors and bucket elevators.
Because bucket elevators account for 30-40 percent of all grain handling dust explosions, it’s easy to consider them as ‘dangerous’ installations with a very real potential for the risk of explosion. One of the major culprits in these explosions is belt misalignment. A misaligned belt, rubbing against another part of the conveyer, can quickly generate a great deal of heat and friction, and might even shoot out sparks. When heat/sparks come together with a cloud of highly flammable grain dust, it often results in a powerful explosion.
However, research shows that these explosions and the resulting damage can easily be limited with various belt misalignment monitoring systems for horizontal and vertical transport.
To alert conveyor/bucket elevator users to belt misalignment, Dutch company Muller Beltex created Rub-Block. A typical Rub-Block system employs four temperature sensors—two mounted at either end of a belt system. Unlike competing sytems, Rub-Block detects belt misalignment based on raised temperatures generated by friction.
Rub-Block uses a PT100 temperature sensor to report the misalignment of a conveyor belt, elevator belt or HI-roller. The RB200DN can be used for elevators from 12 metres height. The advantage of the Rub-Block is that it emits a continuous standby signal to the PLC. If such a signal is absent, the reason for this must be investigated and, if required, the PT100 sensor must be replaced. As long as the Rub-Block emits a standby signal, it will also emit an emergency contact signal caused by its temperature rising, as soon as a belt touches it.
Off-track belts running into the side of conveyor equipment will cause friction, which may damage the belt, and might also generate heat and fire, leading to a dust explosion. The RB200DN is easy to install. Sensors are fitted on both sides of a conveyor or elevator belt. Once the belt comes off-track and rubs against the brass plate of the Rub-Block, it will create friction and the temperature of the Rub-Block brass plate will increase, triggering an alarm.
Read the full article, HERE.
Last month’s Milling and Grain carried a special feature on the dangers of dust explosions and explored several strategies for reducing the risk of these serious incidents.
So, it was with great interest that at the recent VIV Europe 2018, I discovered a relatively simple and cost-effective piece of technology for potentially preventing dust explosions on conveyors and bucket elevators.
Because bucket elevators account for 30-40 percent of all grain handling dust explosions, it’s easy to consider them as ‘dangerous’ installations with a very real potential for the risk of explosion. One of the major culprits in these explosions is belt misalignment. A misaligned belt, rubbing against another part of the conveyer, can quickly generate a great deal of heat and friction, and might even shoot out sparks. When heat/sparks come together with a cloud of highly flammable grain dust, it often results in a powerful explosion.
However, research shows that these explosions and the resulting damage can easily be limited with various belt misalignment monitoring systems for horizontal and vertical transport.
To alert conveyor/bucket elevator users to belt misalignment, Dutch company Muller Beltex created Rub-Block. A typical Rub-Block system employs four temperature sensors—two mounted at either end of a belt system. Unlike competing sytems, Rub-Block detects belt misalignment based on raised temperatures generated by friction.
Rub-Block uses a PT100 temperature sensor to report the misalignment of a conveyor belt, elevator belt or HI-roller. The RB200DN can be used for elevators from 12 metres height. The advantage of the Rub-Block is that it emits a continuous standby signal to the PLC. If such a signal is absent, the reason for this must be investigated and, if required, the PT100 sensor must be replaced. As long as the Rub-Block emits a standby signal, it will also emit an emergency contact signal caused by its temperature rising, as soon as a belt touches it.
Off-track belts running into the side of conveyor equipment will cause friction, which may damage the belt, and might also generate heat and fire, leading to a dust explosion. The RB200DN is easy to install. Sensors are fitted on both sides of a conveyor or elevator belt. Once the belt comes off-track and rubs against the brass plate of the Rub-Block, it will create friction and the temperature of the Rub-Block brass plate will increase, triggering an alarm.
Read the full article, HERE.
The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.
For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com
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