Belt Conveyor Drive Control

Sustainable and Energy Efficient Operation

09.03.2011 | Author / Editor: N. Becker, Germany / Marcel Dröttboom

An innovative control and drive concept ensures stress-free operation of this conveyor at the Los Pelambres mine. (Pictures: Siemens)

Wherever energy savings, availability, reliability, reduced equipment wear and difficult terrain are an issue, speed controlled belt conveyor drive systems are the most economical drive option for large belt conveyors.

Belt conveyors have proven to be the most efficient and cost-effective method of moving bulk solids in mining operations, regardless of the distance, the volume or the type of terrain. For decades the AC wound rotor motor system with starting resistors was the drive solution for large scale fixed speed conveyor systems. These robust and high performances drives have been implemented successfully in numerous conveyor applications world wide and were state of the art during those days.

Today, innovative and efficient AC drives are the basis for advanced conveyor drive systems.

Gallery

Fig. 1: Squirrel cage induction motor for conveyor application. Fig. 2: A Medium voltage Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) allows control of the motor behaviour. Fig. 3: The challenge with multi drives fir conveyors is the mechanical configuration.

Select a picture to open the gallery (4 images)

But to achieve an advanced conveyor drive system it is not sufficient to just pick an AC drive system and connect it to the mechanical components – it is rather more than that. It is the selection of the right AC drive system based on the requirement of the conveyor application and the technology control system which forces the AC drive system to behave in a way which suits all the requirements of belt conveyors most. This paper shows the advantage of innovatively designed conveyor control systems in combination with an innovative AC drive system. As part of the product family SIMINE, the SIMINE CON Solution from Siemens is a completely integrated solution for conveyor applications and takes care regarding energy savings, availability, and reduced equipment wear and tear.

Requirements for Belt Conveyor Drive Systems

Considering the investment costs for conveyors, the main mechanical components like the drives and the belt are the biggest portion. The belt itself is by far the biggest single portion.

In order to maintain these assets it is important to select...

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