Case Study - 20,000 stockpile and 400t Bin Sticky Ore

“ Details, Details, Details ”

Bauxite Project WA.

Gary James.

Calibre Minerva

IIR Materials Handling Week. Brisbane June 2013

Bauxite Project WA

• Its all in the details.

• Think strategically.

• KISS. Keep the flow sheet simple.

• Bauxite companies have been dealing with

the issue for many years. Iron ore “below

water table” no different.

• Designers reluctant to throw out easy

handling dry ore standards for chutes, bins

etc.

Bauxite Project WA

• Some prefer to be optimistic. They

shouldn’t be.

• Good data is hard to get.

• Do not trust the data. If below water table

ore data looks OK, don’t believe it.

• Use companies TUNRA, BME/UOW, J & J

to test, model and audit the final design.

• The claim “ designed to TUNRA etc” often

false.

Typical Bauxite Behaviour

Photos from another

project. Cemented lumps

fall free, causing blockages

and damage.

HDPE on steep

walls

Stainless

ROM and Primary Sizing

ROM and Primary Sizing

ROM and Primary Sizing

Very steep side

walls means narrow

back wall. Hence

trucks dump over

the side.

ROM and Primary Sizing

72º sides 82º back

Chute longer to take

corners out of play

HDPE

ROM and Primary Sizing

2100mm slow belt

stops spillage

ROM and Primary Sizing

ROM and Primary Sizing Dust Collection

Dust collectors roll

out. No ducting on

dirty side

Overland Conveyor Feed Details

Direct loading of

overland conveyor from

sizer. Curved plates,

reduce risk of build-up

& lower belt impact.

Curved plates

cause ore collision

and loss of energy

Chute longer than

sizer. This takes the

corners out of play.

Ductless dust

collection

Overland Conveyor Feed Details

Overland Conveyor Discharge & Drive Area

Return

idlers/pulleys

are under the

truss with

18m pitch.

Carry back

falls in easy

access

locations Skid loader access

under take-up, &

tunnel under drives etc

Overland Conveyor Discharge

Belt washing & several scrapers and rollers

Ductless dust collection No back wall in chute

Walk way along elevated

loading point, allows

unobstructed cleanup.

Overland Conveyor Discharge

Small impact zone introduced for primary crushed ore.

Smaller ore can be designed with direct feed. Design the

belt for direct feed.

UOW/BME chute modelling ( Iron ore project)

Sticky Ore Detailing

No back wall in

chute under

pulley

HDPE

Removable side

wall module

allows

reconfiguration

or deletion

Receiving belt is designed for direct

feed, so if sticky ore becomes a

problem, the cross bars can be

removed.

Walk in doors

22m3 live

capacity

Conveyor Drive Area

Drive through tunnel

under drive zone for

clean-up

1000 t bin, Screening & Sec Crushing

• xxx

Steep

walls,

round

corners

Steep walls & no end

walls equals no valleys

Down sloped

reversing conveyor

for clean out of

system

Ductless

dust

collection

Sloping floor

Drain to ground

1000 t bin, Screening & Sec Crushing

1000 t bin, Screening & Sec Crushing

Stockpile

Stockpile

Stockpile With Big Outlet

• 20,000 t live.

• 23m long offset outlet to reduce height of the rat hole.

Stockpile With Big Outlet

Stockpile Outlets

Two apron feeders back to back,

each under a double hopper

Wider outlet

Steeper wall

Even drawdown

Wider outlet

Stockpile Outlets

Conical hopper.

Can also be used

on the end walls of

a wedge shaped

hopper.

Stockpile Outlets

Wedge means

outlet has a ratio

between 3 & 5 to 1

Add inserts when

ratio 6 to 1 &

above

A wedge means

vertical end walls.

( Can relax the

rule to use the

conical angle on

the end walls.)

Stockpile Outlets

Back to back apron feeders

sharing common take-up

rails

26m outlet No flat areas Round corners

Ductless dust

collection

Stockpile Outlets With Round Corners

400t OBC Feed Bin

Conveyor/feeder

extended to increase

belt life

400t OBC Feed Bin

400t OBC Feed Bin

Vertical scrapings

chute to feeder

below

400t OBC Feed Bin

400t OBC Feed Bin

Outlet of 400t bin

fits into the shape

set by the 5 roll 60

degree conveyor

idlers

400t OBC Feed Bin

No skirts

The End