(34a) A Comparison between the Motion Resistances of the Rail Conveyor and Belt Conveyors

A new rail based continuous bulk material transportation system has been developed by researchers at the University of Newcastle. The new technology is aptly named the Rail Conveyor due to its combination of two well-established transportation technologies. The Rail Conveyor technology provides an innovative and novel departure from conventional continuous bulk material transportation systems with significant energy and economic benefits. This paper will present a comparison between the motion resistances of the Rail Conveyor system and conventional belt conveyors.

The Rail Conveyor system merges the benefits of both belt conveyor technology and railway to produce a highly energy efficient and cost effective bulk material transportation system. The Rail Conveyor is a continuous bulk material transportation system that due to steel track wheels running on steel rails shares a rolling resistance similar in magnitude to railway systems.

The Rail Conveyor system operates and is driven like a conventional belt conveyor. The bulk material is supported by a conveyor belt that is driven by one or more localised drive pulleys, however, rather than being supported by idler rolls the belt is supported by a series of linked carriages. The carriages utilise steel or nylon track wheels that run along light gauge steel railway tracks. The belt is not physically fixed to the support carriages, but drives each carriage by friction developed between the belt and the carriage yoke. The support carriages are clamped to an endless wire rope, typically via a spring, and equally spaced along the length of the system. The support carriages follow a continuous path around the conveying system, supporting the bulk material and belt along the carry side, and the belt on the return side.

In July 2015 a prototype Rail Conveyor system was successfully built and commissioned in China. The prototype system is 150 m long, has a belt width of 1.2 m and operates at belt speeds up to 4 m/s. The successful commissioning and operation of the prototype system proved the Rail Conveyor concept and has provided an invaluable means to evaluate and test a wide range of system variables, including the motion resistances.