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BucketElevatorHorsePowerandCalculations
TherearemanyvariablestoconsiderwhendesigningaBucket
Elevator.Theseincludebucketsize,bucketspacing,speed,and
variouscomponents.Thisinformationcanactasaguidefor
determiningtheHorsePower(HP)requirementsofaBucketElevator.
WhendesigningaBucketElevatortherearemorevariablestobe
considerthatcanbelistedhere.Itshouldbenotedthatasmall
mistakeincalculatingtherequiredHPofasmall,lowcapacityBucket
Elevatormaynotresultinaunitfailure,butasmallmistakeona
large,highcapacitybucketelevatormayresultinacatastrophic
failure.Thisiswhyitisimportanttoalwaysworkwithanexperienced
BucketElevatorManufacturerwhocanhelpinthedesignand
implementationofasuccessfulproject.

DeterminingHorsePower
TobeabletoaccuratelydeterminethepowerrequirementsofaBucketElevator,itmustfirstbeunderstoodtheinternalforces
actingontheunit.AlthoughtherearemanycomponentsintheBucketElevator,onlytheupwardmovementoftheconveyed
productneedstobeconsidered.ThisisbecausetheweightoftheBelt/ChainandCupsareidenticallybalancedonbothsides
oftheheadshaft.Onlytheinternalfrictioncausedbythemovementofthesecomponentsneedstobeconsideredwhen
calculatingtheHPrequirements.
TherearemanyvariationsofHorsePower(HP)calculationsfoundinhistoricalandindividualmanufacturersliterature.The
formulasbelowareusedtodeterminethepowerrequirementsofaBucketElevatorthroughouttheindustry.

Equation1PowerFormula
Abasicpowercalculationisthemeasureofforceoveradistancepertimeperiod.
EquationSymbols

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Power

Force

Distance

Time

Equation2BucketElevatorPowerFormula
InaBucketElevatorthepowerrequirementcanbedirectlycalculatedusingthisformula.
EquationSymbols
P

Powertoconveytheproduct

Weightofmaterialbeinglifted

LiftHeight

Time

HPrequiredtoovercomethefrictioninthe
system.

Equation3BucketElevatorPowerFormula
Usingtheaboveformulaandsubstitutingthegravimetricrateofabucketelevator,thefollowingequationcanbederived.
EquationSymbols
P

Power(HP)

GravimetricRate(PoundsPerHour)

DH

DischargeHeight(FT)

HPrequiredtoovercomethefrictioninthe
system.

SystemFriction
FactorCisanestimateofthefrictioninthesystemandis
requiredtoaccuratelydeterminethepowerrequirementsofa
BucketElevator.
Note:Motorinefficiencyisnotusedbecausetheseformulas
areusedtodeterminetheMotorsize.MotorHPratingsinclude
theirinherentinefficiencies.

Frictionincludesthefollowingvariables:
CupDigging
Beltslipontheheadpulley
Chainsliponsprockets

Therearetwomethodsusedtodeterminethepowerrequiredto
overcomethefrictioninthesystem.ThefirstistheLength
EquivalencyMethod.Thismethodusesafactorofthetail
pulleydiametertodeterminetheadditionalpowerrequiredto
accountforthesystemfriction.Thesecondmethodisthe
FrictionFactorMethod.Thismethodusesamultiplication
factorofaccountforthefrictioninthesystem.

Bearingfriction
DriveInefficiencies

LengthEquivalencyMethod
Equation4BucketElevatorSystemFrictionLEQMethod
Systemfrictioncanbeaccountedforwithalengthequivalencyfactor.Thisfactorisdependentonthepulleydiameterandis
shownbelow.TheLengthEquivalencyFactorrangesfrom5to15,dependingontheapplication.ConsultyourBucketElevator
Supplierforadditionalinformation.
EquationSymbols
C

SystemFriction(HP)

GravimetricRate(PoundsPerHour)

TailPulleyDiameter(FT)

Leq

LengthEquivalencyFactor

Equation5BucketElevatorPowerFormulaLEQMethod
CombiningEquations3and4yieldsthefollowingequation.
EquationSymbols

Power(HP)

GravimetricRate(PoundsPerHour)

DH

DischargeHeight(FT)

TailPulleyDiameter(FT)

Leq

LengthEquivalencyFactor

Example
ACustomerwouldliketoconvey100,000lbsperhourofsandtoaheightof105feet.DeterminetherequiredHP.
Solution
Given
Rate(G)=100,000(PoundsperHour)
DischargeHeight(DH)=105(FT)
Assumed
TailPulleyDiameter(d)=2(FT)
Leq=7

FrictionFactorMethod
Equation6BucketElevatorPowerFormulaFrictionFactorMethod
AnotherwaytoaccountforthesystemfrictionistoaddamultiplicationfactortothecalculatedHPinEquation3.This
multiplicationfactortypicallyrangesfrom10%to30%,dependingontheapplication.ConsultyourBucketElevatorSupplier
foradditionalinformation.
EquationSymbols
P

Power(HP)

GravimetricRate(PPH)

DH

DischargeHeight(FT)

FrictionMultiplicationFactor

Example
ACustomerwouldliketoconvey100,000lbsperhourofsandtoaheightof105feet.DeterminetherequiredHP.
Solution
Given
Rate(G)=100,000(PoundsperHour)
DischargeHeight(DH)=105(FT)
Assumed
Friction(F)=1.15

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