MINERAL PORTS
economical price. China Coal sought storage
facilities for both its Hulusu and Menkeqing coal
mines, located 15 miles apart in north China’s
Inner Mongolia province. Based on “their ability
to keep out outside moisture,” Bateman said a
series of domes was a more economical solution
than traditional silos. But the aesthetics were
also very important to the customer.
Today, one mine has three identical domes
housing 60,000 t of coal apiece and in the
distance there are three more identical domes at
the other mine. An innovative material-handling
system inside the domes gave China Coal what it
wanted most: the ability to move product and
move it fast. And demand for energy coal in China
is continually growing. “China is an emerging
country, and they have an energy shortage—
that’s why companies like this are developing in
this region,” Bateman said.
Inside each dome, a full hopper system similar
to a series of funnels situated side by side allows
coal to flow through the structure under its own
weight rather than by loader. “Inside this dome
it’s a 100% live-reclaim system, which is not new
to the industry, but on this magnitude, it’s pretty
new,” Bateman said, adding that this design
allows each dome to be completely emptied
every three days.
Other design details also add value, especially
since the possibility of coal self-igniting in the
dome was one of the main concerns, according to
Zhao Jiapeng of China Coal. The PVC membrane
outside the dome prevents moisture from
entering and contributing to spontaneous
combustion. Secondary explosions—the kind
caused when initial explosions shake loose
accumulated coal dust—are less likely because
the support-free domes have no ledges for dust
to build up. The domes’ design also allows China
Coal to render the pile of coal inert by sealing
the top and bottom to cut off oxygen sources
and by pumping nitrogen to lower the oxygen
level.
At each site, Dome One, located closest to the
mine, houses coal coming fresh from the mine
until exiting the dome, passing through a
cleaning and washing process before being
milled to achieve the
right-sized pieces.
From there coal is
dumped via conveyor
into Domes Two and
Three, where it later
exits the structures in
one of three tunnels
and is transported to
trains waiting just
outside.
Bucket wheels well suited to
hydraulic drives
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