Coal Bin to Hopper Auger

jhish wrote:snip.. As far as the level probes go, I got those from work while tearing down some industrial Dust Collectors. I can tell you they are made by Dynatrol, I just don't know the cost. ...

That was my point, try pricing that stuff some time, we all love the opportunity to score some excess parts from this job or that.

How are these augers coming? Anyone hit the nail on the head yet? Brian

Failure here. I finished my system on Friday. It's a 2" metal auger in 2" PVC belt driven by a motor from an EFM. Runs briefly than binds up in the tube. I've been holding off filling my bin until I got this working. I'm thinking now I may just fill it and go back to the drawing board for next season. I've got 5 tons to move from point a to point b and I need to get it done.

Coalkirk, keep in mind the augers for the EFM's move really slow as in a few minutes to get a shovel full. Like I origianlly posted we were using a small grain auger. I'd guess it 3 to 4 inches. That ran really fast and you had to be sure to put the coal in slowly. It was probably moving about 1/10 the volume it could move but if you tried anymore it would bind up. Sounds to me like you need to reduce the gearing.

When you look a designs for moving bulk material (rock, coal, dirt, etc.) in a hurry it's aways a belt type system, never an auger. The only type of auger system for coal that might work for coal would be the helicoil i.e. what's used in the A-A boiler. Even with it the amount of material that could be transported in a given time would be much less than a belt. For residential moving lots of coal it's hard to beat a front end loader and a gravity shute to get it where you really want it.

I'm actually using a tractor with a bucket on the front to load my inside bin from my outside bin. The auger was to load the hopper from the inside bin. The motor binds up. I could turn it by hand but is was hard. I was thinking maybe just a beefier motor.

Hey Terry, looks like you might not have enough clearance in the pipe. Typically you need a difference of least a half inch between auger OD and pipe ID. The flex auger I have for the Eshland is 1.25" clearance.

Great, I'll try that. Thanks Matt.

coalkirk wrote:Failure here. I finished my system on Friday. It's a 2" metal auger in 2" PVC belt driven by a motor from an EFM. Runs briefly than binds up in the tube. I've been holding off filling my bin until I got this working. I'm thinking now I may just fill it and go back to the drawing board for next season. I've got 5 tons to move from point a to point b and I need to get it done.

It is a 1.5 " Auger with a 2" tube If it is binding up you do not have something straight everything must be lined up straight
the pulleys and belts might be off a bit pulling the auger off set making it bind in the tube keep them lined up straight
your type of design will work when set up correctly . you might of set something up wrong pick the phone and give me
or you know who to a call

In an EFM setup, the auger is nearly horizontal. My setup the auger is on about a 45 degree angle to lift the coal into the hopper. I think whats happening is as the coal is lifted, some falls back down and is packing in around the auger causing it to bind. Also my auger has two couplings as there are three sections of auger. These by their nature will not stay completely aligned as the coupling acts like a knuckle. I'm going to try 3" pipe this weekend.

coalkirk wrote:In an EFM setup, the auger is nearly horizontal. My setup the auger is on about a 45 degree angle to lift the coal into the hopper. I think whats happening is as the coal is lifted, some falls back down and is packing in around the auger causing it to bind. Also my auger has two couplings as there are three sections of auger. These by their nature will not stay completely aligned as the coupling acts like a knuckle. I'm going to try 3" pipe this weekend.

Yea I think I know what a efm auger set up looks like The auger tube and auger is not nearly horizontal when set up on the pot and to the bin It is close to 35 to a 45 degree as for the couplings that should not make a differents because on any efm runinng more then the pot auger section. will have 1 coupling on each section of auger a 520 can have up to 3 section of auger the pot a mid and a bin auger or just a pot and a bin auger the bigger models like 700 900 1300 you can go up to 16 ft of auger 4 to 5 section of auger . the 3" pipe will not help you because the coal will feed over top of the flights getting in between the top of the flights and the pipe wall making more binding The coal is to feed in between the flights not on top with a 1.5 " auger you need a 2" tube with a 2" auger you need a 2.5 " tube . How fast is the auger spinning inside the tube slower is better then to fast try a different size pulley to slow it down if it is going to fast . Or if it is going to slow speed it up .

coalkirk wrote:I'm actually using a tractor with a bucket on the front to load my inside bin from my outside bin. The auger was to load the hopper from the inside bin. The motor binds up. I could turn it by hand but is was hard. I was thinking maybe just a beefier motor.

the motor you have is either 1/8 Hp 1725 rpm or a 1/6 1/4 Hp

Hi JC,

I've got a 1 1/2" pull on the motor and a 4" pulley on the auger. If that motor is 1725, I guess that reduces the speed to about to about 430 rpm. I can get an 8" pulley and slow it down to about 215 rpm if you think that would help.
Terry

coalkirk wrote:Hi JC,

I've got a 1 1/2" pull on the motor and a 4" pulley on the auger. If that motor is 1725, I guess that reduces the speed to about to about 430 rpm. I can get an 8" pulley and slow it down to about 215 rpm if you think that would help.
Terry

Yea you will have to find the right pulley setup to make the speed right to make it work and it will work because it has been one before I will found out the Pulley size and get back to you

This turns a bit fast. But doesnt seem to bid up using rice. The hopper holds about 3 ton.
1/3 HP @ 1725rpm motor
9" On the motor - 4" on the shaft