Silage blower to move Pea coal

 
jrv8984
Member
Posts: 191
Joined: Wed. Dec. 02, 2015 9:44 am
Location: lower Schuylkill county, PA
Other Heating: Blaze King Princess

Post by jrv8984 » Sat. Mar. 16, 2019 2:08 pm

So it occurred to me that they use blowers to shoot silage and haylage vertically up into silos.
Has anyone ever used one to move coal.
I would be blowing it roughly 80' at a 16° angle into a 22' tall feed bin. thoughts, ideas?


 
User avatar
CoalJockey
Verified Business Rep.
Posts: 1324
Joined: Sun. Mar. 09, 2008 11:18 am
Location: Loysburg, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Several EFM 520 refurbs...one 900, one 1300 mega-stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: (2) Warm Morning Stoves

Post by CoalJockey » Sat. Mar. 16, 2019 3:51 pm

Well we filled 80’ silos with high moisture shelled corn that way so I wouldn’t say it can’t work... but...

Personally I think you will have a load of rice when it comes out the bottom of the bin, the four paddles will thrash it to no end. It would definitely be the most violent sound you have ever heard though. :P

 
lzaharis
Member
Posts: 2366
Joined: Sun. Mar. 25, 2007 8:41 pm
Location: Ithaca, New York
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4-1 dual fuel boiler
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: former switzer CWW100-sold
Coal Size/Type: rice
Other Heating: kerosene for dual fuel Keystoker/unused

Post by lzaharis » Sat. Mar. 16, 2019 4:04 pm

Hello and good afternoon jrv8984,

Now we are getting into the use of a pressure gradient for the dilute phase conveying of solids using positive displacement of atmospheric air and it can be done.
The problem is the velocity of the Pea Coal in transit From A(the loading point) to B(the hopper) and the CFM required to move it using the 6 inch pipe.

Using the 10 wheel feed delivery trucks as the example they use what is referred to as a positive displacement Rotary Lobe or Rotary Vane type blower to move the feed concentrate to the end of the dump body as it is slowly raised to fill the attic of the milking parlor.
They attach a 4 or 6 inch hose to the discharge end of the dump body and connect the other end to the delivery pipe attached to the milking parlor as well as a grounding line to the building to discharge static electricity
The concentrate delivery pipe rises to the level of the attic where the concentrate pellets are blown into to store them and the pellets are gravity fed into the dispenser and then dropped into the feed tray while the cow is milked.

It would be more efficient if you were able to position the silage blower next to or near the bin and the vertical pipe could be elevated to 30-40 feet and attach a series of
white PVC 15 degree elbows using straight pipe pieces to create the arc need to allow the pea coal to flow to the hopper hatch.


If this is not possible, perhaps checking with Wengers of Myerstown to see if they have feed truck that could be salvaged or has been salvaged for the blower and feed hose and the narrow hopper on the rear of the dump body.

The positive displacement blower could be attached to a three point hitch tool carrier and the blower would simply be attached to the salvaged feed hopper from the feed truck and then attached to the one piece black PVC pipe or several joints of white PVC pipe with union connections.

You would have to run the tractor at a higher PTO speed or if you have a tractor with a 1000 RPM PTO that may work well .If you have a tractor with a 1,000 RPM PTO or a speed increaser gearbox for a tractor with a 540 RPM PTO to power a silage blower it may just be enough to overcome the pea coals simply dropping out of the air stream and creating a siltation layer on the bottom of the pipes .invert which will create more friction and slow down the delivery of coal to the point of plugging the pipe.

A blower and a feed hopper from a feed truck may be a better option but you would want to test the blower to see if it will deliver at least 13PSIG at its rated RPM.

 
User avatar
McGiever
Member
Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Sat. Mar. 16, 2019 4:11 pm

Some people Git er Done!!!
DSC00361(6).JPG
.JPG | 130.4KB | DSC00361(6).JPG
DSC00368(7).JPG
.JPG | 134.8KB | DSC00368(7).JPG
DSC00376(8).JPG
.JPG | 116.9KB | DSC00376(8).JPG

 
User avatar
CoalJockey
Verified Business Rep.
Posts: 1324
Joined: Sun. Mar. 09, 2008 11:18 am
Location: Loysburg, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Several EFM 520 refurbs...one 900, one 1300 mega-stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: (2) Warm Morning Stoves

Post by CoalJockey » Sat. Mar. 16, 2019 5:02 pm

Haha MG... that was the first thing that came to mind when I read this! I had forgotten all about it until now.

If the consistency of the coal and/or fines is no issue then have at ‘er. :)

 
jrv8984
Member
Posts: 191
Joined: Wed. Dec. 02, 2015 9:44 am
Location: lower Schuylkill county, PA
Other Heating: Blaze King Princess

Post by jrv8984 » Sat. Mar. 16, 2019 5:05 pm

I've got a 90 hp John deere with 540/1000 rpm pto shafts so that's not a problem. Issue is that where the feed bin needs to go, you have to go through a swampy area, (well with the way its been raining the past 2 years).

The wife is balking at the cost and physical size of grain elevators/augers. And doesn't like me turning everything into a mud hole. Hence the 80' run of pipe from the bin to the road.

Figure vacuuming the pea coal is out, but then I had the idea of a silage blower. But I've never messed with one, so I really have no clue as to whether or not it's a good idea.

Coal is going into a feed bin, which will then feed an auger into the S260 coal gun.

 
LouNY
Member
Posts: 301
Joined: Mon. Jan. 19, 2015 10:12 am
Location: Greenwich, NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer fireplace insert
Coal Size/Type: nut
Other Heating: oil

Post by LouNY » Sat. Mar. 16, 2019 6:46 pm

I would be leery of the silage blower, I'd be afraid it would pulverize your coal as well as creating a heck of a coal dust storm.
I had contemplated using a grain bin to store coal, I was worried that the moisture in the coal would end up making a frozen mess in the winter.


 
LouNY
Member
Posts: 301
Joined: Mon. Jan. 19, 2015 10:12 am
Location: Greenwich, NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer fireplace insert
Coal Size/Type: nut
Other Heating: oil

Post by LouNY » Sat. Mar. 16, 2019 6:50 pm

possibly a grain auger or a long flex auger would work without breaking up the coal.
Or a belt conveyor.

 
jrv8984
Member
Posts: 191
Joined: Wed. Dec. 02, 2015 9:44 am
Location: lower Schuylkill county, PA
Other Heating: Blaze King Princess

Post by jrv8984 » Sat. Mar. 16, 2019 7:12 pm

Filling the bin up in the summer should negate any moisture issues leading to freezing.

 
jrv8984
Member
Posts: 191
Joined: Wed. Dec. 02, 2015 9:44 am
Location: lower Schuylkill county, PA
Other Heating: Blaze King Princess

Post by jrv8984 » Sat. Mar. 16, 2019 7:16 pm

Price is the problem with a long auger or conveyor. Dunno where I would find a used flex auger in a large enough diameter to move Pea coal quickly.

 
User avatar
McGiever
Member
Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Sat. Mar. 16, 2019 9:14 pm

New flex auger wouldn't break the bank...3-1/2" flex auger in a 4" PVC pipe. Add the geared motor and controls and you're set.

 
jrv8984
Member
Posts: 191
Joined: Wed. Dec. 02, 2015 9:44 am
Location: lower Schuylkill county, PA
Other Heating: Blaze King Princess

Post by jrv8984 » Sun. Mar. 17, 2019 8:45 am

If you know where to get roughly 80' of flex auger for cheap, I would love to know.

 
jrv8984
Member
Posts: 191
Joined: Wed. Dec. 02, 2015 9:44 am
Location: lower Schuylkill county, PA
Other Heating: Blaze King Princess

Post by jrv8984 » Sun. Mar. 17, 2019 9:05 am

So if I found away to introduce the coal into the silage blower and prevented it from making contact with the paddles, could it still work?

Another thought I had was using multiple leaf blowers attached to wye's. Say 3 or 4 of them every 20'-25' in my 80'+ run.

I basically just want to get a triaxle load delivered and have to go right into the feed bin. But they aren't going to want to wait around for that to happen. But I would like to move the coal as fast as possible.

 
jrv8984
Member
Posts: 191
Joined: Wed. Dec. 02, 2015 9:44 am
Location: lower Schuylkill county, PA
Other Heating: Blaze King Princess

Post by jrv8984 » Sun. Mar. 17, 2019 9:13 am

Or a walk behind leaf blower

 
CapeCoaler
Member
Posts: 6515
Joined: Sun. Feb. 10, 2008 3:48 pm
Location: Cape Cod, MA
Stoker Coal Boiler: want AA130
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machine BS#4, Harman MKII, Hitzer 503,...
Coal Size/Type: Pea/Nut/Stove

Post by CapeCoaler » Sun. Mar. 17, 2019 11:33 am

rent a conveyor...
Quick and done...
They use them to unload rail cars...


Post Reply

Return to “Coal Bins, Chimneys, CO Detectors & Thermostats”