Upgraded Load Zone to Prevent Spillage and Improve Material Flow

Situation

Due to poorly designed chutes that were not center loading the coal onto BC-3A & BC-3B, TVA Allen Steam Plant was experiencing considerable spillage onto the floor of the transfer building. The ultimate solution was to replace the chutes with engineered transfer systems. However, funding was not available for a project of that magnitude.

The Benetech Solution

Two MaxZone Modular Skirtboard and Belt Support Systems were proposed to eliminate the spillage at a fraction of the cost of chutes. All load components under the belt were still in good condition, so portions of the load zone above the belt were all that needed to be replaced. In addition to installing over 40 ft of MaxZone for each belt, we engineered and installed an adjustable “spoon” at the chute discharge to assure center loading of the coal.

Successful Achieved

As a result, they experience no more than 2 or 3 shovel scoops of spillage during a 16 hr shift compared to a quantity requiring a vacuum truck and two men to clean.