Sand conveyors move sand using screw or bucket systems, and sometimes specialized belts. Screw conveyors use a giant auger to lift sand, but require a reasonable angle for efficiency. Bucket conveyors use a continuous system with individual paddles, but have limited angle variation and space for return. Specialized belt systems catch sand with rubber threads, but are limited to moving sand only.
A sand conveyor is any device that moves sand from one place to another. There are generally two different types of systems which are commonly called sand conveyors: screw conveyors and bucket conveyors. Both types of conveying systems are used in a wide range of industries to move objects other than sand, but can also move fine particles without suffering from blockages or adverse wear. A third type of specialized belt system is also used as a sand conveyor, but this is a much less common device.
The most common sand conveyor uses a giant auger inside a tube. One end of the tube is inside the sand which needs to move. As the screw turns, it pulls the sand up from the pile and traps it between its teeth. This causes more sand to fall into the location of the displaced material so that the screw can simply lift it up again. This ultimately results in the screw containing a continuous coil of sand.
The main disadvantage of using an auger as a sand conveyor is finding a reasonable angle. The closer the screw gets to perpendicular to the ground, the more efficient it is. A pipe that is straight up works at nearly twice as efficient as one to its side. This means that the screw is only practical if the situation works with it.
Bucket conveyors are the second major variety of sand conveyors. This style has a huge amount of variation in appearance, but the principle behind all the different types is the same. A continuous system, typically a belt or chain, is connected to a series of individual paddles. Each of these paddles will travel from one end of the conveyor belt to the other and then return to the start. The scoops could be nothing more than dimples in a flexible belt or they can be as complex as self-contained, sealable containers.
There are two common drawbacks to bucket conveyors. To keep the material in the bucket, the conveyor must operate at a set angle. Most of these systems have only a few degrees of variation in configuration. The other big problem is the return phase. A small bucket is easy to put off at first, but a larger bucket takes up a lot of space on the way back.
Occasionally, a specialized belt system will function as a sand conveyor. This device has a belt similar to the conveyor belts seen in airports and supermarkets, but is covered in hair-like rubber threads. These will catch the sand and prevent it from slipping off the belt. These systems can work at any slope as long as the hairs are long enough to keep the sand from sliding. Their biggest drawback is their specialization; while other types of conveyors can move other materials, these belts cannot.
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