This calculator sums the ideal plug-flow throughput of equal rectangular feeder lanes. For each lane, bulk mass flow is bulk density × live width × bed depth × selected material velocity.
Linear actuator checks for Sectional Feeder System Mechanism
An actuator-driven version of sectional feeder system mechanism should be reviewed for stroke, linkage angle, and peak force. The mechanism may feel light through most of the travel and still bind or spike in force at one position.
For electrical sizing, measure or calculate the current under load. Long wire runs and undersized supplies can make a correctly selected actuator behave like an undersized one.
If the application needs synchronized motion, feedback should be treated as a requirement rather than an accessory. Two open-loop actuators wired together can drift apart when friction, load, or mounting geometry differs between sides.
- Map actuator stroke to the actual output travel before choosing a model.
- Check for binding, changing leverage, and peak load near the ends of travel.
- Decide whether timed motion is acceptable or position feedback is required.
For a FIRGELLI design review, calculate the load case with the FIRGELLI actuator force calculator and plan the switching or controller arrangement with the linear actuator wiring diagram generator. If an actuator or cylinder is already installed, the linear actuator replacement finder helps keep the comparison tied to real dimensions.
Ideal Sectional Feeder Throughput
Sum ideal bulk plug-flow throughput across equal rectangular feeder lanes.
Equation Used
- All lanes have equal live width and bed depth.
- The selected rectangular cross-section is fully occupied.
- Material moves at the selected uniform velocity.
- Slip, hopper shear, leakage, transients, torque and power are excluded.
Enter bulk density and selected material velocity, not solid density or uncorrected pan speed.
Parallel feeder lanes
The visual connects a common hopper to two, three or four bounded lanes, each with its own continuous pan path and discharge. The particles travel from the shared inlet to the lane outlets.
The calculation assumes the selected bed cross-section is fully occupied and moves at the selected material velocity.
What the calculator determines
Select equal lane count, bulk density, live width per lane, bed depth and material velocity. The calculator reports total live area, ideal volumetric flow, total mass flow and equal per-lane mass flow.
Metso describes apron feeders as volumetric feeders and states that bulk—not solid—density is used to relate feeder speed to tonnage. Its application sheet separately requests skirt width, bed depth, bulk density and variable speed.
Ideal plug-flow balance
For N equal lanes, total live area is A = NWh. Ideal volumetric flow is Qv = Av, mass flow is ṁ = ρbQv, and metric tonnes per hour are 3.6ṁ when ṁ is in kg/s.
Selected-input arithmetic
For three lanes, 1,800 kg/m³ bulk density, 1.8 m live width, 0.4 m bed depth and 0.2 m/s material velocity, total live area is 2.16 m², volumetric flow is 0.432 m³/s and ideal mass flow is 777.6 kg/s or 2,799.4 t/h.
Model boundary
Real capacity depends on hopper geometry and shear opening, fill factor, slip, material gradation, moisture, lump size, inclination, skirt leakage, transient loading and downstream conditions. Drive torque and power require separate analysis.
The former speed-percent output was merely the selected speed divided by a hard-coded 0.30 m/s and is removed.
Questions
Why use bulk density?
The flowing bed contains voids; solid material density is not the same input.
Is pan speed always material velocity?
No. This calculator asks for selected material velocity; slip must be handled before entering it.
Does equal lane count guarantee equal flow?
No. Equal per-lane output follows from the equal-section assumption.
Can this size a feeder drive?
No.
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