A bucket elevator conveyor is a vertical conveying system that uses a series of buckets attached to a rotating belt or chain to lift and transport bulk materials from one level to another, where the buckets scoop up material at the bottom, carry it upwards, and then discharge it at the desired location; essentially acting like a vertical conveyor with buckets that scoop and carry material instead of a flat belt.

Key points about bucket elevator conveyors:

Function:

Primarily used to move large quantities of bulk materials like grains, powders, minerals, and more vertically between different levels.

Components:

- Buckets: Scoop-shaped containers attached to the belt or chain, designed to collect and hold material.

- Belt or Chain: The rotating mechanism that carries the buckets.

- Head section: Top part of the elevator where the buckets discharge material.

- Boot section: Bottom part of the elevator where the buckets are loaded with material.

- Drive motor: Power source for rotating the belt or chain.

Works:

- Loading: The buckets enter the material feed area at the bottom (boot section) and scoop up the material.

- Lifting: As the belt or chain rotates, the filled buckets are lifted vertically.

- Discharge: At the top (head section), the buckets tip over or are designed to discharge the material into a chute or hopper.

- Return: Empty buckets then travel back down the elevator to repeat the process.

Important considerations when choosing a bucket elevator:

- Material type: Different bucket designs are needed depending on the material properties (flow ability, abrasiveness).

- Capacity: Bucket size and belt/chain speed determine the volume of material that can be transported.

- Lift height: The vertical distance between the loading and discharge points.

- Discharge method: Whether the buckets will discharge by gravity, centrifugal force, or a combination.