Air Blasters

Air Blasters
Air Blaster is a new technological evolution in the new era for

enhancing production, which saves both time and money for any
organization. it provides smooth and healthy flow of material without
jamming or any coating in hoppers, Pre-Heaters and consequently
coolers etc.
The device/machinery have proved its advantage during rainy season
when the moisture content is high in the air and the flow is restricted
and hence Air Blasters proves to be beneficial. It accounts for high
degree of efficiency with minimum time and effort.
The device operates on compressed air and is controlled by the
Solenoid valve operated control panel box and sequential timer. It is
mainly installed in cement plants, thermal plants and coalbunkers,
chutes, chemical plant, fertilizer industry etc.
With the introduction of Air Boost all the problems relating to jamming
or coating are now least considered.
Air Blasters is the excellent engineering solution to avoid jamming and

allows smooth continuous flow of materials in cement and power industry.
The Air Blasters considering helps to transport of fuel / waste from one
portion to the other, reducing the time and cost. Particularly in rainy season
due to moisture content in such materials.
 Small size discharge chutes & Analyzer
 Burner pipe, feed pipe
 Fly-Ash/Gypsum Hoppers & small cyclones
 Feed pipes, TAD Ducts, Hopper
 Multi-propose for hoppers, Riser duct, Kiln inlet
 Pre-heater, Kiln inlet, Hoppers, Cooler

high-volume coal handling operation in South Africa has solved material build-up problems
in the transfer chute feeding its export silo and discard bin with a strategically-timed series
of air cannons that blast the accumulation from chute and vessel walls, preventing
bottlenecks and maintaining throughput rates. The air cannons from Martin Engineering
RSA are credited with eliminating the blockages, which became so severe at times that the
conveyor had to be shut down until the mass could be dislodged, effectively halting the
entire process.
A 50:50 joint venture between Anglo American Inyosi Coal (AAIC) and BHP Billiton
Energy Coal South Africa (BECSA), the Phola coal processing plant is fed equally
by AAIC’s Zibulo Colliery and BECSA’s Klipspruit Mine. The twin-module coal washing
operation delivers a throughput of nearly 1,200 tons per hour from each module. The $450
million plant features two mineral sizers, a rotary breaker and two 8,500 ton silos, as well
as four stackers and three bucket wheel reclaimers.
“Although much of the plant’s equipment is of industry-standard design, the operation is

much larger than traditional South African modular facilities,” commented Richard Kenny,
BHP Billiton’s Project Director for Klipspruit. “For example, the 4,3 m × 8 m multi-slope
vibrating screens are the biggest in the country.”
The Challenge
Like many newer facilities, the facility does not maintain its fines in a wet slurry for
environmental reasons, instead filtering the dry fugitive particles and pressing them into
cakes. Depending on the customer’s requirements, the cakes are either added to the
outgoing product load or sent to the discard bin via conveyor for storage.
Soon after the plant went online, the process began delivering a throughput of more than a
million metric tons per month, well on the way to its target of 16 million annually. On its
busiest day of that first year, the facility completely loaded eight 100-car trains, each car
with a capacity of 84 tons.
But as the high-volume operation ramped up, engineers started noticing bottlenecks. They
traced the slowdown to material build-up in the chute feeding the export silo and discard
bin. Operators determined that the freshly-pressed cakes were sticking to the walls of the
chute, narrowing the space for product transfer and leaving “rat holes” which restricted
flow. As the blockage grew, it would cause the vessels to fill with material and eventually
trip the high level indicator, shutting off the conveyors and forcing downtime for manual
cleanout.
System downtime in such a high-volume operation is catastrophic, and Phola immediately

began researching possible solutions. Operators met with representatives from Martin
Engineering South Africa, who suggested adding a series of air cannons to address the
issue.
“Even well-designed processes can experience accumulations, which have a significant

impact on output and profitability,” observed Chris Schmelzer, Global Design Engineering
Manager for Martin Engineering USA. “Changes in process conditions, raw materials or
weather can all have an effect on material flow, and even small amounts of accumulation
can grow into a serious blockage.”
Air cannon technology has a long history of service in coal handling and processing, helping
to improve material flow and reduce maintenance. The timed discharge of a directed air
blast can prevent accumulation or blockages that impact process efficiency and raise
maintenance expenses, helping manufacturers minimize the need for process interruptions
and manual labor.
Results
To address the blockage, Martin Engineering recommended 70-liter Hurricane Air
Cannons, placed in strategic locations to knock down the filter cake within the chute.
Positioning of the cannons and nozzles is critical to their success, and the technicians
installed the four units at a 35º downward-facing angle for maximum effectiveness in this
application.
The patented design is engineered to enhance material flow with greater force and faster
cycling than traditional valve designs. The cannons fire only when the exhaust valve opens
in response to a positive surge of air sent by a solenoid or PLC control. This positive-acting
valve amplifies the discharge, providing up to 50% more force than a standard air cannon of
the same size. In addition, the improved air path fills the reservoir 3-4 times faster than
typical designs.

Air Blasters

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How does the air blaster technology work?

What problems were occurring at the coal handling plant?

Air Blasters

Air Blaster is a new technological evolution in the new era for

Air Blasters is the excellent engineering solution to avoid jamming and

 Small size discharge chutes & Analyzer

 Burner pipe, feed pipe

 Fly-Ash/Gypsum Hoppers & small cyclones

 Feed pipes, TAD Ducts, Hopper

 Multi-propose for hoppers, Riser duct, Kiln inlet

 Pre-heater, Kiln inlet, Hoppers, Cooler

“Although much of the plant’s equipment is of industry-standard design, the operation is

System downtime in such a high-volume operation is catastrophic, and Phola immediately

“Even well-designed processes can experience accumulations, which have a significant

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