By Gerhard Puttinger
Electrical Engineer at Wheelabrator
A blast machine is a complex beast. Assessing its energy consumption behaviour to find room for improvement therefore isn’t as straightforward as it sounds.
For my degree project in mechanical engineering, I made it my mission to systematically measure, evaluate and compare all the factors contributing to one machine’s energy consumption and efficiency. So, for several months in 2017, a Wheelabrator IBC-12/45-540-432, the trusted inclined belt conveyor concept, had my undivided attention. Every nook and cranny of it. Here’s what I did and what I found.