Discontinuous Dense Phase System for Fly Ash Handling – Cement Industry, Tamil Nadu
Discontinuous Dense Phase System for Fly Ash Handling – Cement Industry, Tamil Nadu
Project Overview
Reliable, continuous fly ash handling is critical for cement manufacturers, where unplanned downtime or manual bottlenecks can ripple straight into production. A leading cement industry customer needed to replace an existing fly ash handling system at their 250 MW power station in Tamil Nadu with a solution capable of continuous, automated operation and minimal long-term maintenance.
To meet this requirement, Macawber Engineering installed an Ash Handling System, the Ashveyor, engineered to convey fly ash continuously over a distance of 150 metres. The system has been in continuous operation since its installation in 2003, standing as a proven long-term reference for dense phase pneumatic conveying technology in demanding power and cement plant environments.
Project Challenges
Fly ash is a fine, low-density by-product that must be moved reliably and cleanly at scale, without adding to a plant’s labour burden or maintenance load. The customer’s existing arrangement needed to be replaced with a system that could:
- Handle a very fine material (under 100 microns) across a large number of feed and reception points without degradation or blockages.
- Run continuously and automatically, removing dependence on manual handling and external bulkers.
- Keep long-term wear on pipelines and equipment low despite constant duty cycles.
- Eliminate spillage and support a cleaner, safer plant environment through integrated dust control.
Get a custom dense phase ash handling system for your cement or power plant application.
Engineered Dense Phase Conveying Solution
Macawber engineered a discontinuous dense-phase Ashveyor system designed to move fly ash at low velocity, minimising material degradation and pipeline wear over the system’s operating life. With 16 feed points and 1 reception point, the system was built to handle a large, distributed network of ash sources and destinations across the plant, conveying material continuously over a 150-metre distance.
The system was integrated with full PLC- and SCADA-based automation for consistent, hands-off operation, along with a built-in pollution-control dedusting unit to eliminate material spillage at transfer points. This combination of low-velocity dense-phase transfer and automated control has kept the system running reliably since 2003, a track record that reflects Macawber’s broader expertise as a pneumatic conveyor for cement industry applications.
Operational Benefits
- Reduced Manual Labour: The system's complete automation significantly reduced dependency on manual handling across the plant.
- Lower Material Handling Costs: Automated conveying eliminated the recurring cost of hiring bulkers for pumping fly ash between process points.
- Minimal Maintenance Downtime: The engineered dense-phase design kept maintenance requirements low, limiting downtime during scheduled servicing.
- Fully Automated, SCADA-Controlled Operation: Complete PLC and SCADA integration gave the plant consistent, hands-off process control.
- Clean, Dust-Free Plant Operations: An integrated dedusting arrangement with built-in pollution control eliminated material spillage and supported safer working conditions.
- Low Wear, Reliable Long-Term Performance: Low-velocity dense-phase transfer minimised wear on pipelines, equipment, and the conveyed material itself, with the system exceeding its specified conveying rate under load, for over two decades of continuous operation.
Project Outcome
The combination of dense-phase pneumatic conveying, full automation, and integrated dust control has resulted in a durable, low-wear installation that continues to perform reliably more than twenty years after commissioning. This project reflects Macawber’s proven expertise in engineering long-life, high-availability ash handling solutions for the cement and power industries.
Since its installation in 2003, Macawber’s Ashveyor system has provided the customer’s Tamil Nadu power station with dependable, low-maintenance fly ash handling, running continuously with capacity consistently exceeding its specified rate under load.
Whether your plant needs to handle fly ash or other fine bulk materials, Macawber Engineering designs dense-phase conveying systems built around your specific material characteristics, automation needs, and plant layout. Macawber India, a leading pneumatic conveying system manufacturer and supplier, is ready to design a conveying solution that keeps your operations clean, efficient, and running for decades to come. Talk to our team!
Project Summary Table
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Material | Fly Ash |
| Bulk Density | 0.5–0.6 T/m³ |
| Particle Size | < 100 microns |
| Conveying Media | Air |
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Feed Points | 16 |
| Reception Points | 1 |
| Conveying Capacity | 60 TPH |
| Distance to Convey | ~150 m |
Explore Macawber's dense phase pneumatic conveying solutions for the cement industry.
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