Optimization of a screw conveyors exploitation parameters

The paper describes the problem of designing screw conveyors in terms of determining their exploitation characteristics. Based on the actual values of mass efficiency and power demand obtained in a laboratory experiment, the theoretical design methods and the numerical discrete element method model results were verified. The obtained results have shown that the currently used theoretical methods underestimate the mass efficiency and power demand compared to experiments when typical values of filling rate coefficient and progress resistance coefficient are used. It was also shown that the results of DEM simulations are in good agreement with the experiments in terms of mass efficiency and power demand. Based on the exploitation characteristics determined in DEM simulations for different constructions of the screw and different rotational speeds, multi-objective optimization of the exploitation parameters of the screw was performed in order to minimize the power demand of a screw conveyor and simultaneously maximize its mass efficiency. The optimization results showed that it is possible to find such construction and the rotational speed that will maximize the mass efficiency of the conveyor and keep the power demand low, reducing the exploitation costs of the device.