Application
Mechanical Conveying in Power and Fuel Handling
Answer in brief
A fuel conveyor carries material that can burn while it is moving.
Spillage, carryback and dust layers around the conveyor are not housekeeping issues here; they are the fuel for the next incident.
- Keep the line clean, because the spillage is combustible.
- Monitor for hot material entering the system.
- Design transfer chutes for wet, sticky fines as well as for dry fuel.
Reviewed October 21, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026
The problem
Coal and biomass carry fines that spill, settle and smoulder, and a hot spot arriving from a mill or a stockpile can ignite the layer around a conveyor.
Wet fines build up in chutes and change the stream trajectory.
Desired outcome
A conveying line that delivers the rate, keeps the product and the room separated and can be maintained without dismantling the plant around it.
Process approach
Enclosed conveyors with well-sealed skirts and effective belt cleaners keep the spillage down, which is the primary fire control.
Hot spot detection, temperature monitoring and a defined response are standard where milled fuel or stockpile material is handled.
Chute design has to cope with the wettest fines the site will see, not with the design sample.
- Belt cleaning and skirt sealing maintained as a safety task.
- Hot material detection before enclosed equipment.
- Chute geometry tested against wet, sticky material.
Selection factors
- Fuel type, moisture range and self-heating tendency.
- Spillage and carryback expectations with the chosen cleaners.
- Fire detection and suppression along the conveyor route.
- Dust explosion characteristics where fuel is milled.
- Access for cleaning under and around the conveyor.
Common failure modes
- Spillage layer under the conveyor igniting from a hot particle
- Wet fines blocking a chute designed for dry fuel
- Belt cleaner out of adjustment, leaving carryback
- Hot material entering an enclosed conveyor undetected
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