Storage system for wood pellets

CUSTOMER AND PROJECT

Touvet Combustibles, a company specializing in the distribution of wood pellets in bulk, was faced with strong growth in its business and a significant increase in the handling of big bags of wood pellets.

As a specialist in the collection and storage of bulk products, the company called on FAO to optimize the process of receiving, storing and loading wood pellets.

Objectives :

• Increase pellet storage capacity
• Improve handling operations
• Guaranteeing the quality of wood pellets
• Ensuring the safety of company employees

SOLUTIONS AND RESULTS

Storage and transfer units for wood pellets

To meet the needs of Touvet Combustibles, FAO built a complete automated pellet storage and transfer system. The project was carried out in several phases, including :

• installation of storage and handling units,
• installation of a telescopic loading handle,
• extension of the pellet storage facility.

Wood pellet handling, with a throughput of 80 tonnes per hour, fills the silos and loads them into a buffer bucket. The cup is equipped with a magnetic separator to eliminate any metallic foreign bodies.

A sifter is also integrated into the process to guarantee a minimum level of fines in the product, ensuring its quality and compliance with standards.
Shipment of wood pellets is facilitated by a loading shuttle, which eliminates the need to move the truck when loading.

The operator, located on a footbridge overlooking the loading area, has direct access to a shuttle control console. In this way, he can optimize truck filling while monitoring the weight of the load.

FAO took charge of the complete management of the plant’s electrical and automation components, providing a global solution tailored to the customer’s specific needs:

• Centralized control of the entire system via a touch screen integrated into the control cabinet (Human-Machine Interface)
• Remote control for monitoring storage systems on PCs from the office
• Identification desks to facilitate delivery and loading of products on site. This system guides drivers to the appropriate silo as soon as they are identified, guaranteeing complete traceability and total safety in the storage and handling of wood pellets.

Telescopic loading handle

FAO supplied and installed a telescopic loading handle on the loading shuttle to reduce dust emissions and improve working conditions for the company’s employees.
This loading sleeve descends to the bottom of the tank and rises as the truck fills, sucking up the dust via a centralized suction system with filter. As a result, dust emissions have been considerably reduced.

Expansion of wood pellet storage facility

Touvet Combustibles aimed to strengthen its autonomy and responsiveness to cope with the growth of its business. To meet this need, FAO supplied two new storage silos identical to the first, and added a second bucket elevator.
In this way, wood pellets can be received and dispatched simultaneously, enabling more efficient management of operations. The plant’s four silos are equipped with radar level sensors that provide real-time visualization of stock levels, optimizing replenishment.

SYSTEM FEATURES

• 1 reception pit
• 2 bucket elevators
• 7 chain conveyors
• 4 storage silos on 45-degree cones – capacity 690 m³ per silo
• 1 telescopic loading handle
• 1 magnetic separator
• 1 rotary sifter
• 1 loading shuttle
• 1 dust filter
• 1 bushel loading buffer
• Electrical and automation integration

PROJECT SPECIFICS

• Adapting handling to wood pellets: designing equipment with adapted speeds and materials that preserve the integrity of the pellet.
• Adaptation to environmental conditions: as the customer’s site is located at altitude (Isère), FAO installed snow and frost protection systems, anti-avalanche systems on the silo roofs, and load resistance.

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