- The overland conveyor system for Atlas Energy Solutions’ Dune Express project will haul sand from Texas to New Mexico.
- ELIN Motoren provides 21 customized low noise electric motors including spare parts for the project
- Voith TurboBelt TPXL coupling drives will power three of the four conveyors, the longest of which is a world record for a conveyor without a mid-belt drive at 16.3 miles long.
Weiz/Austin, August 17, 2023 – Atlas Energy Solutions has selected Voith Turbo to supply a total of 21 TurboBelt 800 TPXL fill control fluid coupling drives (including spares) to power 42 miles of conveyor belt as part of Atlas Energy Solutions’ historic Dune Express project. ELIN Motoren, a Voith company, will also provide 21 customized low noise electric motors for the project, including spares. Once in operation, the overland conveyor system will serve as a low-impact transport system, taking sand from Texas to New Mexico while establishing a new world record for a single conveyor flight without a mid-belt drive at an impressive 16.3 miles overall single flight length.
“As planned, the Dune Express is enormous,” said Roland Hoet, Vice President Sales, HDC Voith Turbo Americas. “Conveyor CV-004, the last in the system, will be the world-record holder, and combined with the three conveyors earlier in the line, this 42-mile conveyor system will be the longest in North and South America, and the second longest in the world.”
The system’s size is an important factor in the overall project, as it allows the system to positively impact its neighboring communities through the reduction in traffic congestion associated with sand delivery. To achieve this, the Dune Express addresses an explicit need for operations within Texas’ oil-rich Permian Basin: To limit highway traffic and road-safety concerns related to such an active venture.
Once in operation, sand will begin its journey from Atlas’ Kermit, Texas, facility and the Dune Express will carry material into New Mexico for storage or delivery. By powering the extensive conveyor system, the complete package with Voith’s new TurboBelt 800 TPXL coupling drives and electric motors from ELIN Motoren allow Atlas to eliminate millions of truck miles driven across the Permian Basin. This results in lower emissions within the communities where the sand would otherwise be carried.
The multimillion-dollar project required significant technical work, ultimately developing seven different drive package designs for the install. Most significantly, the drives needed to be designed to provide a specified acceleration time of 10 minutes for the conveyors. This extended start-up time was required to maintain belt tensions, especially along the lengthy horizontal curves for two of the system’s four belts. This start-up time is significantly longer than most large conveyors, which typically require 60 to 120 seconds.
The new TurboBelt technology uses an advanced oil-filling control system which provides continuous fill-level control through a forward and reverse flow pump. It eliminates the On/Off function solenoid fill and drain valves of the previous technology “TPKL” fill control models. The complete drive packages include electric motors from ELIN Motoren; the TurboBelt TPXL couplings; the gear reducers; the base frames; the connection couplings, both low speed and high speed; the air-to-oil coolers for the TurboBelt TPXL units; and the control system for the TurboBelts. This is an exciting project for Voith Turbo and ELIN Motoren since it proves that hydrodynamic drive solutions can provide critical torque control for even the largest overland material handling conveyor systems.
Commissioning and installation of the full conveyor system is anticipated in Q4 2024. Once complete, the Dune Express will have more than 75,000 tons of storage space for sand.
About ELIN Motoren
ELIN Motoren manufactures electric motors and generators in small series and custom solutions for industrial applications. We focus on electric machinery and low-, medium- and high-voltage motors and generators intended for wind power, plastics, tunneling and mining, oil and gas, plant engineering, and power plant markets. ELIN Motoren GmbH employs around 1,100 people and generates around EUR 120 million in revenues. Since 2021, ELIN Motoren has been part of the Voith Group. www.elinmotoren.com
Press contact ELIN Motoren:
Silke Plank
Elin-Motoren-Straße 1
8160 Preding/Weiz
Österreich
Tel: +43 3172 90 606 – 3400
Silke.plank@elinmotoren.at
About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the energy, paper, raw materials, transport & automotive markets. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 20,000 employees, sales of € 4.3 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe. The Group Division Voith Turbo is part of the Voith Group and is a specialist for intelligent drive technology, systems as well as tailor-made services. With its innovative and smart products, Voith offers highest efficiency and reliability. Customers from highly diverse industries such as oil and gas, energy, mining and mechanical engineering, ship technology, rail and commercial vehicles rely on the advanced technologies and digital applications of Voith. www.voith.com
Press contact Voith:
Katja Stutzmiller
St. Poeltener Strasse 43
89522 Heidenheim, Germany
Germany
Tel: +49 7321 37-9294
Katja.Stutzmiller@voith.com
