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Fly ash in a hopper bottom.

Aug 09, 2023 at 06:31 PM CST
+ 7 - 1
Has anyone on here hauled fly ash in a hopper bottom? How hard is it to unload? I have the commodity hoppers with the big traps and a vibrator on each hopper. I would be loading at a power plant and then hauling it about 100 miles, but 100 miles of pretty rough highway.
Replied on Thu, Aug 10, 2023 at 08:34 AM CST
+ 1

I wouldn't. Side dump is best. Most use pnuematics also depenbding on length of haul.

Replied on Thu, Aug 10, 2023 at 02:37 PM CST
+ 1
I wouldn’t haul it in a hopper. Fly ash will setup like concrete in very little time. It will take air to get it fluffed up enough to flow out of the trailer. I have had trouble getting it out of a pneumatic.
Replied on Fri, Aug 11, 2023 at 07:00 AM CST

fly ash needs to be on a dump trailer only. The tarps usually have holes for loading. It woule be extremely hard to get off a hopper.

Replied on Fri, Aug 11, 2023 at 07:00 AM CST

i apologize as pnematics would work as well

Replied on Fri, Aug 11, 2023 at 12:23 PM CST
I wouldn't. That stuff is like baby powder. It doesn't take much to get it airborne and you don't want to breathe it. It's a known carcinogen. I haul it in a pneumatic and I always wear my respirator. No matter what.
Replied on Fri, Aug 11, 2023 at 12:27 PM CST

A lot of people are saying they've had it harden up. Fly ash must have changed a lot. When I hauled it nearly two decades ago, it was almost like hauling liquid. I hauled it in pneumatic bulk tanks. I've hauled it in normal scenarios, but I spent several months spreading it from a spreader bar on what is now US82 across Mississippi. You only have to drive forward and backward, because fly ash flows out to the sides of the road bed like water.

Replied on Fri, Aug 11, 2023 at 02:58 PM CST
+ 2

Just load the hopper already! I'm sure you'll find a way to pound, vibrate, or shake it out. If it takes a couple hours who cares.... The guys waiting in line to unload behind you have all the time in the world. When you come back for more you will probably do it for less because you can net more than the guys that show up with the proper equipment.. sarcasm mixed with a lot of truth now off...

Sorry, I couldn't help it. Just seems to be the way it is.

Replied on Mon, Aug 14, 2023 at 03:17 PM CST

Flyash has different characteristics depending on the unloading system and moisture, we hauled it for years and consistency always varried, We hauled it on walking floors and a belt. If the consistency is good I guess you would be ok since they haul from some plants in pneumatic tanks, but unless that plant normally loads tanks I wouldn't attempt it and certainly a no go if it's stored in a pile outside where moisture can vary. Make sure you wash you equipment well too after finishing, that stuff is very corrosive to aluminum.

Replied on Tue, Aug 15, 2023 at 09:25 AM CST

Have hauled it in hopper bottoms, and know of a couple trucks that hauled it a little over 100 miles. never had a problem hauling it in hoppers. It flowed out like water mostly, and you will get covered in a fine ash like dust.... We dumped it out on a ground pile pad while constucting the floor for the corn pile. The only problem i see you having is the plant we load at wont load hoppers with the tarp open. We had to have triangle openings in the tarp with a flap that covers the opening, so the system loading can lower a big tube into the opening, as to not let the fine dust billow up into the air, (EPA B S). I believe i have heard that the power plant we loaded at wont even load hoppers at all now because of this dust issue, i think...

Replied on Tue, Aug 15, 2023 at 10:44 AM CST

I've hauled a lot of fly ash. It is like water when loaded. Move very easy for about 10 minutes till it settles or it will slosh out when you stop.

It hardens up with moisture. It will pour out like water from the tiny holes. Have to spray water on any lake to stop it.

Hauled in end dumps and pneumatic.

In a hopper you are more likely to get moisture but it should only affect the areas where moisture gets in.

I really see no reason for it being hard to get out as long as your hopper bottoms don't leak and it ain't raining.

But it has to be sealed perfectly to not pour out. Most traps leak. Not meant for it.

If you have ever hauled that superfine sand from roff, ok they make fiberglass with , leaks out every little crack, fly ash is far worse .

Replied on Tue, Aug 15, 2023 at 10:44 AM CST
Quote: "A lot of people are saying they've had it harden up. Fly ash must have changed a lot. When I hauled it nearly two decades ago, it was almost like hauling liquid. I hauled it in pneumatic bulk tanks. I've hauled it in normal scenarios, but I spent several months spreading it from a spreader bar on what is now US82 across Mississippi. You only have to drive forward and backward, because fly ash flows out to the sides of the road bed like water."

It is exactly like water for about 15 minutes. First time end dump I pulled away and stopped. It came splash out in a big wave all over my truck. A lot of it.

Always had a pump spray tank with water so I could spray the leaks and stop them

Replied on Tue, Aug 15, 2023 at 10:44 AM CST
Quote: "Just load the hopper already! I'm sure you'll find a way to pound, vibrate, or shake it out. If it takes a couple hours who cares.... The guys waiting in line to unload behind you have all the time in the world. When you come back for more you will probably do it for less because you can net more than the guys that show up with the proper equipment.. sarcasm mixed with a lot of truth now off... Sorry, I couldn't help it. Just seems to be the way it is."

It pours right out. Keeping it in is the hard part. Will squirt out the tiniest of holes.