# Raw Material Flow Rate Measurement on Belt Conveyor System Using Visual Data
## 2 Dataset
### Industrial Process
#### 2.1.3 Experiment Setup  
Coke and limestone are kept in the storage bins and open yards as the first part of the process. There is a shed below which coke is stored and moved with the help of loaders. When transferred from their respective bins, limestone and coke are stored in their respective bunkers in the pit. Then, a stone plate feeder is used to drop the limestone from the Bunker into the belt conveyor. The strokes of the plate feeder are adjusted to increase or decrease its speed, thus controlling the amount of feed being dropped onto the belt. The limestone experiment is conducted weekly, which helps determine the rate of limestone being charged. Next, coke is fed to the Belt Conveyor, and the time taken for the bunker to get empty is noted down. Based on this experiment coke feed rate is adjusted. The rate of stone changes with the varying stone size, so the stone experiments are carried out every week to have a clear idea about the exact quantity of coke being fed to the kilns. The coke stone ratio is adjusted in a way that the stone per ton ash figure should not exceed the planned amounts.  
For this purpose, a variable-frequency drive (VFD) is installed to drop the calculated amount of coke on the belt conveyor. From its panel in the pit, its output can be varied to increase or decrease the amount of feed. The output of the coke ratio controller is adjusted according to the experiment and physical observation of the coke and limestone on the belt. Kiln parameters are also helpful in determining the coke quantity. Coke experiment is carried out daily. Coke is taken into eight bags after every 15 s. These bags are weighed, and the mass is divided by 2 to give the flow of coke in kg/min.  
Once on the belt conveyor, the charge, i.e., limestone and coke, in the adjusted ratio from the pit is carried to the top of the kiln. The belt is 1460 ft. in length. There are ten safety switches installed on the belt along with a hardwire running throughout its length, on both ends and parallel to it, which, upon being pulled, forces the belt to stop as it is connected to the safety switches. The two belt drives are used to drive the belt conveyor. One is operational, while the other is always on standby. Drive one usually has a more significant load than Drive two due to the electrical accessories difference between the two drives. The belt takes around 3 min to take the first piece of stone/coke dropped from the pit to the Top Bunker in normal conditions. Detailed specifications of the conveyor belt at the experiment site are presented in Table 1.  
Lastly, a tripping trolley is used for coke/stone distribution in all six bunkers. The conveyor belt moves over its rollers, and the coke/stone mixture is put into bunkers via its two chutes. The belt operator appointed at the top of the kiln is responsible for distributing the coke/stone mixture into the desired bunkers. Stone belt conveyor is critical as there  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l} \hline
**Property** & **Value** \\ \hline Motor Power & 40 HP \\ Speed & 1465 RPM \\ Length & 1460 feet \\ Small rollers & 510 units \\ Return rollers & 90 units \\ Main rollers & 10 units \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 1: Specification of the conveyor belt at the experiment site.  
is no stand-by for it, and in case of its outage, plant shutdown could occur, so extreme precautions are taken in this operation. The belt operator monitors its running loads and reports to the kiln operator if he finds any abnormality. The top bunkers level is maintained at around half to full. Many other units are involved in the complete process, but they are not included in the scope of our research.