Volume 2

G-B: Fuller-Kinyon (FK) Pump

G-B1: Description and Characteristics

The Fuller-Kinyon or FK Pump is one of the workhorses and mainstays of

the North American cement plant. For pneumatic conveying of dry
powdered materials in bulk, FK Pumps have been in use for decades.
(Note: there are other brands using a similar principle but since most, if not
all, Lafarge North American plants use FK Pumps, discussions shall be
limited to them.) Today there are three major versions of the FK Pump: the
venerable Type H, the Type M and the Type H with the Z-Flap conversion.
All three versions use similar components and operate on the same
principle.

Flapper Assembly
Bearings Air Seal Hopper

Variable Pitch Screw Airjets

Mixing Chamber

Type H pump is perhaps the most common type since it has been in
production for quite some time. Characteristically the Type H has a screw
which is cantilevered into the barrel, with the mixing chamber at its extreme
end. The free end of the screw is unsupported. These units are prone to
higher wear on the screw and barrel due to vibrations and "whip" of the
screw. As a general rule these units must never be run empty for very long.
Moreover the screws must be replaced regularly (depending on the plant /
application: 8 to 18 months) so that a tight clearance can be maintained
between the flights and barrel.

The Type M is a side discharge unit which allows both ends of the screw to
be supported by bearings, thus eliminating vibrations and signifcantly
reducing wear. These units can be operated empty since clearances will
always be maintained. Some plants have found that the Type M
characteristically cannot cope with a large head of material feeding it, unlike

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the Type H. Provided that this pump is not installed directly under a large
bin or silo, the Type M pump has performed well enough at other plants.

Flapper Assembly Outboard

Bearing
Hopper

Mixing Chamber
Airjets
Discharge

The Z-Flap conversion is designed to overcome the basic design flaw of the
original Type H. (Fuller saw the wisdom of selling these conversion kits
given the large number of Type H Pumps sold over the decades). The
converted pump sports an extended screw shaft with a support bearing built
into the far side of the mixing chamber, thus eliminating the wear problem.
The flap, to accommodate the extended shaft, is especially designed to
wrap around it amd looks like a slotted cup.

Z-Flap (Cup) Outboard

Assembly Bearing

Hopper

Airjets

Mixing Chamber

The FK Pump receives material through a hopper located above its

horizontal variable pitch screw. During the advance of the material through
the barrel, it is compacted by the decreasing pitch of the screw flights. In
the M Pump the very end is reversed. Material density is further increased
in the space between the end of the terminal flight of the screw and the
valve seat by forming a material seal or plug. The material seal prevents
the flow of air rearward from the mixing chamber, sometimes reffered to as
blowback. This is done along with the aid of a flapper valve body.
Recognize that small amounts of blowback will cause component wear.
Large amounts of blowback will effecticely reduce or sometimes block flow.

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The material seal effectively makes the FK Pump an airlock as well as a

pumping system.

The free floating flapper valve at the discharge end of the pump barrel is a
mechanical seal or check which assists in preventing the flow of air
rearward from the mixing chamber through the pump barrel. If operating
conditions require, an adjustment of the material seal this can be done by
adjusting the position of the pump barrel through the four jack screws, (Type
H ONLY). CAUTION: too large of a plug or material seal will cause pump
motor amps to rise to the point where it may trip easily. An external free
floating arm is located on the mixing chamber to indicate that the flapper
valve is operating satisfactorily. After material is discharged into the mixing
chamber, compressed air enters the mixing chamber through the nozzles
located under the discharge point and fluidizes the material enough to
permit it to be conveyed in the air stream down the transport line to its
desired location. Depending on the system, up to 35 psig line pressures
are typical.

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G-B2: Flapper Valve

Press ure Gage

Flapper Arm
Air Header
Drain Cock

Flapper Valve
Body

Air Nozz les

Bas e

Type H Pump Cross Section looking into the mixing chamber.

On all FK Pumps, the correct seating of the flapper valve is crucial to

minimizing the likelihood of blowback occurring. On Type H and Type M
Pumps, the clearance between the flapper and the valve seat must be
uniform and tight (in the closed position). Any gaps will lead to blowback.

[Tip: with the mixing chamber door open, take a strip of writing paper and
place it between the flapper and seat in the closed position. Pull the strip
around the edge. The tugging needed should feel about the same all of the

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way around. If it is loose in any spot, either the flapper needs adjusting or
it's worn in that one place (and should be replaced). In some cases, the set
screws have come loose, in which case have it re-adjusted then add Loctite
or equivalent.]

Type M Pumps are reportedly more sensitive to the flapper being adjusted
correctly. However, on Z-Flap conversions focus should be on the fit of the
slotted flapper valve around the screw shaft itself and less on the valve and
valve seat. Apparently, there is a greater tendency for blowback occurring
around this area than around the seat. One useful modification is to install
a tapered deflector ring or oriface plate at the outlet of the barrel such that
material is pressed down towards the center shaft. In this way there is less
of the tendency for material to spill out at the valve seat and a greater
tendency to keep it concentrated and compacted at the shaft, thereby
minimizing blowback.

Evidence of blowback will physically show itself as locallized wear in one or

two places in the flapper valve seat and barrel for Type M and H Pumps or
around the shaft in Z-Flap Conversions.

G-B3: Air seal

Next to each bearing, there is an air seal to prevent material leakage into it,
(there's only one on a standard Type H). The air seal unit consists of a
graphitar seal ring (carbon seal), a cooling fan and a series of springs to
help maintain an even tension of the seal ring against its point of contact.
The seal ring should be checked for amount of wear, leakage of material
and air flow. This should be done once a shift. The unit is kept clean of
material by an air purge system, which is regulated with an in-line regulator
to maintain a set amount of air. The correct air pressure setting is vital to
ensuring that bearings remain clean, (consult the Pump manual for correct
settings). Set slightly higher than the internal working pressure, the air
enters the seal through the side and exits the seal into the barrel in order to
keep material from entering the seal. Air flow failure will lead to rapid
bearing seizure. Some plants will go as far as to install a low pressure
switch that causes the unit to shut itself off on a low pressure trip point and
thus protecting the pump bearings.

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Flow is directed towards the shaf t Shaf t Wear due to blowback

to maintain a tighter plug around it thru the Z-Flap slot

Screw Shaf t

Barrel Tapered Z-Flap in closed Z-Flap in partially

Def lector position open position
Ring

Z-Flap Conversion Modified with Tap ered Deflector Ring

To check for air flow during a walk through inspection, a petcock valve is
located on the opposite side where the air enters the seal. Place your thumb
over the petcock and open the valve. When you feel pressure against your
thumb close the valve do not open the valve without covering the opening,
as it will break the seal between the pump and the barrel housing.

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G-B4: Bearings
G-B4.1: Cantilever Bearings (Type H)

The pump screw is supported by two roller bearings. In the Type H Pump,
they are mounted in a bearing housing near the drive end. This housing
should be checked once a shift for heat, noise and vibration. The pump
screw is driven by an electric motor. The two are connected by a para flex
coupling.

If the air seal on the pump hopper fails and starts to leak, material can be
forced into the bearings and cause premature bearing failure.

G-B4.2: Supported Bearings (Type M and Z-Flaps)

This bearing is kept clean of material by an air purge system similar to that
used for the graphitar seal. The air supply is regulated and filtered to keep
impurities and moisture out. The air pressure is regulated slightly higher
then the mixing chamber to keep material from entering the bearing. Air
entering the bearing exits into the mixing chamber. As before the correct
setting is vital to protecting the bearing.

G-B5: FK Pump Venting and Material Compaction

Recognize that all FK Pumps are volumetric devices. In other words it

delivers a set volume flow rate and no more. However mill circuits are
normally balanced with respect to weight or mass flows and this balance
can be upset if the FK Pump cannot cope. Delivery rates (mass flow) can
be affected significantly on FK Pumps due to a change in density. Thus for
this reason feeding an FK pump with an airslide is not always wise since
the aeration air can dramatically alter bulk densities. Good venting is
important to relieving this air out of the hopper as the material enters the
screw.

In cases where FK Pump capacity is marginal with respect to the circuit,

venting become crucial to ensuring that the bulk density is as high as
possible to maximize tonnage. To help out, an extra venting box or baffle
plate can be added to the hopper as shown in the diagram. Recognize that
the variable pitch screw compacts the material which in effect squeezes any

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air out. This air escapes out into the hopper which will aerate the incoming
material further. The baffle plate provides a easy escape route for this air
without re-entraining it, thus maximizing the feed bulk density.

Pump Feed To Dust Collector

Baffle plate or box
Air pressed out by screw
Hopper Flapper
Valve Mixing Chamber
Barrel

Outlet
Variable Pitch Screw
Air Seal Air Header
Nozzles
Roller Bearing

Occasionally in some installations, for reasons not fully understood,

material can become over-compacted which causes the pump to draw high
motor amps and trip suddenly. Fuller, in many installations, (but not all,
consult Fuller if you wish to modify a particular pump) has provided a small
threaded port located midway in the pump barrel. This is a compressed air
injection port. Typically it is hooked up to a solenoid which in turn is activated
by a high motor amp switch. As the motor suddenly rises in current, the
switch causes the solenoid to open which fires compressed air into the
barrel momentarily. This fluidized the compacted material, relieving the
binding on the screw and hence motor amps.

G-B6: Troubleshooting - Pumps

Condition: Dusting from feed hopper, pump running

1. Check flapper arm for movement. If movement is minimal or none, hold the
arm down by hand to try and feel if there is material coming out of the pump.
If there is no material flow or the load seems light, check flow to the pump

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hopper for possible obstructions. If none, check the airslide air valve setting
and the dedusting line.
2. If the load seems normal continue to hold arm down to attempt to make a
material seal. If the seal is achieved observe operation of the pump and
monitor the operation periodically.
3. Of the seal is still not achieved, check to see if there is enough manifold
pressure, it should be 25 to 30 PSI. If air pressure is low, start another
compressor and attempt to make a seal by holding down on the flapper arm.
If a seal is achieved observe and monitor the operation of the pump.
4. If all of the above attempts to make a seal fail, contact the control room and
advise him of the problem. Contact the Coordinator or Mechanical
Maintenance.

G-B7: Safety - Pumps

1. Follow equipment lock out procedures.
2. Avoid contact with moving parts.
3. Be aware of pinch points.
4. Close header valve before working on equipment, if possible lock out
compressor.

G-B8: Walk Through Inspection - Pumps

1. Check for air to the air seal and bearings.
2. Check air seal for amount of wear and leaks.
3. Look and listen for unusual noise and vibration.
4. Watch flapper arm (s) for movement.
5. Feel bearing housing for temperature.
6. Feel drive motor for temperature and smell for odor.
7. On the Z-flap air pressure to the screw discharge end bearing should be at
least 5 lbs. Greater than the hopper pressure.

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