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Abstract
The purpose of this project was to analyze the current bulk material unloading system of the downriver dock at Alcoa Warrick Power Plant in Newburgh, Indiana. Alcoa is a power-generating station used for aluminum smelting and power generation for the grid. To meet the aluminum smelting and power generation requirements, bulk materials, such as coal, alumina, calcined coke, and limestone, are delivered via barge to the facility. The current system utilizes a process in which material is unloaded from the material barge using a excavator, like an material handler, placed onto an incline conveyor, the material is conveyed to a bag house where the dust is vacuumed and the material is dropped into a heavy-duty Mountain Mac truck, where it is then hauled to the respective stockpile. The project aimed at eliminating the use of trucking to haul material to the stockpiles. This will reduce the manhours needed to meet demands, and it will allow demand to increase extensively in the future if the company needs the ability to do so. The analysis performed by our team has resulted in a proposed design of a new conveyor system to transport material directly to the stockpile from the material barge. The design solution was aimed to solve Alcoa Warrick Power Plant’s problems, but was also designed in consideration with the economic, public health, safety, global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic impacts it may have.