Storage apparatus for bulk material, in particular wood chips, and a filling method

A storage apparatus for bulk material such as wood chips, the storage apparatus comprising:

• a bunker for receiving the bulk material, and
• a conveyor apparatus for transporting the bulk material,
• wherein the conveyor apparatus is arranged within the bunker, and the conveyor apparatus is a belt conveyor for transporting the bulk material, wherein the belt conveyor is displaceable within the bunker by a displacement device,
• the storage apparatus further comprising a control configured to operate components of the storage apparatus, the control coupled in signal-conducting relationship to the belt conveyor, the displacement device and at least one sensor,
• wherein a position of the belt conveyor can be determined by at least one travel sensor along a preferably horizontal axis X within the bunker and can be altered by the control.

A method of controlling uniform filling of a bunker of a storage apparatus, wherein the storage apparatus includes:

• a bunker for receiving a bulk material,
• a conveyor apparatus within the bunker for transporting the bulk material, which is displaceable by a displacement device, and a reversible drive for transporting the bulk material in a first direction (A) and in a second opposite direction (B), wherein the conveyor apparatus is a belt conveyor, and
• at least one sensor unit for detecting a local filling state in the bunker, and which is arranged within the bunker,
• the method comprising:
• (a) introducing bulk material into the bunker,
• (b) ascertaining a filling level height of the bulk material in the bunker by at least one sensor unit, wherein a respective first sensor unit is fixed at one end of the belt conveyor and a second sensor unit is fixed at a second end of the belt conveyor such that step (b) includes detecting a filling level height at a first discharge position and at a second discharge position of the bulk material from the belt conveyor,
• (c) actuating the displacement device of the conveyor apparatus for moving the conveyor apparatus into a first position for setting a discharge position for the bulk material, and
• (d) actuating the reversible drive of a conveyor belt of the conveyor apparatus in a first direction of travel for setting a discharge position for the bulk material.