A bulk belt conveyor is used to convey oats from ground level to the top of a grain silo for storage. The oats are conveyed at an angle of 15 to a height of 50. The oats have a density of 30 lb/ft3.

a. Using a belt that is 30 wide and a belt speed of 400 fpm, what is the horsepower requirement to drive the empty conveyor, excluding the safety factor?

b. For the conditions in part (a), what additional horsepower is required to elevate the oats 50 to the top of the silo, including the horsepower required to move the oats horizontally and vertically, but excluding the safety factor?

c. Suppose a belt speed of 400 fpm can be used for any feasible belt width and belts can be purchased in 1 increments in widths ranging from 18 to 36 . What is the smallest belt width that will deliver the oats at a rate of 200 tph?

d. In part (c), suppose the maximum belt speed (in fpm) is given by Smax  200  10 BW, where BW denotes the belt width in inches. What is the smallest integervalued belt width that will deliver the oats at a rate of 200 tph?