DIAGNOSTIC STUDIES FOR CEMENT MILL OPTIMISATION - A CASE STUDY

Naga Kumar, KPK Reddy, Rabindra Singh, AK Mishra National Council for Cement and Building Materials INTRODUCTION The need for process optimisation through diagnostic studies has been increasingly felt with rise in production costs in conjunction with increased competition in the market. As the grinding operation accounts for 70% of total energy consumption in cement manufacturing, it is very important to optimise the grinding operation to reduce the cost of cement. The benefits that can be achieved due to the optimisation of cement grinding system are: Reduction in specific power consumption Increase in production Stable and sustained operation Increase in availability of the equipment - Less down time Improved and consistent product quality

CASE STUDY The plant having SLC kiln of 3300 TPD capacity has two cements mill CM- 1 & CM-2 of Combidan type supplied by F.L.Smidth with rated capacities of 105 TPH each, operating in open circuit mode. The case study pertains to cement mill-1 operating at 105 TPH (OPC) as against 120 TPH (OPC) best achieved and had high residue of 8-10 % on 90 micron sieve. The specific power consumption was abnormally high to the tune of 40 KWh/T as compared to the earlier figure of 31 KWh/T (OPC). Details of the mill are listed below in Table 1: Parameter Ball Mill Length ( m) 14.32 Diameter (m) 4.2

1st chamber 2nd chamber Mill Drive ESP Fan IChamber Liners IIChamber Liners Partition Diaphragm Discharge Diaphragm

5.02 (effective ) 8.0 (effective ) 3600kW 27500 m3/hr

4.01 (effective ) 4.12 (effective )

Stepped with wave to double wave liners Classifying Liners Combidan type with slot opening of 6 mm width Combidan type with slot opening of 4 mm width.

ANALYSIS ON CRASH STOP The recommended material level in the 1st Chamber should be equal to the grinding media level during crash stop. However, the grinding media was found below the material, resulting in high residence time of material. This high residence time of material may also be on account of clogging of outer ring slots in central diaphragm with worn out grinding media besides lower velocity across the mill. Samples were collected from both the chambers as per the practices at length interval of 1 meter along the axis of mill. The grindability curve based on the longitudinal sample sieve analysis of the mill indicates that percentage retained on 2 mm size sieve at the partition diaphragm discharge/ at the inlet of the 2nd chamber is nil which is lower gainst the normal value below 5 % indicating high residence time in 1st chamber. The percentage of residue on 45 micron is on the higher side at 93 % as against the normal range of 60-65% which may be due to clogging of the mill diaphragm besides low velocity of 0.8 m/sec through the mill. Sieve analysis along the 2nd chamber from 3rd to 6th meter and from 7th to 8th meter show ineffective grinding due to non-optimum grinding media distribution in the second compartment leading to high percentage of residue on 90 micron sieve, and difficulties in achieving the target blaine (330 m2/kg). This may be due to low

percentage of 17 -25mm grinding media at 56.5 % as against the normal value of 70 % and above in 2nd compartment. SUGGESTIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS The maximum ball size of grinding media for the feed with 80 % passing through 12 mm is estimated at 80 mm. However, for normal size clinker, the maximum ball size has been considered as 90mm but the quantity of 90 mm ball size was suggested to be reduced from 11.32 tonnes to 6.43 tonnes. Considering high percentage residue on 90 micron at mill discharge, it was suggested to increase 25 -17mm grinding media load from the existing of 76.73 tonnes to 138.4 tonnes in 2nd compartment. The worn out liners and different type of liners were suggested to be replaced with new step with wave to double wave liners for effective grinding in the first chamber. There were a lot of leakages between mill outlet and mill fan. These leakages have to be arrested . Clinker temperature should be brought down below 120 0C from the existing level of 210 0C after improving the cooler efficiency for efficient grinding in cement mill. The percentage of C3S in the clinker should be maintained in the range of 45-55 % to improve the mill performance. CONCLUSION Use of proposed grinding media designed for normal clinker with lower percentage of larger diameter balls (90mm) in Ist chamber and high percentage of 1725mm diameter balls in 2nd chamber after regradation resulted in reduction of void fraction and thereby increasing the mill production and reducing the specific power consumption besides lowering the residue at 90 and improving the cement blaine. The plant could operate the cement mill-1 at 110 TPH after adopting NCB recommendations.