Ball Mill Testing

Cement / Raw Mills

D.Baird /Sean Haseldine
OBJECTIVES
To Establish Actual Performance Criteria
To Identify the Problem Areas
To resolve the Problems and Optimise the mill
Product Residues (Raw Meal)
Surface Area (Blaine / L+N)
Feed Quality Clinker / Gypsum ratio
Clinker chemistry
C3S / C2S
Feed size
Monitoring mill operation
Establish the facts
Mill Throughput Tonnes /h
Power Used kWh - Mill + Ancillaries
Temperature Degrees C
Air Flow Kg air /Kg cement
Water injection % on Feed rate
Motor power
Cos from the motor nameplate
normally 0.85 - 0.9
Where V = Applied voltage
I = Motor current
Cos = Motor power factor
3 = 1.732
W = x V x I x Cos
3
Effect of Gypsum, Limestone + Pozzolan
On mill performance
1% SO3 = m2/kg Surface Area
1% Gypsum = Production
1% Gypsum = m2/kg Surface Area
1% Limestone = % B.C.I Grindability
1% Pozzolan = to % B.C.I.
Grindability
+30
+5%
+12
-2.5
-0.4
-0.67
Relationship between power consumption and
Chemistry for two closed circuit mills
No 2 Mill SRC
N1 Mill (OPC)
N1 Mill (OPC)
N2 Mill (SRC)
Mill Only Kwh/t
L.S.F.
L
S
F
C
2
S
C
3
S
32.5 33.0 33.5
C
3
S
C
2
S
C
3
S
C
2
S
Mills under
Automatic
Total Feed
Control
Chemical effects
on mill
performance
Max. T.P.H.
t.p.h.
Kwh/T
1986 1987
C2S
C3S
Min C2S
Max. C3S
Lowest cement
grindability
Highest mill output
Grindability
Axial Testing
Procedure
1. OBSERVE STABLE MILL OPERATION BEFORE THE TEST.
MEASURE POWER CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION.
TAKE SAMPLES OF FEED AND PRODUCT.
TAKE SEPARATOR AND MILL CIRCUIT SAMPLES
2.- STOP BOTH MILL AND FEED SIMULTANEOUSLY.
3.- TAKE AXIAL SAMPLES (ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE MILL)
4.- DETERMINE FINENESS OF THE SAMPLES
FOR EXAMPLE RESIDUES AT 2.36 mm, 1.18 mm, 300 mic. 90 mic, 45 mic.
- CAN CALCULATE SURFACE AREA IF REQUIRED
5.- MEASURE - VOLUME LOAD = CALCULATE CHARGE WEIGHT
6. - CALCULATE POWER USED
NETT kW = 0.2846 x D x A x W x N
7. - PLOT THE AXIAL GRAPH.
Taking axial samples
Sample below the
surface of the material
and media
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Measure the height
above charge in each
chamber H1 +H2
H2
H1
Material Flow
%

V
o
l
u
m
e

l
o
a
d
RATIO H/D
Ball mill volume load =estimation
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70 0.75 0.80 0.85
H=HEIGHT ABOVE
CHARGE
D= INTERNAL DIA.
H
VOLUME LOAD FORMULA
VOLUME LOAD FORMULA
% Volume Load =
400/PI*((0.25*Cos(2*(H/D-0.5)))
-((H/D-0.5)*((H/D-(H/D)^2)^0.5)))
H = HEIGHT ABOVE CHARGE (M)
D = MILL INTERNAL DIAMETER INSIDE LINING (M)
Changes in apparent volume load
due to charge expansion
H1 = Height above charge -Mill Crash Stop
Apparent Charge density Case %Volume load
t/m3
3.91 H1 Crash Stop 38%
H 1
H 2
H2 = Height above charge - Mill Run Out
4.50
H2 Without Material
33%
Charge Expansion 5%
Mill power calculation
- DAWN Formula
NETT KW = 0.2846
DAWN
Where
D
= Internal Diameter of Mill
A
= 1.073 - J
(Where J = Fractional Volume Load i.e. if VL = 30% then J = 0.3)
W = Charge weight in Tonnes
N
= Mill speed in RPM
Net and Gross mill power
Normal values for the ratio Net/Gross power
0.90 Normally for old and inefficient mills
0.92 Polysius Combiflex Drive
0.93 Girth gear driven mill
0.94 -0.95 Modern central drive mill
Unexpected values
0.88 High power losses possibly due to mill
chambers running empty.
0.97 - 1.00 Low power losses possibly due to charge
expansion and/or build up of clinker nibs.
If unexpected values occur : review the mill data
Target levels for material fineness
before the intermediate diaphragm
Sieve size % Cumulative
Residue
2.36 mm 1 %
1.18 mm 6 %
300 um 20%
Basis - sieve about 0.5 - 1 Kg of material if
there are clinker nibs present.
Axial samples can help identify the problem
% Retained
on the sieve
Inlet
Outlet
chamber 1
chamber 2
100
0
Coarse accumulation due
to nibs leaving chamber 1.
45 mic
2.36mm
2.36mm
300 mic
Targets for cement
mills with 6-8mm slots
Sample fineness here
Expect 20% max + 300 mic
1% + 2.36 mm (4% max)
Low reduction in 45 micron sieve residue
due to media coating and charge cushioning
with chamber overfilling.
Badly worn or incorrect gradings with
backmixing can have the same effect.
Coarse material accumulation
% Retained v.s.Position
C em en t M ill E xam p le
0.00
10.00
20.00
30.00
40.00
50.00
60.00
70.00
80.00
90.00
100.00
1a 1b 1c 2a 2b 2c 3a 3b 3c 3d 3e 3f
P osition A long M ill
%

R
e
t
a
i
n
e
d
19,000
9500
6700
2360
1180
600
300
150
90
+ 45
SSA v.s Position
P lot of SSA (m 2/kg) V .s. position along m ill
0.00
100.00
200.00
300.00
400.00
1a 1b 1c 2a 2b 2c 3a 3b 3c 3d 3e 3f
P osition
S
S
A
(
m
2
/
k
g
)
S S A
INSPECTION POINTS
LINING PLATES
WATER INJECTION
AIR OUTLET
PRODUCT
DIAPHRAGMS
GRINDING
MEDIA
FRESH AIR INLET
SEALS
(SIZES - SAMPLES -CONDITION)
(SLOT SIZES - AVAILABLE SLOT AREA
- VENTILATION GRID)
Sampling closed circuit mills
Fresh Feed
Separator rejects
Mill Product
(Separator feed)
Separator
Fines
Finished Product
Filter Product
CEMENT MILL - AIR FLOW TESTS
MEASURED AIRFLOW
= 200 m/min
TEMP 50 C
MILL EXIT = 115C
TO ELEVATOR
TOTAL FREE VOLUME
ABOVE CHARGE = 40 m
APPARENT AIR CHANGES/MIN = 200 = 5
40
(TARGET 2 - 3 OPEN CIRCUIT 5 - 7 CLOSED CIRCUIT)
( 0.25 0.4 KG AIR/KG CEMENT )
COLD AIR
20C
FRESH FEED AND
SEPARATOR REJECTS
FALSE AIR
INLEAK
ACTUAL -
FROM HEAT AND MASS BALANCE
= 1 5
AIR CHANGES !!!!!
MEASURED AIRFLOW
= 200 m/min
TEMP 50 C
FRESH FEED AND
SEPARATOR REJECTS
COLD AIR
20C
30% OF TOTAL
AIRFLOW
COLD AIR
20C MILL EXIT = 115C
TOTAL FREE VOLUME
ABOVE CHARGE = 40 m
APPARENT AIR CHANGES/MIN = 200 = 5
40
(TARGET 2 - 3 OPEN CIRCUIT 5 - 7 CLOSED CIRCUIT)
( 0.25 0.4 KG AIR/KG CEMENT )
TO ELEVATOR
CEMENT MILL - AIR FLOW TESTS
MILL TESTING EXAMPLE
or
Your Time To Think
A Closed Circuit Cement Mill has
recently been overhauled with
new internals.
Output is up by 15% and you are
promoted to Works Director.
After 6 months, output drops by
25%.
What will YOU do to avoid being
demoted to Tea Boy?
Your Boss hears about
the 20% drop in output !
Checklist-Look for Changes in:-
Cement Grindability, chemistry, SO3,
Free lime, C2S, C3S, Gypsum, MAC %.
Mill Absorbed Power, Kw per chamber.
Mill Internals Inspection, Media size
grading, Liners -type/condition,
Diaphragm slot sizes/areas + % blockage.
Powder levels, degree of coating, charge
expansion.
Cement-Residue, SSA, SO3, R-R Slope.
Mill Ventilation flow at mill inlet and
filter, Inleaking air, Water Injection rates.
Ancillary plant limitations, B/Elevator etc.
Separator inspection, Efficiency, Bypass.
MILL AXIAL SAMPLING TEST AND FULL
INTERNAL INSPECTION
Worn diaphragm
Media Blockage
1st Chamber
Lining
Worn Chamber Lining