Grinding With Ball Mill Systems: Separating

Grinding with ball mill systems
Separating
Separating
2
HGRS Tikaria_Mill Workshop SEPT-07
Separating process
FR Air
3
Separation in 3rd Generation Separator
Basic function:
 Material enters the separator at
Feed
Centrifugal Forces the top.
 Air stream is generated by
external fan.
 Material falls down between rotor
and guide vanes. Fines are
sucked in. Coarse particles are
Air accelerated by rotor and stopped
Guide vanes by guide vanes, where they slip
Air
down and leave the casing at the
bottom.
Turning cage rotor
 Fine material exits with airflow at
the lower/upper part of the casing
Air with fines  Product fineness is adjustable by

Returns
the rotational speed of rotor.
Source: Chr. Pfeiffer QDK Separator 7
What is the separating efficiency dependent on?
 Material:
 fineness
- Feed (A)
A
- Fines (F) Tromp curve
- Return (R)
 Amount of feed
 Feed distribution
 Air: V
F
 Volume (V [m3/h])
 Distribution
 The fineness relationship mill

filter / separator fines
8
Possible causes that limit the separating efficiency
The typical situations for 3rd generation separators are:
 Uneven airflow and/or feed distribution to the rotor
 Reduced separating airflow due to:

 Separator fan damper (or speed) not at maximum
 Fan nominal too low
 Limited rotor speed due to mechanical problems or
insufficient nominal capacity of the motor and/or gear box
 Contamination of the fines by coarse product
 Separator fines much finer than final product
9
Tromp curve key parameter
Tromp value [%]
100
Probability for a particle
to be in the return
Separator fines
Separator
return
The BYPASS is one of
the best indicator of the
separator efficiency
Bypass [m]
10
Tromp curve key parameter
Tromp value [%] Coarse in fines
100
Agglomeration
Separator fines
Separator
return
Bypass [m]
11
Amount of material
 Circulating load:
A, F & R en [t/h]
A=F+R A
 Circulating load factor:
A
u= [-]
F
V
12
Separator performance (1/2)
6.0
5.5
High
5.0
4.5
Circulating load factor u [-]
4.0
Normal
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
Low
1.5
1.0
2'500 3'000 3'500 4'000 4'500 5'000 5'500 6'000
Cement fineness [cm2/g]
13
Separator performance (2/2)
50
45
40
High potential
35
30
By pass [%]
Medium potential
25
20
15
10
5
Low potential
0
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0
Circulating load factor u [-]
14
Air volume
 Separator specific feed load
A
Asl = X 1’000 [kg/m3]
V A
Asl < 2.5 [kg/m3]

 Separator specific fines load
F
Fsl = X 1’000 [kg/m3]
V
V
Fsl < 0.7 [kg/m3]
15
Air distribution
FR Air
 Lower air speed Finer product

 Higher airspeed Coarser product
16
Uneven airflow distribution
 Uneven airflow distribution can
be identified from (1/2):
 Observation of the ducting
configuration:
- General arrangement
- Relative position inlet / outlet
air ducts
 Uneven wear of paintings or
steel along the guide vanes
height
 Uneven wear of paintings or
steel along the rotor blades
height
 Low separator efficiency
despite low material specific
loads
17
How to determine the airflow profile
 Uneven airflow distribution can
be identified and evaluated
from (2/2):
 Airspeed mapping at the
inlet of the separator volute
 Static pressure profile in
each duct ( )
 Fineness comparison of the
fines at each cyclone (mass
balance for each cyclone)
18
Solutions for even airflow profile
 Even airflow distribution with
air guide plates
 The positioning and length of
the air guide plates should be
done considering the air flow
distribution in the ducting (start
from where the air is already
evenly distributed)
Too short
Good
Laminar and even

flow across whole
duct section
19
Feed distribution
< 50 [mm]
20
Symptoms of uneven material distribution
 Uneven wear of paintings or
steel of the impact ring
 Uneven pressure loss and
fineness of the fines in a
cyclone air separator
 Separator efficiency is low in
spite of low material specific
loads
 Configuration of airslides from
separator discharge to the
separator feed point(s)
21
Solutions evaluation
 Even as much as possible
material load to all separator
feeding points:
 Adjust / install splitters
 Install mixing boxes
 Change airslides
configuration
22
The fineness relationship mill filter / separator fines
MF
F
C
If F finer than C check:
 Send MF to the separator feed
 Cut finer at the static separator (if any)
 Reduce mill ventilation
 Consider a static separator (or cyclone)
23
Separator operating point (1/2)
100
95
Iso - fineness line
90
85
Rotor speed [%] of nominal
80
3’500 [cm2/g]
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
Air [%] of nominal

24
Separator operating point (2/2)
100
95 Bypass 3
90
Bypass 2
85
Rotor speed [%] of nominal
By pass 1
80
75
70
65 Bypass 1 > Bypass 2 > Bypass 3

60
55
50
CONCLUSION is to operate the fan at 100%
45
40
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
Air [%] of nominal

25
Grinding with Ball Mill Systems
Separators
What is separating?
Splitting a given material by particle diameter
Balls with 2, 4 and 10 mm diameter
> 3 mm
Separation by cutpoint of
3mm (e.g. by sieving)
Problem: Efficiency
of separation is
never perfect
< 3 mm
27
Separation efficiency
 The efficiency of a separation device (e.g. mill
separator) is a measure of the proportion of un-
separated material following the separation process. It
indicates how much fines is in the coarse fraction
remaining and how much coarse is in the fines.
 The efficiency is very much dependent on the separator.

Modern cage rotor separators show a far better
efficiency than older static and dynamic separators.
28
Basic working principles Separators
 Particles are accelerated by a vortex or a
rotating device into the direction of the
separator wall (Fz).
 The big particles hit the wall (in older
separators) or the guide vanes (in 3rd gen.
Separators) and slip down because they
are too heavy for transport by the air
stream.
 The small and light particles are carried out
by the separator air (FL) stream supplied
by an internal (older separators) or an
external fan. The centrifugal force is
smaller than the impulse of the air flow.
 Changes of airflow or distributor (rotor)
speed (consequence higher centrifugal
forces) lead to different product fineness.
29
Main Separators used in Cement works
Type Main features
Static separators and cyclones No moving parts / fineness
adjustment via mechanical modification
Dynamic separators 1st Generation Counter blades, distributor plate and
internal fan/Fineness control by mechanical adjustment or
counter blade speed change
Dynamic separators 2nd Generation Features as 1st Gen. / but external fans
and cyclones
Dynamic separators 3rd Generation Cage rotor instead of counter blades
and distributor plate (variable speed drive) / external fan / fineness
control by rotor speed change
30
Static separators and cyclones
Cyclone Basic function:
fines
 Material enters the cyclone
immersion tube
in the air stream at the top.
 A vortex is generated.
feed
 A fine vortex with opposite

cylindrical part turning direction is
generated at the bottom and
carries the fine material back
to the top.
conical part  Coarse material goes to the
view from top
walls because of centrifugal
forces, slips down and
leaves at the bottom.
 Fine material exits at top via
the immersion tube.
tailings 31
Static separators and cyclones
Cyclones of a
cement mill
separator
32
Static separator and cyclones
fines Grit separator Basic function:
immersion tube
 Material enters the
adjustable blades adjusting device separator in air stream at
the bottom.
 A vortex is generated in the
top of the grit cone by the
blades.
 Coarse material goes to the
housing cone walls because of centrifugal
tailings cone
forces, slips down and
 Fine material exits at the
rad.pos.
top via the immersion tube.
 Product fineness is
tailings
adjustable by changing the
blade position.
feed 33
Grit separator
Adjusting device blades
34
Basic function:
KHD V-separator
 Material enters the
separator from the top
Air + Fines  Coarse material slips down
from plate to plate and
Air
 Fine material leaves the
separator at top together
with the air.
Plates
Returns 35
Dynamic separators 1st Generation
12 6
Basic function:
5
11  Material enters the
9
16
separator at the top.
10
8 7 4
 Coarse material goes to the
1 walls because of centrifugal
forces generated by the
3
distributor plate and
15
2
counter blades, slips down
at the grit cone wall and
leaves at the bottom (13).
Sturtevant
 Fine material exits at the
13
bottom of the casing (14).
14
1 fines chamber 9 fan cone  Product fineness is

10 counterblades
2
3
tailings cone
air vane 11 main fan blades adjusted by counter blade
4 inside drum 12 feed spout and intake cone
13 tailings outlet
position and rods (5) (No
5 fineness control valve rod
6 gear reducer 14 fines outlet counter blade speed
15 air inlet
7
8
main shaft and distributing hub
distributing plate 16 air outlet adjustment is possible!) 36
Dynamic separators 1st Generation (Sturtevant)
Internal Fan
Counter blades
External
adjustment of
fineness control
valve rods
37
Polysius Turbopol
Air vanes Grit cone Distributor plate
Counter blades
Internal Fan
38
Dynamic separators 1st Generation (Example: Pfeiffer Heyd)
Basic function:
8
9 the top.
10
7  Air stream is generated by internal

5 4 fan (9).
1  Coarse material goes to the walls
6
because of centrifugal forces,
3
generated by the distributor plate
Airflow
and counter blades, slips down at
2
the grit cone wall and leaves at
the bottom (11).
 Fine material is sucked into the
11
outside chamber (1) and exits at
12
the bottom of the casing (12).
1 fines chamber 7 fines chamber
counter blades
2 tailings cone 8
9
fan shaft
fan blades
 Product fineness is adjustable
3 air vane
4 separation chamber 10 feed spout usually by rotational speed of the
5 distributor + counterblades 11 tailings outlet
6 distributor plate 12 fines outlet plate and counter blades (6+7). 39

Separator Type Heyd Variable speed drive for

counter blades and
distributor plate
Fan Motor
Fan
Counter blades
Feed spout
Distributor plate
40
Dynamic Separators of 2nd Generation
8 7
1 separation chamber
2 tailings cone
6 3 air vanes
4 distributor plate
5 counterblades
5
6 feed spout
11 11 7 gearbox
1 8 motor
14 9 fines outlet
4
10 tailings outlet
15 13 11 cyclones
3 12 air duct to fan
13 fan
14 dust collecting
9 9 pipe to filter
15 return air duct
2
Polysius Cyclopol
10 41
Dynamic Separators of 2nd Generation (Wedag)
to filter
Air flow direction
fresh air
42
Basic function:
 Material enters the separator at the top.
 Air stream is generated by the external fan and

is recirculated.
 Coarse material is separated by fan suction into
the main casing and leaves at the bottom via a
pendulum flap.
 Fine material exits at the top of the casing by
airflow and enters the cyclone via gas duct. The
material separated by the cyclones leaves at
the bottom and goes into air slides. A part of the
recirculated air together with the fine dust from
the cyclones goes to a filter.
 Product fineness is adjustable usually by
rotational speed of the plate and counter
blades.
43
Counter blades
Distributor plate
44
Separators of 3rd Generation
Basic function:
Feed  Material enters the separator at
Centrifugal Forces
the top.
external fan.
 Material falls down between rotor
and guide vanes. Fines are
Air
accelerated by rotor and stopped
Guide vanes Air by guide vanes, where they slip
down and leave the casing at the
Turning cage rotor
bottom.
 Fine material exits with airflow at
the lower/upper part of the casing
Returns Air with fines  Product fineness is adjustable by

the rotational speed of rotor.
45
Main parts cage rotor separator
Cage rotor
Bars
Guide vanes (in bad shape)
46
11
Example: Polysius Sepol

10 5
5 3
1 2
4
9
6
7
1 guide vanes 7 air + fines outlet

2 rotor blades 8 tailings outlet
3 distributor plate 9 air inlet
4 rotor shaft 10 gear box
5 feed spouts 11 motor
6 sealing 47
Drive
Basic function:
Example: FLS O-Sepa the top.
Air outlet
+ fines  Airstream is generated by
Sealing
external fan.
Feed
Prim. Sec.
air air  Material falls down between the
rotor and guide vanes. Fines are
Distributor
Tert. sucked in. Coarse particles are
air Guide
vanes Fines
accelerated by the rotor and
Rotor
Coarses
stopped by guide vanes, where
Coarses
they slip down and leave the
casing with the tailings outlet.
 Fine material exits with the
Centrifugal force
airflow at the upper part of the
casing .
Air force  Product fineness is adjustable by
the rotational speed of the rotor.
Prim.air Gravity force 48
Example: O&K cross-flow separator Basic function:
feed spout gearbox motor
the top.
distributor plate
 Airstream is generated by an
air inlet
external fan.
air guide
vanes  Material falls down between the
rotor and guide vanes. Fines
rotor
are sucked in. Coarse particles
blades are accelerated by the rotor and
separating stopped by the guide vanes,
zone
where they slip down and leave
the casing via the tailings outlet.
fines
coarses  Fine material exits with the
airflow at the lower part of the
air + fines
casing .
tailings outlet
outlet
 Product fineness is adjustable
by the rotational speed of the
shaft
rotor. 49
Separators of 3rd Generation (FLS SEPAX)
50
Separators of 3rd Generation (FLS SEPAX)
Basic function of the compact version:
 Material enters the separator at the bottom with the air stream. The air
stream is generated by an external fan.
 Material enters the rotor in the air stream via guide vanes. Fines are
sucked in. Coarse particles are accelerated by the rotor and stopped by
guide vanes, where they slip down and leave the casing on the side.
 Fine material exits with the airflow at the top of the casing .
 Product fineness is adjustable by the rotational speed of the rotor.
Additional functions roller press version:

 Roller Press slabs enter desagglomerator under the compact separator
where they are crushed
 Fines go up in the air stream to the separator
 Coarses fall down and pass through the grit separator, where additional
fines are separated und go up in the air stream. Rejects go back to the
press 51
Separators of 3rd Generation (Polysius Sepol SM)
Basic function:
Rotor drive  Material enters the separator at
the bottom with the air stream
(e.g. air swept mill)
Fines with air
 Air stream is generated by an
external fan.
 Material enters the rotor in the air
Rotor
stream via guide vanes. Fines are
Guide vanes sucked in. Coarse particles are
they slip down and leave the
Inspection doors casing at the bottom.
 Fine material exits with the airflow
Returns
at the top of the casing .
 Product fineness is adjustable by
Airflow with material from mill the rotational speed of the rotor. 52
Separators of 3rd Generation (KHD Sepmaster)
Sepmaster SKS-D (for RP* circuits) Sepmaster SKS-LS (for ASM**)
feed material feed material
desagglomerator
rotor air+fines air+fines
impact ring
air and fine
product
coarse fraction 2
coarse fraction 1
feed material+air
* Roller Press coarse product ** Air Swept Mill 53

Sepmaster SKS
5
1 guide vanes
2 rotor blades
3 distributor plate
4
4 rotor shaft
7 6 3
5 feed spout
2
6 sealing
7 air + fines outlet

8 tailings outlet
9 9 air inlet
1
10 gear box
11 motor
11 10
8 54
Basic function:
 Material enters the separator at the top.
 Air stream is generated by external fan.
 Material falls down between the rotor and guide vanes. Fines are
sucked into the rotor. Coarse particles are accelerated by the rotor and
stopped by guide vanes, where they slip down and leave the casing at
the bottom.
 Fine material exits the separator with the airflow at the top of the casing
.
 Product fineness is adjustable by the rotational speed of the rotor.
 Special features SKS-D: Additionally equipped with slab

desagglomerator at the top (use in roller press circuits)
 Special features SKS-LS: Used for air swept mills. Function is very
similar to Polysius Sepol SM.
55
Separators of 3rd Generation (Pfeiffer QDK)
Basic function:
Rotor drive
the top.
external fan.
 Material falls down between the
rotor and guide vanes. Fines are
Air inlet they slip down and leave the
casing at the bottom.
Air +Fines  Fine material exits with the airflow

at the lower part of the casing .
Rotor  Product fineness is adjustable by

the rotational speed of the rotor.
Returns 56
Separators of 3rd Generation (vertical roller mill ; Loesche)
Basic function:
Feed
Separator drive
the bottom with the air stream.
Air  Air stream is generated by
Air external fan.
Cage rotor
Guide vanes stream via guide vanes. Fines are
Returns flow stopped by guide vanes, where
they slip down, leave the grit cone
at the bottom and fall back on to
the grinding table.
Conical casing
 Fine material exits with the airflow
Grit cone
at the top of the casing .
 The product fineness is adjustable
Airflow with material from grinding table
by rotational speed of the rotor.57
Separators of 3rd Generation (Vertical roller mill)
Reject cone
Cage rotor
Guide vane system
58
Separators of 3rd Generation (coal grinding) in VRM
Basic function:
 Coal from the grinding table enters the
separator at the bottom with the air
stream. (Used in vertical roller mills)
 Air stream is generated by external fan.

stream via guide vanes. Fines are
accelerated by the rotor and stopped by
guide vanes, where they slip down and
leave the casing at the bottom.
 Fine material exits with the airflow at the
top of the casing .
 Product fineness is adjustable by the
rotational speed of the rotor.
Pfeiffer RTKM Separator for coal mills 59
Separator arrangements in grinding circuits
Single Pass design
1 Fresh-Air
Mainly used where 3
high cooling is
Product
required
1 Feed bins
2 Mill with water injection
3 Separator with filter
4 Mill dedusting filter 60
Standard Arrangement 1st Generation Separator
4a 4
1
3
Product
2
1 Feed bins
3 Separator with filter
4 Mill dedusting filter
4a Grit separator
5 Optional cement cooler 61
Cyclone Air Separator
Product
1 Feed bins
3 Separator with cyclone and dedusting filter
4 Mill dedusting filter 62
Potential Problems
 Wear /
 Clogging
 Wear
 Sealing not tight
 Wear
 Wear
 Blades too short

63
Potential Problems
 Wear,clogging
 uneven feed distribution
 Wear
 Wear
64
Potential Problems
 Wear
 Sealing not tight
 Wear
 Guide vanes not

correctly adjusted
 Wear
 Breakouts
65
Potential Problems / clogging
Cage rotor separator casing
partly clogged
guide vane
system
Material deposits
due to insufficient
airflow or airflow
distribution
66
Reduced separation efficiency 1st and 2nd generation dynamic separators
Gap between internal fan

and separating chamber
bigger than 5 [mm]
Reduced number of
counter blades
Gap between counter

blades and wall of
separating chamber bigger
than 10 [mm]
Possible consequence: Desired

fineness can not be achieved anymore
67

Grinding With Ball Mill Systems: Separating

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Grinding With Ball Mill Systems: Separating

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Grinding with ball mill systems

Air with fines  Product fineness is adjustable by

 The fineness relationship mill

 Reduced separating airflow due to:

 Separator fines much finer than final product

Asl < 2.5 [kg/m3]

 Lower air speed Finer product

Laminar and even

Air [%] of nominal

65 Bypass 1 > Bypass 2 > Bypass 3

Air [%] of nominal

 The efficiency is very much dependent on the separator.

 A fine vortex with opposite

Adjusting device blades

1 fines chamber 9 fan cone  Product fineness is

7  Air stream is generated by internal

6 distributor plate 12 fines outlet plate and counter blades (6+7). 39

Separator Type Heyd Variable speed drive for

Air flow direction

 Air stream is generated by the external fan and

Returns Air with fines  Product fineness is adjustable by

Guide vanes (in bad shape)

Example: Polysius Sepol

1 guide vanes 7 air + fines outlet

 Product fineness is adjustable by the rotational speed of the rotor.

Additional functions roller press version:

* Roller Press coarse product ** Air Swept Mill 53

7 air + fines outlet

 Air stream is generated by external fan.

 Special features SKS-D: Additionally equipped with slab

Air +Fines  Fine material exits with the airflow

Rotor  Product fineness is adjustable by

Guide vane system

 Material enters the rotor in the air

Single Pass design

Mainly used where 3

Cyclone Air Separator

 Sealing not tight

 Blades too short

 uneven feed distribution

 Sealing not tight

 Guide vanes not

Gap between internal fan

Gap between counter

Possible consequence: Desired

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