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

 Monitoring mill operation
Establish the facts
Mill Throughput Tonnes /h
Power Used kWh - Mill + Ancillaries
Product Residues (Raw Meal)
Surface Area (Blaine / L+N)
Feed Quality Clinker / Gypsum ratio
Clinker chemistry
C3S / C2S
Feed size
Temperature Degrees C
Air Flow Kg air /Kg cement

Water injection % on Feed rate

 Motor power
W =
3 x V x I x Cos
Where V = Applied voltage

I = Motor current

Cos = Motor power factor

3 = 1.732

Cos from the motor nameplate

normally 0.85 - 0.9
 Effect of Gypsum, Limestone + Pozzolan
On mill performance

1% SO3 = +30 m2/kg Surface Area

1% Gypsum = +5% Production
1% Gypsum = +12 m2/kg Surface Area
1% Limestone = -2.5 % B.C.I Grindability
1% Pozzolan = -0.4 to -0.67 % B.C.I.
Grindability
 Relationship between power consumption and
Chemistry for two closed circuit mills

No 2 Mill SRC
Mills under
C3S
C3S C3S Automatic
Total Feed
Control
N1 Mill (OPC)

C2S
C2S

C2S

N1 Mill (OPC)
L.S.F.
N2 Mill (SRC)
LSF

Mill Only Kwh/t 32.5 33.0 33.5

 Max. T.P.H.
Chemical effects
t.p.h.
on mill
performance
Kwh/T
Highest mill output
1986 1987
Lowest cement
grindability
Grindability

Min C2S
C2S

Max. C3S
C3S
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
Material Flow

H2
H1
x
x x x
x x
x

Sample below the

surface of the material
and media Measure the height
above charge in each
chamber H1 +H2
 50

45
% Volume load
40

35

30
H
25

20

15
H=HEIGHT ABOVE
10 CHARGE
5 D= INTERNAL DIA.

0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70 0.75 0.80 0.85

RATIO H/D

Ball mill volume load =estimation

VOLUME LOAD FORMULA
H = HEIGHT ABOVE CHARGE (M)

D = MILL INTERNAL DIAMETER INSIDE LINING (M)

% Volume Load =
400/PI*((0.25*Cos(2*(H/D-0.5)))
-((H/D-0.5)*((H/D-(H/D)^2)^0.5)))
 Changes in apparent volume load
due to charge expansion
H1 = Height above charge -Mill Crash Stop

H2 = Height above charge - Mill Run Out

Apparent Charge density Case %Volume load

t/m3

3.91 H1 Crash Stop 38%

H1 H2

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
Low reduction in 45 micron sieve residue
Coarse material accumulation
due to media coating and charge cushioning
with chamber overfilling.
Badly worn or incorrect gradings with
backmixing can have the same effect.

100
% Retained
300 mic
on the sieve 45 mic Coarse accumulation due
to nibs leaving chamber 1.
Inlet 2.36mm
2.36mm
Outlet
0 chamber 1 chamber 2

Sample fineness here Targets for cement

mills with 6-8mm slots
Expect 20% max + 300 mic
1% + 2.36 mm (4% max)
 % Retained v.s.Position
C em en t M ill E xam p le
100.00

90.00
19,000
80.00
9500
70.00 6700
% R etained

60.00 2360

50.00 1180

40.00 600

300
30.00
150
20.00
90
10.00
+ 45
0.00
1a 1b 1c 2a 2b 2c 3a 3b 3c 3d 3e 3f
P osition A long M ill
 SSA v.s Position
P lot of S S A (m 2/kg) V .s. p osition along m ill

4 00 .0 0
S S A (m 2/k g)

3 00 .0 0
2 00 .0 0 SSA
1 00 .0 0
0 .0 0
1a 1b 1c 2a 2b 2c 3a 3b 3c 3d 3e 3f
P osition
 INSPECTION POINTS
WATER INJECTION
FRESH AIR INLET LINING PLATES

AIR OUTLET

SEALS
GRINDING PRODUCT
MEDIA DIAPHRAGMS
(SLOT SIZES - AVAILABLE SLOT AREA
(SIZES - SAMPLES -CONDITION) - VENTILATION GRID)
 Sampling closed circuit mills

Fresh Feed

Separator rejects Filter Product

Separator
Fines

Mill Product
(Separator feed) Finished Product
 CEMENT MILL - AIR FLOW TESTS
MEASURED AIRFLOW
= 200 m/min
TEMP 50 C
FRESH FEED AND
SEPARATOR REJECTS

COLD AIR MILL EXIT = 115C

20C

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 )
 CEMENT MILL - AIR FLOW TESTS
MEASURED AIRFLOW
= 200 m/min
TEMP 50 C
FRESH FEED AND
SEPARATOR REJECTS

FALSE AIR
INLEAK
COLD AIR
20C MILL EXIT = 115C
30% OF TOTAL
AIRFLOW TO ELEVATOR

ACTUAL -
TOTAL FREE VOLUME FROM HEAT AND MASS BALANCE
ABOVE CHARGE = 40 m =15
AIR CHANGES !!!!!
APPARENT AIR CHANGES/MIN = 200 = 5
40
(TARGET 2 - 3 OPEN CIRCUIT 5 - 7 CLOSED CIRCUIT)
( 0.25 0.4 KG AIR/KG CEMENT )
 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
Your Boss hears about
the 20% drop in output !
demoted to Tea Boy?
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