LOESCHE O&M Hands-On Training: Dangote Ibese Plant

Mill Hydraulics Systems Overview

Structure:
1. Hydraulic Unit
2. Description and Function of HSLM - HSLM AND OIL TANK INTERLOCKING CONDITIONS, HYDRAULIC
SCHEME
3. Description and Function of HSSW
4. Description and Function of HSMS

HYDRAULIC UNIT
The purpose of the Hydraulic unit is to control and vary (when required) the operating and counter pressure
systems. The material being ground is done so by the pressure of the master rollers supplied by the hydraulic
pressure HSLM system. The hydraulic pressure is supplied in this instance by the use of a hydro pneumatic
spring assembly system, supplied by the HSLM.

DESCRIPTION AND FUNCTION OF HSLM

Its sole purpose is to provide oil to the spring assembly system (operating pressure / counter pressure
system). The master roller position is controlled using pressure. The amount of pressure applied can aid the
quality of the product.

Pump pressure
gauges

Operating
pressure gauge

CP gauge

Electric
motors Throttle valve for
flow control

Filter with clogging

indicator

Manual control buttons for:

pumps, increase OP, Roller
lift, increase CP

The HSLM is responsible for controlling:

● The amount of pressure the cylinder applies during operation on the grinding bed, operational
pressure.
● The counter pressure system, which is used to avoid cavitation or diesel effect (in a way the counter
pressure react against the forces exerted on the roller by the operating pressure. Instead of

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 LOESCHE O&M Hands-On Training: Dangote Ibese Plant

transporting the oil all the way back to the storage tank the counter pressure system uses the piston
accumulator.

The HSLM contains:

a. 1 oil tank filled with Mineral oil.
i. 1 PT100 temperature probe
ii. 2 oil tank heaters
iii. Visual level indication
iv. Electronic level switch to alarm at a point before there is insufficient oil to operate the
system
b. 2 oil pumps
i. 1 inverter driven at either 50% or 100% to maintain the operating pressure in all three
rollers. (50% speed is used for increasing operating pressure; 100% is used during
lifting)
ii. 1 fixed speed motor to flush and raise the rollers (raising is done along with pump 1)
c. Oil Filter (with maintenance indication) to remove particulate from oil.
d. Various electronic valves for flow direction and throttles to regulate the flow.
e. Push buttons to operate functions of the HSLM in Manual mode ONLY

The HSLM contains local push buttons so that during manual mode:
● The rollers can be raised.

● The operating pressure can be increased.

● The counter pressure can be increased.

● The pumps can be operated.

The HSLM has local analogue gauges to indicate the pump pressures, operating pressure and lifting
pressure, and are for local observation only; electronic transmitters situated in the ring main to minimise
irritation in the signal to the controller give indication to the mill operator in the CCR.
The oil filters in the HSLM give an indication when the filters need changing, the indicator is green when
the filter is Ok and will change colour to red when maintenance is needed. NB the indication is local only,
there is no electronic filter maintenance signal transmitted to the CCR.
Periodically (once a day for 15 minutes) during grinding mode the system re-circulates the oil through the
filter. This “purging” is done by pump 2. If however the system requires a change to CP or WP while
purging then Purging is suspended and the pressure change command takes priority.
Each pump also has individual pressure monitoring (the limits set according to the interlocking diagram)
to ensure that the unit does not over pressurise the system and causes damage to the rocker arm. There
are also pressure relief valves in the HSLM for mechanical safety of the hydraulic system.

HSLM AND OIL TANK INTERLOCKING CONDITIONS

The HSLM supplies 2 systems:

● The operating pressure system which supplies the piston rod side of the cylinder

● The counter pressure system which supplies the piston side of the cylinder with pressure.

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 LOESCHE O&M Hands-On Training: Dangote Ibese Plant

The lowest permissible position of the master rollers is electronically monitored by devices mounted on the
rocker arms. Additionally there are stop buffers mounted to prevent metallic contact between the rollers and
the grinding bed segments if the feed is interrupted or if the rollers are not raised in time (mechanical buffer,
however, are only installed at coal mills, slag and clinker mills – raw mills do not have mechanical buffers. The
Hydraulic cylinders are interconnected by a ring main which ensures that all rollers press on the grinding bed
with an equal force. Pressure transmitters linked to the control of the HSLM are placed in the ring main to
monitor operating and counter pressure. These transmitters are installed exterior to the cabinet to prevent
irritation to the HSLM controller.

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 LOESCHE O&M Hands-On Training: Dangote Ibese Plant

The hydraulic cylinders (4) are connected to the working pressure system (10) on the piston rod side (11) and
the counter pressure system (9) on the piston side (7):
A. During mill operation, the rollers are raised by the grinding material on the table. In doing so, the
rocker arms are deflected. The pistons (6) in the hydraulic cylinders move upwards and displace oil
from the working pressure system into the hydraulic bladder accumulator (2). The nitrogen filled
accumulator bladder (1) in the bladder accumulator is compressed by the inflowing oil.
At the same time the counter pressure system works on the piston side of the hydraulic cylinder. In
the case described above, oil is pressed by nitrogen pressure (5) out of the hydraulic piston
accumulator (8) back into the piston side of the hydraulic cylinder.
B. If the grinding rollers roll into a “grinding bed valley” the process is reversed, oil is pressed out of the
hydraulic bladder accumulator in the working pressure system into the piston rod side of the hydraulic
cylinder. At the same time oil is displaced out of the piston side of the hydraulic cylinder into the
hydraulic piston accumulator.
To shut the mill down it is necessary to raise the rollers hydraulically from the grinding bed. Due to varying
resistance in the hydraulic system the rollers do not raise simultaneously but one after the other, the
movement is limited mechanically at the top once all rollers have reached their top end position an electronic
signal is sent to the station to stop the pumps. To avoid that the pressure in the lifting side goes too high
unnecessarily the “roller raised” position is set before the mechanical end position is reached.

OIL TANK FUNCTION AND INTERLOCKING CONDITIONS

The tank is heated to keep the oil temperature between certain points (see interlocking conditions). Via the
PLC the heaters are started and stopped (oil temperature <35°C heater on ≥40°C heater off). If the oil tank
temperature increases higher than 70°C, the hydraulic system will trip (which will trip the mill as well).
The HSLM contains a level control to protect equipment against dry running. In the event that the PLC sees a
low level it will trip the HSLM and alert the mill attendant via the CCR.
Temperature interlocking conditions
L = start heater 35°C (heater on)

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 LOESCHE O&M Hands-On Training: Dangote Ibese Plant

LL = stop heater 40°C (heater off)

LLL = start pump 5°C ( permissive for HSLM operation)
H = alarm = 60°C
HH alarm = 70°C (tripping HSLM)
Oil tank level interlocking conditions
> min (permissive for mill operation)
< min (heater trips; pumps are not allowed to run)

HSLM Interlock

Mill in operation:
Both pumps are stopped and all valves are closed. (Operating pressure is stable, remaining within dead
bands.)
Increase operating pressure:
Reduced speed pump is running and valve 7.11b is open.
The pump and valve operates according to the following diagram:
If the Pressure falls to –dp (set at 2bar) the above situation is started.
When the pressure reaches the set point the valve closes and the pump stops.
Reduce operating pressure:
Valve 7.2 is open.
The pump and valve operates according to the following diagram:
If the Pressure rises to +dp (set usually at 2bar) the above situation is started.
When the pressure reaches the set point the valve closes.
Raising rollers:
Pumps 2.1 & 2.2 are running, valves 7.21 a, 7.11a & 7.22 are open ; 7.3 &7.4 are energised only temporary –
until PRhelp is reached. When rollers reach top limit position pumps stop and valves close / de energise.
Keep rollers in top position:
Valve 5.4 only is open.

Lowering rollers:
Both pumps are off, Valve 5.4 Open, valves 7.5 &7.6 are energised.
The following diagram visualises the fact that when “lower rollers” command is initiated the above valves are
opened until the counter pressure ≤ counter pressure set point + differential pressure(dp - 2 bar) + Xbar (set at
commissioning ~2bar) . At that point 7.6 closes. 7.5 closes when the operating pressure set point is reached.
Increase counter pressure:
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 LOESCHE O&M Hands-On Training: Dangote Ibese Plant

Both pumps are off, Valve 5.4 Open, valve 7.10 is energised.
The valve operates according to the following diagram:
If the Pressure falls to –dp (set at 2bar) the above situation is started.
When the pressure reaches the set point the valve closes.
Reduce counter pressure:
Both pumps are off, Valve 5.4 Open, valve 7.5 is energised.
The valve operates according to the following diagram:
If the Pressure rises to +dp (set at 2bar) the above situation is started.
When the pressure reaches the set point the valve closes.

Partial flow filter:

For 15mins every day the HSLM will pump oil through the filter to remove any extraneous material.
Pump 2.2 is running. Valve 5.4 is open.
The pump runs for 15 mins as per timer in the software and then stops. The oil is running through the filter
and via 7.22 back to the tank.

Nitrogen pressure test in the accumulator.

Occasionally it is necessary to test/check the pressure in the accumulator. In this case the following applies.
HSLM has to be put in local mode
Both pumps are off valves 5.2, 5.4 & 5.5 are open (therefore the rollers are lowered, and the oil pressure is 0
therefore allowing the Nitrogen pressure to be measured accurately.

Keep rollers in top position for service.

Mode applies only manual mode; therefore the HSLM is set to manual mode
Manual valve 5.4 is closed
All pumps are off and all valves are closed. Therefore the oil cannot not flow to any piston, maintaining that
the roller will stay in the raised condition.

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 LOESCHE O&M Hands-On Training: Dangote Ibese Plant

HYDRAULIC SCHEME

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 LOESCHE O&M Hands-On Training: Dangote Ibese Plant

Description and Function of HSSW

The HSSW is the Hydraulic system to control the movement of the Support rollers. The Support rollers are
smaller in size than the Main roller. They are designed mainly for grinding bed preparation; they are NOT
designed to grind material (only the Main rollers).
The HSSW unit is responsible for the distribution of hydraulic fluid to the support rollers to control their
position during operation, to raise and lower the support rollers.

The HSSW unit cabinet contains a built in oil tank which has a level switch so that in the event that the tank
gets low the system sends an alarm to the PLC – which trips the heater and the pumps. The oil tank also has
visual level indication so that the mill attendant can see the oil level in the tank.

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 LOESCHE O&M Hands-On Training: Dangote Ibese Plant

Push buttons:
to lift and
lower
Pump pressure
gauges

Oil level
indicator

The oil tank has heaters so that the oil is maintained at a certain temperature range (between 35 and 40°C). In
the event that the temperature gets too high (> 70°C) the system will trip.
There are 3 pumps, 1 for each roller, so that each roller position can be controlled and adjusted individually.
Each pump has an individual local push buttons that are used to raise and lower the rollers only when in local
mode.
Both, in local and remote mode, the pumps will stop automatically when the roller has reached the “raised”
limit. The “raised” limit value is also obtained from the stroke monitor. For each roller there are three
pressure relieve valves (one for the pump pressure, one for lifting and one for lowering) and two throttles
(one in the lifting line and one in the lowering line).
There are local pressure gauges on the unit for each pump (digital – used also for the “operating pressure”
signal in the CCR and analogue). Each pump also has individual pressure monitoring (the limits set according to
the interlocking diagram) to ensure that the unit does not over pressurise the system and causes damage to
the support roller, its hydraulics and its rocker arm.
To avoid danger to persons or equipment the rollers should not be raised or lowered using any means other
than the raise and lower buttons in the HSSW cabinet.
Each oil pump has two solenoid valves that operate depending on the function being carried out. Each
solenoid valve has LED indication when in operation.
The oil filter in the cabinet gives an indication when the filter needs changing. The indicator is green when the
filter is ok and will change colour when the filter needs maintenance. However, this is only a local indication –
no signal is given to the PLC.

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 LOESCHE O&M Hands-On Training: Dangote Ibese Plant

Description and Function of HSMS.

Sight glass

Throttle
valves to
control flow

Closure
device

Filter with
clogging
indicator

Introduction
The section will describe the Lubrication system (HSMS) that controls the Lubrication for the Main rollers.

Function:
The purpose of this unit is to provide lubricating mineral oil for the bearings of the Main rollers.
The HSMS unit is responsible for distributing the lubricating oil to the main rollers for bearing lubrication
during operation.

Description of the HSMS

Its sole purpose is to provide lubricating oil to the main rollers. The oil must be kept at a uniform temperature
to ensure sufficient oil viscosity. The viscosity of the oil is maintained to ensure that a consistent volume of oil
is delivered to the rollers for bearing lubrication.
The station carries its own oil reservoir. This reservoir contains monitoring and control instrumentation to
allow adequate operation of the station.
The tank is fitted with a filling stud complete with breather to fill the tank and allow the oil in the tank to adapt
to the environmental conditions (breath).
The tank is fitted with a level switch which activates if the level in the tank falls below a set limit thus not
allowing the pumps to run dry or pick up any particulate matter that may be lying at the bottom of the tank.
The tank is fitted with 3 heating elements to ensure that the oil is maintained at the correct viscosity.
The tank is fitted with a temperature probe to monitor the oil temperature in the tank and initiate the control
of the heating elements. The heaters maintain an oil temperature of between 40 – 70 Deg C (according to the

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 LOESCHE O&M Hands-On Training: Dangote Ibese Plant

limit list). Should the temperature fall outside these limits then the PLC monitoring the temperature will alarm
or act according to the interlocking.
The tank is also fitted with a temperature gauge to give visible indication of the oil temperature in the
reservoir.
The tank is fitted with a sight glass showing the oil level in the tank so that the level can be physically
monitored. The other advantage of this is the colour of the oil can also be monitored in the site glass and
judged accordingly, thus alerting the operator of potential problems.

Suction pump:
The oil is drawn from the roller using individual suction pumps (one for each roller) capable of a rate of
approximately 10 l/min. The suction pipe is inserted deeper into the bore of the roller to ensure that oil is
maintained at this level during running, and to ensure that the majority of the oil is recirculated. Should the
suction pump withdraw too much oil thus not leaving adequate oil in the bore of the roller for lubrication or if
the delivery pump does not deliver enough oil then this will become visible in the site glass of the HSMS by a
lack of oil not flowing through it.
There is a flow restrictor fitted in the line after the pump in order to regulate the amount of oil being drawn
from the roller, this is set at commissioning and the excess is returned to the reservoir.
A vacuum gauge is located at the HSMS to give an indication of how much vacuum the pump is exerting to
withdraw the oil from the roller. Each suction pump has its own vacuum gauge to allow individual monitoring.
The suction pump lowers the level in the roller faster than it can be raised by the return pump when the oil is
at normal temperature. Therefore the suction pressure is set at a flow restrictor and indicated at the vacuum
pressure gauge
The oil flowing from the roller to the cabinet can be observed at a sight glass in the cabinet. If the oil level
drops to the bore of the suction pipe in the roller shaft the thread of oil observed in the site glass breaks, and
can be seen as a lack of oil in the site glass.
The temperature of the oil leaving the roller is monitored close to each individual roller and limits are set at 80
and 85 Deg C for alarm and shut down accordingly.

Delivery pump:
The oil is also returned to the roller by a delivery pump, 1 for each roller. (There are 6 pumps in total on this
site 3 suction and 3 delivery). The delivery pump is capable of 6 l/min
After the oil flows through the pump it passes through an oil filter. The filter is there to remove any
particulate matter from the delivery line into the roller. The filters have indicators to show when the filters
are becoming clogged. Green = clean. The indicator is for VISUAL indication only and does not give an
electronic signal.
After the oil flows through the filter it passes through oil cooler (Tube type). The oil coolers function is to
prevent the oil from overheating. The cooler water supply is usually fed from water passing through a heat
exchanger located separately from the HSMS. Local temperature gauges are fitted in the HSMS to allow the
temperature of the cooling water to be monitored and adjusted accordingly.
A pressure gauge is located at the cabinet so that the pressure of the delivery pump giving oil to the roller can
be monitored and adjusted if necessary.
Flow from the delivery pump is then monitored by a pressure gauge giving visual indication only of the
pressure exerted by the pump delivering oil to the roller.
The oil then passes through a pressure relief valve (set according to the schematic normally at 1-2 bar 10 bar
max) in the event that the pressure relief operates excess oil is sent back to the reservoir.
The pumped oil is then monitored for temperature before re-entering the roller.

Interlocking conditions:
Ready for remote operation:
Temperature in the oil tank must be > SP1 (start clearance for pump. SP1 = 15°C.
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 LOESCHE O&M Hands-On Training: Dangote Ibese Plant

HSMS oil tank level < min. Min = switch not activated.
Oil heating
Start Oil Heating HSMS oil temp < SP2. SP2 = 55°C
HSMS oil level <Min
HSMS oil temperature > SP3 oil heater switches off SP3 = 60°C
HSMS oil temperature is > Max 1 give a warning. Max 1 = 70°C
HSMS oil temperature is > Max 2 alarm and stop HSMS after a time delay. Max 2 = 80°C
Suction pumps:
HSMS starting
Mill motor is running
HSMS oil temp > SP1
HSMS starting (given by ready for remote operation)
Delivery pumps
Suction pumps are running
HSMS starting command has been given
Rollers have been lowered
Monitoring
If roller oil temperature reaches > Max 1 the mill alarms at the CCR.
If roller oil temperature reaches >Max 2 the mill alarms at the CCR and shuts down.

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LOESCHE O&M Hands-On Training: Dangote Ibese Plant

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