DIAGNOSTIC STUDIES

FOR

CEMENT MILL 1 OPTIMISATION - A CASE STUDY

As you know that, 70% total energy consumption is used in grinding process of
materials which shows that the potential for optimization is greatest in the grinding process
in a cement plant. The benefits that can be achieved due to the optimization of cement
grinding system are:

• Reduction in specific power consumption

• Increase in production.
• Stable operation
• Increase in availability of the equipment - Less down time.
• Improved product quality

2.1 CASE STUDY

The plant having kiln of 1000 TPD capacity has two cements mill CM- 1 & CM-2
with rated capacities of 45 TPH for CM1 and 55 TPH for CM2, operating in close circuit
mode. The case study to cement mill-1 operating at 30 TPH (OPC) as against 45 TPH (OPC)
design capacity.

2.2 Mill Details - Details of the mill are listed below in Table 1:

Table 1

Parameter Length ( m) Diameter (m)

Ball Mill 13 3.2

1st chamber 3.52 (effective) 3.05 (effective)

2nd chamber 8 (effective) 3.09 (effective)

 L/D Ratio 2.93

Mill Speed 18.4RPM

Critical speed 76%

Mill Drive 1600kW

ESP Fan m3/hr

I Chamber Liners lifting liners monostep

II Chamber Liners Non-Classifying (Corrugated) Liners

Partition Diaphragm Dipole face type with slot opening of 6-8 mm width

Discharge Diaphragm Dipole faces type with slot opening of 6-8 mm width.

The target of Blaine and residue for cement from this mill is given in Table 2

Type of cement Blaine % Residue

(m2/kg ) on 45 micron sieve

OPC (C-150) 400±10 3-5%

CEMII 42.5 500±10

3.1 OBSERVATIONS
3.2 Grinding Media Pattern
It was observed that the grinding media load in the mill had uneven
distribution. 1st compartment grinding media diameter varied from 90 mm to 50 mm
and 2nd compartment grinding media diameter varied from 40 mm to 17mm.
Grinding media loading pattern as given by the plant is shown in Table.

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No Characteristic Unit Value Rema

Cement mill

1 Type m Ø3.2×12

2 Capacity t/h 45

3 Blaine m2/kg 320-350

1# mill Actual

4 Grinding media charge t 105.1 135

Chamber 1 t 37.2 40.5

Chamber 2 t 67.9 94.5

Chamber 1 distribution

0 90 t 5.6 0

0 80 t 9.3 15

0 70 t 14.9 10

0 60 t 7.4 13.5

Chamber 2

0 50 t 8.9 2

0 40 t 10.6 28

0 30 t 4 22

0 25 t 13.3 20.5

0 20 t 17.8 16

0 17 t 13.3 8

5 speed rpm 14.9

3.3 Granulometry of Clinker
Clinker feed sample was collected at weigh feeder of cement mill for sieve analysis
and results of granulometry indicated that the clinker fed to the mill had high fines
of 80%of clinker passed through 5-8 mm sieve.

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3.4 Condition of diaphragm
The mill is provided with intermediate double partition diaphragm of with slot
opening of 6 mm width. It was observed that. The mill discharge diaphragm is also of
double partition diaphragm with slot opening of 6-8 mm width.

3.5 The Intermediate Diaphragm

The Intermediate Diaphragm condition seems good, and shell lifting liners thickness
was ok. It was observed that there is foreign material were found at the first chamber, and
a lot of small size ball return from chamber number 2 with separator material reject which
significantly affect chamber grindability.

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3.6 The Discharge Diaphragm

The Discharge Diaphragm condition seems not good, and most of slots are blocked by nips, and
there were big gaps between diaphragm liners and the outer ring, that gaps make total opening
area of slots bigger than standard value which will affect the retention time of material and give
chance to small wear balls to escape through these gaps. The middle screen (net) was partially
blocked.

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3.7 Media surface:

Chamber I:

- As seen in the figure the media surface in chamber I is clear and haven’t any coating layer that
have good impact on grinding efficiency but there is clear deformation specially in ball size 80 mm
which may be due to collision between balls each other and with liners which led to function failed
of chamber liners

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 Chamber II:

As seen in the figure the media surface in chamber II is clear and have not coating layer.
Most balls have surface deformation.

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3.8 Material and ball media level
The recommended material level in the 1st Chamber should be equal to the
grinding media level during crash stop. However, the material and grinding media
loading was found okay.

Chamber 1

Chamber2

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3.9 Guideline for crash stop

The CM must be crash stopped while the mill is at maximum production and has been running
stable for at least 4 hours to give representative samples.
The mill operators will stop the mill by stopping the mill and all related equipment including mill fan,
outlet bucket elevator and separator reject airside fan.
It must be ensured that the mill feeding is not stopped before stopping and that also the mill fan
stops at the same time to prevent the fines cement to discharge with air flow.
The mill allowed to cool down by opening inspection door only.
Usually, 3 samples in CH1 and 6 samples in CH2.
We collect axial samples after every 1m from the mill inlet to the intermediate diaphragm as well as
from the intermediate diaphragm to the discharge diaphragm and at each point we take 3 samples
along the mill. This sample was sieve analysis to gauge grinding progress. Longitudinal sample sieve
analysis of the mill chambers is given in Table 4

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Chamber 1

12
Chamber 2

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 3.10 The axial samples result through chamber no 1

sieve analysis
Seive Champer 1 10 mm Seive Champer 1 5 mm Seive Champer 1 2 mm
Seive Champer 1 1.7 mm Seive Champer 1 0.425 mm Seive Champer 1 0.355 mm
100.00
90.00
80.00
70.00
60.00
50.00
40.00
30.00
20.00
10.00
0.00
0M 1M 2M 3M

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3.11 The axial samples result through chamber no 2

Sieve Analysis
14.00

12.00

10.00

8.00

6.00

4.00

2.00

0.00
1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M 7M

0.425 0.3 0.212

Sieve Analysis
50.00

40.00

30.00

20.00

10.00

0.00
1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M 7M

90 63 45

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 Blaine Chart
3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0
1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M 7M

The grindability curve drawn based on the above analysis is shown in Fig. The
grindability curve indicates that percentage retained on 2 mm size sieve at the partition
diaphragm is 3.25 % which is lower as against the normal value below 5 % at meter no
2, but it raised again in front of diaphragm which mean that the first chamber is
in good condition but the sieve analysis along from meter no 2 to meter no 3
show ineffective grinding which mean we need to increase tonnage of size ball
50mm.the maximum ball size of grinding media for the feed with 80% passing through
5-8 mm is estimated as 75 mm so the quantity of ball size 80mm need to reduced and
increasing quantity of ball size 50 mm.

Sieve analysis along the 2nd chamber show effective grinding but due to non-optimum
grinding media distribution in the second compartment and no classification appear in
second chamber, the poor capability for fine grinding and low residence time of
material due to bad condition of discharge diaphragm leading to difficulties in achieving
the target Blaine (400 m2/Kg) so big media size composition on chamber no 2 media
charge 40 mm may be need to take out and increasing percentage of ball size 25-17
mm in 2nd compartment.

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 Evaluation of mill test (standard reference)

FLSmidth
compartment Particle size Holderbank Slegten
+0.5 mm. 15-25% 12-25% -
+0.6 mm. 10-20% - -
+1.0 mm. 7-14% -
1st chamber -
+0.2 mm. 20-30% 20-30% 15-25% (at 0.1)

2nd chamber +0.5 mm. Max 5% Max 5% -

- 2,100 -
Blaine
(cm2/g)

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 Recommendation
➢ The maximum ball size of grinding media for the feed with 80 % passing through 8
mm is estimated as 70 mm. However, for normal size clinker, the maximum ball
size of grinding media has been considered as 80 mm, but the quantity of 80
mm ball size was suggested to be reduced and increase quantity of 50 mm.
➢ Considering mill working with very bad condition for discharge diaphragm and
need to achieving Blaine around 400 m2/kg mill work with high circulation load
reach to 4 so it was first suggested to:
➢ Changing discharge diaphragm.
➢ increase 25 -17 mm grinding media in the in 2nd compartment with decreasing
ball size 40 mm to try to increasing surface area and decreasing circulation load

so, it recommended to redistribution of grinding media according to pattern as shown in

the table below

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