CEMENG MEDIA GRINDING

CLASSIFIER MILLS:
D S Venkatesh, Freelance Industrial Consultant
Mob: +919342816950 E-mail: [email protected]

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Cemeng Media grinding Classifier mill is an innovative approach. It integrates
conventional mill shell and a high efficiency Classifier with automatic-circulation of
oversize tailings for re-grinding and discharges air borne fine product making the entire
milling system to function as one-pass set up. The mill employs grinding balls, rods, or
roller as grinding media, selection dictated by the type of material to be ground and the
required product fineness.

1.0 Introduction:

Cement grinding is an electrical energy intensive process. Milling processes employ impact,
attrition, compression or vibration for effecting particle size reduction, each of these
resulting in differing grinding efficiencies and thus the specific power consumption. Only
between 5 to 10 percent of the energy is used to grind the material to required fineness, and
the rest is converted into heat. Irrespective of type of commination, heat generation is
imminent and hot ground material is discharged from the media grinding mills. Moreover,
close circuit operation with a high efficiency Classifier separating fines and returning
oversize tailings is the norm for overall performance enhancement of the milling system in
spite of the need for auxiliaries and additional material handling equipment.
Vertical Roller Mills with multi-rollers compression grinding, and in-built classifier have
overtaken the old horse ball and tube grinding mills in view of lower specific consumption
and less number of auxiliaries, in spite of need for replacement of rollers on account of wear.
However, Horomills with a single horizontal grinding roller in a rotating shell is equally
efficient, but needs functioning with an external high efficiency classifier in close circuit
operation.
Cemeng Media grinding Classifier mill is an innovative approach. It integrates
conventional mill shell and a high efficiency Classifier with automatic-circulation of oversize
tailings for re-grinding and discharges air borne fine product making the entire milling
system to function as one-pass set up. The mill employs grinding balls, rods, or roller as
grinding media, selection dictated by the type of material to be ground and the required
product fineness. When lower hourly production is required, Vibrio-energy grinding is
adapted. Moreover, Cemeng Media grinding Classifier Mills are well suited for harnessing of
wasteful heat free energy to ORC grid-compatible electric power generation system to
further reduce specific power consumption.
2.0 Cemeng Media Grinding Classifier Mill:
Cemeng Media grinding Classifier mills are based on the age-old concept of Conical Ball
mills. Conical ball mills have a truncated cone-shaped shell with cross-section decreasing
towards outlet, suitable for dry grinding, can be overflow or discharge diaphragm type. The

advantage is self-classification of grinding media by the mill shell, elimination of

intermediate diaphragms thus increasing the useful mill internal volume, reduction of energy
dissipated due to grinding media knocking against the diaphragm walls, and effective
commination. Make up-charge can be fed along with the feed and there is no need to stop
the mill for charging of grinding media. The hourly production of dry material from the
conical mill can be 10 to 12percent higher than that of cylindrical mill. The energy
consumption of conical mill can be 5 to 7percent lower than that of cylindrical Mill.

Conventional Conical Mill Set up

Ball Mill

Power saving Conical

3.0 Cemeng Media Grinding Classifier Mill Set-up:

Cemeng Media grinding Classifier Mills have one/ two grinding chambers with a media
retaining grid followed by a Classifying chamber at the discharge end. The grid allows both
forward and reverse material flows. Regulation of maximum pulp level in the Classifying
chamber is what is critical, and the rate of fresh feed is regulated accordingly.
The Classifying chamber comprises of desired number of lifters in- built into the sloping liner
plates forming a rotating grid, unlike the static grid typical of other Classifiers. A Blower with
damper control at feed spout regulates the air in the grinding chamber with make-up air
from suction nozzles together forming the total Classifying air. The ground material is
disbursed in air flow by mill rotation. As the Classifier rotor rotates, the oversize is dropped
into the chamber, whereas the fines are air-borne for discharge out of the mill. The sloping
lining in the chamber automatically returns the oversize to the second chamber for regrinding. The slope is designed depending upon the circulating load. The direction of rotation
of mill and Classifier rotor can be opposite to each other, with variable speed for the
Classifier rotor. High efficiency twin cyclones alternatively, cyclones with mechanical
recirculation system collect the fines product.

Cemeng Media Grinding Classifier Mill Set-up

recirculation system for fines collection

Cyclones with mechanical

4.0 Vibrating Grinding Drum- Classifier Set up:

Vibrating grinding mills are excellent energy savers in comparison with conventional ball,
rod or roller grinding mills, with proven energy savings ranging from 30 to 50 percent in
specific power consumption, and have 5 to 10 times media life. Easily installed and does not
require massive foundations. The media action is adjustable from gentle to aggressive.
Compared to Stirred media mills or tower grinding mills, Vibrating grinding mills uses the
principle of impact grinding against attrition, thus causing clean breaking. Besides grinding,
simultaneous direct gas contact heating or cooling of material is possible. The only short
coming is that hourly product output range is limited, thus requiring multiple units for higher
production requirements. Vibrating drum mills are available by two major manufacturers,
General Kinematics, and Sieb Technik, with a fairly wide capacity range.
As can be inferred, Vibrating grinding mills generally function in close circuit with a high
efficiency classifier to obtain product of desired fineness. In view of limited grinding
chamber volumes and volumes of vent air, the temperature of ground material discharge
will be higher in comparison with ball mills. Cemeng has attempted to integrate the
Classifying function as well with Vibro drum grinding mills. The drum is fitted with n axial
perforated piping. Air drawn from both ends of the pipe gets disbursed inside the material
and media bed within the drum. An integral Classifier rotor is installed over the grinding
chamber, which sucks the material borne air, oversize particles getting rejected into the
grinding drum by gravity, and discharges fines borne air stream for product collection in a
Cyclone collector or a Bags filter. The schematic arrangement is shown below:

Classifier Rotor

Vibrio=drum Grinding mill

Product Collecting Cyclone

Horizontal

4.0 Harnessing of Waste heat by ORC Power generator:

It is estimated that grinding with 1kwh/t produces a heating corresponding to 4 deg C. Loss
of heat from mill surface is normally estimated to be between 600 to 760 kcals/hrm2. The
balance gets passed on to heating of vent air and discharged ground material. Mill
ventilation insures cooling of mill and material, dedust and remove the fine particles from
the mill. The air velocity inside the free section of the mill defining ventilation: in open circuit
around 0.8 to 1.2m/sec, in close circuit between 1.0 to1.5 m/sec or generally accepted value
of 0.3 to 0.45 nm3/kg ground material discharge. Qualifying limit of 100 to 105 deg C for
cement is generally adapted.
As per prevalent practice, cement needs to be cooled, by evaporative water spray in the
mill, and/or cooling in the Air Classifier, and if still temperature is high, additionally cooled in
an indirect contact type powder cooler. In all these cases, the heat is lost with no gainful
recovery. A cement mill can accept higher temperature input materials, with optional water
spray, to result in higher temperature ground material discharge from the mill, provided
Gypsum is mixed later in a plow shear mixer.
Cemeng proposes transfer of heat content in mill discharge material and/or of heat in mill
vent air for capture to a suitable thermic oil in a Bulk solids/Powder Cooler, to form the
hot liquid resource with a temperature range of 80 to 140 deg C and employ more
efficient Organic Rankine Cycle using refrigerants as the working fluid which boil below
100deg C. ORC is more efficient than Kalina steam cycle. The ORC functions efficiently off
any heat source with a minimum of 125deg F temperature differential between the heat
source and sink. The pressured refrigerant vapor is expanded through a turbine to spin a
generator, condensed and recycled. In case of ball milling systems, we require smaller
capacity ORC systems. Cemeng suggests employing tested Infinity Turbines ORC systems

available to generate power from 10KW, 50KW, 100KW, 250kW 500KW modules. It is also
possible to custom built to suit any intermediate range.

set-up

Bulk Solids Cooler

Infinity ORC Turbine Generator

5.0 Re-engineering of existing ball grinding mills:

The existing mills can be re-engineered as conical ball mills by equipping conical lining.
Particles of different sizes, irrespective of their specific gravity, when revolved in a cone will
classify themselves with the largest pieces at the point of greatest diameter. This classifying
action within the mill portions the energy available to the work required. This lowers the
grinding power. Classification and circulation within the mill is the principle of operation for
conical mill lining. The mill speed can be increased up to 90 percent of critical speed. The
mill output can be expected to increase around ten percent and about 6 to 7 percent in
specific power consumption.
As an example, Cemeng has carried out re-engineering of a 2200mm dia x 11 m lg, 750 hp
open circuit cement mill operating at 76 percent critical speed. Considering l/d of mill, direct
close circuiting with an external classifier does not yield any marked improvement in output.
The feed end trunnion bearing arrangement is retained, and the discharge end of the mill
shell is mounted over slide shoe bearing. With ship-lap type liners in the first compartment,
a free floating roller is employed as grinding media. Rest of the mill shell is fitted with
conical mill lining, with balls as grinding media. A media retaining grid and Horizontal
Classifier is integrated at mill discharge end as per Cemeng practice. The Feed end is
equipped with an axial fan for forced air flow in the mill. The mill speed is increased up to
150 percent critical speed. Thus, the power saving advantage of the second compartment
and saving due to roller in the first compartment would pave way for increasing the mill
output and regulating product fineness.

6.0 Summary:

Cemeng can provide technical know-how, mechanical design and manufacturing drawings
for Cemeng Media grinding Classifier mills to cement plants/machinery manufacturers.
Cemeng can undertake re-engineering of existing ball mill systems to provide benefits from
innovative Classifier mill set up. Moreover, harnessing of waste heat to generate electrical
power by ORC power generator system can be engineered.
For your requirements, please contact:
D S Venkatesh, Freelance Industrial Consultant,
682, 17th Cross, 6th Phase, J P Nagar, Bangalore 560078
E-mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Mob: +91 9342816950

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Bulk Solids Cooler: www.solexthermal.com

Infinity Turbines ORC systems: www.infinityturbines.com
www.thecementgrindingoffice.com
ICF Industries Cibec S.p.a. Italy

Brief Personal Write-up:

At present, a Freelance Industrial Consultant, Formerly CEO and Director of Cemtec Engineering,
Secunderabad. Started as Design Engineer at ACC, had long stinct at Holtec-India in responsible
positions. Pioneer Consultant to many rotary based mini cement plants and expansions . Provided
Technical know-how, Design and manufacturing drawings for cement machinery to many Indian
machinery manufacturers. Re-engineering and Retrofit of plant / machinery for enhanced productivity is a
forte. Evolving PSRG Milling Technology for Media Grinding mills. Providing Think out of box. countryspecific, customer-centric solutions in Cement and Building Materials industry.