Better Grinding Systems

Siegfried Strasser, KHD Humboldt Wedag AG, Cologne, Germany

Summary
Even improvements have been made in the grinding
department, still more than two third of the electrical
energy in a cement works is consumed by grinding
plants. For each ton of cement, 45 to 70 kWh are
recorded, and even more, when producing high
grades of OPC. While updated technology was
applied preferably for cement mills, comparatively
little improvement for raw material grinding is seen.
In average, 12 to 20 kWh/t of raw meal, which
relates to 18 to 30 kWh/t for the final product cement
are consumed. High pressure loss of the system fan
for the combined drying and grinding process and
inefficient mills are the main reason for the high
consumption.
Since long, it has been an attractive field for Figure 1: Deglomerator
suppliers of innovative technology, to safe energy
and to use limited resources at a minimum. To Applications for new grinding plants and upgrades,
understand present and future developments better, considering roller presses as well as ball mills and
a short look back is given before outlining process the combination of both, are outlined below.
developments with roller presses and ball mills.
2. Grinding Circuit with Roller Press,
1. Introduction First Generation design
Grinding technology has undergone substantial
changes, after the roller press has been introduced In Figure 2 the flow scheme and the main equipment
in the market. Simple pre-grinding systems have of the grinding system are shown.
been used in the beginning. Naturally, it was tried to
transfer as much grinding work as possible to the
roller press, consuming only about 50% of the ball
mill energy. In the early nineties the first two-stage
grinding systems have started up. But the
arrangement of the so called Semi-Finish Grinding
of the first generation, or also known as Combi-
Grinding has become very complex and high in
maintenance. Grinding and drying of moist raw
materials were limited to about 4% water content.
The main reason for the shortcomings is the mode
of deglomeration of the roller press product by high
speed rotors (figure 1) and separation of fines after
this deglomeration process by high efficiency
separators.
Since development and industrial use of the V-
Separator and VSK-Separator by KHD Humboldt
Wedag, equipment and process systems are
available, that avoid the shortcomings of the first
generation design. Today, operating experience with
more than 40 grinding plants are available with the Figure 2: Grinding Circuit with Deglomerator,
new generation of separators. first generation design
Fresh material (1) is ground in the roller press (5) new separator in the cement industry. World-wide it
and conveyed to the deglomerator (13). is known as the V-Separator. (figure 3, left side)
Agglomerates are broken up by the fast rotating
rotor, fines is separated in the following rotor cage
separator. Finish product can be produced with this
grinding circuit, or it can be arranged as pregrinding
unit in front of one or several ball mills.

Position numbers in flow sheets:

1 - fresh material 8 - system fan

2 - material circulation 9 - hot gas for drying
3 - V-Separator 10 - fines
4 - VSK – Separator 11 – middlings, rotor cage
5 - roller press rejects
Figure 3: left: V-Separator, Open Air Installation and fresh
6 - ball mill 12 - deglomerator
7 - product cyclone 13 – rotor cage separator air operation; right: LS-Separator
14 – impact hammer mill
The features of the VS can be explained best by
Excessive wear was the main problem with most of comparing it with the static air separator type “LS”,
this grinding circuits, faced right after start-up. The known from air swept tube mills. (see figure 3, right
sharp edged grains with up to 10 mm size have side) The LS has the feed material entering together
been in direct contact with the rotating parts and with the separating air through the riser duct from
caused high wear to the separator and below. This requires a minimum ratio of air to feed-
deglomerator. Even with highly wear resistant material for vertical conveying. Opposed to this, the
materials, the life of the wear parts was not V-Separator is fed by gravity from top, while the air
satisfying. Besides, the large number of equipment is entering the VS from the side, crossing the
and electrical consumers have increased the material stream. This makes the feeding rate less
maintenance- and spare parts cost. Many venting dependant from the separating air. The material
points and a high vent air volume required extra loading of the separating air can therefore be up to
investment and maintenance. three times higher than with an LS-type separator.
Another limitation is the drying capacity. Even hot The required product fineness is achieved by the air
gas can be introduced to the dynamic separator, the velocity in the separating channels. The cut point
retention time of the feed material before passing ranges from 90 microns up to 1.5 mm.
the rotor cage is too short for efficient drying and
separation. Sticky material caused clogging and The internals, as step grate and separating channels
unbalance to the deglomerator. have straight and level surfaces, to which a simple
While the grinding performance was satisfying, most but effective wear protection is applied.
urgent need was required to solve the wear problem
and to simplify separation of fine product. 3.2 VSK-Separator

3. V-Separator and VSK-Separator Right from the beginning, the target of KHD`s
development was to combine the sturdy design of
With the V-Separator (VS) and the VSK-Separator the VS with the high performance of the rotor cage
(VSK), a new generation of separators and better separator. This was possible with today’s known
grinding systems are offered to the cement industry. VSK-Separator. (figure 4) The horizontally supported
Excellent operating results have confirmed the right rotor cage is arranged as an add-on module to the
direction of development. Both separators have
VS. The short connection for air and product
been introduced in detail (references 1,2,3) Only a
short description follows. between VS and rotor cage results in low wear and
low pressure loss. After the first application of a
3.1 V-Separator VSK-Separator in end 2000, in a German cement
plant (reference 2), start-up of further industrial VSK-
The first approach, to eliminate the wear problem, installations followed in 2003.
was to question the dynamic deglomeration- and
separation process. The idea of a cascade type 4. Flow Schemes with VS and VSK
static separator has been picked up and transferred
to applications with the roller press. Air flow Whether a VS or VSK is used, depends on the
simulations and extensive tests from a prototype required product fineness. While the VS is good for
have given the shape and the specifications to a
cut sizes larger than 0.1 mm, the VSK can make fine
cuts between 200 to 20 microns. With the V-Separator only, raw meal with a fineness
With the multiple functions of the VS and VSK as: of 15% residue on 90 microns can be separated.
separating, deglomerating, drying or cooling, and Opposite to ball mills and vertical roller mills, the gas
accepting fresh feed, featuring low pressure loss, flow for drying is independent from the grinding
good separating efficiency, even with high solids to machine. Only the pressure loss of the VS and the
air loading and low wear rates, the application shall product cyclone with ducting has to be counted. For
not be limited within roller press circuits. Following this reason, the system fan consumes 3 to 4 kWh/t
outline of grinding circuits considers different flow of cement less compared with the fan of a ball mill or
schemes with roller press, ball mill and hammer mill. vertical roller mill. With the VSK instead of the VS for
fine products, savings are still 2 to 2.5 kWh/t.

The shortcomings of the first generation design have

been turned into benefits:

- low wear rates

- number of material transfer chutes reduced
- no rotating parts and electrical consumers (VS)
- vent air volume and venting points reduced
- drying capacity is no more the limiting factor
- low pressure drop, electrical energy is saved
- with the VSK for fine cuts, wear and pressure loss
is low, the static part of the VS takes the load of
grains larger than 0.5 mm

4.2 Ball Mill Circuit with VS and VSK

The grinding circuit as per figure 6 is similar to that

Figure 4: VSK-Separator with the roller press. Again, the VS is selected to
grind a relatively coarse raw meal, while the VSK
4.1 Roller Press Circuit with VS and VSK can separate fine products. There are a number of
applications for this kind of ball mill circuit:
Figure 5: The grinding circuit consists mainly of the
V-Separator (3) and the roller press (5). Fresh feed For good grinding efficiency and to avoid excessive
(1) is fed to the VS first together with the discharge wear of the internals, air velocity in the ball mill is
product of the roller press (2). Optionally, instead of limited. Therefore, drying of moist fresh feed, as
the V-Separator (3), the VSK-Separator (4) is shown slag, pozzolana and others are restricted. Drying
in the same flow sheet. (green colour) can be transferred from the ball mill to the VSK,
receiving fresh material and mill discharge product.

Figure 5: Roller Press with V-Separator or VSK-Separator Figure 6: Ball Mill with V-Separator or VSK-Separator
Fresh feed (1) is introduced first to the VS or VSK (3 particle size distribution from a closed circuit mill is
or 4) for drying with hot gas (9). The ball mill (6) required. It features the least number of equipment
requires less or no hot gas. for two-stage grinding in closed circuit.
For raw materials, if hard to grind component are
Production upgrades of raw mills are often limited by used, or a considerable portion of abrasive materials
the amount of gas flow through the mill tube. In such as silica-sand, the S-System is recommended. The
case, benefits from replacing inefficient separators sand component can be fed to the ball mill, being
cannot be fully utilized. The VSK can do both, giving ground more fine, which is welcome for the following
the benefit of a high performance separator and burning process. Drying with hot gases can be
eliminating the drying limits. Than, integrated drying arranged at both ends, at the VS, before entering
chambers of tube mills may be loaded for grinding. the roller press, and at the ball mill, if abrasive moist
fresh material is introduced to the ball mill.
4.3 Semi-Finish Grinding with VS and VSK

Basically, two different systems are offered:

- M-circuit: the preground product from the VS or

VSK is fed to the ball mill (M=Mill feed)

- S-circuit: the preground product is fed to the

separator first, to remove the fines to the finish
product (S=Separator feed)

In case of Semi-Finish Grinding M – (figure 7), the

pregrinding circuit has its own system fan. The M-
circuit is preferably used in front of one or more
open circuit ball mills. Lower grades of cement, can
be produced very efficient with the M-System,
consisting only of roller press, VS and the open
circuit mill. Higher grades require the VSK, to
transfer more grinding work to the roller press and
improve the particle size distribution of the product. Figure 8: Semifinish Grinding with VSK, S-System
Nevertheless, the cement properties of such a
system are most welcome. 4.4 “Tandem Mill Circuits” with VS and VSK
The ball mill in closed circuit is preferred if large
quantities of additives are ground with clinker, such In Figure 9 an impact hammer mill (14) and a ball
as fly ash, slag and others, to control the residue on mill (6) or a roller press (5) are arranged for raw
the coarse end of the product particle curve. material grinding. Both machines are linked with
each other via the V- or VSK-Separator (3,4),
building a closed circuit.

Figure 7: Semifinish Grinding “M” with VS or VSK

The S-System – see figure 8, is used for cement

with higher product fineness, or if the steeper Figure 9: Impact Hammer Mill (HM)
This system combines high drying capacity, even from the VSK for further grinding. This can be done
when feeding oversized lumps, and, either efficient very efficiently with the roller press (5). The ground
grinding with a roller press, or the uncomplicated material is recirculated from the roller press to the VS for
use of a ball mill, whin grinding abrasive feed final drying, deglomeration and separating of fines.
components. The closed crushing circuit with HM and VSK is just made
for upgrades of existing ball mills (6). The feed size to the
ball mill is reduced, the drying job is partly or fully
transferred to the VSK, which is made to accept high gas
volumes.

5. Conclusion

Compared with roller press systems of the first

generation design, the number of equipment is
greatly reduced, and thanks to the VSK-design,
wear is under control, even when grinding abrasive
materials. With the V- and VSK-Separator and the
introduced process design, a wide field of
applications in the cement and minerals industry has
been opened for new plants as well as for upgrades.
Even designed for the roller press, is not exclusively
equipped with the new generation of separators.
Grinding circuits with tube mills and with impact
hammer mills benefit from the features of the VS
and VSK. The flow schemes outlined before, give
examples for standard applications. For upgrades
Fresh material (1) enters the system at the separator
(reference 3) of existing grinding plants, no matter
inlet for pre-drying and separating of fines, before
which grinding machine is used, tailor-made
passing the hammer mill. The coarse material
solutions are available.
cascades down to the HM-inlet, being crushed and
recirculated to the VS.
If the VSK-Separator is used, the coarse material
from the rotor cage, the middlings, are withdrawn

References:

1. Suessegger, A.: Two in One: World Cement, Feb. 2003

2. Hilger, J. and Strasser, S.: New Grinding Plant with VSK-Separator at Rohrbach Zement in Dotternhausen, VDZ-
Kongress 2002
3. Bargan, A.S. and Binner, J.: Pressing ahead; International Cement Review, July 2003