DIAGNOSTIC STUDIES

FOR

CEMENT MILL 1 OPTIMISATION - A CASE STUDY

Hamed Mustafa hamed

 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 3300 TPD capacity has two cements mill CM- 1 & CM-
2 supplied by CNBM with rated capacities of 120 TPH each, operating in close circuit
mode. The case study to cement mill-1 operating at 105 TPH (OPC) as against 120
TPH (OPC) design capacity and had high residue of 11-12 % on 90 micron sieve. The
specific power consumption was abnormally high to the tune of 40-43 KWh/T as
compared to standard 31 KWh/T (OPC).

2.2 Mill Details - Details of the mill are listed below in Table 1:
Table 1
Parameter Length ( m) Diameter (m)
Ball Mill 13.5 4.6
1st chamber 3.97 (effective ) 4.45 (effective )
2nd chamber 8.57 (effective ) 4.48 (effective )
 L/D Ratio 2.93

Mill Speed 14.79RPM

Critical speed 75.55 %

Mill Drive 4500kW

ESP Fan 180000 m3/hr

I Chamber Liners lifting liners monostep

II Chamber Liners Classifying Liners

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

Discharge Diaphragm Dipole faces type with slot opening of 8-10 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 90 micron sieve
OPC 335±10 3-5%
PPC 350±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 60
mm and 2nd compartment grinding media diameter varied from 50 mm to
20mm. 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 Ø4.6×13.5

2 Capacity t/h 120

3 Blaine m2/kg 320-340

1# mill 2# mill

4 Grinding media charge t 280.46 280.10

Chamber 1 t 89.40 89.30

Chamber 2 t 191.06 190.80

Chamber 1 distribution

0 90 t 20.85 19.75

0 80 t 22.95 21.75

0 70 t 27.75 28.95

0 60 t 17.85 18.85

Chamber 2

0 50 t 18.55 18.75

0 40 t 27.65 28.65

0 30 t 94.25 93.75

0 20 t 50.61 49.65

5 speed rpm 14.9

6 Main motor power kW 4,500

7 Main motor voltage kV 6

8 Main Motor Speed rpm 994

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3.3 Granulometery of Clinker
Clinker feed sample was collected at weigh feeder of cement mill for
sieve analysis and results of granulometery indicated that the clinker fed to the
mill had high fines of 80%of clinker passed through 12 mm sieve.

3.4 Condition of diaphragm

Mill is provided with intermediate double partition diaphragm of with
slot opening of 6 mm width. It was observed that. Mill discharge diaphragm is
also of double partition diaphragm with slot opening of 8-10 mm width. Both of
them in good condition.

Chamber1

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Chamber 2

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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 90mm 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 of balls have surface deformation.

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3.5 Analysis on Crash Stop
The recommended material level in the 1st Chamber should be equal
to the grinding media level during crash stop. However, the grinding media was
found cover the material.

Samples were collected from both the chambers as per the practices at length
Interval of 1 meter along the axis of mill. Longitudinal sample sieve analysis of the
mill chambers is given in Table 4.

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The axial samples through cement mill no 1 is done through crash stop and the following
results obtained:

Mill Length , mete 1.5 2.5 3.5

sieve % 1.18mm 12.4 5.2 3.1
sieve % 2.36mm 6.8 1.8 0.7
sieve 4.75mm 3.1 0.6 0.2

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The figure below shows axial sampling through the mill regarding the
Small particles.

Mill Length , mete 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Blaine 1115 1110 1145 1255 1555 1570 1495 1740
sieve % μ 90 28.6 29.1 25.9 21.8 16.8 15.6 12.5 12.2
sieve % μ53 56.2 56.9 54.5 48.8 42.4 41.4 38.2 38

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 The grindability curve drawn based on the above analysis is shown in Fig. The
grindability curve indicates that percentage retained on 2.36 mm size sieve at the
partition diaphragm is 0.2 % which is lower as against the normal value below
2.5-5 % indicating high residence time in 1st chamber.
Sieve analysis along the 2nd chamber from 5rd to 12th meter show
ineffective grinding due to non-optimum grinding media distribution in the
second compartment leading to high percentage residue on 90 micron sieve,
and difficulties in achieving the target blaine (330 m2/kg). This may be due to
low percentage of 25 -17mm grinding media in 2nd compartment.

Evaluation of mill test ( standard reference)

compartment Slegten
Particle size FLSmidth Holderbank

+0.5 mm. 15-25% 12-25% -

+0.6 mm. 10-20% - -
1st chamber
+1.0 mm. 7-14% - -
+2.0 mm. Max 4% Max 3% Max 5% (at
2.5
mm
+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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 Chamber 1:

- Regarding to the coarse particles the figure shows that the first chamber is in good
condition and able to grind the coarse particles more efficiently.

Chamber 2:

- Regarding to fine particles figure shows that chamber II isn’t able to grind the fine
particles more efficiently and the residue is almost constant after meter no 4 where it
should decreased along the mill.

- For the sieve 90 μm the residue is decreasing very little after meter no 4.

- As no classification appear in second chamber, the poor capability for fine grinding
may related to big media size composition on chamber no 2 and charge must take out
and returned again to design charge.

Recommendation
 The maximum ball size of grinding media for the feed with 80 % passing
through 12 mm is estimated as 80 mm. However, for normal size clinker,
the maximum ball size of grinding media has been considered as 90mm
but the quantity of 90 mm ball size was suggested to be reduced.
 Considering high percentage residue on 90 micron at mill discharge, it
was suggested to increase 25 -20mm grinding media load from the in 2nd
compartment.
 - As no classification appear in second chamber so it may due to
classification liners in chamber 2 not working good enough, so first we will
redistribution ball charge of second chamber after that if there is no
improvement we should replace liners of it by the old liners removed.

 The percentage of C3S in the clinker has to be maintained in the range of 50-
55 %

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SEPARATOR EFFICIENCY of cement mill 1

Date 19/11/2017
Separator 0-Sepa
Project unity cement co

% retained on 45 micron
sieve
Sample Sample Sample
1 2 3
Rf Sieve residue of product 5.1
Rg Sieve residue of separator reject 50.5
Rm Sieve residue of separator feed 39
Ro Sieve residue of feed to mill system 100

Condition of mill during

C, Circulation factor sampling

Sample
C= (Rg- Rf) / (Rg-Rm) 1
Mill feed
(tons/hr) 105

Sample1= 3.95 Product returns from flowmeter (tons/hr) 350

Sample2= Separator speed (%) 80

Sample3= Separator fan power (Kw) 520

Blaine (cm2/gm) 335

Calculated product returns based on sampling C (tons/hr) 310

Diff. between calculated & flowmeter for product returns (tons/hr) 40

Uf ,Separator efficiency as recover of fines

Uf = 1/C x (100-Rf)/(100-Rm) x 100 (%)

Sample1= 39.41 %

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SEPARATOR EFFICIENCY of cement mill 2

Date 19/11/2017
Separator 0-Sepa
Project unity cement co

% retained on 45 micron sieve

Sample Sample
Sample 1 2 3
Rf Sieve residue of product 7.8
Rg Sieve residue of separator reject 64.4
Rm Sieve residue of separator feed 44.3
Ro Sieve residue of feed to miil system 100

C, Circulation factor Condition of mill during sampling

Sample
C= (Rg- Rf) / (Rg-Rm) 1
Mill feed
(tons/hr.) 102

Sample1= 2.82 Product returns from flow meter (tons/hr.) 350

Separator speed (%) 80

Separator fan power (Kw) 520

Blaine (cm2/gm) 335

Calculated product returns based on sampling C (tons/hr) 185

Diff. between calculated & flowmeter for product returns (tons/hr) 165

Uf ,Separator efficiency as recover of fines

Uf = 1/C x (100-Rf)/(100-Rm) x 100 (%)

Sample1= 58.78 %
%
%

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