Ball Mill (Perfect Mixing, Dynamic)

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Description

This article describes a dynamic implementation of the Perfect Mixing ball mill model outlined by Napier-Munn et al. (1996).[1]

The dynamic version uses the same underlying theory and structure as the steady-state Perfect Mixing ball mill model. For a full description of the steady-state model, see Ball Mill (Perfect Mixing).

Model theory

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Excel

The Perfect Mixing ball mill model is not implemented in Excel in dynamic form for practical purposes. Excel is not an ideal platform for dynamic simulation and SysCAD (or similar) is preferred.

The dynamic model is, however, included in Excel in a run-to-steady-state mode where all feed and input parameters are fixed and time steps are progressed until the computed load and discharge stabilises.

This mode is useful for extracting separated and functions from steady-state data such as plant surveys or other model calibrations (including the steady-state Perfect Mixing ball mill model).

The run-to-steady-state dynamic Perfect Mixing ball mill model may be invoked from the Excel formula bar with the following function call:

=mdUnit_BallMill_PerfectMixingRiDi(Parameters as Range, Size as Range, MillFeed as Range, OreSG As Range, Appearance as Range, WorkIndexSim as Range, RKnotPositions as Range, RKnotsOrig as Range, Classification as Range)

Invoking the function with no arguments will print Help text associated with the model, including a link to this page.

Inputs

The required inputs are defined below in matrix notation with elements corresponding to cells in Excel row () x column () format:

where:

  • is the mill (belly) length
  • is angle between the cone end surface and the vertical direction (degrees)
  • is the diameter of the discharge trunnion (m)
  • is the ball charge volume fraction (often ) (v/v)
  • is the void fill fraction, the volumetric fraction of grinding media interstitial void space occupied by slurry (v/v)
  • is the Specific Gravity or density of the ball media (excluding void space) (- or t/m3)
  • is the mass flow feed rate of liquids into the mill (t/h)
  • is the Specific Gravity or density of liquids in the feed (- or t/m3)
  • is the method used to defined the classification-by-size to discharge, 0 = User-defined partition or 1 = Leung method
  • is discharge configuration, 0 = Grate discharge, 1 = Overflow discharge at trunnion height, 2 = Overflow discharge at user-defined slurry filling volume
  • is the user-specified slurry filling volume at which overflow commences (if ) (m3)
  • is the number of ore types
  • is the number of breakage rate per discharge rate knots
  • is feed mass flow rate (t/h)
  • is Specific Gravity or density (- or t/m3)

Results

The results are displayed in Excel as an array corresponding to the matrix notation below:

where:

  • is the flow rate of pulp into the mill (m3/h)
  • is the total volume inside the mill, calculated as the sum of a cylinder and two frustums (m3)
  • is the rotational rate of the mill (rpm)
  • is the number of time steps required to reach steady-state
  • is the size of the discretised time step calculated by the model, (s)
  • is the total mass of ore in the mill at steady-state (t)
  • is the mass of liquids in the mill at steady-state (t)
  • is the mass of balls in the mill at steady-state (t)
  • is the volume of slurry in the mill at steady-state (m3)
  • is the maximum volume of slurry that can occupy the charge void space before forming a slurry pool (m3)
  • is the maximum volume of slurry in the mill before trunnion overflow commences (m3)
  • is the discharge mass flow rate of liquids from the mill (t/h)
  • is product mass flow rate (t/h)
  • is the mass of solids in the mill (t)

Example

The images below show the selection of input arrays and output results in the Excel interface.

Figure 5. Example showing the selection of the Parameters (blue frame) array in Excel.
Figure 6. Example showing the selection of the Appearance (pink frame), RKnotPositions (teal frame), RKnotsOrig (blue frame), WorkIndexSim (dark red frame), Classification (Leung, ) (red frame) arrays in Excel.
Figure 7. Example showing the selection of the Size (red frame), OreSG (green frame) and MillFeed (purple frame) arrays in Excel.
Figure 8. Example showing the outline of the Results (light blue frame) array in Excel.

SysCAD

The SysCAD interface for Dynamic mode is described below. For steady-state, see Ball Mill (Perfect Mixing).

MD_Mill page

The first tab page in the access window will have this name.

Tag (Long/Short) Input / Display Description/Calculated Variables/Options
Tag Display This name tag may be modified with the change tag option.
Condition Display OK if no errors/warnings, otherwise lists errors/warnings.
ConditionCount Display The current number of errors/warnings. If condition is OK, returns 0.
GeneralDescription / GenDesc Display This is an automatically generated description for the unit. If the user has entered text in the 'EqpDesc' field on the Info tab (see below), this will be displayed here.

If this field is blank, then SysCAD will display the unit class ID.

Requirements
On CheckBox This enables the unit. If this box is not checked, then the material will pass straight through the mill with no change to the size distribution.
NumParallelUnits Input The number of parallel, identical units to simulate:
  • Feed is divided by the number of parallel units before being sent to the unit model.
  • Unit model product is multiplied back by the same value and returned to the SysCAD product stream.
  • All unit model result values are shown per parallel unit.
Method Fixed Discharge The discharge particle size distribution is user defined. Different distributions can be used for different solids.
AG/SAG (Variable Rates) The Variable Rates AG/SAG mill model is used to determine the mill product size distribution. Different parameters can be used for different solids.
Rod Mill (Lynch) The Lynch rod mill model is used to determine the mill product size distribution. Different parameters can be used for different solids.
Ball (Perfect Mixing) The Perfect Mixing ball mill model (steady-state or dynamic) is used to determine the mill product size distribution. Different parameters can be used for different solids.
Stirred (Perfect Mixing) The Perfect Mixing stirred mill model (steady-state or dynamic) is used to determine the mill product size distribution. Different parameters can be used for different solids.
Mill (Herbst-Fuerstenau) The Herbst-Fuerstenau model is used to determine the mill product size distribution. Different parameters can be used for different solids.
PowerModels CheckBox Show alternative mill power model calculations on the Power page.
MediaTrajectory CheckBox Show mill media rolling, sliding and free flight trajectory computations on the MediaTraj page.
OverfillingIndicator CheckBox Show overflow ball mill slurry volume, residence time, and overfilling evaluation on Overfilling page.
MediaStrings CheckBox Show media size distributions at recharge equilibrium on the MediaStrings page.
Options
ShowQFeed CheckBox QFeed and associated tab pages (eg Sp) will become visible, showing the properties of the combined feed stream.
ShowQProd CheckBox QProd and associated tab pages (eg Sp) will become visible, showing the properties of the products.
SizeForPassingFracCalc Input Size fraction for % Passing calculation. The size fraction input here will be shown in the Stream Summary section.
FracForPassingSizeCalc Input Fraction passing for Size calculation. The fraction input here will be shown in the Stream Summary section.
Stream Summary
MassFlow / Qm Display The total mass flow in each stream.
SolidMassFlow / SQm Display The Solids mass flow in each stream.
LiquidMassFlow / LQm Display The Liquid mass flow in each stream.
VolFlow / Qv Display The total Volume flow in each stream.
Temperature / T Display The Temperature of each stream.
Density / Rho Display The Density of each stream.
SolidFrac / Sf Display The Solid Fraction in each stream.
LiquidFrac / Lf Display The Liquid Fraction in each stream.
Passing Display The mass fraction passing the user-specified size (in the field SizeForPassingFracCalc) in each stream.
Passes Display The user-specified (in the field FracForPassesSizeCalc) fraction of material in each stream will pass this size fraction.

Mill page

The Mill page is used to specify the input parameters for the mill model.

Tag (Long/Short) Input / Display Description/Calculated Variables/Options
PerfectMixing
HelpLink ButtonModelHelp.png Opens a link to this page using the system default web browser. Note: Internet access is required.
Mode Steady State
  • The steady-state Perfect Mixing ball mill model is used in SysCAD Dynamic simulation mode used instead of the dynamic Perfect Mixing model described here.
  • This approach may be useful when very large SysCAD step sizes are used and steady-state operation can be assumed between each time step.
Dynamic The dynamic Perfect Mixing ball mill model described here is used to determine the mill product size distribution. Different parameters can be used for different solids.
MinSubSteps Input The user-specified minimum number of internal models steps taken per SysCAD step.
SubSteps Display The actual number of internal models steps taken per SysCAD step. May be affected by breakage/discharge rates or the user-specified MinSubSteps parameter.
DischargeType Grate The ball mill is configured with a grate discharge.
Overflow The ball mill is configured with an overflow discharge. The maximum slurry volume in the mill before overflowing the trunnion is calculated by the model.
Overflow (User) The ball mill is configured with an overflow discharge. The user specifies the maximum slurry volume before overflow.
Ball
MediaStringsP50 CheckBox
  • Only visible if the MediaStrings option is checked.
  • Replaces the BallSize.Sim user defined value with the MediaSize (All) value from the MediaStrings page.
  • The value of BallSize.Orig should be determined on the same basis for correct scaling of a changed media charge.
Diameter Input The inside liner diameter of the original and simulated ball mills.
BellyLength Input The inside liner belly length of the simulated ball mill, excluding cones.
ConeAngle Input Angle of the feed and discharge end cones, measured as positive displacement from the vertical direction.
TrunnionDiameter Input The inside liner trunnion diameter of the simulated ball mill.
LoadFrac Input The volumetric load fraction of the original and simulated ball mills.
FracCS Input The fraction critical speed of the original and simulated ball mills.
WorkIndex Input Bond Ball Work Index of ore in the original mill.
BallSize Input Characteristic diameter of balls in original and simulated ball mills.
MaxBreakageRateFactor / K Input Parameter relating ball size and the size at which the breakage rate per discharge rate is maximum.
RFunction
NumSplineKnots Input Number of spline knots for the function.
Size Input Spline knot size positions.
Ln(R) Input Values of at each spline knot position.
Power
BallVolume Input Volumetric fraction of mill occupied by balls and voids.
VoidFillFraction Input Volumetric fraction of void space between balls occupied by slurry.
BallSG Input Specific Gravity or density of ball media.
Results
MillVolume Display Volume inside mill, including cones.
MillSpeed Display Rotational speed of simulated mill.

Ore page

This page is used to define the comminution properties of SysCAD species with the size distribution quality in the project.

Tag (Long/Short) Input / Display Description/Calculated Variables/Options
Appearance
DefaultAppearance

ButtonSetAll.png

Sets all species to the the default Broadbent-Callcott Appearance function.
OreSpecific CheckBox
  • Ore-specific parameters, allows the Appearance data to be separately input for all species.
  • Default is all species have the same set of single input properties.
  • This option is only available if there is more than one species in the project with the size distribution property.
Appearance Input User-specified Appearance function data for all species with size distribution property.

BallMillPerfectMixing6.png BallMillPerfectMixing7.png

WorkIndex
WorkIndex.Sim Input Bond Ball Work Index data for all species with size distribution property.

RiDi page

This page displays the scaling factors and breakage rate per discharge rate for each size interval computed by the Perfect Mixing model.

Tag (Long/Short) Input / Display Description/Calculated Variables/Options
Scaling
Diameter Display Value of the mill diameter factor for rate scaling.
LoadFraction Display Value of the load fraction factor for rate scaling.
FracCS Display Value of the fraction critical speed factor for rate scaling.
WorkIndex Display Value of the Work Index factor of each ore species for rate scaling.
Rates
Size Display Size of each interval in internal mesh series.
MeanSize Display Geometric mean size of each interval in internal mesh series.
R Display Value of breakage rate, , for each size interval, for each ore species.
C Display Value of classification function, , for each size interval.
D Display Value of discharge rate, , for each size interval.

Load page

This page displays information about the balls, solids and liquids that currently comprise the mill load.

Tag (Long/Short) Input / Display Description/Calculated Variables/Options
Filling
SLCapacity / SLVtCap Input / Display The maximum volume of slurry the mill can contain before overflow.
SLCharge / SLVtCharge Display Only appears if DischargeType is 'Overflow'. The maximum volume of slurry that can fill the charge void space.
SLVolume / SLVt Display The total volume of slurry currently in the mill.
SLLevel / SLLvl Display The current slurry volume (SLVolume) as a fraction of the maximum slurry volume before overflow (SLCapacity).
Load
SolidMass / SMt Display The mass of solids with the SysCAD size distribution property currently in the mill.
LiquidMass / LMt Display The mass of liquids plus solids without the SysCAD size distribution property currently in the mill.
BallMass / BMt Display The mass of ball media in the mill.
Size Display Size of each interval in internal mesh series.
MeanSize Display Geometric mean size of each interval in internal mesh series.
Load Display The mass of solids with the SysCAD size distribution property currently in the mill, by size and species.

Content, Sp, Ec, Sz and MSz pages

These pages display the standard SysCAD Material Content, Species Content and Size pages for the current mill load

Power page

This optional page displays the inputs and results for alternative mill power models. The page is only visible if PowerModels is selected on the MD_Mill page.

Tag (Long/Short) Input / Display Description/Calculated Variables/Options
Power
HildenPowell CheckBox Shows inputs and results for tumbling mill power calculations using the Hilden and Powell method.

MediaStrings page

This page displays the inputs and results for grinding mill media string calculations. The page is only visible if MediaStrings is selected on the MD_Mill page.

MediaTraj page

This page displays the inputs and results for tumbling mill media trajectory calculations. The page is only visible if MediaTrajectory is selected on the MD_Mill page.

Overfilling page

This page displays the inputs and results for overflow discharge mill overfilling calculations. The page is only visible if OverfillingIndicator is selected on the MD_Mill page.

About page

This page is provides product and licensing information about the Met Dynamics Models SysCAD Add-On.

Tag (Long/Short) Input / Display Description/Calculated Variables/Options
About
HelpLink ButtonLicensingHelp.png Opens a link to the Installation and Licensing page using the system default web browser. Note: Internet access is required.
Information ButtonCopyToClipboard.png Copies Product and License information to the Windows clipboard.
Product
Name Display Met Dynamics software product name
Version Display Met Dynamics software product version number.
BuildDate Display Build date and time of the Met Dynamics Models SysCAD Add-On.
License
File ButtonBrowse.png This is used to locate a Met Dynamics software license file.
Location Display Type of Met Dynamics software license or file name and path of license file.
SiteCode Display Unique machine identifier for license authorisation.
ReqdAuth Display Authorisation level required, MD-SysCAD Full or MD-SysCAD Runtime.
Status Display License status, LICENSE_OK indicates a valid license, other messages report licensing errors.
IssuedTo Display Only visible if Met Dynamics license file is used. Name of organisation/seat the license is authorised to.
ExpiryDate Display Only visible if Met Dynamics license file is used. License expiry date.
DaysLeft Display Only visible if Met Dynamics license file is used. Days left before the license expires.

See also

References

  1. Napier-Munn, T.J., Morrell, S., Morrison, R.D. and Kojovic, T., 1996. Mineral comminution circuits: their operation and optimisation. Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre, Indooroopilly, QLD.