The net driving power for a tube mill is the power necessary at the mill shell to maintain the

centre of
gravity of the ball charge load in a position of kinetic equilibrium.
According to MITTAG the distance b can be expressed as a function of the mill diameter Di, taking into
account the following assumptions:
Distance b is always in the same relationship with the diameter for mills with the same filling degree
but different diameters.
Distance b does not depend on the mill speed for the usual range of speed.
The following formula can then be derived:
b = x Di
The torque M can be expressed as:
M = x D Qi [Nm]
and the net driving power P as a function of the angular speed and the torque M
P = M [kW]
With the angular speed being
= n/30 [s1]
the net driving power P can finally be written as
P= x Pi Q n /30 [kW]
For practical calculations the formula can be simplified to
P = cQ Di n [kW]

Following explanation; the power consumption factor c depends on filling degree f and on
grinding media size. The value of x and therefore the value of c cannot be calculated
theoretically. But by measuring the total driving power of industrial mills in operation and by
considering the known values of Q, Di and n, the power consumption factor c can be determined.
The driving power is proportional to the:
Weight of the grinding media charge
Distance between the centre of gravity of the grinding media charge and the mill
rotation centre, or lever.
As the filling degree increases, the weight of the grinding media increases but the
lever decreases. It results that the driving power has a maximum value for a filling
degree within 40 45 [%].
THERE WILL BE INCRESE IN SOUND LEVEL. BALLS AND LINER PLATES WILL BREAK.
When the ball mill is running empty the Kw of the main driver will increase. If you load it the Kw will
decrease. It is about gravity center. When the mill is loaded less effort will be necessary to turn round the
mill to have the cascade effect of the balls to grind the material. So less effort of the main driver will be
necessary to turn the mill round. The entire load inside the mill will round as an unique mass. But if the
ball mill is empty the center of gravity of the load will be dislocated, demanding too much power of the
main driver to be turned round.
When Mill is totally empty the media/balls load will not be distributed, it's gathered and thus you have
more power consumption, while with material mix the load/balls will be distributed and thus you have
less power consumption.
Lowest mill motor kW= empty mill; no media, no feed.
Highest mill motor kW= media in mill, but no feed.
Variable mill motor kW= as feed is added to and /or retained in mill, the media is
lifted, giving the work needed to be done by the mill motor a smaller center of
gravity, and so lower mill motor kW. If feed material in the mill empties out, the kW

will rise once again as the mill needs to do more work lifting steel, which will then
have a larger center of gravity.