Raw Grinding with Vertical Roller Mill

Systems

Training Department
Indonesia Cement and Concrete Institute

September 2007

Objectives

ƒ Knowledge of Raw Grinding System with Vertical Roller

Mill

ƒ Knowledge of Parts of Vertical Roller Mill

ƒ Knowledge of Processes inside Vertical Roller Mill

1
Grinding with vertical roller mill systems

Vertical Roller Mill

2
Introduction : Vertical Roller Mill
Transport
Exhaust gases
Raw meal

1. Separation → Drying Separation

Feed
Material

Grinding

2. Grinding → Hot
gases

Drive
Energy
3. Drive →
5

Vertical Roller Mill (VRM)

feed gate mill exhaust
(air lock) product discharge
mill outlet duct
separator
cage rotor

separator
guide vanes
tailings cone
separator
discharge flap

mill casing roller with tyre

or segments
water
injection rocker arm
roller axle

dam ring table liner

hot gas inlet
nozzle of
louvre ring grinding table

hydraulic cylinder

clutch speed reducer with

material scraper and motor table bearing
6

3
 VRM - Working principle
Vertical rollerforce
Grinding mill =

Roller weight + (pressure) Force

Roller rolls freely

with table
Material bed

Feed material Table moves with drive

Feed
Max Particle size in size:
feed: 5-8 % of roller diameter
f (Roller Ø ) 7

VRM - Material Flow inside

Separator: Gas & Product Material
removes fine
material Feed Material

rejects coarse
material

Internal gas Separator Rejects

flow
Internal Circulation

Large Material falls through to

scraper
Material
Material & Gas
Gas
8

4
VRM - Some Common Mill Configurations

G.Pfeiffer Loesche FLS Atox Polysius 9

VRM - Built-in Separator

static separator conventional rotor type cage rotor type
Static type Conventional Cage Rotor type
with guide vanes
P P

Rotor type P

F T F F T T F
F F
P T

Separation control:
1. Vane adjustment
F= Feed
2. Speed control P= Product
T= Tailings
TF FT 10

5
VRM - Separator Fotos

Angle affects
product sizing

Rotor speed affects

product fineness

Rotor seal affects

separator efficiency
11

VRM - External Circulation

fresh feed

bucket elevator

louvre ring
Used for reducing
scraper gas flow pressure
lost over the mill
(less pneumatic
internal circulation)
collecting conveyor
12

6
VRM - Example flowsheet

Control points
1 gas flow
2 pressure
difference
3 return gas flow
pressure
4 outlet
temperature
5 external
recirculation

13

VRM - Accessories
Rotary valve Pendulum valve
Reduces false Reduces false
air entering with air entering.
feed material. Better for
Good for dry, lumpy or
small size humid feed
material. material.
Weigh belt Metal extraction

Metal objects
damage the
roller & table.
Weighs the passing material The magnet
ensuring a continuous grinding removes them
bed in the mill 14

7
Grinding with Vertical Roller Mill Systems
Detail

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Details

1. Main Parts
2. Processes
3. Feed and feed system
4. Drying
5. Grinding
6. Mill ventilation and transport
7. Separating
8. Mill operation and control
9. Product quality

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8
1. Main parts of a vertical roller mill
Mill body Feed

separator

Motor & reducer

Table and rollers

Hydraulic system Nozzle and retention ring

17

Vertical roller mill: frame type

Polysius: Doroll Gbr. Pfeiffer: MPS

18

9
Vertical roller mill: rocker arm type

Loesche: LM Kobelco: OK
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2.Processes Inside a Vertical Roller Mill

ƒ Grinding
 The material is trapped
between the rollers and the
table
ƒ Drying
 When the hot gas trap the
material leaving the table
ƒ Transport
 From the table to the
separator through the gas
ƒ Separating
 The fine product from the
coarse one and sending the
last one back to the table

20

10
2.1.Grinding: material distribution on the table

21

2.2.Drying

95 85

Hot gas

150 75

T [°C]
350 25
Material

22

11
2.3. Transport
ƒ Pneumatic transport to
the separator of the
material leaving the
table
ƒ Mechanical transport
of the material falling
down through the
nozzle ring

23

2.4. Separating

24

12
3. Feed and Feed System

25

Feed materials
R
D

ƒ Limited maximum feed size

d < 5 – 8 [%] DR
d

[%]

ƒ Moisture & stickiness

ƒ Particle size distribution

Avoid too many fine particles
Particle size [mm]
26

13
Feed system arrangement
ƒ Foreign bodies protection

Magnet Metal detector

ƒ Good handling
 Short reaction time
- < 90 [s] oscillating
around set point
- < 10 [s] interruption
 Variable speed belts

ƒ Rejects & recirculation bin to bucket elevator / scrap bin

27

Feed air lock

ƒ Rotary feed
 [%] H2O < 8
 Not sticky materials

ƒ Triple gate
 [%] H2O > 8
 Very sticky materials

ƒ Good sealing to avoid false air

Triple gate
28

14
Feed chute
Feed ƒ Heating for sticky materials

Feed

Hot gas

Hot gas

Mill hot gas

29

Feed chute
ƒ Sufficient inclination
> 45 [°]

ƒ Feed to centre of the table

ƒ Avoid excessive drop heights

30

15
4. Drying

31

4.1. Drying in a vertical roller mill

Material,
vapour, cold
gas, hot air
Material & > 90 - 95 [°C]
moisture

Cold air

Mill motor
power

Hot gas

32

16
4.2.Where does most of drying happen?
Material
leaving the
Evaporation table

Hot gas

33

4.3. Hot Gas Sources - Example

ƒ Kiln gas
 1.5 [Nm3/kg clinker]
 < 350 [°C]
 6 – 7 [%] H2O

ƒ Cooler gas
 0.4 [Nm3/kg clinker]
 ~ 300 [°C]
 1 – 1.5 [%] H2O
additional
ƒ Hot gas generator
- < 450 [°C] at mill inlet
- Up to 20 [%] H2O
34

17
4.4.Required hot gas rate and mill feed moisture example

Fresh feed moisture

Kiln gas at 350 [°C]
8.5
320 [t/h] dry raw meal
8.0
7.5
163’000 [Nm3/h] 1’600 [l/h] mill water injection
7.0
[% ] H 2O fre sh feed

6.5 90 [°C] at mill outlet

6.0
5.5 125’000 [Nm3/h]
5.0
4.5

4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
Mai-98 Jun-98 Jul-98 Aug-98 Sep-98 Okt-98 Nov-98 Dez-98 Jan-99 Feb-99 Mrz-99 Apr-99 Mai-99 Jun-99 Jul-99 Aug-99

Date

35

4.5.Mill system false air entries

ƒ Cost of false air: ƒ Mill < 15 [%]

 Reduction in mill production
ƒ Mill system < 20 [%]
 Reduction in kiln production
36

18
4.6.Mill false air entries

feed
air seal

Compensator

all sealings
of casing
openings
doors +
covers

Compensator Compensator
External reject
37

5.Grinding

38

19
5.1.On what depends the grinding efficiency?
Roller specific Roller & table
operating pressure wear profile

Nozzle ring

Armour ring

Material on the table:

1. Quantity
2. Distribution
Table speed Dam ring height
3. Fineness
39

5.2.Material quantity on the table

ƒ Too much material ƒ Too little material

Roller tries to jump over

Thicker material bed Finer material bed Material escapes

40

20
 5.3.Material distribution on the table

41

5.4.Rollers specific operating pressure (k)

Production [t/h]
Es [kWh/t]

optimum k tends to increase

with the material hardness

[kN/m2]

Raw meal & coal 450 – 1100

Pet cokes ~ 850
OPC < 2000
Slag < 2000
42

21
5.5.Roller and table wear profile

Worn New

Grinding bed thickness

increases with wear

43

Dam ring
roller

Controls material
flow leaving the
grinding zone

dam ring
Controls material
bed thickness

44

22
Nozzle and armour ring

Airspeed through
nozzle ring controls
the amount of
material in the
external
recirculation

Armour ring
inclination controls
the amount of
material sent back
to the table
45

Water injection onto the table

Water injection Excess of water
reduces the injection might
drying capacity increase power
consumption

Water injection
slows the material
on the table and Water injection
increases the mill onto the table and
stability before the rollers
46

23
6.Material internal transport

47

Nozzle ring
The nozzle ring 11
12 13 14 15
16
10 17
evens the air 09 18
distribution all 08 19
07

around the table

20
06

21
05

22
04

23
03

24
02

25
01

26
48

27

The airspeed
47

28

through the nozzle

46

29

ring can be
45

30

modified by
44

31

43
selective 42
32
33
opening/closing the 41
40 35
34

free surface 39 38 37 36

48

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Air amount in the mill for grinding and transport
6 ƒ Gas/air at mill outlet to ensure the grinding
and the transport inside is material dependant:
5
4
Es [m3/kg]

Raw meal
< 5.5 [kWh/t] 1.6
3 Coal (1)
> 5.5 [kWh/t] 0.15 x Es + 0.75
2 Pozzolana

1 OPC
-- 3.2
Slag

MIC
-- Mix dependent (2)
cement

vreal vvertical (1) Also for other traditional solid fuels

(2) Weighted average according to cement mix
49

Airspeed profile inside the mill

6
5
4

3 Always increasing speeds

2
1
[m/s]
[m/s] 1 2 4

Raw meal > 30 > 6.5 ~ 7.5

Coal (1) > 30 > 5.0 ~ 7.0
vreal vvertical OPC > 25 > 5.0 ~ 7.0
Slag > 25 > 5.0 ~ 7.0
50

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 Material falling through the nozzle ring
ƒ Amount controlled by: ƒ If no external material
 the gas flow passing recirculation:
through the nozzle ring  Handling of rejects required
 Start & stop sequence  Dust generation
 Feed size  False air inlet
 Higher fan consumption
80

60
dp- Mill (mbar)

40

20
Polysius
20 40 60 80
v- Nozzle ring (m/s)
51

7.Separating

52

26
Steps in the separating process

The material that

reached and was
rejected by the
separator

The material lifted

by the air and
falling back to the
table

53

Material that reaches the separator

Rotor Dynamic seal

Guide vanes Grits cone

54

27
On what depends the separating efficiency?
ƒ Separator type
ƒ Design and position of the guide vanes
ƒ Design of the rotor blades
ƒ Air and material distribution on the rotor height and
circumference
ƒ Dynamic seal state
ƒ Amount of separating air

55

Separator type

105 - 110 [%]

100 [%] 115 – 125 [%]

56

28
Air and material distribution

Vrad
Mill casing design
to get even air
distribution on
rotor height

ƒ Avoids air bypassing

ƒ Evens separator returns

distribution on the table

57

Air and material distribution

12 13 14 15
11 16
10 17
09 18
08 19
Selective
07

20
06

closing of the
21
05

nozzle ring
22
04

opening can
23
03

help even
24
02

material
25
01

distribution on
26

the rotor
48

27

circumference
47

28
46

29
45

30
44

31

43 32
42 33
41 34
40 35
39 38 37 36

58

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Dynamic seal

ƒ A dynamic seal in bad state or with

gaps allows finish product
contamination with coarse material

59

8.Mill control targets

ƒ Ensure stable operating conditions for each of the
process in a VRM to reach:
 Good quality
 Constant quality
 Optimal process efficiency

ƒ Maximize mill production

60

30
Drying process
Tmo = Constant & > 90 [°C]

ƒ Direct operation duct damper (raw meal grinding)

ƒ Hot gas generator fuel consumption (slag, MIC cement and pozzolana
grinding)
ƒ Cooling tower water injection rate (raw meal grinding)
ƒ Fresh air damper 61

Grinding process
Mill load

ƒ Mill motor absorbed power kept constant through fresh feed

(preferred)
ƒ Mill differential pressure kept constant through fresh feed
ƒ Water injection used to keep material bed on the table stable
62

31
Material transport and separation processes
Airflow rate = Constant

ƒ Pressure at mill inlet constant through recirculation damper opening

ƒ Pressure at mill outlet constant through fan operation (fix speed fan
damper opening, variable speed fan: fan speed)
63

9.Product quality

64

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Dosing of raw meal components
ƒ Accurate dosing is a must achieving good meal
chemical composition
 Feed system

ƒ Retention time in the mill very short (few minutes)

65

Sampling
ƒ Sampler position
ƒ Sampler relative position with
material flow
ƒ Dedusting of sampling point

ƒ Sample extraction sequence

66

33
Raw meal typical particle size distribution (PSD)
[%]R200 [um] < 0.5 – 1.0
Good
(modern)
separator

Bad (old)
separator

10 < [%]R90 [um] < 20

67
Cement Manufacturing Course

Product PSD and mill operation

ƒ Narrower PSD:
 Lower roller pressures
 Lower dam ring height
 Higher air rate

ƒ Lower specific energy

consumption
ƒ Higher throughput

ƒ Wider PSD:
 Higher roller pressures
 Higher dam ring height
Grinding process  Lower air rate

ƒ Higher specific energy

consumption
ƒ Lower throughput
68

34
Product PSD and separator operation (type)
ƒ Good separation (raw meal &
coal) Good
(modern)
[%] R 200 [um] separator
0.02 < < 0.05
[%] R 90 [um] Bad (old)
separator

ƒ Improvable separation (raw meal

& coal)
Separating process
[%] R 200 [um]
0.05 <
[%] R 90 [um]

69

Example of System flow sheet / Design data

2’600 [kW] 500 [kW]
670’000 [m3/h] 600’000 [m3/h]
112 [mbar] 20 [mbar]
350 [t/h] dry
95 [°C] 120 [°C]
7 [%]H2O

0 – 120 [mm]
175 [kW]

Mill: 20 [%] false air

4
System : 30 [%] false air

15 [%]R90[um]
2’700 [kW]
90 [°C]
120 [bar]
0.5 [%] H2O
6’500 [l/h] water 70

35
Example of System flow sheet / Operating data
ƒ 7’920 [h/a] operation 2’480 [kW]

670’000 [m3/h] 480 [kW]

ƒ Quality target: 15 [%]R90 [um]
115 [mbar] 16 [mbar]
305 [t/h] dry
95 [%] 75 [°C] 145 [°C]
5 [%]H2O

0 – 40 [mm]
175 [kW]

85 [%]

Mill: 45 [%] false air

4
System : 60 [%] false air

2’590 [kW]

60 [bar] 17 [%]R90[um]
350 [°C]
6’500 [l/h] water 75 [°C]
High mill vibrations 1.2 [%] H2O
71

Example of Product Quality

Target quality:

ƒ 15.0 [%] on 90 [um]

ƒ 0.5 [%] on 200 [um]

Achieved
product PSD

72

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Example of Operational Data

73

Thank You for Your Attention

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