EP2500099A2

EP2500099A2 - Assembly of interconnected mineral pulverising mills

Info

Publication number: EP2500099A2
Application number: EP10818214A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hamza Delic Mesic
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-09-23
Filing date: 2010-09-23
Publication date: 2012-09-19
Also published as: CL2009001886A1; AU2010300014A1; WO2011035451A3; WO2011035451A2

Abstract

The invention relates to a configuration of turbo-pulverising mills interconnected in a closed circuit, which, by means of a single process comprising the milling of mineral as it is extracted from the mine, can be used to obtain the particle size required for wet metal extraction processes. According to the invention, each mill comprises a loading chamber (1) having a mineral inlet (5) that is communicated with a central space (7), said loading chamber (1) being connected to a static central body (2) having a static chamber (8) for housing the load. Moreover, the static central body (2) is connected to a turbo-pulveriser (3) including a stationary casing (14) containing vanes (15), with a free space (18) being provided between the inner edge of the stationary casing (14) and the vanes (15). In addition, the shaft (16) extending from the vanes is connected to at least one motor (4). Said configuration is formed by at least one pair of mills having a loading chamber (1) with a single receiving hopper (23) for feeding material into a single central space (7).

Description

DESCRIPTIVE REPORT

The present invention relates to a configuration of a plurality of interconnected, autogenous mills between them, in closed circuit and in a single process, whether dry or wet, where all the minerals are extracted from the mine, is sent to this configuration, reducing feed rocks up to 1 m3 to fine material suitable for the flotation process. Grinding is autogenously produced by impact and friction of stone against stone, wherein each mill setup consists of a feeding device, a static host device and a motion generating device to divide and grind ore. Furthermore, the present invention relates to the grinding process that operates in the above-described configuration of mills.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For many years, the concept of grinding minerals in the primary, secondary and tertiary crusher, secondary and tertiary has been known. The operation is performed through the manipulation of dry ore, from rock up to 1 m 3, generating large amounts of silica dust in suspension, which is the cause of the pulmonary disease, silicosis. Once reduced to a centimeter, the mineral enters the wet grinding in ball mills, where the fine particles of 200 Tyler mesh is obtained by the fragmentation of impact between the steel balls and ore. This grinding system requires a high consumption of electrical energy to maintain an excessive counterweight in the mills that are loaded with 12 to 45% of steel balls below the radial center, with a specific weight of 8, which is compared with the much lower specific weight of the remaining volume occupied by the mineral and water. Due to the above, 95% of the energy is lost to keep moving the weight of the mill with its cargo, and only the remaining 5% is used in the milling of minerals. In large mining companies, several electric motors are required between 10,000 and 35,000 HP of power to operate their mills.
There are several patent documents which provide a solution to achieving the grinding of minerals.
Among these documents are EP 0665769 (Thomart), published August 9, 1995 which discloses a method designed for a rotating ball mill or a mill with similar pulverizing tools which is divided into at least two pulverizing compartments, and passes through a stream of air purifier from top to bottom and is in a closed circuit; the said mill includes at least one part of separation that, between the two compartments of the pulverized material, forms a small compartment joined by upper and lower walls perforated with slots; the said partition is provided with means for raising the material, while it has no mechanical means to divert the material downstream, and the material is capable of circulating diametrically through the small compartment of the partition, and by means for regulating the mass of material passing through the mill, and means for regulating the amount of air purifier which passes through the pulverizer; this method is characteristic in that a partition is used which is provided with means for preventing the material from passing through the center of its bottom wall, and in that the transfer of the material from the top compartment of pulverization above the partition to the lower compartment is carried out essentially by the combined effect: (a) of the deference of pressure inside the material located in the compartments upstream and downstream of the partition, and (b) of the amount of purifying air which passes through the mill; the level of the material in the small compartment formed by the partition is able to be regulated, by adjusting the mass of the material which passes through the mill and the amount of the purifying air.
EP 0704245 (Yoshida) dated March 3, 1996 , discloses a pulverization process with a horizontal mill, in which means for pulverization are housed in a space having an annular cross section and is located between an outer sleeve, substantially horizontal and with an inner surface on which are mounted a plurality of stirring blades, and an inner sleeve having an outer surface on which are mounted a plurality of stirring blades, said inner sleeve being coaxial with said outer sleeve, and wherein at least one of said outer and inner sleeves rotates to pulverize a material introduced into the space having the annular cross section, said process being characterized as a pulverization process because: (a) at least one of said inner sleeve and said outer sleeve is rotated at a rotational speed such that the maximum acceleration applied on the means of pulverization are not three times greater than the acceleration of gravity; (b) the diameter of the means of pulverization is between 5 and 15 mm; (c) the interval between the internal surface of said external sleeve and the external surface of the said internal sleeve is not less than three times the diameter of the means of pulverization; (d) the axial interval between the stirring blades of each of said inner and outer sleeves is between three sixty times the diameter of methods of pulverization; and (e) the relationship between the inner diameter of said outer sleeve and the outer diameter of said inner sleeve is not less than 0.5.
Furthermore, this document discloses a horizontal mill comprising: an outer sleeve, substantially horizontal and with an inner surface on which are mounted a plurality of stirring blades, an inner sleeve having an outer surface on which are mounted a plurality of stirring blades, said inner sleeve being coaxial with said outer sleeve; spray means accommodated in a space of annular cross section between said outer sleeve and said inner sleeve, and means for rotating at least one of between said outer sleeve and said inner sleeve for pulverizing a material which is introduced into the space having the annular cross section, said horizontal mill being characterized in that: (a) the diameter of the means of pulverization is between 5 and 15 mm, (b) the interval between the inner surface of said outer sleeve and the outer surface of said inner sleeve is not less than three times the diameter of the spray means, (c) the interval axially between the stirring blades of each of said inner and outer sleeves is between three sixty times the diameter of the spray means, and (d) the relationship between the inner diameter of said outer sleeve and the outer diameter of said inner sleeve is not less than 0.5.
Furthermore, the request CL 1976-2005 (Delic Mesic Hamza) published on April 24, 2006, discloses a mill which consists basically of three elements: a loading chamber, a static body core, a turbo nozzle, and a single engine. This mill for grinding of minerals, comprising an inlet for mineral in the loading chamber, a free space of a static body core and a rotating cylinder in the free space in the turbo nozzle, for generating a rotary motion of a part of the load with respect to the other part of the load, static in free space, by grinding by auto-friction,
None of the document of the prior art, save the request CL 1976-2005, shows a configuration that allows pulverization directly, on closed circuit in a single process, dry or wet, all the ore just as extracted from the mine, reducing feed rocks up to 1 m3 to fine material suitable for the flotation process, producing in autogenous form, by impact and friction of stone against stone.
None of the documents of the prior art, shows a configuration that allows the stones to move in opposite directions, thereby increasing the speed of collision. In the prior art, in general, only a certain volume of rock moves to collide with a static volume of rock.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a configuration of the mills that operate in closed circuit without producing intolerable dust and noise.
A second objective is to provide a mills configuration of 100% autogenous, so that it does not use or wear armor or milling media, such as steel balls. The decrease in size of the mineral particles is not due to fracturing, but by impact and friction of the stones to one another.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a single system of shredding and milling, to replace five conventional machines, whereby the operation and maintenance costs are significantly lower than in traditional systems.
Another object of the present invention is to lower electric power consumption, to make them substantially lower, because the configuration of the mills of the present invention, occupies 95% of the energy to pulverize the mineral and only 5% to boost movable elements, where the hardness of the mineral does not affect the milling process.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a configuration having the loading hopper for feeding material to be installed on the mill's central static body so that it is used by another turbo mill spray. This allows that feed to the central static body distributes the load to the two mineral turbo sprays in one machine installed facing each other, allowing the duplication of the milling surface in the central static body with the addition of a second turbo spray. This duplication of the milling surface not only yields a sum double milling chamber, it also improves system performance beyond a milling parameter of two separated mills. This modification also allows to dose the mineral to another mill attached with two similar turbo sprays. In practical terminus, the modification allows you to mount a receiving hopper on a central static body that allows the feeding of various turbo sprays, where each one has its own motor that originates the milling independently belonging to a single mill. The invention is mainly characterized, unlike the prior art, because it increases the production at lower cost. It also relieves the weight of the machine, as well as lower manufacturing cost, thus avoiding the gigantism that is very unfavourable. Reliance on a single engine for a single mill, is very uneconomical during maintenance, it halts production for several days for the duration of the repair.
However the modification of the original mill allows the maintenance of each unit separately without intervening the operational production.
An additional object of the invention is to achieve a more efficient spray of the stones, given configuration that allows the stones that move in opposite directions and collide or rubbing against a higher speed.
A final objective of the present invention is to provide a milling process that operates with the configuration of the mills of this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a greater understanding of the invention, are incorporated and constitute part of this description.
Figures 1 2, 3 and 4 illustrate prior art and figures 5, 6 and 7 illustrate the modification contained by the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this invention.

Figure 1 shows a perspective of the constituent parts of one of the mills, which form the configuration of the present invention.
Figure 2 shows a side view of one of the mills.
Figure 3 shows a plan view of one of the mills.
Figure 4 shows an interior view of the loading chamber of one of the mills.
Figure 5 shows a plan view of the configuration of four mills of the present invention.
Figure 6 shows a side view of the central body of the mill.
Figure 7 shows a plan view of the mill of the present invention

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a configuration of a plurality of turbo mills sprays interconnected, in closed circuit and in one process, whether dry or wet, where all the mineral is extracted from the mine, is sent to this configuration through a central feeder that distributes the mineral load to two or more mineral turbo sprays.
Each mill consists essentially of three elements: one loading chamber (1); one central static body (2); one turbo spray (3), and one motor (4).
The reception of the mill load is carried in the loading chamber (1) through the mineral inlet (5), which is communicated with a central space (7). The loading chamber (1) is provided with a flange (6) which allows the overlapping of a receiver hopper (23) of the material that is fed, for example via a conveyor. This flange (6) is physically attached to the periphery of the loading chamber (1), which is attached by bolts to a first coupling flange (9) of the central static body (2), which has a static chamber (8) to accommodate the load.
The central static body (2), may have inputs of water when milling is performed by a moist process.
The reception of water for a moist milling is carried out through a tubular coupling water inlet (11). The bottom part of the central static body (2) houses the tubular coupling (12) for outputting the moist milling.
The central static body (2) has a second flange (10), which is attached by bolts to a junction flange (13) of the turbo spray (3). The chamber is fixed with rotary elements, has a fixed housing (14) and at its inside blades (15), leaving between the inner contour of the fixed housing (14) and the pallets (15) a free space (18). A shaft (16) from the pallet is bolted to a bearing (17), which is connected to the drive shaft (18) of a motor (4).
The loading chamber (1) has an anchoring base (19), the main static body (2) has an anchoring base (20), the turbo sprays (3) have an anchoring base (21), and the motor (4) has an anchoring base (22), so that the mill is firmly supported by the foundation.
The mineral or the like enters the loading chamber (1) through the inlet (5), then move to the central space (7), from which it flows into the static chamber (8) of the central static body (2), which houses the mineral rocks or similar as static charge, which is allocated to the free space of the fixed housing (14) that receives the mineral or the like and subjected to rotary motion through the pallets (15) causing contact between the moving and the static mineral, generating impacts and friction of the stones among themselves, with the disintegration of the material to be grounded, without causing friction with the metal that keeps it moving.
The rigid pallets (15), inside the fixed housing (14), have the task of supporting the rock in motion, forming the torsion between the moving material and the static charge. This friction causes the forced movement of all the stones among themselves, giving rise to an erosion detachment of fine particles inside the mill. This autogeanous milling can be dry or moist, is produced in a continuous form and in closed circuit.
The free space (18) contains the dynamic charge volume with an isotropic distribution, which is constantly being updated with the wave of clashes between the stones. The discharge renewable charge originates through the centrifugal force from the center of the rotating drum.
The configuration of the present invention consists of at least one pair of mills arranged so that the loading chamber (1) of each one conforms a single central charge chamber, with a single hopper (23) for the material which is fed into one central space (7).
As shown in Figure 5, in a first embodiment two pairs of mills are facing each other and share two receiving hoppers (23).
Figure 7 shows another embodiment in which two mills, facing each other, share a single receiving hopper (23).
This configuration of mills, therefore operates with the following steps:

(a) Enter the mineral to the loading chamber (1) through the inlet (5), then to move to the central space (7);
(b) Flow said mineral to the static chamber (8) of the central static body (2), which houses the mineral static charge of the rocks, which is divided into the free space of the fixed housing (14) that receives the mineral;
(c) Submit to rotational movement through the pallets (15), causing contact between the mineral in motion and the static mineral, generating impacts and friction of the stones among themselves, with the disintegration of the material to be milled, without causing friction with the metal that keeps it in motion. Whereas both mills rotate in opposite directions, said disintegration of material ends producing, due to the dynamic shock, mineral volumes.
(d) Maintaining the rocks in motion by means of rigid pallets (15), inside the fixed housing (14), forming the torsion between the moving material and the static charge; and WO 2011/035451 PCT/CL2010/000039 .
(c) Evacuating the powdered material at the bottom of the central static body (2) through the tubular coupling (12).

Claims

A turbo mills spray configuration connected together, in closed circuit, to form in a single process such as milling of the mineral, as it is extracted from the mine, until the required particle size for metal extraction processes by moist path; where each mill is comprised of a loading chamber (1) having a mineral input (5), which is communicated with a central space (7), for such loading chamber (1) attached to a main static body (2), which has a static chamber (8) for hosting such charge; wherein said central static body (2) is connected to a turbo spray (3) which has a fixed housing (14) and has pallets in its interior (15), leaving between the inner contour of the fixed housing (14) and pallets (15) a free space (18), wherein the shaft (16) from the pallet is connected with at least one motor (4); said configuration being CHARACTERIZED, it consists of at least one pair of mills that have a loading chamber (1), with a single receiving hopper (23) for feeding the material to the interior of a single central space (7).
Turbo sprays mills configuration, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED since a pair of mills are facing each other and share a single receiving hopper (23).
Turbo sprays mills configuration, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED since two pairs of mills are facing each other and share a single receiving hopper (23). WO 2011/035451 PCT/CL2010/000039
Turbo sprays mills configuration, according to any of claims 1 through 3, CHARACTERIZED, since the central static body (2), has an inlet of a liquid, preferably water (11) in the upper zone, for moist milling.
Turbo sprays mills configuration, according to any of claims 1 through 4, CHARACTERIZED in since at the bottom center of the static body (2) a tubular coupling (12) is located for the output of moist milling.
A process for milling minerals, which uses the configuration of claims 1 through 3, CHARACTERIZED since it comprises the steps of:
(a) Enter the mineral to the loading chamber (1) through the inlet (5), then to move to the central space (7);

(b) Flow said mineral to the static chamber (8) of the central static body (2), which houses the mineral static charge of the rocks, which is divided into the free space of the fixed housing (14) that receives the mineral;

(c) Submit to rotational movement through the pallets (15), causing contact between the mineral in motion and the static mineral, generating impacts and friction of the stones among themselves, with the disintegration of the material to be milled, without causing friction with the metal that keeps it in motion; whereas both mills rotate in opposite directions, said disintegration of material ends producing, due to the dynamic shock, mineral volumes.

(d) Maintaining the rocks in motion by means of rigid pallets (15), inside the fixed housing (14), forming the torsion between the moving material and the static charge; and

(c) Evacuating the powdered material at the bottom of the central static body (2) through the tubular coupling (12).