Prediction of a piston–die press product using batch population balance model Article uri icon

abstract

  • It is known that between 40 and 70%25 of the energy consumed in a mineral processing complex is used for size reduction. Hence, the size reduction modeling is an important task that has been undertaken for decades to improve efficiencies and aid in decreasing operating costs. In this study, piston–die experiment size distribution was modeled by using a novel method: combination of throughput model and specific power consumption model, together with the population balance modeling. The copper ore samples were compressed up to 0.9166 kWh/t (600 kN compressing force), under universal tension machine. Coarse (−19 %2b 6.3 mm), medium (−4.75 %2b 0.6 mm), and fine (%2b0.425–0.038 mm) particle size distributions were tested in an iron piston–die press. The diameter used for the experimental setup was 0.125 m, and the height was 0.075 m. Different specific energies—0.0046 to 0.9166 kWh/t—were utilized. Experimental data for remaining subsets were used for validation of simulation results obtained by the model. It is concluded that the combination of throughput model and specific power consumption model, together with the population balance model, successfully predicted the piston–die experimental size distributions. © 2016 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley %26 Sons, Ltd. © 2016 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley %26 Sons, Ltd.

publication date

  • 2016-01-01