Development MPC for the Grinding Process in SAG Mills Using DEM Investigations on Liner Wear

Abstract

The rapidly developing mining industry poses the urgent problem of increasing the energy efficiency of the operation of basic equipment, such as semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mills. For this purpose, a large number of studies have been carried out on the establishment of optimal operating parameters of the mill, the development of the design of lifters, the rational selection of their materials, etc. However, the dependence of operating parameters on the properties of the ore, the design of the linings and the wear of lifters has not been sufficiently studied. This work analyzes the process of grinding rock in SAG mill and the wear of lifters. The discrete element method (DEM) was used to simulate the grinding of apatite-nepheline ore in a mill using different types of linings and determining the process parameters. It was found that the liners operating in cascade mode were subjected to impact-abrasive wear, while the liners with the cascade mode of operation were subjected predominantly to abrasive wear. At the same time, the results showed an average 40–50% reduction in linear wear. On the basis of modelling results, the service life of lifters was calculated. It is concluded that the Archard model makes it possible to reproduce with sufficient accuracy the wear processes occurring in the mills, taking into account the physical and mechanical properties of the specified materials. The control system design for the grinding process for SAG mills with the use of modern variable frequency drives (VFD) was developed. With the use of the proposed approach, the model predictive control (MPC) was developed to provide recommendations for controlling the optimum speed of the mill drum rotation.