MUKUNDAN .

P -KANDATH, IRON & STEEL CONSULTANT

New Device for Green Balling

 Role of Green Balling in a Pellet Plant

Pellet Plant has 2 sections

1.Green Balling

2. Induration

Role of Green Balling section is to produce green pellets from concentrates.

Induration section burns green pellets around 1250 C to increase

compression strength from 1 kg/green pellet to “pellet” of 150kg/ burnt pellet .

For Green Balling, a Balling Drum or Balling Disc is used.

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 Balling Drums,

Operator

Drum 3.5 m dia , 9.5 m long rubber lined variable speed rotary drum
Weight about 25 tons/ drum
10 to 14 rpm
2 to 10 deg inclination
Capacity 100 t/h of 10 -16 mm green pellets
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 Balling Discs

Disc dia 7.5 m weight 40 tons Inclination 45-50 deg variable speed
5 to 11 rpm
Capacity 100 to 120 t/h of 10 to 16 mm green pellets .
Disc is more popular .
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 Travelling Grate Process

Balling Section

Balling Discs

Induration Section

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Grate/Kiln/Cooler Process

Balling Section Balling Disc

Induration Section

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 A Row of Balling Discs

7.5 m dia, 600-750mm rim, back plate , stiffeners= 15 tons.

Shipping weight of one disc= 40 tons including motor drive stand etc.

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Balling Disc in a Pellet Plant

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 Components of Disc Pelletiser

Materials in 7.5 m disc

Pan - 3/8“ steel plate, 7.5m Dia with 1/2" steel plate back+ welded stiffeners

Rim height: 750mm

Pan drive - power transmission ring/pinion spur gear combination with gear reducer,
belt drive, and motor.

Pan shaft - carbon steel , heavy duty bearings

Rocker deck 40 ton motor driven screw jack , angle indicator

Plow assembly - fabricated carbon steel welded structure attached to rocker deck
and supports the scraper blades (plows).

Spray system

Motor-driven screw jack.

Lubrication system for gears.

Limit switches 9
 Problems of Disc & Drum Balling Devices

1. Heavy equipment for a simple task: 7.5 m dia disc shipping weight 40 tons

2. Disc being circular needs much space in the layout . A 7.5 m disc takes about
1000 m3 of space around it. For a 6 million ton pellet plat there are 7 such
discs=7000 m3 space.

3.Low filling ratio of concentrate to disc volume 6-7% only

4.Low efficiency because pellets disintegrate and again form resulting in :

long residence time . High re-circulation load 1to 1.5 times of fresh feed

5.Materials near the rim of the Disc are at higher speed , near to center low speed
result 80 mm dia “oversize pellets”

6.Tangential rolling down of nuclei reduces impact with other nuclei: result: low
green strength <1.5kg, and drop number below 5 to 6 from 46 cm height

7. Energy consumption high because heavy disc with the charge is in a rotating
motion.

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 Problems of Disc Pelletiser

"oversize pellets."
Low volume filling ratio 6 %, Low feed wt to disc wt ratio=30%, energy wastage,
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High re-circulating load

1 to 1.5 times of the feed

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 Mechanism of Green Balling in the Disc

Pellet feed is fed to rotating disc positioned at an angle more than angle of repose
of wet concentrate (40 deg)
Material is lifted by centrifugal force , when angle of repose is crossed particles
roll down , tangentially over the rising bed of concentrates and lifted again (kind of
toroidal movement).

In that process capillary force draws more dry particles to surface of wet nuclei
and nuclei grow in size. Add more dry concentrate and spray water, the nuclei
grow in size. Size classification takes place, larger sizes are near the rim at bottom
of the disc . When size reaches 16 mm , green pellets roll down over the rim of
the disc to a belt below via a chute. From where it goes to the roller screen and to
induration furnace.
Pellet size is controlled by Disc angle, rpm, feeding spot, feeding rate, water spray.
Retention time is controlled by above stated control parameters.
Reason for problem is Tangential and Toroidal motion of particles , which lead to
high re-circulation load, long retention time and associated problems.

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 Disc angle>angle of repose: a)Slow, b) optimum, c) fast. Note
small filling ratio and tangential path of falling partciles in b)

Balling Drum : Slow, optimum, fast

(tumbling). Note small filling ratio and Particles stick together with capillary force caused by
height & tangential path of falling surface tension of water, binder. 3 factors are
partcles important: 1.Granulometric properties
2.Optimum moisture content
Inclination β=45-50 deg 3. Efficiency of binders
Rpm 5 to 11
Source: Pelleltising of Iron Ores / Kurt Mayer/1980 Springer Verlag
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 The Path to a New Balling Device:

If there is a device which lifts the concentrates to a height in a straight line and allow them to roll
down(not tumble) also in straight line during which programmed charging of dry concentrate on
surface of nuclei and spraying of water done – then balling takes place faster and efficiently.

Straight line rolling down is better than a tangential path in disc.

This is possible in the New device for Green Balling .
Device is Simple – it is an inclined travelling Belt variable speed fitted to a steel frame .
The angle of the belt is few degrees below angle of repose so that material is lifted up to the top of the
belt as in a belt conveyor, where load cells and sensors activate a set of idler rolls and lift a part of belt
so the angle of that top part of the belt is now above angle of repose , so the material rolls down from
that point over the rising charge surface on the lower section of belt ,which is below angle of repose.

Water spray and charging of concentrates on the growing pellet nuclei are programmed so that rapid
growth takes place.
Classification happens along the length of the belt – small green balls are on top section of the belt ,
mid size in middle and large at the bottom part of the belt- they keep rolling smoothly uniformly at
critical speed of the belt, as size increases they move down towards the discharge plate.
The angle of the belt is variable . The angle of discharge plate at bottom of the belt is variable ,allowing
desired size of pellets to roll out of the belt on to a chute and from there to a belt running below which
carries the pellets to the roller screen .

Mechanism in belt in comparison to disc is in the next slide:

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 Mechanism in Belt in comparison to Disc

Material is lifted by friction to the

top, then forced to roll down
.path of rolling down is straight –
not tangential .
Diagram shows rolling
movement of particles in Belt
pelletiser & classifying effect

Movement of particles in Disc

pelletiser Spherical or Elliptical pellets
depend on trough shape

Balling Belt
β2> α

β>α β1<α
α α
Belt Pelletiser
Disc Pelletiser
To roller
screen 16
Device for producing green pellets from iron oxide (and other minerals and powder materials) in a belt pelletiser to produce green pellets comprised of a belt (1) dr

Components of the New Device for Green Balling

(1) Belt driven by a motor and gear box (2) Fitted to a steel frame (3) the belt passing over idler pulleys (4)
and tension pulley (5) , with driving roller and turn about rollers (6)having side guards (7).
(2) The Device is installed at an angle , which can be varied with the help of a suitable linkage
mechanism(8) actuated by hydraulic cylinder (9)to change the angle of the pelletiser any time during the
operation .
The inclined belt pelletiser & steel frame are supported by steel members fixed to the foundation bolts.
The feeding device (10) feeds controlled amount of the ore fines or concentrates , and the tiltable
Discharge plate (11) stops the fines from falling down, but allows the green balls to fall over the plate to a
chute (12) which directs the green balls on to a belt conveyor running below the device which carries it to
the grading roller screen . Plow-like tool (13) made up of steel plates are fixed
in selected locations along active peleltising zone of the belt . The angle of the idler rollers in a zone of
the belt can be changed to change the shape of the trough to produce spherical or elliptical pellets .

Control Parameters
1.Inclination of the belt
2. Linear speed of belt
3. Shape of Trough Spherical Pellet Oval Pellet
4.Programmed feeding of dry concentrate and water spray
5.Tilting angle of the discharge plate at the bottom of the belt

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 ADVANTAGES

1. PELLET QUALITY :HIGHER GREEN STRENGHT

2. OUTPUT IN TONS /H MORE FOR SAME SURFACE AREA THAN DISC
3. BELT IS LIGHTER THAN DISC . FOR SAME CAPACITY ,BELT WEIGHS LESS THAN DISC.
4. LAYOUT ADVANTAGE: BELT IS RECTANGULAR , TAKES LESS SPACE
5. ROTATIONAL MOTION OF HEAVY DISC CONSUSMES MORE ENERGY THAN LINEAR
MOTION OF LIGHTER BELT
6. FILLING RATIO OF MATERIAL ON BELT IS MORE THAN IN DISC
7. RATE OF BALLLING IS FASTER IN BELT BECAUSE OF UNIQUE MECHANISM
8. COMPACTING IS MORE IN BELT BECAUSE OF STRAIGHT ROLL COMPARED TO
TANGENTIAL ROLL IN DISC
9. BELT CAN MAKE SPHERICAL AND ELLIPTICAL PELLET , NOT POSSIBLE IN DISC
10. THE TILTING PLATE CAN CHOSE SIZE DEPENDING ON THE ANGLE OF ITS TILT.
11. IN DISC EDGE IS FIXED , SIZE CONTROLLED BY SPEED AND TILTING OF HEAVY DISC –
CONSUMES MORE ENERGY.
12. LOW RECIRCULATION LOAD THAN IN DISC
13. OVER SIZE PELLETS ELIMINATED –NO LOCALISED TOROIDAL MOTION.
14. CAPEX AND OPEX LOWER FOR BELT PELLETISER THAN DISC

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CLAIMES FOR NOVELTY

Green Balling Device as described here having

1. Two angles- first section to lift the charge, second upper section of
belt angle more than angle of repose to roll the charge down
2. Variable angle of the whole belt with frame
3. Variable linear speed of belt
4. Adjustable idlers to change shape of the trough
5. Discharge plate with variable tilting angle
6. Device that produce spherical and elliptical pellets .

DESCRIPTION AND DRAWINGS ARE IN THE PATENT APLICATION

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 Research Topics
1. Eliminate Coating
Coating of Pellet is done in Pellet Plant before shipping
At the DR plant once again before charging to the DR Reactor
Purpose: to avoid clustering, swelling .
This is additional cost + arc furnace has to deal with more slag

2. Next Generation DR Reactor

Make use of highly swelling pellets >100% ,
no need to suppress with coating

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 Reduction of Coated Pellet

Fe
FeO

Fe3O4
Fe2O3
CO 850 C Dense iron outer layer

Unreduced core

Fe2O3 Fe3O4 FeO Fe

1 2 3

Gas Pellet Reduction is Topo-chemical reaction

Proceeds from surface to core

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 Reduction in Un-coated Pellet

Abnormal swelling of Pellets during Reduction

16 mm Pellet 21.72mm DRI

Volume of DRI increased

150% (abnormal swelling)
Diameter increased 35.75 %
Surface area 84 %
DRI is porous, spongy ,
deforms easily under
light pressure
% S = (V2-V1) / V1 x 100 = 150

The accepted limit in DR and Bf grade pellet is 20% ( ISO 4698 free swelling test
method ).

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Iron Whiskers cause Swelling . Swelling increases gas solid
contact & faster reduction

4 1

3 2

Structure of swollen DRI in Scanning Electron Microscope

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 Is Abnormal Swelling really Bad ?

When outer iron layer forms whiskers , it opens up, helps rapid gas-solid
contact to unreduced layers - rate of reduction is faster.
With sintered iron layer , gas-solid contact is via cracks, open pores or by
slow diffusion process through the compact iron layer – reduction rate is
slow-more unreduced core in same reduction time.

Swelling vs No-Swelling

CO

1. In DR , can we use 850 C instead of 950 C and save energy / t DRI ?

2. Can we invent a DR process to take advantage of Abnormal Swelling

phenomenon ?
3. Can we eliminate coating

4. Can we use then larger dia pellets?

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NEXT GENERATION DR REACTOR

We can think of Next Generation DR reactor that

can use highly swelling pellets & lower process
gas temperature

faster output at high metallisation

DRI is spongy , easy to produce HBI with less energy.

Iron wiskers are good catalysts for self reforming

reactors , which saves capex and energy .

Thank You

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