U.S.

Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Industrial Technologies Program

Online SAG Mill Grinding Pulse Measurement and
Optimization
New Integrated Grinding Ball (IGB) systems that can survive longer in the Benefits for Our Industry and Our
Technology Will Optimize SAG Mill mill. Nation
Operations and Reduce Energy The IGB technology will allow the mill • Increases energy efficiency in
Usage operators to assess the conditions in the grinding mills by as much as
operating SAG and ball mills by 10% by optimizing the grinding
Current semi-autogenous grinding (SAG)
producing an instantaneous ‘grinding
and ball mills are inherently inefficient, (breakage) conditions.
pulse’. They can then adjust the
using less than 1 percent of the energy • Reduces steel consumption
operating parameters to optimize mill
input required for size reduction. Grinding indirectly by reducing the
production, increasing mill throughput
mills also consume tons of steel balls and amount of steel-on-steel impacts
and reducing energy usage per ton of
liners. Proper monitoring and
throughput. of grinding balls and liners.
optimization of the operating conditions
can greatly increase the energy efficiency • Reduces ball consumption by
Besides mill optimization, the impact 20% due to its ability to optimize
of grinding mills.
spectra obtained could be used in three ball to rock ratio.
additional ways. First, the signature data
The grinding efficiency of semi
from industrial SAG mills can set the
• Improves equipment life and
autogenous and ball milling depends on reduces operation costs.
engineering standards for ball-drop tests,
the tumbling motion of the total charge
usually conducted at the manufacturing
within the mill. Utilization of this
tumbling motion for efficient breakage of
site to determine the competency of the Applications in Our Nation’s
balls. Additionally, unusual ball breakage Industry
particles depends on the conditions
at a mine site can be investigated by
inside the mill. However, any kind of
comparing the current signature with the This project will help the mining
monitoring device to measure the
conditions inside the mill shell during
expected signature recorded during industry optimize milling performance.
“good operation.” Finally, to determine if It is applicable to all mineral products
operation is virtually impossible due to
a large ball is suitable for increasing that use SAG and ball mills.
the severe environment presented by the
production or liable to damage liners and
tumbling charge.
break on its own.
To address this challenge, researchers at Cut cavity for
the University of Utah are developing an 5 inch grinding ball instrumentation
instrumented grinding ball (IGB), which is (epoxy sealed)
capable of surviving a few hours within
the grinding mill and able to sense and
transmit the impacts it experiences. This
technology is expected to increase the
energy efficiency of grinding mills by 10 StrainLink receiver
percent. The spectrum of impacts
collected over 100 revolutions of the mills
presents the signature of the grinding
environment inside the mill. This
signature could be effectively used to
optimize the milling performance by StrainLink transmitter
investigating this signature’s relation to (14.6 mm wide, 30.5mm long, 6.5mm thick)
mill product size, mill throughput, make
up ball size, mill speed, liner profile and Tri-axial strain gauge
(8 mm wide x 8 mm long)
ball addition rates. At the same time, it
can also be used to design balls and liner Instrumented Grinding Ball and Its Components

Bringing you a prosperous future where energy is clean, abundant, reliable and affordable
 Industrial Technologies Program
Boosting the productivity and competitiveness of U.S. industry through improvements and environmental performance

Project Description Milestones Project Partners

Objective: To assess the conditions • Test the IGB in a simulated impact University of Utah
inside the operating SAG and ball mills by tester and in laboratory and pilot-scale Salt Lake City, UT
producing an instantaneous “grinding mills to measure impact spectrum
pulse”. The operating parameters are then under various operating conditions. Process Engineering Resources, Inc.
adjusted to optimize mill production;
Salt Lake City, UT
increasing mill throughput and reducing • Develop and refine IGB at two different
energy usage per ton of throughput. plant-scale SAG mills. Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation
The goals of this project begin with the Magna, UT
• Develop relationship between
development of an instrumented grinding observed grinding pulse and mill
ball (IGB) that will allow mill operators to operating conditions through Phelps Dodge Mining Company
measure the impact spectrum of balls and diagnostic capabilities that will Phoenix, AZ
rocks in grinding mill. Second, to relate optimize plant scale SAG mill
the grinding pulse to the operating operation. National Steel Pellet Co.
conditions of the mill. Third, to use the Keewatin, MN
grinding pulse as a diagnostic tool for
SAG mill operation.
American Grinding Systems, LLC
Impacts/sec

The impact spectrum will be measured for Kansas City, MO

SAG and ball mills under various
operating conditions including the
optimum operation. Utilizing the impact
spectrum, operators and researchers can
identify operational strategies to optimize A Strong Energy Portfolio for a
mill performance in conditions where the
ore’s characteristics change. These Mean Energy (Joules) Strong America
strategies will be used to detail actions to
optimize mill operations and minimize A typical Impact spectra-the
Energy efficiency and clean, renewable
energy usage per ton of throughput. signature, generated in PC
energy will mean a stronger economy, a
cleaner environment, and greater energy
independence for America.Working with a
wide array of state, community, industry, and
Telemetry signals StrainLink receiver
university partners, the U.S. Department of
Data transmitted to PC
Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy invests in a diverse
portfolio of energy technologies.
mpacts/secc
IImpacts/se

Meann Energy ( mJ)

Mea

SAG M
Miill
ll
Optimize Mill Performance PC

Schematic of SAG mill, instrumented grinding

ball and telemetry signal receiver
October 2004

For more information, visit www.eere.energy.gov/industrial.html or call 1-800-DOE-3732