America, Inc.

Welcome
to the
LOESCHE AMERICA TRAINING
Topic: Mechanic / Maintenance Training
Location: Arequipa, Peru
Date: 11 / 2009

Presentation: Introduction to Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs)

By: Desi Delgado / Frank Mischorr

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

Presentation overview

• History / Range of Application

• Principles of Operation
o General Machine
o Mill Section
o Classifier Section
• Pictures / Discussion

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

History / Range of Application of VRMs

• First VRM by Loesche in 1895 for coal grinding in power plants of Berlin

• Widely used for raw material grinding (kiln feed, coal) since mid 1970s

• Widely used for blast furnace slag grinding since late1980s

• Widely used for clinker/cement grinding since mid/late1990s

• Wide range of applications: Inter-grinding, ultra-fine/ultra-coarse grinding

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

Comparison VRM – traditional grinding systems

• Good drying capability of up to 20 % (Depending on heat balance; above X %

moisture needs auxiliary heat source)

• Low wear rate in g/t compared to Ball Mills (app. 2 g/t versus app. 20 g/t)

• High wear on internal parts if quartz content high due to high gas velocities –
special wear protection measures needed

• Efficient grinding compared to ball mill (app. 55 % of ball mill power

consumption only)

• Need a different kind of maintenance and operation than Ball Mills

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

Presentation overview

• History / Range of Application

• Principles of Operation
o General Machine
o Mill Section
o Classifier Section
• Pictures / Hands-on

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
 VRMs: Principles of operation America, Inc.

Historical VRM design LM-1928

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
 VRMs: Principles of operation America, Inc.

Actual VRM design

Limestone / Coal-grinding

Cement-/slag-grinding

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
 VRMs: Principles of operation
America, Inc.

Same Principle
Different Suppliers
all VRM look alike

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
 VRMs: Principles of operation America, Inc.

Transport • Not “one machine”

Exhaust gases
gases
Raw
and meal
Cement • Combination of 4 machines
1) Main Motor & Gearbox for power
Drying Separation (Drive unit)
2) Hydraulic, Table and Rollers for
applying the power into the
material for grinding (MILL)
Feed
Material 3) Internal Airlift (Fan / Mill DP) from
Grinding Mill to Separator for transport and
Hot more (Same as Bucket Elevator
gases
for Ball Mills)
4) Classifier for product classifying.
Same principle as High Efficiency
Classifiers for Ball Mills
5) Drying (not a machine)
Drive
Energy • Second Separation of product and gas
(Cyclones or Baghouse) after Mill

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
 VRMs: Principles of operation America, Inc.

Transport
Exhaust
Exhaust gases
gases Combined drying and grinding unit
Raw
and meal
Cement

• Gas Flow serving multiple purposes

Drying Separation
- Drying
(Volume & Temperature)
- Rejecting to outside
Feed
Material (Volume & Nozzle Ring Area)
Grinding - Airlift - internal transport
Hot (Volume & Density & internal
gases
Design)
- Classifying – product quality
(Volume & Density)

Drive • Change in gas flow or gas temperature

Energy
(gas density) will influence all process
areas

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

Presentation overview

• History / Range of Application

• Principles of Operation
o General Machine
o Mill Section
o Classifier Section
• Pictures / Hands-on

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
 VRMs: Principles of operation
Separation America, Inc.

What happens in the Mill–Section ?

Feed
Material

Grinding

Hot
gases

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc Drive Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
 VRMs: Principles of operation America, Inc.

Material flow pattern in the mill section

• Feed material fed via side chute to centre of “Table”

• Material passes under “Rollers”
– Grinding pressure = Roller weight + Hydraulic
– De-aeration if material is fine (cement)
• Wet material meets rising hot gas stream / drying
• Medium to fine material is “kicked” up into mill
• Oversize chunks fall through nozzle ring into scraper
channel and are scraped to mill reject outlet
• Changes in gas volume and mill cross section creates
air separation of coarser / medium material
• Only fine dust is sucked all the way to Separator;
medium material is dropped back onto table

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
 VRMs: Principles of operation America, Inc.

Gas flow pattern between mill and classifier sections

• Highest velocity in smallest area = Nozzle ring

• Cross Section widens = gas slows down = larger

particles settle (1st Classification by vertical Forces)

• Cross section narrows = gas speeds up = “leftover”

particles are sucked up

• Design changes in cross section may cause severe

trouble in operation

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
 VRMs: Principles of operation America, Inc.

Hydraulic System of M-Rollers

(more details in separate presentation)

- Supply pressure on top side of

Air seals cylinder to generate grinding Force

- Supply a double acting shock

absorber to protect Rollers from
overpressure / vibration using
Nitrogen Accumulators
N2 N2
Accu. Accu.
- Allow an operation without frequent
usage of pump

Mill running
- Lift Rollers to enable easy Start / Mill stopped
Stop of Mill by pumping oil into
bottom section of cylinder

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
 VRMs: Principles of operation America, Inc.

S-Roller Purpose
• The S-roller is not a grinding roller.
• It compacts the material on the table to prepare the bed for the M-roller.
• Therefore, it has a higher bed depth.

M-Roller
S-Roller

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
 VRMs: Principles of operation America, Inc.

Hydraulic System of S-Rollers

(more details in separate presentation)

- Adjust position of S-Rollers to match

M-Roller position + x mm
- Prepare material on table for M-
Rollers
- No significant oil pressure
- No grinding, no vibration
- No nitrogen accumulators
- Lift Rollers to enable easy Start /
Stop of Mill
Hydraulic – Cylinder
• The cylinder is a double-acting hydraulic
cylinder
• Mechanic block for lowest position

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

Presentation overview

• History / Range of Application

• Principles of Operation
o General Machine
o Mill Section
o Classifier Section
• Pictures / Hands-on

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
 VRMs: Principles of operation America, Inc.

What happens in the Classifier-Section?

3rd Classification in Classifier-
Section by horizontal Forces
and rotor speed between rotor
blades
2nd Classification in Classifier-
Section by horizontal Forces
between static flaps and rotor
blades

1st Classification in Mill-Section

by vertical Forces (Airlift versus
Gravitation)

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
 VRMs: Principles of operation America, Inc.

2nd Classification by horizontal Forces (Fly-Out)

Classifier consists out of:
- Classifier housing
- Ring of static guide vanes / flaps
- Rotating rotor with blades

1. Gas flow airlifts particles in a

vortex and passes through static
guide vanes
2. Particles enter gap between guide
vanes and rotor in a curve (orbit)
around the rotor
3. Air passing into the rotor drafts
particles towards inside (Draft-
Force)
4. Centrifugal Force by speed and
curve pulls particles to the outside
(Centrifugal force)
On site Training LM56.2+2
© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
 VRMs: Principles of operation America, Inc.

2nd Classification by horizontal Forces (Fly-Out)

Draft-Force (green, to inside):

• Proportional to gas velocity
• Proportional to Particle cross-section (for
Globuli ~ Diameter squared = D2)

Centrifugal Force (red, to outside):

• Proportional to particle speed = gas velocity
• Proportional to particle mass = Density *
Volume; Volume Diameter cubed = D3

Both forces proportional to gas velocity.

Centrifugal force to the outside grows faster

when particle size grows.

Large Particles flying out – no product.

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
 VRMs: Principles of operation America, Inc.

3rd Classification by horizontal Forces (Kick-Out)

- Draft-Force (green, to inside as before)
- Centrifugal Force (red, to outside as before)
- Large Particles already pulled towards outside (Fly-
Out – 2nd Classification: Centrifugal Force > Draft
Force)
- Medium and small particles still on the way inside
(Draft Force > Centrifugal Force)
- Centrifugal Force on medium particles larger than
centrifugal force on small particles
- Medium particles slower than small particles and
take more time to pass through rotor blades
- Rotor blades pass by and “kick-out” particles that
are too slow, only small ones are product
- Adjustment of Rotor rpm = adjustment of fineness
(faster, more rpm = finer, slower, less rpm = less fine)

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
 VRMs: Principles of operation America, Inc.

Summary of Classification by horizontal / vertical Forces

1st Classification in Mill-Section

Draft Force by air (up) versus

Gravitation Force (down)

2nd / 3rd Classification in Classifier -Section

Draft-Force by air (green, to inside) versus

Wear
Centrifugal Force by speed, mass, curve
radius (red, to outside)

2nd Classification between guide vanes and

rotor for large particle “Fly-Out”

3rd Classification between rotor blades for

medium particle “Kick-Out”

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

Presentation overview

• History / Range of Application

• Principles of Operation
o General Machine
o Mill Section
o Classifier Section
• Pictures / Hands-on

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

VRM for Clinker / Slag with product separation in baghouse

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

Main gearbox and

lubrication pipelines

Main Motor

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

Lower mill housing / scraper Louver / Nozzle ring from below

channel

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

Louver / Nozzle ring from above; Table liner with near maximum
nearly new table liner wear; Dam ring

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

Dam ring sections, new Dam ring sections, worn

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

Various views
of
M / S – Rollers

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

M-Roller nearly new and M-Roller protection

worn to maximum new and worn out

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

Hydraulic cylinders
and
connection to Rocker Arm

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
 Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

Rotor (no shaft)

and
static guide vane assembly

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

Rotor mounted
Rotor top seal
Gap between rotor and
guide vanes

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009
Vertical Roller Mills (VRMs): Introduction America, Inc.

Questions ????

Thank You for your

Attention

On site Training LM56.2+2

© 2009 Loesche America, Inc
Arequipa, Peru, 11/2009