A HPGR pseudo-dynamic model approach integrated with real-time information for pressing iron ore concentrates in industrial-scale

TULIO MOREIRA CAMPOS; HORACIO A. PETIT; RICARDO OLYMPIO FREITAS; LUIS MARCELO TAVARES MARQUES

Melbourne

Congreso; International Mining Processing Congress (IMPC) Asia-Pacific Conference 2022; 2022

Much practical experience has been gathered in the last thirty years of application of high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGR) integrated with ball milling in size reduction of fine iron ore concentrates. The company Vale S.A, in Complexo de Tubarão (Brazil), was one of the pioneers applying the technology prior to pelletezation with an outstanding size reduction energy efficiency in the circuit and a significant increment in the product specific surface area. Recent works by the authors presented modelling and simulation to improve performance of HPGRs in this particular application, with the model being able to describe the HPGR performance under different operating conditions and under variations of feed size distribution. Despite these important advances, this modelling approach has only been used so far offline and in steady-state conditions. The present work applies the modified Torres and Casali model proposed by the authors in a pseudo-dynamic approach. The ability of the model to predict the characteristics of the product in real-time is evaluated using data available online for the pellet feed preparation circuit. Results demonstrated the model capabilities to map the physical operation and give a realistic representation of the process. Additionally, the model is able to give support for the pellet feed production by given extended real-time information of the process, enabling the improvement of the operational strategies and process stability.