Advances in discrete element method application to grinding mills

Abstract

Discrete element method (DEM) has made significant impact in the design and operation of grinding mills. The internal charge motion of grinding balls and ore can be readily examined. As a result, this method enables one to design and examine mill internals via simulation. This manuscript details essential advances made with DEM. These include mill power draft calculations, shell lifter design, lifter wear prediction, pulp lifter simulation and ore particle breakage in grinding mills. The status of advancement in each of these topics is discussed.