A multiscale method for including fine particle effects in DEM models of grinding mills

• A multiscale model for including interstitial powder in DEM is proposed.
• Microscale shear cell models are embedded within a traditional DEM macroscale model.
• The macroscale provides information on shear rate and pressure for each shear cell.
• Microscale models allow predictions of local grinding environment on fine particles.
• The multiscale model is demonstrated for a dry cement ball mill.

A multiscale model for including interstitial powder or fine particles in DEM simulations of grinding mills is proposed. This consists of a traditional DEM model at the macroscale which includes only grinding media and potential coarser fractions of feed and product. Microscale models are embedded within this macroscale model. These can be sufficiently small that the fine powder can be included in a computationally affordable manner. The direct inclusion of the fine particles in the model allows predictions to be made of the effect of the local grinding environment on these fine particles. A shear cell is a good choice for the microscale model as it can well represent the local flow conditions at different points within the mill macroscale model. Averaging the macroscale flow allows the local collisional environments to be characterised and provides estimates of the shear rate and normal stress at each of the microscale locations which then controls the configuration of each microscale shear cell. A 1-way coupled implementation of this multiscale model is demonstrated for a simple cement ball mill. The relative importance of each region of the flow is determined with the toe region being the dominant contributor to the grinding. The grinding action produced by the shearing of thin layers of powder between adjacent layers of media flowing over each other is clearly demonstrated by the behaviour predicted in the microscale models. Methods for calculating power draw that include the effect of powder and for constructing collision energy spectra for the powder are described. Finally, the importance of the cushioning effect of high powder loads on the flow behaviour of the media is demonstrated.