Simulation of particle flows and breakage in crushers using DEM: Part 1 – Compression crushers

•DEM with a particle breakage model has been used to successfully model crushers.•Five types of compression crushers have been simulated.•Contact forces determine breakage with geometric rules for progeny generation.•Predictions include power draw, liner stresses and wear, product size and throughput.•The models allow flow and breakage in crushers to be better understood.

Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulation using a breakage model is applied to study a broad range of existing compression based crushers to better understand machine level operation and to demonstrate that such modelling is now possible. Predictions for five types of crushers: jaw crusher, cone crusher, gyratory crusher, impact crusher and double roll crusher are presented. The breakage method used is based on facture of particles using geometric rules for progeny generation and estimates of the force applied to the particles as they flow through the crusher. From these simulations, estimates of power, product size, throughput rate and crusher wear are made.

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