EUROPEAN CEMENT

CONFERENCE 2001
Paper 28
‘Ecofor depolarisation technology for intensification of dry grinding.

Dr. Nikolay Glukharev,

General Director, Ecofor Co., Russia
Grinding is the most power-intensive phase of cement production. Many well-known companies are working on the
minimisation of energy consumption at the grinding stage. Some design and promote new mechanical grinding equipment.
Others provide consulting and supply armour plates and other grinding media in the optimal range. Some companies produce
effective grinding aids. Since 1997 the Russian Ecofor Co. has been trying to promote energy saving with its original
technology. We would be happy to equip every grinding unit with an Ecofor device, to achieve an additional 8-12% output with
a simultaneous decrease of specific power consumption.

We offer to get an additional result not by using increased input force, but by decreasing the comminuted material's reaction to
the force. The analysis of components of the material’s resistance to grinding gives the possibility of a new technique for
grinding intensification.

As a consequence of mechanical actions inside the mill, the

comminuted dry non-electrically conductive material becomes Figure 1: Structure of ECOFOR method
Kftfum
charged or polarised. A multitude of free electric carriers
appears. Their interactions result in the splitting of some part of Grinding
Separation
. ' . i , - Collection
4,'.*'<
cracks inside the pieces of material after the blows, in the Initiation of depolarisation
aggregation of ground particles and very often in the formation of
coating on grinding media. So free electric carriers decrease the
efficiency at grinding.
Their appearance is a symptom of an electrostatic component of
the comminuted material’s resistance to the force action. The technology for intensification
of grinding by special depolarisation of comminuted material is supported by our European
Patent Application. The Ecofor device belongs to the class of induced neutralizors for the
forced decrease of electrostatic level at production.

£l*ctr©magn*tie The methods of powdered

eoftdltionme
material electromagnetic
conditioning by the use of
passive electro-neutralisation
are known from patent publications. The
Ecofor technology (Fig. 1) provides active
electro-neutralisation of free electric carriers
by initiation of depolarisation of the
comminuted material. The size of electric
commands is insignificant but the speed of
interacting is so high that induced voltage is
enough for an appearance of a corona
discharge. In this case under the action of the
electrostatic fields the ions of air move in the
direction of charged particles of the material
electro-neutralising them. So the grindability
of non-electrically conductive materials is
improved and aggregates are destroyed (Fig.
2).

28.
1
 There was an Ecofor presentation at the first European Cement Conference 1999, in Berlin. Later we continued the
promotion of our technology. The results of mills output improvements are shown in Table 1.
Table 1.1: Improvements dueCtoountry
ECOFOR technology
Equipment in 1999-2000
Cement G.A. Before After- Impr-t, Sold
Company % pieces
Goltas Turkey Ball mill, PKC-b Not 140 165 18 3
separator
Ball mill,
Askale Turkey PKC-b Not 40 48 20 1
separator

Adiyaman Turkey Ball mill, PKC-b Not 61 70 15 4

separator
Ball mills, 80 90 -t -y

Nuh Turkey OPC Yes 8.5

separator 120 ^ 130
Ball mills,
Achcimento Turkey PKC-b Not 80 11
separator

Eight Ecofor devices are working in Turkey at Goltas, Askale, and Adiaman cement plants. The produced cement uses a
trass additive. The use of Ecofor devices attained the improvements from 15-20%.

We got a very good chance to perform the Ecofor trial in France at Vicat's Montalieu plant. It is a really modern cement
plant. They developed and apply, in my opinion, the best control system for cement grinding. Control commands are
produced automatically following the measurement of fineness every 5 seconds by a laser granulometer supplied by Insitec
Co. The mill and separator performance improved after turning on two Ecofor devices - the first was connected to the mill
and second to the separator. Following the new more favourable and powerful grinding conditions we adjusted the set points
for the sensor of first mill chamber, circulation load, the mill exit draft and increased the feed by average 9%.

Four Ecofor devices are working in Saudi Arabia at the Yanbu cement plant. The output of two raw ball mills each of 288t/h
was increased by 15t/h after turning on the devices.

28.
2
 Sold
Company C ountry Equipment Cement G.A. Before After Impr-t, %
pieces
VICAT 32.5 Yes 180 194 S
Montalieu Ball mill,
France 42.5 Yes 136 149 9 y
separator
52.5 Yes 110 121 10
£.aw ball
Saudi
Yambu mills, 288 303 5 4
Arabi a
separator
Ball mill, OPC Yes 44 48.7 10
separator
Broiler press, OPC Yes 187.5 197.4 5
separator +300 sm7g

HANIL Korea Ball null, OPC Yes 194 7 205.4 5,5 5

separator
Raw vertical
337 347 3
roller mill
Ball null, Slag
separator cement Not yy ^ 25.8 15

After turning on Ecofor devices, the Polycom pregrinding system became more ‘gluttonous.' It was necessary to keep the
amperage of the Polycom drivers at an optimal level by increasing the roller press's feed. At the same time total feed had to
be satisfactory for the final stage - a ball mill. The compromise was found by the adjustment of new set point for Sepol
speed. As a result the total feed was increased by 8t/h but Blaine fineness was improved more significantly +by 432cm 2/g at
the same time.

Table 2: Detailed average data of POLYCOM Capacity

improvement due to ECOFOR Quality
technology Condition Total Feed, Total+Retum, Return, Blaine, Residue, 44 u,
2
t/h t/h t/h sm /g %
ECOFOR
turned off 187.3 770.6 1145 51.2
ir-»
CO
mci

ECOFOR
195.2 810.2 614.8 1577 46
turned on

Difference +7.9 +39.6 +32.5 +432 -5.2

We have the experience of using Ecofor device for vertical roller mills. At Hanil Cement Mfg. Co. we were able to improve
the output of their 337t/h raw Fuller loesche mill. The dynamics of feed rate, differential pressure and amperage of mill
driver after turning on our device are shown in the Fig. 3. Eight minutes after turning on Ecofor device the grinding table
began to clear off material very quickly. Consequently, the feed rate jumped automatically up 40% and than stabilised on the
level +10t/h.

Figure 3: Transformation process on vertical roller mill

after turning on of ECOFOR device

%
tinned on

Table 3: The results of ECOFOR devices’ application at VASSILIKO

CEMENT WORKS (Cyprus) since October 1998 to March 2001
Sometimes we are questioned on the stability Pbnl Without With Number Average Mill exit
Power
of
ECOFOR T ECOFOR Of Productivity Separator Draft
Ecofor improvements. For illustration, you can ns/lu Tns/lir ECOFOR Rise Speed RPM Mrawg
Consurnptioi
Kwh/tn
see Table 3 with data of Vassiliko Cement Devices Without' with Without/
Withoubwitl
ECOFOR with
Works, Cyprus that proves the stability of an ECOFOR
ECOFOR
average productivity rise of 9, 10 and 18% Plant 22 26 I 18.18% 1800/ -110/ 34.1/
during two and half years. 1 1725 -90 28.9
Plait 82 90 2 9.76% 1300/ -120/ 40.2/
2 1225 -85 36.7
Final thoughts Plant 67 73 2 8.96% 1600/ -120/ 38.8/
It is not so easy to promote any innovations 3 1525 -80 35.6
and especially such a strange and an outwardly Note All nulls are of the closed circuit type
simple one. Despite successful introductions Plants 1 & 2 have 1st generation separators - HEYD Plant 3 has 3rd generation modem SEPAX of
separator Both with and without ECOFOR results include addition of 0.285/oo of grinding aids
our technology and devices we still have
difficulties of a psychological character, not a
technical one. Ecofor technology is not only
the device itself but also ‘knowhow' of application for different types of mills. If customers show a real positive attitude to
our technology, we teach their staff our ‘know-how' Ecofor technology cannot increase the mill's output by itself. It only
creates new perspective conditions for grinding. Operators have to use these new conditions skillfully and not traditionally. It
is a pity that sometimes people do not want to and/or cannot understand us. Sometimes the carry-over effect of our device
after its turning off brings misunderstanding. There is a false illusion that the Ecofor device doesn't increase productivity
since there is no immediate fall in output after it‘s turning off. Quite often we have to stand against the ambitions and
interests of some specialists. Some of them like grinding aids so much that are jealous to our innovation without any
grounds. All of the above disturbs us. but we continue to work for success.