Iron Ore Granulation Model Supposing the Granulation Probability Estimated from Both Properties of the Ores and Their Size Distributions

Abstract

It is important to reduce fluctuation of the ore granulation for a stable operation of iron ore sinter plant, because the fluctuation affects directly productivity and productive yield of the operation. To clarify the granulation phenomena in a rotating granulator, an advanced mathematical model that is different from previously proposed ones was developed considering the probability theory. Mathematical characteristics of the model and granulation simulation by the model are summarized as follows:
(1) Since it is difficult to analyze the phenomena by the models based on the motion of quasi-particles due to the complicated movement of large amounts of the quasi-particles, the present model treated it as a kind of probability phenomena.
(2) This model is basically composed of matrix algebras defining following two granulation parameters, 1) overall granulation probability resulted from ore properties, and 2) granulation and disintegration probabilities at each size range of the ores.
(3) This model is useful for evaluation of the granulation phenomena, because the simulation results using the appropriate granulation parameters agree with those from the granulation operation.
(4) It is important to make clear the granulation conditions for defining the granulation parameters, because the parameters depend on the conditions of the granulation dynamics and the size of the granulator.