Agitator Ball Mill Cage Segmentation for Grinding Efficiency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing agitator ball mill technologies face challenges in efficiently grinding dry or non-dry substances into very fine material while ensuring reliable and economical operation, particularly in managing the flow and cleaning of materials and auxiliary grinding bodies.

Innovation Solution

The agitator ball mill design includes a grinding container with an agitator shaft, cages at the inlet and outlet, and a sieve in the outlet area, utilizing air or inert gases as a carrier medium, and a cleaning device with adjustable inclination of grinding elements to optimize material and auxiliary grinding body guidance, and a rotatable cleaning device for efficient material transport and sieving.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the grinding container is filled with auxiliary grinding bodies and equipped with an agitator shaft for grinding materials, then the grinding efficiency is improved, but the complexity of managing material flow and preventing auxiliary grinding bodies from reaching the outlet increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegrinding efficiencyVSAvoidcomplexity of managing material flow
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The outlet area is segmented into a grinding chamber section and a discharge section by a cage structure. The cage divides the outlet area such that the discharge section is separated from the main grinding zone, allowing auxiliary grinding bodies to be retained in the grinding chamber while ground material passes through the sieve in the discharge section.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A cage structure acts as an intermediary element between the grinding chamber and the outlet. This cage serves as a mediator that selectively allows ground material to pass through while blocking auxiliary grinding bodies from reaching the outlet, thus simplifying the management of material flow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If a sieve is installed in the outlet area to separate ground material from auxiliary grinding bodies, then the separation efficiency is improved, but the risk of auxiliary grinding bodies reaching the sieve and causing damage or clogging increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseparation efficiencyVSAvoidrisk of auxiliary grinding bodies reaching the sieve
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The outlet area is divided into a grinding chamber section and a discharge section by a cage structure. The cage divides the outlet area such that the discharge section is separated from the main grinding zone, allowing auxiliary grinding bodies to be retained in the grinding chamber while ground material passes through the sieve in the discharge section.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A cage structure acts as an intermediary element between the grinding chamber and the outlet. This cage serves as a mediator that selectively allows ground material to pass through while blocking auxiliary grinding bodies from reaching the outlet, thus simplifying the management of material flow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If the agitator shaft is positioned centrally in the grinding container for optimal grinding action, then the grinding performance is improved, but the guidance of material and auxiliary grinding bodies to the center becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegrinding performanceVSAvoiddifficulty of material guidance
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Grinding elements are provided on the agitator shaft that perform the preliminary action of guiding and transporting both the material to be ground and the auxiliary grinding bodies toward the center of the grinding container before the actual grinding action occurs. This preliminary guidance facilitates the central positioning required for optimal grinding performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design achieves efficient grinding and reliable operation by ensuring precise guidance and cleaning of materials and auxiliary grinding bodies, enhancing the grinding process efficiency and preventing auxiliary grinding bodies from reaching the sieve, thus maintaining the mill's performance and reducing operational complexity.

Implementation Method 1

The added air is used as a carrier medium for transporting the material or the ground material in the agitator ball mill

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPneumatic transport: Entrainment

Implementation Method 2

A cleaning device is arranged in the center of the sieve, with which ground material located on the outside of the sieve can be removed from the sieve

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPneumatic cleaning: Jet

Data Source

PatentEP2632599B1Stirring ball mill
Publication Date: 2017.08.02 NETZSCH FEINMAHL TECHNIK GMBH
  • EP2632599B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2632599B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2632599B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The stirring ball mill (10) according to the invention for milling dry or non-dry substances is provided with a milling container (12). The milling container (12) is provided with an inlet (14) for the material to be milled, a fluid inlet (18), and a material outlet (16), wherein the outlet area (20) is provided with a strainer (24). A stirring shaft (26), on which a plurality of milling elements (28, 28a, 28b) are arranged, extends in the center or near the center of the milling container (12). The milling container (12) is at least partially filled with milling aid elements (30). A first cage (38) is associated with the inlet area (16) of the stirring ball mill (10), and a second cage (40) is associated with the outlet area (20).