Biochar Comminution via Curved Ball Mill Geometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for refining biochar in the livestock industry are ineffective in supporting the digestion and nutrient processing of feed in farm animals, as they fail to provide thorough and uniform comminution, leading to inadequate nutrient absorption and stabilization of enzymatic processes in the digestive tract.
Innovation Solution
A comminution device comprising two ball mills with specifically designed sieves and grinding containers, where the first ball mill produces biochar particles with a semi-circular cross-section and the second ball mill further refines them into biochar powder with uniform size and shape, enhancing the biochar's physiological effect and ease of production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional drum mills with smooth inner walls are used for biochar comminution, then the device structure is simple, but the biochar particles are not uniformly ground and fail to effectively support digestion in farm animals
Solution Approach 1:
The grinding container is designed with a curved inner wall (semi-circular or circular cross-section) instead of a smooth cylindrical wall. This curvature creates varied impact angles and forces during rotation, enabling more uniform comminution of biochar particles while maintaining an relatively simple overall device structure.
2Reliability
If conventional drum mills with polygonal cross-section grinding media are used, then the device design is straightforward, but the biochar comminution is insufficient and does not produce the desired physiological effect
Solution Approach 1:
The grinding media are changed from conventional polygonal cross-section rods to spherical or semi-spherical balls. This parameter change in shape creates more effective impact and abrasion forces during drum rotation, producing uniformly ground biochar particles that effectively support digestion and nutrient processing in farm animals.
3Productivity
If conventional drum mills are used for biochar refinement, then the production process is simple, but the biochar does not sufficiently stabilize enzymatic processes or promote nutrient absorption
Solution Approach 1:
The comminution process is divided into multiple stages: first-stage drum mill for initial size reduction, second-stage drum mill for further refinement, and screening stages for particle size classification. This segmentation ensures thorough and uniform biochar particle production, which effectively stabilizes enzymatic processes and promotes nutrient absorption in farm animals.
Solution Approach 2:
The biochar undergoes preliminary carbonization treatment before being fed into the comminution system. This preliminary action ensures the material is properly prepared for grinding, and the subsequent multi-stage comminution process produces particles with optimal size distribution for effective digestive support in farm animals.
4Manufacturing precision
If conventional drum mills with central material inlet are used, then the feeding mechanism is simple, but the biochar particles are not sufficiently comminuted and dispersed
Solution Approach 1:
The material feeding system transitions from a simple central inlet to a multi-dimensional feeding arrangement with inlet openings distributed on the drum surface. The discharge system uses a combination of gravitational flow and mechanical assistance (screw conveyor or paddle) to ensure complete and uniform particle discharge. This dimensional enhancement improves particle size uniformity while maintaining operational simplicity.
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
The refined biochar powder effectively supports the breakdown and absorption of nutrients from feed, stabilizes enzymatic processes, and is easily producible with consistent quality, improving feed utilization and digestive health in farm animals.
Implementation Method 1
at least one drive unit, wherein the drive unit is coupled to the grinding container for driving the same to generate movements of the grinding container and/or grinding balls
Implementation Method 2
the grinding container wall is formed on the bottom, the inner wall of the grinding container wall facing the grinding chamber is curved outwards in cross-section
Implementation Method 3
a comminution device comprising two ball mills... the first ball mill produces biochar particles... the second ball mill further refines them into biochar powder
Implementation Method 4
the outlet has a first sieve as a separating device of the first ball mill for separating the biochar particles from residues
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to an easily handled grinding device for refining biochar, which comprises two ball mills, wherein the first ball mill comprises a grinding container, a drive unit and a separating device, the drive unit is coupled to the grinding container for driving the same, a part of the bottom of the grinding container is connected to a second ball mill via a line, the second ball mill comprises a grinding container, a drive unit and a separating device, the grinding containers contain grinding balls, the grinding balls of the first ball mill have a smaller diameter than the grinding balls of the second ball mill.