Crusher Setting Control for Emptying Recirculating Crushing Equipment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing crushing equipment experiences inefficiencies due to material recirculation loops and mismatched feed and exit material amounts, necessitating a simplified and efficient process to manage material levels and crusher settings.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a crusher, a feeding arrangement, secondary equipment for oversized material sorting, and a recirculation loop, controlled by a system that stops new material feed, recirculates oversized material, and stepwise decreases the crusher setting to efficiently empty the equipment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the crusher setting is greater than the largest allowed exiting material size, then material can be shaped against material to reduce wear, but material cannot leave the crusher due to size constraints causing recirculation loops

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewear resistanceVSAvoidmaterial flow throughput

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The crusher setting is made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. The control system continuously monitors material parameters and automatically adjusts the crusher setting to optimize both wear reduction and material throughput, resolving the contradiction between maintaining a larger gap for wear protection and a smaller gap for material exit

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

A feedback control system is implemented that detects material size and flow conditions, then automatically adjusts the crusher setting in response. This closed-loop control ensures the crusher setting adapts to real-time conditions, allowing material to exit when appropriately sized while maintaining optimal wear conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If the crusher setting is decreased to allow material to exit, then recirculation loops are reduced, but the particle size of recirculated material increases and material level rises

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial exit rateVSAvoidmaterial level in crusher

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The control system performs preliminary detection of material parameters before making adjustment decisions. By monitoring material size and distribution in advance, the system can decrease the crusher setting at the appropriate moment to allow material exit while preventing excessive material level buildup

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes the crusher setting parameter based on detected material conditions. Rather than maintaining a fixed setting, the crusher gap is adjusted in response to material size distribution, enabling material to exit when conditions are appropriate while controlling overall material level

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If manual adjustment of crusher setting is performed, then operator control is maintained, but the process requires continuous operator intervention and is less efficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperator controlVSAvoidemptying efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The control system enables the crusher to self-adjust its setting based on automatic detection of material parameters. The system monitors material size and flow conditions and autonomously adjusts the crusher gap without operator intervention, making the system self-regulating while maintaining ease of operation through automated control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual mechanical adjustment of the crusher setting is replaced with an automated control system that uses sensors and actuators. This substitution eliminates the need for continuous operator intervention while improving emptying efficiency through rapid, precise adjustments based on real-time material detection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12569859B2Crushing equipment and a method for controlling the same

Publication Date: 2026.03.10 METSO OUTOTEC FINLAND OY

AI summary

A method for controlling crushing equipment, wherein the crushing equipment includes a crusher, a feeding arrangement for feeding material to the crusher, a secondary equipment arranged downstream from the crusher for sorting out oversized material leaving the crusher, and a recirculation loop for recirculating the oversized material fed to the crusher. The method includes the steps of stop feeding new material to the crushing equipment through said feeding equipment, recirculating the oversized material from the secondary equipment to the crusher and decreasing a crusher setting of the crusher.