Systems, devices and methods for improved efficiency of ball mills

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12427529-B2
Application number	US-202418663951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2024
Priority date	Jan 13, 2022
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

A drum assembly for a ball mill system may comprise: a drum having a first flange extending axially forward from a first radial wall, a second flange extending axially aft from a second radial wall, and a cylinder shell extending axially from a first radially outer end of the first radial wall to a second radially outer end of the second radial wall; a frame coupled to the first flange; and an inlet liner coupled to the frame, the inlet liner comprising a plurality of inlet segments disposed circumferentially adjacent to each other, the inlet liner defining an inlet radius for the drum assembly.

First claim

I claim:

1. A retrofitting process for a ball mill system, the retrofitting process comprising:
decoupling a first plurality of liner segments from an aft radial wall of a drum of the ball mill system; and
coupling a second plurality of liner segments to the aft radial wall of the drum, each of the second plurality of liner segments disposed circumferentially adjacent to an adjacent segment of the second plurality of liner segments, each of the second plurality of liner segments including a ledge extending axially forward from a radially inner end of each of the second plurality of liner segments into a cavity of the drum.

2. The retrofitting process of claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of liner segments disposed circumferentially adjacent to an adjacent segment of the first plurality of liner segments.

3. The retrofitting process of claim 1 , wherein each of the second plurality of liner segments includes an axially aft flange spaced apart axially from an axially forward flange.

4. The retrofitting process of claim 3 , wherein each of the second plurality of liner segments includes a radially inner wall extending from the axially forward flange to the axially aft flange, the radially inner wall defining the ledge.

5. The retrofitting process of claim 3 , wherein the coupling the second plurality of liner segments to the aft radial wall includes coupling the axially aft flange of each of the second plurality of liner segments to the aft radial wall.

6. The retrofitting process of claim 1 , further comprising adapting an inlet of a drum assembly to modify an outer radius of a feed spout to be between 95% and 100% of an inner radius of an inlet liner of the drum, wherein the drum assembly includes the drum and the inlet liner.

7. The retrofitting process of claim 1 , further comprising forming a discharge assembly in response to the coupling the second plurality of liner segments to the aft radial wall of the drum.

8. The retrofitting process of claim 1 , wherein the ledge of each of the second plurality of liner segments is configured to catch grinded material exiting the ball mill system during an operation of the ball mill system.

9. The retrofitting process of claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of liner segments includes a sloping surface that slopes from a radially outer end in an axially aft and radially inward direction toward a radially inner end of the aft radial wall proximate an outlet of the drum.

10. The retrofitting process of claim 1 , further comprising adapting an inlet of the drum to reduce a cross-sectional area of the inlet of the drum.

11. The retrofitting process of claim 10 , further comprising adapting an axial length of a feed spout of the ball mill system.

12. The retrofitting process of claim 11 , wherein the adapting the axial length of the feed spout further comprises extending the axial length of the feed spout to or beyond an axially forward end of an inlet liner.

13. The retrofitting process of claim 12 , further comprising:
coupling a frame to a first flange of the drum, the first flange disposed at the axially forward end of the drum; and
coupling the inlet liner to the frame, the inlet liner defining a drum inlet radius of a drum assembly.

14. The retrofitting process of claim 13 , wherein the inlet liner is configured to prevent a backflow of material during operation of the ball mill system.

15. The retrofitting process of claim 14 , wherein the inlet liner comprises a forward radial flange that is configured to prevent the backflow of material during the operation of the ball mill system.

16. The retrofitting process of claim 1 , wherein the drum further comprises a forward radial wall spaced apart axially from the aft radial wall and a cylinder shell extending axially from a first radially outer end of the forward radial wall to a second radially outer end of the aft radial wall.

17. The retrofitting process of claim 16 , wherein the drum further comprises a first flange extending axially forward from the forward radial wall and a second flange extending axially aft from the aft radial wall.

18. The ball mill system formed by the retrofitting process of claim 1 .

19. A drum assembly for a ball mill system, the drum assembly comprising:
a drum comprising a cavity and an aft radial wall; and
a plurality of liner segments coupled to the aft radial wall of the drum, each of the plurality of liner segments disposed circumferentially adjacent to an adjacent segment of the plurality of liner segments, each of the plurality of liner segments including a ledge extending axially forward from a radially inner end of each of the plurality of liner segments into the cavity of the drum.

20. The ball mill system comprising the drum assembly of claim 19 , the ball mill system further comprising a feed spout extending an axially to or beyond an axially forward end of an inlet liner of the drum assembly.

Assignees

• Freeport Minerals Corp

Inventors

• Coray Dale

Classifications

• B02C17/183

  Feeding or discharging devices · CPC title

• B02C17/22 Primary

  Lining for containers · CPC title

• B02C17/10 Primary

  with one or a few disintegrating members arranged in the container · CPC title