Experimental and simulation-driven improvements for coarse comminution circuit using Plantsmith process simulator - A case study of Geita Gold Mine, Tanzania

Continuous improvements are a key aspect of driving an industrial process plant at a profitable state. The performance of the crushing plant is driven by each equipment’s (crusher, screen conveyors, bin, etc.) operation, raw material properties, operational strategies, control system, maintenance, and so on. To bring improvements for full-scale industrial units, a thorough investigation is needed. In the considered case study, a need was posed by the industry operating coarse and fine comminution circuit to investigate the opportunities for upscaling and downscaling of the plant capacity along with evaluating the performance of the existing circuit. The need is driven by the change in ore characteristics from the mining segment. As the decision’s in the industry is driven by the cost, it is important to find opportunities which will increase the profitability and produces a viable solution(s). The paper presents a methodological approach for evaluating the performance of the crushing plant by carrying out:• Physical investigation and observation• Experimental survey and laboratory data analysis• Evaluating historical production data• Simulation configuration and calibration in Plantsmith process simulator• Evaluating alternative concepts using Plantsmith process simulatorThe evaluation presents possible improvements in the existing plants, and alternative concepts with their opportunities and pitfalls. The results show that a methodological approach can bring a wide understanding of the plant operations and simulation tool is useful for evaluating operational scenarios. Also, multiple practical aspects are presented concerning the investigation process