Two Variable Real-Time Algorithm for Cone Crusher Control

Cone crushers are used in the mineral, mining, and aggregate industry for fragmentation of rock materials. Control systems for cone crusher setting (CSS) are widely used to compensate for wear and to protect the crusher. With a frequency converter the eccentric speed in a cone crusher can be adjusted in real-time. The eccentric speed of the main shaft affects the number of compressions the material is exposed to and thus the capacity and the particle size distribution of the product. By applying mass-fl ow sensors to the process, a feedback of the different product yields is obtained in every moment. In this paper, a model and an algorithm are presented. The algorithm takes the incrementally increasing CSS into account and compensates for this with a successively changing eccentric speed. In order to implement the algorithm, a monitoring and control system is developed, including the online algorithm for selection eccentric speed. The different product fl ows from the crushing plant are continuously monitored by mass fl ow meters. The fi tness function is set by the plant management depending on production targets and market situation. An earlier developed Finite State Machine (FSM) algorithm is also implemented and evaluated in the system. The developed algorithm has been validated and verifi ed at a crushing plant for aggregates with a production of around 400 kton a year. The new algorithm is shown to increase the crushing stage throughput with 6.9 per cent. The FSM algorithm, on the other hand, increases the throughput with 5.3 per cent, which is a confi rmation of the magnitude of its benefi ts demonstrated in an earlier paper