COMMINUTION DEVICE

Abstract

The invention relates to a comminution device for mechanically comminuting material conglomerates consisting of materials of varying density and/or consistency, including a comminution chamber having a supply side with a supply device above the comminution chamber and a discharge side, which comminution chamber is enclosed by a circular cylindrical and/or conical, downwardly widened comminution chamber wall and has at least two portions in succession in the axial direction, in each of which at least one rotor is arranged coaxial with the comminution chamber, each rotor having a rotor shaft and having striking tools which extend substantially radially into the comminution chamber at least during operation, the rotors having opposite directions of rotation in at least two successive portions, deflection ribs being arranged on the inside of the comminution chamber wall at axial intervals and/or the radius of the comminution chamber wall increases from top to bottom.

Claims

1-19. (canceled)

20. A comminution device for mechanically comminuting material conglomerates comprised of materials of varying density and/or consistency, comprising a comminution chamber having a supply side with a supply device above the comminution chamber and a discharge side, the comminution chamber is enclosed by a circular cylindrical comminution chamber wall and has at least two portions in succession in an axial direction, in each of which at least one rotor is arranged coaxial with the comminution chamber, each rotor having a rotor shaft and striking tools which extend substantially radially into the comminution chamber at least during operation, the rotors having opposite directions of rotation in at least two successive portions, deflection ribs being arranged inside of the comminution chamber wall, wherein at least one dust outlet is arranged in the comminution chamber wall, which the at least one dust outlet is connected to an air flow device for discharging a particle/air mixture produced in the comminution chamber, and which the air flow device has at least one fan for transporting the particle/air mixture from the comminution chamber.

21. The comminution device according to claim 20, wherein the at least one dust outlet is connected to the air flow device via a channel.

22. The comminution device according to claim 21, wherein at least a portion of the channel extends in an upwards direction.

23. The comminution device according to claim 20, wherein the at least one dust outlet is covered with a grid.

24. The comminution device according to claim 20, wherein the at least one dust outlet is arranged below an upper portion and/or below a lower portion of the comminution chamber.

25. The comminution device according to claim 20, wherein an inlet funnel is arranged above the supply device, an inlet region of adjustable size being formed between the inlet funnel and the supply device.

26. The comminution device according to claim 25, wherein the inlet funnel is arranged coaxial with a central axis of the comminution chamber so as to be displaceable in an axial direction.

27. The comminution device according to claim 20, wherein the comminution device has a control system for a fan drive of a fan rotor, and in that a dust sensor is arranged on a supply side, and the fan drive can be controlled as a function of an output signal of the dust sensor.

28. The comminution device according to claim 27, wherein the control system and the fan drive allow operation of the fan rotor at different rotational speeds, and in that a rotational speed can be controlled as a function of the output signal of the dust sensor.

29. The comminution device according to claim 20, wherein the striking tools are arranged offset from one another in a plurality of planes.

30. The comminution device according to claim 20, wherein in portions in succession from a supply side to an outlet side, the rotors have a rotor casing, a radius of which remains constant over an axial length of the comminution chamber.

31. The comminution device according to claim 20, wherein each rotor has its own drive which is controllable independently of other rotors.

32. The comminution device according to claim 20, wherein each rotor has a fastening device for releasably fastening the striking tools.

33. The comminution device according to claim 20, wherein a rotor downstream in a delivery direction of the comminuting material has more striking tools than rotors arranged upstream therefrom.

34. The comminution device according to claim 20, wherein axially or obliquely extending deflector strips are arranged on the comminution chamber wall.

35. The comminution device according to claim 20, wherein the deflection ribs are arranged annularly and/or vertically on an inside of the comminution chamber wall.

36. The comminution device according to claim 20, wherein the supply device comprises a delivery cone covering a central region of the rotors.

37. The comminution device according to claim 36, wherein the delivery cone co-acts with an inlet funnel via an adjustment system to provide a feed gap of adjustable width.

38. The comminution device according to claim 20, wherein at least one dust outlet is arranged in a material outlet of the comminution chamber.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0064] The invention is described below, for example, based on the schematic drawing. The following is shown there:

[0065] FIG. 1A longitudinal section through a first embodiment of a mechanical comminution device of the invention with three rotors;

[0066] FIG. 2A longitudinal section through a second embodiment of a mechanical comminution device similar to FIG. 1 having a material outlet acting as dust outlet;

[0067] FIG. 3A view on the comminution chamber wall from the inside of the comminution chamber in greater detail; and

[0068] FIG. 4A perspective view of an axis with three rotors and a fan rotor from FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0069] FIG. 1 shows a material comminuting and separation device (or comminution device) 10, which has an inlet hopper 11 and a feed cone 12, which are arranged on a cylindrical comminution chamber 14. The gap d between the inlet hopper 11 and the feed cone 12 can preferably be adjusted using a height adjustment system 13 of the inlet hopper 11 in the direction of the cylindrical axis of the comminution chamber, commonly the vertical axis. The height adjustment system 13 is controlled by the device control 15 Both bring about a controlled homogeneous supply of material to the entire range of action of the comminution device, without damaging or wearing down its components, i.e. a complete 360 feeder area in regard to the cylindrical comminution chamber. Under the comminution chamber a material discharge funnel 16 is located. The inlet hopper 11, feed cone 12, comminution chamber 14, and the material discharge funnel 16 are connected with one another and preferably rest on a frame not shown in the Figure. The center axis x of the cylindrical comminution chamber 14, which is also the rotational axis, extends vertically.

[0070] Three concentric shafts 25, 27, and 29 are provided for in the center x of the comminution chamber which is connected to three separate drives located in a drive unit 18, controlled by the device control 15. As can in particular also be inferred from the perspective representation in FIG. 3, these three concentric shafts 25, 27, and 29 are driven by separate drive mechanisms, which are, in the present example, not shown, but which are inherently known and are located in the drive unit 18. The drive mechanisms allow for the three rotors 26, 28, and 30 to be controlled separately by gear wheels 20, 22, and 24 (FIG. 3) with a desired rotational direction and desired rotational speed. Each rotor has a cylindrical rotor casing 34, the diameter of which is identical in the case of all three rotors 26, 28, and 30. Each rotor furthermore contains a fastening device 36 for striking tools 38, which are fastened to the fastening device 36 of the rotors 26, 28, and 30. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the striking tools 38 remain in a horizontal position, i.e. transverse to the rotor axis, independent of the rotation of the rotors. In FIG. 1 the striking tools, e.g. striking bars are mounted to the rotors 26, 28, 30 by chain parts 37. Accordingly, these striking tools 38 hang down during standstill of the comminution device and are moving into radial position driven by rotational force when the rotors 26, 28, 30 rotate.

[0071] The comminution chamber 14 contains a cylindrical comminution chamber wall 42, on the inside of which, facing the comminution chamber, wear plates 44, which protect the comminution chamber wall, may be fastened. The wear plates 44 are preferably attached to the comminution chamber wall in such a way that they can be exchanged. Furthermore, impact bars 46 are arranged to run vertically on the inside wall of the comminution chamber 14 preferably at a distance of 45 degrees, which serve as an impacting surface for the material accelerated through the striking tools 38.

[0072] Deflection ribs 48 are preferably provided for all the way around at a level in the area of the first and second rotors, which are in particular placed in a circular formation on the inside of the comminution chamber wall 42 and serve to guide the flow of material from the comminution chamber wall 42 into the range of action of the striking tools 38.

[0073] While shredded material is discharged through the discharge funnel 16 a large amount of dust, i.e. of a particle/air mixture is generated during the heavy crushing operation of the comminution device 10 inside the comminution chamber 14. This dust is discharged through dust outlets 70, 72, and 74 located in the comminution chamber wall 42, preferably at one or several positions in the circumference of the comminution chamber 14 and preferably at different levels. Thus, first dust outlets 70 are provided below the uppermost rotor 26. Second dust outlets 72 are provided below the second rotor 28 and third dust outlets 74 are provided below the third lowermost rotor 30. All dust outlets 70, 72, and 74 in the chamber wall 42 and the wear plates 44 are open to connection channels 76 tilted upwards as to block the access of heavier particles from the comminution chamber 14. By the upwards extension of the connection channels 76 it is ensured that only dust is really fed through the dust outlets 70, 72, 74. Optionally in each connection channel 76 a shutting valve 78 is arranged to block the corresponding dust outlet 70, 72, and 74. The shutting valves are controlled by the device control 15 via a control line 80. By this means it is possible to gather different dust fractions from different parts of the comminution chamber which might be valuable in extracting certain materials. The connection channels 76 are connected to a collector duct 82 which again is connected to the air flow device 84. The air flow device 84 comprises at least one fan or the like to suck the dust from the comminution chamber 14. The air flow device is connected to an outlet duct 86 via which the particle/air mixture is led to further processing steps or to a recycling/cleaning plant or the like. The further processing also might include further separating devices, e.g. a gravity separator, a rotational separator, e.g. a cyclone, floaters etc.

[0074] A dust sensor 90 can be located in the inlet area of the comminution chamber 14 or in the comminution chamber 14 itself. The dust sensor 90 is connected to the device control and allows a crushing and discharge operation optimized for the fed material and/or optimized in order to contain a certain level of dust during operation and preventing dust discharging out of the inlet area. Of the comminution device 10. The drive unit 18 controlling the speed of the three shafts 25, 27, and 29, the speed of the fan in the air flow device as well as the distance d of the inlet hopper 11 from the feed cone 12 can be controlled by the device control 15 in response to the signals of the dust sensor 90.

[0075] FIG. 2 shows a comminuting device similar to FIG. 1. In contrast to the comminution device having an outlet discharge funnel 16 of FIG. 1, the comminution device 9 of FIG. 2 has a funnel like chamber bottom 93, leading to a material outlet 92 for the discharge of the crushed material. The material outlet 92 is e.g. provided in connection with a conveyor means 94, e.g. a conveyor belt. The collecting duct 82 of the air flow device 84 is connected with a dust outlet 96 in the material outlet 92, which may be used either alone or in combination with the dust outlets 70, 72, 74 in the chamber wall 42. The dust outlet 96 in the material outlet 92 is preferably provided with a grid to avoid the sucking in of larger particles from the material outlet 92.

[0076] FIG. 3 shows a view from the inside of the comminution chamber 14 to the inner side of the chamber wall 42 of the comminution chamber 14. The inner side of the chamber wall 42 is cladded with wear plates 44. The dust outlets 70, 72, and 74 of the comminution device of FIG. 1 or 2 are located preferably below the deflection ribs 48, so that coarser material is deflected by the impact bars 46 away from the dust outlets 70, 72, and 74. The dust outlets 70, 72, and 74 may preferably be covered with a grid 88 to prevent coarser material from entering. As the dust outlets 70, 72, and 74 are connected to upwards extending connection channels 76 any coarser material entering the dust outlets 70, 72, and 74 would, caused by gravity, fall back into the comminution chamber 14. Only fine particles in the particle/air mixture are thus sucked by the air flow device 84 and are forwarded via the outlet duct 86 for further processing of the particles contained in the dust.

[0077] The design of the rotors can be better seen from FIG. 4, which shows a perspective representation of the rotor configuration inserted centrally in FIG. 1 or 2.

[0078] The fastening device 36 of each rotor 26, 28 and 30 preferably comprises four discs 50, 52, 54 and 56 concentric to one another, each of which having holes that are aligned to one another. These concentric holes are penetrated by bolts 60, which pierce through perforations at the inner end of the striking tools 38 facing the rotor and thus pinpoint the latter on the rotor 26, 28, 30. The fastening device 36 may, however, also be designed differently.

[0079] In the present example, in the case of each rotor 26, 28 and 30 the striking tools 38 can be established at three different height positions between the four discs 50, 52, 54 and 56. Even though the rotors 26, 28 and 30 are also provided for identically in the present embodiment, it may also be provided for that the rotors located further down have an increasing number of options for attaching the striking tools or that there are more striking tools suspended from the lower rotors than the upper rotors, as shown in the example. For example, more concentric discs could be constructed on the lower rotors and less concentric discs on the upper rotors. It is, in any event, worthwhile for the density of the striking tools in the lower separating comb area, where high particle speeds prevail, to be greater, whereby the efficiency of the equipment is improved.

[0080] In the present embodiment, baffle plates are provided as striking tools 38, which are attached to the fastening device 36 of the rotors 26, 28, and 30. Instead of baffle plates, link chains or other inherently common striking tools can also be used. When the rotor is still, the striking tools are usually suspended and are pressed outward by the rotational force with an increasing rotational speed, until they attain the operational orientation shown in the figure, in which they point radially outwards from the rotor 26, 28, or 30 respectively in the direction of the comminution chamber wall 42.

[0081] The comminuting mechanism in the comminuting and separation chamber can be set via the rotors 26, 28, and 30, while the flow conditions, and thus also the retention times of the ultrafine particles in the comminution chamber can be set via the gap d between the inlet hopper and the feed cone, as well as via the control of the air flow device, e.g. a fan or fan array. As a result, in order to ensure optimum separation of the components contained in the material conglomerate, it is possible to control the comminuting and separation device in such a way that it is customized for specific material conglomerates.

[0082] The operation of the material comminution device is explained briefly below:

[0083] Material to be separated, e.g. ores containing metal, industrial slag containing metal or slag with metal inclusions, is supplied in a controlled way via the inlet hopper 11 and the feed cone 12, namely by adjusting the gap d by means of vertical adjustment, via the height adjustment system 13, of the inlet hopper 11 of the comminution chamber 14 of the comminution device 10, controlled by the device control 15. The coarse material there initially falls down due to its heavyweight into the outlet discharge funnel 16. Finer material and particles are mixed up in the heavy dust generated during the crushing action and is led via the dust outlets 70, 72, 74, the connection channels 76, the collector duct 84 by the air flow device 84 into the outlet duct 86 for further processing or recycling or discharging according to the value of the particles in the air/particle mixture.

[0084] The rotors 26, 28, and 30 preferably always rotate in opposite directions to one another, i.e. with alternating rotational directions, wherein the rotational speed can preferably increase from top to bottom. The rotational speed of the upper rotor may, for example, amount to 800 revolutions/min, while the middle rotor turns at 1200 revolutions/min and the lower rotor at 1500 revolutions/min. The material that trickles down is partly shredded by the striking tools 38 on the uppermost first rotor 26, and partly accelerated in the circumferential direction of the rotor. The material either collides with the impact bars 46 or the striking tools 38 of the middle rotor 28 turning in the opposite direction, where the particles of material now, due to the prior acceleration by the upper rotor in the opposite direction, collide at a higher speed, as a result of which the comminuting effect is significantly increased. In addition, also in the case of the middle second rotor, the rotational speed may be greater than in the case of the first rotor 26, so that, also, in this case, the impact on the particles of material is greater than in the case of the upper rotor. In addition, the material particles strike the impact bars 46 running vertically, and are likewise shredded there. Material that trickles down in the area of the comminution chamber wall 42 is re-conveyed by the deflection ribs 48 back into the area located further inwards of the comminution chamber 14 radially, where it is guided to the range of action of the striking tools 38. Since the striking tools on each rotor are placed at various heights (see FIG. 3), a very high likelihood of each particle of material colliding with a striking tool is achieved, with makes for good efficiency of the device.

[0085] The lowest, third rotor 30 in the outlet area can rotate at the highest speed. Also in this case it is to be borne in mind that, through the middle, second rotor 28, the material particles are subjected to a greater acceleration in the opposite direction, so that the particles now collide with the lower rotor 30, turning in the opposite direction, at a correspondingly increased counter-speed. Preferably most of the striking tools 38 are located in the area of the lower rotor 30, so that there is a high likelihood here of particles colliding with striking tools 30 or with the vertical impact bars 46. This leads to a very effective comminuting of material.

[0086] The invention is not limited to the present embodiment, but variations are possible within the scope of protection of the following claims.

[0087] Very high amounts of impact energy of material conglomerates to be separated against the striking tools are achieved with the invention, wherein the particles broken up can be effectively conveyed for further preparation. In addition, the material separation can be controlled by effectively regulating the material flow, in particular the flow of ultrafine particles.

[0088] In particular, the number and distribution of the striking tools may differ from the example shown. Various different striking tools, such as chains and baffle plates, may be used. Very many more striking tools may be distributed over the circumference in the area of the lowest rotor than in the areas further up. This leads, in the area of the third section, to an increased likelihood of collisions.

[0089] The comminution chamber wall can have a sector that can be opened, in order to make access to the comminution chamber possible, for example, for undertaking maintenance work. Consumable parts, such as the striking tools 38 or the wear plates 44, can thus be much more easily exchanged.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0090] 9 comminution devicesecond embodiment [0091] 10 comminution devicefirst embodiment [0092] 11 inlet hopperinlet funnel [0093] 12 delivery cone [0094] 13 adjustment system for moving the inlet hopper to adjust the width d of the feed gap [0095] 14 comminution chamber [0096] 15 device control [0097] 16 material outlet funnel [0098] 18 drive unit containing the separate drives for the separate rotor shafts [0099] 20 upper rotor gear [0100] 22 middle rotor gear [0101] 24 lower rotor gear [0102] 25 shaft of the upper rotor [0103] 26 shaft of the middle rotor [0104] 27 shaft of the lower rotor [0105] 28 upper rotor [0106] 29 middle rotor [0107] 30 lower rotor [0108] 34 rotor casing [0109] 36 fastening device for the striking tools [0110] 37 connecting chain members of the striking tools in FIG. 1 [0111] 38 striking tools [0112] 42 comminution chamber wall [0113] 44 wear plates at the inner side of the comminution chamber wall [0114] 46 vertical deflection ribsimpact bars [0115] 48 annular deflection ribs [0116] 50 first disc of the fastening device [0117] 52 second disc of the fastening device [0118] 54 third disc of the fastening device [0119] 56 fourth disc of the fastening device [0120] 60 bolts extending between aligned holes in the disc penetrating a hole in the striking tool [0121] 70 upper dust outlet(s) [0122] 72 middle dust outlet(s) [0123] 74 lower dust outlets) [0124] 76 connection channels [0125] 78 shutting valves in the connection channels [0126] 80 control line for the shutting valves [0127] 82 collecting duct [0128] 84 air flow device [0129] 86 outlet duct [0130] 88 grid in the dust outlets [0131] 90 dust sensor [0132] 92 material outlet [0133] 93 funnel like chamber bottom [0134] 94 conveyor belt [0135] 96 dust outlet in the material outlet [0136] d width of the feed gap