BACKGROUND

The invention relates to grinding mills, and more particularly to open- ended grinding mills.

Grinding mills, specifically semi autogenous and autogenous mills, rely on their ability to generate impact breakage of the ore charge and transport the ground material through the discharge pulp lifters out of the mill. It is common with increasing mill diameters and flow rates for the discharge arrangement to restrict the performance of the mill by limiting material transfer rates and grind ing efficiency. This is due to an inability to transport the ground material through the grate and pulp lifters limiting the transfer rate due to slurry flow back/short circuiting and carry over. The impact of this restriction in mill flow rate is a reduc tion in mill performance (product size) due to the resulting slurry pool which dis sipates the energy of the balls/ore impacting the toe of the charge.

Open-ended mills can provide a solution to this problem removing the need for pulp lifters such that slurry can flow unhindered though the grate and out of the mill. However, this approach has been limited to very small grinding mills, as the open-ended design, and especially grates used in such open-ended grinding mills, have not been sufficiently stiff to support larger charge loads.

Using the solutions currently known in the art, Open-ended Grinding Mill technology is limited to small grinding mills only, or only partially open end grinding mills.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

An object of the present invention to provide a new grate support ele ment, a grate support structure and an open-ended grinding mill, which are char acterized by what is stated in the independent claims. Some preferred embodi ments are disclosed in the dependent claims.

The invention is based on the idea of providing a discharge end of an open-ended grinding mill with grate support elements designed to form a conical shape protruding outwards from the volume of a grinding mill shell, when a plu rality of such grate support elements are mounted at the discharge end of the open-ended grinding mill.

An advantage of the new grate support element, the new grate support structure and the new open-ended grinding mill is that a more open grate can be provided when compared to the known open-ended mill solutions provided with flat vertical end plate, without compromising the stiffness of the grate and the grinding mill including the bearing journal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following the invention will be described in greater detail by means of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 illustrates schematically a grinding mill seen from a side;

Figure 2 illustrates schematically an open-ended grinding mill seen from the second end;

Figure 3 shows a part of an open-ended grinding mill in perspective;

Figure 4 shows a detail from a discharge end of an open-ended grind ing mill in perspective;

Figure 5 shows a detail from a discharge end of an open-ended grind- ing mill shown from a side of the grinding mill;

Figure 6 shows a discharge end of an open-ended grinding mill shown as an exploded view;

Figure 7 shows a grate support element according to an example of an embodiment in perspective; Figure 8 shows a grate panel according to an example of an embodi ment in perspective,

Figure 9 illustrates a cross section of a grate support element; and

Figure 10 illustrates a cross section of another grate support element.

The drawings are intended to illustrate the main principles described in this description and the embodiments only. The drawings are schematic and not shown in scale, and not all the similar features are provided with reference numbers in the drawings for sake of clarity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 illustrates schematically a grinding mill 2. Figure 2 illustrates schematically a grinding mill 2 seen from a second end 10, in other words the dis charge end 10 of the grinding mill. Figures 1 and 2 only show some features of the grinding mill 1 that help understanding the current solution. It is clear for a per son skilled in the art that a grinding mill may and usually does comprise other features as well. A grinding mill 2, such as the grinding mill of Figure 1, comprises a drum comprising a cylindrical shell 11. In a grinding mill 2 of the current solution, the longitudinal axis 9 of the drum is arranged in a substantially horizontal posi tion in a use position of the grinding mill 2. The longitudinal axis 9 of the drum refers to the axis extending along the centre line of the shell 11 from one end of the cylinder-shaped shell to another. Horizontal position refers to the longitudinal axis 9 extending in a substantially horizontal direction. In other words, the longi tudinal axis 9 extends in a direction that is closer to a horizontal direction than a vertical direction. The use position refers to a position the grinding mill 2 is ar ranged in when used for grinding, for instance for ore grinding, in a production environment.

The drum comprises a first end 14 at the feed end of the shell and a second end at the discharge end 10 of the shell. The feed end refers to the end at which the material to be ground is fed into the drum. The discharge end refers to the end at which the ground material is discharged from the drum. In wet grind- ing applications the discharged material comprising ground material and possibly liquids is also called slurry in this application.

The grinding mill 2 may comprise various process duties including but not limited to a ball mill, a pebble mill, an autogenous mill (AG mill), or a semi- autogenous mill (SAG mill). Working principles of such grinding mills are known and are not explained in more detail in this description.

The grinding mill 2 typically further comprises a bearing 15 support ing the drum at the discharge end 10. The bearing 15 may comprise any suitable type of bearing, such as a rolling element bearing, a hydrostatic bearing or a hy drodynamic bearing. It should also be noted that the grinding mill 2 may also have additional bearings supporting the drum and/or other parts of the grinding mill 2. Such bearings 15 for supporting the drum of the grinding mill are known as such and are not explained in more detail.

A grinding mill 2 may be an open-ended grinding mill. Open-ended grinding mill refers to a grinding mill that does not have a discharge trunnion, pulp lifters to lift the ground material to the discharge trunnion or a solid dis charge head plate. An open-ended grinding mill may comprise a discharge grate 16 instead of the discharge trunnion, pulp lifter and solid discharge head plate, whereby the ground material is discharged through the discharge grate 16. In a fully open-ended grinding mill, there is no need to lift the ground material to dis- charge it. According to another embodiment, the open-ended grinding mill 2 may comprise a partial head plate 23 at the discharge end. Such a grinding mill may also be called a semi-open-ended grinding mill. A semi-open-ended grinding mill may be similar to the fully open-ended grinding mill, but it may have a partial head plate 23 at the discharge end of the shell extending partially from a perime ter of the shell 11 towards the longitudinal axis 9 of the drum, but without a dis- charge trunnion and no traditional pulp lifters. The partial head plate 23 at the discharge end 10 of the shell 11 may extend a distance of preferably less than 50 percent, more preferably less than 30 percent and most preferably less than 15 percent of the length the radius 24 of the shell from the edge of the shell 11 to wards the longitudinal axis 9 of the drum. The area of the discharge end 10 of the drum extending from the inner edge of the partial head plate 23 towards the lon gitudinal axis 9 of the drum may define a discharge opening. The discharge open ing may be provided with a discharge grate 16. In both types of open-ended grinding mills, in other words in both fully open-ended and semi-open-ended grinding mills, the ground material may, thus, be discharged from the discharge grate 16 straight to the atmosphere.

Figure 3 shows a part of a grinding mill 2, more particularly a part of an open-ended grinding mill 2, in perspective. Figure 4 shows a detail from a dis charge end of an open-ended grinding mill in perspective, Figure 5 shows a detail from a discharge end of an open-ended grinding mill shown from a side of the grinding mill, and Figure 6 shows a discharge end of an open-ended grinding mill shown as an exploded view. Figure 7 shows a grate support element according to an example of an embodiment, and Figure 8 shows a grate panel according to an example of an embodiment.

According to an aspect and referring to the Figures 3 to 8, for example, a grate support element 1 for an open-ended grinding mill 2 comprises an outer perimeter section 3, an inner section 4, and at least one vane 5. The vane 5 is con figured to extend between the outer perimeter section 3 and the inner section 4 in such a manner that the vane 5 has an inner section side end connected to the inner section 4 and an outer perimeter section side end connected to the outer perimeter section 3 of the grate support element. The vane 5 extending between the outer perimeter section 3 and the inner section 4 in such a manner that the vane 5 has an inner section side end connected to the inner section 4 and an outer perimeter section side end connected to the outer perimeter section 3 refers to the vane having a first end at the outer perimeter section and another end a sec- ond end at the inner section of the grate support element.

The vane 5 is angled with respect to a plane 7 defined by the outer edge 8 of the outer perimeter section 3 in such a manner that the inner section 4 is configured to be provided outwards from the plane 7 defined by the outer edge 8 of the outer perimeter section 3, when the grate support element 1 is mounted to the open-ended grinding mill 2. Thus, the vane 5 is angled with respect to a plane defined by the outer perimeter of the grate support element 1. In other words, the inner section 4 protrudes outwards from the grinding mill volume, when the grate support element 1 is mounted to the open-ended grinding mill 2, more particularly at a discharge end 10 of the open-ended grinding mill 2.

The grate support element 1, thus, refers to an element configured to be mounted at a discharge end 10 of a shell 11 of the open-ended grinding mill 2 and to support one or more grate panel(s) 20 of the open-ended grinding mill 2. The inner section 4 refers to the section of the grate support element 1, which is provided at the end of the grate support element 1 that is directed towards the middle 12 of the cross section of the grinding mill 2 at the discharge end 10, when the grate support element 1 is mounted to the grinding mill 2. Similarly, the outer perimeter section 3 refers to the section of the grate support element 1, which is provided at the end of the grate support element 1 that is directed away from the middle 12 of the cross section of the grinding mill 2 at the discharge end 10, when the grate support element 1 is mounted to the grinding mill 2, in other words at the distal end of the grate support element 1.

According to an embodiment, the vane 5 extends between the outer perimeter section 3 and the inner section 4 in a direction radial with respect to the cross section of the grinding mill 2 in the transverse direction. In such an em bodiment, the vanes 5 may thus be configured to extend radially from the outer perimeter of the discharge end of the shell 11, when a plurality of grate support elements 1 or one or more grate support elements 1 comprising a plurality of vanes 5 are mounted to the grinding mill 2.

According to an embodiment, the vane 5 extends between the outer perimeter section 3 and the inner perimeter section 4 in a curved manner. In such embodiments, the vanes may be configured to curve for instance in a direction of a plane defined by the vanes 5 or in a direction transverse to the direction of the plane defined by the vanes 5. The plane defined by the vanes refers to a plane de fined by the direction, in which the vane 5 extends from the outer perimeter sec tion 3 towards the inner perimeter section 4. Thus, a curve in a direction of the plane refers to the vane being curved, or angled, with respect to the radial direc tion directed from the outer perimeter edge 8 towards the middle 12 of the of the cross section of the grinding mill 2, when the grate support element 1 is mounted to a grinding mill 2. The vane 5 may for instance be configured to extend from the outer perimeter section 3 towards the inner perimeter section in a spiralling manner. Similarly, a curve in a direction transverse to the direction of the plane defined by the vanes 5 refers to the vane 5 being configured to be curved towards and/or outwards from the volume of the grinding mill 2, when mounted to the grinding mill 2. According to an embodiment, the angle or the curvature may vary along the length of the vane 5.

According to an embodiment, the angle 13 between the vane 5 and the plane 7 defined by the outer edge 8 of the outer perimeter section 3 is in the range of 5 to 30 degrees. In other words, the vane 5 protrudes outwards from the grinding mill volume, in other words from the inside of the shell 11, at an angle 13 in the range of 5 to 30 degrees, when the grate support element 1 is mounted to the open-ended grinding mill 2, more particularly at a discharge end 10 of the open-ended grinding mill 2.

According to an embodiment, the angle 13 between the vane 5 and the plane 7 defined by the outer edge 8 of the outer perimeter section 3 varies at one, two or more points 14 along the length of the vane or continuously over the length of the vane. In other words, the angle 13 between the vane 5 and the plane 7 defined by the outer edge 8 of the outer perimeter section 3 may be different at different portions 15, 16 of the length of the vane 5 along the length of the vane 5 extending from the outer perimeter section 3 towards the inner section 4. In oth er words, according to an embodiment, one, two or more points 14 may be pro vided along the length of the vane 5, where the angle 13 is configured to change. According to another embodiment, the angle 13 between the vane 5 and the plane 7 defined by the outer edge 8 of the outer perimeter section 3 may be arranged to vary continuously over the length of the vane 5. In such an embodiment, the vane 5 may thus be angled in a curved manner with respect to the plane 7 defined by the outer edge 8 of the outer perimeter section 3. In a further embodiment, the vane 5 may comprise a same angle with respect to the plane 7 defined by the out er edge 8 of the outer perimeter section 3 along a first portion 15 of the length of the vane 5 and a continuously varying angle along a second portion 16 of the length of the vane 5. Depending on the embodiment, the first portion 15 and the second portion 16 of the length of the vane 5 may together for a part of the length of the vane 5 or the whole length of the vane 5. Depending on the embodiment, the first portion 15 or the second portion 16 may be provided on the outer pe- rimeter section 3 side, in other words closer to the outer perimeter of the grate support element 1. Embodiments with such points 14 and portions 15, 16 are shown in Figures 9 and 10, wherein Figure 9 illustrates a cross section of a grate support element and Figure 10 illustrates a cross section of another grate support element.

According to an embodiment, the grate support element 1 comprises a shape of a conical wheel or a conical disc, or a shape of a section of a conical wheel or a conical disc. The grate support element 1 comprising a shape of a section of a conical wheel or a conical disc refers to such a shape that a plurality of grate sup- port elements 1 arranged adjacently to one other in such a manner, that their in ner sections 4 are directed to a common middle point and their outer perimeter sections 3 are directed away from the common middle point, form a conical wheel shape or a conical disc shape.

According to an embodiment, the vane 5 is angled with respect to a second plane 17 defined by the inner section 4, in addition to being angled with respect to the plane 7 defined by the outer perimeter section 3. Depending on the embodiment, the plane 7 defined by the outer perimeter section 3 may or may not be parallel with respect to the second plane 17 defined by the inner section 4. In other words, the second angle 18 between the vane 5 and the second plane 17 defined by the inner section 4 may be the same as the angle 13 between the vane 5 and the plane 7 defined by the outer perimeter section 3, such as in Figure 5, for example, or it may be different.

According to another embodiment, the vane 5 may not be angled with respect to a second plane 17 defined by the inner section 4. In other words, the inner section 4 and the vane 5 may have the same angle with respect to the plane 7 defined by the outer perimeter section 3.

According to an embodiment, the inner section 4 connecting the vanes 5 at the middle end of the grate support element 1 is configured to form a ring like inner perimeter for the grate support element, such as in the embodiments of Figures 3 to 6. According to another embodiment, the inner section 4 connecting the vanes 5 at the middle end of the grate support element 1 is configured to form a solid round centre part for the grate support element 1.

According to an embodiment, the vane 5 is provided with at least two openings 19 along its length for attaching the grate support element 1 to a grate panel 20. According to a further embodiment, the vane 5 comprises at least one recess (not shown) and the openings 19 are provided in such a recess in such a manner that at least a part of a head of a bolt provided in the opening 19 is pro vided in the recess.

According to an embodiment, the grate support element 1 and a grate panel 20 are attached fixedly to one another to form a uniform structure. Accord - ing to another embodiment, one grate support element 1 alone forms a grate sup port structure 22.

According to an embodiment, a grate support structure 22 comprises at least two grate support elements 1 described in this description and the ac companying drawings. According to an embodiment, grate support elements 1 described in this description are arranged radially along the periphery of a grate support structure 22 such as to form a disc-like or wheel-like grate support structure 22 comprising a conical shape, wherein the middle of the grate support structure 22 extends outwards from the plane 7 formed by the periphery of the grate support structure 22, when the grate support structure 22 is mounted on the grinding mill 2. The plane 7 formed by the periphery of the grate support structure 22 is, thus, the same plane 7 that is defined by the outer perimeter sections 3 of the grate support elements 1 forming the grate support structure 22.

According to an embodiment, the grate support structure 22 compris- es an aperture 23 in the middle part of the grate support structure 22, the aper ture 23 being defined by the inner section(s) 4 of the grate support element(s) 1, more particularly defined by inner perimeters of inner sections 4 configured to form a ring-like inner perimeter. According to an embodiment, the aperture 23 has a diameter in a range of 0 to 50 percent of the diameter 24 of the outer pe- rimeter of the grate support structure 22.

According to an embodiment, an open-ended grinding mill 2 compris es a grate support structure 22 and/or at least one grate support element 1 de scribed in this description. According to an embodiment, such an open-ended grinding mill 2 further comprises a grate 25 and a cylindrical shell 11, and the grate support structure 22 is mounted to the grate 25 and the cylindrical shell 11. According to a further embodiment, the grate support structure 22 is mounted removably at least to the cylindrical shell 11.

According to an embodiment, a grate panel 20 may comprise the whole sector or segment of the grate 25 or two or more grate panels may be con- figured to be mounted adjacent to one another in a radial direction along a vane 5 of a grate support element 1 and/or circumferentially. In other words, the grate 25 may comprise one or more grate panels. The discharge grate 16 may, thus, comprise at least the grate 25 comprising at least one grate panel 20 and at least one grate support structure 22 comprising at least one grate support element 1.

According to an embodiment, in an open-ended grinding mill 2 de- scribed in this description, the middle part of the grate support structure 22 com prising the inner section 4 of the grate support structure 22 extends outwards from the cylindrical shell 11. More particularly, in such an embodiment, the mid dle part of the grate support structure 22 comprising the inner section 4 of the grate support structure 22 extends outwards from the cylindrical shell 11 in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical shell 11.

It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that, as the technology advances, the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways. The inven tion and its embodiments are not limited to the examples described above but may vary within the scope of the claims.