Performance analysis of an experimental laboratory-scale eccentric roll crusher and a preliminary DEM-MBD coupled simulation method validation

Abstract

Currently, there are limited publicly available crushing test data for the eccentric roll crushers, and their performance on hard ores is unknown. During the crushing process, the roll body of the eccentric roll crusher rotates in the opposite direction under the influence of crushing forces, which aims to reduce wear on the roll surface. However, owing to the complexity of the motion relationships, the mechanical behaviour of the roll body cannot be accurately simulated by the discrete element method (DEM) alone. To address this issue, a coupled discrete element method (DEM)-multibody dynamics (MBD) simulation method considering the kinematic properties of the rolling body is proposed. A qualitative and quantitative comparison between the simulation process and experimental results reveals a maximum relative error of 16.0%, thereby validating the accuracy of the method.

Additionally, the effects of various parameters on the performance of an eccentric roll crusher were explored, and laboratory-scale crushing experiments on iron ore were conducted. The effects of the eccentric shaft speed (n) and closed side setting (CSS) on the performance metrics of the eccentric roll crusher—specifically, the productivity, power, crushing force, and particle size distribution—were systematically studied, establishing quantitative relationships among these variables. According to the results of this experiment, the productivity first increases and then decreases as the eccentric shaft speed increases, whereas it continues to increase as the CSS increases. The power consistently increases with increasing eccentric shaft speed but decreases as the CSS increases. The crushing force varies little with eccentric shaft speed, but decreases with increasing CSS. Moreover, the weighted average particle size decreases with the increasing in eccentric shaft speed and closed side setting. These findings have important implications for guiding the production of industrial-scale eccentric roll crushers.