CONTROL OF CRUSHING CIRCUITS WITH VARIABLE SPEED DRIVES

Abstract Crushers play an important role in the comminution of minerals and the control of its operation can lead to an increase of the plant throughput and efficiency. This work presents a simple but effective method for controlling a crusher circuit by acting over the feeder and the speed of the conveyor belt carrying out the mineral up to the crusher. Guidelines for tuning the strategy as well as practical issues, are discussed and illustrated. A detailed simulation of an existing crushing plant is used to test the proposed approach and to compare its performance with existing industrial strategies.