PREDICTION OF POWER-CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCT SIZE IN CONE CRUSHING

An investigation of the parameters affecting the performance of laboratory scale cone crushers is presented. This work forms part of a rock characterisation initiative undertaken by Pegson Ltd. and the Camborne School of Mines. The effect of feed size, closed side setting and rock strength on the power consumption and product size is examined. Rock strength is characterised via a series of tests used in mining and associated areas. Certain rock strength parameters have been found to correlate closely with power consumption and product size. These parameters are then combined with closed side setting to produce predictive equations. These equations are capable of predicting power consumption and eighty percent passing size of product for a range of closed side settings. The predictive equations are presented as a series of three dimensional graphs. The graphs allow the design engineer to envisage the variation in power and product size with variation in operating parameters. In addition to predicting the eighty percent passing product size, a method of predicting the full product grading is presented. This method is based on the Rosin-Rammler-Bennett distribution. The prediction of power consumption and product size/grading is based on a geotechnical approach developed by Pegson Ltd. and applied to the design and selection of crushing circuits.