Gyratory crusher including a variable speed drive and control system

A gyratory crusher operable to reduce the size of material fed into an open feed end of the crusher from a dump hopper, comprising:

• a stationary outer shell having an interior crushing surface;
• a mainshaft having a mantle including an exterior crushing surface that creates a crushing gap with the interior crushing surface of the outer shell;
• an eccentric positioned to surround a portion of the mainshaft;
• a variable frequency drive coupled to the eccentric to create rotation of the eccentric and the mainshaft;
• a level sensor positioned to detect a level of material within the open feed end of the crusher;
• a camera positioned above the open feed end of the crusher and operable to detect the size of the material fed from the dump hopper into the open feed end of the crusher;
• and
• a control system for controlling the rotational speed of the eccentric through control of the variable frequency drive, wherein the control system is in communication with the level sensor and the camera and is operable to control the rotational speed of the eccentric based on the detected size of the material.