# US 2013/0153694 A1 · Method for Controlling a Mill System Having at Least One Mill, in Particular an Ore Mill or Cement Mill > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0153694 A1 - Document ID: US20130153694A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/819,259 - Filed: 2011-07-22 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-02 - Inventors: Harald Held; Michael Metzger; Florian Steinke - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153694A1 ## CPC - B02C 25/00: Control arrangements specially adapted for crushing or disintegrating - B02C 17/1805: {Monitoring devices for tumbling mills} - B02C 23/18: Adding fluid, other than for crushing or disintegrating by fluid energy ({for tumbling mills B02C17/186;} feeding devices B02C23/02) - G05B 15/02: electric - G05B 2219/32021: Energy management, balance and limit power to tools - Y02P 40/10: Production of cement, e.g. improving or optimising the production methods; Cement grinding - Y02P 70/10: Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working - Y02P 80/10: Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier - Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] - B02C: CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN ({household tools and machines for pulverising foodstuffs, e.g. coffee and spice mills A47J42/00; pharmaceutical mortars A61J3/02; mechanical processing of refuse and garbage B03B9/06; dressing mould materials by grinding B22C5/04}; obtaining metallic powder by crushing, grinding or milling B22F9/04; {recovery of plastics by disintegrating B29B17/00; crushing raw materials in starch making C08B30/02; beaters for papermaking D21D1/02; crushing devices specially for transport in mines E21F13/002; slag crushing devices F23J1/00; fuel milling devices in combustion apparatus F23K1/00; household devices for crushing coal F24B15/02; ice disintegrating devices F25C5/02}) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A method is disclosed for controlling a mill system having at least one mill, e.g., an ore mill or cement mill, wherein electrical power is drawn from a power network to rotate at least one mill body for comminuting a material fed to the at least one mill body. One or more control variables of the mill system are regulated such that the power drawn from the power network corresponds to a predetermined setpoint power draw-off for the mill system. The method may provide control power in the power network for compensating for fluctuations in energy generation due to increased use of regenerative energies. The method may be used, e.g., to regulate high energy mill systems, e.g., tube mills, SAG mills, or ball mills, such that even relatively large quantities can be made available as control power in the power network. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling a mill system having at least one ore mill or cement mill, wherein electrical power is drawn from a power supply network and supplied to the mill system to rotate at least one mill body to comminute a material fed to the at least one mill body, the method comprising: predetermining a setpoint power draw to be drawn from the power supply network; and using a controller to control one or more control variables of the mill system such that a power drawn from the power supply network corresponds to the predetermined setpoint power draw. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one mill comprises at least one of a tube mill, an SAG mill, and a ball mill. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising controlling the one or more control variables to obtain at least one of a minimum throughput of milled material and a minimum quality of the milled material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the mill system provides controlling power to the power supply network, the predetermined setpoint power draw is specified by a predetermined controlling power demand in the power supply network, and the one or more control variables of the mill system are controlled such that the power drawn from the power supply network is reduced by the predetermined controlling power demand. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined controlling power demand is at least one of (a) detected by the mill system and (b) signaled to the mill system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the setpoint power draw is specified by a predetermined power range, and wherein the one or more control variables of the mill system are controlled such that the power drawn from the power supply network is within the predetermined power range. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising controlling one or more of the following variables as control variables: a rotational speed of the at least one mill body; a quantity of material fed to the at least one mill body during a rotation of the at least one mill body; a quantity of water fed to the at least one mill body during a rotation of the at least one mill body; and a setting of one or more hydrocyclone units used in the mill system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising optimizing the one or more control variables based on at least one of the following optimization targets: a lowest possible energy consumption of the mill system per unit of mass of milled material, a largest possible throughput of milled material, a highest possible quality of the milled material, and a lowest possible wear of the mill system, wherein a secondary condition of the optimization specifies that the power drawn from the power supply network corresponds to the setpoint power draw. ### Claim 9 (canceled) ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more control variables are controlled using a model predictive controller, which is based on an overall model of the mill and which forecasts one or more operating variables of the mill system based on changes in the one or more control variables. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, comprising adapting the overall model during an operation of the mill system by continuous consideration of operating variables of the mill. ### Claim 12 The device for controlling a mill system, having at least one ore mill or cement mill, wherein electrical power is drawn from a power supply network and supplied to the mill system to rotate at least one mill body to comminute material fed to the at least one mill body, the device comprising: a controller configured to control one or more control variables of the mill system based on a predetermined setpoint power draw for the mill system such that a power drawn from the power supply network corresponds to the setpoint power draw. ### Claim at position 13 13-14. (canceled) ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to control the one or more control variables to obtain at least one of a minimum throughput of milled material and a minimum quality of the milled material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12, wherein: the mill system provides controlling power to the power supply network, the predetermined setpoint power draw is specified by a predetermined controlling power demand in the power supply network, and the controller is configured to control the one or more control variables such that the power drawn from the power supply network is reduced by the predetermined controlling power demand. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16, wherein the predetermined controlling power demand is at least one of (a) detected by the mill system and (b) signaled to the mill system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12, wherein the setpoint power draw is specified by a predetermined power range, and wherein the controller is configured to control the one or more control variables such that the power drawn from the power supply network is within the predetermined power range. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to control one or more of the following variables as control variables: a rotational speed of the at least one mill body; a quantity of material fed to the at least one mill body during a rotation of the at least one mill body; a quantity of water fed to the at least one mill body during a rotation of the at least one mill body; and a setting of one or more hydrocyclone units used in the mill system. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to control the one or more control variables based on at least one of the following optimization targets: a lowest possible energy consumption of the mill system per unit of mass of milled material, a largest possible throughput of milled material, a highest possible quality of the milled material, and a lowest possible wear of the mill system, wherein a secondary condition of the optimization specifies that the power drawn from the power supply network corresponds to the setpoint power draw. ### Claim 21 A mill system, comprising: at least one mill body, a power supply network configured to supply power to rotate the at least one mill body to comminute material fed to the at least one mill body, and a controller configured to control one or more control variables of the mill system based on a predetermined setpoint power draw for the mill system such that a power drawn from the power supply network corresponds to the setpoint power draw.