Improvement of kilns for drying mineral raw materials through computerized optimization of two-phase ejection

For increasing competitiveness of the mining and metallurgical sector, it is highly topical to improve efficiency of process flow diagrams involved in pre-treatment of original mineral raw materials. A promising way of decreasing consumption of heat carrier and enhancing drying efficiency is optimization of distribution of a source material in the feeder, geometrical parameters of the material, aero-thermodynamics of interaction between the source material particles and atmospheric air and a heat carrier, ensuring formation of a required structure at the kiln inlet and elimination of ejection processes. The current design procedures for feeders and supply headers of the direct flow heat carrier to the drying kiln, and mathematical models of interaction between the atmospheric air, mineral raw material and heat carrier neglect the influence exerted on the ejection process by the mass transport, impulse and energy in the phase transformation in two-phase media, conditioned by a high temperature gradient between the atmospheric air and heat carrier, and by the high moisture of mineral particles. This article proposes a computerized optimization procedure in Discrete Phase Model in the Euler–Lagrange form of aero-thermodynamic processes of ejection in two-phase media in kiln feeders, in interaction with their geometrical parameters with regard to the mass transport, impulse and energy in the phase transformation, conditioned by high moisture of mineral particles and by high temperature gradients between the atmospheric air and heat carrier. Upgrading of the feeder of vertical mine drying kiln No. 9 at Kostanay Minerals JSC using the proposed procedure made it possible to decrease the air ejection to zero, the heat carrier consumption by 28% and the power consumption by 15%. 

Nurkhozhaev E. S., Zotov V. V., Makarov V. N., Makarov N. V. Improvement of kilns for drying mineral raw materials through computerized optimization of two-phase ejection. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2026;(10):114-125. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2026_10_0_114.

E.S. Nurkhozhaev, Chairman of the Board, Kostanay Minerals JSC, Zhitikara, Republic of Kazakhstan, e-mail: nm_ekb@mail.ru, 
V.V. Zotov, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Head of Chair, NUST MISIS, 119049, Moscow, Russia, e-mail: zotov@misis.ru,
V.N. Makarov, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor, Ural State Mining University, Ekaterinburg, Russia, e-mail: uk.intelnedra@gmail.com, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-3785-5569,
N.V. Makarov, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, Director, Ventilation Ecology Safety LLC, Ekaterinburg, Russia, e-mail: mnikolay84@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7039-6272.

N.V. Makarov, e-mail: mnikolay84@mail.ru.

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