Grabs and Cohesive Bulk Solids: Virtual prototyping using a validated co-simulation

Due to the high demand of iron ore products in the steel industry, they have the largest share in dry bulk trading per year, above coal and grains. Approximately 9000 Cape-size bulk carriers with capacities up to 400 000 tonnes (DWT) transport the annual demand of iron ore to destination ports. Grabs are employed extensively to unload iron ore...

A validated co-simulation of grab and moist iron ore cargo: Replicating the cohesive and stress-history dependent behaviour of bulk solids

The traditional design approach of grabs and other bulk handling equipment consists of manufacturing and testing physical prototypes. A novel design approach is to use a co-simulation of MultiBody Dynamics (MBD) and Discrete Element Method (DEM), in which the virtual prototype of a new concept interacts with bulk solids. Therefore, this study...

Systematic design optimization of grabs considering bulk cargo variability

Ship unloader grabs are usually designed using the manufacturer's in-house knowledge based on a traditional physical prototyping approach. The grab performance depends greatly on the properties of the bulk material being handled. By considering the bulk cargo variability in the design process, the grab performance can be improved...

Bulk properties variability and interdependency determination for cohesive iron ore

An ideal unit of bulk transport or storage equipment is able to handle cohesive iron ore with consistent productivity. In practice, however, uncontrollable bulk property variations affect the productivity. Therefore, it is important to understand the effect of uncontrollable variations on the process. This study quantifies variability and...

The role of charge reversal of iron ore tailing sludge on the flocculation tendency of sediments in marine environment

In the mining industry, tailings are conventionally stored in artificial ponds that are susceptible to ruptures, as occurred in Southeast Brazil in November 2015. The Fundão failure dumped approximately 40 million m³ of very fine iron-rich tailing material into the Doce River watershed, where part reached the adjacent continental...

Review and data evaluation for high-temperature reduction of iron oxide particles in suspension

High-temperature reduction processes of iron oxide particles suspension are promising in carbon emission abatement. Recently, researchers have contributed abundant knowledge of the reaction mechanism and kinetics of iron oxide particles above 1473 K, while there was very limited information 10 years ago. Although the understanding of the high...

DEM particle upscaling for large-scale bulk handling equipment and material interaction

Purpose: The development of bulk material handling equipment can be accelerated and made less expensive when testing of virtual prototypes is adopted. However, the modelling of a grab unloader requires a large volume (77 m3) of iron ore pellets, making the computational costs prohibitive. This paper investigates the extent to which the...

A consolidation-penetration test for wedge-shaped penetration tools

Grabs are often used for unloading bulk carriers that deliver iron ore cargoes. The grabbing process starts with cutting the free surface of the bulk iron ore. For that reason, the initial penetration depth of the grabs' knives into the material is an important success factor in their filling ratio. The resistance to penetration is influenced...

Feasibility Study On Transport of Iron Ore Using The Paraguay-Paraná River System

In this report, the findings of a feasibility study for iron ore transport from the Mutún and Urucum deposits in Bolivia and Brazil, via the Paraguay-Paraná waterway, are discussed. The most economical logistic solution is looked for and then compared to the market prices to determine feasibility. In this solution the characteristics of the...

Virtual prototyping of grabs: Co-simulations of discrete element and rigid body models

This dissertation has investigated whether a combination of DEM and MBD can be used for a reliable and accurate environment for predicting grab unloading performance. A grab is a type of bulk material handling equipment used for unloading materials such as coal and iron ore from vessel to shore. Both a grab and iron ore pellets have been...

Experimental Study of the Melting and Reduction Behaviour of Ore Used in the HIsarna Process

The HIsarna is a coal-based smelting reduction process for ironmaking to drastically reduce CO2 emission and is one of the most promising alternative ironmaking processes under development in the world. The furnace consists of two inter-connected reactors: i) a smelting cyclone, ii) a smelting reduction vessel. The smelting cyclone is expected...

A Cash-Flow Analysis and Profitability Study on a Peer-Group of Mining Companies

In this study a cash-flow analysis is done in order to establish the cash sources and sinks of a peer group of mining companies in the iron ore sector. The peer-group ranges from junior companies to major mining companies. The study also looked in to the performance and profitability of the peer group using ROCE and share prices as indicators....

An optimised iron ore grinding strategy based on balling fundamentals

In order to meet the future demand of pellets for the blast furnace, the output of the grinding circuit of the Tata Steel IJmuiden pellet plant needs to be increased. As the power consumption of the grinding circuit is already at its maximum, the grinding itself and/or the grinding strategy needs to be optimised, leading to a higher circuit...

The pentration of iron ore pellets: calibrating descrete element parameters using penetration tests

Upgrading of iron ore jetty

The jetty, discussed in this report, has to be adapted to meet new demands. The jetty is owned and operated by P.T. Krakatau Steel (P.T.K.S.). It is used for transferring iron ore. P.T.K.S. intends to increase the steel production in the coming years and therefore wants to upgrade a certain part of the jetty. The jetty exists of three smaller...