Abstract

The minerals processing and aggregate industry have relied on steady-state population and mass balance simulators for decades. However, accurately modeling new processes remains a critical challenge that hinders innovation and decision-making in the industry. In recent years, time-dynamic simulators have been developed, which offer more accurate predictions of process variability and performance, as well as the ability to introduce regulators and control algorithms. Yet, these still require simplified process models of each unit in the system. The development of high-performance discrete element method (DEM) solvers with advanced particle physics models presents a new opportunity to model complete comminution and classification processes. In this paper, we discuss the potential, challenges, and current limitations of using DEM for advanced dynamic process and equipment evaluation, exemplified by a coarse comminution crushing and screening case. We demonstrate the methodology using a GPU polyhedral DEM implementation with a boundary-volume hierarchy (BVH) collision search algorithm. The results show that the scale of a full-scale two-stage crushing process is possible to simulate. The transition from algebraic process models to DEM would make a significant advancement, bridging the current gap between overly simplified generalized process models and specific equipment design. This approach offers exciting opportunities for the mineral processing and aggregate industry to develop more innovative and efficient circuits.