Heterarchical model of comminution in high pressure grinding rolls

School of Civil Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia

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Published online: 1 December 2025

Abstract

High pressure grinding rolls (HPGR) are commonly used for material grinding in industries such as mineral processing, cement production, and chemical manufacturing. Comminution modelling for these devices is typically performed using either continuum-based population balance models or particle-based numerical tools such as the discrete element method (DEM). However, population balance models overlook the complex interplay of particle crushing, segregation, and mixing that occurs during comminution, limiting their effectiveness in accurately predicting device performance under varying operating conditions. Similarly, DEM models are limited by their high computational cost, which restricts their ability to track only a limited number of particles and simulate their sequential crushing. Here, we overcome the limitations of these traditional modelling approaches by exploring a novel heterarchical model for HPGR comminution. The heterarchical model captures the physics of particle crushing, segregation, and mixing while efficiently handling an arbitrarily large number of particles. Therefore, this model allows for the prediction and analysis of HPGR performance by tracking the evolving particle size distribution at any point in space and time.