Project Details

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Milling System Sound Energy Generator

Company: ZAP Engineering & Construction Services, Inc.

Major(s):
Primary: EGEE
Secondary: ME
Optional: EE

Non-Disclosure Agreement: NO

Intellectual Property: NO

One common method of grinding materials into a fine powder, such as clinker into cement, is to use a piece of equipment called a ball mill. A ball mill is piece of rotating equipment that has a horizontal hollow cylindrical shell with the inside containing various size solid metal balls. As the mill rotates the balls are lifted by shell liners and dropped on top of each other. This function creates a high amount of friction between surfaces and the rock materials are fed into one end of the mill and pass through the cascading balls to be ground into a fine powder and exit on the opposite end of the mill. The grinding action in a ball mill creates a large amount of noise from the rotating metal to metal contact of the grinding media and this requires the entire milling area to require double ear hearing protection for all individuals present in the area. There is an opportunity to design a noise absorbing and cancelling system to protect personnel as well as to convert the sound energy into electricity using the piezoelectric effect. The project will include determining the amount of sound energy that can be captured, designing an enclosure to capture the energy and act as a sound deadening to the outside area, and evaluating potential uses for any energy that can be generated.