The dynamic behaviour of an industrial copper solvent extraction mixer-settler cascade is modelled to develop an advanced process control system. First, the process is introduced and the dynamical models are formulated. The testing environment is described and the successful results presented. Only industrially measured variables are required and plant-specific McCabe-Thiele diagrams are utilized to predict copper concentrations. The results with constant and adapted parameters are compared and the importance of parameter adaptation is discussed. Testing the simulator with adapted parameters over a period of 1 month of industrial operating data gave data that followed the real process measurements closely. In the future, the mechanistic models will be used for control system development and testing. The model can be used on all copper solvent extraction plants by modifying the flow configuration and adapting parameters.

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Evaluating control performance has attracted considerable interest in recent years. A set of performance indices appropriate to monitoring and assessment in flotation cells is presented and discussed in this paper. A graphical, user-friendly and interpretable program for displaying performance indices for operators has been developed. Finally, the testing results from flotation cells in a zinc plant are presented and discussed.

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Abstract:The number of control loops used in industry is growing continuously and there are problems in keeping them working at a satisfactory level.