Development of a Model-Based Control Strategy for Copper-Ore Flotation

摘要

During the last decade, it has been established the conventional flotation control strategies based on classical control theory result in significant increases in grade, recovery, and operating cost savings. In the current report, description of an advanced model-based control philosophy is presented. The derivation and verification of a simplified flotation model is described. The implementation of a Kalman filter for estimation of unmeasured variables for input to controllers is discussed. Several control strategies using the model-based approach are described, emphasizing the nonlinear nature of the flotation plant. Expected trends in the implementation of such model-based flotation control strategies in the future are discussed.