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Control, optimization and automation of furnace operations in various non-ferrous pyrometallurgical "12th International Metallurgy and Materials Congress", Istambul,
Ian McBow¹ ; S. Llubani ¹; Robert Budd² ; Florian Kongoli ¹;
¹FLOGEN Technologies Inc,1255 Laird Blvd., Ste.388, Mont-Royal, Quebec, Canada
²FLOGEN Technologies Inc 3422 Old Capitol Trail, #791, Wilmington, DE, USA 19808

Keywords: control, optimization, automation, furnace operations, pyrometallurgy, smelting

ABSTRACT

The control and optimization of various non-ferrous smelting and converting processes as well as iron and steel making processes have mostly been and are still carried out in a traditional static way. It has been always attempted to find the best unique set of conditions where the smelting, converting as well as iron and steel making processes could run smoothly. However this is associated with natural difficulties and some times has proven impossible due to the inherent characteristics of the raw materials and the characteristics of new smelting technologies. Normally the feed materials change from one charge to another, especially when they are provided from different geographical areas, and it is extremely difficult to keep them constant. This continuous change in the feed and also the new furnace conditions in the new developing technologies might cause several problems in the everyday industrial practice. Various efforts to make the feed uniform have proven almost impossible and very costly. In this work a new approach for the control and optimization of these processes has been exposed. It consists in a dynamic control and optimization of furnace feed, fluxes and heat providers such as oxygen for each furnace charge or shift taking into consideration the current characteristics of the charge and applying the proper correction procedures. Using this new method, and the control software tool associated with it, the engineer and/or operator will be able to immediately quantify the fluxes or heat providers that best suit a certain operation scenario as well as their respective amount that need to be used in the furnace to prevent problems and increase the productivity at the very specific conditions of each charge. This not only allows a continuous on-line control and optimization of the smelting processes but at the same time can serve as an adequate means of automation of any specific process. A scientific description of the method will be given along with its direct application in solving various problems in the industrial practice.

Cite this article as:
Ian McBow, S. Llubani, Robert Budd, Florian Kongoli (2005). Control, optimization and automation of furnace operations in various non-ferrous pyrometallurgical. "12th International Metallurgy and Materials Congress", Istambul.

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