Multi-Variable Predictive Controller for Bauxite Milling

H.M. Green1*, S.W. Powell2

1 Process Engineering, Rio Tinto Aluminium, Yarwun
2 Process Control, Rio Tinto Aluminium, Yarwun
Corresponding author: Hasting.Green@RioTinto.com

ABSTRACT
Rio Tinto Yarwun refinery has developed a multi-variable predictive controller (MPC) for optimising our
bauxite milling circuit. The controller was initially developed prior to commissioning Yarwun Refinery’s
major expansion in 2012 in response to the greatly increased milling capacity utilisation requirements of
the expanded refinery. Configured using Honeywell’s Profit platform, the application has proved an
effective way to control mill rates and operation so that the plant can be operated up to constraints at all
times.
In addition to delivering higher milling throughput, the MPC has been further developed to deliver
additional layers of optimisation. This has included optimisation between bauxite mills, assisting in
refinery volume management, and optimising the use of different bauxite grades.

1. INTRODUCTION
Yarwun refinery has an extensive advanced
process control application deployment
incorporating 13 multi-variable predictive
controllers (MPCs). This paper outlines a case
study of the development, maintenance, and
benefits of one of these MPCs which is used
for optimising and controlling the bauxite ball
mills. First developed in 2011/12 to address
an expected production bottleneck from a
refinery expansion – the bauxite mill MPC has
proved a robust control solution and a flexible
foundation for further optimising the area.
2. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION Figure 1. Mill Process Overview
2.1 Background The Yarwun Stage 2 expansion lifted refinery
The first stage of Yarwun Refinery had a nameplate to 3.4 MTPA but only added one
nameplate of 1.4 MTPA and was supported by additional identical bauxite mill. This required
two closed circuit bauxite ball mills. Each mill mill utilisation and throughput per mill to be
is feed with bauxite at a controlled rate from a increased substantially from historic rates (for
bauxite stockpile by conveyor. The bauxite is example, 0.7 MTPA alumina per mill to 1.13
wet ground with digestion liquor and grinding MTPA alumina per mill). Due to concern that
media. The overflow of the mill is pumped this may become a refinery bottleneck, a
across two vibratory wet screens. The screen project was initiated to build an MPC controller
undersize material reports to a tank which is with the objective of maximising mill rates.
pumped to the slurry storage area while the Figure 2 shows relevant equipment during
screen oversize material is recycled to the feed stage 2 construction – the existing and new
chute of the mill. This arrangement for one bauxite mills can be seen in the foreground
mill is shown in Figure 1. with the bauxite stockpiles. The new and old
digestion units are to the left and right of the
photo respectively.

Figure 2. Yarwun Refinery Oct 2010
2.2 Project Scope
Project scope was intentionally limited to one
mill with focus on delivery time and addressing
the main optimisation concern – bauxite
throughput. Optimisation of rates between
Mills (e.g. power consumption etc.) was
considered but excluded from scope as it was
not a primary concern in the context of the
refinery expansion. The objectives of the MPC
controller are summarised as below:
• Process Objectives:
1. When running Mill-limited, maximise
the throughput of the mill
2. When not Mill-limited, must match
process demand (Slurry storage tank
at 90%)
• Control Objectives:
1. Avoid Mill trips
2. Control slurry density to slurry storage
tank within specific range
3. Honour constraints (for example, total
recycle flow, tank levels)
• Excluded:
1. Grind size: irregular lab
measurements, no on-line estimation
2. Mill power: Site experience had shown
this was a concern only if mill density
is far off-specification
2.3 Project Delivery
Honeywell Advanced Solutions Asia Pacific
was engaged to deliver the application as the
available in-house resources were being
utilised to support the expansion.
The project was carried out between
December 2011 and March 2012 and
progressed following a typical MPC
development methodology.
Data collection and site survey were
completed in December 2011 with a main
deliverable being a Functional Design
Specification. This phase included reviewing
process flows, objectives and operating
performance; specification of control system
calculations and tuning of required base level
regulatory control strategies.
Detailed design was completed in February
2012. Deliverable being a controller platform
with initial seed models and step testing plan.
Step testing was completed in 3 shifts in late
February 2012. Traditionally, model
development is done from either first principles
or open loop step testing. These methods can
be time consuming and, in the case of open
loop step testing, expose the process to large
disturbances and out of control operation.
This project was the first time Yarwun Refinery
has used Honeywell Profit Stepper software
for model identification. This software allows
an MPC to operate with seed models under
closed loop control while perturbing the
process with numerous small manipulated
variable movements. Process response is
captured to allow model identification and
refinement. The advantages were that it could
be completed quickly, with limited input from
operators or disturbance to the process.
Final Mill 2 controller build and commissioning
was completed in March 2012. The
application was then replicated for use on Mill
1 and 3.
3. FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
3.1 Merging of Individual MPCs
The three individual mill MPCs developed in
2012 were effective at maximising bauxite
throughput. However, they were ineffective at
handling common constraints such as slurry
tank level. Typically when mill capacity was
not a refinery limit, the slurry storage tanks
would be filled to their maximum level and
oscillation would be observed in mill rates and
slurry storage level. This was because each
MPC took its own independent actions to
honour a high slurry storage level constraint.
Each MPC plans its manipulated variable
moves based on its modelled control variable
responses and constraints. With three MPCs
operating and planning moves independently -
predicting and controlling common constraints
was ineffective as planned manipulated
variable movements were unavailable to the
other MPCs. The solution to this problem was
to change the structure of the MPCs so that all
three mills were controlled by a single MPC
rather than three independent MPCs. This
allowed common controlled variables to be
correctly modelled against predicted
manipulated variable moves across all mills.
Making this change to merge the MPCs to one
platform was effective at reducing slurry
storage tank level oscillation and allowed
optimisation on common constrains to be
configured. A learning was that this extra effort
could have been avoided if more consideration
was given to the design of common constraints
when first building the MPC.
3.2 Mill Slurry Liquor Optimisation
An opportunity was identified in 2014 to adopt
an alternative operating mode in the Bauxite
4. MAINTENANCE
milling area. Some ullage in the slurry storage
tanks could be utilised for liquor inventory
management during periods of very high
refinery liquor inventory. The desired
operating strategy was to limit output density
such that slurry storage tanks were holding
proportionally higher liquor during these
periods. The flexibility of the MPC controller
allowed this strategy to be easily implemented
by simply changing the controller’s objective
optimisation equation depending upon refinery
volume management requirements.
This simple example is mirrored across the
refinery where it has often been found that
operating strategy changes can often be
achieved by subtle changes in existing MPC
optimisation settings.
5. BENEFITS
3.3 Mill Prioritisation
A multitude of reasons exist for wanting to
favour rates through one mill relative to
another. These could include:
• Referencing rates away from a mill with an
operational issue that doesn’t have online
measurement
• Trying to preferentially consume from a
bauxite stock pile.
• Favouring a mill that has more reliable
instrumentation.
The MPC allows this type of biasing to be
easily achieved by simply changing the relative
optimisation values of manipulated variables
on each mill. Operator interfaces were
developed to allow flexibility in manipulating
relative Mill optimisation settings so that rates
through one or another mill can be favoured to
take advantage of some unmeasured variable.
3.4 Bauxite Grade Utilisation Optimisation
Plant flowsheet changes towards the end of
2017 required differentiation in duty of the
three bauxite mills. A high gibbsite grade
bauxite was processed through one mill and
kept separate from the mono grade bauxite
being processed on the other two mills.
Excess high gibbsite bauxite slurry is used to
top-up the mono slurry to make up volume in
the mono slurry tanks as required.
Modification of the MPC to achieve different
process objectives such as maximising one
bauxite grade relative to the other has been
greatly simplified due to the use of the existing
controller structure compared with
incorporating such a change into a traditional
regulatory control strategy.
Minimal maintenance has been required for
the Mill MPC Profit Controller.
The issues so far have been minor and only
exposed through higher production rates over
time. These include:
• The impact of the Mill flushing on the slurry
tank levels
• Minor improvements to the process
models.
• Mill feed rate of increase when the
manipulated variables have a rate of
change limit.
The MPC has proved over time to be a reliable
and robust method for controlling and
optimising Yarwun Refinery’s bauxite ball
mills. When initially commissioned the mill
MPC was credited with achieving a capacity
increase of 7.5%. Despite the complex
dynamics of a recycling process, the model
was able to optimise the mill within the
constraints.
High utilisation rates approaching 100%
(Figure 3) and broad acceptance by plant
operators have been achieved.
Some manipulated Variables (MVs) limits ae
sometimes set incorrectly and can
unnecessarily constrain the operation of the
equipment and as a result are dropped from
the model. The ongoing challenge is the
setting/maintaining of constraint limits that are
real.
 Figure 3. Bauxite Mill MPC utilisation (12
months)

6. CONCLUSION
The bauxite milling MPC has been a
successful control change for Yarwun
Refinery. Benefits have included higher
throughput capacity, flexibility and reliability.
Automation of model identification (i.e. use of
Honeywell Profit Stepper software) was
effective for reducing model identification time
and allow closed loop control while performing
identification.
Rework and redesign can be avoided with
greater consideration for future optimisation
objectives and how controller structure will
achieve these.