OPTIMISATION AND ADVANCED

PROCESS CONTROL ON A CRUSHER

PLANT
SISHEN JIG TERTIARY CRUSHER PLANT

12th Annual Conference on: Crushing and Grinding in Mining - 10-12 October 2011 (International Institute of Research )

Kabelo Leeka
Process Engineer
Anglo American Kumba Iron Ore
Sishen Mine
CONTENTS

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1.0
BACKGROUND

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PROCESS DESCRIPTION
The crushing plant consists of 3 crushing stages

Primary and Secondary Crushing 100%<90mm

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PROCESS DESCRIPTION
The crushing plant consists of 3 crushing stages

Tertiary Crushing (4x tertiary crushers) 95%<25mm

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CRUSHER PLANT OPERATING CONDITIONS AND LIMITATIONS

• Tertiary Crusher Plant is bottleneck

To increase the throughout at the Tertiary Crusher Plant,

• The product size from the secondary crusher should be optimised
• The product from the tertiary crushers should be optimised
• Improved screening efficiency
• Improved modular stability

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2.0
CRUSHER GAP CONTROL
PARTICLES SIZE ANALYSIS

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CRUSHER GAP CONTROL

• BASED ON OPERATOR VISUAL INSPECTION

↓↓
GAP CHANGES FROM ONE SHIFT TO NEXT

• VARIABILITY IN ROM PSD & HARDNESS, SEGREGATION IN STOCKPILES

↓↓
NO STRICT GAP SETTING RULES

• LINER REPLACEMENT BASED ON CRUSHER PRODUCTION

↓↓
LOSS IN THROUGHT AT END OF LINER LIFE

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CRUSHER GAP CONTROL
• BASED ON OPERATOR VISUAL INSPECTION
• VARIABILITY IN ROM PSD AND HARDNESS = DIFFICULTY IN DEVELOPING GAP SETTING
RULES

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CRUSHER GAP CONTROL

SISHEN STRATEGY

1. REAL TIME CRUSHER PRODUCT PSD

2. AUTOMATED GAP CONTROL

BENEFITS

• CRUSHER PRODUCT SIZE BASED ON REAL TIME ANALYSIS

• REDUCED LOSS IN THROUGHPUT
• INFO TO ADJUST LINER REPLACEMENT PHILOSOPHY
• CONTINUITY FROM ONE SHIFT TO NEXT – GAP CONTROL

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CRUSHER GAP CONTROL
• GAP CONTROL AUTOMATION

BASED ON CRUSHER PRODUCT PSD, POWER DRAWN, HYD PRESSURE

ADJUSTMENT
COMMAND

CRUSHER GAP
SETTING

POWER DRAWN

CONTROL
HYDRAULIC ALGORITHM
PRESSURE

PRODUCT SIZE

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CRUSHER GAP CONTROL
• REAL-TIME PRODUCT SIZE DISTRIBUTION

• ON-LINE PARTICLE SIZE ANALYSIS

• BASED ON IMAGE ANALYSIS
• CONTINUOS IMAGING FROM
CONVEYOR BELTS

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CRUSHER GAP CONTROL
• REAL-TIME PRODUCT SIZE DISTRIBUTION

• Human error removed from

measurement process

• Results can be used in control loop

• LYNXX SYSTEM purchased for Sishen

FUNCTIONS AT SISHEN
• Crusher product trending
• Oversize trending

ADVANTAGES OF SYSTEM:
• Developed and supported locally
• Can be tailor-made for plant
requirements

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESSFUL CRUSHER OPTIMISATION

1.
CRUSHER SHOULD BE CHOKE-FED
• Finer and more cubical crusher product = improved screening
• Semi steady state conditions = crusher less prone to load damage
2.
EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER SUPPORT
3.
COLLABORATION AT PLANT LEVEL
• Maintenance and Production Teams

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3.0
SCREENING AUDIT AND
IMPROVEMENTS

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SCREENING
AUDIT SCREENS AND COMPARE TO DESIGN

•STROKE
FUNCTION OF SCREEN LOADING AND EXCITERS

•SPEED
DEPENDENT ON MOTOR AND PULLEY SIZES

•G-FORCE AND G-VERTICAL

MAX ACCELERATION SPECIFIED DURING DESIGN
G-VERTICAL AFFECTS STRATIFICATION≡SCREENING EFFICIENCY

•DISCHARGE BED DEPTH = CHECK DESIGN ASSUMPTIONS*

DEPENDEDNT OF FEED TO SCREEN (TOPSIZE, FEED RATE)
NOT ALWAYS 3XSCREENING SIZE = LOOK AT FEED TOP SIZE

•EFFICIENCY
FUNCTION OF THE AFOREMENTIONED FACTORS AND SCREEN APERTURE SIZE

*AFFECTS SIZING, LOADING AND PERFORMANCE OF SCREEN

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SCREENING
AUDIT SCREENS AND COMPARE TO DESIGN

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SCREENING
AUDIT SCREENS AND COMPARE TO DESIGN – CUT SIZE SIMULATIONS
CHANGING PANEL SIZES

CURRENT STATE

DESIRED STATE

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4.0
PROCESS CONTROL

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PROCESS CONTROL
• CURRENT PLANT CONTROL – PID

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PROCESS CONTROL
• CURRENT PLANT CONTROL – PID

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PROCESS CONTROL
• CURRENT PLANT CONTROL – PID

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PROCESS CONTROL

LIMITATIONS OF PID CONTROL

• CANT HANDLE LARGE DELAYS (RELATIVE TO SURGE CAPACITY)
• INTERACTION OF PIDs GENERALLY LEADS TO INSTABILITY
• CANT HANDLE DISTURBANCES AND MULTIPLE VARIABLES

PROPOSED SOLUTION
↓↓
MPC
↓↓
Model Predictive Control

• Has dynamic model of the process ≡ Takes into account delays

• Takes into account past control moves
• Predicts reaction of the system
• Cost function to calculate optimum control moves
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5.0
DEVELOPMENT
OF AN MPC
MPC – Model Predictive Control

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STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

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STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

Identify the following:

•Objective of the controller
•Constraint variables
•Manipulated variables
•Disturbance variable

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PROCESS CONTROL CONTROL OBJECTIVE
maximise module throughput by maximising
vibrating feeder extraction rate

MANIPULATED VARIABLES
• Vibrating feeder VSD
• Belt feeder VSD
• Crusher Gap
CONTROLLED VARIABLES
• Oversize chute level
• Tertiary crusher chamber level

CONSTRAINTS
• Crusher power, hyd Pressure, equipment
capacities

DISTURBANCES
• Split over scalping screen

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MOGALAKWENA NORTH – CRUSHER
CIRCUIT PFD

Courtesy of:
Duane Muller
Senior Control Engineer
Anglo American Platinum
PROCESS CONTROL

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 Throughput (tons)
9% Improvement

1 month period

Courtesy of: Equipment Stops

Duane Muller ~80% Improvement
Senior Control Engineer
Anglo American Platinum
SUMMARY

CRUSHER OPTIMISATION
• Automated gap control
• Online PSD analysis
• 10%increase in throughput

SCREEN OPTIMISATION
• Audit screens and standardise (stroke and speed)
• Panel configuration – screen cut size
• 10-17% increase in throughput. Increased profitability (%lump increase)

PROCESS CONTROL OPTIMISATION

• Model Predictive Control used were PID performance is inadequate
• Proven success in improving plant throughput
• 8-10% INCREASE IN THROUGHPUT*

• *Benchmarking Anglo American Platinum and Anglo Gold Ashanti

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ACKNOWLEDEMENTS
• STONETHREE MINING
Supplier: Particle Size Analysis System

• RANDCONTROLS SOLUTION
Controller Development

• ANGLO AMERICAN PLATINUM – CONTROL DIVISION

Duane Muller – Senior Control Engineer
Gary Humphries – Head of Process Control

• ANGLO AMERICAN KUMBA IRON ORE

PROCESS DEVELOPMENT – SISHEN JIG PLANT
Bongani Buthelezi – Manager Process Development
Majoang Mokhosi – Process technician

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 PLATINUM

THANK
YOU

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