Thermodynamic Modelling for Process Control at the Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter

WMC Ltd operates a flash furnace for the treatment of nickel concentrates at Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. A thermodynamically based model has been developed for the furnace to provide setpoints based on feed forward control with feed back correction. The model employs a non-stoichiometric metho...

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Main Authors: Tran, Ba P, Grimsey, Eric, Messner, Shoena A
Other Authors: Pickles, CA
Format: Conference Paper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum 1996
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81626
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author Tran, Ba P
Grimsey, Eric
Messner, Shoena A
author2 Pickles, CA
author_facet Pickles, CA
Tran, Ba P
Grimsey, Eric
Messner, Shoena A
author_sort Tran, Ba P
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description WMC Ltd operates a flash furnace for the treatment of nickel concentrates at Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. A thermodynamically based model has been developed for the furnace to provide setpoints based on feed forward control with feed back correction. The model employs a non-stoichiometric method to predict the quantities of matte. slag and gas through a minimisation of the free energy of the system. It is designed to predict key process inputs such as total process oxygen, flux addition and process oil, to meet the process targets of matte grade, iron/silica ratio and slag temperature. The feed back is designed to trim the control through adjustment of the oxygen efficiency, heat loss from the reaction shaft and an iron/silica ratio offset. This paper provides an overview of the structure of the model and experience gained during its implementation.
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institution Curtin University Malaysia
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language English
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publishDate 1996
publisher Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-816262021-02-04T05:59:16Z Thermodynamic Modelling for Process Control at the Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter Tran, Ba P Grimsey, Eric Messner, Shoena A Pickles, CA Hancock, PJ Wynnyckyl, JR WMC Ltd operates a flash furnace for the treatment of nickel concentrates at Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. A thermodynamically based model has been developed for the furnace to provide setpoints based on feed forward control with feed back correction. The model employs a non-stoichiometric method to predict the quantities of matte. slag and gas through a minimisation of the free energy of the system. It is designed to predict key process inputs such as total process oxygen, flux addition and process oil, to meet the process targets of matte grade, iron/silica ratio and slag temperature. The feed back is designed to trim the control through adjustment of the oxygen efficiency, heat loss from the reaction shaft and an iron/silica ratio offset. This paper provides an overview of the structure of the model and experience gained during its implementation. 1996 Conference Paper http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81626 English Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum restricted
spellingShingle Tran, Ba P
Grimsey, Eric
Messner, Shoena A
Thermodynamic Modelling for Process Control at the Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter
title Thermodynamic Modelling for Process Control at the Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter
title_full Thermodynamic Modelling for Process Control at the Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter
title_fullStr Thermodynamic Modelling for Process Control at the Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter
title_full_unstemmed Thermodynamic Modelling for Process Control at the Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter
title_short Thermodynamic Modelling for Process Control at the Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter
title_sort thermodynamic modelling for process control at the kalgoorlie nickel smelter
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81626