Over many years there have been progressive improvements in aspects such as process endpoint detection and temperature measurements implemented by leading operators, yielding significant benefits in terms of productivity and campaign life compared with the older generation of PSC operations.
The Metso Smelting team, with its long experience working with advanced control models across a range of pyrometallurgical processes is now pleased to be able to offer its PSC Advisor as the logical next step in improving the control of the PSC process. Advanced control models have been successfully applied in the control of continuous process operations, but the variability and modelling of batch processes had been more challenging. With advancements in instrumentation, monitoring, software and computing power, Metso has now developed a reliable PSC Advisor that has been successfully implemented in a commercial smelter operation.
At the core of the PSC Advisor is a HSC-Sim process model that simulates the batch process and provides control advice regarding parameters such as blowing time, flux and revert/coolant additions. This can help to improve the control of endpoints for the slag and copper blowing as well as optimising revert consumption and improving temperature control. Improved process control, in turn can deliver benefits such as longer PSC campaign life and better Converter aisle production planning.
The PSC Advisor is set up to interface with existing site control systems and laboratory databases in order to incorporate real time feedback from the plant instrumentation and the latest laboratory results as well as enabling predictions to based on actual input matte analyses.
One of the greatest benefits of employing an advisory tool to support the plant operators is that it can enable a more consistent level of decision making by applying a calculation-based methodology, reducing the reliance on operator judgements. Over time the operation can then be optimised through embedding standard practices and tuning of the control parameters. The increased level of information available to operators can also help with monitoring as well as further developing their understanding of the process.
Metso’s Smelting team is also able to supply the PSC Advisor with back up services and support on a remote or site basis to enable rapid and effective troubleshooting as well as the ongoing adoption of learnings and continuous improvements. The PSC Advisor can then play its part in helping to improve and optimise the customer’s PSC and converter aisle operations in a reliable manner.
