BrainWave SAG mill
The solution for increasing production in the SAG mill
Control stabilization with BrainWave
ANDRITZ BrainWave is a patented advanced controller that outperforms traditional Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control because of its two main components: an adaptive model and a predictive controller. BrainWave builds its own live models during normal plant operations, a powerful feature not offered by traditional Model Predictive Control (MPC) systems.
BrainWave’s predictive controller accurately forecasts process responses and accounts for multiple objectives. It adapts to process conditions, such as changes in production rate, keeping the process on target. BrainWave can also accept measured disturbance inputs, like raw materials properties, and takes corrective action before the process is pushed off target (PID, by comparison, must wait for the error to occur, and then react).
BrainWave easily integrates with existing control systems and its patented Laguerre technology means an average implementation time of just a few weeks. Best of all, the plant’s own staff can support and deploy BrainWave.
SAG mill at a minerals plant
Control stabilization for SAG mills
BrainWave is ideally suited to stabilize the operation of SAG mills. Effective grinding in a SAG mill depends largely on how it is loaded. A mill containing too much material does not allow for adequate movement of the ore and balls. A mill that does not contain enough material does not take advantage of the autogenous grinding mechanism. In either case, grinding effectiveness is suboptimal and production cannot be maximized. To maximize production, it is necessary to maintain the mill load at the point of optimum grinding. Although the mill weight provides a reasonable and reliable indication of mill loading, it is known to be a challenge to control.
Fortunately, the patented BrainWave controller has a unique ability to model SAG mill behavior so that responsive, precise control is possible. BrainWave accounts for changes in mill rotation, recycled pebbles, and ore quality to maintain mill weight. As the weight controller adjusts the set point for fresh ore feed, a second BrainWave controller adjusts the feeder speed to ensure that the right amount of material is delivered to the mill.
BrainWave effectively accounts for dead time inherently present both in the ore feed system and within the mill itself. Additionally, BrainWave automatically adjusts its control settings to allow for a different operation due to changes in ore hardness over time. With improved SAG mill control stability, the mill load can be optimized to increase crushing performance and production capacity.
