Integrating Separability Curves to Expert Control Systems of Flotation Plants

Flotation processes are very complex and only few reports on applications of novel techniques in monitoring and control of flotation plants are available. The lack of good measurements and models has favored the use of knowledge based expert control system on top of DCS of local objectives. Since several stages are involved in a flotation plant, the overall optimization of the plant operation must consider a combination of local targets for each stage. Furthermore, each process stage poses its own constraints, making it more difficult to choose the appropriate local targets. In this paper, the idea of using separability curves of the material entering the plant to predict these local targets is presented. Examples based on the experience of developing an expert system for a flotation plant are discussed.