Model predictive control of a coal dense medium drum separator*

This paper shows how nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) can be applied to an industrial DMD plant with a process objective to both increase yield while minimising ash content (i.e. improving grade). The results are significant as the DMD yield improved by 7.5% while ash content improved by 1.5%. The dynamic model of a DMD separator developed in a previous publication by the authors was used in the NMPC simulations.