Abstract:
Flotation optimisation strategies often trade off grade for recovery, without attempting to improve the mineralogical efficiency of the flotation process as part of the automatic
control and optimisation strategy. Non-linear flotation characteristics such as air recovery complicate the implementation of such an optimisation strategy due to rapidly changing dynamics,
and consequently there is a need for a non-linear controller implementation with real-time
parameter estimation, to perform the optimisation. This simulation study demonstrates how
the parameters of an air recovery model can be estimated dynamically from measurements
commonly available on an industrial flotation circuit, and how dynamic optimisation of the
flotation process - in the form of non-linear model predictive control - shifts the grade-recovery
curve upwards - implying improved metallurgical efficiency through air recovery maximisation.
