Centralised economic model predictive control of froth flotation banks with experimental implementation
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Quintanilla, Paulina
Navia, Daniel
Neethling, Stephen J
Brito-Parada, Pablo R
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
This work presents the development and experimental implementation of a centralised economic model predictive control (E-MPC) strategy for a three-cell flotation bank. The controller simultaneously coordinates pulp level and air flow across all cells to maximise total metallurgical recovery while enforcing a minimum concentrate grade constraint of 20%. A previously calibrated, dynamic physics-based model was utilised in the E-MPC strategy for both simulation and laboratory-scale experiments. In simulation, the E-MPC consistently outperformed conventional proportional–integral control under feed disturbances (flowrate, particle size, and feed grade), achieving recovery improvements of up to +5%. Laboratory implementation demonstrated that the E-MPC effectively adapts to changing conditions and improves recovery; however, challenges with sensor delays and the complexities of real-time optimisation were encountered. The results highlight the potential of model-based optimisation for flotation control and provide valuable insights into the practical challenges and future directions for large-scale flotation plants.
Date Issued
2025-12-01
Date Acceptance
2025-11-24
Citation
Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 2025, 224, pp.467-481
ISSN
0263-8762
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Start Page
467
End Page
481
Journal / Book Title
Chemical Engineering Research and Design
Volume
224
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Institution of Chemical Engineers. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2025-11-25