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The development and implementation of a cement raw meal controller are illustrated. The study
has established that the controller parameters shall be adjusted and optimized under the existing
field of application. The optimization was performed by the utilization of actual production data
and simulation studies. The control action follow-up was carried out using the control chart
technique. The application of the controller not only improves the raw meal stability but also
facilitates the inquisition on probable deviation sources. By utilizing the controller and the
developed simulation, a series of further improvements can be considered.
∑
i)1
( 2
)
ti-1 + ti
∆Xmill (13)
materials.
(2) A step change was performed in the raw mix The numerical integration of the data produces τmill )
composition fed in the mill via the weight feeders. An 27.1 min. This result, of course, does not represent the
initial feed consisting of 40% limestone and 60% mixture residence time of the material in the mill, which is
was changed to a feed with 80% limestone and 20% shorter enough. It corresponds to the total grinding
mixture. Samples from the final product stream were circuit residence time. The value of τmill, as well as the
taken immediately after the step change, the chemical size of the tail of the pulse response, depends on the
analysis was performed, and the LSF values were amount of the coarse material recirculated via the
calculated. To estimate the average residence time of separator. We should point out that the test was
the material in the grinding circuit, the control variable performed under normal operating conditions with a
was also calculated in dimensionless form. circulating ratio around 3 (t/h of return to t/h of fresh
feed) and a fresh feed of ∼150 t/h.
LSF - LSFmin
X(t) ) (10) 2.4. Silo Dynamic Response. The raw meal pro-
LSFmax - LSFmin duced in the mill is homogenized in two silos connected
in series. The raw meal is first alimented in one
The values of LSF and X are shown in Table 1. relatively small silo of 600 t capacity. In this silo, it is
A second-order Laplace transform of the transfer fully mixed and continuously extracted by overflow.
function is considered: Afterward, it is fed to the second silo, which is consid-
ered a stock silo, with a maximum capacity of 6000 t.
LSFOUT(s) 1 The raw meal extracted from this silo is fed directly to
) (11) the kiln. An appropriate number of compressors providea
LSFIN(s) (1 + τ1s) (1 + τ2s)
the necessary air flow to homogenize the raw meal. The
From the reverse Laplace transformation, the following two silos can be considered as two reactors connected
transfer function was obtained: in series. A transfer function of first order is used for
each of them. The resulting function is the product of
( ( ) ( ))
τ1τ2 1 the two first-order functions, and consequently, it is of
t 1 t
Xmill(t) ) 1 - exp - - exp - second order and describes the behavior of a silo of total
τ1 - τ2 τ2 τ1 τ1 τ2 capacity 6600 t. To obtain the residence time distribu-
(12) tion in such a large capacitor is not easy, because the
experimental procedure followed in the case of the
The experimental data were fitted to eq 12 in order to grinding circuit is not applicable, without causing an
estimate the time constants τ1 and τ2. Using a nonlinear enormous and costly disturbance of the kiln’s normal
regression technique, the following solutions were operation. Instead of that technique, the actual analysis
found: τ1 ) 2.7 min and τ2 ) 23.4 min. The experimen- of the material at the inlet and outlet of the silo was
tal and calculated results of Xmill as a function of time, performed, by applying the convolution theorem. The
representing the residence time distribution of the Laplace transform of the LSF in the kiln feed is given
material in the grinding circuit, are illustrated in Figure by the following formula:
Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 44, No. 18, 2005 7167
LSFOUT(t) ) ∫0tLSFIN(τ)Gsilo(t-τ) dτ )
∫0tLSFIN(τ)Gsilo(t-τ) d(t - τ) ) ∫0tLSFIN(τ) dXsilo(t-τ)
(15)
In eq 15, the silo pulse response Gsilo(t) is substituted
by the second-order step response Xsilo, given by eq 12
for a second-order system.
N
Figure 4. Raw meal LSF in the silo outlet (experimental and
∫0
t
LSFIN(τ) dXsilo(t-τ) ) ∑ LSFIN(τi) dXsilo(t-τi) calculated values).
i)0
t
τi ) i∆t ∆t ) (16)
N
By taking into account the above formulas and using a
nonlinear regression technique, it is possible to calculate
the time constants, τ1 and τ2, of eq 16. The composition
data of the raw meal fed to and extracted from the silo
were taken into consideration for a period of four
continuous months. The variability of the LSF at the
mill outlet results from the previously applied regula-
tion of the mill weight feeders. Each sample of raw meal
collected by an automatic sampler at the silo entrance
is a 1 h average sample. On the other hand, silo outlet
sampling is instantaneous. By applying eqs 12 and 16,
the LSF values of the raw meal in the kiln feed were Figure 5. Step (Xsilo) and pulse (δsilo) response curves of the silo.
derived. These were compared with the actual values
and the standard error between them was minimized 17-21): The time parameters in the mill function were
by the regression algorithm. As a result, the following
time factors were estimated: τ1 ) 4 h and τ2 ) 11 h. GC[LSF](s) ) kp(1 + kds) (17)
The value of τ1 corresponds exactly to the ratio of the
mass of the material in the small silo to the average GC[SM](s) ) kA (18)
inlet mass flow to the system. Because the small silo
operates in overflow condition, it always remains full
with material. The actual and calculated LSF values of GD(s) ) exp(-tds) (19)
the kiln feed are shown in Figure 4. The LSF actual
standard deviation is calculated as sact ) 2.357, while 1
Gmill(s) ) (20)
the estimated one from the model is smodel ) 2.230. This (1 + 2.7s)(1 + 23.4s)
means that the residual variance is found to be at a low
level, near the analysis reproducibility. The fit of the 1
Gsilo(s) ) (21)
actual data to the calculated ones is good. The step and (1 + 4s)(1 + 11s)
pulse response curves of the silo, Xsilo and δsilo, respec-
tively, using the above time constants are shown in defined in minutes, while those in the silo function were
Figure 5. The above technique of estimation of the defined in hours.
dynamic response using only routine analysis data was In the installed sampling system of the raw meal at
very useful, since the application of a step change in the mill outlet, an automatic sampler continuously
the input certainlyhas an excessively harmful influ- collects material for a certain time period. By the end
ence on the kiln operation. The above-described pro- of this time, the sample is fully homogenized in one
cedure proves that, in many cases, current industrial stirrer and automatically extracted from the sampler.
data, which usually include a lot of noises, can give a The sampling period was selected to be 1 h. Afterward,
perfect description of the process if the correct math- the sample is transferred manually in the laboratory
ematical treatment is applied and can be utilized to and the preparation procedure follows. The procedure
adjust and calibrate the appropriate mathematical consists of a fused bead preparation using a flux to
models. decrease the fusing temperature. The analysis of the
2.5. System Transfer Functions. On the basis of bead is performed in an XRF analyzer. The delay time
the mathematical treatment presented in Sections 2.3 td under the existing conditions of sampling, transfer,
and 2.4 as well as in eqs 8 and 9 describing the regu- preparation, and measurement of the sample is 30 min.
lating action of the controller, all the transfer func- The sampling at the silo outlet is instantaneous. The
tions of the system can be derived. These functions in results of the sample analysis provide important infor-
Laplace form are given in the following equations (eqs mation to the kiln operator for the regulation of the kiln
7168 Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 44, No. 18, 2005
Figure 6. Application of the Nyquist criterion for the stability of Figure 9. Simulator results of the LSF controller.
the LSF control system.
Figure 7. [kp, kd] area for the stable LSF control system using Figure 10. Simulator results of the SM controller.
the Nyquist criterion.
proportional controller are shown in Figure 10. A value
of kA ) 2.7 was selected.
4.2. Estimation of the Optimum Area of the
Controller Parameters. A first estimation of the
optimum coefficients was performed using the clay
analysis data given in Section 4.1. The targets for the
moduli under control were the following: target LSF )
98 and target SM ) 2.5. Using the simulator and
considering different values of kp, kd, and kA as inputs,
the following outputs were derived: (a) average LSF and
SM of the raw meal in the kiln feed, aver LSF and aver
SM, respectively; (b) standard deviation of the moduli
of the of the raw meal in the mill outlet and kiln feed,
std LSF mill, std SM mill, std LSF KF, and std SM KF;
and (c) standard error of the moduli from the target of
the raw meal at the mill outlet and at the kiln feed err
LSF mill, err SM mill, err LSF KF, and err SM KF. The
Figure 8. Clay LSF in the mill feed. standard errors, standard deviations, and average
values are connected with the formula presented below
concerning the construction and application of the for the LSF of the kiln feed:
simulator, the composition of the clay is assumed to be
constant hourly and equal to the hourly average com- err LSF KF2 ) std LSF KF2 +
position. num S
(aver LSF - LSFtarget) (29)
Using these data, the controller simulator calculates num S - 1
the oxides composition and the corresponding modules
of the raw meal in the mill outlet and in the silo as well. The same formula applies for all parameters. The
Some typical simulator results are shown in Figure 9 variance of each chemical module is the sum of the
for the LSF controller using as coefficients the values variances arisen from of the simulator and the residual
of kp ) 0.41 and kd ) 58. Typical results of the SM variance according to eq 30.
7170 Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 44, No. 18, 2005
s LSF, s SM ) monthly standard deviation of the LSF and τmill ) average residence time of the material in the mill
SM circuit, min
smodel ) standard deviation derived from the model φ ) phase, deg
s2model ) variance estimated from the model ω ) frequency, rad-1
sR ) laboratory reproducibility
s2res ) residual variance Literature Cited
SM ) silica modulus
SMcurr ) value of the SM in the current sample (1) Lee, F. M. The Chemistry of Cement and Concrete, 3rd ed.;
SMtarget ) target value of the SM Chemical Publishing Company, Inc.: New York, 1971; pp 171-
174 and 384-387.
std LSF KF, std SM KF ) standard deviation of the raw
(2) Keviczky, L.; Hetthessy, J.; Hilger, M.; Kolostori, I. Self-
meal LSF and SM in the kiln feed Tuning Adaptive Control of Cement Raw Material Blending.
std LSF mill, std SM mill ) standard deviation of the raw Automatica 1978, 14, 525
meal LSF and SM in the mill outlet (3) Swain, A. K. Material Mix Control in Cement Plant
stdev LSF clay ) standard deviation of the clay LSF Automation. IEEE Control Syst. Mag. 1995, 15, 23.
t ) time, given in minutes in the case of the mill system (4) Banyasz, C.; Keviczky, L.; Vajk, I. A Novel Adaptive Control
and in hours in the case of the silo system System for Raw Material Blending. IEEE Control Syst. Mag. 2003,
td ) delay time, min 23, 87.
ti ) time in the I point of partitioning of the total time (5) Lee, F. M. The Chemistry of Cement and Concrete, 3rd ed.;
interval Chemical Publishing Company, Inc.: New York, 1971; pp 164-
165.
ts ) sampling period, min (6) Bogue, R. H. The Chemistry of Portland Cement, 2nd ed.;
UCL ) upper control limit Reinhold Publishing Corporation: New York, 1955; pp 245-268.
X(t) ) dimensionless value of the LSF as a function of the (7) Kidd, I., R. Stability of the Laboratory Control Loop in
time Cement Raw Meal Production. Proceedings of the 9th APCChE
Xmill(t) ) mill step response function Congress and CHEMECA 2002, Christchurch, U.K., Sept. 29-Oct.
Xsilo(t) ) silo step response function 3, 2002.
(8) Perry, R. H.; Green, D. Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Hand-
Greek Symbols book, 6th ed.; McGraw-Hill International Editions: New York,
∆t ) time interval, h 1984; pp 22-6 - 22-7.
τ ) time, h
Received for review August 9, 2004
τ1, τ2 ) time constants of the second-order transfer function,
Revised manuscript received July 2, 2005
given in minutes in the case of the mill transfer function, Accepted July 6, 2005
they are given in minutes; and given in hours in the case
of the silo transfer function they are given in hours IE049284C