MPC control of the refining stage of an electric arc furnace
| Authors: | Coetzee L.C., University of Pretoria, South Africa
Craig I.K., University of Pretoria, South Africa
Rathaba L.P., University of Pretoria, South Africa |
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| Topic: | 6.2 Mining, Mineral & Metal Processing |
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| Session: | Technology in Mining and Metal Processing Industry |
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| Keywords: | Model predictive control, MPC, electric arc furnace, EAF, reduced model |
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Abstract
The aim of this article was to design a MPC controller for the refining stage of an electric arc furnace. A reduced version of the generic EAF model will be used - it simplifies the controller. The carbon content is controllable only in one direction - it can only decrease asymptotically. The goal of the MPC controller will be to steer the temperature to the desired value before the carbon content reaches its target value. A controller design was done with this goal in mind and verified through simulation. The controller was found to be sensitive to plant parameter variations due to its open loop nature, but can be improved if timely measurements are taken of required variables such as temperature and carbon.
