Diagnosis and Control Strategy for a Teniente Converter

A diagnosis of the actual distributed control and measurements system for a Teniente Converter, processing copper concentrates is presented. Besides the importance of this converter in Caletones Smelter, there are a number of unsolved problems related to lack of instrumentation, lack of process knowledge, odd operating practices, and in general lack of use of procedures to process data to aid management and operating decisions. In general, process control of some local objectives are frequently achieved, however, application of supervisory control techniques, has been rather slowly included. The second part of this work describes a proposal to implement a supervisory control strategy for Teniente Converters, in harmony with other process units in the smelter.