Abstract
Aluminium smelting is facing serious challenges in reducing energy consumption, increasing current efficiency and meeting constantly changing environmental expectations. Traditional control systems aim to achieve and maintain pre-determincd smelter targets through adjusting process parameters in order to compensate for changes in inputs, operations and special causes of variation. These control systems are not designed to remove the causes of variation and cannot address the pace and complexity of the challenges in the industry. A new generation of proccss control, which not only brings the process back to the optimal operating range, but also improves it every day by early detection and diagnosis of the root causes of abnormalities is now required. Following earlier work by the authors in a number of smelters over the last 10 years, the present paper describes the development of a new generation process control, including a set of diagnostic tools and an embedded decision guidance process for people in management, supervision and operator roles within an aluminium smelter. The new generation process control has been tested successfully in a smelter. Its control architecture, implementation procedures and results are described. Copyright © 2014 by The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society.