Level control loop design for a test-rig flotation column

Abstract

During the last years, there has been a great advance in the instrumentation to improve the performance of industrial processes, this has allowed important advances in the control processes. In this work, we analysed the control of the froth layer height (level) of a flotation column to improve its performance. A level control loop was designed, selected and assembled, finally it was adjusted through NB Omron Designer interface that allows the communication between the measure element, controller and control valve, establishing a pressure (Set Point) to control froth layer height (level) and make sure it is stable operating. Tests were carried out with water, water-air and water-air-frother. This was done to analyse the behaviour of the column and subsequently verify the results using drift flux analysis. Once the results were obtained, the parameters that showed the optimal performance of the column were analysed. An overshoot was obtained in the range of 1 % to 12 %, stabilization time in the range of 90 s to 97 s and the tailing velocity which was maintained between 0.72 cm/s - 0.76 cm/s. Analysing the results, the experimental error was in the range of 0 % to 6 %.