Abstract
AbstractA phenomenological dynamic model of gold ore leaching process in agitated tanks is derived and calibrated with a set of industrial data. This model is used to simulate the dynamic behaviour of a three‐tank industrial plant and to test the performance of 12 different free cyanide feedback control strategies. The performance of the control strategies faced to step disturbances is quantified using an economic objective criterion, for both steady‐state and dynamic operating regimes. The results of set‐point changes for the three‐tank cascade show responses like those of a linear system for first, second, and third orders, since the tanks behave as perfect mixers. The steady‐state and dynamic results for the uncontrolled plant show large losses of gold at low cyanide consumption, while regulatory control of the cyanide concentrations in the first tank helps improve the economic efficiency. However, in the presence of disturbances other than those related to cyanide concentrations, the control of cyanide at constant set‐points might be detrimental to the plant economic performance and would require a supervisory optimal control of the set‐point values.
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