Development of a human-machine interface for cascade control mills in obtaining nepheline ore charge

Aluminum and alloys based on it are the main materials for space engineering, both in the production of vehicle parts, and in the organization of power supply and electronics. The raw material for producing aluminum is alumina. Alumina production is a multi-stage process that includes the processing of raw materials in various ways: mechanically, thermally, chemically. Mechanical processing of raw materials is the first stage of production, it includes a crushing department and a batch preparation department. The preparation of the charge from nepheline ore for further stages of production takes place in mills with the addition of limestone and recycled solution. The ratio of the components entering the mills directly affects the composition of the charge and the quality of the final product. At the same time, the required quality of the charge is not always ensured, since the costs of the components are set by a person based on the results of a rare chemical analysis performed by the laboratory with a delay. The aim of the work is to improve the control of the mill when receiving a mixture of nepheline ore. A virtual mill control program and a mnemonic diagram were developed in the TIA Portal software environment using the S7-1500 microprocessor controller. A system for automatic control of the lime and alkaline modules of the raw charge has been developed. The control program is built on the basis of calculating the moisture content of the charge, as well as the alkaline and limestone modules, depending on the composition of the ore, limestone, as well as the feed rates of circulating water, ore and limestone to the mill. The mnemonic diagram includes an indication of important process parameters, trends in input and output characteristics, and tools for setting control actions.