In modern industry, the production of carbon products is an important process, because the products of this production are widely used in various industries, which are inextricably linked with the need to use electrothermal processes. In particular, such industries include enterprises of ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, chemical industry and others. The production of carbon graphite products consists of a number of technological processes and operations and is characterized by significant resource and energy consumption. In this work, an analysis of the technological features of the process of production of carbon products, as well as the requirements for raw materials needed for production and quality indicators of the final product. Based on the analysis, it is obtained that one of the defining technological processes in the production of products is the process of forming carbon products. Technological and constructional features of this process are analyzed, two main stages (preparation and pressing) are allocated. Based on the analysis, the key role of the stage of pressing the molding process as the main stage in terms of quality parameters of finished products and the potential to increase the efficiency of resource and energy conservation of carbon production in general. To implement optimal modes, it is necessary to synthesize an effective control system for the formation of carbon products, which would take into account the technological requirements for the quality of finished products, design features of the hydraulic press with a mouthpiece and modern requirements for resource and energy saving. The application of the method of mathematical modeling as a virtually non-alternative method of research of the process of formation of carbon products is substantiated and the tasks of this research are formulated. As a result of the analysis of the mathematical models of the molding process known today and similar processes of extrusion of viscoplastic materials, the model is determined, on the basis of which further research of preparation and pressing modes is based. The tasks of research of influence of the basic technological parameters of process of formation of carbon products on physical fields of working space and the case of a mouthpiece of a hydraulic press are formed. The methodology and procedure for conducting research have been developed. The main attention in the study of the process of forming carbon products is paid to determining: the distribution of temperatures in the volume of the working space and the body of the mouthpiece; influence on temperature fields of such technological parameters as current power supplied to inductors of the forming and calibration zone of the mouthpiece, current power on spark plugs for additional heating and pressing speed; changes in temperature fields depending on the initial temperature of the loaded electrode mass; temperature dynamics at control points at different technological modes; the influence of heaters on the temperature in different areas of the mouthpiece; comparison of temperature dynamics depending on the stage of the process (stage of preparation and pressing). As a result of the researches carried out by means of the developed model, dependence of temperature in each zone of a mouthpiece on change of technological parameters of process is revealed, existence of considerable inertia of some influences is established. It is determined that the temperature of the loaded mass has a significant effect on the temperature distribution in the entire working space of the mouthpiece. The dynamics of temperature also strongly depends on the stage of the technological process. The analysis of methods of simplification of mathematical models is carried out, advantages and lacks of their application are resulted. Based on the analysis, it was decided to use the method of separation of Fourier variables to build a simplified mathematical model of the process of forming carbon products. Simplified mathematical models for the stage of preparation and pressing have been developed. Student's and Fisher's criteria were used to test the adequacy of the model. Based on the analysis of technical and economic indicators that can be used as criteria for optimality in the control system of the process of forming carbon products, the choice of the most appropriate indicator - the specific cost of operating costs. The problem of managing this process is formulated in mathematical form, which includes the criterion of optimality and limitations imposed on the technological variables of the process, taking into account the requirements for the quality of products. The criterion for calculation of qualitative indicators of process of formation of carbon products is offered. The search for the optimal settings of the MPC controller is performed. The efficiency of all developed control systems is confirmed by the results of simulations.
