Mytrofanov O. Automation of controlling thermal pellet treatment by using a fuzzy logic-based conveyor machine

The presented research deals with solving the scientific problem of developing and studying the automated control system for mode characteristics of thermal treatment of iron ore pellets using conveyor-type kilns to improve efficiency of the process. The process of automated control over thermal treatment of iron ore pellets in interrelated technological areas of the conveyor-type kiln is the research object. To provide better marketable quality of produced pellets under changeable conditions and parameters of technological areas of the kiln, regularities, models and methods of controlling processes occurring during thermal treatment of pellets make the research subject. When conducting the research, incomplete and fuzzy characteristics of technological areas, distribution of heat-carriers of air-gas flows, physical and chemical properties of pellets, parameters of aggregates of the machine, etc. are taken into consideration. With limited parameters of the technological process, a set of engineering designs is developed to provide reduction of energy-carrier consumption, improve quality and increase output of applicable pellets. The control algorithm of thermal treatment of pellets by using the conveyor machine is presented on the basis of fuzzy controllers for heat-carrier flows when regulating temperature modes of the technological areas. The developed control algorithms and software-hardware support are proposed for industrial conditions. In the LabVIEW environment, a virtual model is developed to study control over thermal pellet treatment by using conveyor-type kilns. This enables designing a metallurgical complex based on a modern algorithm of data processing by fuzzy logic controllers. The obtained simulation results indicate that due to the optimized average speed of conveyor belt trolleys and the height of the pellets layer close to the maximum, it is possible to reduce power consumption by 3.5 kW*h/t. The experiment results, methods of applying virtual devices and recommendations for their use at Ukraine’s iron ore mining enterprises have been implemented in the industry, in particular, at the pelletizing plant of the PJSC Northern Mining and Beneficiation Plant. These are the projects based on the integrated mathematical model that approximates dynamics of the thermal pellet treatment in the technological areas of the kiln based on solving fuzzy logic equations and their parametric identification (the act for use of the dissertation results as of October 10, 2019). Analysis of implementing the results reveals that reduction of specific fuel consumption to maintain mode parameters of high-temperature areas of conveyor-type kilns is possible when observing specified values of pellet height, moisture content in pellets and the average speed of conveyor belt trolleys.