Abstract:
This work proposes a systems optimization control model for energy management of a parallel crushing
process made up with high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGR) machines. The aim is to reduce both energy
consumption and cost through optimal control of the process and load shifting, respectively. A case study
of a copper crushing process is solved under three scenarios in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the
developed model. Simulation results show that 41.93% energy cost saving is achieved through load shifting
by coordinating the rotational speed of HPGRs. It is further shown that the energy saving can be
achieved when the two HPGRs are not operated with equal overall efficiency, but also through a small
decrement in rolls operating pressure. In the first case, 1.87% energy saving is obtained while in the last
case, about 4.5% energy saving is achieved for every decrement of 0:2 N=mm2 in rolls operating pressure
without significant change in product quality.
