Coarse Return Prediction in a Cement Industry’s Closed Grinding Circuit System through a Fully Connected Deep Neural Network (FCDNN) Model

Abstract

Milling operations in various production processes are among the most important factors in determining the quality, stability, and consumption of energy. Optimizing and stabilizing the milling process is a non-linear multivariable control problem. In specific processes that deal with natural materials (e.g., cement, pulp and paper, beverage brewery and water/wastewater treatment industries). A novel data-driven approach utilizing real-time monitoring control technology is proposed for the purpose of optimizing the grinding of cement processing. A combined event modeling for feature extraction and the fully connected deep neural network model to predict the coarseness of cement particles is proposed. The resulting prediction allows a look ahead control strategy and corrective actions. The proposed solution has been deployed in a number of cement plants around the world. The resultant control strategy has enabled the operators to take corrective actions before the coarse return increases, both in autonomous and manual mode. The impact of the solution has improved efficiency resource use by 10% of resources, the plant stability, and the overall energy efficiency of the plant.