AI and cascaded control loops keep timekiln running smoothly

July 2002 System Integration & Control Systems Design

Optin has recently installed a lime perfecter kiln controller on the LK7 limekiln at PPC Lime Acres. The controller optimises the production and operation of the kiln in terms of production, quality and efficiency. The controller is a nonlinear multivariable model-based predictive controller, which is based on the patented Pavilion Technologies Process-Perfecter as well as the G2 'Wrapper' technology from Gensym. Process Perfecter performs both dynamic and steady-state optimal control, whilst G2, a real expert system, performs intelligent signal processing, data validation and other communications and MMI tasks for the Perfecter. G2 is a realtime expert system and intelligent application deployment environment.

The Optin team, together with PPC Lime Acres experts and operational staff have developed and deployed this controller in record time with actual installation and commissioning taking less than one week. Benefits were derived from time of installation and include increase in kiln stability and lime quality as well as ease of operation and consistency of production. It is still early days and the controller is not yet complete, thus quantitative results with respect to production and efficiency improvements are looking very promising but not currently available.

The final controller is to consist of two cascaded controllers, although currently only the thermodynamic controller is active. The thermodynamic controller is currently a 7x6 multivariable matrix, which will increase in size due to recent additional instrumentation that has been added to the cooler. The LK7 kiln is a complex plant due to the large S/P preheater, which exhibits some unusual and complex dynamics and behaviour due to the counter flow feedback between the cooler, kiln and preheater.

Optin is a Johannesburg-based process control company which specialises in optimal and intelligent solutions using some of the world's most powerful artificial intelligence (AI) control tools, in particular those from Pavilion and Gensym. PPC Lime is the largest lime producer in South Africa and is part of the Barloworld group of companies.

For more information contact: Optin, tel: 011 782 8585.

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