Development of advanced monitoring and control schemes for the primary aluminum industry

该研究项目延续了与美国铝业公司长达12年的持续合作关系。它旨在提高原铝冶炼厂的工艺智能和敏捷性，以应对过去几年来影响该行业的原材料(如石油焦、煤焦油沥青)质量下降和变化无常的情况。由C.Duchene教授领导的项目通过使用过程系统工程(PSE)工具，如多变量数据分析、过程监控和质量控制，帮助解决这些问题，以减少原材料差异并改进实时决策。数据驱动的方法用于提取和评估冶炼厂常规收集的大型工业数据库(大数据)中包含的相关信息，并根据行业4.0的概念提供低成本的解决方案来支持流程运营。过去与美国铝业合作的研究重点是开发快速和非破坏性传感器，以测量和跟踪碳阳极制造链上各种材料中原材料变化的影响。该计划探索的新研究方向基于1)该集团在过去5年开发的传感器和监控方案，以及2)美国铝业冶炼厂最近实施的新技术。更具体地说，将提出先进的监测和控制方案，其基础是在多个点上测量绿色阳极的电阻率的四点探头装置(美国铝业公司的技术)，以及安装在几个铝电解槽上的单个阳极电流传感系统。还将建立简化的一维电解槽电路模型，以实时估计阳极-阴极距离。该计划的成果包括帮助美国铝业和加拿大铝业提高能源效率和减少环境足迹的系统和技术。与该领域高素质人才的培训相结合，它将有助于保持加拿大铝业在全球的竞争力和领先地位。

This research program continues a 12-years ongoing partnership with Alcoa Corporation. It aims at improving process intelligence and agility of primary aluminum smelters to cope with the declining quality and increasing variability in raw materials (i.e., petroleum coke, coal tar pitch) affecting the industry since the past several years. The program led by Prof. C. Duchesne contributes to addressing these issues by using process systems engineering (PSE) tools, such as multivariate data analysis, process monitoring and quality control, to mitigate raw material variations and improve real-time decision making. Data-driven methods are used to extract and valorize the relevant information contained in the large industrial databases (Big Data) routinely collected by the smelters, and provide low-cost solutions to support process operations, aligned on the Industry 4.0 concepts. Past research in partnership with Alcoa focused on developing rapid and non-destructive sensors to measure and track the impact of raw material variability in various materials along the carbon anode manufacturing chain. The new research directions explored in this program are based 1) on sensors and monitoring schemes developed in the group in the last 5 years, and 2) on new technologies recently implemented at Alcoa smelters. More specifically, advanced monitoring and control schemes will be proposed based on a 4-points probe device (Alcoa technology) measuring the electrical resistivity of green anodes in multiple points, and individual anode electrical current sensing systems installed on several aluminum reduction cells. A simplified 1-D electrical circuit model of a reduction cell will also be built to estimate anode-cathode distances in real-time. The outcomes this program consist of systems and technologies to help Alcoa and the Canadian aluminum industry increase energy efficiency and reduce environmental footprint. Combined with the training of highly qualified personnel in the field, it will contribute to maintaining competitiveness and leadership of the Canadian aluminum industry Worldwide.