Optimization of Control for the Pneumatic Container Transport System

The automatic control of any process implies continuous or infrequent monitoring process parameters. At the ore dressing mills and metallurgical plants, such parameters may include composition of feedstock, fluxes, reagents, intermediate products, final tailings and wastewater. Usually, this information is supplied by the automated analytical monitoring system, in which the main component is the automated sub-system for sampling and representative test sample transportation. The article considers the flowchart of a system for container freight delivery via a transport pipeline, designed for delivery of process materials. A control principle for pneumatic conveying subsystems, which builds on pressure control in the transportation pipeline, and a control algorithm for the transportation container delivery process were devised. The proposed engineering solutions allow compressed air pressure to be optimally distributed in long transport lines (up to several kilometers). The noted problem is solved with the help of intermediate stations. Intermediate stations are installed on long sections of the transport pipeline. The scheme of the intermediate station and the corresponding control algorithms are developed.