Tomographic Systems for Measurement and Control of Minerals Processing Plants

Abstract Improvements in the control of minerals processing plant may be possible by using tomographic techniques to measure the quantity and spatial distribution of material at certain points in the process. Electrical tomography can provide real-time (100 frames/sec) distribution maps with a resolution of 1 in 20 lines (400 pixels over cross-section) which can be used for i) model verification, ii) measuring material concentrations at critical locations within process vessels as part of an overall control scheme. Case studies are presented on i) electrical capacitance tomography for non-conducting process fluids (e.g. for use in pneumatic conveyors), ii) electrical resistance tomography for electrically conducting fluids (e.g. for use in hydrocyclones).