LUCIE

Introduction to the Expert System Theory

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L
U
C
I
E
?
a f a r g e
n i v e r s a l
o n t r o l
&
n f e r e n c e
n g i n e
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Expert System


Basic form of artificial intelligence
Decisions equivalent to those of the human bean
Developed by interviewing an experienced person
Consolidates process operating know how into a
standard product easy portable to any plant
Two key components:
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1. The Knowledge base


A set of rules, information, facts about a certain
subject
Stored in an organized structure
Populated with both questions and answers
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2. The Inference Engine


Rule-based algorithm that interacts with a
Knowledge Base to draw conclusions about a set of
inputs
Emulates the human capability to arrive at a
conclusion by reasoning

Process Principles
LUCIE Mill
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What do you wish as Mill Operator?
The highest production of very
good quality cement/raw mix under
stable conditions
Is this all ?
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What do you need?
Sensors
Actuators
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What do we use
Quality Blaine, SO3

Mill

Separator
Fresh Feed
Finish Product
Nl1 Nl2
Mkw
Amps Elev
SENSOR
ACTUATOR
Feed Rate
Sep Speed
Gypsum %
Rejects
Temp
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Control Limitations
LUCIE changes set-points ONLY!
No actual equipment control (motor starts/stops,
alarm acknowledgement)
Lucie is not hiding mechanical/process problems.
On the contrary!
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Principles
1
st
Stabilize Mill Throughput

2
nd
Increase Production Level by Optimizing
Throughput

3
rd
Optimize Quality
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Sensor 1 Sensor 2 Sensor 3
Virtual Sensor (Estimates)
Short term
Potential
Long term
Potential

Set-points
Normalized values
ST-
Actions
LT-Action
Time constant
Lucie Actuators Set-points
Mill Strategy Organization
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Treatment of sensors

WHY?
To allow Lucie to continue to operate when a sensor
signal is no longer significant

To enable the strategy to always work with a plausible
signal value

To provide the most representative information of the
real state of the kiln / mill
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Treatment of sensors

HOW?
By filtering - eliminate the signal noise


By defining inside Lucie of four possible sensor
states and two validity values

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FILTERS - Example
The field-value
of the sensor is
not enough filtered.
The Lucie filtered
value
Sensor
Field
Value
Set-point State Validity
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Valid
Normal
Valid
Doubtful
Valid
Invalid
Frozen
Invalid
Abnormal
Signal Treatment
Sensor
The Estimates
LUCIE Mill
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The Estimates (Virtual Sensors)
Evaluate and forecast continuously how a particular
control parameter (mill throughput, material level,
etc.) will vary


Are the of Lucie


All actions are determined from the estimate results
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Estimates with impact on production
The Mill Throughput Estimate
The Material Level Estimate
The Drying Estimate

Estimates with impact on quality
The Quality Estimates
The Mill Estimates
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Goal: Calculate the mill throughput deviation
from the set point
Sensors: Elevator Amps,
((Rejects, Feed))
To each sensor a mono-estimate is connected
The mono-estimate converts the value from the
sensor into a common reference unit (t/h of MTP)

The Mill Throughput Estimate
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The Mono-Estimate
Mathematically expressed:
Mono-Estimation

=
Gain x (PV - Set Point) + Offset


The gain can be calculated:
Reference Sensor
Gain =
Monos Sensor
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The Multi-Estimate
The Mono-Estimate which is Estimating the Smallest
Margin is Chosen


The output of the multi-estimation are the State and
the Tendency in Normalized Values
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Normalization
Converts a particular value within a predefined
range [-4 , +4]

Brings all the signal on the same playing field

Enables reasoning with symbolic states

error = Value

- Set Point
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N
O
R
M
A
L
I
Z
A
T
I
O
N
Multi
Estimate
20 t/h
-30 t/h
-24 t/h
-17 t/h
-9 t/h
9 t/h
17 t/h
24 t/h
30 t/h
+4
+3
+2
+1
-1
-2
-3
-4
Normalized State
very high
high
slightly high
normal
slightly low
low
very low
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Normalized Tendency
How quickly and in what direction the error is changing
Based upon 2 errors compared ~8 minutes apart
Norm. Tendency = Norm. State (t) - Norm. State (t-)
Value between (-4 to +4)
i.e., fast filling, slow emptying

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The Material Level Estimate
Goal: Calculate the material level of the mill
(security)
Sensor: Electrical ears (C1 / C2)
Mill power / Amps
(DP)
Same treatment as done by the mill throughput
estimate

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The Drying Estimate
Goal: Qualify the margin of available heat in
the mill

Sensor: Gas temperature at mill exit
Material temperature at mill exit
(Gas temperature at mill inlet)

This estimate is reducing the feed if the minimum
temperature is not achieved

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From each multi-estimate a potential of feed is
determined
A Short Term Potential
A Long Term Potential
Potentials
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Potential Calculation
Sum of
Normalized
Mill Tend.
and State
from
Estimate

ST/LT
Action
Fuzzy
Logic
Table
Short/Long Term
Action
Potential
in tons of mill feed
[- 4; +4 ]
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Major vs. Minor
Major
Continuous control
Potential used

Minor
Security control - SAFEGUARD
Potential Used IF
(State, Tendency) Exceeds Threshold
Potential Selection
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The Minimum of the short- and long term
potentials is chosen
These potentials are piloting the mill
They are called the short- and long term Pilot
The Min-Action Object
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The Short Term Actions
Used to stabilize the mill
They Are:
Proportional to the set point deviation
Of big amplitude
Temporary
Superimposed on the long term actions
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The Long Term Actions
Used to maintain the long term stability
They are:
Of low amplitude
Cumulative
Permanent
Weighted by a factor which takes into
account the past
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Major MTP estimator
Minor ML estimator which has
not exceeded the threshold
Proposes Proposes
+ 1 ton per hour - 3 tons per hour
Pilot estimator = Mill Throughput
Result = + 1 ton per hour
Who Is The Pilot?
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Major MTP estimator
Minor ML estimator which has
exceeded the threshold
Proposes Proposes
+ 1 ton per hour - 3 tons per hour
Pilot estimator = Material Level
Result = - 3 tons per hour
Who Is The Pilot?
Optimization Of Mill Throughput
LUCIE Mill
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Mill
Throughput
Feed
Max
Feed
Opt.
Set Point
Positive
Increment
Negative
Increment
< 0
D Feed
D MTP
> 0
D Feed
D MTP
Relationship Feed / Mill throughput
LUCIE Calculates
the Feed and MTP
Set Point Variation
Same Sign ->
MTP Set Point
Increases
Different Sign ->
MTP Set Point
Decreases
The Quality Estimates
LUCIE Mill
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The Quality Estimates
Fineness, SO
3
...
Input: Sensor or Manually
Quality Target is the Set Point in LUCIE
Designed to mimic SPC control
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The Quality Estimates
Calculation:
Quality Level = Input Value - Set Point

A normalized value is then calculated from
this quality level

Actions triggered by control card
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N
O
R
M
A
L
I
Z
A
T
I
O
N
Normal
Slightly Low
Low
Very Low
Normal
Slightly High
High
Very High
-350
-300
-200
-90
90
200
300
350 +4
+3
+2
+1
-1
-2
-3
-4
Normalization
3750 3500
Blaine
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State of the
Quality
Estimate
X
Gain
Long-term
Increment
for separator
speed
LT-Fuzzy
Table
Calculation Of Action
The Product Table
LUCIE Mill
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The Product Table

Add / Remove Products

Define individual recipe for each product
Set Points for Mono Estimators
Scale Factors for Actions
Quality set points
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Recipe Files
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LUCIE

Is a tool for the plant improvement
Duplicates the Operator behaviour based on
fundamental process principles
Can yield higher production rates (~3%) and
lower standard deviation for quality
parameters
Is dedicated to both Process and Production

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Do you know that Lucie controls
109 cement mills
34 raw mills
5 coal mills
7 vertical mills
in more than 50 plants all over the world ?
The Operator Screen
LUCIE Mill
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