J Austral Math Soc Ser B 33 pp269--289, 1992.

Control of a surface of discontinuity in continuous thickness

N. G. Barton, C.-H. Li and S. J. Spencer

Abstract

This paper examines the control of an interface between a suspension of sedimenting particles in liquid and a bed of dense-packed particles at the bottom of the suspension. The problem arises in the operation of continuous thickeners (e.g. in mineral processing) and is here mathematically described by a first order inhomogeneous partial differential equation for the concentration C(x, t) of particles. The controlled variable is the height H ^* of the bed, and the control variables are the volume fluxes injected at the feed level and removed at the bed. A strategy to control the interface is devised, and control is confirmed and demonstrated by a series of numerical experiments.

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Authors

N. G. Barton

S. J. Spencer

C.-H. Li

CSIRO Division of Mathematics and Statistics, P.O. Box 128, Linfield, NSW Australia 2070.