Framework For Optimization And Scheduling Of A Copper Production Plant

This work presents a nonlinear optimization and scheduling approach applied to a copper production plant. The solution maximizes smelting furnace production and provides valid converting schedules by simulating the evolution of the process over the optimization horizon. The production process is briefly described and the main models used to predict and calculate furnace and converter parameters are detailed. Though the solution is concentrated on the main elements, copper and iron, the optimization framework enables easy future augmentation with more complex models. A schedule optimization case is presented.