Design and application of intelligent control system for heavy medium separation in Handan Coal Preparation Plant

In order to address issues such as reliance on manual experience in density control of the heavy medium separation system, aging detection equipment, and delayed parameter feedback, the Handan Coal Preparation Plant has implemented an intelligent upgrade of its heavy medium separation system. A three-layer architecture intelligent control system for heavy medium separation—comprising the equipment layer, control layer, and management layer—was established. New equipment, including density meters and magnetic content analyzers, was deployed, and an intelligent regulation model for suspension density was developed, enabling dual-mode manual and automatic control. After the system was put into operation, clean coal in middlings reduced by 0.5 percentage points, coal in refuse reduced by 1.6 percentage points, medium consumption decreased by 0.15 kg/t, and the fluctuation of suspension density was controlled within ± 0.005 g/cm³. The system realizes intelligent setting and regulation of suspension density, completing the transformation from automation to intelligence. This lays a solid foundation for further enhancing the overall intelligence level of the plant.