1TermoVis - Thermovision system for copper electrorefining process control | KGHM | AMEplus © Copyright 2014

TermoVis system is used to supervise the electrorefining process by periodic thermal monitoring of electrolytic tanks – monitoring their temperature infrared radiation.

Electrorefining process takes place in electrolytic tanks filled with solution of sulfuric acid and copper sulfate. The pairs of electrodes: copper anodes and cathode pads, made of thin copper plates, are immersed in the tanks. Between the cathodes and anodes there is voltage maintained which causes an electric current flow. The anodes are dissolved and pure copper is deposited on the cathode pads, forming copper cathodes with a content of 99.995% Cu. Impurities contained in the anodes remain in solution and sink to the bottom of the tank, creating anode slime containing metals.

TermoVis HC - Thermovision system hardware configuration

TermoVis system for thermal monitoring of electrorefining process uses FLIR A310 thermographic camera with the 320x240 pixels detector, located outside the crane cab in a special casing with a germanium window.

Computer equipment placed inside the cab is:

� A computer – Simatic Box PC installed in an object cabinet,

� Simatic PRO 15 touch panel mounted on a proper extension.

Equipment mounted on the outside the crane cab:

� DME4000-112 laser distance sensor, to determine the location of the crane’s bridge in the tanks workshop;

� DME3000-111P laser distance sensor, to set the position coordinates of the crane cab with a camera installed on it along the crane’s bridge;

Both of the distance sensors point a laser beam at reflective mirrors mounted at the end of the crane and the end of the workshop. The Box PC is connected with the camera in Ethernet network and with the distance sensors in Profibus network. The computer is also connected to SOS - Operative Control System, installed in a dispatching center, by Wi-Fi network. The SOS system collects and processes data of a thermal scanning results and prepares reports to handle the process.

MSSQLServer

WiFi

Simatic Flat Panel PRO 15

Simatic Box PCTermoVis

Thermographic camera

Laser distancesensor

Profibus

Ethernet

Dispatching CenterElectrolytic tank workshop

Crane bridge

Crane cab

Ethernet

Profibus

Laser distancesensor

TermoVis - Thermovision system for copper electrorefining process control | KGHM | AMEplus © Copyright 20142

TermoVis SW - A software package for collecting and processing of thermal images

Application that provides full functionality of TermoVis system, with a system determining the position of the camera in the electrolytic tanks workshop, is performed in Proficy iFix SCADA software package environment from GE Intelligent Platforms, using MSSQL database. This application uses ThermoVision SDK software package procedures and its functionality includes:

� acquisition of half tanks images and data transmission,

� setting the camera and operation control, which allows the user to declare an alarm conditions,

� defining the functionality of camera’s digital input/output.

On-line processing procedures

Program sequences processed on-line by TermoVis program modules during thermal scanning of tanks are:

� selection and scanning a group of tanks,

� a camera position determination based on measurements obtained from distance sensors,

� selection of thermal images for processing and archiving.

Off-line processing procedures

Image processing operations perform:

� removing the radial distortion,

� image rotation and half tanks images merging,

� separation of anode and cathode areas,

� determination of temperature distributions along the fixed tube sections,

� temperature distributions data recorded in database.

The purpose of this process is to enable the generation of reports based on the data of scanning results collected in the database.

Technologist’s report

The report is an application of MS Excel package and shows temperatures profile charts for the specified tanks sections. The coordinates of individual tank elements are marked on the graphs. These coordinates are the result of processing data obtained from the thermal image.

Recognition of the characteristic features of the tank on the picture is provided by an algorithm, which determines the coordinates of anode’s and cathode’s position. Thereafter dimensions of anodes and cathodes are calculated for an assumed distance between electrodes.

Based on these dimensions, the position areas of anodes and cathodes are determined and compared with the reference values. In case of detecting too large deviations of these coordinates, corrections are calculated for them.

After the tank elements identification, temperature distributions are determined for the fixed tank sections, which are presented as temperatures graphs for individual electrodes.

Electrologist’s report

The report is an application of MS Excel package and provides a graphical presentation of the temperature distributions’ irregularities in individual tanks, which are mainly associated with non-uniform currents propagation between pairs of electrodes.

These irregularities are determined using the criteria for standard values of temperature in different areas of the electrolytic tank.

3TermoVis - Thermovision system for copper electrorefining process control | KGHM | AMEplus © Copyright 2014

Thermal images of electrolytic tanks

TermoVis - Thermovision system for copper electrorefining process control | KGHM | AMEplus © Copyright 20144

The tank workshop manager report

The report is an application of MS Excel package which provides information about the effectiveness in removing irregularities detected by thermovision system. In the worksheet a group of tanks and a report dates can be defined. The data of the number of irregularities in the temperature distributions in different areas of the tank, sorted by the type and degree of irregularity, can be received from database.

Software module for images visual analysis

The software module for images visual analysis uses the possibilities of thermal image coloring for the set temperature thresholds. The image shows an example of temperatures above 50°C, 55°C, 60°C.

Oddział Huta Miedzi „Głogów“

ul. Żukowicka 1, 67-200 Głógów tel.: +48 (76) 747 70 01 fax: +48 (76) 833 31 03

www.kghm.pl

AMEplus Sp. z o.o.

ul. Starogliwicka 81, 44-121 Gliwice tel. +48 (32) 239 27 00 fax +48 (32) 239 27 01

info@ameplus.pl www.ameplus.pl

Advantages of using the system

� The system effectively detects non-uniform propagation of current, which is associated with between-electrodes short circuits or with increased resistance of the electrical contacts,

� Provides control of an electrolyte’s proper supply to the electrolytic tanks.

� Allows precise location of irregularities in the process, thereby reduces the necessity of manual search, which causes additional disruption.

� Allows monitoring and objective evaluation of the effectiveness of manual process interventions for the removal of irregularities in process course.