Centralized Control of Cement Production Process

The main ingredient of cement, which is called clinker, is produced through an energy-intensive process that requires controlling the concentration of multiple variables by means of the fuel and air-flow supplied to the facility. Provide too much fuel, then you get lower quality material and high density carbon emission. Provide too much fresh air (to burn), then you cool down the facility, which will slow-down the operation. In this project, we will focus on how our inputs will affect the exhaust air quality (carbon emission) of the facility and look for process control strategies that will reduce the concentration of pollutant chemicals in the exhaust. Towards this goal, we will develop data-driven models to obtain the relation between the exhaust air quality and the production inputs. Actual (real-time) data provided by a cement production company in Turkey will be utilized. Folks interested in ML and system dynamics/control are encouraged.