A recursive node imbalance method incorporating a model of flowrate dynamics for on-line material balance of complex flowsheets

A method is proposed to perform on-line material balance of mineral processing circuits using on-stream assays and flowrate measurements. The method, based on a least-squares recursive procedure, is derived from the node imbalance method developed for steady-state mass balance, and incorporates additional equations to represent the dynamic evolution of the flowrates. The method is illustrated for a simulated separation unit and for a simulated flotation circuit.