Modeling of Copper Matte Continuous Converting Processes Based on Multithread Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

A multiphase equilibrium calculation (MEC) model of oxygen-enriched bottom blowing copper matte continuous converting (CMCC) was established based on the principle of minimum Gibbs free energy. The process parameter optimization problem was converted into a constrained optimization problem by solving the model. According to the characteristics of the model, the multithread particle swarm optimization (MTPSO) algorithm was proposed. Standard PSO (SDPSO), single-thread PSO (STPSO), and MTPSO were used to solve the MEC model, respectively. Under same calculating conditions, MTPSO calculation speed increased by 2.5 times and convergence rate increases to 93.33% compared with STPSO, while SDPSO did not converge. Comparing MTPSO calculation results with industrial data, the relative errors of Cu mass fraction in the blister copper and slag are −0.05% and −1.02%, and the absolute error of CMCC temperature is −3 K. The results indicated that the MEC model and MTPSO algorithm were reliable to regulate industrial operations with competitive calculation speed and accuracy.