a.a yousefi - Department of Mining Engineering, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
a.a rahmani - Department of Mining Engineering, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
a farzanegan - School of Mining, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
s rostami - Gol-e-Gohar Iron Mineral Processing Plant, Hematite Plant, Sirjan, Iran

Simulation optimization is a scientific tool that is widely used for design and optimization of comminution circuits in mineral processing plants. In this research, first of all, in order to determine thesuitable d80 for cicuit hydrocyclone underflow, the parameters required for simulator (residence timedistribution, breakage function, selection function and Plitt’s model calibration) were determined. Then, simulation of comminution circuit by presentation of BMCS® software under MATLAB environment was performed. Finally, the GA toolbox of MATLAB software was used for optimizationof the comminution circuit by determining the simulator as fitness function. The results showed that by determining the optimum value of input parameters (solid content, fresh feed and water rate to the input streams), the genetic algorithm is able to achieve a suitable d80 for circuit cuf (cyclon underflow).

Simulation,Optimization,Genetic Algorithm,Comminution Circuits,Hydrocyclone Underflow