Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

• Chaimae LOUDARI ¹
• Moha Cherkaoui ²
• Imad El Harraki ³
• Rachid Bennani ⁴
• Mohamed El Adnani ⁵
• EL Hassan Abdelwahed ⁵
• Intissar Benzakour ⁶
• François Bourzeix ⁷
• Karim Baina ⁸

¹ PhD at ENSMR

² LMAID Lab, National School of Mines of Rabat (ENSMR), Rabat, Morocco

³ LMAID Lab, National School of Mines of Rabat ENSMR, Rabat, Morocco

⁴ Digitalization and Microelectronic Smart Devices, MAScIR, Rabat, Morocco

⁵ LISI Laboratory University of Cadi Ayyad, UCA, Marrakech, Morocco

⁶ Reminex Research Center, MANAGEM Group, Marrakech

⁷ Embedded Systems and Artificial Intelligence Department, MAScIR, Rabat, Morocco

⁸ Al-Qualsadi Research and Development Team, ENSIAS, Rabat, Morocco

Abstract

Energy efficiency and product quality control are critical concerns in grinding mill operations, particularly within the innovative context of Mine 4.0. This study introduces a novel Genetic Algorithm (GA)-based optimization framework specifically developed to address these challenges. Given the mining industry’s significant energy consumption, especially in grinding processes, the proposed approach optimizes key parameters such as feed composition, water flow rates, and power consumption levels, while maintaining sieve refusal near the target threshold of 20%. Using real operational data from a Moroccan plant, the GA achieved a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 0.47, outperforming Simulated Annealing (SA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), which yielded MAEs of 1.14 and 0.74, respectively. The GA also demonstrated superior convergence stability and robustness, as evidenced by lower variability in predicted power consumption. These results validate the effectiveness of the GA framework in navigating nonlinear, high-dimensional parameter spaces and improving energy efficiency while ensuring product quality consistency. Ultimately, this research confirms the potential of metaheuristic optimization in enhancing grinding mill efficiency and supports the broader shift towards intelligent and sustainable mining operations under the Mine 4.0 paradigm.

Keywords

• Mining Grinding Mills
• Process Optimization
• Genetic Algorithm
• Energy Efficiency
• Metaheuristic Optimization

Main Subjects

• Modelling & Simulation