Method and device for the automated operation of a bulk material storage facility

Abstract

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATED OPERATION OF A BULK MATERIAL STORAGE FACILITY. The present invention relates to a method and a device for operating a bulk material storage facility with at least one storage area in the form of a stockpile, in particular, a bulk material transfer facility or a material extraction facility. Specifically, it is provided that for at least one storage area, a stockpile model is created, and that based on the created stockpile model, the emergence of physical and / or chemical states is foreseen, which may arise during the storage of the respectively stored material, and that the foreseen physical or chemical states are used in the storage operation in order to ensure the storage of the stored material while preserving it.

Description

1 / 19 “METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATED OPERATION OF AN INSTALLATION FOR THE STORAGE OF BULK MATERIAL

[0001] The invention relates to a method for operating a bulk material storage facility, for example, a bulk material transfer facility or a material extraction facility used in open-pit mining, with a storage operation for decomposed rubble or bulk material in the material extraction facility, according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Also the subject of the present invention are a computer program, a machine-readable data medium for storing the computer program and a device by means of which the method according to the invention can be carried out. State of the art

[0003] In the case of storage yard management at a bulk material transfer site, for example, a material transfer site at a shipping port or a material decomposition site, materials are temporarily stored in so-called stockpiles. These stockpiles consist of spills of, for example, ore, lignite, raw materials for cement manufacturing, or salts such as potassium salt (potassium carbonate) or similar substances. In the case of storage yard management or bulk material storage, the physical influences on the stored material, conditioned by storage, are often conditioned by the process. Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 5 / 144 2 / 19 are insufficient or are not even considered at all.

[0004] From universal patent document WO 2009 / 075945 A1, a method for simulating a material reservoir, for example, an oil or gas reservoir for oil or gas production, is derived. In this case, a reservoir model is generated, and the generated model is positioned in several domains, each domain corresponding to an efficient partition for a specific part of the model. In the case of the method, the reservoir simulation is divided into several processing elements, and a plurality of processing elements are processed in parallel based on the partitions. In the case of the three-dimensional reservoir model, for example, the operation of an oil and / or gas reservoir with one or more vertical boreholes is simulated. The model is divided by a grid network into several nodes, and the model nodes can have various sizes.

[0005] A monitoring system for a coal stockpile is known from Japanese patent document JP 2017 138166, in which various types of coal are stored together.

[0006] A method for simulating the auto-ignition of a coal stockpile is known from Chinese patent document CN 104 634 815 B.

[0007] A system and method for operating a stockpile with a three-dimensional stockpile model is known from German patent document DE 10 2015 104229 A1. Dissemination of the invention Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 6 / 144 3 / 19

[0008] The invention is based on the idea of, in the case of a bulk material storage facility, for example, a bulk material transfer facility (called a material transfer point for bulk material transfer in an open-pit mining facility), controlling the storage operation of material stored there based on the calculation of a computer-supported storage location model or a stockpile model preserving the material, and in this case, also in the most automated way possible.

[0009] The material is simply not preserved when, during storage, before removing the bulk material again, it has to be broken up again due to hardening or sticking.

[0010] In this case, it is worth noting that the invention can also be employed in so-called "mixed bed" installations, in which various materials and / or various material qualities of a material and / or materials with various material states are stored (temporarily) in a mixed bed in order to mix these materials together. In such an application scenario, the digital stockpile model, in addition to the material state, can also describe which material or which material quality exists at a given point in the stockpile. In this way, it is also possible to predict the exact degree of mixing of material to be stored after mixing has occurred.

[0011] The invention is based on the recognition that in the case of a storage yard at a transfer site of Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 7 / 144 4 / 19 Bulk material, for example, in a storage location situated in a shipping port or in a material breakdown location for material transfer, under certain reinforced physical influencing factors, can lead to surface hardening and / or adhesion of the stored material. Influencing factors of this type are, for example, mechanical pressure on the material conditioned by storage, material temperature conditioned by external and / or internal influences, air humidity or material humidity conditioned by external and / or internal influences, and / or storage time.The aforementioned material changes conditioned by storage can occur, for example, in materials or raw materials such as iron ore, lignite, raw materials for cement production, for example, limestone, limestone / marl / clay mixtures, gypsum or clay, as well as potassium carbonate, granulated sulfur, fertilizers or similar. In addition to the material's moisture content, other relevant physical or chemical influences on hardening and / or adhesion can be considered, depending on the material, for example, the limestone content in the case of limestone.

[0012] According to a first aspect of the method suggested according to the invention, for a respective storage area or corresponding stockpile, a digital stockpile model is created. Based on this model, the probability of the occurrence of empirically determined physical states is calculated, for example, through preliminary tests or simulation calculations, which Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 8 / 144 5 / 19 can occur during the storage of the respective stocked material. These states are then used as process variables in the automation of the storage operation, in order to effectively avoid the aforementioned undesirable physical storage states through appropriate storage operation or corresponding countermeasures.

[0013] In this case it should be noted that a storage area mentioned is referred to in the relevant literature as a stockpile located in a stockyard, which represents a storage location for the bulk material in question. A stockpile of this type, for example, in a material extraction plant referred to herein, is generated or fed primarily by belt conveyors.

[0014] According to the invention, a stockpile referred to herein is divided into a large number of smaller volume elements. In the case of these volume elements, they are preferably symmetrical in three spatial directions, for example, cube-shaped volume elements, which considerably simplifies the calculation of the physical forces acting on an individual volume element, or the calculation of the corresponding physical state of such a volume element. In the calculation of a current stockpile model, the influences of neighboring elements arranged above and to the side are taken into account for a predetermined volume element. In this case, the number of nearest neighboring elements to be considered can be increased, if necessary, to improve accuracy. Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 9 / 144 6 / 19 of the model calculation. Test calculations showed that considering only the nearest neighbors horizontally and as many volume elements as possible vertically as possible, located above the observed volume element, provides sufficiently accurate results.

[0015] According to another aspect of the proposed method, in the calculation of the aforementioned volume elements, the prevailing local or average pressure, preferably isostatic, as well as the average temperature present in the respective volume element are taken into consideration to calculate, from these variables, the probability of hardening of the material of the considered volume element and / or an accumulation of the material of that element with the material of one of the neighboring elements. In this case, the empirically determined data previously for the hardening and / or adhesion behavior of various materials are preferably used as a basis. The previously determined data include, for example, the probability of hardening or adhesion (in %) as a function of the pressure and temperature present on the boundary surface between two volume elements, specifically as a function of the respective material.

[0016] According to another aspect of the proposed method, the elapsed storage time of the respective material is also taken into account in the calculation of the aforementioned volume elements of the stockpile model. In this way, the time-dependent effects on the hardening and / or adhesion behavior of the respective material can be considered with greater precision.

[0017] According to another aspect of the proposed method, the Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 10 / 144 7 / 19 Spatial data necessary for calculating the stockpile model of an existing material storage facility are detected by sensors, combined or compared with topographic surface data, and, with the aid of the comparison, an adaptation of the stockpile model to the current material storage facility is eventually performed. Detection of surface data of this type by sensors can occur without contact through conventional camera systems or laser technology, radar technology, optically, or also through autonomously operated flying or motion drones.The physical data also needed for calculating the stockpile model, such as current temperatures on surfaces or in external areas of a material storage facility, can also preferably be detected without contact using sensors, for example, by means of a known infrared thermometer (called a pyrometer) or by means of known thermal imaging cameras.

[0018] According to yet another aspect of the proposed method, the results of calculating a currently valid stockpile model, for example, in the case of storage yard management with a machine control, can be fed in real time to the corresponding transport operation or transport technology (e.g., conveyor depositor) for bulk material, from a programmable memory control (SPC). In this way, considerable automation of the operation of a storage location referred to here can be achieved.

[0019] Similarly, the device suggested according to the invention is equipped to operate a yard control. Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 11 / 144 8 / 19 storage or a material extraction facility equipped with a storage yard management system, in particular a designated storage area there or a corresponding stockpile, largely automated by means of the proposed method and still operating it while preserving the material.

[0020] According to a first aspect, the proposed device features a sensor system for the preferably non-contact detection of topographic data of the respective stockpile, in particular its current surface data, and / or for the detection of physical data of the respective stockpile, in particular its temperature data. Furthermore, the device features a data processing unit, through which a model of the current stockpile is calculated based on the surface data and / or physical data detected by the sensors. The results of the calculations using the stockpile model are fed by the device to a control unit of the respective storage or extraction site.

[0021] According to another aspect of the proposed device, the data processing unit is expected to be equipped to calculate the current physical and / or chemical state variables of the stockpile using the digital stockpile model, as well as the data detected by the sensors, the current physical or chemical states of the material stored in the stockpile using the calculated state variables, and to predict possible material changes in the stored material using the physical or chemical states. Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 12 / 144 9 / 19 calculated chemicals or to prepare corresponding forecast data.

[0022] According to another aspect of the proposed device, the control unit is provided to be equipped to calculate appropriate measure(s) to prevent a change or deterioration of the material using the prediction data provided by the data processing unit, and to use the countermeasure data calculated in this way to feed, for example, an SPS control or machine control for storage by means of which the countermeasures are carried out during storage.

[0023] According to yet another aspect of the proposed device, the control unit is expected to be equipped to perform at least one appropriate measurement with the aid of predetermined possible measures, and for specific physical or chemical states, appropriate countermeasures are determined beforehand with the aid of test assays.

[0024] The invention may be put to use preferably in the area of, for example, material transfer points provided in shipping ports for the transfer of bulk material (e.g., ore, coal, lignite, fertilizers or salts such as potassium carbonate) as well as in the area of ​​a corresponding extraction of bulk material of this type, for example, in a mine facility operated in open-pit mining, or in a storage facility for bulk materials from cement production, with the advantages described in this document. However, the method and device may also Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 13 / 144 10 / 19 can be used correspondingly in other storage locations, for example, in storage locations for the storage of natural stone / earthenware.

[0025] The computer program according to the invention is equipped to perform each step of the method, in particular when it is run on a control device for controlling the storage of a storage area or storage location referred to herein. In particular, it allows the implementation of the method according to the invention on an electronic control device, for example, an SPS control device, without having to make structural changes to the control device. For this purpose, machine-readable data storage is provided on which the computer program according to the invention is stored.By loading the computer program according to the invention onto a device or corresponding electronic control apparatus, the device according to the invention is obtained, which is equipped to operate or control a control system of the storage location in question or a corresponding storage or intermediate storage for bulk material or overload of a material extraction facility by means of the method according to the invention.

[0026] Other advantages and embodiments of the invention result from the description and accompanying drawings. In the drawings, identical elements or features, or those that function equivalently, are given identical reference numbers.

[0027] It is understandable that the characteristics mentioned above and those yet to be explained below may be Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 14 / 144 11 / 19 used not only in the respective combination indicated, but also in other combinations or in isolated positions, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Brief description of the drawings

[0028] Figure 1 schematically shows a model of a digital stock stack to illustrate the method and device according to the invention. Figure 2 shows a first example of implementing the method according to the invention for calculating a physical model of a stockpile using a schematic representation of a local arrangement of volume elements. Figure 3 shows a second example of implementing the method according to the invention or device with the aid of a combined flowchart / block diagram. Description of execution examples

[0029] The stockpile model shown in Figure 1 refers to the temporary storage of potassium carbonate (also called potash) in a stockpile. During storage of potassium carbonate, under certain influencing physical factors such as pressure, temperature, air humidity and / or storage time, adhesion and / or hardening of the material occurs. This or a similar effect can possibly also be observed in other materials.

[0030] For example, the adhered material has the following disadvantageous effects: - A reduction in the quality of the material and, therefore Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 15 / 144 12 / 19 consequently, loss of revenue for the owner of the material; - Increased wear on the retrieval machines due to tooth wear; - A reduction in the efficiency of the storage yard installation and, consequently, lost sales due to slower recovery, as well as additional work steps required to re-grind the adhered material.

[0031] According to the stockpile model represented in an isometric top view in Figure 1, the storage yard in question is converted into a digital storage location model, given that this yard in the present implementation example is divided into digital volume areas or cube-shaped volume bodies. The size of these areas determines the resolution of the digital model and can be varied according to the requirement.

[0032] Several physical or chemical state variables (parameters) can be assigned to each of the volume areas. These variables can be: - the prevailing (average) momentary pressure in the volume area; - the moment the material in question is stored in the volume area for calculating the storage period elapsed since then; - the external temperature in the environment of the pile of Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 16 / 144 13 / 19 stock at the time the material in question is stored; - the prevailing air humidity in the stockpile environment at the time the material in question is stored; - the aforementioned pressure in a given volume area multiplied by the storage period elapsed since the mentioned moment of storage, in order to obtain a time-dependent pressure index; - the type of material in question; - quality information about the material in question, for example, the chemical composition and purity or the physical fineness of the material's particles); - as well as other influencing factors or variables for the storage of the material in question, for example, its probability of adhesion, and preferably as a function of the aforementioned state variables.

[0033] In the stockpile model represented in Figure 1, the following values ​​of the state variables and material properties, mentioned above, are present in the volume areas 100 shown here: - Time the material was stored on 04 / 10 / 2019 / question: 12:35:24 - Storage period to date: 56:20:54 h - Average instantaneous pressure: 10,000 N - Type of material: potash Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 17 / 144 14 / 19 Material quality: xyz Probability of adherence: 50%

[0034] In the present potash example, the values ​​mentioned result in a (non-negligible) risk of adherence for the eight light gray shaded volume areas or elements 105, a probability of adherence of <30% for the four medium gray shaded volume areas 110, and a probability of adherence of >90% for the four dark gray shaded volume areas 115.

[0035] The digital stockpile model, therefore, that is present corresponding to figure 1 is created in the present embodiment by means of image capture sensors, for example, laser, radar, photogrammetric sensors or the like, which are preferably arranged in a (conveyor) depositor and / or in a reloading device of the respective storage facility.

[0036] During material storage, the parameters available at that instant—in this example, the stored material, the storage instant, the prevailing air humidity during storage, etc.—are assigned to the respective volume areas filled at that instant. Based on these state variables or parameters, a material-specific algorithm calculates the probability of material states in the respective cube-shaped volume areas in this example according to the following relationship: Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 18 / 144 15 / 19 where the variable t is the instant of the material's state, the variable Xi is a state variable related to material X, the variable wi is a weighting factor for the state variable Xi, the variable vi is a weighting factor for the time dependence of the state variable Xi, and the variable Ti is the number of times elapsed or historical time steps that are considered for the state variable Xi. Example for calculating the state:

[0037] In the example, potassium carbonate (potash) is taken as the basis for storage material or goods, which is assumed to adhere up to 90% after x hours of storage time under a pressure y. The aforementioned algorithm is formed or adapted based on the corresponding preliminary tests and / or the physical or chemical relationships obtained in the process. The algorithm thus enables an assessment of probabilities or prediction of states conditioned to the storage in question, for example, the aforementioned states of adhesion that the material assumes in the mentioned volume areas.

[0038] Based on the probabilities or predictions calculated in this way, the control of the installation can now be configured or programmed in such a way that the probability of occurrence of a specific, undesirable material state (conditioned to storage) is reduced.

[0039] Possible measures in the operation of a storage facility in question here, for the reduction of Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 19 / 144 16 / 19 The probability of certain material states entering the material can be: - a timely removal of the material, that is, a corresponding reduction in storage time; - less material stacking and, consequently, a lower height of a stockpile at critical points, which reduces pressure on or within a described volume element; - storing new material only in non-critical areas, also to reduce the aforementioned pressure.

[0040] Figure 2 shows a schematic representation of a local arrangement of described volume elements, specifically for simplification purposes of only five 200-220 volume elements adjacent to each other. With the aid of this representation, a first example of implementing the method according to the invention for calculating a physical stockpile model in question with the aid of a mentioned algorithm is described.

[0041] The pressure gradient Δρ1,2 shown only for the two volume elements 200, 205, in the vertical direction of the arrangement shown, is essentially determined by the gravitational pressure exerted by the upper volume element 200 on the lower volume element 205. The pressure gradient between the two lower volume elements 205, 210 then results correspondingly, and undoubtedly all the pressure load of the two volume elements 200, 205 must be considered in the volume element. Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, p. 20 / 144 17 / 19 underlying 210.

[0042] The temperature gradient ΔTι,2, similarly shown only for the two volume elements 200, 205, in the vertical direction of the arrangement shown, is determined essentially by external influences such as solar irradiance and soil temperature, as well as the resulting temperature difference ΔT 225 over the height of the stockpile (in the y 230 direction). The temperature gradient between the two lower volume elements 205, 210 then results in correspondingly.

[0043] The prevailing average pressures and average temperatures in the three volume elements 200 - 210 can be derived from the pressure and temperature gradients mentioned. From these data, the physical or chemical material changes conditioned by storage can be determined specifically for the material in question. In the present embodiment, this determination occurs with the aid of data obtained from tests for the respective material, which data are available, for example, in the form of (electronic) tables or databases.

[0044] The pressure gradient Δρ1,3 shown only for the two volume elements 205, 215 in the horizontal direction of the arrangement shown is essentially determined by horizontal pressure load components between horizontally adjacent volume elements, which are caused by the possible lateral movement of individual material particles in a bulk granular material.

[0045] The temperature gradient ΔT1,3, similarly shown only for the two volume elements 205, 215, Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 21 / 144 18 / 19 in the horizontal direction of the arrangement shown, is essentially determined by the temperature progression along the stockpile, specifically in this example along the x 235 direction shown.

[0046] Figure 3 shows a second example of implementing the method according to the invention or device with the aid of a combined block diagram and flowchart. In block or step 305, a data processing unit 300 calculates a described digital stockpile model based on current physical and / or chemical data detected by sensors 310. In the present embodiment, this data comprises both geometric data or corresponding surface data of a stockpile in question, temperature data detected by sensors in the vicinity of the stockpile and / or within the stockpile, and material-specific data relating to the material currently stored in the stockpile. With the aid of this data, a current or momentarily valid stockpile model is calculated 305.

[0047] The data processing unit 300 calculates 315 current physical and / or chemical state variables of the stockpile, using the digital stockpile model 305 and the data 310 detected by sensors. The current physical or chemical states of the material stored in the stockpile are calculated 320 using these calculated state variables, and a prediction 325 of possible material changes in the stored material is made using the physical or chemical states calculated in this way, or corresponding prediction data 330 are prepared. In this case, for the prediction, 325, 330 and Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 22 / 144 19 / 19 probability for the emergence of physical states, which may occur during the storage of the material respectively stored.

[0048] The forecast data 330 prepared in this way is fed into a control unit 335 of the respective storage facility or material extraction facility. In the present example of implementation, one or more appropriate countermeasures to prevent a change in material are calculated 340 in the control unit 335 with the aid of the available forecast data 330, and the resulting data in this case are fed into an SPS control 350, by means of which the calculated countermeasures 340 are carried out during the stockpile operation of the storage device in question here.

[0049] It should be noted that the calculation of appropriate countermeasures in the present embodiment is carried out with the aid of a specified catalogue or a corresponding selection 345 of possible countermeasures, and that, for certain physical or chemical states, appropriate countermeasures are determined in advance with the aid of test measurements or test trials.

[0050] Furthermore, it should be noted that a method described above, as well as a device described above, may be used, for example, in the case of a temporary material storage facility provided for in a material extraction facility (ore mining, coal mining, potash mining, etc.) or at a material transfer point provided for in a shipping port for the transfer of corresponding bulk material. Petition 870220068836, dated 03 / 08 / 2022, page 23 / 144

Claims

1 / 5 CLAIMS 1. Method for operating a bulk material storage facility with at least one storage area in the form of a stockpile, in particular, a bulk material transfer facility or a material extraction facility, wherein, for at least one storage area, a digital stockpile model is created (305), and based on the created stockpile model, the emergence of physical and / or chemical states that may arise during the storage of the respectively stored material is foreseen (320, 325), and the foreseen physical or chemical states are used (340) in the storage operation in order to ensure storage of the stockpile material while preserving the material,characterized by the fact that storage preserving the material prevents the bulk material from having to be broken down again during storage before being removed again due to hardening or adhesion, wherein, during the creation (305) of the digital stockpile model, a storage area in the form of a stockpile is decomposed into a plurality of smaller volume elements (100 - 115, 200 - 220), and the physical forces and / or chemical influences acting on an individual volume element are calculated, wherein, during the calculation of the smaller volume elements (100 - 115, 200 - 220) of the stockpile model, the prevailing pressure locally in a volume element (210) and / or the temperature existing in that volume element (210) are considered and / or Petition 870260027074, of 23 / 03 / 2026, p. 14 / 52 2 / 5 the air humidity or the humidity of the predominant material in that volume element (210), in order to calculate from these variables,as is likely a hardening of the material of the volume element (210) respectively observed and / or an adhesion of the material of this volume element with the material of a neighboring element (205, 220)., 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the probability of the emergence of physical states that may arise during the storage of the respective stored material is calculated (325), based on the stockpile model.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the storage of the material to be stored preserving the material is guaranteed by predetermined measures or countermeasures (340) during the storage operation.

4. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, for a predetermined volume element (100 - 115, 200 - 220), the physical forces and / or chemical influences of neighboring elements arranged (200, 205) above it and arranged laterally (215, 220) are considered.

5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the number of nearest neighbor elements to be considered comprises horizontally only the nearest neighbors (215, 220) and vertically, if possible, all volume elements (200, 205) arranged above the observed volume element.

6. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in the calculation of the volume elements (100 - 115, 200 - 220) of the stockpile model, material-dependent physical and / or chemical influencing variables existing in a volume element (210) relevant to a hardening and / or adhesion of the material are considered.

7. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that previously determined empirical data are used as a basis for the hardening and / or adhesion behavior of various materials, wherein the previously determined data for a predetermined material comprise the probability of hardening or adhesion as a function of the pressure and temperature existing at the boundary surface between two volume elements (100 - 115, 200 - 220).

8. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elapsed storage time of the respective material is additionally considered in the calculation of the volume elements (100 - 115, 200 - 220) of the stockpile model.

9. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spatial data required for the calculation (305) of the stockpile model of an existing stockpile of material are compared with topographic data detected by sensors in the material depot and, with the aid of the comparison, eventually an adaptation of the stockpile model is made to the actual material depot.

10. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the results of the calculation of the digital stockpile model or the corresponding measurements are fed in real time to a machine control for the operation of a bulk material transport technique, provided for in the respective material storage or extraction facility.

11. Device, which is equipped to control a bulk product storage facility with at least one stockpile storage area, in particular, a bulk material transfer facility or a material retrieval facility using the method defined in any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that a current stockpile model (305) is calculated by means of a data processing unit, whereby, based on surface data and / or physical data detected by sensors (310), the results of the calculations using the stockpile model are fed to a control unit (335) of the respective storage facility or material retrieval facility.

12. Device according to claim 11, characterized by a sensor system (310) for detecting topographic data of the stockpile, preferably its current surface data, and / or for detecting physical data of the respective stockpile, preferably its temperature data.

13. Device according to any one of claims 11 to 12, characterized in that the data processing unit is equipped to calculate (320) current physical and / or chemical state variables of a stockpile of material using the digital stockpile model (305) as well as data detected by sensors (310), using the state variables thus calculated, to calculate current physical or chemical states of the material stored in the stockpile, as well as to make a prediction (325) of possible material changes of the stored material using the calculated physical or chemical states, or to prepare corresponding prediction data.

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