Automatic control model for feeding and discharging of coal bunker

Abstract

The invention belongs to the field of metallurgy and coal, and relates to an automatic control model for feeding and discharging of a coal bunker. The coal bunker feeding and discharging automatic control model is designed according to the blast furnace coal injection procedure of an iron making plant of an iron and steel enterprise, and automation and intelligentization of the whole coal bunker feeding and discharging process are achieved. A sensor, an automatic control system and a data analysis technology are integrated in the model, the material level of the coal bunker is monitored in real time through a material level indicator, and feeding and discharging strategies are automatically adjusted in combination with multi-level priority control logic. The system is provided with a dynamic switching mechanism, feeding targets can be automatically switched according to the material level of the coal bunker, the coal grinding speed is accurately controlled, and material breakage and material overflowing are prevented. In addition, the model has a safety interlocking protection function, and production safety is ensured. Through application of the model, the labor intensity of workers is remarkably reduced, the production efficiency and stability are improved, resource waste and equipment abrasion are reduced, the requirements of the modern industry for automatic and intelligent production are met, and sustainable development of enterprises is assisted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the fields of metallurgy and coal, and relates to an automatic control model for feeding and discharging materials in a coal bunker. Background Art

[0002] The coal injection process in blast furnaces at steel mills requires a significant amount of raw coal, and numerous coal bunkers are required. Currently, the loading and unloading of these bunkers, as well as monitoring of coal levels, rely primarily on manual labor, which presents a series of challenges in actual production.

[0003] First, the coal bunker loading and unloading process requires full operator monitoring. Furthermore, the bunker switching process cannot be automated and relies entirely on manual operation. This heavy reliance on manual labor not only increases labor intensity but also easily leads to operational errors, thus affecting production stability and efficiency. The difficulty of manual monitoring and operation is exponentially increased when there are many coal bunkers and frequent loading and unloading.

[0004] Secondly, the coal bunker switching process was not interlocked with the coal bunker level. This meant that if the coal bunker reached a high level and the machine was not shut down or the bunker was not switched promptly, coal overflow could easily occur. This overflow not only resulted in waste of raw coal, but also could damage production equipment and even cause safety accidents. Furthermore, the cleanup after the overflow increased production costs and labor intensity.

[0005] Furthermore, the coal bunker discharge process was not interlocked with the bunker's level. The discharge rate was entirely manually controlled, making precise control difficult in practice. Once the bunker reached its bottom, failure to promptly restock and reduce the discharge rate resulted in an empty bunker. This forced the blast furnace coal injection process to halt, severely impacting production continuity and stability. Furthermore, frequent shutdowns and restarts increased equipment wear and energy consumption, reducing production efficiency.

[0006] With the advancement of technology, silo loading and unloading control models have been widely applied in many industrial fields. By integrating sensors, automated control systems, and data analysis technologies, these models achieve precise control and optimization of the silo loading and unloading process. However, the application of similar automatic control models in the pulverized coal injection process of blast furnaces in steelmaking plants is relatively lagging.

[0007] Currently, the challenge facing steel companies is to apply these advanced technologies to actual bunker loading and unloading control to overcome the numerous issues inherent in manual operations. Specifically, they need to develop an automated control model that can automatically monitor bunker levels, automatically switch between bunkers, and precisely control loading and unloading rates. Such a model should be able to automatically adjust loading and unloading strategies based on the bunker's real-time level, ensuring balanced loading and unloading, meeting production process requirements, and achieving stable production.

[0008] In addition, with the advancement of Industry 4.0 and intelligent manufacturing, the requirements of steel enterprises for the automation, intelligence, and self - adaptability of the production process are also increasing. Therefore, developing an automatic control model for the feeding and discharging of coal bunkers not only conforms to the current trend of industry development but is also an inevitable requirement for enhancing the competitiveness of enterprises and achieving sustainable development. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic control model for the feeding and discharging of coal bunkers to solve the existing problems.

[0010] To achieve the above - mentioned purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solution: An automatic control model for the feeding and discharging of coal bunkers includes a coal blending hopper, a coal blending weighing belt, a coal mixing belt, a plough - type tripper, a coal - feeding belt, a mixed coal bunker, a level gauge, a coal feeder, a coal mill, and an automatic control unit; a level gauge is provided in each coal bunker of multiple mixed coal bunkers for real - time monitoring of the coal bunker level; the coal blending unit composed of the coal blending hopper, the coal blending weighing belt, and the coal mixing belt is used to mix raw coal according to a preset ratio; the coal - feeding belt and the plough - type tripper are used to transport the mixed coal to the target coal bunker and switch the feeding target according to a control signal; the coal feeder and the coal mill form a discharging unit; the coal feeder is internally provided with a coal blending weighing belt to adjust the coal - grinding rate; the automatic control unit is signal - connected to the level gauge, the plough - type tripper, and the coal feeder, and executes a multi - level priority control logic.

[0011] Optionally, the control logic of the automatic control system includes the following steps:

[0012] S1 Parameter initialization setting:

[0013] S11, Define three - level level thresholds: warning level value (≤a meters), low level value (>a meters, ≤b meters), normal level (>b meters, <c meters), high level value (≥c meters);

[0014] S12, Set the coal - grinding rate parameters: normal coal - grinding rate and minimum coal - grinding rate;

[0015] S2, Feeding priority control:

[0016] S21, First - level priority: When any coal bunker triggers a warning level (≤a meters), immediately stop discharging and start feeding; if there are multiple warning - level bins, process them in the order of triggering until all warning signals are eliminated;

[0017] S22, Second - level priority: When there is no warning level, process the low - level bins (>a meters, ≤b meters); if the low - level signal persists, keep feeding until the signal is eliminated; after the signal is eliminated, automatically switch to feeding the bin with the lowest level;

[0018] S3, Dynamic switching mechanism:

[0019] S31, when the coal bunker reaches the high material level value (≥c meters), the feeding is automatically stopped and switched to other bunkers with the lowest material level;

[0020] S32, when all coal bunkers are at normal material levels, feed is distributed according to the circulation strategy;

[0021] S4, discharge rate control:

[0022] S41, when the coal bunker material level is greater than the low material level value, the normal coal grinding rate is executed;

[0023] S42, when the material level enters the low material level zone (>a meters, ≤b meters), the coal grinding rate is reduced according to the preset slope;

[0024] S43, when the material level reaches the warning value (≤a meters), the minimum coal grinding rate is started;

[0025] S44, real-time tracking of material level changes, dynamic adjustment of discharge rate to maintain the balance of inlet and outlet.

[0026] Optionally, the first-level priority control further includes:

[0027] S211, if there are multiple warning level bins, the coal bin that triggered the warning first is processed first;

[0028] S212, after the warning signal is eliminated, the discharging is resumed and the remaining warning bins are continuously tested.

[0029] Optionally, the secondary priority control further includes:

[0030] S221, when the material level in the low-level bin rises to the normal level during feeding, it automatically switches to other low-level bins;

[0031] S222: If there is no other low-level bin, continue feeding until the high-level value is reached and then stop.

[0032] Optionally, in the dynamic switching mechanism: when only a single coal bunker is fed, the coal feeding system automatically stops after reaching a high material level value; when feeding multiple bunkers, priority is given to ensuring the feeding needs of the bunker with the low material level.

[0033] Optionally, it also includes a safety interlock protection function: when the coal bunker reaches a high level, feeding is forced to stop and an alarm is issued; when the coal bunker is empty or overflowing, shutdown protection is triggered and the operator is notified.

[0034] Optionally, the switching action of the plow discharger is interlocked with the material level meter signal to ensure that the feeding path matches the current priority.

[0035] Optionally, the coal grinding rate adjustment adopts closed-loop feedback control, and the rate parameters are corrected in real time according to the change of material level.

[0036] Optionally, the material level meter is a continuous measuring device, and the data sampling frequency is not less than 1 time / minute.

[0037] Optionally, the number of the mixed coal bins is at least 2, supporting parallel feeding and discharging operations.

[0038] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0039] 1) Fully automated and intelligent process: This automated control model combines sensors, automated control systems, and data analysis technologies to automate and intelligently manage the entire bunker loading and unloading process. By monitoring the bunker level in real time, the system automatically adjusts the loading and unloading strategies, eliminating the need for manual monitoring and operation, significantly reducing labor intensity.

[0040] 2) Precise control of feed and discharge to ensure stable production: The model ensures balanced coal inflow and outflow from the raw coal bunker by precisely controlling the feed and discharge rates. This not only meets production process requirements but also ensures stable and continuous production. Automatic adjustment of the grinding rate prevents material shortages, further improving production reliability.

[0041] 3) Improved production efficiency: Thanks to automated and intelligent control, the coal bunker loading and unloading process is more efficient. The system automatically selects the optimal loading and unloading strategy based on the real-time coal bunker level, thereby maximizing production efficiency.

[0042] 4) Enhanced production safety: The automated control model reduces safety risks associated with manual operation. Interlocking controls control the switching and loading and unloading of coal bunkers, effectively preventing production risks such as empty or overflowing raw coal bunkers caused by poor manual supervision. This not only protects the safety of production equipment but also the personal safety of operators.

[0043] 5) Adaptability to Modern Industrial Development: The automatic control model can be adjusted and optimized based on actual conditions to achieve closed-loop control. This adaptive capability enables the model to adapt well to the development needs of modern industry and meet the ever-changing production environment and process requirements.

[0044] 6) Optimize resource allocation and reduce costs: By precisely controlling the feed and discharge rates and the coal grinding rate, the model helps optimize the resource allocation of raw coal and reduce waste. At the same time, automated control reduces labor costs and the additional costs caused by human error, thereby reducing overall production costs.

[0045] Other advantages, objects, and features of the present invention will be described in part in the following description and, in part, will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following description or may be learned from practice of the present invention. The objects and other advantages of the present invention may be realized and obtained through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0047] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the overall system of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 2 It is a flow chart of the control principle of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 3 This is the coal bunker rate diagram corresponding to different coal bunker levels of the present invention.

[0050] Reference numerals: coal blending hopper 1, coal blending weighing belt 2, coal mixing belt 3, plough-type discharger 4, bunker feeding belt 5, mixed coal bunker 6, material level meter 7, coal feeder 8, coal mill 9. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The following describes the embodiments of the present invention by means of specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic illustrations of the basic concept of the present invention, and the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0052] Among them, the accompanying drawings are only for illustrative purposes and represent only schematic diagrams rather than actual pictures, and should not be understood as limiting the present invention. In order to better illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, some parts of the accompanying drawings may be omitted, enlarged or reduced, and do not represent the dimensions of actual products. For those skilled in the art, it is understandable that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the accompanying drawings.

[0053] The same or similar numbers in the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention correspond to the same or similar parts; in the description of the present invention, it should be understood that if there are terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", etc. indicating directions or positional relationships, they are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operate in a specific direction. Therefore, the terms describing the positional relationship in the drawings are only used for illustrative purposes and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0054] See also Figures 1 to 3 , which is an automatic control model for coal bunker loading and unloading, mainly composed of coal hopper, coal weighing belt, coal mixing belt, plow type unloader, bunker loading belt, mixed coal bunker, material level meter, coal feeder, coal mill, etc.

[0055] Example 1,

[0056] (1) Functions of main equipment

[0057] Coal blending hopper: Load different types of raw coal according to production needs.

[0058] Coal weighing belt: according to the issued ratio requirements, the raw coal in the corresponding batching hopper can be accurately batched.

[0059] Coal mixing belt: mix the raw coal on each coal blending weighing belt.

[0060] Feeding belt: transports the prepared mixed coal to the mixed coal bunker.

[0061] Mixed coal bunker: a bunker for loading mixed coal.

[0062] Plough type unloader: switch to different mixed coal bunker feeding.

[0063] Level meter: measures the material level of the mixed coal bunker.

[0064] Coal feeder: adjust the coal grinding rate (a weighing belt is set inside the coal feeder to adjust the coal grinding rate).

[0065] Coal mill: grinds mixed raw coal.

[0066] Example 2,

[0067] (2) Control logic

[0068] 1. According to the actual production situation and coal bunker volume, the system sets the warning material level value (≤a meter), low material level value (>a meter, ≤b meter), normal material level (>b meter, <c meter) and high material level value (≥c meter) (a<b<c) of the mixed coal bunker.

[0069] 2. Select the coal bunker number for automatic feeding.

[0070] 3. Start the feeding system. After the feeding system is started, the system defaults to feeding the coal bunker with the lowest material level (the plow-type unloader installed on the top of the coal bunker is used to switch the coal bunker number, and the feeding of the corresponding coal bunker is controlled by controlling the lifting or lowering state of the plow-type unloader). When a warning level or low level signal appears in any coal bunker, the following logical judgment is triggered.

[0071] 4. Priority (Level 1): Warning material level value,

[0072] 4.1 During the operation of the feeding system, when the material level of a coal bunker is at the warning level, the feeding of other coal bunkers will stop immediately and automatically switch to the feeding of the coal bunker at the warning level.

[0073] 4.2 If the coal bunker has warning levels in both bunkers during feeding, the system will default to feeding the bunker that has the warning level first.

[0074] 4.3 If the warning level signal does not disappear during the gradual feeding process of the coal bunker with the warning level, the bunker will continue to feed until the warning level signal disappears. After the warning level signal of the bunker disappears, the system will make the following judgments:

[0075] 4.3.1 If there are other coal bunkers with warning material levels, stop feeding to that bunker and feed to other coal bunkers with warning material levels first. Continue to cycle to the judgment logic of 4.3 until the warning material level signals of all coal bunkers are eliminated and then execute the following 4.3.2.

[0076] 4.3.2 If there is no coal bunker with a warning material level, the bunker will continue to be fed until the normal material level is reached and then the following 5.1 low material level value logic judgment will be carried out.

[0077] 5. Priority (secondary): low material level value:

[0078] 5.1 When a low material level signal appears in a coal bunker, the system first determines whether the 4.3.2 logic is being executed (from the warning material level to the normal material level, a low material level must be experienced in between).

[0079] 5.1.1 If 4.3.2 is being executed, after the logic of 4.3.2 is executed, the system will choose to feed coal to other coal bunkers with low material levels first.

[0080] 5.1.2 If 4.3.2 is not executed, the system will directly choose to feed the coal bunker with the lowest material level first.

[0081] 5.2 During the gradual feeding process of the low-level coal bunker, if the low-level signal does not disappear, the bunker will continue to feed until the low-level signal disappears. After the low-level signal disappears and the bunker reaches the normal level, the system will make the following judgments:

[0082] 5.2.1 If there are other low-level coal bunkers, stop feeding to that bunker and feed to the other bunkers with the lowest level first. Continue to loop back to the judgment logic of 5.2 until all low-level signals of all coal bunkers are eliminated and then execute the following 5.2.2.

[0083] 5.2.2 If there is no other low-level coal bunker, the bunker will continue to feed until the high level value is reached, then the bunker will stop feeding and automatically switch to the bunker with the lowest level for feeding. If only the current bunker is selected for feeding, the coal feeding system will automatically stop running when the bunker reaches the high level.

[0084] 6. During the operation of the feeding system, the system always judges the first-level conditions based on priority, and then judges the second-level conditions when the first-level conditions do not exist, to achieve optimal and most efficient feeding.

[0085] 7. According to the actual production situation and the volume of the coal bunker, the normal coal grinding rate and the minimum coal grinding rate are set in the system. The coal grinding system automatically adjusts the coal grinding amount according to the coal bunker material level to prevent material shortage.

[0086] 7.1 When the corresponding coal bunker level is greater than the low level, the normal coal grinding rate is implemented.

[0087] 7.2 When the corresponding coal bunker material level starts to drop to the low material level value, the coal grinding rate gradually decreases (according to the slope in the figure).

[0088] 7.3 When the corresponding coal bunker level begins to drop to the warning level value, the minimum coal grinding rate is implemented.

[0089] 7.4 During the coal grinding process, the coal grinding system always tracks the corresponding coal bunker material level and adjusts the coal grinding rate in time to maintain reasonable coal bunker discharge, achieve coal bunker inlet and outlet balance, maximize stable production, and avoid coal grinding system feed-out accidents.

[0090] In this invention, the automatic control model combines sensors, automated control systems, and data analysis technology to: ① automate, intelligentize, and adapt the entire coal bunker feeding and discharging process, enabling adjustments and optimization based on actual conditions to achieve closed-loop control and adapt to the development needs of modern industry. ② precisely control feeding and discharging, ensuring balanced inflow and outflow of raw coal, meeting production process requirements, and ensuring stable production. ③ reduce manual labor intensity and improve overall production efficiency. ④ reduce the safety risks associated with manual operation, improve production safety, and eliminate production risks caused by empty raw coal bunkers or overflow due to poor manual supervision.

[0091] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not limiting. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present invention can be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the purpose and scope of the technical solutions, which should all be included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic control model for coal bunker loading and unloading, characterized by: It includes a coal blending hopper, a coal blending weighing belt, a coal mixing belt, a plough diverter, a coal feeding belt, a mixed coal bunker, a level gauge, a coal feeder, a coal mill and an automatic control unit; A level gauge is installed in each coal bunker of multiple mixed coal bunkers for real-time monitoring of the coal bunker level; The coal blending unit composed of the coal blending hopper, the coal blending weighing belt and the coal mixing belt is used to mix raw coal according to a preset ratio; The coal feeding belt and the plough diverter are used to transport the mixed coal to the target coal bunker and switch the feeding target according to the control signal; The coal feeder and the coal mill form an出料单元; The coal feeder is内置配煤称量皮带 to adjust the coal grinding rate; The automatic control unit is signal-connected to the level gauge, the plough diverter and the coal feeder, and executes a multi-level priority control logic.

2. The coal bunker automatic control model according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control logic of the automatic control system includes the following steps: S1 Parameter initialization setting: S11, Define three-level level thresholds: warning level value (≤a meters), low level value (>a meters, ≤b meters), normal level (>b meters, <c meters), high level value (≥c meters); S12, Set the coal grinding rate parameters: normal coal grinding rate and minimum coal grinding rate; S2, Feeding priority control: S21, First-level priority: When any coal bunker triggers a warning level (≤a meters), immediately stop discharging and start feeding; If there are multiple warning level bins, process them in the order of triggering until all warning signals are eliminated; S22, Second-level priority: When there is no warning level, process the low-level bins (>a meters, ≤b meters); If the low-level signal persists, keep feeding until the signal is eliminated; After the signal is eliminated, automatically switch to feeding the bin with the lowest level; S3, Dynamic switching mechanism: S31, When the coal bunker reaches the high level value (≥c meters), automatically stop feeding and switch to the bin with the lowest level among other bins; S32, When all coal bunkers are at the normal level, distribute the feeding according to the cyclic strategy; S4, Discharging rate control: S41, When the coal bunker level > the low level value, execute the normal coal grinding rate; S42, When the level enters the low level area (>a meters, ≤b meters), reduce the coal grinding rate according to the preset slope; S43, When the level reaches the warning value (≤a meters), start the minimum coal grinding rate; S44, Real-time track the change of the level, and dynamically adjust the discharging rate to maintain the balance of feeding and discharging.

3. The automatic control model for coal bunker loading and unloading according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The first-level priority control also includes: S211, If there are multiple warning level bins, preferentially process the coal bunker that triggers the warning earliest; S212, Resume discharging after the warning signal is eliminated, and continue to detect the remaining warning bins.

4. The coal bunker automatic control model according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second-level priority control also includes: S221, When the level of the low-level bin rises to the normal level during the feeding process, automatically switch to other low-level bins; S222, If there are no other low-level bins, keep feeding until the high level value is reached and then stop.

5. The coal bunker automatic control model according to claim 2, characterized in that: In the dynamic switching mechanism: When only a single coal bunker is feeding, the coal feeding system automatically stops when the high level value is reached; When multiple bins are feeding, preferentially ensure the feeding demand of the low-level bins.

6. The coal bunker loading and unloading automatic control model according to claim 1 is characterized in that: It also includes a safety interlock protection function: When the coal bunker reaches the high level, forcefully stop feeding and issue an alarm; When the coal bunker is empty or overflows, trigger the shutdown protection and notify the operator.

7. The coal bunker automatic control model according to claim 1, characterized in that: The switching action of the plough diverter is interlocked with the level gauge signal to ensure that the feeding path matches the current priority.

8. The coal bunker automatic control model according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coal grinding rate adjustment adopts closed-loop feedback control, and the rate parameters are corrected in real time according to the change of material level.

9. The coal bunker automatic control model according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material level meter is a continuous measuring device, and the data sampling frequency is not less than 1 time / minute.

10. The coal bunker automatic control model according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the mixed coal bunkers is at least 2, supporting parallel feeding and discharging operations.

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