Rock processing plant with at least two valuable grain screens and automated operation dependent on the screen outputs

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a rock processing plant with at least one rock processing device for crushing and / or sorting granular mineral material by size, wherein the rock processing plant comprises the following plant components: a material feeding device with a material buffer for loading with raw material to be processed, at least one working unit consisting of at least one crushing device and at least one screening device, at least one conveying device for conveying material between two plant components, a discharge conveying device for conveying processed material from the rock processing plant to a stockpile, a quantity sensor for detecting a quantity which is in orThe system comprises a device representing the quantity of processed material discharged per unit of time at the discharge conveying device, a data storage device connected to the control device and / or the quantity sensor via signal transmission for the transmission of information, and a control device for controlling plant components of the rock processing plant, wherein the control device is configured to control the operation of a plant component according to a detection signal and according to at least one data context stored in the data storage device, wherein the data context relates the detection signal and / or a quantity derived from the detection signal to at least one control operating parameter and / or to at least one change in a control operating parameter of at least one plant component.

[0002] Such a rock processing plant is known from DE 10 2020 003 966 A1 and its related patent EP 3 936 234 A1. The known rock processing plant, which consists of only a single processing unit, uses a first belt weigher to measure the total quantity of material flow from a crushing unit to a secondary screen in order to achieve the most consistent possible final product. A second belt weigher measures the quantity of the valuable aggregate from the single graded aggregate that is stockpiled by a discharge conveyor. The quantity of oversize material separated in the secondary screen, which has a larger particle size than the desired graded aggregate and is returned for a further pass through the crushing unit, is estimated or calculated as the difference between the total quantity of material measured and the quantity of valuable aggregate measured.

[0003] Based on the values ​​recorded according to DE 10 2020 003 966 A1, the proportion of usable and oversized particles in the rock processing plant can be determined in its respective operating state. Using previously stored data relationships, the control device of the known rock processing plant adjusts operating parameters to increase the proportion of usable particles and minimize the proportion of oversized particles. Control variables include, for example, the rotational speed of a rotor in a crushing device, the crushing gap of the crushing device, and the feed rate of material to be crushed. It is known that reducing the crushing gap shifts the particle sizes obtained in the final product towards smaller particle sizes, and that reducing the rotational speed of the rotor in the crushing device shifts the particle sizes obtained in the final product towards larger particle sizes.The proportion of valuable grains can be influenced by changing the amount of material fed into the crushing device.

[0004] Furthermore, DE 10 2020 003 966 A1 recommends, in order to achieve the most constant possible production, that non-crucible foreign material be removed in a timely manner, whereby this only obviously avoids a malfunction and thus a standstill of the crushing device of the rock processing plant.

[0005] From DE 10 2017 124 958 A1, another rock processing plant is known, the control device of which automatically adjusts the feed rate and consequently the fill level of a crushing device directly or indirectly depending on a mechanical load on the crushing device.

[0006] A disadvantage of the rock processing plant known from DE 10 2020 003 966 A1 is, firstly, its applicability to only one grade of grade and its grade fraction. The also disclosed focus on minimizing the proportion of recycled oversize material is essentially nothing other than maximizing the grade fraction, since the oversize fraction is not measured in the known rock processing plant, but only estimated or calculated from the measured grade fraction. The oversize fraction assumed according to DE 10 2020 003 966 A1 is therefore always directly and linearly dependent on the actually measured grade fraction and represents both the grade fraction and the oversize fraction.

[0007] DE 10 2020 003 966 A1 does not offer a solution for the cases relevant in industrial reality where several value grain sieve curves are used and their proportions in the total processed material are specifically adjusted.

[0008] Furthermore, focusing solely on the proportion of valuable grain or minimizing the amount of recycled oversize is not always helpful, as oversize supplements the input material with pre-crushed and therefore usually smaller grain than the input material, thus acting as a supporting grain. A lack of supporting grain can destabilize the crushing process and negatively impact the quality of the final product. This impaired quality can manifest as an increasingly common, undesirable grain shape, such as reduced cubicity.

[0009] It is therefore an object of the present invention to further develop the aforementioned rock processing plant in such a way that it enables automated operation based on a more comprehensive definition of target parameters. In particular, the further developed rock processing plant should make it possible to adjust the flow rates of several graded particle size distributions within a predetermined target tolerance band.

[0010] The present invention solves this problem with a rock processing plant having all the features of claim 1. Such a rock processing plant comprises, among other things, the following plant components: at least two discharge conveying devices for conveying processed material from the rock processing plant to a stockpile each, wherein each of the at least two discharge conveying devices conveys processed material from a different grade of grade output by the at least one screening device, at least one quantity sensor for each of the at least two grades of grade output, each for recording a quantity that represents a discharge quantity of processed material occurring per unit of time in the respective grade of grade output.

[0011] According to the invention, the control device is designed to control the operation of at least one plant component according to detection signals, wherein the detection signals represent discharge quantities occurring per unit of time in different particle size distribution curves, and according to at least one data context stored in the data memory, which quantitatively or qualitatively relates the detection signals of the at least one quantity sensor and / or a quantity derived from the detection signals of the at least one quantity sensor to at least one control operating parameter and / or to at least one change in a control operating parameter of at least one plant component, taking into account at least one predetermined target quantity or at least one predetermined target quantity range.

[0012] The rock processing plant according to the invention comprises at least two discharge conveying devices to convey the material of the different graded particle size distributions, which consequently have different particle sizes, to different, spatially separated heaps.

[0013] The at least one quantity sensor per value grain sieve curve allows the recording of the discharge quantity occurring per unit of time in the respective value grain sieve curve and thus the recording of a quantity which is used to control or regulate the operation of the rock processing plant.

[0014] The data storage contains at least one data relationship that represents a connection between the detection signals of the at least one quantity sensor, at least one value or range of values ​​of a target variable, and the at least one control operating parameter. The term "control operating parameter" simply means that it is an operating parameter of the rock processing plant that can be changed by the control device through control interventions.

[0015] The data relationship can be stored as a characteristic field, as an analytical function, as an assignment table, assignment matrix or assignment tensor, as a fuzzy set or the like, such that, starting from a detection signal as the input date of the data relationship and further starting from a desired and therefore predetermined setpoint or setpoint range of a target variable as at least one further input date of the data relationship, the data relationship as output date specifies at least one control operating parameter quantitatively or qualitatively, the setting of which at the plant component belonging to the respective control operating parameter changes an actual value of the target variable towards the predetermined setpoint or setpoint range.

[0016] According to the present application, a control device is also designed to control a plant component if it does not directly set at least one control operating parameter determined with the at least one data relationship on the plant component in question, but instead proposes the determined control operating parameter to a machine operator by outputting it to an output device, who either accepts the proposal directly or sets the proposed control operating parameter himself.

[0017] Depending on the type of target variable and its magnitude, the target variable or target variable range can be transferred from a higher-level data processing system to the data storage system, or it can be entered locally by an operator via an input device specified below and stored in the data storage system.

[0018] In a quantitative data relationship, the data relationship outputs a set of quantitative output data for a given set of input data; that is, a set of control operating parameters defined by their magnitude. The set of output data can only comprise one control operating parameter.

[0019] In a qualitative data relationship, the data relationship for a set of input data can, for example, specify a direction of change for each set of output data. Thus, for each control operating parameter in the set of output data, an indication can be generated as to whether the control operating parameter should be increased or decreased. For a control operating parameter that is not to be changed, either no output is generated or an output is generated indicating that the control operating parameter in question is not to be changed.

[0020] The qualitative data context can further qualify the need for a change to a control operating parameter, for example as "slightly increase or decrease", "normally increase or decrease", or "significantly increase or decrease". Further refinements of the gradations are conceivable.

[0021] The control device can receive or retrieve a quantitative change value from a data processing program or from the data storage itself, which is then applied to the respective control operating parameter according to the indicated change requirement. In this way, each control operating parameter can be incrementally changed with the quantitative change value until the actual value of the target variable corresponds sufficiently closely to the setpoint or lies within a predetermined setpoint range.

[0022] The data relationship can be pre-established based on already known causal relationships and stored in the data repository. For example, relationships are already known between the fill level of a crushing device and the particle shape obtained during crushing, as well as the resulting wear on components of the crushing device. Further known relationships exist between the proportion of oversize material obtained and the rotor speed of the crushing rotor, as well as the set crushing gap, and so on, to name just a few examples of influencing factors. The data relationship can be stored as an initial data relationship in the data repository and further refined through subsequent trials or expanded by considering other possible causal relationships between potential additional influencing factors, potential target variables, and input data.To determine these causal relationships, artificial intelligence methods, such as deep learning, can be applied. These methods allow the control device to autonomously expand at least one data set in the data storage to include the identified causal relationships, or to correct existing causal relationships and / or improve their accuracy. The application of conventional analytical methods in experimental operation to determine causal relationships between input variables, target variables, and output data is also possible, either additionally or alternatively.

[0023] Furthermore, particularly through the application of artificial intelligence methods, data can be collected from existing, similar rock processing plants, transferred to an evaluation unit, and methodically analyzed by the evaluation unit or at least with its involvement. The data correlations identified with the evaluation unit's involvement can be transferred, for example, via mobile network or other data transmission connections, directly or during scheduled maintenance to the data storage of the rock processing plant. In this way, the accuracy and reliability of at least one data correlation can be continuously improved over time.Especially for the analysis and determination of complex multidimensional interrelationships, i.e., with multiple mutually influencing factors, target variables and input data, the application of artificial intelligence methods is useful and helpful in order to extract data relationships from a wealth of observed operational data.

[0024] The term "value grain size distribution curve" refers to a fraction of grain obtained through a sieving process, comprising a predetermined desired end product of rock processing. This is distinguished from undersize, which has a smaller grain size than the smallest desired end product, and oversize, which has a larger grain size than the largest desired end product.

[0025] The term "quantity" used in the present application can, in the case of physical quantities, such as in particular the material to be processed and the material processed, denote a mass or a weight and / or a volume.

[0026] In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, each graded aggregate grading curve can be assigned a target quantity as a target variable. The target quantity can be a target fraction of the total feed quantity or of the total quantity of processed material, or it can be a specified target quantity in mass, weight, or volume, each per unit of time. Likewise, the target quantity can be a target ratio of the quantities of graded aggregate delivered by two graded aggregate grading curves per unit of time. If more than two graded aggregate grading curves are present at the rock processing plant, a target ratio can be specified as a target variable for each pair of graded aggregate grading curves.The control device can thus be advantageously designed to change at least one control operating parameter of at least one plant component according to the detection signals and the at least one data context in such a way that the actual quantity of the respective value grain sieve curve lies within a predetermined tolerance range around the target quantity assigned to the value grain sieve curve, or / and that an actual quantity ratio of two different value grain sieve curves lies within a predetermined tolerance range around a target quantity ratio.

[0027] At least one target variable can be a set of target variables, of which the target quantities of the respective particle size distribution curves are only one target variable. Other target variables can be, for example, the energy consumption of the rock processing plant per unit of time, the wear of plant components, the particle shape or particle shape distribution obtained within a particle size distribution curve, and the like.

[0028] According to the invention, the rock processing plant comprises at least one oversize material return device, which conveys an oversize screening fraction back into the material feed device or into an input area of ​​a crushing device of the rock processing plant. More preferably, the rock processing plant comprises an oversize material quantity sensor, which detects the quantity of oversize material returned per unit of time in at least one of the at least one oversize material return device. The quantity of oversize material conveyed per unit of time can be detected, for example, by a belt scale in an oversize material conveyor belt or volumetrically by a camera and subsequent image processing.

[0029] According to the invention, the data storage device contains an oversize data context which quantitatively or qualitatively relates the detection signals of the at least one oversize quantity sensor and / or a quantity derived from the detection signals of the at least one oversize quantity sensor to at least one control operating parameter and / or to at least one change in a control operating parameter of at least one system component, taking into account the at least one predetermined target quantity or the at least one predetermined target quantity range. According to the invention, the control device is configured to change at least one control operating parameter of at least one system component according to the detection signals of the at least one oversize quantity sensor, the at least one predetermined target quantity or the at least one predetermined target quantity range, and the at least one oversize data context.

[0030] One of the at least one predetermined target variables can be a target oversize quantity, which specifies the amount of oversize material to be returned per unit of time. The control device can then be configured to modify at least one control operating parameter of at least one system component according to the detection signals of the at least one oversize quantity sensor and the at least one oversize data set, such that an actual oversize quantity of at least one of the at least one oversize return device lies within a predetermined tolerance range around a target oversize quantity.

[0031] However, an additional or alternative target parameter could be, for example, the energy consumption of the rock processing plant per unit of time and / or the resulting grain shape.

[0032] The target oversize quantity can itself be determined as a possible target value through a data relationship in the data storage based on input data from other sensors and / or data inputs.

[0033] To optimize its operation as comprehensively as possible, the rock processing plant can have at least one of the following operating sensors to record at least one operating parameter assigned to the respective operating sensor: at least one energy consumption sensor for recording the energy consumption of the rock processing plant and / or one of its plant components as the recording operating parameter assigned to the energy consumption sensor, at least one throughput sensor for recording the throughput of material processed by the rock processing plant and / or one of its plant components per unit of time as the recording operating parameter assigned to the throughput sensor, at least one crusher load sensor for recording the operating load of at least one crusher as the recording operating parameter assigned to the load sensor, at least one screen load sensor for recording the operating load of at least one screen as the recording operating parameter assigned to the load sensor,at least one drive device load sensor for detecting an operating load of at least one drive device of the rock processing plant as the detection operating parameter assigned to the drive device load sensor, an overload counter for detecting a number of overload events occurring per unit of time of at least one plant component as the detection operating parameter assigned to the overload counter, a wear sensor for detecting wear occurring on a plant component as the detection operating parameter assigned to the wear sensor, at least one material buffer fill level sensor for detecting a fill level of the material buffer as the detection operating parameter assigned to the material buffer fill level sensor, at least one conveying device fill level sensor for detecting a fill level of at least one conveying device as the detection operating parameter assigned to the conveying device fill level sensor,at least one conveying device conveying speed sensor for detecting a conveying speed of at least one conveying device as the detection operating parameter assigned to the conveying device conveying speed sensor, at least one crushing device fill level sensor for detecting a fill level of at least one crushing device as the detection operating parameter assigned to the crushing device fill level sensor, and at least one crushing gap sensor for detecting a dimension of a crushing gap of at least one crushing device as the detection operating parameter assigned to the crushing gap sensor.

[0034] The term "acquisition operating parameter" simply expresses that the operating parameter in question can be acquired directly or indirectly by a sensor. An acquisition operating parameter can also be a control operating parameter, and vice versa.

[0035] Generally, one sensor is sufficient to detect an operating parameter. However, the same operating parameter can be detected by multiple sensors, for example, if the goal is to determine the local fill level of the material buffer rather than an average level. If more than one operating parameter needs to be detected, the rock processing plant can have more than one sensor. The same applies if more than one physical operating principle is used to detect one or more operating parameters.

[0036] When using an internal combustion engine as the central power plant of a rock processing plant, energy consumption can be measured by a flow sensor to detect the flow of fuel in a line supplying the engine. For an electrical component, energy consumption can be measured by detecting the current supplied to the component and the voltage drop across it over a period of operation. For a hydraulic component, energy consumption can be measured by detecting the flow rate and pressure of hydraulic fluid over a period of operation.

[0037] The fill level of the material buffer can be detected, for example, by one or more ultrasonic sensors. Additionally or alternatively, optical detection using at least one camera as a sensor and / or tactile detection using a mechanical sensor is possible.

[0038] The fill level of the material buffer can be represented by the fill height of the material added to the buffer. A single fill height value can be used as a representative value for the overall average fill level of the buffer, or several local fill heights can be determined to achieve a higher local resolution of the buffer's fill level. Alternatively, optical methods, such as laser scanning, can be used to determine a profile of the surface of the material added to the buffer and its height above the known buffer base. The fill height, or the local fill heights, down to the surface profile of the added material, can adequately represent the fill level. They can also be related to the maximum capacity of the buffer.

[0039] An overfilled material buffer, especially a feed hopper, should be avoided just as much as an underfilled one. With an overfilled buffer, material is lost during feeding because it can slide off a pile of material in the buffer and fall next to the feeding device. Furthermore, the conveying capacity of the buffer can be reduced, and the screening performance of a downstream pre-screen can be negatively affected if the buffer is overloaded. Overfilling the buffer can also lead to material being poured onto a subsequent processing unit, particularly a crusher. An underfilled feed hopper can place a heavy load on the conveying device downstream of the buffer, as material impacts the device directly during feeding, which can result in increased wear and noise.

[0040] Alternatively, or preferably in addition to the fill level of the material buffer, the fill level of at least one conveying device can be recorded as a relevant operating parameter. Preferably, the fill level of a conveying device that transports material from the material buffer to a work unit, in particular to the crushing device, is recorded. The conveying capacity of a conveying device that transports material directly from the material buffer influences both the fill level of the material buffer and the fill level of the work unit, in particular the crushing device, to which it conveys material. The same applies to recording the conveying velocity of at least one conveying device, which is preferably the conveying device that transports material between the material buffer and the work unit, in particular the crushing device.

[0041] The product of the fill level and conveying speed of a conveying device provides a measure of the volume conveyed by the device and thus a measure of the throughput of material processed per unit of time by the rock processing plant and / or one of its plant components. A combination of sensors for measuring the fill level and conveying speed of one and the same conveying device can therefore be used as a throughput sensor.

[0042] The conveying device can be a belt conveyor or a trough conveyor, the latter preferably operating as a vibratory conveyor based on the micro-throw principle. A vibratory conveyor, preferably in the form of a trough conveyor, is particularly preferred as a conveying device for transporting material between a material buffer and a crushing unit. The rock processing plant can also have, and usually will have, multiple conveying devices, for example, because the same conveying device cannot function as both a feed conveyor from the material buffer to a processing unit and as a discharge conveyor from a processing unit out of the rock processing plant.In the case of multiple conveying devices, these can utilize different conveying principles, such as the micro-throw principle described above for vibratory conveyors and / or a belt conveyor, whereby the belt conveyor is generally used as the discharge conveying device due to the smaller particle size occurring in the discharge and a usually more homogeneous particle size distribution.

[0043] The conveying speed of a conveyor can be determined in various ways. Regardless of the type of conveyor, the conveying speed can be determined by detecting the movement of a material on the conveyor in the conveying direction, for example, using a light barrier, ultrasound, optical sensors, image processing, and similar methods. The conveying speed of a belt conveyor can be determined by measuring the rotational speed of a roller that interacts with the conveyor belt, whether a support roller or a drive roller, or by directly measuring the web speed of the conveyor belt. For vibratory conveyors, the vibration amplitude and frequency can be a measure of the speed of the material on the conveyor, so measuring the vibration amplitude and frequency is a way of determining quantities that represent the conveying speed.

[0044] For all conveying devices, their conveying capacity can be derived from the drive power of the motor that powers them. Therefore, the conveying capacity, as the operating load of a motor acting as a drive device, can be indirectly derived from the motor torque and speed. For some types of electric motors, the output torque can be determined from the current drawn. For hydraulic motors, the output torque is proportional to the product of the pressure drop across the hydraulic motor and its displacement volume. Alternatively, a torque map can be determined and stored for each motor based on its control variables. The motor torque can then be determined from the measured control variables by retrieving the torque map from the control device.

[0045] As a further possible operational parameter for data acquisition, at least one sensor can detect the fill level of the crushing device. This is particularly relevant for jaw and cone crushers, but should also be considered for impact and roller crushers. The fill level of a crushing device influences the wear of crushing tools such as jaws, impact bars, impact beams, impact arms, crushing rollers, and the like, as well as the quality, especially the particle shape, of the final product.

[0046] The fill level of a crushing device can be detected by light barriers, ultrasound, and the like.

[0047] Additionally or alternatively, the dimension of a crushing gap, and in particular the gap width, of a crushing device can be recorded as an operating parameter. This applies especially to jaw crushers and impact crushers. In the case of an impact crusher, the dimension of both an upper and a lower crushing gap on an upper or lower impact arm, and / or the crushing gap ratio of the aforementioned crushing gaps, can be recorded as an operating parameter. Crushing gap dimensions can be recorded by detecting the position of an actuator element that moves a movable component defining the respective crushing gap dimension, so that the position of the actuator element is uniquely assigned to the position of the movable component. Such a component can be a movable crusher jaw or an impact arm.The aforementioned data storage may contain a calibration that links a detected position of the actuator element with a gap dimension.

[0048] Operating loads can also be measured by sensors as operational parameters. For example, the operating load of a drive device, such as a central drive unit in a rock processing plant, converts the energy supplied to it into one or more different forms of energy. Such a drive device could be an internal combustion engine, particularly a diesel engine, which converts the internal calorific value of a fuel into mechanical or kinetic energy at an output shaft. Similarly, an electric motor can be considered such a drive device, converting supplied electrical energy into mechanical or kinetic energy at an output shaft. The same applies to a hydraulic motor. In all cases, an operating load can be determined, for example, by measuring the rotational speed of the output shaft and the torque delivered at that speed.The acquisition of speed and torque of a shaft is well known in the prior art. As explained above, a motor torque can be extracted from a torque map stored in the data memory using at least one additional acquisition operating parameter, in which the motor torque is linked to the at least one additional acquisition operating parameter.

[0049] Alternatively or additionally, the operating load of a crushing device can be recorded as a data acquisition parameter. Regardless of the specific crusher type, every crushing device has an input shaft that supplies kinetic energy to a moving part of the device, such as the movable jaw of a jaw crusher, the rotor of an impact crusher, or the cone of a cone crusher. Here, too, the operating load can be determined from the rotational speed of the input shaft and the torque delivered at that specific speed. The input shaft torque is the torque of a machine driving the input shaft, optionally converted by at least one gearbox located between the drive machine and the input shaft.

[0050] Alternatively or additionally, the operating load – operating load in the broadest sense – of a screening device can be recorded as an operational parameter. Since the screening device functions as a vibrating screen similar to a vibratory conveyor, its operating load can be represented by the amplitude and / or frequency of a periodic screen movement. Additionally or alternatively, a throw angle caused by the periodic screen movement can be considered as an influencing parameter of the screening device's operating load. The screening device is also driven into its periodic motion by a drive shaft. Its rotational speed, possibly with additional consideration of the torque delivered at a measured rotational speed, is also an indicator of the screening device's operating load.Therefore, a sieve device load sensor can detect the operating load of the sieve device by measuring the movement amplitude and / or the movement frequency and / or a throwing angle of the sieve device and / or a rotational speed and / or a torque of the drive shaft of the sieve device in question as its operating load.

[0051] An overload counter can utilize at least one previously described load sensor, such as a crusher load sensor, a screen load sensor, or a drive unit load sensor, or its measurement results, and compare them with predetermined load thresholds stored in the data memory. For each instance of a predetermined load threshold being exceeded, the overload counter can incrementally increase the count for the respective load. The overload counter can summarize all such overload events occurring in the rock processing plant into a single count, or it can maintain a collective count for a group of plant components and an individual count for one or more specific plant components, or it can maintain an individual count for each plant component of interest.

[0052] A wear sensor can be formed by integrating a sensor into the component subject to wear, for example, by positioning an electrically conductive circuit at a predetermined wear limit such that it is destroyed upon reaching that limit. The loss of conductivity can then be easily detected. If several of these wear sensors are positioned at different wear points on a component subject to wear, particularly on a crushing tool of a crushing device, the progression of wear on the respective component can be observed, depending on the specific damage event triggered by the destruction of the circuit.

[0053] The data storage device can contain an operating parameter data relationship that quantitatively or qualitatively relates the acquisition signals of the at least one operating sensor and / or a quantity derived from the acquisition signals of the at least one operating sensor, taking into account the at least one predetermined target variable or the at least one predetermined target variable range, to at least one control operating parameter and / or to at least one change in a control operating parameter of at least one system component. The control device is preferably configured to change at least one control operating parameter of at least one system component according to the acquisition signals of the at least one operating sensor, the at least one predetermined target variable or the at least one predetermined target variable range, and the at least one operating parameter data relationship.

[0054] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a setpoint value of the at least one detection operating parameter can be at least one target variable of the at least one predetermined target variable. The control device can be configured to modify at least one control operating parameter of at least one system component according to the detection signals of the at least one operating sensor and the at least one operating parameter data relationship such that an actual value of at least one detection operating parameter lies within a predetermined tolerance range around the setpoint value of the at least one detection operating parameter.

[0055] The data storage device can contain equipment information about the type and configuration of the rock processing plant, particularly the respective rock processing equipment. For example, the data storage device can contain information about the configuration of the at least one screening device and / or the crushing tools installed in the at least one crushing device. Preferably, equipment information can be stored in the data storage device for several, and more preferably for each, plant component. The aforementioned at least one set of data stored in the data storage device is preferably multiple sets of data. The control device can select one or a subset of these multiple sets of data, depending on the equipment information. This ensures that the operation of the rock processing plant is appropriately controlled for the respective plant condition.can be regulated.

[0056] In addition to the operating parameters of the rock processing plant, the material fed into the plant also influences the final product and the plant's operating settings. To account for the fed material and its properties, an advantageous embodiment of the rock processing plant may include at least one material sensor for detecting at least one of the following material parameters related to the fed material: Type of material fed, moisture content of the material fed, density of the material fed, hardness of the material fed, brittleness of the material fed, abrasiveness of the material fed, condition of the material fed, grain size of the material fed, grain size distribution of the material fed, grain shape of the material fed, quantity of the material fed, and proportion of foreign material in the material fed, in particular non-brittle material.

[0057] A key operating parameter is the type of material fed into, conveyed by, and processed by the rock processing equipment. The type of material can be determined by one or more qualitative and / or quantitative parameters. A qualitative parameter, according to a predefined classification, might include, for example, "hard rock," "soft rock," "reinforced concrete," "milled asphalt," "asphalt slab," "construction debris," "gravel," "rail ballast," and / or "other."

[0058] A quantitative parameter can, for example, have specific values ​​for density, hardness, brittleness, abrasiveness, and / or moisture content of the fed or conveyed material, determined according to recognized and preferably standardized measurement methods. These parameters can also be determined qualitatively, or even solely qualitatively, according to a predefined classification. For example, parameters can have the qualitative attributes "hard," "medium-hard," "soft," "good brittleness," "medium brittleness," "poor brittleness," "low moisture," "medium moisture," "high moisture," etc. The qualitative classification can have more than three levels.

[0059] Density can be determined quantitatively, for example, by optical volume measurement combined with simultaneous weighing, such as using a scale integrated into a conveyor system. The material's moisture content can be determined using a suitable moisture sensor. Abrasivity can be determined by an LCPC test. A material's refractive index can be determined concurrently with the abrasiveness during the LCPC test or as the Los Angeles value according to DIN EN 1097-2 in its currently valid version.

[0060] If the composition of the sampled rock is known, the control device can, upon input of the respective rock type, read corresponding material values, such as hardness, density, abrasiveness, and fractivity, from a table stored in the aforementioned data memory using an input device. However, it is also possible to irradiate the sampled material with high-energy electromagnetic radiation, such as X-rays, and record the material's irradiation response. Based on data relationships stored in the data memory, conclusions about the material's composition, properties, and material characteristics can then be drawn from the recorded response. Additionally or alternatively, it is possible to analyze the sampled material using image processing and determine the material type, for example, using a specially trained artificial intelligence module.

[0061] Grain shapes, sizes, size distributions, and / or the proportion of foreign material can be determined, for example, using image processing. The grain size distribution, in particular, is a crucial factor influencing the success of pre-screening, which in turn affects the quality of downstream crushing equipment and consequently the amount of oversize material produced. Grain shapes, sizes, and size distributions can be determined qualitatively and / or quantitatively. Foreign material is primarily non-crushing material such as plastic, wood, steel, and the like. This foreign material can disrupt the operation of a rock processing plant.

[0062] The condition of the material can be classified, for example, as pre-crushed and non-pre-crushed, where "pre-crushed" refers to prior crushing by a rock processing device. Pre-crushed material can be oversize material recycled within the same rock processing device. Additionally or alternatively, pre-crushed material can be transferred to the rock processing device in question from another rock processing device upstream in the material flow. In the case of mixtures of pre-crushed and non-pre-crushed material, the condition of the material can be specified by a mixing ratio, in particular a mass-based mixing ratio, of pre-crushed and non-pre-crushed material. The condition of the material can, in principle, be determined by image processing, similar to, for example, the grain shape.The condition of the material can be additionally or alternatively transmitted to the control device via data transmission by conveying means transporting pre-crushed and / or un-pre-crushed material for processing by the respective rock processing equipment. Conveyor scales, such as belt or bucket scales, can also transmit quantity information about the material in its respective condition.

[0063] The data storage device can contain a material parameter data relationship which quantitatively or qualitatively relates the detection signals of the at least one operating sensor and / or a quantity derived from the detection signals of the at least one operating sensor, taking into account the at least one predetermined target quantity or the at least one predetermined target quantity range, to at least one control operating parameter and / or to at least one change of a control operating parameter of at least one plant component, wherein the control device is designed to change at least one control operating parameter of at least one plant component according to the detection signals of the at least one operating sensor, the at least one predetermined target quantity or the at least one predetermined target quantity range and the at least one operating parameter data relationship.

[0064] The at least one control operating parameter can be a single operating parameter, or preferably several different operating parameters, in order to adjust the rock processing plant as specifically as possible to its respective operating situation. Possible control operating parameters were already mentioned above in the explanation of possible sensors and the operation of the rock processing plant. In In a preferably far-reaching embodiment, the at least one control operating parameter can comprise at least one of the following operating parameters: Conveyor capacity of a material conveying device to the crushing device, amplitude of a pre-screen excitation, frequency of a pre-screen excitation, crushing gap width, rotational speed of a crushing rotor, target fill level of the crushing device, amplitude of a post-screen excitation, frequency of a post-screen excitation.

[0065] In principle, it is of course preferable for the rock processing plant to be equipped with sensors to detect parameters helpful for adjusting its operation. However, certain operating parameters are difficult to detect using sensors, particularly parameters relating to the material being processed, such as abrasiveness, fractivity, and, if applicable, density. To enable the control system to be supplied with such parameters that are difficult to access using sensors, the rock processing plant preferably includes an input device, as mentioned above, for inputting at least one input parameter. The term "input parameter" also encompasses the parameters already mentioned above, whereby the term merely indicates that, unlike an operational parameter that is detected by sensors, the respective parameter is not entered via the input device.

[0066] The input device is preferably connected to the control device via signal transmission for the purpose of transmitting information, so that the control device can use the information entered into the input device for further information processing.

[0067] The input device can be any input device, such as a keyboard, a touchscreen, and the like. The input device can also be connected to the control device via a cable or radio link, so that it does not necessarily have to be physically present at the rock processing plant. A connection via an intermediate data storage device is also considered a signal transmission connection between the input device or the at least one sensor and the control device. In this data storage device, information entered into the input device and / or information output by the at least one sensor for detecting at least one operating parameter is stored as data and retrieved as stored data by the control device.

[0068] The data storage preferably contains an input parameter-data relationship that qualitatively and / or quantitatively relates the at least one input parameter and / or a quantity derived from the at least one input parameter, taking into account the at least one predetermined target variable or the at least one predetermined target variable range, to at least one control operating parameter and / or to at least one change in a control operating parameter of at least one system component. Essentially, what has been said above regarding other operating parameters and their respective data relationships applies accordingly to the at least one input parameter and the input parameter-data relationship. For the control device, the only relevant factor initially is that a specific operating parameter is quantitatively or qualitatively available and usable for further information processing.Whether the operating parameter originates from sensory acquisition or input into the input device is irrelevant for further information processing. This applies in particular to the use of at least one operating parameter as input data for a data set that assigns further values ​​to the operating parameter.

[0069] The linguistic differences in the terminology used to describe data relationships, such as oversize data relationship, operating parameter data relationship, material parameter data relationship, and input parameter data relationship, are intended only to indicate that the designated data relationship links the respective parameter with other parameters quantitatively and / or qualitatively. The different terminology is not meant to imply that these are necessarily separate data relationships. A multidimensional data relationship can link both operating parameters and material parameters—regardless of their source, whether sensor-acquired or input parameters—with one or more control parameters. In this case, the aforementioned data relationship can also be called an oversize data relationship, an operating parameter data relationship, a material parameter data relationship, or an input parameter data relationship.However, it should not be ruled out that some operating and / or material parameters are quantitatively or qualitatively linked to control operating parameters via a single multidimensional data relationship, and that at least one other operating and / or material parameter is quantitatively or qualitatively linked to control operating parameters via a separate data relationship. The latter can be the case, in particular, if the input data of the separate data relationship has no causal relationship whatsoever with the input data of the multidimensional data relationship.

[0070] Although it has already been clarified that an input parameter can be any of the above-mentioned operating and / or material parameters and / or oversize quantity, which can also be detected by sensors, it is clarified below for the sake of clarity that at least one input parameter of the at least one input parameter can be one of the following parameters: Amount of oversize material returned per unit of time, energy consumption of the rock processing plant and / or one of its plant components, throughput of material processed per unit of time by the rock processing plant and / or one of its plant components, operating load of at least one crushing device, operating load of at least one drive device of the rock processing plant, number of overload events occurring per unit of time for at least one plant component, wear occurring per unit of time on a plant component, fill level of at least one conveying device, conveying speed of at least one conveying device, fill level of at least one crushing device, dimensions of a crushing gap of at least one crushing device, type of material fed, hardness of the material fed, crushability of the material fed, abrasiveness of the material fed.Grain size of the material fed in, grain size distribution of the material fed in, quantity of material fed in.

[0071] Any sensor capable of measuring the volume, weight, and / or mass of discharged grain can be used as the quantity sensor mentioned above. The quantity sensor can, for example, include at least one of the following: at least one conveyor belt scale for determining the weight of a quantity of material placed on a conveyor belt of a conveying device, at least one stockpile sensor for detecting a stockpile parameter comprising a height and / or a shape and / or a volume of a stockpile, and / or for detecting a rate of change of the stockpile parameter over time.

[0072] The conveyor belt scale can be used to measure the quantity of material transported on a conveyor belt per unit of time as mass or weight per unit of time, in a manner known per se. Preferably, the conveyor belt scale is arranged in at least one of the discharge conveying devices.

[0073] The detection signal from at least one stockpile sensor can represent a state of the stockpile, in particular a state concerning its size and / or shape. The size of the stockpile can be represented by its height above the supporting ground or by parameter values ​​from which this height can be deduced. Similarly, the size of the stockpile can be inferred by detecting its shape, for example, in the case of a frequently conical stockpile, by knowing the diameter of its base resting on the supporting ground and the inclination of its lateral surface relative to the ground, or the cone angle. Preferably, the stockpile sensor can detect the shape of the stockpile sufficiently to allow the volume of the stockpile to be determined with sufficient accuracy from the sensor's detection signals.Assuming, for example, a conical heap, which is typically the shape of a piled-up heap, the heap volume can be calculated from the area covered by the heap and its height and / or the slope of its contour lines (which define the shape for an imaging sensor). Since the particle size or even the particle size distribution of the finished product in the heap is usually known or detectable by sensors, the bulk density of the heap can be determined from the calculated volume, taking into account the known particle size and / or particle size distribution. Based on the net heap volume determined from the volume and bulk density, the net heap mass can then be calculated using the density of the processed material.The net mass of the stockpiles forming under the discharge conveyors of the respective graded aggregates represents the actual quantity of the graded aggregate assigned to that stockpile. Thus, an actual quantity can be determined for each stockpile of a graded aggregate. From these actual quantities, an actual quantity ratio can be calculated for any two stockpiles of the total stockpiles of graded aggregates.

[0074] To determine the shape of a spoil heap, the at least one spoil heap sensor can detect at least one shape dimension of the spoil heap as the at least one spoil heap parameter. Possible shape dimensions are the parameters mentioned above: spoil heap height, diameter or generally characteristic dimension of the spoil heap base and / or area of ​​the spoil heap base, and the angle of inclination of the spoil heap surface extending from the spoil heap base to a spoil heap head located far from the base in the vertical direction. The control device is then designed to determine the elevation of a spoil heap head based on the at least one detected shape dimension.

[0075] The rock processing device preferably comprises a timing device which is connected to the control device via signal transmission, optionally with an intermediate data storage device. The timing device can be integrated into at least one of the aforementioned sensors and / or into the input device and / or into the control device. Using signals from the timing device, the control device can assign an event time to detection events of at least one sensor and / or input events of at least one input device. From the time interval between at least two event times for a similar event, such as the detection of one and the same stockpile parameter or one and the same operating parameter, the control device can determine a rate of change associated with the respective events.The control device can thus determine the rate of change of the heap size and / or shape from two measurements of the heap height, or more generally, of the heap's size and / or shape, and the known time interval between these measurements. This is an example of determining the temporal change in the height of the heap's top as a growth parameter.

[0076] From the determined growth parameter and a known state of the heap size and / or shape, the control device can, for example, extrapolate to predict further quantitative development of the respective heap and adjust control operating parameters so early in accordance with the predicted development of the respective heaps that the heaps develop quantitatively individually and in relation to each other in the desired way.

[0077] In addition to the size and / or shape of the stockpile, at least one operating sensor can detect the fill level of the discharge conveyor that builds up the stockpile as a relevant operating parameter of the rock processing plant. The conveying capacity of the discharge conveyor directly influences stockpile growth. Thus, by detecting the fill level of the discharge conveyor that builds up the stockpile, the control system can check the plausibility of at least one determined stockpile parameter or even correct it. The same applies to detecting the conveying speed of the discharge conveyor, which builds up the stockpile through its operation.

[0078] InWith regard to the applied physical operating principle, the at least one stockpile sensor may comprise a sensor operating according to a reflection principle, such as an ultrasonic sensor or a radar, and / or the at least one stockpile sensor may comprise an optical camera with subsequent image processing.

[0079] The rock processing plant can be a single rock processing device with a material feed device, the aforementioned working units, at least one conveying device for transporting material between plant components, at least two discharge conveying devices, the aforementioned sensors, and the aforementioned control device. Preferably, this rock processing device is a mobile rock processing device with a chassis that allows the rock processing device to move independently to a different location and / or to move independently between a location for a rock processing plant and a means of transport for transporting the rock processing device.Due to the generally high weight of mobile, especially self-propelled, rock processing equipment, the chassis is usually a crawler chassis, although a wheeled chassis as an alternative or in addition to a crawler chassis should not be excluded.

[0080] The rock processing plant can also comprise a plurality of such, in particular mobile, rock processing devices which are linked together in such a way that an upstream rock processing device with a discharge conveying device feeds the material feed device of a downstream further rock processing device.

[0081] The crushing device can be any known crushing device, such as an impact crusher, a jaw crusher, a cone crusher, or a roller crusher. If the rock processing plant has more than one crushing device, these devices can be of the same or different types. Each individual crushing device can be one of the aforementioned crusher types: impact crusher, jaw crusher, cone crusher, and roller crusher.

[0082] The rock processing plant described above can be used at any site where material to be processed is produced or supplied, such as quarries, gravel pits, demolition sites, recycling centers, and the like. The term "mineral material" therefore includes both naturally occurring and processed mineral material. The latter includes building materials as well as recycled oversize material.

[0083] The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It illustrates: Fig. 1 a rough schematic view of a construction site with an embodiment of a rock processing device according to the invention, Fig. 2 the rock processing device of Figure 1 in enlarged schematic side view, Fig. 3 the rock processing device of Figure 2 In enlarged schematic top view, Fig. 4 shows a rough schematic view of a receiving device for outputting time information, and Fig. 5 shows a rough schematic view of a receiving device for outputting location information for a material feed to a material feed device of the rock processing device.

[0084] In Figure 1A construction site is generally designated by 10. The central piece of equipment at construction site 10 is a rock processing device 12 with an impact crusher 14 as a crushing device and with a pre-screen 16 and a post-screen 18 as screening devices. In this case, the construction site is preferably a quarry, but could also be a recycling center or a demolition site for one or more buildings.

[0085] Material M to be processed by the rock processing device 12, i.e., sorted by size and crushed, is fed discontinuously by an excavator 20, as a loading device of the rock processing device 12, into a material feeding device 22 with a funnel-shaped material buffer 24.

[0086] From the material feed device 22, a vibratory conveyor designed as a trough conveyor 26 conveys the material M to the pre-screen 16, which has two pre-screen decks 16a and 16b, of which the upper pre-screen deck 16a has a larger mesh size and separates and feeds to the impact crusher 14 those grain sizes which require comminution according to the respective specifications for the final grain product to be obtained.

[0087] Grains falling through the upper pre-screen deck 16a are further sorted by the lower pre-screen deck 16b into a usable grain fraction 28, which corresponds to the specifications of the final grain product to be obtained, and into an undersized grain fraction 30, which has such a small grain size that it is unusable as valuable grain.

[0088] The number of stockpiles or fractions shown in the exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative. It can be larger or smaller than indicated in the example. Furthermore, the undersized fraction 30, described as rejects in this example, can also be a valuable fraction, provided that the particle size range contained in fraction 30 is usable for further applications.

[0089] The usable grain fraction 28 is increased by the crushed material discharged from the impact crusher 14 and conveyed by a first conveying device 32 in the form of a belt conveyor to the secondary screen 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the secondary screen 18 also has two screen decks 18a and 18b, of which the upper secondary screen deck 18a has the larger mesh size. The upper secondary screen deck 18a allows valuable grain to fall through its mesh and sorts out an oversize fraction 34 with a grain size larger than the largest desired grain size of the valuable grain. The oversize fraction 34 is returned to the material input of the impact crusher 14 or to the pre-screen 16 by an oversize conveying device 36. In the illustrated embodiment, the oversize conveying device 36 is designed as a belt conveyor.

[0090] The usable grain fraction 28 thus comprises oversize and valuable grain. In contrast to the illustration in the exemplary embodiment, the oversize conveying device 36 can, for example, be swung out from a machine frame 50 of the rock processing device 12, so that the oversize fraction 34 is stockpiled instead of being returned.

[0091] The valuable grain that has fallen through the mesh of the upper post-screen deck 18a is further fractionated by the lower post-screen deck 18b into a fine grain fraction 38 with a smaller grain size and a medium grain fraction 40 with a larger grain size.

[0092] The fine grain fraction 38 is piled up and heaped by a fine grain discharge conveying device 42 in the form of a belt conveyor to a fine grain heap 44.

[0093] The medium-grain fraction 40 is transferred to a medium-grain discharge conveying device 46, also in the form of a belt conveyor, into a Figure 1not shown and in Figure 2 The medium-grain spoil heap 48, shown only in a rough schematic diagram, was piled up and heaped.

[0094] The rock processing device 12 has a central structure consisting of a machine frame 50, to which the aforementioned device components are directly or indirectly attached or mounted. The rock processing device 12 has a diesel internal combustion engine 52 mounted on the machine frame 50 as its central power source. This engine generates all the energy consumed by the rock processing device 12, unless it is stored in energy storage devices such as batteries. Additionally, the rock processing device 12 can be connected to the site's power supply, if available.

[0095] The rock processing device 12, which can be part of a rock processing plant with a plurality of rock processing devices arranged in a common material flow, is in the illustrated example a mobile, more precisely self-propelled, rock processing device 12 with a crawler chassis 54, which enables automatic relocation of the rock processing device 12 without an external tractor via hydraulic motors 56 as drive.

[0096] The removal of the valuable grain stockpiles 44 and 48, as well as the stockpile of the undersized fraction 30, is carried out discontinuously by one or more wheel loaders 58 as an example of a removal device. The stockpile of the undersized fraction 30 must also be removed regularly to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the rock processing device 12.

[0097] For the most advantageous operational control, the rock processing device 12 has the following features, shown below in the larger illustration: Figure 2 Described device components: The rock processing device 12 comprises a control device 60, for example in the form of an electronic data processing system with integrated circuits, which controls the operation of device components. For this purpose, the control device 60 can, for example, either directly control drives of device components or control actuators, which in turn can move components.

[0098] The control device 60 is connected to a data storage device 62 via signal transmission for data exchange and is connected to an input device 64 for inputting information. Information can be entered to the input device 64 via the input device 64, for example a touchscreen, a tablet computer, a keyboard, and the like, and stored by the input device in the data storage device 62.

[0099] Furthermore, the control device 60 is connected to an output device 66 via signal transmission in order to output information.

[0100] The rock processing device 12 also has various sensors for obtaining information about its operating status, which are connected to the control device 60 via signal transmission and thus, in the example shown, indirectly to the data storage device 62. For the sake of clarity, the sensors are shown only in Figure 2 depicted.

[0101] A camera 70 is mounted on a support frame 68. This camera captures images of the material feed device 22 and the material buffer 24 and transmits them to the control device 60 for image processing. Using the camera 70 and by processing the images it captures of the material buffer 24 and the material feed device 22, the control device determines the local fill level of the material buffer 24 using data stored in the data memory 22.

[0102] Furthermore, the vibration amplitude and vibration frequency of the trough conveyor 26 (not shown) are detected and transmitted to the control device 60, which uses this information to determine a conveying speed of the trough conveyor 26 and, taking into account the local fill level of the material buffer 24, a conveying capacity of the trough conveyor 26 towards the impact crusher 14.

[0103] Through predetermined data relationships generated or / and further developed, in particular through methods of artificial intelligence, the control device 60 can recognize a grain size distribution in the material M in the material buffer 24 and even the type of material from the image information of the camera 70.

[0104] In the impact crusher 14, an upper impact arm 72 and a lower impact arm 74 are arranged in a manner known per se, wherein the rotational position of the upper impact arm 72 is detected by a rotational position sensor 76 and the rotational position of the lower impact arm 74 by a rotational position sensor 78 and transmitted to the control device 60. The control device 60 can also determine the crushing gap width of an upper crushing gap on the upper impact arm 72 and the crushing gap width of a lower crushing gap on the lower impact arm 74 by means of the rotational position sensors 76 and 78.

[0105] A speed sensor 80 determines the speed of the crushing rotor of the impact crusher 14 and transmits this to the control device 60.

[0106] Wear sensors can be provided on components subject to particularly high wear, such as impact bars, impact arms, impact plates, and impact beams. These sensors register the progression of wear, usually in wear stages, and transmit this information to the control device 60. For the sake of clarity, the example shown depicts a wear sensor arrangement 82 only on the lower impact arm 74.

[0107] A first belt scale 84 is arranged in the first conveying device 32, which measures the weight or mass of the usable grain fraction 28 transported above it on the first conveying device 32. The control device 60 can determine the conveying speed of the first conveying device 32 via a speed sensor 86 in a deflection roller of the conveyor belt of the first conveying device 32 and, in conjunction with the measurement signals from the first belt scale 84, can determine the conveying capacity of the first conveying device 32.

[0108] A second belt scale 88 is arranged in the fine grain discharge conveyor 42 and detects the mass or weight of the fine grain fraction 38 moving above it on the belt of the fine grain discharge conveyor 42. Likewise, the speed sensor 90 in a deflection roller of the conveyor belt of the fine grain discharge conveyor 42 allows the conveying speed of the fine grain discharge conveyor 42 to be determined, and in conjunction with the detection signals from the second belt scale 88, the conveying capacity of the fine grain discharge conveyor 42 can be determined by the control device 60.

[0109] A third belt scale 92 is arranged in the oversize conveying device 36 and determines the weight or mass of the oversize fraction 34 conveyed above it on the oversize conveying device 36. A speed sensor 94 of a deflection roller of the conveyor belt of the oversize conveying device 36 determines the conveying speed of the oversize conveying device 36 and transmits this to the control device 60, which, in conjunction with the detection signals of the third belt scale 92, can determine a conveying capacity of the oversize conveying device.

[0110] A first stockpile sensor 96 is arranged at the discharge end of the fine-grain discharge conveyor 42. This sensor acts as a camera, capturing images of the fine-grain stockpile 44 and transmitting them as image information to a control device 60. The control device uses image processing to recognize the contours of the fine-grain stockpile 48 and, based on the known imaging data from the camera of the first stockpile sensor 96, determines the shape and volume of the fine-grain stockpile 48 from the recognized contours. To simplify its information gathering, the control device 60 can assume an ideal conical shape for the fine-grain stockpile 48 without excessive error and determine the volume of an ideal cone that approximates the actual fine-grain stockpile 48. Thus, it may be sufficient for a stockpile sensor to determine the diameter D of the base of a stockpile and the height h of the stockpile, as shown in the Figures 2 and 3 This is shown using the example of spoil heap 48.

[0111] In Figure 1An alternative or additional second stockpile sensor 98 is shown. The second stockpile sensor 98 comprises a flyable drone as a carrier, which can be remotely controlled by the control device 60. The second stockpile sensor 98 also serves to determine at least the height of the fine-grain stockpile 48, but preferably its shape and thus its volume. An advantage of using a drone or a sensor installed at an elevated location, such as on a tall mast or stand, is that one sensor can detect more than one stockpile with regard to its height and / or shape and / or volume. In this case, a number of sensors that is less than the total number of stockpiles to be detected at the rock processing device 12, at a rock processing plant, or at the construction site 10 can be sufficient to detect each of the stockpiles to be detected.Ideally, exactly one sensor is sufficient to detect all the heaps to be detected.

[0112] Each discharge conveying device that generates a stockpile preferably has at least one stockpile sensor or cooperates with a stockpile sensor.

[0113] The other discharge conveying devices, such as the medium-grain discharge conveying device 46 and an undersize discharge conveying device 29, preferably also have a belt scale and a speed sensor for recording the quantity of material transported on the respective conveying device, the conveying speed and thus the conveying capacity.

[0114] The output device 66 is explained in more detail below: The output device 66 can, for example on the support frame 68, have a projection device 100 to project a mark within the area shown in Figure 2The total feed area 102, which is identical to the feed opening of the material buffer 24, is to be projected onto the material feed device 22. The total feed area 102 is selected such that a grain falling along the direction of gravity reaches the material feed device 22 without falling directly onto the pre-screen 16.

[0115] The output device 66 further comprises a transmit / receive unit 104, which transmits data by radio in a suitable data protocol to a receiving device configured for communication with it, for example the receiving device 106. Figures 4 and 5 , can be transmitted and received from it.

[0116] Furthermore, the output device 66 has a first display device 108, for example in the form of a monitor, for externally displaying time information for the next material feed into the material feed device 22. Likewise, in the illustrated embodiment, the output device 66 has a second display device 110, again for example again a monitor, for externally displaying time and location information for the next stockpile removal. For this purpose, the display device 110 shows not only the time when the next stockpile removal should begin, but also the location of which stockpile should be removed at the specified time, and, if applicable, the quantity of material to be removed from the designated stockpile.

[0117] Furthermore, the excavator 20 includes a transmitter / receiver 112 with data storage, which is configured for communication with the transmitter / receiver unit 104 of the rock processing device 12. The transmitter / receiver 112 can thus transmit relevant data about the excavator 20 to the transmitter / receiver unit 104, such as the capacity of its bucket 21 as its loading tool and / or its current GPS data.

[0118] Accordingly, the wheel loader 58 includes a transmitter / receiver 114 with data storage, which is configured for communication with the transmitter / receiver unit 104 of the rock processing device 12. The transmitter / receiver 112 can thus transmit relevant data about the wheel loader 58 to the transmitter / receiver unit 104, such as the capacity of its bucket 59 as its extraction tool and / or its current GPS data.

[0119] In the example shown, data storage 62 contains several data relationships that link operating and / or material parameters. These data relationships can be determined in advance through trial runs with targeted parameter variations and stored in data storage 62. For more complex, multidimensional data relationships, the use of artificial intelligence methods to determine causal relationships between operating and / or material parameters is particularly helpful. The data relationships determined in this way can be continuously verified, refined, and / or corrected during the further operation of the rock processing device 12, again preferably using artificial intelligence methods.

[0120] The discontinuous material feed naturally leads to a surge of material being fed in, with each surge being limited by the size of the bucket 21 of the excavator 20. The time intervals between two discontinuous material feeds are unpredictable and fluctuate.

[0121] To avoid disruptions in the operation of the rock processing device 12, the control device 60 uses detection signals from one or more of the aforementioned sensors to determine time information which represents an execution time of a future, in particular the next, material feed into the material feed device 22.

[0122] For this purpose, the control device 60 preferably uses the determined locally differentiated fill level of the material buffer 24 and takes into account the conveying capacities of the trough conveyor 26 and, for example, the undersize conveying device 29 and the first conveying device 32. A balance analysis of the material flows of the trough conveyor 26 into the impact crusher 14 and of the undersize conveying device 29 and the first conveying device 32 away from the impact crusher 14 indicates whether the fill level of the impact crusher 14 changes over time, e.g., increases or decreases, and thus provides a measure of whether the conveying capacity of the trough conveyor 26 can be maintained or must be changed. The conveying capacity of the trough conveyor 26 is, however, crucial for determining how quickly the material buffer 24 should be emptied and refilled with material.Alternatively or additionally, a sensor can also be provided directly on the rock processing device 12 to detect the fill level of the impact crusher 14.

[0123] Likewise, the control device 60 takes into account the amount of recycled oversize material, as the oversize fraction 34 also contributes to the fill level of the material buffer 24.

[0124] A predefined data sequence stored in data storage 62 can link the acquisition signals from the camera 70, the first belt scale 84, the speed sensor 86, a belt scale and a speed sensor on the undersize discharge conveyor, the belt scale 92 and the speed sensor 94 of the oversize conveyor 36, and the size of the bucket 21 of the excavator 20, optionally taking into account the distance of the excavator 20 from the material feed device 22, as input variables with time information as an output variable, which indicates when the next material feed into the material feed device 22 is to take place. This time information can be displayed at the first output device 108 in a suitable form, such as an hourglass, waiting time bar, time countdown, or analog clock display, for everyone within sight of the rock processing device 20.

[0125] The time information can also be sent by the transmit / receive unit 104 to a mobile receiving device 106, which is available to the operator of the excavator 20. The mobile receiving device 106 can be a portable mobile device, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, and the like, or it can be permanently installed in the excavator 20 as part of its control system and remain in the excavator 20.

[0126] In Figure 4 An example of how time information is displayed on the receiving device 106 is shown both graphically in the upper half by a pointer representation 107a and alphanumerically in the lower half by a time countdown 107b. In the case shown, the next material task is desired in 00 minutes and 45 seconds.

[0127] In this way, the control device 60 can successively control the discontinuous material feed and, despite the discontinuity of the material feed, ensure the best possible material flow in the rock processing device 12.

[0128] Due to the local or area-based resolution of the fill level in the material feed device 22 or in the material buffer 24, the control device 60 is also able, on the basis of a further data relationship stored in the data memory 62, to control the next material feed not only in terms of time, but also in terms of location within the total task area 102 of the material buffer 24 or the material feed device 22, or to provide location information about a preferred material feed location within the total task area 102.

[0129] This allows the control device 60 to transport a loading of the material buffer 24 that is as advantageous as possible over the entire operating time of the rock processing device 12, for the respective design of the material feeding device 22 and the rock processing device 12 as a whole, which can be parametrically identified in the data storage 62 for use by the control device 60.

[0130] Thus, local overfilling of the material buffer 24 can be avoided, as can the direct feeding of material onto the pre-screen 16. Furthermore, where the fill level within the material buffer 24 has locally decreased significantly, material can be fed in order to ensure an advantageous material bed in the material feeding device 22.

[0131] Based on a predetermined data context, the control device 60 can thus provide the operator of the excavator 20 with location information indicating where the next material handling should take place within the overall task area 102.

[0132] This location information can be displayed by the output device 66 via the projection device 100, in which the projection device 100 projects a marker within the overall task area 102 or within the material buffer 24 to the location where the next material input should take place.

[0133] Additionally or alternatively, the location information, like the time information for the next material task before it, can be output to the operator of the excavator 20 via the receiving device 106. Figure 5Figure 106 shows an embodiment for a location information output. The receiving device 106 displays a schematic representation 197c of the material buffer 24 with the total loading area 102 and marks the desired loading location within the total loading area 102 for the next material feed by means of a suitable marker 116. Additionally, a preferably maintained discharge height or a discharge height range can be specified quantitatively, for example in meters and / or centimeters, or qualitatively, for example by specifying qualitative discharge height parameters such as "low," "medium," and "high." The additional height information is particularly easy to implement when transmitting the location information to an excavator control system, which may be semi-automatic.

[0134] By means of the first and / or the second stockpile sensor 96 or 98 on the respective discharge conveyors 29, 42 and 46, the control device 60 can detect the growth of the stockpiles 30, 44 and 48 generated by the rock processing device 12, taking into account material parameters such as the type of material fed in, grain size and grain size distribution, and the resulting bulk density, if applicable. It can also detect the rate of change or growth of each stockpile and, using a pre-generated and stored data sequence, determine a removal time information for when a specific stockpile should be removed by the wheel loader 58. This prevents the stockpile from growing too large and blocking discharge via the discharge conveyor that generated the stockpile.

[0135] Furthermore, taking into account material parameters such as grain size and grain size distribution as well as density, the control device can use a data relationship determined for this purpose to determine further degradation information, which indicates the extent to which degradation should take place.

[0136] If the rock processing device 12, as in the present application, produces several heaps, the output device 66 also outputs further mining information, which identifies the heap affected by the mining time information.

[0137] The control device 60 can display the extraction time information and other extraction information on the second display device 110, visible to everyone within the field of vision of the rock processing device 12. Additionally or alternatively, the output device 66 can transmit the information on the next stockpile extraction via the transmit / receive unit 104 to the receiving device 106, where it is displayed graphically and / or alphanumerically to the operator of the wheel loader 58.

[0138] Finally, the control device 60 can use signals from suitable sensors to control the operating parameters of the rock processing device 12 in such a way that, in the illustrated embodiment, a predetermined desired ratio of fine-grained to medium-grained material is achieved. Likewise, based on appropriately prepared data sequences, the control device 60 can control the rock processing device 12 in such a way that its energy consumption per unit of processed mineral material is at least locally minimized or reduced. Additionally or alternatively, the control device 60 can, using appropriately prepared data sequences, control the rock processing device 12 in such a way that an advantageous quantity of oversize material is returned for the respective crushing process, ensuring that sufficient supporting material is present in the crushing gap(s) due to pre-crushed oversize material.In fact, an operation aimed at minimizing or eliminating the amount of oversize material is not necessarily the most economical operation of the rock processing equipment 12, due to the beneficial effects of oversize material as support material in the crushing gap. Often, a very small amount of oversize material translates to an excessive amount of excessively finely crushed material, which is generally undesirable. If the amount of recycled material decreases, the quality of the final product often decreases as well, since it then contains less material that has been crushed multiple times.

[0139] In this context, the control device 60 can, based on the data relationships available to it, which were determined in advance by test operations with targeted parameter variation, also aim to operate the rock processing device 12 on the basis of several target variables or one target variable with further specified boundary conditions, such as the production of valuable grain with different grain sizes in a predetermined quantity ratio with the lowest possible energy consumption and with the most advantageous amount of recycled oversize material.

[0140] The control device 60 can, in order to adjust the operation of the rock processing device 12 according to the output parameters of the at least one data context used, change the conveying speed of one or more conveying devices, change the crushing gap width, in particular of the upper and / or the lower crushing gap, change the rotor speed, control the material feed into the material feed device 22 spatially and temporally, etc.

[0141] The input variables used for operational optimization can include the size and / or height and / or growth of stockpiles of valuable grain, in this case, for example, stockpiles 44 and 48; the size and / or height and / or growth of the stockpile of undersized fraction 30; the quantity of recycled oversized material; the fed grain size and grain size distribution, which are primarily determined via input device 64. The input material parameters can include at least one material parameter such as the type of material, moisture content, hardness, density, brittleness, abrasiveness, proportion of foreign matter in the fed and / or processed material, etc., as well as the grain size and grain size distribution in the individual discharge conveying devices. This list is not exhaustive.In discharge conveying devices, the particle size and particle size distribution, and optionally also the particle shape, can be determined by cameras with downstream image processing. The particle size and particle size distribution in a discharge conveying device can also be determined by measuring the contents of a screening device located upstream of the respective discharge conveying device in the material flow. Additionally or alternatively, the desired target quantity of a given end product can serve as an input parameter for operational optimization.

[0142] By applying artificial intelligence methods, the control device 60, optionally with the involvement of powerful external data processing devices, can continuously improve the accuracy of the stored data relationships through its daily operation and the data and insights gathered in the process.

[0143] The rock processing device 12 can therefore not only optimize its own operation, but basically gradually take over the organization of the entire construction site in the immediate vicinity of the rock processing device 12.

[0144] In the illustrated embodiment, the only rock processing device 12 is a rock processing plant.

Claims

1. A rock processing system including at least one rock processing apparatus (12) for crushing and / or sorting granular mineral material (M) according to size, the rock processing system comprising as apparatus components: - a material feeding apparatus (22) having a material buffer (24) for loading starting material to be processed, - at least one working unit of: + at least one crushing apparatus (14) and + at least one screening apparatus (16, 18), - at least one conveyor apparatus (26, 36) for conveying material (M) between two system components, - a discharge conveyor apparatus (29, 42, 46) for conveying processed material out of the rock processing system onto a stockpile (30, 44, 48), - a quantity sensor (84, 88, 92, 96, 98) for detecting a value representing a discharge quantity of processed material accruing per unit of time in or at the discharge conveyor apparatus (29, 42, 46), - a data memory (62) connected in signal-transmitting fashion to a control unit (60) and / or to the quantity sensor (88 / 90, 96, 98) for transmitting information, - the control unit (60) for controlling system components of the rock processing system, the control unit (60) being designed to control an operation of a system component according to a detection signal and according to at least one data relationship stored in the data memory (62), which sets the detection signal and / or a value derived from the detection signal in relation to at least one control operating parameter and / or to at least one change of a control operating parameter of at least one system component, wherein the rock processing system comprises at least one oversize grain return apparatus (36), which conveys an oversize grain screen fraction back into the material feeding apparatus (22) or into an input area of a crushing apparatus (14) of the rock processing system, characterized in that the rock processing system comprises as system components: - at least two discharge conveyor apparatuses (29, 42, 46) for conveying processed material out of the rock processing system onto a stockpile (30, 44, 48), each of the at least two discharge conveyor apparatuses (29, 42, 46) conveying processed material of a different value grain grading curve output by the at least one screening apparatus, - at least one quantity sensor (88 / 90, 96, 98) for each of the at least two value grain grading curves, respectively for detecting a quantity variable representing a discharge quantity of processed material accruing per unit of time in the respective value grain grading curve, wherein the control unit (60) is designed to control an operation of at least one system component according to detection signals, which represent the discharge quantities accruing per unit of time in different value grain grading curves, and according to at least one data relationship stored in the data memory (62), which, by taking into consideration at least one predetermined target variable or at least one predetermined target variable range, sets the detection signals of the at least one quantity sensor (88 / 90, 96, 98) of the respective value grain grading curve and / or a value derived from the detection signals of the at least one quantity sensor (88 / 90, 96, 98) of the respective value grain grading curve quantitatively or qualitatively in relation to at least one control operating parameter and / or to at least one change of a control operating parameter of at least one system component, wherein the rock processing system comprising an oversize grain quantity sensor (92 / 94), which detects the quantity of oversize grain returned per unit of time in at least one of the at least one oversize grain return apparatus (36), an oversize grain data relationship being stored in the data memory (62), which, by taking into consideration the at least one predetermined target variable or the at least one predetermined target variable range, sets the detection signals of the at least one oversize grain quantity sensor (92 / 94) and / or a value derived from the detection signals of the at least one oversize grain quantity sensor (92 / 94) quantitatively or qualitatively in relation to at least one control operating parameter and / or to at least one change of a control operating parameter of at least one system component, the control unit (60) being designed to change at least one control operating parameter of at least one system component according to the detection signals of the at least one oversize grain quantity sensor (92 / 94), the at least one predetermined target variable or the at least one predetermined target variable range and the at least one oversize grain data relationship.

2. The rock processing system as recited in Claim 1, characterized in that a target variable of the at least one predetermined target variable is a setpoint quantity variable defined for each of the at least two value grain grading curves, which indicates the quantity of value grain, which the respective value grain grading curve is to discharge per unit of time, the control unit (60) being designed to change at least one control operating parameter of at least one system component according to the detection signals and the at least one data relationship in such a way that the actual quantity variable of the respective value grain grading curve is within a predetermined tolerance range around its respective setpoint quantity variable and / or that an actual quantity ratio of two different value grain grading curves is within a predetermined tolerance range around a setpoint quantity ratio.

3. The rock processing system as recited in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a target variable of the at least one predetermined target variable is a setpoint oversize grain quantity variable, which indicates the quantity of oversize grain that is to be returned per unit of time, the control unit (60) being designed to change at least one control operating parameter of at least one system component according to the detection signals of the at least one oversize grain quantity sensor (92 / 94) and the at least one oversize grain data relationship in such a way that an actual oversize grain quantity variable of at least one of the at least one oversize grain return apparatus (36) is within a predetermined tolerance range around a setpoint oversize grain quantity variable.

4. The rock processing system as recited in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rock processing system comprises at least one of the following operation sensors for detecting at least one detection operating parameter associated with the respective operation sensor: - at least one energy consumption sensor for detecting an energy consumption of the rock processing system and / or of one of its system components as the detection operating parameter associated with the energy consumption sensor, - at least one throughput quantity sensor (84) for detecting a throughput quantity of material processed by the rock processing system and / or one of its system components per unit of time as the detection operating parameter associated with the throughput quantity sensor, - at least one crushing apparatus load sensor for detecting an operating load of at least one crushing apparatus of the at least one crushing apparatus as the detection operating parameter associated with the load sensor, - at least one screening apparatus load sensor for detecting an operating load of at least one screening apparatus of the at least one screening apparatus as the detection operating parameter associated with the load sensor, - at least one drive apparatus load sensor for detecting an operating load of at least one drive apparatus of the rock processing system as the detection operating parameter associated with the drive apparatus load sensor, - an overload counter for detecting a number of overload cases of at least one system component occurring per unit of time as the detection operating parameter associated with the overload counter, - a wear sensor (82) for detecting a wear occurring on a system component as the detection operating parameter associated with the wear sensor (82), - at least one material buffer fill ratio sensor (70) for detecting a fill ratio of the material buffer (24) as the detection operating parameter associated with the material buffer fill ratio sensor, - at least one conveyor apparatus fill ratio sensor for detecting a fill ratio of at least one conveyor apparatus as the detection operating parameter associated with the conveyor apparatus fill ratio sensor, - at least one conveyor apparatus conveying speed sensor (86, 90, 94) for detecting a conveying speed of at least one conveyor apparatus (32, 36, 42) as the detection operating parameter associated with the conveyor apparatus conveying speed sensor (86, 90, 94), - at least one crushing apparatus fill ratio sensor for detecting a fill ratio of at least one crushing apparatus of the at least one crushing apparatus as the detection operating parameter associated with the crushing apparatus fill ratio sensor, and - at least one crush gap sensor (76, 78) for detecting a dimension of a crush gap of at least one crushing apparatus (14) of the at least one crushing apparatus (14) as the detection operating parameter associated with the crush gap sensor, wherein an operating parameter data relationship is stored in the data memory (62), which, by taking into consideration the at least one predetermined target variable or the at least one predetermined target variable range, sets the detection signals of the at least one operation sensor and / or a value derived from the detection signals of the at least one operation sensor quantitatively or qualitatively in relation to at least one control operating parameter and / or to at least one change of a control operating parameter of at least one system component, wherein the control unit (60) is designed to change at least one control operating parameter of at least one system component according to the detection signals of the at least one operation sensor, of the at least one predetermined target variable or of the at least one predetermined target variable range and of the at least one operating parameter data relationship.

5. The rock processing system as recited in Claim 4, characterized in that a target variable of the at least one predetermined target variable is a setpoint value of the at least one detection operating parameter, the control unit (60) being designed to change at least one control operating parameter of at least one system component according to the detection signals of the at least one operation sensor, of the at least one predetermined target variable or of the at least one predetermined target variable range and of the at least one operating parameter data relationship in such a way that an actual value of at least one detection operating parameter is within a predetermined tolerance range around the setpoint value of the at least one detection operating parameter.

6. The rock processing system as recited in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rock processing system comprises at least one material sensor (70) for detecting at least one of the following material parameters relating to the fed material: - type of the fed material, - humidity of the fed material, - density of the fed material, - hardness of the fed material, - crushability of the fed material, - abrasiveness of the fed material, - state of the fed material, - grain size of the fed material, - grain size distribution of the fed material, - grain shape of the fed material, - quantity of the fed material, and - proportion of, in particular non-crushable, foreign material in the fed material, wherein a material parameter data relationship is stored in the data memory (62), which, by taking into consideration the at least one predetermined target variable or the at least one predetermined target variable range, sets the detection signals of the at least one material sensor and / or a value derived from the detection signals of the at least one material sensor (70) quantitatively or qualitatively in relation to at least one control operating parameter and / or to at least one change of a control operating parameter of at least one system component, wherein the control unit is designed to change at least one control operating parameter of at least one system component according to the detection signals of the at least one material sensor (70), of the at least one predetermined target variable or of the at least one predetermined target variable range and of the at least one material parameter data relationship.

7. The rock processing system as recited in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one control operating parameter comprises at least one of the following operating parameters: - conveying capacity of a conveyor apparatus conveying material to the crushing apparatus, - amplitude of a pre-screen excitation, - frequency of a pre-screen excitation, - crush gap width, - speed of a crushing rotor, - speed of a screen rotor or a screen drive shaft, - setpoint fill ratio of the crushing apparatus, - amplitude of a post-screen excitation, - frequency of a post-screen excitation.

8. The rock processing system as recited in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rock processing system comprises an input device (64) for inputting at least one input parameter, the input device being connected in signal-transmitting fashion to the control unit (60), an input parameter data relationship being stored in the data memory (62), which, by taking into consideration the at least one predetermined target variable or the at least one predetermined target variable range, sets the at least one input parameter and / or a value derived from the at least one input parameter qualitatively and / or quantitatively in relation to at least one control operating parameter and / or to at least one change of a control operating parameter of at least one system component.

9. The rock processing system as recited in Claim 8, characterized in that the at least one input parameter of the at least one input parameter is one of the following parameters: - quantity of oversize grain returned per unit of time, - energy consumption of the rock processing system and / or of one of its system components, - throughput quantity of material processed by the rock processing system and / or by one of its system components per unit of time, - operating load of at least one crushing apparatus (14) of the at least one crushing apparatus, - number of overload cases of at least one system component occurring per unit of time, - wear occurring on a system component per unit of time, - type of the fed material, - hardness of the fed material, - crushability of the fed material, - abrasiveness of the fed material, - grain size of the fed material, - grain size distribution of the fed material, - quantity of the fed material.

10. The rock processing system as recited in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one quantity sensor comprises at least one of the following sensors: - conveyor belt scale (84, 88, 92) for ascertaining a weight of a material quantity fed onto a conveyor belt of the conveyor apparatus, - stockpile sensor (96, 98) for detecting a stockpile parameter, comprising a height (h) and / or a shape and / or a volume of a stockpile (30, 44, 48), and / or for detecting a rate of change over time of the stockpile parameter.

11. The rock processing system as recited in Claim 10, characterized in that the stockpile sensor (96, 98) comprises a sensor operating according to a reflection principle, such as an ultrasonic sensor or a radar sensor, and / or an optical camera with associated image processing.