Material level monitoring device and method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a material level monitoring device and method. The material level monitoring device comprises a tank body with a rectangular cross-section, a PLC terminal and a display screen. A first material level meter and a second material level meter are arranged on the upper part of the tank body. A feed port is arranged on one side of the tank body near the upper part, and a third material level meter located at a limit material level height and a fourth material level meter located at a material in place height are arranged on the other side. The first material level meter, the second material level meter, the third material level meter, the fourth material level meter and the display screen are in a parallel relationship and are all electrically connected to the PLC terminal. The present invention calculates the material level H based on the measurement results of the first material level meter and the second material level meter by using a method of transforming the material cross-section into a rectangle with equal cross-sectional area, and at the same time, the third material level meter and the fourth material level meter are arranged to give staff members prompts of the limit material level and the material in place. Compared with the prior art, the present invention can relatively accurately measure the material level data of materials with high solid content.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of material level measurement, and in particular to a material level monitoring device and method. Background Art

[0002] A level meter is a metering instrument used to measure the material level in silos / tanks / storages, etc. It converts the material level signal (switch quantity or continuous quantity) into an electrical signal (analog signal or digital signal) and transmits it to a control terminal such as a PLC, assisting the automation system to control unloading, adding or stopping feeding, and maintaining the material level in the silo. The level meter can measure materials in various states, such as liquid, slurry, ash, powder, granular, block, etc. For example, a paddle-type level switch suitable for measuring various solid materials, a capacitive level switch suitable for measuring loose materials under certain conditions, and so on. However, for materials with high solid content, due to the characteristics of the materials, it is often difficult to obtain relatively accurate data when measuring the material level in the prior art, and further data analysis and processing are required. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a material level monitoring device and method to solve the problem in the prior art that for materials with high solid content, relatively accurate data cannot be obtained when measuring the material level due to the material characteristics.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a material level monitoring device, the technical solution is:

[0005] A material level monitoring device comprises a tank body with a rectangular cross-section, a PLC terminal and a display screen, wherein a first material level meter and a second material level meter are arranged on the upper part of the tank body, a material feed port is arranged on one side of the tank body near the upper part, and a third material level meter located at a limit material level height and a fourth material level meter located at a material in place height are arranged on the other side, the first material level meter, the second material level meter, the third material level meter, the fourth material level meter and the display screen are in parallel relationship and are all electrically connected to the PLC terminal.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a material level monitoring method using the above-mentioned material level monitoring device, and the technical solution is as follows:

[0007] S1: Data collection, the first material level meter and the second material level meter collect material level data h1 and h2, and the PLC terminal obtains the material level data;

[0008] S2: Determine the applicability of model 1. The PLC terminal determines whether the end of the material away from the feed port does not exceed the vertical line of any level meter according to the material level data in S1. If so, it is considered that the material level data belongs to data model 1 and the process goes to step S5; if not, the process goes to step S3;

[0009] S3: Determine the applicability of model 2. The PLC terminal determines whether the end of the material away from the feed port exceeds the vertical line of the level meter closer to the feed port but does not reach the side wall of the tank body according to the material level data in S1. If so, it is considered that the material level data belongs to data model 2 and the process goes to step S5; if not, the process goes to step S4.

[0010] S4: Determine the applicability of model 3. The PLC terminal determines whether the material spans across the two ends of the tank body according to the material level data in S1. If so, it is considered that the material level data belongs to data model 3 and the process goes to step S5. If not, the process goes to step S2 again. After the process has been re-entered 10 times, the PLC terminal controls the display screen to give an error message and the process ends.

[0011] S5: Material level calculation, converting the material into a rectangular cross-section material with a length equal to the length of the tank and a height of H, and providing a calculation formula for H under data model 1, data model 2 and data model 3 respectively, and the PLC terminal calculates H according to the calculation formula for H corresponding to the data model to which the material level data belongs;

[0012] S6: Limit material level determination, the PLC terminal obtains the material level data collected by the third material level meter and determines whether the material has reached the limit material level. If so, the PLC terminal controls the display screen to give a limit material level prompt; if not, proceed to step S7;

[0013] S7: Material level in place determination, the PLC terminal obtains the material level data collected by the fourth material level meter and determines whether the material is in place. If so, the PLC terminal controls the display screen to give a material in place prompt; if not, proceeds to step S8;

[0014] S8: Material level display, the PLC terminal controls the display screen to display the material level H.

[0015] The present invention adopts the above-mentioned technical solution, by setting a first level meter and a second level meter to respectively measure the material level at their respective positions, and by converting the material cross-section into a rectangle of equal cross-sectional area, a PLC terminal is used to calculate the material level H based on the measurement results of the first level meter and the second level meter. At the same time, by setting a third level meter and a fourth level meter, the staff is given prompts of the limit material level and the arrival of the material. Compared with the problem in the prior art that for materials with high solid content, relatively accurate data cannot be obtained when measuring the material level due to the material characteristics, the present invention can relatively accurately measure the material level data of materials with high solid content.

[0016] Furthermore, in step S1, the first material level meter and the second material level meter collect material level data once every 1 minute, and can be measured in real time according to the material level change in the tank.

[0017] Furthermore, in step S5, the display screen reports an error through a flashing indicator light, and the flashing indicator light is eye-catching and easy to attract attention, prompting the staff to repair.

[0018] Furthermore, in step S7, the display screen gives a limit material level prompt through a red prompt light. The red prompt light is eye-catching and easy to attract attention, prompting the staff to pay attention to controlling the material level.

[0019] Furthermore, in step S8, the display screen gives a material arrival prompt through a green prompt light. The green prompt light is eye-catching and easy to attract attention, prompting the staff that the materials are in place and the next step of operation can be carried out.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: the material level data of materials with high solid content can be measured relatively accurately and displayed on the display screen, and there are obvious warnings for the limit material level and the material level in place status, which makes it easy for the staff to understand the material level status in the tank body for subsequent operations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the material level monitoring device;

[0022] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of data model 1;

[0023] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of data model 2;

[0024] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of data model 3;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of materials in place;

[0026] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the limit material;

[0027] Figure 7 This is the logic block diagram of the material level monitoring method.

[0028] Markings in the figure: 1-first material level meter, 2-second material level meter, 3-third material level meter, 4-fourth material level meter, 5-tank body, 6-feed port. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0030] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0031] The embodiment of the present invention provides a material level monitoring device, such as Figure 1 As shown, it includes a tank body 5 with a rectangular cross-section, a PLC terminal and a display screen. A first material level meter 1 and a second material level meter 2 are provided on the upper part of the tank body 5. A feed port 6 is provided on one side of the tank body 5 near the upper part, and a third material level meter 3 located at the limit material level height and a fourth material level meter 4 located at the material in place height are provided on the other side. The first material level meter 1, the second material level meter 2, the third material level meter 3, the fourth material level meter 4 and the display screen are in parallel relationship and are all electrically connected to the PLC terminal.

[0032] As can be seen in the figure, the section length of the tank body 5 is X, the height is L, and the distance from the first level meter 1 to the left wall is l 1 , the distance from the second level meter 2 to the right wall is l 2 In this embodiment, by setting 1 = l 2 .

[0033] The embodiment of the present invention also provides a material level monitoring method using the material level monitoring device, such as Figure 7 As shown, the following steps are included:

[0034] S1: Data collection, the first material level meter 1 and the second material level meter 2 collect material level data h1 and h2, and the PLC terminal obtains the material level data;

[0035] S2: Determination of the applicability of model 1. The PLC terminal determines whether the end of the material away from the feed port 6 does not exceed the vertical line of any level meter according to the material level data in S1. If so, it is considered that the material level data belongs to data model 1 (such as Figure 2 If yes, go to step S5; if no, go to step S3;

[0036] The judgment method is that when h2=0, the material level data belongs to data model 1;

[0037] S3: Determine the applicability of model 2. The PLC terminal determines whether the end of the material away from the feed port 6 exceeds the vertical line of the level meter closer to the feed port 6 but does not reach the side wall of the tank 5 according to the material level data in S1. If so, it is considered that the material level data belongs to data model 2 (such as Figure 3 If yes, go to step S5; if no, go to step S4;

[0038] The judgment method is, when 0 <h2≤(X-l 2 )tanλ (λ is the angle of repose of the material), the material level data belongs to data model 2;

[0039] S4: Determine the applicability of model 3. The PLC terminal determines whether the material spans across the two ends of the tank body 5 according to the material level data in S1. If so, it is considered that the material level data belongs to data model 3 and the process goes to step S5. If not, the process goes to step S2 again. After the process has been re-entered 10 times, the PLC terminal controls the display screen to give an error message and the process ends.

[0040] The judgment method is, when h2>(Xl 2 )tanλ, the material level data belongs to data model 3;

[0041] S5: material level calculation, converting the material into a rectangular cross-section material with a length equal to the length of the tank body 5 and a height of H, and providing a calculation formula for H under data model 1, data model 2 and data model 3 respectively, and the PLC terminal calculates H according to the calculation formula for H corresponding to the data model to which the material level data belongs;

[0042] Data model 1: H = 0 (less material, approximately treated as 0);

[0043] Data Model 2: (λ is the angle of repose of the material);

[0044] Data Model 3:

[0045] S6: Limit material level determination, the PLC terminal obtains the material level data collected by the third material level meter 3 and determines whether the material has reached the limit material level. If so, the PLC terminal controls the display screen to give a limit material level prompt; if not, enter step S7;

[0046] The judgment method is that when the material touches the sensor of the third material level meter 3 (such as Figure 6 As shown), the PLC terminal obtains the signal;

[0047] S7: Material level in place determination, the PLC terminal obtains the material level data collected by the fourth material level meter 4 and determines whether the material is in place. If so, the PLC terminal controls the display screen to give a material in place prompt; if not, enter step S8;

[0048] The judgment method is that when the material touches the sensor of the fourth material level meter 4 (such as Figure 5 As shown), the PLC terminal obtains the signal;

[0049] S8: The PLC terminal controls the display screen to display the material level H.

[0050] In step S1, the first material level meter 1 and the second material level meter 2 collect material level data once every 1 minute.

[0051] In step S5, the display screen reports an error by flashing a warning light.

[0052] In step S7, the display screen gives a limit material level prompt through a red prompt light.

[0053] In step S8, the display screen gives a material arrival prompt through a green prompt light.

[0054] The present invention adopts the above-mentioned technical solution, by setting the first material level meter and the second material level meter to respectively measure the material level at their respective positions, and by converting the material cross-section into a rectangle of equal cross-sectional area, the material level H is calculated based on the measurement results of the first material level meter and the second material level meter using the PLC terminal, and at the same time, by setting the third material level meter and the fourth material level meter, the staff is given prompts of the limit material level and the material in place. Compared with the problem in the prior art that for materials with high solid content, it is often impossible to obtain relatively accurate data when measuring the material level due to the material characteristics, the present invention can relatively accurately measure the material level data of materials with high solid content and display it on the display screen, and there are obvious warnings for the limit material level and the material level in place status, which makes it easy for the staff to understand the material level status in the tank for subsequent operations.

[0055] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A material level monitoring method, It is characterized in that The method is implemented by using a material level monitoring device, the material level monitoring device comprising a tank body (5) with a rectangular cross section, a PLC terminal and a display screen, a first material level meter (1) and a second material level meter (2) are arranged on the upper part of the tank body (5), a feed port (6) is arranged on one side of the tank body (5) near the upper part, and a third material level meter (3) at a limit material level height and a fourth material level meter (4) at a material arrival height are arranged on the other side, the first material level meter (1), the second material level meter (2), the third material level meter (3), the fourth material level meter (4) and the display screen are in parallel relationship and are all electrically connected to the PLC terminal; The cross-sectional length of the tank body (5) is X, the first material level meter (1) is located on the left side of the second material level meter (2), the feed port (6) is located on the right wall of the tank body (5), and the distance from the first material level meter (1) to the left wall is l 1 , the distance from the second level meter (2) to the right wall is l 2 , l 1 = l 2 ; The material level monitoring method comprises the following steps: S1: data collection, the first material level meter (1) and the second material level meter (2) collect material level data h1 and h2, and the PLC terminal obtains the material level data; S2: Determine the applicability of model 1. The PLC terminal determines whether the end of the material away from the feed port (6) does not exceed the vertical line of any level meter based on the material level data in S1. If so, it is considered that the material level data belongs to data model 1 and the process goes to step S5. If not, the process goes to step S3. The judgment method is that when h2=0, the material level data belongs to data model 1; S3: Determine the applicability of model 2. The PLC terminal determines whether the end of the material away from the feed port (6) exceeds the vertical line of the level meter closer to the feed port (6) but does not reach the side wall of the tank body (5) based on the material level data in S1. If so, it is considered that the material level data belongs to data model 2 and the process goes to step S5. If not, the process goes to step S4. The judgment method is, when 0 <h2≤(X-l 2 )tanλ, the material level data belongs to data model 2; where λ is the angle of repose of the material; S4: Determine the applicability of model 3. The PLC terminal determines whether the material spans across the two ends of the tank body (5) based on the material level data in S1. If so, it is considered that the material level data belongs to data model 3 and the process proceeds to step S5. If not, the process re-enters step S2. After the re-entry times reaches 10 times, the PLC terminal controls the display screen to give an error prompt and the process terminates. The judgment method is, when h2>(Xl 2 )tanλ, the material level data belongs to data model 3; S5: material level calculation, converting the material into a rectangular cross-section material with a length equal to the length of the tank body (5) and a height of H, and providing a calculation formula for H under data model 1, data model 2 and data model 3 respectively, and the PLC terminal calculates H according to the calculation formula for H corresponding to the data model to which the material level data belongs; Data model 1: H = 0; Data Model 2: Data Model 3: S6: limit material level determination, the PLC terminal obtains the material level data collected by the third material level meter (3) and determines whether the material has reached the limit material level. If so, the PLC terminal controls the display screen to give a limit material level prompt; if not, proceed to step S7; S7: Material level determination: the PLC terminal obtains the material level data collected by the fourth material level meter (4) and determines whether the material is in place. If so, the PLC terminal controls the display screen to give a material in place prompt; if not, proceed to step S8; S8: Material level display, the PLC terminal controls the display screen to display the material level H.

2. The material level monitoring method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that In step S1, the first material level meter (1) and the second material level meter (2) collect material level data once every 1 minute.

3. The material level monitoring method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that In step S4, the display screen reports an error by flashing a warning light.

4. The material level monitoring method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that In step S6, the display screen gives a limit material level prompt via a red prompt light.

5. The material level monitoring method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that In step S7, the display screen gives a material arrival prompt through a green prompt light.

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