Automatic tensioning system for belt conveyor and tensioning control method and device thereof

Abstract

The present application discloses an automatic tensioning system for a belt conveyor and a tensioning control method and device thereof. The automatic tensioning system includes a tensioning device, a tension sensor, and a pulley block. The tensioning device includes a hoisting device, the wire rope of which is connected to the bearing support of the roller of a retractable belt conveyor in a trough through a pulley block; the tension sensor is used to detect the current tension between the tensioning device and the bearing; and the tensioning device is used to control the expansion and contraction of the wire rope based on the current tension to maintain the current tension within a preset tension range. By setting or adjusting the preset tension range, the conveyor belt of the belt conveyor can be ensured to have sufficient tension, thereby maintaining safe and stable operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of mining machinery, and more specifically, to an automatic tensioning system for a belt conveyor and a tensioning control method and device thereof. Background Art

[0002] Belt conveyors are crucial conveying devices in mines, transporting ore and coal to appropriate storage areas. During normal operation, the belts must maintain sufficient tension to compensate for elastic elongation and prepare for reconnection. Insufficient belt tension can cause the belt conveyor to malfunction at best, or even lead to safety accidents. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the present application provides an automatic tensioning system for a belt conveyor and a tensioning control method and device thereof, which are used to ensure sufficient tension of the conveyor belt of the belt conveyor.

[0004] In order to achieve the above objectives, the following solutions are proposed:

[0005] An automatic tensioning system for a belt conveyor, comprising a tensioning device, a tension sensor and a pulley assembly, wherein:

[0006] The tensioning device includes a hoisting device, the wire rope of the hoisting device is connected to the bearing support of the roller of the trough telescopic belt conveyor through the pulley block, and the roller is a driving roller or a redirecting roller;

[0007] The tension sensor is used to detect the current tension between the tensioning device and the bearing;

[0008] The tensioning device is used to control the expansion and contraction of the steel wire rope according to the current tension, so that the current tension is maintained within a preset tension range.

[0009] Optionally, the tensioning device includes a controller, a frequency converter and the hoisting device, and the hoisting device includes a drive motor, wherein:

[0010] The controller is used to output a first control instruction or a second control instruction to the frequency converter according to the current tension control. The first control instruction is used to control the frequency converter to drive the drive motor to rotate in a first direction, and the second control instruction is used to control the frequency converter to drive the drive motor to rotate in a second direction. When the drive motor rotates in the first direction, the hoisting device tightens the wire rope, and when the drive motor rotates in the second direction, the hoisting device relaxes the wire rope.

[0011] Optionally, the controller is a PLC controller or a PID controller.

[0012] Optionally, the pulley assembly includes a first fixed pulley, a second fixed pulley and a movable pulley, wherein:

[0013] The rotating shaft of the movable pulley is connected to the bearing support via a pull rod or a steel cable;

[0014] The first fixed pulley is set at the first position, the second fixed pulley is set at the second position, and the wire rope of the hoisting device passes through the first fixed pulley and the second fixed pulley, then passes around the movable pulley and is connected to the second fixed pulley shaft.

[0015] Optionally, the tension sensor is arranged on a pull rod or a steel cable used to connect the movable pulley and the bearing support.

[0016] Optionally, the preset tension range is 10 to 40 kN.

[0017] A tensioning control method is applied to the automatic tensioning system as described above, and the tensioning control method comprises the following steps:

[0018] Get the current tension from the tension sensor;

[0019] Determining whether the current tension is within a preset tension range;

[0020] If the current tension exceeds the preset tension range, controlling the tensioning device of the automatic tensioning system to perform a protection action;

[0021] If the current tension is within the preset tension range, the tensioning device is controlled to perform a constant tension operation so that the current tension is maintained within the preset tension threshold range.

[0022] Optionally, the preset tension range includes a preset tension threshold, and controlling the tensioning device to perform a constant tension operation includes the steps of:

[0023] Determining whether the current tension is greater than the tension threshold;

[0024] If the current tension is less than the tension threshold, controlling the drive motor of the tensioning device to rotate in a first direction to increase the current tension;

[0025] If the current tension is greater than or equal to the tension threshold, the drive motor of the tensioning device is controlled to rotate in a second direction to reduce the current tension.

[0026] A tensioning control device is applied to the automatic tensioning system as described above, and the tensioning control device comprises:

[0027] A digital acquisition module is configured to obtain current tension from the tension sensor;

[0028] a tension determination module, configured to determine whether the current tension is within a preset tension range;

[0029] a first control module, configured to control the tensioning device of the automatic tensioning system to perform a protection action if the current tension exceeds the preset tension range;

[0030] The second control module is configured to control the tensioning device to perform a constant tension operation if the current tension is within the preset tension range, so as to keep the current tension within the preset tension threshold range.

[0031] Optionally, the preset tension range includes a preset tension threshold, and the second control module includes:

[0032] a tension determination unit, configured to determine whether the current tension is greater than the tension threshold;

[0033] a forward rotation control unit, configured to control the drive motor of the tensioning device to rotate in a first direction to increase the current tension if the current tension is less than the tension threshold;

[0034] The second control unit is configured to control the driving motor of the tensioning device to rotate in a second direction if the current tension is greater than or equal to the tension threshold, so as to reduce the current tension.

[0035] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the present application discloses an automatic tensioning system for a belt conveyor and its tensioning control method and device. The automatic tensioning system includes a tensioning device, a tension sensor, and a pulley block. The tensioning device includes a hoisting device, the wire rope of which is connected to the bearing support of the roller of the retractable belt conveyor in the trough through the pulley block; the tension sensor is used to detect the current tension between the tensioning device and the bearing; the tensioning device is used to control the extension and retraction of the wire rope according to the current tension, so that the current tension remains within a preset tension range. By setting or adjusting the preset tension range, the conveyor belt of the belt conveyor can be ensured to have sufficient tension, thereby maintaining safe and stable operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0037] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an automatic tensioning system for a belt conveyor according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 2 A block diagram of a tensioning device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 3 This is a flow chart of a tension control method according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0041] Example 1

[0042] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic tensioning system for a belt conveyor according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0043] The automatic tensioning system provided in this embodiment is applied to a belt conveyor. The belt conveyor in this application is a retractable belt conveyor in a chute. The automatic tensioning system realizes automatic tensioning control according to the current tension between the retractable belt conveyor in the chute and the tensioning device of the system, so that the conveyor belt of the belt conveyor maintains appropriate tension.

[0044] The basic form of a chute-type retractable belt conveyor consists of a frame with rollers mounted at each end: a drive roller at one end and a bend roller at the other. The conveyor belt is connected between the drive and bend rollers, with multiple support rollers mounted between the two rollers. The drive roller is typically powered by a drive motor housed within the drive roller or connected to it via pulleys. The rotating shaft of the roller is secured to the frame via bearing supports. By pulling the bearing supports, the position of the roller can be adjusted, thereby controlling the tension of the conveyor belt.

[0045] like Figure 1As shown, the automatic tensioning system of the present application includes a tensioning device 10, a tension sensor 20 and a pulley block 30. The tensioning device includes a hoisting device. When driven by its drive motor, the hoisting device of the present application will drive its own winch to rotate. The winch has a wire rope, and the end of the wire rope is connected to the bearing support of the belt conveyor roller through the pulley block. When the winch rotates, the wire rope drives the bearing support to move, thereby controlling the tension force. The tensioning device is connected to the tension sensor and is used to collect the current tension detected by the tension sensor in real time, and drive the winch to rotate according to the current tension to keep the current tension within the preset tension range. The preset tension range of the present application is 10 to 40 kN.

[0046] The pulley assembly of the present application includes two fixed pulleys and a movable pulley 33. For ease of distinction, the two fixed pulleys are respectively a first fixed pulley 31 and a second fixed pulley 32. The two fixed pulleys are fixed to the ground or wall by ground anchors or other connection methods. The rotating shaft of the movable pulley is connected to the bearing support of the roller of the belt conveyor by a pull rod or a steel cable. The tension sensor of the present application is set on the pull rod or the steel cable. The wire rope of the hoisting device of the tensioning device passes through the first fixed pulley and the second fixed pulley, then around the movable pulley, and finally connected to the rotating shaft of the second fixed pulley.

[0047] The tensioning device of the present application includes a controller 11, a frequency converter 12 and the above-mentioned hoisting device 13, such as Figure 2 The controller may be a PLC controller or a PID controller, which is connected to the tension sensor and is used to receive the current tension output by the tension sensor in real time and output the first control instruction or the second control instruction to the frequency converter according to the current tension.

[0048] A PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) is a digital electronic device with a microprocessor, used for automated control. It can load control instructions into memory for storage and execution at any time. A PLC is a modular system consisting of an internal CPU, instruction and data memory, input and output units, power supply modules, digital analog modules, and other components. It is widely used in industrial control. Before the advent of PLCs, hundreds or even thousands of relays and counters were typically required to create an automated system with the same functionality. Today, simple, programmed PLC modules have largely replaced these large devices. The PLC system program is typically initialized before shipment, allowing users to customize the user program to meet specific automation production requirements.

[0049] A PID controller consists of a proportional unit (P), an integral unit (I), and a differential unit (D). By setting the three parameters Kp, Ki, and Kd, it is primarily suitable for systems with essentially linear characteristics and time-invariant dynamic characteristics. A PID controller is a common feedback loop component in industrial control applications. It compares input data with a reference value and uses the difference to calculate a new input value, designed to bring the system data to or maintain the reference value.

[0050] Unlike other simple control algorithms, a PID controller can adjust input values based on historical data and the occurrence rate of differences, making the system more accurate and stable. It can be mathematically proven that a PID feedback loop can maintain system stability even when other control methods result in system stability errors or process repetitions.

[0051] The first control instruction of the present application is used to control the drive motor of the inverter-driven hoisting device to rotate in the first direction, and the second control instruction is used by the user to control the drive motor to rotate in the second direction. Because the drive motor generally has only two rotation directions, for the convenience of description here, the first direction can also be described as forward rotation, and the second direction can be described as reverse rotation.

[0052] When the drive motor rotates forward, the wire rope of the hoisting device applies tension to the bearing seat of the belt conveyor's roller, and the current tension increases; when the drive motor rotates reversely, the wire rope of the hoisting device is loosened, and the current tension decreases.

[0053] As can be seen from the above technical solution, this embodiment provides an automatic tensioning system for a belt conveyor, comprising a tensioning device, a tension sensor, and a pulley assembly. The tensioning device includes a hoisting device, the wire rope of which is connected to the bearing support of the roller of a retractable belt conveyor in a trough via a pulley assembly; the tension sensor is used to detect the current tension between the tensioning device and the bearing; and the tensioning device is used to control the expansion and contraction of the wire rope based on the current tension, so that the current tension remains within a preset tension range. By setting or adjusting the preset tension range, the conveyor belt of the belt conveyor can be ensured to have sufficient tension, thereby maintaining safe and stable operation.

[0054] Example 2

[0055] Figure 3 This is a flow chart of a tension control method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0056] like Figure 3 As shown, the tensioning control method provided in this embodiment is applied to the automatic tensioning system of the above embodiment, specifically to the tensioning device of the automatic tensioning system. The tensioning control method includes the following steps:

[0057] S1. Get the current tension.

[0058] Specifically, the current tension is collected from the tension sensor.

[0059] S2. Determine whether the current tension is within the preset tension range.

[0060] The preset tension range of this application is 10-40 kN. After the current tension is collected, it is determined whether the current tension is within the preset tension range. If it is outside the preset tension range, step S3 is executed. Conversely, if it is within the preset tension range, step S4 is executed.

[0061] S3. Control the tensioning device to perform protection action.

[0062] That is, when the current tension is outside the preset tension range, specifically less than the lower limit of the range or exceeds the upper limit of the range, a protection action is performed, that is, the tensioning device is controlled to shut down urgently.

[0063] S4. Control the tensioning device to perform constant tension operation.

[0064] Specifically, the tension applied by the tensioning device to the belt conveyor is driven to maintain the tension within the preset tension range. The specific operation process is as follows:

[0065] First, determine whether the current tension is greater than a tension threshold. The tension threshold is within a predetermined rising tension range, which can be the midpoint between the upper and lower limits or any other value. This application selects the midpoint, i.e., 25 kN.

[0066] Then, if the current tension is less than the tension threshold, the drive motor of the hoisting device of the tensioning device is controlled to rotate in the first direction, or the drive motor is driven to rotate forward, so that the wire rope of the hoisting device is tightened, thereby increasing the current tension.

[0067] Finally, if the current tension is greater than or equal to the tension threshold, the drive motor of the hoisting device of the tensioning device is controlled to rotate in the second direction, or the drive motor is driven to reverse, so that the wire rope of the hoisting device is relaxed, thereby reducing the current tension.

[0068] Through the above control, the conveyor belt of the belt conveyor can be ensured to have sufficient tension. And by executing the protection action, accidents caused by abnormal tension during the normal operation of the belt conveyor can be avoided, thereby ensuring the safety of life and property.

[0069] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible implementation architecture, functions and operations of the systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each box in the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, program segment, or a part of code, and the module, program segment, or a part of code contains one or more executable instructions for realizing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the box can also occur in a different order than that marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two boxes represented in succession can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each box in the block diagram and / or flowchart, and the combination of the boxes in the block diagram and / or flowchart, can be implemented with a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or can be implemented with a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0070] Although the operations are depicted in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that the operations be performed in the particular order shown or in a sequential order.Multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous under certain circumstances.

[0071] It should be understood that the various steps described in the method embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed in different orders and / or in parallel. In addition, the method embodiments may include additional steps and / or omit the steps shown. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0072] Computer program code for performing the operations of the present disclosure may be written in one or more programming languages, or a combination thereof, including, but not limited to, object-oriented programming languages such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, and conventional procedural programming languages such as C or similar programming languages. The program code may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In cases involving a remote computer, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer.

[0073] Example 3

[0074] This embodiment provides a tension control device, which is applied to the automatic tensioning system of the above embodiment, specifically to the tensioning device of the automatic tensioning system. The tension control device includes a digital acquisition module, a tension determination module, a first control module, and a second control module.

[0075] The digital acquisition module is used to obtain the current tension.

[0076] Specifically, the current tension is collected from the tension sensor.

[0077] The tension determination module is used to determine whether the current tension is within a preset tension range.

[0078] The preset tension range of the present application is 10-40 kN as mentioned above. After the current tension is collected, it is determined whether the current tension is within the preset tension range.

[0079] The first control module is used to control the tensioning device to perform a protection action.

[0080] That is, when the tension judgment module determines that the current tension is outside the preset tension range, specifically less than the lower limit of the range or exceeds the upper limit of the range, the tensioning device is driven to perform a protection action, that is, the tensioning device is controlled to shut down urgently.

[0081] The second control module is used to control the tensioning device to perform constant tension operation.

[0082] Specifically, when the tension determination module determines that the current tension is within the preset tension range, the tension device is driven to maintain the tension applied to the belt conveyor within the preset tension range. The module specifically includes a tension determination unit, a forward control unit, and a reverse control unit.

[0083] The tension determination unit is used to determine whether the current tension is greater than a tension threshold value. The tension threshold value is within a preset rising tension range, which can be selected as the midpoint between the upper and lower limits or other values. In this application, the midpoint is selected, i.e., 25kN.

[0084] The forward control unit is used to control the drive motor of the hoisting device of the tensioning device to rotate in the first direction, or to drive the drive motor to rotate forward, if the current tension is less than the tension threshold, so that the wire rope of the hoisting device is tightened, thereby increasing the current tension.

[0085] The reversal control unit is used to control the drive motor of the hoisting device of the tensioning device to rotate in the second direction if the current tension is greater than or equal to the tension threshold, or to drive the drive motor to reverse, so that the wire rope of the hoisting device is relaxed, thereby reducing the current tension.

[0086] The tension control device can ensure sufficient tension on the conveyor belt of the belt conveyor. Furthermore, by executing protective actions, accidents caused by abnormal tension during normal operation of the belt conveyor can be avoided, thereby ensuring the safety of life and property.

[0087] The units involved in the embodiments described in this disclosure may be implemented in software or hardware. In some cases, the name of a unit does not limit the unit itself. For example, the first acquisition unit may also be described as a "unit for acquiring at least two Internet Protocol addresses."

[0088] The functions described above herein may be performed, at least in part, by one or more hardware logic components. For example, and without limitation, exemplary types of hardware logic components that may be used include: field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application specific standard products (ASSPs), systems on chip (SOCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and the like.

[0089] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0090] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, those skilled in the art may make additional changes and modifications to these embodiments once they become aware of the basic creative concepts. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0091] Finally, it should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, etc., are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or terminal device that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or terminal device. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or terminal device that includes the element.

[0092] The technical solution provided by the present invention is introduced in detail above. Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present invention and its core idea. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of the present invention, there may be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic tensioning system for a belt conveyor, characterized in that: The automatic tensioning system includes a tensioning device, a tension sensor and a pulley assembly, wherein: The tensioning device includes a hoisting device, the wire rope of the hoisting device is connected to the bearing support of the roller of the chute telescopic belt conveyor through the pulley block, and the roller is a driving roller; The tension sensor is used to detect the current tension between the tensioning device and the bearing; The tensioning device is used to control the expansion and contraction of the steel wire rope according to the current tension, so that the current tension is maintained within a preset tension range; The pulley assembly includes a first fixed pulley, a second fixed pulley and a movable pulley, and the rotating shaft of the movable pulley is connected to the bearing support through a pull rod or a steel cable; The first fixed pulley is set at a first position, the second fixed pulley is set at a second position, and the wire rope of the hoisting device passes through the first fixed pulley and the second fixed pulley in sequence, then passes around the movable pulley and is connected to the rotating shaft of the second fixed pulley; The tension sensor is arranged on a pull rod or a steel cable used to connect the movable pulley and the bearing support.

2. The automatic tensioning system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tensioning device includes a controller, a frequency converter and the hoisting device, and the hoisting device includes a drive motor, wherein: The controller is used to output a first control instruction or a second control instruction to the frequency converter according to the current tension control. The first control instruction is used to control the frequency converter to drive the drive motor to rotate in a first direction, and the second control instruction is used to control the frequency converter to drive the drive motor to rotate in a second direction. When the drive motor rotates in the first direction, the hoisting device tightens the wire rope, and when the drive motor rotates in the second direction, the hoisting device relaxes the wire rope.

3. The automatic tensioning system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The controller is a PLC controller or a PID controller.

4. The automatic tensioning system according to claim 1, wherein: The preset tension range is 10 ~ 40kN.

5. A tensioning control method, applied to the automatic tensioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The tension control method comprises the steps of: Get the current tension from the tension sensor; Determining whether the current tension is within a preset tension range; If the current tension exceeds the preset tension range, controlling the tensioning device of the automatic tensioning system to perform a protection action; If the current tension is within the preset tension range, the tensioning device is controlled to perform a constant tension operation so that the current tension is maintained within the preset tension range.

6. The tension control method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The preset tension range includes a preset tension threshold, and the controlling the tensioning device to perform a constant tension operation includes the steps of: Determining whether the current tension is greater than the tension threshold; If the current tension is less than the tension threshold, controlling the drive motor of the tensioning device to rotate in a first direction to increase the current tension; If the current tension is greater than or equal to the tension threshold, the drive motor of the tensioning device is controlled to rotate in a second direction to reduce the current tension.

7. A tensioning control device, applied to the automatic tensioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The tensioning control device comprises: A digital acquisition module is configured to obtain current tension from the tension sensor; a tension determination module, configured to determine whether the current tension is within a preset tension range; a first control module, configured to control the tensioning device of the automatic tensioning system to perform a protection action if the current tension exceeds the preset tension range; The second control module is configured to control the tensioning device to perform a constant tension operation if the current tension is within the preset tension range, so as to keep the current tension within the preset tension range.

8. The tension control device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The preset tension range includes a preset tension threshold, and the second control module includes: a tension determination unit, configured to determine whether the current tension is greater than the tension threshold; a forward rotation control unit, configured to control the drive motor of the tensioning device to rotate in a first direction to increase the current tension if the current tension is less than the tension threshold; The second control unit is configured to control the driving motor of the tensioning device to rotate in a second direction if the current tension is greater than or equal to the tension threshold, so as to reduce the current tension.

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