Control device for incinerator plant

Abstract

A control device is provided for stabilizing combustion in an incinerator. The control device comprises a furnace body that transports the incinerated material while it is burning, and a combustion air supply unit that supplies combustion air to the furnace. The control device includes a combustion air control unit that controls the combustion air before the incinerated material is introduced into the furnace, based on the amount or calorific value of the incinerated material supplied.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a control device for an incinerator. This disclosure claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-147752 filed on September 10, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0002] Waste incineration equipment typically includes a hopper. Waste, fed into the hopper by a crane, is sequentially supplied to the incinerator via a feeding device located at the bottom of the hopper. Patent Document 1 discloses a control device that calculates the specific gravity of the waste based on the volume and weight of the waste fed into the hopper of the waste incineration equipment. By multiplying the waste supply volume by the specific gravity, the device calculates the supply weight of waste to the incinerator. Furthermore, it calculates the heat input based on the supply weight of the waste, thereby controlling the supply of waste to the incinerator in a manner that keeps the heat input constant per unit time.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6779779 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In Patent Document 1, a range of time (e.g., 1 to 2 hours) is set from the time the waste is fed into the hopper to the time it is supplied to the incinerator. The weight of waste supplied to the incinerator is calculated by multiplying the average specific gravity of the waste fed into the hopper within a set time range earlier than the time when the waste is supplied to the incinerator by the waste supply volume. In order to stabilize the combustion state in the furnace, it is preferable to more accurately estimate the amount of waste supplied, and instead of control quantities, to perform controls corresponding to the estimated amount of waste supplied in advance.

[0008] This disclosure provides a control device for an incinerator that can solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0009] Methods for solving problems

[0010] According to one aspect of this disclosure, the control device is a control device for an incinerator apparatus having a furnace that simultaneously burns and transports the incinerated material, and a combustion air supply unit that supplies combustion air to the furnace. The control device for the incinerator apparatus includes: a combustion air control unit that controls the combustion air before the incinerated material is fed into the furnace based on the supply quantity or calorific value of the incinerated material supplied to the furnace; and a calculation unit that detects changes in the height of the incinerated material in the hopper using three-dimensional measurement, calculates the volume of the incinerated material fed into the hopper based on the changes in the height of the incinerated material, and calculates the density based on the weight and volume of the incinerated material fed into the hopper. The calorific value estimated based on the density of the incinerated material supplied to the furnace over a certain period in the past is compared with the actual measured calorific value. The residence time from the input of the incinerated material into the hopper to its supply to the furnace is estimated. Based on the compaction of the incinerated material, the distribution of the incinerated material in the hopper, and the ratio of the incinerated material supplied to the furnace, the supply amount or calorific value of the incinerated material supplied to the furnace after the residence time is calculated. When the residence time estimated by the calculation unit occurs before the residence time from the input of the incinerated material into the hopper by a predetermined time, the combustion air control unit controls the combustion air based on the supply amount or calorific value of the incinerated material.

[0011] Invention Effects

[0012] The control device of the incinerator equipment described above can stabilize the combustion state inside the furnace of the waste incineration equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a waste incineration device according to various embodiments.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the control device according to the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the control device according to the second embodiment.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the control device according to the third embodiment.

[0017] Figure 5 The first figure illustrates the estimated treatment of waste calorific value, etc., according to the fourth embodiment.

[0018] Figure 6 The second figure illustrates the estimated treatment of waste calorific value, etc., according to the fourth embodiment.

[0019] Figure 7 The third figure illustrates the estimated treatment of waste calorific value, etc., according to the fourth embodiment.

[0020] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware structure of the control device in each embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The waste incineration apparatus of the following embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, structures having the same or similar functions will be labeled with the same reference numerals. Furthermore, repeated descriptions of these structures will sometimes be omitted. The term "XX or YY" is not limited to either XX or YY, but may include both XX and YY. This also applies when more than three elements are selected. "XX" and "YY" can be any element (e.g., any information).

[0022] (System Structure)

[0023] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a waste incineration device according to various embodiments.

[0024] The waste incineration equipment 100 includes: a hopper 1 for feeding waste, a chute 2 for guiding the waste fed into the hopper 1 downwards, a feeder 10 for feeding the waste supplied through the chute 2 into the combustion chamber 6, a grate 3 for receiving the waste supplied by the feeder 10 and drying and burning the waste while transferring it, a combustion chamber 6 for burning the waste, an ash outlet 7 for discharging ash, a blower 4 for supplying air, multiple air boxes 5A to 5E for guiding the air supplied by the blower 4 to various parts of the grate 3, a pipeline 14 for directly supplying the air supplied by the blower 4 into the combustion chamber 6 (secondary combustion chamber 6B), a boiler 9, a crane 17 for handling waste, a sensor 15 for detecting the surface of the waste from above the hopper 1, and an image sensor 16 for capturing images of the situation inside the combustion chamber 6.

[0025] Crane 17 grabs and transports garbage from a garbage pit (not shown) and puts it into hopper 1. A weighing scale 17a is installed on crane 17. The weighing scale 17a measures the weight of the garbage transported by crane 17. The weighing scale 17a is connected to control device 20, and the weight measured by the weighing scale 17a, i.e., the weight of the garbage put into hopper 1, is sent to control device 20. A sensor 15 is installed above hopper 1 to detect the entire surface of the garbage put into and accumulated in hopper 1. Sensor 15 is installed to detect the volume of garbage put into hopper 1 and the height of garbage accumulated in hopper 1 and chute 2. Sensor 15 is, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) device. LiDAR is a technology that scans an object while irradiating it with a laser, and measures the distance and direction of the object based on the brightness of the reflected light. By using LiDAR to scan the entire surface of the accumulated garbage while irradiating it with a laser, the distance from sensor 15 to the entire surface of the garbage can be measured. Therefore, the height of the garbage accumulated in hopper 1 and chute 2 can be detected. Based on the difference in the height of the garbage before and after it is thrown into hopper 1 from crane 17, the volume of the garbage thrown into hopper 1 can be calculated. Sensor 15 is connected to control device 20, and the measured value measured by sensor 15 is sent to control device 20.

[0026] The feeder 10 is a feeding device that pushes waste supplied via the chute 2 onto the grate 3. The feeder 10 repeatedly pushes the waste toward the combustion chamber 6 and returns to its original position. The control device 20 adjusts the amount of waste supplied to the combustion chamber 6 by controlling the pushing and returning actions of the feeder 10. The grate 3 is located at the bottom of the chute 2 and the combustion chamber 6 and transports the waste. The grate 3 includes: a drying zone 3A for drying the waste supplied by the feeder 10 by evaporating moisture; a combustion zone 3B located downstream of the drying zone 3A for burning the dried waste; and a post-combustion zone 3C located downstream of the combustion zone 3B for burning unburned portions such as fixed carbon components until they are reduced to ash. The operating speed of the grate 3 is controlled by the control device 20.

[0027] The blower 4 is located below the grate 3, supplying air to various parts of the grate 3 via air boxes 5A to 5E. Branch pipes are connected to the pipes 8 that guide the air supplied by the blower 4 to the air boxes 5A to 5E, respectively. Damperes 8A to 8E are installed on these branch pipes. By adjusting the opening of the dampers 8A to 8E, the flow rate of combustion air supplied to the air boxes 5A to 5E can be regulated. The control device 20 controls the air volume (speed) of the blower 4 and the opening of the dampers 8A to 8E. Sometimes, the dampers 8A to 8E are collectively referred to as the primary combustion air dampers.

[0028] Combustion chamber 6, located above grate 3, consists of a primary combustion chamber 6A and a secondary combustion chamber 6B. Boiler 9 is positioned downstream of combustion chamber 6. Primary combustion chamber 6A is located above grate 3, and secondary combustion chamber 6B is located further above it. In primary combustion chamber 6A, waste is burned. The pyrolysis gas generated in primary combustion chamber 6A is mixed with secondary combustion air and transported to secondary combustion chamber 6B, where unburned components in the pyrolysis gas are burned. A pipe 14 connecting blower 4 to secondary combustion chamber 6B is connected to secondary combustion chamber 6B. Air is supplied to secondary combustion chamber 6B by opening and closing damper 14A located in pipe 14. Control device 20 controls the opening degree of damper 14A. Damper 14A is sometimes referred to as secondary combustion air damper. An image sensor 16 is installed at a position capable of capturing images of waste supplied to combustion chamber 6. Image sensor 16 is connected to control device 20, and images captured by image sensor 16 are sent to control device 20. Image sensor 16 is, for example, an infrared camera. Figure 1 In this example, the image sensor 16 is positioned to capture images of the waste being supplied from a horizontal, frontal view. However, it could also be positioned to capture images of the waste being supplied to the combustion chamber 6 from above. A temperature sensor 18 is installed in the combustion chamber 6 to measure the temperature inside. The temperature sensor 18 is connected to the control device 20, and the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 18 is sent to the control device 20. An oxygen concentration sensor 19 is installed in the combustion chamber 6 to measure the oxygen concentration inside. The oxygen concentration sensor 19 is connected to the control device 20, and the oxygen concentration measured by the oxygen concentration sensor 19 is sent to the control device 20.

[0029] Boiler 9 generates steam by exchanging heat between exhaust gas supplied from combustion chamber 6 and water circulating within boiler 9. The steam is supplied to a power generation turbine (not shown) via pipe 13. A steam flow sensor 11 is installed on pipe 13 to detect the steam flow rate. Steam flow sensor 11 is connected to control device 20, and the main steam flow rate measured by steam flow sensor 11 is sent to control device 20. Control device 20 controls, for example, the operation of the feeder 10 and the opening of the primary combustion air damper and secondary combustion air damper, so that the main steam flow rate measured by steam flow sensor 11 reaches a predetermined target value. A flue 12 is connected to the exhaust outlet of boiler 9. Exhaust gas recovered from the heat of boiler 9 passes through flue 12 and then through exhaust gas treatment equipment (not shown) before being discharged to the outside.

[0030] The control device 20 includes a data acquisition unit 21, a waste height calculation unit 22, an image estimation unit 23, a supply estimation unit 24, a judgment unit 25, a control unit 26, and a storage unit 27.

[0031] The data acquisition unit 21 acquires various data, such as the measured values ​​of each sensor 11, 14a, 15, 16, 17a, 18, and 19, and the user's indicated values. For example, the data acquisition unit 21 acquires the measured value of the main steam flow rate measured by the steam flow sensor 11.

[0032] The waste height calculation unit 22 calculates the height of the waste at various positions on the surface of the waste accumulated in the hopper 1 and the chute 2 based on the distance from the waste surface detected by the sensor 15. The height of the waste is the height at a predetermined position in the chute 2.

[0033] The image estimation unit 23 analyzes the images captured by the image sensor 16 to estimate the amount (volume, weight) and calorific value (LHV) of waste supplied to the furnace by the feeder 10. For example, the image estimation unit 23 compares images captured before and after the feeder 10 pushes out waste, extracts the image area of ​​the pushed-out waste, and estimates the volume of waste supplied to the furnace based on the shape and area of ​​the extracted image area and the amount pushed out by the feeder 10. Alternatively, the image estimation unit 23 estimates the volume of waste based on an estimation model constructed by learning the relationship between the image area of ​​the pushed-out waste and the amount of waste supplied, and the extracted image area. The image estimation unit 23 multiplies the estimated volume by the density calculated by the calculation method described later to calculate the weight of waste supplied to the furnace. Furthermore, the image estimation unit 23 estimates the calorific value (LHV) based on the weight of waste supplied to the furnace according to a prescribed conversion formula. Typically, in waste incineration equipment, the density and calorific value of the waste are sampled, the relationship between the two is analyzed, and a conversion formula for calculating the calorific value based on the density of the waste is derived, corresponding to the type of waste processed by the incineration equipment. The image estimation unit 23 uses this conversion formula to estimate the calorific value based on the weight of the waste obtained through image analysis. The control using the image estimation unit 23 will be described in the third embodiment.

[0034] The supply quantity estimation unit 24 calculates the volume change of the waste in the hopper 1 based on the change in waste height calculated by the waste height calculation unit 22. Based on the volume change of the waste in the hopper 1, the supply quantity estimation unit 24 estimates the amount of waste supplied to the furnace per unit time. Based on the distribution of waste in the hopper 1 and the chute 2, and the residence time ΔT of the waste in the hopper 1, the supply quantity estimation unit 24 estimates the density and moisture content of the waste supplied to the furnace, and for example, estimates the calorific value of the waste supplied to the furnace after the residence time. Before actually supplying waste to the furnace, the supply quantity estimation unit 24 estimates the supply quantity and / or calorific value of the waste supplied when the feeder 10 operates this time, next time, or thereafter. Therefore, before supplying waste to the combustion chamber 6, the control of the primary combustion air supplied to the combustion chamber 6 can be performed in advance. Details regarding the estimation processing of the waste supply quantity and calorific value performed by the supply quantity estimation unit 24 will be explained in the fourth embodiment.

[0035] The judgment unit 25 determines whether to perform preliminary control measures to stabilize the combustion state in the furnace based on the estimated amount of waste and / or calorific value of the waste estimated by the supply quantity estimation unit 24. The judgment unit 25 then determines the result of the preliminary control measures and whether the combustion state in the furnace has become stable.

[0036] The control unit 26 controls the operation of the supply unit 10, the opening degree of the primary combustion air dampers (damperes 8A to 8E) and the secondary combustion air damper (damper 14A), etc. Based on the judgment of the judgment unit 25, the control unit 26 performs advance control of the primary combustion air damper and the supply unit 10. In advance control, especially for the primary combustion air, if the supply amount is controlled in advance to an appropriate level without being excessively advanced, combustion stabilization can be achieved.

[0037] The storage unit 27 stores the measurement values ​​acquired by the data acquisition unit 21, information required for control, such as the conversion formula for calculating calorific value based on the density of waste.

[0038] <First Implementation>

[0039] Reference Figure 2 The processing (control of the supply of air for primary combustion) of the first embodiment will be explained.

[0040] (action)

[0041] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the control device according to the first embodiment.

[0042] The control device 20 performs the following processing (preliminary control) at predetermined time intervals.

[0043] The data acquisition unit 21 acquires and outputs the measured value of sensor 15 to the waste height calculation unit 22. Based on the measured value of sensor 15, i.e., the information of the distance from sensor 15 to the waste surface of hopper 1, the waste height calculation unit 22 calculates the height of the waste accumulated in hopper 1 at that time point. The waste height calculation unit 22 outputs the height of the waste at predetermined intervals to the supply estimation unit 24. The supply estimation unit 24 estimates the supply amount and / or calorific value of the waste (step S1). For example, the supply estimation unit 24 calculates the supply amount of waste to combustion chamber 6 per unit time based on the change in waste height per unit time (the amount of height reduction). The supply estimation unit 24 calculates the density of the waste based on the volume and weight of the waste measured when it is fed into hopper 1, and calculates the calorific value of the waste supplied after a retention time ΔT calculated using a predetermined method. At this time, the supply estimation unit 24 estimates the density of the waste supplied after the residence time ΔT by considering the distribution of waste fed into the hopper 1 at different times in the hopper 1 and the chute 2, the proportion of waste fed into the furnace at different times simultaneously, and the compression (compactment) caused by the weight of waste fed into the chute 2 at a certain time moving towards the lower part of the chute 2. (Details are described in the fourth embodiment.) The supply estimation unit 24 outputs the estimated supply amount and calorific value of the waste to the determination unit 25.

[0044] Next, the judgment unit 25 determines whether the amount of waste supplied per unit time and / or the calorific value of the waste supplied after a residence time ΔT has increased by a certain amount or more (step S2). For example, the judgment unit 25 compares the previously estimated supply amount with the current estimated supply amount and determines whether the supply amount has increased by a certain amount or more, and compares the previously estimated calorific value with the current estimated calorific value and determines whether the supply amount has increased by a certain amount or more. For example, if the control unit 26 determines that an excessive combustion state has occurred if the waste supply amount and calorific value have increased by a certain amount or more, or if at least one of the supply amount and calorific value has increased by a certain amount or more (step S2; yes), and if the current control is continued, it instructs the control unit 26 to execute preliminary control to suppress the combustion state. The control unit 26 performs preliminary control to reduce the supply amount of primary combustion air (step S3). For example, the control unit 26 reduces the opening of the dampers 8A to 8E, thereby reducing the amount of air supplied to the combustion chamber 6. At this time, the control unit 26 can reduce the opening of the damper 8A to reduce the amount of air supplied to the drying zone 3A, or it can reduce the opening of the dampers 8A to 8C to reduce the amount of air supplied to the drying zone 3A and the combustion zone 3B. The control unit 26 can also reduce the rotational speed of the blower 4 by reducing the opening of the dampers 8A, etc., instead of reducing the opening of the dampers 8A, etc.

[0045] The amount by which the opening of dampers 8A to 8E is reduced, and the amount by which the rotational speed of the blower 4 is reduced, can be determined, for example, based on a function relating these control quantities to the supply quantity and / or calorific value, according to the waste supply quantity and calorific value estimated in step S1. The control unit 26 can either reduce the opening of dampers 8A and the rotational speed of the blower 4 only for a specified period of time, or it can continuously control dampers 8A until the waste supply quantity and / or calorific value per unit time becomes constant.

[0046] Regarding the timing of reducing the opening of the damper 8A and the speed of the blower 4, (1) if, for example, the estimated amount of waste (volume, weight) in step S1 is based on the volume change calculated from the waste height change measured by the LiDAR time meter, advance control can be started immediately after the determination in step S2 (since the latest volume reduction is considered as the amount of waste just put into the furnace, starting advance control at this time is to start control immediately in accordance with the actual amount of waste put into the furnace. This is advance control compared to conventional feedback control). (2) if the estimated amount in step S1 is calorific value, as explained later in the fourth embodiment, the calorific value corresponding to the amount of waste supplied to the furnace from the time of feeding into hopper 1 until the residence time ΔT can be estimated. In other words, the timing of the waste being supplied to the furnace (after the residence time ΔT) can be known at the time of feeding into hopper 1. Therefore, at a time point slightly earlier than the time when the waste is to be supplied to the furnace, the calorific value of the waste supplied later can be determined. Thus, for example, step S2 can be determined at a predetermined time earlier than the initial supply time, and preliminary control can begin based on the determination result. The waste supplied later to the furnace mentioned here refers to the waste described later. Figure 6 , Figure 7The waste in pattern 1. If the advance control of step S3 begins at a predetermined time earlier than the supply timing, the advance control begins before the actual input of waste into the furnace. Alternatively, the determination of step S2 may be performed in accordance with the estimated supply timing of waste based on the residence time ΔT (e.g., simultaneously with the supply to immediately after the supply), and then the advance control begins immediately. In this case, similar to the case of the amount of waste supplied as described in (1), the advance control begins just before the waste is to be input into the furnace to immediately after the waste is input into the furnace. (Regarding the amount of waste supplied, it is not limited to the implementation method described in (1) where the determination of step S2 is based on the actual value of the amount of waste supplied according to the change in waste height. Step S2 can be determined based on a pre-estimated value, and then advance control can begin. That is, similar to the case of calorific value, the volume and weight of waste that is estimated to be supplied to the furnace at the position where it will be pushed out by the feeder 10 (i.e., the amount of waste supplied to the furnace later) can be estimated, and advance control can begin before the waste is actually supplied to the furnace. For example, it is estimated that the waste fed into the hopper 1 will arrive after a residence time ΔT.) Figure 6 , Figure 7 The position of pattern 1 is illustrated. Alternatively, the volume and weight of the waste occupied by pattern 1 can be calculated, and the calculated supply amount of waste can be presumed to be supplied to the furnace slightly earlier than the time the waste is about to be supplied. The determination in step S2 can be performed a predetermined time earlier than this supply time. Furthermore, if it can be presumed that the waste is fed into the furnace after a residence time ΔT from the time it is fed into the hopper 1, then it is not necessary to wait until just before the waste is about to be fed into the furnace for pre-control; pre-control can begin earlier. The timing of starting pre-control can be arbitrarily adjusted according to the equipment, the type of waste, etc. Typically, for example, feedback control is often used to keep the main steam flow measured by the steam flow sensor 11 constant to control the supply of primary combustion air. However, compared to such conventional control, it is possible to pre-control the primary combustion air to correspond to the supply amount and calorific value of the waste. Therefore, the state (atmosphere) of the air in the combustion chamber 6 can be pre-adjusted to correspond to the supply amount and calorific value of the waste, resulting in a stable combustion state. The same applies to step S7 (increasing the supply of primary combustion air) described later.

[0047] The control unit 26 controls the feeder 10 to supply waste into the furnace (step S4). For example, the control unit 26 calculates the amount of feeder 10 that makes the main steam flow measured by the steam flow sensor 11 reach a predetermined target value, and moves the feeder 10 by the calculated amount of feeder to supply waste into the furnace. Figure 2The sequence of steps S3 and S4 shown is for convenience; the control unit 26 performs the control of reducing the supply of primary combustion air and the control of supplying waste into the furnace in parallel. Next, the determination unit 25 obtains the gas temperature in the combustion chamber 6 measured by the temperature sensor 18 through the data acquisition unit 21. The determination unit 25 determines whether the gas temperature in the furnace remains within a predetermined range for a certain period of time or more (step S5). If the gas temperature in the furnace remains within the predetermined range for a certain period of time or more (step S5; yes), the control unit 26 ends the preliminary control (preliminary supply of primary combustion air) of the first embodiment. If the gas temperature in the furnace does not remain within the predetermined range for a certain period of time or more (step S5; no), the control unit 26 repeats the processing starting from step S3.

[0048] In step S2, if the amount of waste supplied per unit time does not increase by a certain amount (step S2; No), the determination unit 25 determines whether the amount of waste supplied per unit time and / or the calorific value of the waste supplied after the residence time ΔT decreases by a certain amount (step S6). If the control unit 26 determines that the waste supply and calorific value decrease by a certain amount, or if either the supply amount or the calorific value decreases by a certain amount (step S6; Yes), and continues the current control, it determines that the combustion state has deteriorated or decreased, and in order to promote combustion in the furnace, it instructs the control unit 26 to execute preliminary control. The control unit 26 controls to increase the supply of primary combustion air (step S7). For example, the control unit 26 increases the opening of the dampers 8A to 8E, thereby increasing the amount of air supplied to the combustion chamber 6. At this time, the control unit 26 can either increase the opening of the damper 8A to increase the amount of air supplied to the drying zone 3A, or increase the opening of the dampers 8A to 8C to increase the amount of air supplied to both the drying zone 3A and the combustion zone 3B. The control unit 26 can also increase the rotational speed of the blower 4 by increasing the opening of the dampers 8A, etc., or by increasing the opening of the dampers 8A, etc.

[0049] The increase in the opening of damper 8A and the increase in the rotational speed of blower 4 can also be determined based on a function relating these control quantities to the supply quantity and / or calorific value, according to the waste supply quantity and calorific value estimated in step S1. Control unit 26 can execute the control to increase the opening of damper 8A and the rotational speed of blower 4 only for a specified period of time, or it can continuously execute the control of damper 8A until the waste supply quantity and / or calorific value per unit time becomes constant. As explained in step S3, the increase in the opening of damper 8A and the increase in the rotational speed of blower 4 precedes the actual waste supply, or begins just before or immediately after waste supply. Control unit 26 controls feeder 10 to supply waste into the furnace (step S8). For example, control unit 26 controls feeder 10 based on the main steam flow rate measured by steam flow sensor 11. Figure 2 The sequence of steps S7 and S8 shown is for convenience; the control unit 26 performs the control of increasing the supply of primary combustion air and the control of supplying waste into the furnace in parallel. Next, the determination unit 25 obtains the gas temperature in the combustion chamber 6 measured by the temperature sensor 18 through the data acquisition unit 21. The determination unit 25 determines whether the gas temperature in the furnace is within a predetermined range for a certain period of time (step S9). If the gas temperature in the furnace is within the predetermined range for a certain period of time (step S9; Yes), the control unit 26 ends the preliminary control (preliminary supply of primary combustion air) of the first embodiment. If the gas temperature in the furnace is not within the predetermined range for a certain period of time (step S9; No), the control unit 26 repeats the processing starting from step S7.

[0050] In step S6, if the amount of waste supplied per unit time and / or the calorific value of the waste supplied after a retention time ΔT does not decrease by a certain amount (step S6; No), that is, if the change in the amount of waste supplied per unit time is within a certain range, the process returns to step S1. If step S6 is determined to be No, the control unit 26, for example, controls the opening degree of the damper 8A and the supply unit 10 to make the main steam flow rate measured by the steam flow sensor 11 reach the target value. The control of the supply unit 10 is the same as the control in steps S4 and S8.

[0051] exist Figure 2 In the flowchart, in steps S2 and S6, the supply of primary combustion air is controlled only when the amount of waste supplied and the calorific value are above or below a certain amount. However, such a determination may not be made, and a prescribed function may be used to represent the relationship between the amount of waste supplied and / or the calorific value and the supply of primary combustion air. Based on this function and the supply amount and / or calorific value estimated in step S1, the damper 8A and the blower 4 are continuously controlled.

[0052] According to the first embodiment, before supplying waste to the combustion chamber 6, the supply of primary combustion air is adjusted based on a predetermined amount of waste and its calorific value. This creates an atmosphere that stabilizes the combustion state of the combustion chamber 6 and suppresses the generation of CO and NOx.

[0053] <Second Implementation>

[0054] Next, refer to Figure 3 The processing of the second embodiment (control of primary combustion air and waste supply) will be explained. In the second embodiment, in addition to the primary combustion air, the amount of waste supplied to the combustion chamber 6 is controlled in advance based on the estimated values ​​of waste supply and calorific value.

[0055] (action)

[0056] Figure 3 This is a first flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the control device according to the second embodiment. Processes identical to those in the first embodiment are labeled with the same reference numerals and will be described simply.

[0057] The control device 20 performs the following processing (preliminary control) at predetermined time intervals.

[0058] First, the supply estimation unit 24 estimates the supply amount and / or calorific value of the waste based on the waste height measured by LiDAR (step S1). The supply estimation unit 24 outputs the estimated supply amount and calorific value of the waste to the judgment unit 25.

[0059] Next, the judgment unit 25 determines whether the amount of waste supplied per unit time and / or the calorific value of the waste supplied after a residence time ΔT has increased by a certain amount or more (step S2). If the amount of waste supplied and / or the calorific value has increased by a certain amount or more (step S2; yes), the control unit 26 first controls the reduction of the supply of primary combustion air (step S3). The control unit 26 reduces the opening of the dampers 8A to 8E or reduces the rotational speed of the blower 4, thereby reducing the supply of primary combustion air.

[0060] In parallel, the control unit 26 controls the feeder 10 to supply waste into the furnace, but reduces the amount of waste supplied to the furnace to suppress excessive combustion (step S41). For example, the control unit 26 reduces the extension amount (stroke) of the feeder 10, thereby reducing the amount of waste supplied to the combustion chamber 6. Alternatively, the control unit 26 may reduce the amount of waste supplied by reducing the moving speed of the feeder 10, reducing the amount of waste supplied to the combustion chamber 6, or reducing both the extension amount and the moving speed. The control unit 26 may also reduce (temporarily stop) the amount of waste supplied by stopping the feeder 10. For example, the control unit 26 may extend the feeder 10 to about half its normal length, supplying about half of the waste, and then stop the feeder 10 at that position for a predetermined time. For example, the control unit 26 may also control the feeder 10 based on a function of the relationship between the extension amount and moving speed of the feeder 10 and the amount and / or calorific value of the waste, as estimated in step S1.

[0061] The control unit 26 can reduce the stroke of the feeder 10 and reduce its moving speed only for a specified period of time, or it can continuously control the feeder 10 until the supply amount and / or heat generation per unit time becomes constant.

[0062] Regarding the timing of reducing the amount of waste supplied, it is performed when the time of supply of the waste to be targeted (waste determined to be waste in step S2) is close to the time of control starting in step S3, or when the waste is supplied (after a residence time ΔT). For example, it is also possible that in step S1, the amount of waste supplied (volume, weight) is estimated based on the volume change calculated from the change in waste height measured by the LiDAR time meter, and if the estimated value is considered to be the amount of waste supplied to the furnace this time, advance control begins immediately after the determination in step S2.

[0063] In step S1, if the calorific value is estimated, as explained in the fourth embodiment, the calorific value corresponding to the amount of waste supplied to the furnace after a residence time ΔT from the time the waste is fed into the hopper 1 can be estimated. Therefore, the calorific value of the waste supplied to the furnace slightly before or after the waste is to be supplied can be determined. Thus, step S2 can be determined in advance based on the calorific value of the waste supplied to the furnace slightly later, and advance control in step S3 can be performed based on the determination result. Control to reduce the amount of waste supplied begins after the start of control in step S3 and before the time of waste supply to the furnace (or simultaneously with the supply time). Generally, feedback control is often used to control the amount of primary combustion air and waste supplied in a way that the main steam flow rate measured by the steam flow sensor 11 is constant. However, compared to such control, the amount of primary combustion air and waste supplied can be controlled in advance, thus stabilizing the combustion state in the combustion chamber 6. The same applies to steps S7 and S81, which will be described later.

[0064] Next, the determination unit 25 obtains the gas temperature inside the combustion chamber 6 measured by the temperature sensor 18 through the data acquisition unit 21. The determination unit 25 determines whether the gas temperature inside the furnace remains within a predetermined range for a certain period of time or more (step S5). If the gas temperature inside the furnace remains within the predetermined range for a certain period of time or more (step S5; Yes), the control unit 26 terminates the preliminary control of the primary combustion air and waste supply in the second embodiment. If the gas temperature inside the furnace does not remain within the predetermined range for a certain period of time or more (step S5; No), the control unit 26 repeats the process starting from step S3.

[0065] If the amount of waste supplied per unit time does not increase by a certain amount (step S2; no), the judgment unit 25 determines whether the amount of waste supplied per unit time and / or the calorific value of the waste supplied after the residence time ΔT decreases by a certain amount (step S6). If the amount of waste supplied and / or the calorific value decreases by a certain amount (step S6; yes), the control unit 26 first controls the increase of the supply of primary combustion air (step S7). The control unit 26 increases the opening of the dampers 8A to 8E or increases the rotational speed of the blower 4, thereby increasing the supply of primary combustion air.

[0066] In parallel with step S7, control unit 26 controls feeder 10 to supply waste into the furnace, but increases the amount of waste supplied to the furnace to promote combustion (step S81). For example, control unit 26 increases the push-out amount (stroke) of feeder 10 or increases the moving speed of feeder 10, or increases both the push-out amount and the moving speed, thereby increasing the amount of waste supplied. For example, control unit 26 may also control feeder 10 based on a function relating feeder 10 push-out amount, moving speed, and the amount of waste supplied and / or calorific value, as well as the amount of waste supplied and calorific value estimated in step S1. Control unit 26 may perform the above control of feeder 10 only for a predetermined period of time, or it may perform the above control of feeder 10 until the amount of waste supplied and / or calorific value per unit time becomes constant.

[0067] Regarding the timing of increasing the supply of waste, as explained in step S41, the control of steps S7 and S81 can also be initiated in advance.

[0068] Next, the determination unit 25 obtains the gas temperature inside the combustion chamber 6 measured by the temperature sensor 18 through the data acquisition unit 21. The determination unit 25 determines whether the gas temperature inside the furnace remains within a predetermined range for a certain period of time or more (step S9). If the gas temperature inside the furnace remains within the predetermined range for a certain period of time or more (step S9; Yes), the control unit 26 terminates the preliminary control (preliminary supply of primary combustion air) of the second embodiment. If the gas temperature inside the furnace does not remain within the predetermined range for a certain period of time or more (step S9; No), the control unit 26 repeats the processing that started from step S7.

[0069] In step S6, if the amount of waste supplied per unit time and / or the calorific value of the waste supplied after a retention time ΔT does not decrease by a certain amount (step S6; No), that is, if the change in the amount of waste supplied per unit time is within a certain range, the process returns to step S1. If step S6 is determined to be No, the control unit 26 controls the opening degree of the damper 8A and the supply unit 10 based on the steam flow rate measured by the steam flow sensor 11.

[0070] exist Figure 2In the flowchart, in steps S2 and S6, the supply of primary combustion air is controlled only when the amount of waste supplied and its calorific value are above or below a certain amount. However, this determination can be omitted, and a prescribed function can be used to represent the relationship between the amount of waste supplied and / or its calorific value and the supply of primary combustion air. Based on this function and the supply amount and / or calorific value estimated in step S1, the damper 8A and the blower 4 can be continuously controlled. Similarly, a prescribed function can be used to represent the relationship between the amount of waste supplied and / or its calorific value and the stroke and moving speed of the feeder 10. Based on this function and the supply amount and / or calorific value estimated in step S1, the operation of the feeder 10 can be controlled.

[0071] According to the second embodiment, after the estimated amount of waste is supplied, or with a certain time delay from the estimated calorific value to the actual supply of waste, the waste supply is adjusted in advance in conjunction with the primary combustion air based on the estimated supply amount and calorific value. This can create an atmosphere that stabilizes the combustion state of the combustion chamber 6 and suppresses the generation of CO and NOx.

[0072] <Third Implementation Method>

[0073] Next, refer to Figure 4 The processing of the third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, the advance control of the primary combustion air, etc., is adjusted according to the actual amount of waste supplied to the furnace. The third embodiment can be combined with any of the first and second embodiments. Figure 4 Examples of operation are shown in the case of combination with the first embodiment.

[0074] (action)

[0075] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the control device according to the second embodiment. Processes identical to those in the first embodiment are labeled with the same reference numerals and will be described simply.

[0076] The control device 20 performs the following processing (preliminary control) at predetermined time intervals.

[0077] First, the supply estimation unit 24 estimates the supply amount and / or calorific value of the waste based on the waste height measured by LiDAR (step S1). The supply estimation unit 24 outputs the estimated supply amount and calorific value of the waste to the judgment unit 25.

[0078] Next, the judgment unit 25 determines whether the amount of waste supplied per unit time and / or the calorific value of the waste supplied after a residence time ΔT has increased by a certain amount or more (step S2). If the amount of waste supplied and / or the calorific value has increased by a certain amount or more (step S2; yes), the control unit 26 first controls the reduction of the supply of primary combustion air (step S3). The control unit 26 reduces the opening of the dampers 8A to 8E or reduces the rotational speed of the blower 4, thereby reducing the supply of primary combustion air.

[0079] Simultaneously, the control unit 26 controls the feeder 10 to supply waste into the furnace (step S4). Next, the image estimation unit 23 analyzes the image captured by the image sensor 16 and estimates the amount of waste supplied to the combustion chamber 6 (step S42). The image estimation unit 23 outputs the estimated value of the waste supply to the control unit 26. The control unit 26 adjusts the supply of primary combustion air and / or secondary combustion air based on the estimated value of the waste supply (step S43). For example, if the estimated value of the waste supply is greater than the supply amount estimated in step S1, the opening of the damper 8A, etc., is further reduced or the rotation speed of the blower 4 is reduced by decreasing the supply of primary combustion air. In addition, the control unit 26 performs the following control: by reducing the opening of the damper 14A, the supply of secondary combustion air is reduced in addition to the primary combustion air, thereby reducing the oxygen concentration in the secondary combustion chamber 6B. Conversely, if the estimated amount of waste supplied is less than the estimated amount in step S1, the opening degree of the damper 8A and the speed of the blower 4 can be adjusted to be reduced. Next, the determination unit 25 determines whether the gas temperature and / or oxygen concentration in the furnace has been within a specified range for a certain period of time (step S51). The determination unit 25 obtains the temperature in the combustion chamber 6 measured by the temperature sensor 18 and the oxygen concentration in the combustion chamber 6 measured by the oxygen concentration sensor 19 through the data acquisition unit 21, and determines whether the gas temperature and / or oxygen concentration in the combustion chamber 6 is within a specified range. If the gas temperature and / or oxygen concentration in the furnace is within the specified range for a certain period of time (step S51; Yes), the control unit 26 ends the preliminary control of the primary combustion air in the third embodiment. If the gas temperature and / or oxygen concentration in the furnace is not within the specified range for a certain period of time (step S51; No), the control unit 26 repeats the processing starting from step S3.

[0080] If the amount of waste supplied per unit time does not increase by a certain amount (step S2; no), the judgment unit 25 determines whether the amount of waste supplied per unit time and / or the calorific value of the waste supplied after the residence time ΔT decreases by a certain amount (step S6). If the amount of waste supplied and / or the calorific value decreases by a certain amount (step S6; yes), the control unit 26 first controls the increase of the supply of primary combustion air (step S7). The control unit 26 increases the opening of the dampers 8A to 8E or increases the rotational speed of the blower 4, thereby increasing the supply of primary combustion air.

[0081] Simultaneously, the control unit 26 controls the feeder 10 to supply waste into the furnace (step S8). Next, the image estimation unit 23 analyzes the image captured by the image sensor 16 and estimates the amount of waste supplied to the combustion chamber 6 (step S82). The image estimation unit 23 outputs the estimated waste supply amount to the control unit 26. Based on the estimated waste supply amount, the control unit 26 adjusts the supply amount of primary combustion air and / or secondary combustion air (step S83). For example, if the estimated waste supply amount is less than the amount estimated in step S1, the opening of the damper 8A, etc., or the rotational speed of the blower 4 is increased by further increasing the supply amount of primary combustion air. The control unit 26 performs the following control: by increasing the opening of the damper 14A, the supply amount of secondary combustion air is increased in addition to the primary combustion air, thereby increasing the oxygen concentration in the secondary combustion chamber 6B. For example, the control unit 26 controls the opening of the damper 14A to correspond to the estimated waste supply amount based on a function relating the estimated waste supply amount to the opening of the damper 14A. Conversely, if the estimated waste supply amount is greater than the estimated supply amount in step S1, the opening of the damper 8A and the speed increase of the blower 4 can be adjusted to be moderate. Next, the determination unit 25 determines whether the gas temperature and / or oxygen concentration in the furnace has been within a specified range for a certain period of time (step S91). The determination unit 25 obtains the temperature in the combustion chamber 6 measured by the temperature sensor 18 and the oxygen concentration in the combustion chamber 6 measured by the oxygen concentration sensor 19 through the data acquisition unit 21, and determines that the gas temperature and / or oxygen concentration in the combustion chamber 6 has been within a specified range for a certain period of time. If the gas temperature and / or oxygen concentration in the furnace has been within a specified range for a certain period of time (step S91; Yes), the control unit 26 ends the preliminary control of the primary combustion air in the third embodiment. If the gas temperature and / or oxygen concentration inside the furnace does not remain within the specified range for a certain period of time (step S91; no), the control unit 26 repeats the process that started from step S7.

[0082] According to the third embodiment, the amount of waste supplied and its calorific value are estimated based on image information after waste is fed into the furnace, and secondary air is also controlled, thereby further stabilizing combustion. The estimation of the amount of waste supplied and its calorific value in step S1 is based on the measured value of the distance from the surface of the waste in hopper 1, but in reality, this may deviate from the actual amount of waste supplied into the furnace and its calorific value. To address this, according to steps S42, 43, 82, and 83 of this embodiment, by controlling the supply of primary combustion air and secondary combustion air based on an image of the actual supplied waste, the deviation of the estimated values ​​in step S1 can be compensated.

[0083] According to this embodiment, unlike methods that detect volume changes based on the height of the waste surface in the hopper 1 or detect the amount of waste supplied to the furnace based on the operation of the feeder 10, the actual amount of waste fed into the furnace is estimated based on the image. Therefore, the instantaneous amount of waste supplied can be estimated, and a high-precision amount of waste supply with minimal time deviation can be detected.

[0084] exist Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the operation when combined with the first embodiment, but when combined with the second embodiment, the processes of steps S4 and S8 are replaced with... Figure 3 The processing in steps S41 and S81. In step S43, in addition to adjusting the primary combustion air and secondary combustion air, the stroke and moving speed of the feeder 10 are also adjusted. For example, if the estimated amount of waste supplied is greater than the estimated amount in step S1, the control unit 26 further shortens the stroke of the feeder 10 or slows down its moving speed. Similarly, in step S83, in addition to adjusting the primary combustion air and secondary combustion air, the stroke and moving speed of the feeder 10 are also adjusted. For example, if the estimated amount of waste supplied is less than the estimated amount in step S1, the control unit 26 further extends the stroke of the feeder 10 or increases its moving speed. When performing these controls on the feeder 10, the control unit 26 performs control of the feeder 10 corresponding to the amount of waste supplied estimated from the image, based on a function that defines the relationship between the estimated amount of waste supplied and the stroke and moving speed of the feeder 10.

[0085] <Fourth Implementation>

[0086] Next, refer to Figures 5-7 The processing of the fourth embodiment will be explained. In the fourth embodiment, the processing of step S1 of the first to third embodiments will be explained.

[0087] (Presumption Method 1)

[0088] Figure 5The first figure illustrates the estimated treatment of waste calorific value, etc., according to the fourth embodiment.

[0089] Figure 5 Figure 50 on the left shows a cross-sectional view of hopper 1 and chute 2. Layers I1 to I5 shown are layers of waste formed by feeding waste into hopper 1 once. For example, layer I5 is formed by waste fed into hopper 1 five times ago, layer I4 by waste fed four times ago, layer I3 by waste fed three times ago, layer I2 by waste fed two times ago, and layer I1 by waste fed just recently. In estimation method 1, the supply estimation unit 24 estimates the average residence time ΔT until the newly fed layer I1 is supplied to the furnace according to the steps described below, and estimates the calorific value (LHV) generated by waste fed after the average residence time ΔT.

[0090] (Step 1) The waste height calculation unit 22 continuously detects the distance from sensor 15 to the waste surface at various locations on the entire surface of the waste in hopper 1 using LiDAR. When waste from layer I5 is added, the supply quantity estimation unit 24 calculates the volume of the added waste based on the increase in waste height before and after the waste is added. The supply quantity estimation unit 24 obtains the weight of the waste measured by the weight gauge 17a during the handling of waste in layer I5, and divides this weight by the calculated waste volume to calculate the density of waste in layer I5. Similarly, the supply quantity estimation unit 24 calculates the density of waste in each layer when waste from layers I4 to I1 is added. The supply quantity estimation unit 24 records the density of waste in each layer I1 to I4 in the storage unit 27. The relationship between the calculated waste density and the layer is shown in Figure 51. The vertical axis of Figure 51 represents density, and the horizontal axis represents the position (layer) in hopper 1 and chute 2. The line chart 51a shows the densities of layer I5, layer I4, layer I3, layer I2, and layer I1 from left to right.

[0091] (Step 2) The supply estimation unit 24 calculates the calorific value using the density of each layer and a conversion formula for calculating the calorific value based on the pre-derived waste density. It is generally known that there is a negative correlation between waste density and calorific value. The calorific value corresponding to the waste density of each layer is shown in Figure 52. The vertical axis of Figure 52 represents the calorific value (LHV), and the horizontal axis represents time. Figure 52, for example, shows the shift of the calorific value corresponding to the density of the waste supplied to the furnace at each moment per unit time when waste is supplied to the furnace at a specified supply rate starting from the state in Figure 50. The line graph 52a shows the calorific value of layer I5, layer I4, layer I3, layer I2, and layer I1 from left to right.

[0092] (Step 3) Next, calculate the calorific value of each layer of waste shown in Figure 50 when it is actually fed into the incinerator. For example, starting from the state where the waste in layer I5 is located in layer I1 (the waste in layers I4 to I1 in Figure 50 has not been fed in), while feeding waste in the order of I4 to I1, the main steam flow rate during the combustion of waste in each layer I1 to I5 (layers I1 to I5 in Figure 50) is measured by the steam flow sensor 11. The calorific value (LHV) at each time point is calculated by dividing the measured main steam flow rate by the cumulative value of the weight of waste fed into the hopper 1 by the crane 17 over one hour. The method for calculating this calorific value is well known, and the calorific value of the waste in each layer I1 to I5 during combustion can be calculated using any well-known method. The calorific value of each layer I1 to I5 during combustion is shown in Figure 53. The vertical axis of Figure 53 represents the calorific value (LHV), and the horizontal axis represents time. Figure 53a shows the shift in calorific value (LHV process value) calculated based on the actual value of the main steam flow rate. The user registers the data representing the shift in calorific value calculated based on the measured value in the storage unit 27. Alternatively, the supply estimation unit 24 calculates the calorific value illustrated in Figure 53 and registers it in the storage unit 27.

[0093] (Step 4) Next, the supply estimation unit 24 moves the graph 52a calculated in step 2 along the time axis while calculating the correlation between the graph 52a, which is based on the density of each layer, and the graph 53a, which is based on the main steam flow rate. The supply estimation unit 24 searches for the movement amount ΔT of the graph 52a with the highest correlation. The ΔT with the highest correlation is set as the average residence time ΔT. The residence time varies depending on the amount of waste processed, so changes in waste quality and operation plans need to be considered. For example, the average residence time ΔT is calculated whenever waste quality or operation plans change.

[0094] (Step 5) After calculating the average residence time ΔT, the supply estimation unit 24 calculates the density each time waste is fed into the hopper 1, and calculates the calorific value using a conversion formula. Then, the supply estimation unit 24 records the calculation result (estimated value) along with the time in the storage unit 27. Thus, if the current time is the time when the feeder is controlled to supply waste, the calorific value estimated at the current early average residence time ΔT is the estimated value of the calorific value of the waste supplied. The supply estimation unit 24 reads the estimated value of the calorific value at the early average residence time ΔT recorded in the storage unit 27, and estimates the calorific value ( Figures 2-4 Step S1). Calculate the volume change of waste based on the change in waste height caused by this waste supply (e.g., accumulate the waste height change in the height direction by multiplying the unit height by the cross-sectional area of ​​hopper 1 or chute 2. The cross-sectional areas of hopper 1 and chute 2 are known). Calculate the estimated value of the amount of waste supplied to the furnace. Figures 2-4Step S1). This is the estimated amount of waste supplied in this instance.

[0095] Alternatively, the supply estimation unit 24 records the calculation result of the volume change based on the height change in the hopper 1 per unit time along with the time in the storage unit 27. The volume change relative to the current early average residence time ΔT can also be the estimated value of the supply amount of waste supplied this time.

[0096] (Presumption Method 2)

[0097] In estimation method 1, it is assumed that all waste fed into the furnace is added to hopper 1 at the same time, and that the waste density is constant. However, in reality, based on the distribution of waste in chute 2, waste added at different times is mixed and supplied to the furnace. In estimation method 2, the distribution and compaction of waste (the density resulting from compression by subsequently added waste) are considered, the density of waste fed into the furnace is calculated, and the calorific value of the waste is estimated based on the calculated density and conversion formula.

[0098] Figure 6The diagram illustrates a calculation method that considers the distribution and compaction density of the waste. First, as shown in Figure 60 on the left, through prior analysis, the distribution and accumulation of waste, such as layers I1 to I5, at different times in the hopper 1 and chute 2 are modeled. The waste in each layer is the waste fed into the hopper 1 from the crane 17 at a certain feeding time. I6 and I7 show the situation of waste that has already been supplied to the furnace. Through further analysis, based on the state of distribution and accumulation such as layers I1 to I5, the following situation is analyzed: when waste is supplied to the furnace by causing the feeder 10 to perform a prescribed action, firstly, the waste accumulated in the area surrounded by pattern 1 is supplied to the furnace in the next feeding time, the waste accumulated in the area surrounded by pattern 2 is supplied to the furnace in the next feeding time after that, pattern 3 is supplied to the furnace in the next feeding time after that, and the waste in the area of ​​pattern 4 is supplied to the furnace by the fourth feeding time controlled by the feeder. Patterns 1 to 4 are examples of supply patterns assuming a certain amount of feed from the feeder 10. In this analytical case, in Pattern 1, which is the predetermined range for the next supply, the waste from layers I3 to I5 becomes the supply target. Through further analysis, the load moving average coefficient (waste input ratio) related to the proportion of waste from layers I3 to I5 when supplying waste to Pattern 1 is calculated in advance (Fig. 62). As an example, Fig. 62 shows a graph of the load moving average coefficients of layers I1 to I7 at various times when the volume of waste from layers I1 to I7 is the same (the maximum value of the load moving average coefficient is 0.1 for all of them). The vertical axis of Fig. 62 is the load moving average coefficient, and the horizontal axis is time (the time when waste is supplied to the furnace by the feeder 10). In the graph of Fig. 62, each peak corresponds to the waste from each layer. In the example of Fig. 62, each peak corresponds to layers I7 to I1 in turn, starting from the leftmost peak. The height of each peak is positively correlated with the volume of waste input. When the volume of waste input to hopper 1 is different each time, the peak value is different each time. The overlap of each peak is related to the ratio of waste fed into the furnace at that moment. For example, if the feeding time of pattern 1 shown in Figure 60 is known based on a certain moment, the feeding ratio (load moving average coefficient) of layers I3 to I5 can be determined according to the value of the vertical axis corresponding to the horizontal axis in Figure 62. If the load moving average coefficients of I3 to I5 at the time of feeding waste to the area enclosed by pattern 1 are investigated according to Figure 62, the values ​​in the first row of Table 61 can be obtained. Similarly, the load moving average coefficients of each layer I1 to I7 in patterns 2 to 4 are shown in rows 2 to 4 of Table 61.

[0099] Furthermore, through other analyses, the densities g1 to g7 of the compacted waste, taking into account layers I1 to I7, are calculated. For example, density g1 is the density of waste considering the compacted layer I1, density g2 is the density of waste considering the compacted layer I2, ..., density g7 is the density of waste considering the compacted layer I7. If a distribution pattern of waste supplied to the furnace (e.g., pattern 1) and a load moving average coefficient for each layer in the pattern (Table 61) are given, the waste density of the pattern is obtained by dividing the sum of the values ​​obtained by multiplying the waste density gX (X = 1 to 7) of each layer by the load moving average coefficient by the sum of the load moving average coefficients of the pattern. For example, in the case of pattern 1, the waste density G when supplying waste of the range of pattern 1 to the furnace can be calculated by the following formula (1).

[0100] G=(g1×0+g2×0+g3×0.01+g4×0.1+g5×0.04+g6×0+g7×0)÷(0.01+0.1+0.04)・・・(1)

[0101] Next, refer to Figure 7 Figure 70 on the left shows the waste layers I1 to I5 in hopper 1 and chute 2. The vertical axis of Figure 71 represents density, and the horizontal axis represents time. Line graph 71a shows the densities of layer I5, layer I4, layer I3, layer I2, and layer I1 from left to right. These are referred to as density A. Density A is the density of the topmost waste layer at that time. For example, the density of the topmost waste layer in a cycle is shown as follows: when layer I5 is added at a certain time, its height decreases continuously according to the waste supply to the furnace; when a certain height is reached, the waste corresponding to layer I4 is added to hopper 1.

[0102] The vertical axis of Figure 72 represents residence time, and the horizontal axis represents time. Figure 72a shows the residence time of the waste at each location (height) in Figure 71 until it is supplied into the furnace. The residence time can be calculated by dividing the volume of waste present from the waste's location (height) to the furnace inlet at the corresponding time in Figure 71 by the average daily volume change rate.

[0103] Next, the density B after the residence time calculated for each position of each layer is determined. Figure 73 shows the progression of density B. The vertical axis of Figure 73 is density, and the horizontal axis is time. Density B is the density of the waste before it is fed into the furnace. For example, if the waste fed into the furnace is within the range of pattern 1, then the density can be calculated using the above formula (1). If the position of layer I4 at “X1” minutes in Figure 72 is included in pattern 1, then it can be known that pattern 1 is fed into the furnace after “X1” minutes. Thus, the density B after “X1” minutes can be used Figure 6The load moving average coefficient of pattern 1 in Table 61 is calculated using the above formula (1). Similarly, the density B in other patterns such as 2 can be calculated. Thus, when waste is fed into a certain layer (or, in the case of pattern 1, at the time of feeding into the relevant layers I5 to I3), the density B after a certain residence time can be calculated in advance. The supply estimation unit 24 calculates the residence time from the time of feeding into the furnace to the time of feeding into the furnace and the density B of the waste at the time of feeding into the furnace, based on a certain time, and obtains graph 73a of FIG73. Next, the supply estimation unit 24 calculates the calorific value based on the calculated density B at each time and the conversion formula. The calculated calorific value is shown in graph 74a of FIG74. Thus, according to estimation method 2, the residence time of waste, the distribution of waste, the density B of compaction, and the calorific value corresponding to density B can be estimated in advance.

[0104] Next, the steps of estimation method 2 will be explained. The supply estimation unit 24 estimates the calorific value of the waste according to the following steps. The information of the distribution of waste in the hopper 1 and chute 2 shown in Figure 60 and the pattern indicating the range of waste supplied to the furnace (patterns 1 to 4) is analyzed in advance and recorded in the storage unit 27.

[0105] (Step 1) The waste height calculation unit 22 continuously detects the distance from the sensor 15 at various locations on the waste surface in the hopper 1 to the waste surface using LiDAR, and calculates the height of the waste. The supply estimation unit 24 calculates the volume and density of the waste.

[0106] (Step 2) The supply estimation unit 24 calculates the supply by dividing the total volume of residual waste in the hopper by the average daily volume change rate (m³). 3 The estimated dwell time is calculated using the unit time.

[0107] (Step 3) Based on the calculated residence time and Figure 62, the supply estimation unit 24 uses the compaction of the waste in hopper 1 and the moving average density of the load to calculate the density of the waste fed into the furnace after the residence time. For example, the supply estimation unit 24 selects waste supply patterns 1 to 4. By applying the residence time corresponding to the selected pattern to the horizontal axis of Figure 62, the moving average coefficient of the load is determined, and the waste density corresponding to the pattern is estimated. For example, if it is pattern 1, the supply estimation unit 24 estimates the waste density of pattern 1 using equation (1). The supply estimation unit 24 can analyze the relationship between the compaction g1 to g7 of the waste at each required distribution location, the feeding time, and the feeding ratio (Figure 62), or it can use this separately analyzed information to perform the calculation in step 3.

[0108] (Step 4) The supply quantity estimation unit 24 selects the pattern of the waste to be supplied to the furnace. For example, the supply quantity estimation unit 24 selects pattern 1 as the pattern of the waste to be supplied to the furnace next. The supply quantity estimation unit 24 selects the waste density of pattern 1 estimated in step 3.

[0109] (Step 5) The supply estimation unit 24 estimates the calorific value using the waste density of the selected pattern and the conversion formula. The supply estimation unit 24 can also estimate the flow rate of fuel (waste) supplied into the furnace, i.e., the fuel input flow rate (kJ / h).

[0110] Regarding the calculation of residence time, in estimation method 2, it is calculated by dividing the remaining waste volume by the average daily volume change rate. However, the movement of waste can also be estimated based on the volume change at any given time. This involves detecting the waste at the location of interest (e.g., the waste at the bottom of layer I4) moving to the position just before it is to be added (e.g., the position encompassed by the area in pattern 1). At the moment the waste of interest reaches the position just before it is to be added, the calorific value and supply amount of the next waste added are estimated. If this method is used, the timing for initiating advance control becomes just before the waste is supplied to combustion chamber 6, but this improves the estimation accuracy.

[0111] According to this embodiment, the calorific value of the waste is estimated by using actual data on the volume change of waste based on LiDAR measurements and past volume changes, and by calculating the in-furnace waste density (or waste moisture content) that takes into account the waste distribution and residence time in the hopper. This allows for a more accurate estimation.

[0112] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware structure of the control device in each embodiment.

[0113] The computer 900 has a CPU 901, a main storage device 902, an auxiliary storage device 903, an input / output interface 904, and a communication interface 905.

[0114] The aforementioned control device 20 is installed in the computer 900. Furthermore, the aforementioned functions are stored as programs in the auxiliary storage device 903. The CPU 901 reads the program from the auxiliary storage device 903, expands it in the main storage device 902, and executes the aforementioned processing according to the program. The CPU 901 secures a storage area in the main storage device 902 according to the program. The CPU 901 secures a storage area in the auxiliary storage device 903 according to the program to store the data being processed.

[0115] Alternatively, a program for implementing all or part of the functions of the control device 20 can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, allowing the computer system to read and execute the program recorded on the recording medium, thereby performing processing based on each functional unit. The term "computer system" here includes hardware such as the operating system and peripheral devices. In the case of using a WWW system, "computer system" also includes a homepage providing environment (or display environment). "Computer-readable recording medium" refers to removable media such as CDs, DVDs, and USB drives, and storage devices such as hard drives built into the computer system. Furthermore, when the program is distributed to the computer 900 via a communication line, the computer 900 receiving the distribution can also expand the program in the main storage device 902 and execute the aforementioned processing. The program described above can be a program for implementing a portion of the aforementioned functions, or a program that can implement the aforementioned functions by combining with programs already recorded in the computer system.

[0116] As described above, several embodiments relating to this disclosure have been illustrated, but all of these embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and likewise included in the scope of the invention described in the technical solution and its equivalents.

[0117] <Postscript>

[0118] The control device 20 described in each embodiment is controlled as follows, for example.

[0119] (1) The control device 20 of the incinerator equipment (waste incineration equipment) of the first embodiment is a furnace (combustion chamber 6, grate 3) that transports the incinerator while burning the incinerator (waste), and a combustion air supply unit that supplies combustion air (damper 8A-8F, blower 4, damper 14A) to the furnace. The control device 20 of the incinerator equipment 1 includes a combustion air control unit (control unit 26), which controls the combustion air before the incinerator is put into the furnace based on the amount or calorific value of the incinerator supplied to the furnace.

[0120] Therefore, the atmosphere inside the furnace (in combustion chamber 6) can be made to correspond to the amount and calorific value of the waste before it is supplied, thereby stabilizing the combustion inside the furnace.

[0121] (2) The control device 20 of the second scheme, based on the control device 20 of (1), further includes: a feeder that supplies the incinerated material to the furnace; and a feeder control unit (control unit 26) that controls the operation of the feeder based on the supply amount or the calorific value.

[0122] Therefore, the amount of waste supplied can be adjusted according to the amount of waste supplied and its calorific value, thereby stabilizing combustion in the furnace.

[0123] (3) The control device 20 of the third scheme, based on the control device 20 of (1) to (2), further includes: an image capturing unit (image sensor 16) which captures the state of the incinerated material being put into the furnace; and an estimation unit (image estimation unit 23) which estimates the supply amount or calorific value of the incinerated material being put into the furnace based on the image information obtained by the image capturing unit, and the combustion air control unit controls the combustion air (primary combustion air, secondary combustion air) based on the supply amount or calorific value of the incinerated material after being put into the furnace estimated by the estimation unit.

[0124] By controlling the combustion air according to the actual amount of waste supplied to the furnace, combustion in the furnace can be stabilized with high precision.

[0125] (4) The control device 20 of the fourth scheme, based on the control devices 20 of (1) to (3), also includes a calculation unit (supply estimation unit). The calculation unit detects the height change of the incinerated material in the hopper (in the hopper 1 and the chute 2) by three-dimensional measurement, and calculates the supply amount or the calorific value before it is to be supplied to the furnace based on the compaction of the incinerated material (g1 to g7), the distribution of the incinerated material in the hopper (I1 to I7), and the ratio of the incinerated material supplied to the furnace (input ratio).

[0126] Therefore, it is possible to estimate the amount and calorific value of the supplied waste before it is supplied.

[0127] (5) The fifth scheme control device 20 is based on the control device 20 in (4). The calculation unit detects the overall distance of the surface of the incinerated material by LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), calculates the volume of the incinerated material fed into the hopper based on the change of the distance, calculates the density based on the weight and volume of the incinerated material fed into the hopper, performs a correlation comparison between the calorific value estimated based on the density of the incinerated material supplied to the furnace in the past certain period and the actual measured calorific value, estimates the residence time from the time the incinerated material is fed into the hopper to the time it is supplied to the furnace, and estimates the calorific value after the residence time.

[0128] Therefore, it is possible to estimate the calorific value of the waste supplied to the furnace after the residence time, and to begin controlling the combustion air before the waste is supplied to the furnace.

[0129] Industrial availability

[0130] This disclosure provides a control device for an incinerator that can solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0131] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0132] 100... Waste incineration equipment; 1... Hopper; 2... Chute; 3... Grate; 3A... Drying zone; 3B... Combustion zone; 3C... Post-combustion zone; 4... Blower; 5A~5E... Air box; 6... Combustion chamber; 7... Ash outlet; 8A~8E, 14A... Damper; 9... Boiler; 10... Feeder; 11... Steam flow sensor; 12... Flue; 13, 14... Piping; 15... Sensor (LiDAR); 16... Image sensor; 17... ...crane; 17a...weighing scale; 18...temperature sensor; 19...oxygen concentration sensor; 20...control device; 21...data acquisition unit; 22...garbage height calculation unit; 23...image estimation unit; 24...supply estimation unit; 25...judgment unit; 26...control unit; 27...storage unit; 900...computer; 901...CPU; 902...main storage device; 903...auxiliary storage device; 904...input / output interface; 905...communication interface.

Claims

1. A control device for an incinerator, the incinerator comprising a furnace for simultaneously burning and transporting the incinerated material, and a combustion air supply unit for supplying combustion air to the furnace, wherein, The control device for the incinerator equipment includes: The combustion air control unit controls the combustion air before the incinerated material is introduced into the furnace, based on the amount or calorific value of the incinerated material supplied to the furnace. as well as The calculation unit detects the height change of the incinerated material in the hopper using three-dimensional measurement. Based on the height change, it calculates the volume of the incinerated material fed into the hopper. It calculates the density based on the weight and volume of the incinerated material fed into the hopper. It then compares the estimated calorific value, based on the density of the incinerated material supplied to the furnace over a past period, with the actually measured calorific value. It estimates the residence time from the time the incinerated material is fed into the hopper until it is supplied to the furnace. Based on the compaction of the incinerated material, the distribution of the incinerated material in the hopper, and the ratio of incinerated material supplied to the furnace, it calculates the supply amount or calorific value of the incinerated material supplied to the furnace after the residence time. The combustion air control unit controls the combustion air based on the supply amount or calorific value of the incinerated material when a predetermined time has elapsed since the material was fed into the hopper, earlier than the residence time estimated by the calculation unit.

2. The control device for the incinerator equipment according to claim 1, wherein, The control device for the incinerator equipment also includes: A feeder that supplies the incinerated material to the furnace; and The feeder control unit controls the operation of the feeder based on the feed amount or the heat generated. The feeder control unit controls the feeder based on the amount of feed or the amount of heat generated by the incinerator when a predetermined time has elapsed since the incinerator was fed into the hopper.

3. The control device for the incinerator equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The control device for the incinerator equipment also includes: The camera unit captures images of the incinerated material being fed into the furnace; and The image estimation unit estimates the amount or calorific value of the incinerated material fed into the furnace based on image information obtained from the imaging unit. The combustion air control unit controls the combustion air based on the supply amount or calorific value of the incinerated material after input, as estimated by the image estimation unit.

4. The control device for the incinerator equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, If, after the residence time, the amount of the incinerated material supplied to the furnace and / or its calorific value increases by a certain amount or more, the combustion air control unit controls the reduction of the combustion air. If the amount of the incinerated material supplied to the furnace and / or the calorific value decreases by a certain amount after the residence time, the combustion air control unit controls the increase of the combustion air.

5. The control device for the incinerator equipment according to claim 2 or claim 3 referencing claim 2, wherein, If, after the residence time, the supply amount and / or calorific value of the incinerated material supplied to the furnace increases by a certain amount or more, the feeder control unit controls the feeder's extension amount and / or moving speed to decrease. When the amount of the incinerated material supplied to the furnace and / or the calorific value decreases by a certain amount after the residence time, the feeder control unit controls the feeder to increase its extension amount and / or moving speed.

6. The control device for the incinerator equipment according to claim 2 or claim 3 referencing claim 2, wherein, If the supply amount and / or calorific value of the incinerated material supplied to the furnace after the residence time increases by a certain amount or more, the supply unit of the feeder control unit controls the output amount and / or moving speed of the feeder to decrease after the control of the combustion air and before the estimated residence time has elapsed by a predetermined time. If the amount of the incinerated material supplied to the furnace and / or the calorific value decreases by a certain amount after the residence time, the feeder control unit controls the feeder to increase the feed rate and / or the moving speed after the control of the combustion air and before the estimated residence time has elapsed by a predetermined time.

Images