A control method for redundant spiral coal feeding counting of a coal loading car

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of redundant screw coal feeder counting control method of coal loading car, specifically as follows: first step: the upper portion of the screw reducer bearing connected to screw coal feeder motor is installed with screw front bearing counter proximity switch, second step: the upper portion of screw coal feeder rear bearing is installed with counter proximity switch, third step: the upper portion of front end bearing counter proximity switch and the upper portion of rear end bearing counter proximity switch are connected to vehicle-mounted PLC controller, fourth step: the counting value of front and rear end counter collected on the upper portion of vehicle-mounted PLC controller 3 is carried out logic judgment, when the counting value of counter used in judgment appears problem, fifth step: the counting value of front and rear end counter collected on the upper portion of vehicle-mounted PLC controller 3 is carried out logic comparison;Sixth step: the counting value collected on the upper portion of vehicle-mounted PLC controller 3 is carried out cumulative calculation, etc., the redundancy of screw counter is realized and can intelligently judge equipment is or fault, and then the switching when fault is realized, the smooth of coal loading process is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a control method, specifically a control method for redundant spiral feeder counting in a coal loading car, belonging to the field of coal loading car control technology. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the most common coal feeding method used in coking plants is vertical screw feeding. The screw feeding system of a coal feeding vehicle consists of a coal hopper, a screw auger, a variable speed motor, a frequency converter, a reducer, and a transmission mechanism. The system uses a screw counting method to calculate the amount of coal fed. The screw counting is controlled by a proximity switch via a motor-connected shaft as a sensing source. During the feeding process, the onboard PLC collects the counting data for logic control, adjusting the amount of coal fed by the number of feeding revolutions and the speed (high speed, low speed) of the screw motor. The screw motor is a variable frequency motor, which drives the cutter of the screw auger to rotate via the transmission mechanism, thus conveying the coal from the coal hopper to the vertical carbonization chamber feeding hole for coking oven feeding. The screw feeding system operates at both slow and high speeds, determined and switched using PLC logic counting. Taking a 6-meter coke oven as an example, the first 5 rotations of the coal charging car's screw conveyor are at slow speed. After these 5 rotations, the frequency converter automatically switches to high speed for approximately 47 rotations. Then, the program switches back to low speed for the last 5 rotations to facilitate leveling the coal in the coke oven. A total of approximately 57 rotations are completed, with a coal loading volume of around 32 tons, totaling approximately 150 kg per rotation. This method achieves coal metering during the coal charging process, ensuring the same volume of coal is loaded into the appropriate amount for the carbonization chamber. Compared to using a coal hopper weighing scale, this method overcomes the inconsistencies in coal loading volume caused by rain or coal moisture in the carbonization chamber. Furthermore, the equipment is simple, low-cost, and easy to control, making it widely used in coke oven coal charging car production.

[0003] When using a screw counter for coal loading, the following problems exist: When a counting problem occurs during coal car feeding, the driver may miss the count if there's no counter display. In this case, the driver cannot determine how much coal has been loaded into the furnace orifice and must rely on past experience. However, a screw counter malfunction often leads to abnormal operations during coal loading, causing coal blockages or the leakage of raw coal gas after venting. Experienced operators typically count the number of revolutions based on experience and reduce the number of revolutions in the carbonization chamber to maintain operation. This results in insufficient coal loading into the carbonization chamber, which is unacceptable in the current market where reducing coal coking production is crucial. However, when the operator attempts to fully load the carbonization chamber with no revolutions in the coal orifice, coal blockages often occur. Blockages not only require manual coal clearing by the driver but also significantly reduce time. Therefore, a stable counting signal for coal loading is essential for smooth operation. This necessitates the ability to quickly restore equipment functionality in case of malfunction, which is the breakthrough point of this technology.

[0004] In the search of patent and non-patent literature related to the invention, no application of related technologies or methods for control devices with redundant screw counting in coal loading cars was found. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention addresses the problems existing in the prior art by providing a redundant control device and method for a coal loading car screw counter. This device, based on the premise of redundant screw counter and proximity switch, uses PLC logic to determine faults in abnormal counters and promptly switches to the normal operating counter. Simultaneously, it uses the counting on the front and rear bearings of the screw cutter to determine if the screw cutter is broken and provides a cumulative usage count to predict the equipment's lifespan.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: a control method for redundant screw feeder counting in a coal loading car, the method comprising the following steps:

[0007] Step 1: Install the screw front counter proximity switch 5 on the upper part of the front bearing of the screw reducer connected to the screw feeder motor to count the number of rotations of the front bearing of the screw.

[0008] Step 2: Install a rear counter proximity switch on the upper part of the rear bearing of the screw feeder to count the number of rotations of the rear bearing of the screw feeder;

[0009] Step 3: Connect the front counter proximity switch on the upper part of the front bearing and the rear counter proximity switch on the upper part of the rear bearing to the vehicle PLC controller to collect the spiral rotation count.

[0010] Step 4: Logical judgment is performed by collecting the count values ​​of the front and rear counters from the vehicle-mounted PLC controller. When a problem occurs with the counter value being used, the vehicle-mounted PLC controller automatically switches to another set of counters to achieve automatic judgment and switching of redundant counting.

[0011] Step 5: The count values ​​of the front and rear counters collected by the vehicle-mounted PLC controller are logically compared. When the deviation between the count of the front counter proximity switch on the upper part of the front bearing and the rear counter proximity switch on the upper part of the rear bearing exceeds 1, the coal loading is terminated, and the status of the screw conveyor is checked to see if it is normal or not, thereby realizing the status judgment of the screw conveyor equipment.

[0012] Step 6: The count values ​​collected by the vehicle-mounted PLC controller are accumulated and compared with the accumulated count value, referring to the manufacturer's recommended number of operation times for the counter proximity switch. When the accumulated count value exceeds the manufacturer's recommended number of operation times, the vehicle-mounted PLC controller 3 provides a lifespan prediction and communicates with HMI4 to display the lifespan expiration information at the top, reminding maintenance personnel to replace the device, thus achieving lifespan prediction. In this solution, redundant spiral counter proximity switches are installed on the front and rear axles of the spiral auger to achieve the following functions during the coal loading process of the coal loading truck: 1. Redundancy of the spiral counter is achieved, and it can intelligently determine whether the equipment is faulty, thereby realizing switching in case of fault and ensuring a smooth coal loading process; 2. By installing counters on the upper part of the front and rear bearings of the spiral auger, it is possible to determine whether the spiral auger is broken, and timely shutdown can be performed to prevent the accident from escalating; 3. The equipment lifespan prediction function is added, and the equipment replacement is more closely aligned with the actual site conditions, maximizing the equipment lifespan while meeting the cycle and equipment status requirements. Meanwhile, it is simple in principle, easy to maintain and troubleshoot, realizes automatic fault judgment in the coal feeding process and has self-switching function and intelligent life prediction function, which can reduce operation and maintenance costs.

[0013] The fourth step involves automatic fault detection and switching of the counter, as detailed below: (See the specific logic for details.) Figure 2The flowchart illustrates a set of counters as an example. The first rising edge signal at the start of coal loading triggers a power-off delay counter to start counting. When low speed is detected, the power-off delay timer is set to approximately 4 seconds per revolution (exceeding the time of one spiral rotation). Simultaneously, the PLC controller receives the coal loading signal and starts the frequency converter to drive the coal feeding motor, which, through a mechanical gearbox, drives the spiral cutter to rotate via the front bearing. The front counter proximity switch counts at low speed and triggers the PLC power-off delay timer. As the coal loading process continues, the counter triggers the PLC controller's power-off delay timer twice. When the time exceeds the set time for one spiral rotation, the front counter proximity switch is considered faulty. The rear counter proximity switch on the upper part of the rear bearing is randomly switched to replace the fault value, thus completing the automatic fault detection and switching. The high-speed counter detection follows the same process, the only difference being that the preset value of the power-off timer is set to 2.5 seconds during high-speed counting. In the improvement, it is recommended to use the front counter proximity switch on the upper part of the front bearing as the main counter, with the rear one used for redundant switching. Once the switch is complete, the fault counter information detected by the vehicle-mounted PLC controller 3 is transmitted to the top of the touch screen to remind users to handle the issue promptly.

[0014] The fifth step involves determining if the auger is broken, specifically as follows: The auger is approximately 4.5 meters long. The front counter proximity switch on the upper part of the front bearing counts on the motor side, while the rear counter proximity switch on the upper part of the rear bearing counts at the end of the auger. If the auger breaks in the middle, the front counter proximity switch on the upper part of the front bearing will still count normally, while the rear counter proximity switch on the upper part of the rear bearing will fail to count or count slowly. By comparing the count values ​​collected by the on-board PLC controller, the fault in the auger's internal components can be detected.

[0015] The sixth step is as follows: In the field, there are two or more sets of coal charging cars for the coke oven, one open and one closed. When one set of coal cars is being discharged, the other set is in standby mode. Using a fixed time interval as the judgment point for the spiral counter's usage is inaccurate. Therefore, this improvement is based on the fact that each furnace requires approximately 60 coal charging cycles, the proximity switch needs to operate approximately 60 times per furnace, 135 furnaces need to be discharged daily, and the proximity switch needs to operate 8100 times per day. The equipment lifespan is based on one million operations. An internal cumulative counting function is set within the PLC for the counter proximity switch. When the count value approaches one million, a notification is sent through HMI screen 4, indicating that the equipment lifespan has reached its limit and replacement is imminent. This achieves intelligent prediction of the equipment lifespan.

[0016] Compared with existing technologies, this invention has the following advantages: 1. This technical solution achieves redundancy in the spiral counter and can intelligently determine whether the equipment is faulty, thereby enabling switching in case of fault and ensuring a smooth coal loading process; 2. By installing counters on the upper part of the front and rear bearings of the spiral auger, it is possible to determine whether the spiral auger is broken, and timely shutdown can be implemented to prevent the accident from escalating; 3. It adds a life prediction function for the equipment, making equipment replacement more closely aligned with actual site conditions, maximizing equipment life while meeting cycle and equipment status requirements. Furthermore, the principle is simple, maintenance and troubleshooting are convenient, and it achieves automatic fault detection during the coal feeding process with self-switching and intelligent life prediction functions, thus reducing operation and maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 : Composition diagram of the spiral feeder system;

[0018] Figure 2 Flowchart for automatic fault diagnosis and switching of redundant spiral feeder counter;

[0019] Figure 3 Flowchart for determining the breakage of a spiral auger.

[0020] In the diagram: 1-Coal feeder motor; 2-Frequency converter; 3-On-board PLC controller; 4-HMI screen; 5-Front-end counter proximity switch; 6-Front-end bearing of reducer; 7-Spiral auger; 8-Coal hopper full level gauge; 9-Coal hopper; 10-Manual coal unloading hole; 11-Coal outlet; 12-Rear-end counter proximity switch; 13-Rear-end bearing; 14-Coal; 15-Coal receiving hole of carbonization chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To enhance understanding of the present invention, the embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] Example 1: See Figures 1-3 A control method for redundant screw feeder counting in a coal loading car, the method comprising the following steps:

[0023] Step 1: Install a screw front counter proximity switch 5 on the upper part of the screw reducer bearing 6 connected to the screw feeder motor 1 to count the number of rotations of the screw front bearing;

[0024] Step 2: Install a rear counter proximity switch 12 on the upper part of the rear bearing 13 of the spiral feeder to count the number of revolutions of the rear bearing of the spiral feeder.

[0025] Step 3: Connect the front counter proximity switch 5 on the upper part of the front bearing 6 and the rear counter proximity switch 12 on the upper part of the rear bearing 13 to the vehicle PLC controller 3 to collect the spiral rotation count.

[0026] Step 4: Logical judgment is performed by collecting the count values ​​of the front and rear counters from the vehicle-mounted PLC controller 3. When a problem occurs with the counter value being used, the vehicle-mounted PLC controller 3 will automatically switch to another set of counters to achieve automatic judgment and switching of redundant counting.

[0027] Step 5: The counting values ​​of the front and rear counters collected by the vehicle-mounted PLC controller 3 are logically compared. When it is determined that the deviation between the counting value of the front counter proximity switch 5 on the upper part of the front bearing 6 and the counting value of the rear counter proximity switch 12 on the upper part of the rear bearing 13 exceeds 1, the coal loading is terminated, and the status of the spiral auger 7 is checked to see if it is normal or not, thereby realizing the status judgment of the spiral auger 7 equipment.

[0028] Step 6: The count value collected by the vehicle-mounted PLC controller 3 is accumulated and calculated. The accumulated count value is compared with the manufacturer's recommended number of operation times for the counter proximity switch. When the accumulated count value exceeds the manufacturer's recommended number of operation times, the vehicle-mounted PLC controller 3 provides a lifespan prediction and communicates with the HMI4 to display the lifespan expiration information at the top, reminding maintenance personnel to replace the switch, thus achieving lifespan prediction. In this solution, redundant spiral counter proximity switches are installed on the front and rear axles of the spiral auger to achieve the following functions during the coal loading process: 1. Redundancy of the spiral counter is achieved, enabling intelligent judgment of equipment malfunction or fault, and switching in case of fault, ensuring a smooth coal loading process; 2. Counters installed on the upper part of the front and rear bearings of the spiral auger can determine whether the spiral auger is broken, and timely shutdown can be performed to prevent the escalation of the accident; 3. The equipment lifespan prediction function is added, making equipment replacement more closely aligned with actual site conditions, maximizing equipment lifespan while meeting cycle and equipment status requirements. Meanwhile, it is simple in principle, easy to maintain and troubleshoot, realizes automatic fault judgment in the coal feeding process and has self-switching function and intelligent life prediction function, which can reduce operation and maintenance costs.

[0029] The fourth step involves automatic fault detection and switching of the counter, as detailed below: (See the specific logic for details.) Figure 2The flowchart illustrates a set of counters as an example. The first rising edge signal at the start of coal loading triggers a power-off delay counter to count. When low speed is detected, the power-off delay timer is set to approximately 4 seconds per revolution (exceeding the time of one spiral rotation). Simultaneously, the PLC controller 3 receives the coal loading signal and starts the frequency converter 2, driving the coal feeding motor 1. This motor, connected to the mechanical reduction gearbox and shaft 6, rotates the spiral cutter. The front-end counter proximity switch 5 counts at low speed and triggers the PLC power-off delay timer. As the coal loading process continues, the counter triggers the PLC controller 3's power-off delay timer twice. When the time exceeds the set time for one spiral rotation, the front-end counter proximity switch 5 is considered faulty. The rear-end counter proximity switch 12 on the upper part of the rear bearing 13 is randomly switched to replace the count value, thus completing the automatic fault detection and switching. The high-speed counter detection follows the same process, the only difference being that the preset value of the power-off timer is set to 2.5 seconds during high-speed counting. The improvement plan suggests using the front-end counter proximity switch 5 on the upper part of the front bearing 6 as the main counter, and the rear one as a redundant switch. After the switch is completed, the fault counter information is transmitted to the upper part of the touch screen screen via the vehicle-mounted PLC controller 3 to remind users to handle the problem promptly.

[0030] The fifth step involves determining the breakage of the auger 7, specifically as follows: The auger 7 is approximately 4.5 meters long. The front counter proximity switch 5 on the upper part of the front bearing 6 counts on the motor side, while the rear counter proximity switch 12 on the upper part of the rear bearing 13 counts at the end of the auger 7. If the auger 7 breaks in the middle, the front counter proximity switch 5 on the upper part of the front bearing 6 will count normally, while the rear counter proximity switch 12 on the upper part of the rear bearing 13 will either fail to count or count slowly. By comparing the count values ​​collected by the on-board PLC controller 3, the fault in the internal auger of the auger 7 can be detected. The specific logic flowchart is shown below. Figure 3 As shown.

[0031] The sixth step is as follows: In the field, there are two or more sets of coal charging cars for the coke oven, one open and one closed. When one set of coal cars is being discharged, the other set is in standby mode. Using a fixed time interval as the judgment point for the spiral counter's usage is inaccurate. Therefore, this improvement is based on the fact that each furnace requires approximately 60 coal charging cycles, the proximity switch needs to operate approximately 60 times per furnace, 135 furnaces need to be discharged daily, and the proximity switch needs to operate 8100 times per day. The equipment lifespan is based on one million operations. An internal cumulative counting function is set within the PLC for the counter proximity switch. When the count value approaches one million, a notification is sent through HMI screen 4, indicating that the equipment lifespan has reached its limit and replacement is imminent. This achieves intelligent prediction of the equipment lifespan.

[0032] Example 2: This example implements the technical method based on the screw feeder system of the coal charging car of the 6-meter coke oven at Meigang Steel. This improvement selects a screw counting limit switch and uses a proximity switch (model: XL-LE308GK) resistant to high temperatures of 250 degrees Celsius, combined with... Figure 1 A redundant counter is formed by installing counters and proximity switches on the front and rear bearings. Combined with... Figure 2 , Figure 3 The process control diagram, implemented through PLC programming, enables automatic fault detection and switching of the counter, as well as fault detection of the auger. This improvement is based on the following: each furnace requires approximately 60 coal loading cycles, the proximity switch operates approximately 60 times per furnace, 135 furnaces are produced daily, and the proximity switch operates approximately 8100 times daily. The equipment lifespan is based on one million operations. An internal cumulative counting function is set within the PLC for the counter and proximity switch. When the count approaches one million, a notification is displayed on the HMI screen indicating that the equipment has reached the end of its lifespan and needs replacement.

[0033] It should be noted that the above embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Equivalent transformations or substitutions made based on the above technical solutions all fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method for redundant screw feeder counting in a coal loading car, characterized in that, The method Includes the following steps: Step 1: Install a screw front counter proximity switch (5) on the upper part of the screw reducer front bearing (6) connected to the screw feeder motor (1) to realize the counting of the number of rotations of the screw front bearing; Step 2: Install a rear counter proximity switch (12) on the upper part of the rear bearing (13) of the spiral feeder to count the number of revolutions of the rear bearing; Step 3: Connect the upper front counter proximity switch (5) of the front bearing (6) of the reducer and the upper rear counter proximity switch (12) of the rear bearing (13) to the vehicle PLC controller (3) to collect the spiral rotation count. Step 4: Logical judgment is made by collecting the count values ​​of the front and rear counters from the upper part of the vehicle PLC controller (3). When the counter value being judged has a problem, the vehicle PLC controller (3) automatically switches to another set of counters to realize the automatic judgment and switching of redundant counting. Step 5: The counting values ​​of the front and rear counters collected by the vehicle PLC controller (3) are compared logically. When it is determined that the deviation between the counting value of the front counter proximity switch (5) on the front bearing (6) of the reducer and the rear counter proximity switch (12) on the rear bearing (13) exceeds 1, the coal loading is terminated and the status of the spiral auger (7) is checked to see if it is normal or not, thereby realizing the status judgment of the spiral auger (7) equipment. Step 6: The count value collected by the vehicle-mounted PLC controller (3) is accumulated and calculated. The number of actions recommended by the manufacturer of the counter proximity switch is compared with the accumulated count value. When the accumulated count value is greater than the number of times recommended by the manufacturer, the vehicle-mounted PLC controller (3) gives the lifespan prediction and communicates with the HMI screen (4) to display the lifespan information at the top, reminding maintenance personnel to replace it, so as to realize the lifespan prediction. In the fourth step, the automatic judgment and switching of the counter fault is realized as follows: the power-off delay counter is triggered by the first rising edge signal of the coal loading start to count and start timing. When it is judged to be low speed, the power-off delay timer is set to exceed the time of one rotation of the spiral. At the same time, the PLC controller (3) receives the coal loading signal and starts the frequency converter (2) to drive the coal feeding motor (1) to run. The spiral cutter is driven to rotate through the front bearing (6) of the reducer. The front counter proximity switch (5) counts at low speed and is used to trigger the PLC power-off delay timer to start timing. When the coal loading process continues, the power-off delay timer value of the PLC controller (3) is triggered by the counter before and after the counter. When it exceeds the set time of one rotation of the spiral, it is judged that the front counter proximity switch (5) is faulty. The back counter proximity switch (12) on the upper part of the rear bearing (13) is randomly switched to replace the count value, so as to complete the automatic judgment and switching of the fault.

2. The control method for redundant screw feeder counting in a coal loading car according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fifth step is to determine the breakage of the spiral cutter (7), as follows: The spiral cutter (7) is 4.5 meters long. The front counter proximity switch (5) on the front bearing (6) of the reducer counts on the motor side, while the rear counter proximity switch (12) on the rear bearing (13) counts at the end of the spiral cutter (7). If the spiral cutter (7) breaks in the middle, the front counter proximity switch (5) on the front bearing (6) can count normally, while the rear counter proximity switch (12) on the rear bearing (13) after the spiral cutter (7) breaks will fail to count or count slowly. By comparing the count value collected by the vehicle PLC controller (3), the fault of the cutter inside the spiral cutter (7) can be found.

3. The control method for redundant screw feeder counting in a coal loading car according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sixth step is as follows: There are more than two sets of coal charging cars used in the coke oven on site, one open and one closed. When one set of coal cars is discharged from the oven, the other set of coal cars is in standby mode. If the use of the spiral counter is based on the periodic time as the judgment point, it is inaccurate. Therefore, this improvement is based on the fact that each furnace needs to be charged with 60 rounds of coal, the proximity switch needs to be operated 60 times in each furnace, and 135 furnaces need to be discharged every day. The number of times the proximity switch is operated is 8100 times a day. The life of the equipment is based on the number of millions of operations. The internal cumulative counting function of the counter proximity switch PLC is set. When the count value is close to one million, a notification is made through the HMI screen (4). The equipment life is about to end and a reminder is needed to replace it. The intelligent prediction function of the equipment life can be realized.

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