Concrete material feeding system and method

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of concrete material transportation, and specifically to a concrete material feeding system and method, wherein the system includes a number of material bins, each of which stores different types of materials; a distributor, a number of bins are correspondingly arranged below the distributor, the distributor receives different materials and evenly distributes them to each bin; a conveying device, which is used to transfer the materials in the material bin to the distributor; a visual detection system, which is used to monitor and identify the material information on the transfer system; a control device, which is used to monitor the material information conveyed by the conveying equipment, and control the operating status of the material bin, the conveying equipment and the distributor. This system can collect the production status of the mixing plant in real time, automatically adjust the feeding sequence and feeding time of the aggregate bin, reduce labor costs, and achieve unmanned operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of concrete material transportation, and in particular to a concrete material feeding system and method. Background Art

[0002] In the concrete production process, aggregates (such as river sand, machine-made sand, crushed stone, pebbles, etc.) are important raw materials. With the rise in raw material prices and other factors, concrete production companies have established three-dimensional aggregate silos to store aggregates. In order to ensure the production capacity and product quality of the concrete mixing plant, aggregates are transported from the three-dimensional aggregate silo to the mixing plant through conveyor belts.

[0003] At present, when concrete production enterprises produce concrete, they will cut the production ratio according to the frequency of tasks, so the amount of each aggregate bin will change at any time. When changes occur, it may be that some aggregate bins are deactivated or activated, or the consumption of the bins that have been activated has changed significantly. In response to this situation: the same type of system can only manually select the bins that need to be loaded. The same type of system can only manually modify the loading time of each bin that needs to be loaded. When the loading time is set too large, it completely relies on the upper limit to stop loading, which is easy to cause overflow. The loading time is too short and frequent refilling is required. Because there are too many factors that require manual intervention, the aggregate consumption cannot be met in time, which seriously affects the efficiency of concrete production. And when mechanical equipment or detection equipment is abnormal: the same type of system currently only relies on time to determine whether the aggregate has reached the silo feed port, and it cannot be determined whether this material corresponds to the silo. Because the equipment relies too much on the upper limit of the silo for loading, when the upper limit fails, it is easy to overflow. When the ground door of a three-dimensional aggregate silo leaks, there is no effective means of detection, which leads to aggregate mixing and seriously affects the quality of concrete. There is still room for further improvement.

[0004] The automatic loading system and control method of a three-dimensional aggregate silo disclosed in publication number CN116462001A improves the automation level and reduces manual operation. However, it cannot be adjusted in real time according to the silo situation, the unloading process still requires human participation, and the loading time still needs to be further optimized. Summary of the invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide a concrete material feeding system and method.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present application to solve the technical problem is: a concrete material feeding system, comprising:

[0007] Several material bins, each storing different types of materials;

[0008] A distributor, under which several silos are arranged, receives different materials and distributes them evenly to each silo;

[0009] Conveying equipment, used to transfer materials in the material bin to the distributor;

[0010] Visual inspection system, used to monitor and identify material information on the transfer system;

[0011] The control device is used to monitor the material information transported by the conveying equipment and control the operating status of the material bin, conveying equipment and distributor.

[0012] The conveying equipment comprises:

[0013] The material receiving and conveying system is located below the material bin and is used to receive the materials falling from the material bin;

[0014] The transfer system is used to transfer the materials on the receiving conveying system to the distributor. Both the receiving conveying system and the transfer system adopt belt conveying system.

[0015] The control device comprises:

[0016] A collection unit is used to collect the usage of the silo used for concrete mix in real time;

[0017] The visual inspection unit is installed on the transfer system to identify material information and detect whether there is material mixing;

[0018] The control module is connected to the visual inspection unit and the collection unit, receives the information collected by the collection unit, determines the silo that needs to be fed, and sorts the silos from large to small according to the consumption to form a feeding queue, and controls the starting sequence of the conveying equipment and the opening of the material silo unloading door according to the feeding queue.

[0019] A concrete material feeding method, applied to the above concrete material feeding system, comprises the following steps:

[0020] Step 1: Real-time monitoring of the material usage in the silo to determine whether there is a shortage of material. If so, proceed to step 2, otherwise continue monitoring;

[0021] Step 2: Determine the silo that needs to be fed, sort the materials from large to small according to consumption, and produce the feeding queue;

[0022] Step 3: According to the lifting path used by the loading queue, start the relevant equipment in sequence to carry out the loading operation;

[0023] Step 4: When loading materials, AI visual target tracking technology is used to identify the material type and material flow speed flowing through the transfer system, and adjust the material bin discharge time and the operating position of the distributor;

[0024] Step 5: Determine whether the loading queue is empty. If not, calculate the interval time required for unloading the next material bin and repeat the loading operation until the queue is completed.

[0025] The step 4 includes the following sub-steps:

[0026] 4-1: Set a reference frame of the standard material flow on the visual inspection unit. When the material flow passes through the reference frame, identify the proportion and speed of the material flow in the reference frame and adjust the discharge time of the corresponding material bin;

[0027] 4-2: Use AI visual recognition technology to identify the type of material currently being discharged and determine whether there is any mixing. If so, the machine needs to be shut down;

[0028] 4-3: Use AI visual recognition technology to identify the type of material that is about to enter the silo, and combine it with the position information of the distributor to determine whether the material has entered the wrong silo. If so, adjust the distributor to the correct position.

[0029] In 4-1, if the material flow ratio exceeds the reference frame, the door opening and loading time is calculated in real time and shortened; if the material flow ratio is less than the reference frame, the door opening and loading time is increased.

[0030] The 4-2 includes the following sub-steps:

[0031] 4-2-1: Identify the particle size of the material passing through and determine the type of material being fed;

[0032] 4-2-2: Calculate the material type of the silo that needs to be fed;

[0033] 4-2-3: Based on the feeding time optimization algorithm, the position of the distributor corresponds to the silo that needs to be fed.

[0034] The step 6 is also included: during the loading process, if any of the following situations occurs, the material bin is controlled to stop discharging;

[0035] Case 1: The corresponding silo is out of service;

[0036] Case 2: The material in the silo has reached the upper limit;

[0037] Case 3: The set loading time is reached.

[0038] If all the silos that need to be loaded are full, the relevant equipment will stop in sequence after a set delay time and enter the standby state until a silo that needs to be loaded appears again, then wake up and repeat the loading process. If the dormant state exceeds the set time, it can be set to enter the shutdown state. In addition, if there is material mixing on the belt, there is a risk of misplacement, or a certain conveying equipment fails during the unloading process, the machine will be stopped immediately to warn.

[0039] The loading time optimization algorithm includes:

[0040] By collecting the aggregate shape on the belt and the status of the mixing plant system, the aggregate loading time is calculated in real time, the rotation timing of the rotary distributor and the opening timing of the ground bin to be unloaded are determined, and the efficient loading needs are met to the greatest extent.

[0041] 4-2-3-1: Calculate the closing conditions of the front-stage material; after the front-stage material opens the door, start the forward timing , calculate the loading time ,when When the door of the front material bin is closed, the forward timing after the door is closed is recorded as ;

[0042] 4-2-3-2: Calculate the opening time of the material bin to be unloaded and the rotation time of the distributor. When , the distributor is controlled to move to the waiting bin; when At 1, the door of the material bin currently waiting for unloading is controlled to open. Indicates the lifting time of the front-stage material bin. Indicates the door opening conditions of the material bin currently waiting for unloading.

[0043] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0044] The system can collect the production status of the mixing plant in real time, automatically adjust the loading sequence and time of the aggregate silo, reduce labor costs, and achieve unmanned operation.

[0045] The system can automatically identify the grade and specification of aggregates, and whether there is any mixing. Combined with the material location information calculated by the system, it can effectively prevent aggregates from entering the wrong silo, ensure the quality of concrete production, and reduce unnecessary losses.

[0046] Utilize AI target tracking technology to identify aggregate material flow on the belt, automatically adjust the feeding time of the silo according to the material flow, and improve feeding safety and efficiency.

[0047] The system can automatically enter standby mode to save energy and reduce emissions. When the system identifies mixed materials on the belt or aggregates in the wrong bin, it can stop the machine in time to avoid major losses. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 2 It is a flow chart of the present invention.

[0050] In the figure: 1. Material warehouse; 2. Material receiving and conveying system; 3. Transfer system; 4. Distributor; 5. Material warehouse; 6. Visual inspection unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0052] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0053] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connection", "fixation", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fixation" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0054] Reference Figure 1 The concrete material feeding system is mainly divided into two parts. One part is a three-dimensional aggregate bin, which is provided with a plurality of material bins 1, and each material bin 1 stores different types of materials;

[0055] The other part is a mixing plant, including a distributor 4, under which a number of silos 5 are arranged correspondingly. The distributor 4 receives different materials and evenly distributes them to the silos 5; in this embodiment, the distributor 4 is a rotary distributor.

[0056] Also includes:

[0057] The conveying equipment is used to transfer the materials in the material bin 1 to the distributor 4; the conveying equipment includes a material receiving conveying system 2, which is located below the material bin 1 and is used to receive the materials dropped from the material bin 1; and a transfer system 3, which is used to transfer the materials on the material receiving conveying system 2 to the distributor 4. Both the material receiving conveying system 2 and the transfer system 3 adopt a belt conveying system.

[0058] A visual inspection system, used to monitor and identify material information on the transfer system 3;

[0059] The control device is used to monitor the material information conveyed by the conveying equipment and control the operating status of the material bin 1, the conveying equipment and the distributor 4. The control device includes a collection unit for collecting the usage of the material bin 5 used for the concrete mix in real time;

[0060] A visual inspection unit 6 is provided on the transfer system 3 and is used to identify material information and detect whether there is a mixing phenomenon;

[0061] The control module is connected to the visual inspection unit 6 and the collection unit, receives the information collected by the collection unit, determines the silo 5 that needs to be fed, and sorts the silos 5 from large to small according to the consumption to form a feeding queue, and controls the starting sequence of the conveying equipment and the opening of the discharge door of the material silo 1 according to the feeding queue.

[0062] Reference Figure 2 The above concrete material feeding system adopts the following feeding method, including the following steps:

[0063] Step 1: Real-time monitoring of the material usage in the silo 5 to determine whether there is a shortage of material. If so, proceed to step 2, otherwise continue monitoring;

[0064] Step 2: Determine the silo 5 that needs to be fed, sort the materials from large to small according to consumption, and produce the feeding queue;

[0065] Step three: according to the lifting path used by the loading queue, start the relevant equipment in sequence to perform the loading operation; for example, in this embodiment, the distributor 4 is started first, then the transfer system 3 is started, and finally the material receiving and conveying system 2 is started.

[0066] Step 4: When loading materials, the material type and material flow speed flowing through the transfer system 3 are identified based on AI visual target tracking technology, and the discharge time of the material bin 1 and the operating position of the distributor 4 are adjusted; the step 4 includes the following sub-steps:

[0067] 4-1: A reference frame of a standard material flow is set on the visual inspection unit 6. When the material flow passes through the reference frame, the proportion and speed of the material flow in the reference frame are identified, and the discharge time of the corresponding material bin 1 is adjusted;

[0068] In 4-1, under normal circumstances, the belt speed is constant, so the material flow speed is also constant. The only change will be the proportion. If the material flow proportion exceeds the reference frame, it is necessary to calculate in real time and shorten the door opening and loading time; if the material flow proportion is less than the reference frame, it is necessary to appropriately increase the door opening and loading time.

[0069] 4-2: Identify the type of material currently being discharged through AI visual recognition technology to determine whether there is a mixing phenomenon. If so, adjust the position of the distributor 4. 4-2 includes the following sub-steps:

[0070] 4-2-1: Identify the particle size of the material passing through and determine the type of material being fed;

[0071] 4-2-2: Calculate the material type of silo 5 that needs to be fed;

[0072] 4-2-3: Based on the feeding time optimization algorithm, the position of the distributor 4 is matched with the silo 5 that needs to be fed.

[0073] Different materials have different particle sizes. AI visual recognition technology can be used to identify whether the aggregate currently being discharged is sand or gravel, and whether there is any mixing.

[0074] On the transfer system 3 near the feed port of the silo 5, AI visual recognition technology can be used to identify whether the current material flow is sand or gravel, and to identify the aggregate particle size.

[0075] The speed of the conveyor belt is constant. According to the feeding time optimization algorithm formula, it can be calculated what kind of aggregate is about to enter the warehouse. For example, if the current material flow is large stones and the position of the distributor 4 is a large stone warehouse, it means that it corresponds. Otherwise, the position of the distributor 4 needs to be adjusted to prevent entering the wrong warehouse.

[0076] The loading time optimization algorithm includes:

[0077] By collecting the aggregate shape on the belt and the status of the mixing plant system, the aggregate loading time is calculated in real time, the rotation timing of the rotary distributor and the opening timing of the ground bin to be unloaded are determined, and the efficient loading needs are met to the greatest extent.

[0078] 4-2-3-1: Calculate the closing conditions of the front-stage material; after the front-stage material bin 1 opens, start the forward timing , calculate the loading time , loading time Calculated according to the following functional relationship:

[0079] ;

[0080] In the formula, Indicates the remaining weight of the front-stage silo 5, Indicates the real-time consumption weight of the front-stage silo 5; Indicates the feeding gain ( The value of is less than 1). Indicates the instantaneous cross-sectional area of ​​the material flow of the discharge belt (value obtained by the AI ​​recognition system);

[0081] The calculation method is derived through the following formula:

[0082] ;

[0083] ;

[0084] ;

[0085] ;

[0086] ;

[0087] in, Indicates the safe loading volume of silo 5;

[0088] Indicates the required volume of silo 5;

[0089] Indicates the cumulative volume of the material loaded;

[0090] Indicates the rated speed of the discharge belt;

[0091] represents the instantaneous volume flow rate;

[0092] Indicates the initial loading time;

[0093] Indicates the calibrated cross-sectional area of ​​the material flow of the discharge belt (calibrated value recognized by AI);

[0094] Indicates the density of the material;

[0095] Indicates the forward timing after the door of the front-stage material bin 1 is opened;

[0096] Indicates when hour, The accumulated time in the state;

[0097] when When the door of the front material bin 1 is closed, the forward timing after the door is closed is recorded as .

[0098] 4-2-3-2: Calculate the opening timing of the material bin 1 waiting for unloading and the rotation timing of the distributor 4. The calculation formula is:

[0099] ;

[0100] In the formula, when When the material distributor 4 is controlled to transfer to the material storage bin;

[0101] when At 1, the door of material bin 1 currently waiting for unloading is controlled to open;

[0102] Indicates the door opening condition of the material bin 1 currently waiting for unloading;

[0103] i represents the serial number of the silo 5 of the previous stage positive feed;

[0104] j represents the serial number of the silo 5 currently waiting for feeding;

[0105] Indicates the forward timing starting after the material door of the front-stage material bin 1 is closed;

[0106] It represents the interval time of changing the bin of the rotary distributor 4, and its calculation formula is: ;

[0107] T2 represents the displacement time of the distributor 4 between adjacent silos 5;

[0108] Indicates the total number of silos 5;

[0109] Indicates the lifting time of the front-stage material bin 1, and the calculation formula is: ;

[0110] Indicates the lifting time of the currently waiting material bin 1, and the calculation formula is: ;

[0111] represents the belt speed of the kth belt;

[0112] represents the length of the kth belt;

[0113] Indicates the length of the unloading flat belt corresponding to the floor door of the front-stage material warehouse 1;

[0114] Indicates the length of the unloading flat belt corresponding to the ground silo door of the material silo 1 to be unloaded.

[0115] Step 5: Determine whether the loading queue is empty. If not, calculate the interval time required for the next material bin 1 to unload, and repeat the loading cycle until the queue is completed.

[0116] The method further includes step 6: during the loading process, if any of the following situations occurs, the material bin 1 is controlled to stop discharging the material;

[0117] Case 1: The corresponding silo 5 is out of service;

[0118] Case 2: The material in silo 5 has reached the upper limit;

[0119] Case 3: The set loading time is reached.

[0120] If all the silos 5 that need to be loaded are full, the relevant equipment will be stopped in sequence after a set delay time and enter the standby state until a silo 5 that needs to be loaded appears again, then wake up and repeat the loading process. If the dormant state exceeds the set time, it can be set to enter the shutdown state. In addition, if there is material mixing on the belt, there is a risk of misplacement, or a certain conveying equipment fails during the unloading process, the machine will be stopped immediately to warn.

[0121] The above descriptions are only optional embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural changes made using the contents of the present invention specification under the concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for feeding concrete materials, characterized in that: Applicable to a concrete material feeding system, the concrete material feeding system comprising a plurality of material bins (1), each material bin (1) storing different types of materials; A distributor (4), a plurality of silos (5) are arranged correspondingly below the distributor (4), and the distributor (4) receives different materials and evenly distributes them to the silos (5); Conveying equipment, used for transferring materials in the material bin (1) to the distributor (4); A visual inspection system for monitoring and identifying material information on the transfer system (3); The control device is used to monitor the material information conveyed by the conveying equipment and control the operating status of the material bin (1), the conveying equipment and the distributor (4); the concrete material feeding method of the concrete material feeding system comprises the following steps: Step 1: Real-time monitoring of the material usage in the silo (5) to determine whether there is a shortage of material. If so, proceed to step 2; otherwise, continue monitoring; Step 2: Determine the silo (5) that needs to be fed, sort the materials from largest to smallest according to consumption, and produce a feeding queue; Step 3: According to the lifting path used by the loading queue, start the relevant equipment in sequence to carry out the loading operation; Step 4: When loading materials, the type of materials and the material flow speed flowing through the transfer system (3) are identified based on AI visual target tracking technology, and the discharge time of the material bin (1) and the operating position of the distributor (4) are adjusted; the step 4 includes the following sub-steps: 4-1: A reference frame of a standard material flow is set on the visual inspection unit (6). When the material flow passes through the reference frame, the proportion and speed of the material flow in the reference frame are identified, and the discharge time of the corresponding material bin (1) is adjusted; 4-2: Use AI visual recognition technology to identify the type of material currently being discharged and determine whether there is any mixing. If so, the machine needs to be shut down; 4-3: Using AI visual recognition technology to identify the type of material that is about to enter the silo (5), combined with the position information of the distributor (4), it is determined whether the material will enter the wrong silo. If so, the distributor (4) needs to be adjusted to the correct position; Step 5: Determine whether the loading queue is empty. If not, calculate the interval time required for unloading the next material bin (1) and repeat the loading cycle until the queue is completed.

2. The method for feeding concrete materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: In 4-1, if the material flow ratio exceeds the reference frame, the door opening and loading time is calculated in real time and shortened; if the material flow ratio is less than the reference frame, the door opening and loading time is increased.

3. The method for feeding concrete materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The 4-2 includes the following sub-steps: 4-2-1: Identify the particle size of the material passing through and determine the type of material being fed; 4-2-2: Calculate the material type of the silo (5) that needs to be fed; 4-2-3: Based on the feeding time optimization algorithm, the position of the distributor (4) is matched with the silo (5) that needs to be fed.

4. The method for feeding concrete materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further comprises step 6: during the material loading process, if any of the following situations occurs, the material bin (1) is controlled to stop discharging the material; Case 1: The corresponding silo (5) is deactivated; Case 2: The material in silo (5) reaches the upper limit; Case 3: The set loading time is reached.

5. The method for feeding concrete materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: If all the silos (5) that need to be loaded are full, then after a set delay time, the relevant equipment will stop in sequence and enter a standby state until a silo (5) that needs to be loaded appears again, then the loading process will be repeated.

6. The method for feeding concrete materials according to claim 3, characterized in that: The feeding time optimization algorithm in 4-2-3 includes: 4-2-3-1: Calculate the closing conditions of the front-stage material bin; after the front-stage material bin (1) opens, start the forward timing , calculate the loading time ,when When the door of the front material bin (1) is closed, the forward timing starting from the closing of the door is recorded as ; Loading time Calculated according to the following functional relationship: ； In the formula, Indicates the remaining weight of the front-stage silo 5, Indicates the real-time consumption weight of the front-stage silo 5; Indicates the feeding gain, The value of is less than 1. Indicates the instantaneous cross-sectional area of ​​the material flow on the discharge belt; Loading time The calculation process is as follows: ； ； ； ； ； in, Indicates the safe volume of material loading in the silo (5); represents the required volume of the silo (5); Indicates the cumulative volume of the material loaded; Indicates the rated speed of the discharge belt; represents the instantaneous volume flow rate; Indicates the initial loading time; Indicates the nominal cross-sectional area of ​​the material flow of the discharge belt; Indicates the density of the material; Indicates the forward timing after the door of the front material bin (1) is opened; Indicates when hour, The accumulated time in the state; 4-2-3-2: Calculate the opening timing of the material bin (1) to be unloaded and the rotation timing of the distributor (4). When , the distributor (4) is controlled to move to the waiting bin; when At 1, the door of the currently waiting unloading material bin (1) is controlled to open. Indicates the lifting time of the front material bin (1), Indicates the current door opening condition of the material bin (1) waiting for unloading; The calculation formula is: ； In the formula, when When the material distributor (4) is controlled to move to the material storage bin; when At 1, the door of the material bin (1) currently waiting for unloading is controlled to open; Indicates the door opening condition of the material bin (1) currently waiting for unloading; i represents the serial number of the silo (5) of the previous stage positive feed; j represents the number of the silo (5) currently waiting for feeding; Indicates the forward timing starting from the closing of the material door of the front-stage material bin (1); It represents the interval time of changing the bin of the rotary distributor (4), and its calculation formula is: ; T2 represents the displacement time of the distributor (4) between adjacent silos (5); Indicates the total number of silos (5); It represents the lifting time of the front material bin (1), and the calculation formula is: ; Indicates the lifting time of the currently waiting material bin (1), and the calculation formula is: ; represents the belt speed of the kth belt; represents the length of the kth belt; Indicates the length of the unloading flat belt corresponding to the floor door of the front-stage material bin (1); Indicates the length of the unloading flat belt corresponding to the floor door of the material bin (1) to be unloaded.

7. The method for feeding concrete materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveying equipment comprises: A material receiving and conveying system (2), located below the material bin (1), and used for receiving materials dropped from the material bin (1); The transfer system (3) is used to transfer the material on the material receiving and conveying system (2) to the distributor (4).

8. The method for feeding concrete materials according to claim 7, characterized in that: The control device comprises: A collection unit, used to collect the usage status in the silo (5) in real time; A visual inspection unit (6) is arranged on the transfer system (3) and is used to identify material information and detect whether there is any mixing of materials; The control module is connected to the visual inspection unit (6) and the collection unit, receives information collected by the collection unit, determines the silo (5) that needs to be fed, and sorts the silos (5) from large to small according to consumption to form a feeding queue, and controls the start-up sequence of the conveying equipment and the opening of the discharge door of the material silo (1) according to the feeding queue.

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