Distributed intelligent management and control system for belt conveyor

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field, in particular to a belt conveyor distributed intelligent management and control system which mainly comprises a central control subsystem, a switching platform subsystem and an environmental protection device, the central control subsystem comprises a first control room, a PLC master station and an industrial personal computer module, a PLC control module, a corresponding control program and a control circuit are arranged in the PLC master station, and the industrial personal computer module is connected with the PLC master station. The transfer platform subsystem comprises a second control room arranged near a plurality of belt conveyor bodies, the environmental protection device comprises a state recognition module and a spraying module, and the state recognition module comprises a sensor and an ultrasonic detector. Controlled units for dust suppression, flushing, water adding and the like of equipment in the switching platform subsystem are integrated, the personnel participation degree is reduced, an on-site manual control mode is converted into a remote control mode of indoor monitoring and operation of a duty room, and green and environment-friendly production is achieved while the unmanned process of the belt conveyor is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field, and specifically to a distributed intelligent control system for belt conveyors. Background Art

[0002] At ports, ores usually need to be transferred from ships to the shore or other transportation tools. There are various types of ores, including iron ore, coal, bauxite, etc. With the increasing global demand for mineral resources, the transportation and loading / unloading technologies of port ores have also advanced. Currently, most ores are transported by ore transportation belt conveyors because, compared with traditional manual or other transportation methods, belt conveyors reduce the risk of manual operation, can continuously and quickly transport a large amount of ores, improve transportation efficiency, especially in large-scale ore loading / unloading operations, thereby reducing the possibility of accidents.

[0003] Due to the lack of timely regular maintenance during long-term use, and the ineffective upgrading and improvement of the control systems carried by existing port ore transportation belt conveyors, the control system and the drive system cannot achieve good coordinated cooperation, and still require certain manual auxiliary operations. Eventually, these factors lead to poor human-computer interaction, significantly reducing the operating efficiency and seriously affecting the overall transportation efficiency and operation safety. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a distributed intelligent control system for belt conveyors in view of the deficiencies of the prior art. By adopting technical means such as PLC centralized control and host computer module integrated control, the controlled units such as dust suppression, flushing, and water addition in the platform are integrated to achieve the purpose of reducing the degree of human participation and realizing green and environmental protection production while the belt conveyor process is unmanned.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A distributed intelligent control system for belt conveyors mainly includes a central control subsystem for issuing control instructions, a transfer platform subsystem, and an environmental protection device for receiving signals from the central control subsystem and the transfer platform subsystem.

[0007] The central control subsystem includes a first control room accommodating operators and a PLC master station installed inside the first control room. The PLC master station is internally provided with a PLC control module, its corresponding control program and control circuit. The first control room is also internally provided with an industrial computer module, and the industrial computer module is internally provided with an instruction input module and a communication module.

[0008] The transfer platform subsystem includes a second control room located near multiple belt conveyor bodies. Inside the second control room, there is a PLC sub-station with the same internal modules as those in the PLC main station. The PLC main station and the PLC sub-station are connected through the communication modules installed on each of them.

[0009] The environmental protection device includes a status recognition module for identifying the operating status of the belt conveyor body and a spraying module for cleaning the belt conveyor body. The status recognition module includes sensors and ultrasonic detectors. The spraying module and the status recognition module are connected to the PLC control module through electrical signals.

[0010] Preferably, the communication module includes an optical fiber communication line connecting the switch and the PLC main station, and an optical-electric converter.

[0011] Preferably, the control circuit is composed of a first button, a second button, a relay, a fuse, and wires. The first button and the second button are set in the first control room and the second control room, and are connected to the PLC main station and the PLC sub-station.

[0012] Preferably, the environmental protection device further includes slide rails. The slide rails are fixedly installed on both sides of the belt conveyor body through bolts. A sliding table is assembled on the slide rails. The servo motor is fixedly installed on the slide rails. An elevating assembly is also fixedly arranged on the surface of the sliding table, and a mounting seat is assembled on the elevating assembly.

[0013] Preferably, the elevating assembly includes a housing. Inside the housing, a lead screw is rotatably arranged, and a guide rod is also fixedly arranged inside the housing. The mounting seat is sleeved on the lead screw and the guide rod.

[0014] Preferably, the status recognition module is fixedly bolted to the surface of the mounting seat. A nozzle is also fixed on the mounting seat. The water tank is fixedly installed on one side of the housing. A water pump is fixedly connected to the water tank, and the output end of the water pump is connected to the nozzle through a hose.

[0015] Preferably, an auxiliary detection module is also arranged inside the industrial control computer module. The auxiliary detection module includes a monitoring module and a protection module. The monitoring module is connected to the status recognition module, and the protection module cooperates with the PLC control module.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0017] First, a PLC control module compatible with the existing belt conveyor body is adopted. Then, a central control subsystem and a transfer platform subsystem are established. The first control room in the central control subsystem is used to control multiple second control rooms in the transfer platform subsystem, enabling instant communication between the main platform and each transfer platform. Subsequently, the PLC control module inside the second control room is used to drive the environmental protection device carried on the belt conveyor body. During the process, precise command input can be carried out through the industrial control computer module, and then tasks are assigned and information functions are interacted with each module inside the environmental protection device, such as the status recognition module and the spraying module. The communication module inside the industrial control computer module can also be controlled to achieve signal transmission and the adaptive operation of the control chain, completing the switching and control between remote and on-site. At the same time, the environmental protection equipment on the operation surface of this platform can be monitored and operated. Through the above technical means, the personnel participation degree is reduced, and the traditional on-site manual control method is transformed into a remote control method of monitoring and operating in the duty room, achieving unmanned operation of the belt conveyor process while realizing green environmental protection production. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for description in the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, for those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall system structure of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the spraying module of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the control circuit structure in the PLC control module of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the control program in the PLC control module of the present invention Figure 1 .

[0023] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the control program in the PLC control module of the present invention Figure 2 .

[0024] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the first control room and the second control room of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the environmental protection device of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lifting component of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 9 Schematic structural diagram of the industrial control computer module of the present invention

[0028] Among them, 1 - First control room, 2 - Second control room, 3 - Belt conveyor body, 31 - Slide rail, 32 - Slide table, 33 - Driving motor, 34 - Water pump, 35 - Water tank, 4 - Lifting component, 41 - Mounting seat, 411 - Sprinkler head, 412 - Status recognition module, 42 - Shell, 43 - Servo motor, 44 - Lead screw, 45 - Guide rod. Specific implementation manner

[0029] In order to enable those skilled in the art of the present technology to better understand the technical solutions in the present invention, the following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0030] Combined with Figure 1 and Figure 2 , a distributed intelligent control system for belt conveyors, which mainly includes a central control subsystem and a transfer platform subsystem for issuing control instructions, and an environmental protection device for receiving signals from the central control subsystem and the transfer platform subsystem;

[0031] The central control subsystem includes a first control room 1 for accommodating operators and a PLC master station installed inside the first control room 1. The PLC master station is internally provided with a PLC control module, its corresponding control program and control circuit. An industrial control computer module is also provided inside the first control room 1, and an instruction input module and a communication module are provided inside the industrial control computer module;

[0032] The transfer platform subsystem includes a second control room 2 provided near multiple belt conveyor bodies 3. A PLC slave station with the same internal modules as those of the PLC master station is provided inside the second control room 2. The PLC master station and the PLC slave station are connected through the communication modules carried by them respectively;

[0033] The environmental protection device includes a status recognition module 412 for identifying the operating status of the belt conveyor body 3 and a spraying module for cleaning the belt conveyor body 3. The status recognition module 412 includes sensors and ultrasonic detectors. The spraying module includes a sprinkler head 411, a water tank 35, a slide rail 31 and a driving motor 33. The spraying module and the status recognition module 412 are connected to the PLC control module through electrical signals.

[0034] In this embodiment, first, the PLC control module selects a Siemens PLC as the preferred control unit. Subsequently, an initialization step detection is performed, that is, the PLC control module operates in a continuous loop. In each scan, the PLC executes a series of instructions in the programmed order. At the beginning of each scan, the PLC control module reads the status of the input module connected to it. The input module converts the status of external sensors or switches into digital signals, and the PLC control module obtains the current input status by reading these signals. Subsequently, the PLC control module executes the program stored in its internal memory in the programmed order. The program can consist of multiple organizations, conditions, logics, and mathematical operations, etc. At the same time, the PLC control module makes decisions based on the logical calculations in the program and controls the output module to change the corresponding output status. These logical calculations can include logical operations, comparison operations, timer and counter operations, etc. After the program execution is completed, the PLC control module updates the status of the output module according to the result of the control logic. The output module converts the digital signal into a current or voltage output to control the working status of actuators such as motors, cylinders, and valves. At the end of the scan cycle, the PLC waits for the start of the next scan cycle and then reads the input signal again from the second step to execute the program;

[0035] Furthermore, the control program of the PLC control module in the present invention selects an instruction list and structured text for control programming. The instruction list is a graphical programming language that draws on the form and structure of traditional relay logic diagrams and is suitable for describing paths, electrical switches, input / output states, logical relationships, etc. Structured text is a programming language based on the structure and syntax similar to Pascal or C language. It uses keywords, operators, and functions to write programs and is suitable for control tasks mainly involving algorithms and mathematical calculations;

[0036] Even further, the PLC control module runs a human-machine interface software by connecting to an industrial computer module, which can achieve a richer user interface and operation experience, that is, a visualization interface. At the same time, the industrial computer module usually has more powerful computing and storage capabilities, which can be used to process and store a large amount of data, perform data analysis and historical records, and achieve data exchange and communication with other systems through a network interface, such as integration with an enterprise-level data management system. By configuring the industrial computer module, connection and expansion with other devices can be achieved to meet specific application requirements. It should be noted that communication and data transmission can be carried out between the PLC control module and the industrial computer module through an interface protocol, such as using communication protocols like Modbus and OPC UA, which can ensure accurate data transmission and sharing;

[0037] The above PLC and industrial control computer modules can achieve interlock protection through an interlocking mechanism to ensure the safety of coordinated control. For example, the PLC control module can set an output lock signal to prevent conflicts between the outputs controlled by the industrial control computer module and the PLC control module, enabling the PLC control module and the industrial control computer module to perform automatic switching or redundant backup in case of failures, ensuring the reliability and stability of the system. When the industrial control computer module fails, the PLC control module can take over the control task to ensure the continuous operation of the conveyor belt body 3 transportation line. At the same time, the PLC control module can be connected to the display screen of the industrial control computer module through a digital output interface to send control signals to the display screen. This can achieve basic status display and control, such as switch status, alarm signals, etc.;

[0038] The industrial control computer module inside the PLC master station and the PLC control module inside the PLC slave station can control the driving motor 33 to run alone or in multiple groups. The driving motor 33 can move the water tank 35 and the nozzle 411 along the slide rail 31 to perform intelligent control cleaning on the surface of the conveyor belt body 3. According to different attributes of the goods, the flushing state can be adjusted at any time. The water flow in the pipeline is detected by a water flow induction switch. At the same time, the movement of the spraying module can move the status recognition module 412 together, so as to use corresponding sensors to recognize the state of the loaded and unloaded surfaces during the operation of the conveyor belt, and use ultrasonic detection technology to recognize the accumulation of goods in the funnel.

[0039] Combined with Figure 1 , the communication module includes an optical fiber communication line connecting the switch and the PLC master station, and an optical - electric converter;

[0040] In this embodiment, the optical fiber communication line is provided through a serial interface using the industry - standard Modbus protocol, ensuring data integrity and compatibility in a series of software applications and libraries. Similarly, the analog output is set by writing to the Modbus register and then converted into an analog voltage or current signal. Each node can support a combination of 4 analog input and output boards. At the same time, the switch can be directly connected to the USB serial port of the EVAL - ADICUP3029 platform board using an optical cable.

[0041] Furthermore, since Modbus is used as a serial communication protocol to send information between devices through a serial link, a simple, reliable, and durable system can be achieved regardless of the scale.

[0042] Combined with Figures 3 - 5 , the control circuit consists of a first button, a second button, a relay, a fuse, and wires. The first button and the second button are set in the first control room and the second control room and are connected to the PLC master station and the PLC slave station;

[0043] In this embodiment, referring to Figure 3 , L1, L2, and L3 are three-phase 380V industrial AC power supply. Among them, QF1 is a fuse, and KM1 and KM2 are buttons, namely contactors. These two switches need to be manually closed before the circuit starts. The left side of the figure is the main circuit. To achieve forward and reverse control, two automatic components are required. Obviously, if KM1 is the contactor for forward control, then KM2 is the reverse contactor. By swapping any two of the UVW wires, the forward and reverse switching of the motor can be completed. KM1 and KM2 are closed and swap the U and W wires respectively, thus achieving the purpose of reversing the motor. The wiring of the PLC in the control circuit remains the same as before;

[0044] Furthermore, referring to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the program principle is that the forward and reverse circuits are the same, that is, interlocking. When the motor is running forward, no matter how many times the reverse button is pressed, it will not prevent the forward operation, unless the stop button is pressed. When the forward start button is pressed, no matter how many times the reverse start and stop buttons of the motor are pressed, they will not hinder the forward operation. Conversely, the same is true for reverse operation, thus completing the interlocking. The PLC programming is the process of converting the circuit into a program. For a simple circuit, it can be directly converted into a program and used directly. The PLC program is also obvious, and the program can be directly verified whether it is normal through the program.

[0045] Combining Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the environmental protection device further includes a slide rail 31. The slide rail 31 is fixedly installed on both sides of the belt conveyor body 3 through bolts. A sliding table 32 is assembled on the slide rail 31. A servo motor 43 is fixedly installed on the slide rail 31. An elevating assembly 4 is also fixedly arranged on the surface of the sliding table 32. A mounting seat 41 is assembled on the elevating assembly 4.

[0046] In this embodiment, the sliding table 32 slides on the surface of the slide rail 31. A lead screw is arranged inside the slide rail 31. One end of the lead screw is connected to the output end of the servo motor 43 through a synchronous belt and a pulley. After being controlled by the PLC control module and the industrial control computer module, the servo motor 43 can achieve forward and reverse rotation, thereby realizing the reciprocating linear motion of the sliding table 32 on the surface of the slide rail 31. The movement of the sliding table 32 can drive the elevating assembly 4 to displace along the slide rail 31.

[0047] Combining Figure 8 , the elevating assembly 4 includes a housing 42. A lead screw 44 is rotatably arranged inside the housing 42. A guide rod 45 is also fixedly arranged inside the housing 42. The mounting seat 41 is sleeved on the lead screw 44 and the guide rod 45;

[0048] In this embodiment, a servo motor 43 can be installed at the upper end of the outer shell 42 to rotationally drive the lead screw 44. The rotating lead screw 44 can drive the mounting base 41 to move up and down along the guide rod 45, and the guide rod 45 can ensure that the mounting base 41 does not shake or deviate from the moving direction during the movement.

[0049] Combined with Figure 8 , the state recognition module 412 is fixed on the surface of the mounting base 41 by bolts. A nozzle 411 is also fixed on the mounting base 41. The water tank 35 is fixedly installed on one side of the outer shell 42. A water pump 34 is fixedly connected to the water tank 35. The output end of the water pump 34 is connected to the nozzle 411 through a hose. The water pump 34 is connected to the inside of the water tank 35 through a pipeline, and a solenoid valve is installed on the pipeline to control the size of the water flow.

[0050] In this embodiment, the lifting movement of the mounting base 41 can drive the state recognition module 412 to change its position in the vertical direction, so as to better identify the goods situation on the surface of the belt conveyor body 3. The state recognition module 412 also includes a camera, which is used to obtain the actual running state of the goods on the surface of the belt conveyor body 3. When the belt conveyor is running, the corresponding sensor is used to identify the states of the loading surface with materials and without materials, and a switching quantity signal is output through threshold setting to realize linkage with the environmental protection device, ensuring that the reclaimed water added by the environmental protection device runs to the stack yard along with the goods and reducing the pollution to the equipment along the line.

[0051] Furthermore, an ultrasonic detector can be used to identify the goods accumulation situation in the funnel, output a switching quantity alarm signal, and at the same time realize linkage with the spraying module to clean the surface of the belt conveyor.

[0052] Combined with Figure 9 , an auxiliary detection module is also arranged inside the industrial control computer module. The auxiliary detection module includes a monitoring module and a protection module. The monitoring module is connected to the state recognition module 412, and the protection module cooperates with the PLC control module.

[0053] In this embodiment, the monitoring module selects an HMI visual interface, which is a human-machine interaction interface and an interface for users to interact with and control the PLC control module. First of all, the HMI allows operators to monitor the running state, manipulate control parameters, view alarm information, etc. through a touch screen, keyboard, mouse or other input devices.

[0054] Furthermore, HMIs typically have the following functional characteristics: Graphical interface: The HMI interface presents system status, devices, and equipment in graphical form, including displaying process variables, operation buttons, charts, trend data, etc. Through an intuitive and visual interface, operators can more intuitively understand the operation of the system and the status of each device; at the same time, the HMI can perform real-time data exchange with the PLC system to monitor and obtain various parameters, status, and fault information of the system in real time. Operators can use the HMI to perform operations such as starting and stopping equipment, parameter setting, and alarm handling;

[0055] Even further, the protection module can monitor system anomalies in real time and promptly issue alarm prompts to the operator. The operator can view the alarm information through the HMI interface and handle it when an alarm occurs, including acknowledging the alarm, resetting the alarm, viewing the alarm history, etc. The protection module can record and store key data during the operation of the system, such as temperature, pressure, flow rate, etc. At the same time, with the help of the HMI, these data can also be analyzed in real time to generate trend charts, reports, etc., to help operators analyze and optimize system operation;

[0056] Some advanced HMI systems support remote monitoring and operation functions. Through network connection, operators can remotely access and control the PLC system. This function enables operators to perform system monitoring and operation at a location far from the site, increasing convenience and flexibility. As the human-machine interface of the PLC control module, the HMI allows operators to conveniently monitor and control the entire system through an intuitive graphical display and operation method.

[0057] Those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that: The discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely exemplary and is not intended to imply that the scope of the present invention (including the claims) is limited to these examples; within the concept of the present invention, the technical features in the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, and the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations in different aspects of the present invention as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity.

[0058] The present invention aims to cover all such substitutions, modifications, and variations that fall within the broad scope of the appended claims. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A distributed intelligent control and management system for a belt conveyor, characterized in that, The system mainly includes a central control subsystem for issuing control instructions, a transfer platform subsystem, and an environmental protection device for receiving signals from the central control subsystem and the transfer platform subsystem; The central control subsystem includes a first control room for accommodating operators and a PLC master station installed inside the first control room. The PLC master station is internally provided with a PLC control module, its corresponding control program and control circuit. The first control room is also internally provided with an industrial control computer module, and the industrial control computer module is internally provided with an instruction input module and a communication module; The transfer platform subsystem includes a second control room located near multiple belt conveyor bodies. The second control room is internally provided with a PLC slave station with the same modules as those inside the PLC master station. The PLC master station and the PLC slave station are connected through the communication modules carried by each of them; The environmental protection device includes a status recognition module for identifying the operating status of the belt conveyor body and a spraying module for cleaning the belt conveyor body. The status recognition module includes sensors and ultrasonic detectors. The spraying module and the status recognition module are electrically connected to the PLC control module.

2. The distributed intelligent control and management system for a belt conveyor according to claim 1, wherein: The communication module includes an optical fiber communication line connecting the switch and the PLC master station, and an optical - electrical converter.

3. The distributed intelligent control and management system of a belt conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control circuit is composed of a first button, a second button, a relay, a fuse, and wires. The first button and the second button are set in the first control room and the second control room, and are connected to the PLC master station and the PLC slave station.

4. A distributed intelligent control and management system for a belt conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The environmental protection device also includes slide rails, which are fixedly installed on both sides of the belt conveyor body by bolts. A sliding table is assembled on the slide rails, a servo motor is fixedly installed on the slide rails, a lifting assembly is fixedly arranged on the surface of the sliding table, and a mounting seat is assembled on the lifting assembly.

5. The distributed intelligent control and management system for a belt conveyor according to claim 4, wherein: The lifting assembly includes a housing, a lead screw is rotatably arranged inside the housing, a guide rod is also fixedly arranged inside the housing, and the mounting seat is sleeved on the lead screw and the guide rod.

6. The distributed intelligent control and management system for a belt conveyor according to claim 5, characterized in that: The status recognition module is fixedly bolted to the surface of the mounting seat, a nozzle is also fixed on the mounting seat, a water tank is fixedly installed on one side of the housing, a water pump is fixedly connected to the water tank, and the output end of the water pump is connected to the nozzle through a hose.

7. A distributed intelligent control and management system for a belt conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The industrial control computer module is also internally provided with an auxiliary detection module. The auxiliary detection module includes a monitoring module and a protection module. The monitoring module is connected to the status recognition module, and the protection module cooperates with the PLC control module.

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