Cylinder monitoring device based on flow analysis and method for operating same

Abstract

A cylinder monitoring apparatus according to one embodiment disclosed in this document may include: a communication circuit that obtains flow rate data representing a flow rate measured by a flow rate sensor that senses air inflow to a plurality of cylinders or air outflow from the plurality of cylinders, the plurality of cylinders operate a chamber including a lower body and an upper body above the lower body; and a processor that determines an operating state based on the flow data, the operating state including whether the plurality of cylinders are operating synchronously or not.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the priority and benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10 - 2022 - 0173011, filed on December 12, 2022, and Korean Patent Application No. 10 - 2023 - 0134614, filed on October 10, 2023, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0004] The embodiments disclosed in this document relate to a cylinder monitoring device and method based on flow analysis. Background Art

[0005] Recently, research and development of secondary batteries have been actively carried out. Here, secondary batteries are rechargeable batteries and include all conventional Ni / Cd batteries, Ni / MH batteries, and recent lithium - ion batteries. Among secondary batteries, lithium - ion batteries have the advantage of much higher energy density than conventional Ni / Cd batteries and Ni / MH batteries. In addition, lithium - ion batteries can be made small enough and light enough to be used as a power source for mobile devices, and recently their usage range has been extended to the power source of electric vehicles and they have received much attention as a next - generation energy storage medium.

[0006] A secondary battery is manufactured through the following process: placing an electrode assembly composed of a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode inside a battery case, injecting an electrolyte (i.e., an electrolytic solution), and sealing the battery case.

[0007] The injected electrolyte penetrates between the positive electrode plate, the negative electrode plate, and the separator constituting the electrode assembly due to capillary action, but due to the characteristics of the microstructure of the porous electrode and the physical and chemical properties of the components constituting the electrode and the battery, the impregnation of the electrolyte is not easy.

[0008] To enhance the electrolyte impregnation of a secondary battery, after injecting the electrolyte, a vacuum pressure chamber is used to apply pressure and decompression to the secondary battery. Such a vacuum pressure chamber includes a cylinder for vertically moving a part of the chamber body that houses the secondary battery; however, there is no separate device to detect the operating state and abnormal signs of the cylinder. Summary of the Invention

[0009] [Technical Problem]

[0010] The vacuum pressure chamber includes a flow sensor that detects the flow rate of air supplied to or discharged from the cylinder. However, the flow sensor itself cannot detect and determine whether the cylinders are operating synchronously or whether a failure has occurred, thus requiring separate equipment and / or procedures to evaluate the condition of the cylinders.

[0011] The embodiments disclosed in this document can provide a cylinder monitoring device and method that can determine the state of the cylinders by analyzing the flow rate data of the cylinders included in the vacuum pressure chamber.

[0012] The technical objectives of the embodiments disclosed in this document are not limited to the above, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand other objectives not described herein from the following description.

[0013] [Technical Solution]

[0014] A cylinder monitoring device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document may include: a communication circuit that obtains flow rate data representing the flow rate measured by a flow sensor that senses air inflow into or air outflow from a plurality of cylinders, the plurality of cylinders operating a chamber including a lower body and an upper body located above the lower body; and a processor that determines an operating state based on the flow rate data, the operating state including whether the plurality of cylinders are operating synchronously or asynchronously.

[0015] In a cylinder monitoring device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, the plurality of cylinders may include a first cylinder and a second cylinder, the flow rate data may include first flow rate data corresponding to the first cylinder and second flow rate data corresponding to the second cylinder, and the processor may determine whether the operation is synchronous or asynchronous by comparing the first flow rate data and the second flow rate data.

[0016] In a cylinder monitoring device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, the processor may determine that the operation is asynchronous based on the difference between the flow rate of the first cylinder and the flow rate of the second cylinder being higher than a predetermined value at a point in time.

[0017] In a cylinder monitoring device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, the processor may determine an abnormality in the plurality of cylinders by comparing the flow rate data with a flow rate upper limit curve and a flow rate lower limit curve included in reference operation data.

[0018] In a cylinder monitoring device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, the processor may determine that a cylinder in which the flow rate among the plurality of cylinders drops below a lower limit value on the flow rate lower limit curve and cannot return to the normal range based on the reference operation data is in an operation stop state.

[0019] In a cylinder monitoring device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, a processor may determine that a cylinder among a plurality of cylinders in which the flow rate has risen above an upper limit value on a flow rate upper limit curve and cannot return to a normal range based on reference operation data is in a state of air leakage.

[0020] In a cylinder monitoring device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, a processor may determine that a cylinder among a plurality of cylinders in which the flow rate has risen above an upper limit value on a flow rate upper limit curve and then has dropped below the upper limit value or has dropped below a lower limit value on a flow rate lower limit curve and then has risen above the lower limit value is in a state of abnormal load.

[0021] A cylinder monitoring device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document may further include a display that displays a graph representing the flow rate of air supplied to or discharged from a plurality of cylinders based on flow rate data.

[0022] A cylinder monitoring method according to an embodiment disclosed in this document may include: obtaining flow rate data representing a flow rate, the flow rate data being measured by a flow rate sensor that senses air inflow into or air outflow from a plurality of cylinders, the plurality of cylinders operating a chamber including a lower body and an upper body located above the lower body; and determining an operating state based on the flow rate data, the operating state including whether the plurality of cylinders are operating synchronously or asynchronously.

[0023] In a cylinder monitoring method according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, the plurality of cylinders may include a first cylinder and a second cylinder, the flow rate data may include first flow rate data corresponding to the first cylinder and second flow rate data corresponding to the second cylinder, and determining the operating state may include determining whether the operation is synchronous or asynchronous by comparing the first flow rate data and the second flow rate data.

[0024] In a cylinder monitoring method according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, determining whether the operation is synchronous or asynchronous may include determining that the operation is asynchronous based on the difference between the flow rate of the first cylinder and the flow rate of the second cylinder being higher than a predetermined value at a point in time.

[0025] In a cylinder monitoring method according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, determining the operating state may include determining an abnormality in the plurality of cylinders by comparing the flow rate data with a flow rate upper limit curve and a flow rate lower limit curve included in reference operation data.

[0026] In a cylinder monitoring method according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, determining an abnormality in the plurality of cylinders may include determining that a cylinder among the plurality of cylinders in which the flow rate has dropped below a lower limit value on a flow rate lower limit curve and cannot return to a normal range based on reference operation data is in a state of operation stop.

[0027] In a cylinder monitoring method according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, determining an abnormality among a plurality of cylinders may include determining that a cylinder in which the flow rate among the plurality of cylinders has risen above the upper limit value on the flow rate upper limit curve and cannot return to the normal range based on the reference operation data is in a state of air leakage.

[0028] In a cylinder monitoring method according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, determining an abnormality among a plurality of cylinders may include determining that a cylinder in which the flow rate among the plurality of cylinders has risen above the upper limit value on the flow rate upper limit curve and then dropped below the upper limit value or dropped below the lower limit value on the flow rate lower limit curve and then risen above the lower limit value is in a state of load abnormality.

[0029] [Advantageous Effects]

[0030] According to the embodiments disclosed in this document, it is possible to monitor the state of cylinders included in a vacuum pressure chamber and provide real-time to an administrator confirmed signs of abnormality, thereby allowing early prevention of problems caused by cylinder failures.

[0031] In addition, it is also possible to provide various effects directly or indirectly identified through this document. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vertically movable chamber according to an embodiment;

[0033] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a control unit for operating a plurality of cylinders according to an embodiment;

[0034] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a cylinder monitoring device according to an embodiment;

[0035] Figure 4 is a graph showing reference operation data and flow rate data according to an embodiment;

[0036] Figure 5 is a graph showing reference operation data and flow rate data according to an embodiment;

[0037] Figure 6 is a graph showing reference operation data and flow rate data according to an embodiment;

[0038] Figure 7 is a graph showing reference operation data and flow rate data according to an embodiment;

[0039] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cylinder monitoring device according to an embodiment;

[0040] Figure 9is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cylinder monitoring device according to an embodiment; and

[0041] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cylinder monitoring device according to an embodiment. Detailed Description

[0042] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the description is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, but should be construed as including various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments described herein.

[0043] The various embodiments disclosed in this document and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be construed as including various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the corresponding embodiments. In the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals may be used for similar or related elements. Unless otherwise clearly specified in the relevant context, the singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one item or multiple items.

[0044] In this document, each of the phrases such as "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" may include any item listed together in the corresponding phrase or any possible combination thereof. Unless otherwise specifically stated, terms such as "first", "second", "the first", "the second", "A", "B", "(a)", or "(b)" may be used only to distinguish these components from other components and do not limit the corresponding components in other respects (such as importance or order).

[0045] In this document, when it is mentioned that one (e.g., the first) component is "connected", "coupled", "accessed" (regardless of whether there is the term "functionally" or "communicatively") to another (e.g., the second) component, it means that the component can be directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or via a third component connected to the other component. According to various embodiments, each of the above components (e.g., a module or a program) may include a single object or multiple objects, and some of the multiple objects may be separately provided in other components.

[0046] According to various embodiments, one or more of the above components or operations may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, multiple components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single component. In such a case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as the corresponding components among the multiple components performed before integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, program, or other component are performed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations are performed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0047] Hereinafter, with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the configuration of a vertically movable chamber according to an embodiment will be described.

[0048] Figure 1 FIG.

[0049] With reference to Figure 1 , the vertically movable chamber 10 may include a chamber body 100 for accommodating a target object (not shown), a chamber frame 200 surrounding the chamber body 100, a plurality of cylinders 300 for vertically moving a part of the chamber body 100, and a control unit 400 for operating the plurality of cylinders 300.

[0050] Here, the target object may be a secondary battery, and more specifically, a cylindrical secondary battery in a state where an electrolyte is injected. Although not necessarily limited thereto, for the sake of convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the secondary battery is accommodated in the chamber 10.

[0051] According to an embodiment, the chamber body 100 may be composed of a lower body 110 and an upper body 120. According to an embodiment, the lower body 110 may have an approximately circular plate-like structure. According to an embodiment, the upper body 120 may be located above the lower body 110 to move up and down, and have a hollow hemispherical or semi-elliptical shape.

[0052] The upper surface of the lower body 110 accommodates the secondary battery for impregnation with the electrolyte. And in order to achieve rapid and uniform impregnation by alternately pressurizing and depressurizing, the lower body 110 may have a structure that maintains a seal to block external interference when tightly adhered to the upper body 120, and is firmly fastened to prevent separation even under the applied internal pressure. In addition, the lower body 110 or the upper body 120 may be equipped with an openable port for depressurization or pressurization.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the chamber frame 200 may include a vertical frame 210, a horizontal frame 220, a support plate 230, and a guide frame 240.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the vertical frames 210 are formed in pairs, positioned facing each other, with the chamber body 100 therebetween, and the vertical frames 210 on each side may be arranged in pairs at a predetermined interval. Thus, the vertical frames 210 may be composed of a total of four.

[0055] According to one embodiment, the horizontal frame 220 is fixed to the upper portions of the four vertical frames 210 and may have an approximately rectangular plate-like structure.

[0056] According to one embodiment, the support plate 230 is located between the horizontal frame 220 and the upper body 120 and may move up and down by the operation of a plurality of cylinders 300 while firmly supporting the upper body 120.

[0057] In one embodiment, the guide frame 240 is intended to guide the stable vertical movement of the support plate 230 and is arranged to vertically penetrate the guide frame 240. Specifically, the guide frame 240 has a generally rod-like shape, with its lower end on the ground and the other end abutting against the lower surface of the horizontal frame 220, and the number of the guide frames 240 may be set to four, penetrating each corner of the guide frame 240, but the number may be increased or decreased as needed.

[0058] In one embodiment, a plurality of cylinders 300 are located between the vertical frames 210, more specifically, between a pair of guide frames 240, to stably support the support plate 230 and may be mounted facing each other one by one along the edge of the support plate 230. For example, the plurality of cylinders 300 may include a first cylinder on the left side of the chamber body 100 and a second cylinder on the right side of the chamber body 100.

[0059] According to one embodiment, the plurality of cylinders 300 may include a cylindrical cylinder tube 310, a head cover 320, a rod cover 330, and a piston 340.

[0060] According to one embodiment, the head cover 320 is positioned to seal the head side end of the cylinder tube 310 and includes a head side port 321 that facilitates the inflow of air during the ascent of the support plate 230 and the outflow of air during the descent of the support plate 230, as well as a second air duct connecting the head side port 321 to a flow sensor.

[0061] According to one embodiment, the rod cover 330 seals the rod end of the cylinder tube 310 and may be equipped with a rod side port 331 that is always kept open.

[0062] According to one embodiment, the piston 340 may divide the cylinder chamber while being in close contact with the inner side of the cylinder tube 310.

[0063] Multiple cylinders 300 are well-known techniques, and thus a more detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0064] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a control unit for operating multiple cylinders according to one embodiment.

[0065] According to one embodiment, the control unit 400 may control the operation of the multiple cylinders 300 by controlling the inflow and outflow of air.

[0066] Reference Figure 2 , the control unit 400 may include a main valve 410, a regulator 420, a first pressure sensor 430, a pilot valve 440, an inflow sensor 450, an outflow sensor 460, a second pressure sensor 470, and a pressure relief valve 480.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the main valve 410 controls the inflow of air from an air compressor (not shown), and may include an air inlet 411 on one side for connection to a first air pipe L1 connected to the air compressor.

[0068] According to one embodiment, the regulator 420 may be located downstream of the main valve 410 to regulate the pressure of the inflowing air such that the pressure set for the rise of the multiple cylinders 300 is transmitted to the multiple cylinders 300.

[0069] According to one embodiment, the first pressure sensor 430 is located downstream of the regulator 420 to measure the pressure of the air passing through the regulator 420. Here, the first pressure sensor 430 may be equipped with a first display unit 431 to visually display the pressure measured in real time, and may have an additional function to generate a warning signal, an alarm, or a warning when the pressure exceeds a predetermined range or when an abnormal pressure condition persists for a predetermined period of time.

[0070] According to one embodiment, the pilot valve 440 is located between the first pressure sensor 430, the outflow sensor 460, and the second pressure sensor 470, that is, on the path of the inflowing air and the outflowing air, thereby allowing the direction of the air flow to be switched.

[0071] According to one embodiment, the inflow sensor 450 serves as a unidirectional flow sensor to measure the flow rate of air sequentially passing through the first pressure sensor 430, the pilot valve 440, and the outflow sensor 460. The number of inflow sensors 450 may be the same as the number of head-side ports of the plurality of cylinders 300. For example, since there are two cylinders each having one head-side port, the inflow sensors 450 may include a first inflow sensor 451 and a second inflow sensor 452, which supply air to each head-side port. The first inflow sensor 451 and the second inflow sensor 452 are respectively provided with a first air inlet 451' and a second air inlet 452', and the first air inlet 451' and the second air inlet 452' may be connected to the second air duct L2. The second air duct L2 may be used as a passage for discharging compressed air when the cylinder descends.

[0072] According to one embodiment, the outflow sensor 460 may be located between the inflow sensor 450 and the pilot valve 440 to measure the unidirectional air flow rate discharged from the plurality of cylinders 300. The outflow sensor 460 may include a first outflow sensor 461 and a second outflow sensor 462 to measure the air flow rate discharged from each head-side port.

[0073] Meanwhile, although Figure 2 not shown in the figure, the control unit 400 may include a communication circuit that can transmit flow rate data representing the inflow measured by the inflow sensor 450 and / or the outflow measured by the outflow sensor 460 to an external device (e.g., Figure 3 the cylinder monitoring device 30 in the figure) via wired and / or wireless means.

[0074] According to one embodiment, the second pressure sensor 470 is located downstream of the outflow sensor 460 to measure the pressure of the air passing through the outflow sensor 460, and more specifically, to measure the pressure of the air sequentially passing through the outflow sensor 460 and the pilot valve 440. The second pressure sensor may be equipped with a second display unit 471 to visually display the incoming air pressure in real time, and may have an additional function to generate a warning signal, an alarm, or a warning when the pressure exceeds a predetermined range or when an abnormal pressure condition persists for a predetermined period.

[0075] According to one embodiment, the pressure relief valve 480 may be located downstream of the second pressure sensor 470 to control the discharge of air from the cylinder pipe 310 while maintaining a predetermined pressure. That is, by adjusting the air pressure in the cylinder pipe 310, the sudden descent of the chamber body 100 can be restricted, thereby preventing accidents that may be caused by the descending upper body 120.

[0076] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a cylinder monitoring device according to one embodiment. Figure 3 may be based onFigure 1 and Figure 2 describe the configuration of.

[0077] Referring to Figure 3 , the cylinder monitoring device 30 may include a communication circuit 31, a memory 32, a display 33, and / or a processor 34. According to this embodiment, Figure 3 the cylinder monitoring device 30 shown in Figure 3 may include at least one additional component (e.g., an input device or an output device) not shown in Figure 3 , or omit at least one component (e.g., the display 33) shown in

[0078] According to one embodiment, the communication circuit 31 may establish a wired and / or wireless communication channel between the cylinder monitoring device 30 and the chamber 10 and / or the administrator terminal 20, and exchange data with the chamber 10 and / or the administrator terminal 20 through the established communication channel.

[0079] According to one embodiment, the communication circuit 31 may acquire flow rate data representing the flow rate measured by the inflow sensor 450 and / or the outflow sensor 460 of the chamber 10. For example, the communication circuit 31 may obtain the flow rate data from the communication circuit included in the chamber 10 via wired and / or wireless means.

[0080] According to one embodiment, the flow rate data may represent the inflow or outflow of air supplied to or discharged from the plurality of cylinders 300. According to one embodiment, the flow rate data may include first flow rate data corresponding to a first cylinder located on the left side of the chamber body 100 among the plurality of cylinders 300 and second flow rate data corresponding to a second cylinder located on the right side of the chamber body 100. Specifically, the first flow rate data (or the second flow rate data) may represent the flow rate of air supplied to or discharged from the first cylinder (or the second cylinder).

[0081] According to one embodiment, the communication circuit 31 may transmit the flow rate data and / or the result data processed by the processor 34 to the administrator terminal 30 via wired and / or wireless means. Here, the result data may represent a state indicating the synchronous operation of the plurality of cylinders 300, which will be described later.

[0082] According to one embodiment, the memory 32 may include a volatile memory and / or a non-volatile memory.

[0083] According to one embodiment, the memory 32 may store data used by at least one component (e.g., the processor 34) of the cylinder monitoring device 30. For example, the data may include software (or related instructions), input data, or output data. In one embodiment, the instructions may be executed by the processor 34 to cause the cylinder monitoring device 30 to perform operations defined by the instructions.

[0084] According to one embodiment, the memory 32 may store reference operation data. Here, the reference operation data may be data preset based on the flow rate data of a normally operating cylinder. For example, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may generate a flow rate upper limit curve and a flow rate lower limit curve based on the flow rate data of a normally operating cylinder as the reference operation data, and store the reference operation data in the memory 32.

[0085] According to one embodiment, the display 33 may display the flow rate data and / or the result data processed by the processor 34. For example, the display 33 may display a graph representing the flow rate of air supplied to or discharged from the plurality of cylinders 300.

[0086] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may include a central processing unit, an application processor, a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor.

[0087] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may execute software stored in the memory 32 to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) connected to the processor 32 in the cylinder monitoring device 30 and perform various data processing or calculations.

[0088] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may determine the state of the plurality of cylinders 300. Here, the state may include the synchronous operation and / or abnormality of the plurality of cylinders 300. The processor 34 may determine the state of the plurality of cylinders 300 based on the flow rate data acquired via the communication circuit 31.

[0089] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may determine whether the first cylinder and the second cylinder among the plurality of cylinders 300 are operating synchronously by comparing the first flow rate data corresponding to the first cylinder among the plurality of cylinders 300 and the second flow rate data corresponding to the second cylinder among the plurality of cylinders 300.

[0090] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may determine whether the first cylinder and the second cylinder are operating synchronously by comparing the start time point and the end time point of the operations of the first cylinder and the second cylinder. For example, when both the start time point and the end time point are the same, the processor 34 may determine that the first cylinder and the second cylinder are operating synchronously.

[0091] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may calculate a time difference between the flow rate of the first cylinder and the flow rate of the second cylinder, and determine whether the first cylinder and the second cylinder are operating synchronously based on the calculated difference. For example, when there is a time point at which the flow rate difference between the first cylinder and the second cylinder is higher than a predetermined value, the processor 34 may determine that the first cylinder and the second cylinder are operating asynchronously.

[0092] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may determine synchronous operation by considering both the start time and the end time of the operation and the difference in flow rate. For example, the processor 34 may determine that the first cylinder and the second cylinder are operating synchronously based on the same start time point and end time point of the first cylinder and the second cylinder and the difference in flow rate remaining lower than a predetermined value.

[0093] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may compare the flow rate data with reference operation data stored in the memory 32 to determine an abnormality (e.g., operation stop, air leakage, and / or load abnormality) in the plurality of cylinders 300. The processor 34 may compare the flow rate data with the flow rate upper limit curve and the flow rate lower limit curve included in the reference operation data to determine an abnormality in the plurality of cylinders 300.

[0094] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may determine that a cylinder in which the flow rate drops below the lower limit value on the flow rate lower limit curve and cannot recover to the normal range based on the reference operation data is in an operation stop state. Here, the normal range may refer to a flow rate range in which the flow rate is between the flow rate upper limit and the flow rate lower limit of the reference operation data.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may determine that a cylinder in which the flow rate rises above the upper limit value on the flow rate upper limit curve and cannot recover to the normal range is in an air leakage state. Here, air leakage may refer to the escape of air due to a problem such as a crack in the cylinder, resulting in an unexpected leakage of air flowing into or out of the cylinder.

[0096] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may determine that a cylinder in which the flow rate rises above the upper limit value on the flow rate upper limit curve and then drops below the upper limit value or drops below the lower limit value on the flow rate lower limit curve and then rises above the lower limit value is in a load abnormality state.

[0097] Hereinafter, with reference to Figures 4 to 7 , an example of the processor 34 determining the state of the plurality of cylinders 300 based on the flow rate data will be described.

[0098] Figures 4 to 7 is a graph showing reference operation data and flow rate data according to one embodiment.

[0099] With reference toFigure 4 , the curve diagram shows the flow rate upper limit curve 41 and the flow rate lower limit curve 43 included in the reference operation data, the first flow rate data 45 corresponding to the first cylinder, and the second flow rate data 47 corresponding to the second cylinder.

[0100] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may determine that multiple cylinders 300 are operating synchronously based on the flow rate data 45 and 47, because the start time points and end time points of the operations of the first cylinder and the second cylinder are the same, and the flow rate difference is maintained below a predetermined value.

[0101] According to one embodiment, the processor may determine that multiple cylinders 300 are in a normal state based on the flow rate data 45 and 47, because the flow rates of the first cylinder and the second cylinder are within the normal range of the reference operation data.

[0102] Reference Figure 5 , the curve diagram shows the flow rate upper limit curve 41 and the flow rate lower limit curve 43 included in the reference operation data, the first flow rate data 55 corresponding to the first cylinder, and the second flow rate data 57 corresponding to the second cylinder.

[0103] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may determine that multiple cylinders 300 are operating synchronously based on the flow rate data 55 and 57, because the start time points and end time points of the operations of the first cylinder and the second cylinder are the same, and the flow rate difference is maintained below a predetermined value.

[0104] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may determine that multiple cylinders 30 are in an operation stop state based on the flow rate data 55 and 57, because the flow rates of the first cylinder and the second cylinder have dropped below the lower limit value on the flow rate lower limit curve 43 and cannot be restored to the normal range based on the reference operation data.

[0105] Reference Figure 6 , the curve diagram shows the flow rate upper limit curve 41 and the flow rate lower limit curve 43 included in the reference operation data, the first flow rate data 65 corresponding to the first cylinder, and the second flow rate data 67 corresponding to the second cylinder.

[0106] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may determine that multiple cylinders 300 are operating asynchronously based on the flow rate data 65 and 67, because although the start time points and end time points of the operations of the first cylinder and the second cylinder are the same, there are time points when the flow rate difference exceeds the predetermined value.

[0107] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may determine that the first cylinder is in an abnormal load state based on the first flow rate data 65 because the flow rate of the first cylinder drops below the lower limit value on the flow rate lower limit curve 43 and then rises above the lower limit value. The processor 34 may also determine that the second cylinder is in an abnormal load state based on the second flow rate data 67 because there is an interval where the flow rate drops below the lower limit value on the flow rate lower limit curve 43 and then rises above the lower limit value, and there is an interval where the flow rate exceeds the upper limit value on the flow rate upper limit curve 41 and then drops below the upper limit value.

[0108] Reference Figure 7 , which curve diagram shows the flow rate upper limit curve 41 and the flow rate lower limit curve 43 included in the reference operation data, the first flow rate data 75 corresponding to the first cylinder, and the second flow rate data 77 corresponding to the second cylinder.

[0109] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may determine that the plurality of cylinders 300 are not operating synchronously based on the flow rate data 75 and 77 because, although the start time points of the operations of the first cylinder and the second cylinder are the same, the end time points are different, and there is a time point where the flow rate difference exceeds a predetermined value.

[0110] According to one embodiment, it may be determined that the first cylinder is in a leaking state based on the first flow rate data 75 because the flow rate of the first cylinder rises above the upper limit value on the flow rate upper limit curve 41 and cannot return to the normal range based on the reference operation data.

[0111] According to one embodiment, it may be determined that the second cylinder is in a normal state based on the second flow rate data 77 because the flow rate of the second cylinder is within the normal range based on the reference operation data.

[0112] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cylinder monitoring device according to one embodiment. Figure 8 may illustrate Figure 3 the operation of the cylinder monitoring device 30 in Figures 1 to 3 and may be described based on the configuration shown in

[0113] Figure 8 The embodiment shown in Figure 8 is only one embodiment, and the order of operations according to various embodiments of the present invention may be different from the order shown in Figure 8 and some of the operations shown in

[0114] Reference Figure 8, in operation 805, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may acquire flow rate data representing the flow rate measured by the flow rate sensors 450 and / or 460 of the chamber 10. According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may use the communication circuit 31 to acquire the flow rate data from the communication circuit of the chamber 10 by wired and / or wireless means.

[0115] According to one embodiment, the flow rate data may represent the inflow or outflow of air supplied to or discharged from the plurality of cylinders 300. According to one embodiment, the flow rate data may include first flow rate data corresponding to a first cylinder located on the left side of the chamber body 100 among the plurality of cylinders 300 and second flow rate data corresponding to a second cylinder located on the right side of the chamber body 100. Specifically, the first flow rate data (or the second flow rate data) may represent the flow rate of air supplied to or discharged from the first cylinder (or the second cylinder).

[0116] In operation 810, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may determine the states of the plurality of cylinders based on the flow rate data acquired in operation 805. Here, the states may include the synchronous operation and / or abnormality of the plurality of cylinders 300.

[0117] The operation in which the cylinder monitoring device 30 determines the synchronous operation of the plurality of cylinders 300 may be described in detail with reference to Figure 9 and the operation in which the cylinder monitoring device 30 determines the abnormality of the plurality of cylinders 300 may be described in detail with reference to Figure 10 for details.

[0118] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the cylinder monitoring device according to one embodiment. Figure 9 may illustrate Figure 3 the operation of the cylinder monitoring device 30 in Figures 1 to 3 and may be described based on the configuration shown in

[0119] Figure 9 The embodiment shown in Figure 9 is only one embodiment, and the order of operations according to various embodiments of the present invention may be different from the order shown in Figure 9 and some of the operations shown in

[0120] may be omitted, changed in order, or combined. Figure 9 Referring to

[0121] In operation 910, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may compare the first flow rate data and the second flow rate data obtained in operation 905. According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may compare the start time points and the end time points of the first cylinder and the second cylinder. According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may compare the flow rate of the first cylinder with the flow rate of the second cylinder. For example, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may calculate the time difference between the flow rate of the first cylinder and the flow rate of the second cylinder.

[0122] In operation 915, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may determine whether the plurality of cylinders 300 are operating synchronously based on the result of the comparison in operation 910.

[0123] According to one embodiment, when the start time points and the end time points of the first cylinder and the second cylinder are the same, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may determine that the first cylinder and the second cylinder are operating synchronously.

[0124] According to one embodiment, when there is a time point at which the flow rate difference between the first cylinder and the second cylinder is higher than a predetermined value, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may determine that the first cylinder and the second cylinder are operating asynchronously.

[0125] According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may consider both the start time and the end time of the operation and the flow rate difference to determine synchronous operation. For example, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may determine that the first cylinder and the second cylinder are operating synchronously based on the start time points and the end time points of the first cylinder and the second cylinder being the same and the flow rate difference remaining lower than a predetermined value.

[0126] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cylinder monitoring device according to one embodiment. Figure 10 may illustrate Figure 3 the operation of the cylinder monitoring device 30 in, and may be described based on Figures 1 to 3 the configuration shown in.

[0127] Figure 10 The embodiment shown in is merely one embodiment, and the order of operations according to various embodiments of the present invention may be different from Figure 10 the order shown in, and Figure 10 some of the operations shown in may be omitted, changed in order, or combined.

[0128] Referring to Figure 10 , in operation 1005, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may acquire flow rate data representing the flow rate measured by the flow rate sensors 450 and / or 460 of the chamber 10. According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may acquire the flow rate data from the communication circuit of the chamber 10 via wired and / or wireless means using the communication circuit 31.

[0129] In operation 1010, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may compare the flow rate data acquired in operation 1005 with reference operation data. Here, the reference operation data may be data preset based on the flow rate data of a cylinder in normal operation. For example, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may generate an upper flow rate curve and a lower flow rate curve based on the flow rate data of a cylinder in normal operation as the reference operation data.

[0130] According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may compare the flow rate data with the upper flow rate curve and the lower flow rate curve included in the reference operation data.

[0131] In operation 1015, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may determine anomalies (e.g., operation stop, air leakage, and / or load anomaly) in the plurality of cylinders 300 based on the result of the comparison in operation 1010.

[0132] According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may determine that a cylinder in which the flow rate drops below the lower limit value on the lower flow rate curve and cannot recover to the normal range based on the reference operation data is in an operation stop state. Here, the normal range may refer to the flow rate range between the upper flow rate and the lower flow rate of the reference operation data.

[0133] According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may determine that a cylinder in which the flow rate rises above the upper limit value on the upper flow rate curve and cannot recover to the normal range is in an air leakage state. Here, air leakage may refer to the escape of air due to problems such as cracks in the cylinder, resulting in an unexpected leakage of air flowing into or out of the cylinder.

[0134] According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may determine that a cylinder in which the flow rate rises above the upper limit value on the upper flow rate curve and then drops below the upper limit value or drops below the lower limit value on the lower flow rate curve and then rises above the lower limit value is in a load anomaly state.

[0135] In addition, terms such as "comprising," "including," or "having" used above imply that the corresponding components may exist, unless otherwise specifically stated, and should therefore be interpreted as being able to further include other components rather than excluding other components. Unless otherwise defined herein, all terms, including technical or scientific terms used herein, have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. It will also be understood that terms, such as those defined in a common dictionary, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless so defined herein.

Claims

1. A cylinder monitoring device, comprising: A communication circuit that obtains flow rate data representing a flow rate, the flow rate being measured by a flow rate sensor that senses air inflow into or air outflow from a plurality of cylinders, the plurality of cylinders operating a chamber including a lower body and an upper body located above the lower body; And A processor that determines an operating state based on the flow rate data, the operating state including whether the plurality of cylinders are operating synchronously or asynchronously.

2. The cylinder monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of cylinders include a first cylinder and a second cylinder, the flow rate data includes first flow rate data corresponding to the first cylinder and second flow rate data corresponding to the second cylinder, and the processor determines whether the operation is synchronous or asynchronous by comparing the first flow rate data and the second flow rate data.

3. The cylinder monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein, The processor determines that the operation is asynchronous based on the difference between the flow rate of the first cylinder and the flow rate of the second cylinder being higher than a predetermined value at a point in time.

4. The cylinder monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein, The processor determines an abnormality in the plurality of cylinders by comparing the flow rate data with a flow rate upper limit curve and a flow rate lower limit curve included in reference operation data.

5. The cylinder monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein, The processor determines that a cylinder among the plurality of cylinders in which the flow rate drops below a lower limit value on the flow rate lower limit curve and cannot return to a normal range based on the reference operation data is in an operation stop state.

6. The cylinder monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein The processor determines that a cylinder among the plurality of cylinders in which the flow rate rises above an upper limit value on the flow rate upper limit curve and cannot return to a normal range based on the reference operation data is in a leak state.

7. The cylinder monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein, The processor determines that a cylinder among the plurality of cylinders in which the flow rate rises above an upper limit value on the flow rate upper limit curve and then drops below the upper limit value, or drops below a lower limit value on the flow rate lower limit curve and then rises above the lower limit value is in a load abnormality state.

8. The cylinder monitoring device according to claim 1, further comprising a display that displays a graph representing the flow rate of air supplied to or discharged from the plurality of cylinders based on the flow rate data.

9. A cylinder monitoring method, comprising: Obtaining flow rate data representing a flow rate, the flow rate being measured by a flow rate sensor that senses air inflow into or air outflow from a plurality of cylinders, the plurality of cylinders operating a chamber including a lower body and an upper body located above the lower body; And Determining an operating state based on the flow rate data, the operating state including whether the plurality of cylinders are operating synchronously or asynchronously.

10. The cylinder monitoring method according to claim 9, wherein, The plurality of cylinders include a first cylinder and a second cylinder, the flow rate data includes first flow rate data corresponding to the first cylinder and second flow rate data corresponding to the second cylinder, and determining the operating state includes determining whether the operation is synchronous or asynchronous by comparing the first flow rate data and the second flow rate data.

11. The cylinder monitoring method according to claim 10, wherein, Determining whether the operations are synchronous or asynchronous includes determining asynchronous operations based on the difference between the flow rate of the first cylinder and the flow rate of the second cylinder being higher than a predetermined value at a point in time.

12. The cylinder monitoring method according to claim 9, wherein, Determining the operating state includes determining an abnormality in the plurality of cylinders by comparing the flow rate data with an upper flow rate curve and a lower flow rate curve included in reference operating data.

13. The cylinder monitoring method according to claim 12, wherein, Determining an abnormality in the plurality of cylinders includes determining that a cylinder among the plurality of cylinders in which the flow rate drops below a lower limit value on the lower flow rate curve and cannot recover to a normal range based on the reference operating data is in an operation stop state.

14. The cylinder monitoring method according to claim 12, wherein, Determining an abnormality in the plurality of cylinders includes determining that a cylinder among the plurality of cylinders in which the flow rate rises above an upper limit value on the upper flow rate curve and cannot recover to a normal range based on the reference operating data is in a leakage state.

15. The cylinder monitoring method according to claim 12, wherein, Determining an abnormality in the plurality of cylinders includes determining that a cylinder among the plurality of cylinders in which the flow rate rises above an upper limit value on the upper flow rate curve and then drops below the upper limit value, or drops below a lower limit value on the lower flow rate curve and then rises above the lower limit value is in a load abnormality state.

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