Industrial kiln and gas remote control method of industrial kiln

Abstract

The industrial furnace comprises a furnace body and a heat exchanger, and the furnace body comprises a heating section, a constant temperature section and a cooling section which are arranged in the material conveying direction; the heat exchanger is arranged in the cooling section of the furnace body, one end of the heat exchanger communicates with the heating section of the furnace body, and the other end of the heat exchanger is used for being connected with an external air source. According to the industrial kiln, the heating efficiency of process gas is improved, the heating time is shortened, the processing efficiency of materials is improved, meanwhile, the cooling speed of the materials and waste gas is increased, the overall energy consumption and the temperature of the waste gas are reduced, the temperature of the waste gas exhausted to the atmosphere is not too high, and therefore the surrounding environment is prevented from being excessively affected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of industrial manufacturing equipment, and in particular relates to an improved industrial kiln and a gas remote control method for the industrial kiln. Background Art

[0002] The kiln is a common industrial heating equipment, widely used in industries such as new energy, lithium batteries and building materials. It meets process requirements such as sintering by heating the furnace to the target temperature. In order to avoid oxidation during the sintering process, some materials need to continuously introduce process gases (such as nitrogen or argon) to maintain the atmosphere, and at the same time, the gases generated by sintering are discharged outside the furnace. The uniformity of the temperature in the furnace is a key condition for the sintering of materials. If the temperature fluctuates greatly and the uniformity deteriorates, it may lead to large differences in the sintered materials, and even unstable structures and performances. In the prior art, in order to increase the temperature of the input gas, an air intake pipeline is usually set in the high-temperature section of the kiln so that the input gas is heated in the high-temperature section. However, this process will disperse the heat in the high-temperature section, causing the temperature to drop. If the input gas is heated in advance, additional energy consumption will be generated. Secondly, after sintering is completed, the material needs to be cooled to room temperature. This process takes a long time, and the direct discharge of high-temperature gas into the atmosphere will also affect the surrounding environment.

[0003] The information disclosed in this background technology section is only intended to enhance understanding of the overall background of the invention and should not be regarded as an admission or any form of suggestion that the information constitutes the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide an improved industrial kiln to solve the problems of gas supply and exhaust in traditional kilns.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, a specific embodiment of the present invention provides an industrial kiln, including a furnace body and a heat exchanger, wherein the furnace body includes a heating section, a constant temperature section and a cooling section arranged along the material transportation direction; the heat exchanger is arranged in the cooling section of the furnace body, one end of which is connected to the heating section of the furnace body, and the other end is used to connect to an external gas source.

[0006] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a first flow meter, a first thermometer and a first pressure gauge are provided between the heat exchanger and the external gas source, and the first flow meter, the first thermometer and the first pressure gauge are respectively connected to a communication module.

[0007] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a first valve is provided between the heat exchanger and the external gas source, and the first valve is at least in communication with the first flow meter.

[0008] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a first PID control module is connected between the first valve and the first flow meter.

[0009] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the first valve, the first flow meter, the first thermometer and the first pressure gauge are respectively connected to a wireless communication module.

[0010] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a second flow meter, a second thermometer and a second pressure gauge are provided between the heat exchanger and the furnace heating section, and the second flow meter, the second thermometer and the second pressure gauge are respectively connected to a communication module.

[0011] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a second valve is provided between the heat exchanger and the temperature rising section, and is in communication connection with at least the second flow meter.

[0012] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a second PID control module is connected between the second valve and the second flow meter.

[0013] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the second valve, the second flow meter, the second thermometer, and the second pressure gauge are respectively connected to a wireless communication module.

[0014] The present invention also provides a method for remotely controlling gas of an industrial kiln, comprising the following steps:

[0015] S1. A heat exchanger is installed in the cooling section of the kiln, with its air inlet connected to an external air source and its air outlet connected to the heating section of the kiln;

[0016] S2. Install a thermometer, a pressure gauge, a flow meter, and a valve connected to a wireless communication module at both ends of the heat exchanger;

[0017] S3. Establish a local server and a cloud server, wherein the cloud server receives and stores data of the thermometer, pressure gauge, flow meter, and valve;

[0018] S4. The mobile terminal directly accesses the cloud server to obtain the data and controls the on / off and opening / closing size of the valve, or the cloud server transmits the data to the local server, and the local terminal obtains the data by accessing the local server and controls the on / off and opening / closing size of the valve.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the industrial kiln of the present invention improves the heating efficiency of the process gas, shortens the heating time, and improves the processing efficiency of the material. At the same time, it increases the cooling rate of the material and the exhaust gas, reduces the overall energy consumption and the exhaust gas temperature, and prevents the exhaust gas temperature discharged to the atmosphere from being too high, thereby preventing excessive impact on the surrounding environment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an industrial kiln according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the system operation of an industrial kiln in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a flow chart of a method for remotely controlling gas in an industrial furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Description of main reference numerals:

[0025] 100-industrial kiln, 11-heating section, 12-cooling section, 13-constant temperature section, 20-heat exchanger, 31-first flow meter, 32-first thermometer, 33-first pressure gauge, 34-first valve, 35-first PID controller, 41-second flow meter, 42-second thermometer, 43-second pressure gauge, 44-second valve, 45-second PID controller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of 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 making creative efforts should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, an industrial kiln 100 in one embodiment of the present invention includes a furnace body and a heat exchanger 20, wherein the furnace body includes a heating section 11, a constant temperature section 13 and a cooling section 12 arranged along the material transportation direction, and the heat exchanger 20 is arranged in the cooling section 12, one end of which is connected to the heating section 11 of the furnace body, and the other end is used for connecting to an external gas source.

[0028] During the sintering process (here, lithium iron phosphate positive electrode material is used as an example), the material first enters the heating section 11 and is gradually heated to the temperature in the constant temperature section 13 (material reaction temperature). The moisture and organic matter in the material are gradually removed through the heating process. This heating needs to maintain a certain heating rate to avoid thermal stress cracking of the material due to excessive heating. After being heated to the target temperature (material reaction temperature), the material enters the constant temperature section 13, stays in the constant temperature section 13 for a certain period of time, and enters the cooling section 12 after the reaction is completed until it cools to room temperature.

[0029] During the entire heating stage, process gas needs to be continuously introduced to discharge moisture and organic decomposition products (such as CO, CO2) in the raw materials and prevent air backflow, while suppressing the oxidation reaction. The input gas can be N2 or other inert gases, and can be supplemented with a small amount of H2 or CO to enhance the reducing properties. After entering the constant temperature section 13, the process gas is continuously input to promote the completion of the thermal reduction reaction and discharge the residual waste gas. After that, the exhaust port is closed, and the gas is continued to be input to increase the pressure in the furnace and maintain the pressure to promote grain densification and optimize the carbon coating effect. After the reaction is completed, the material enters the cooling section 12 for cooling, and the process gas continues to be continuously input to prevent the material from being oxidized due to contact with air during the high-temperature cooling process, resulting in the generation of impurities, and to prevent the material lattice distortion.

[0030] Temperature uniformity within the furnace is a critical requirement during the reaction process. To ensure temperature uniformity within the heating section 11 and the constant temperature section 13, the incoming gas must be preheated to avoid changes in the furnace temperature that could affect the material reaction. To address this, a heat exchanger 20 is installed within the cooling section 12. The process gas entering the heating section 11 undergoes heat exchange with the furnace exhaust gas in the cooling section 12. The heated process gas then enters the heating section 11, preventing significant temperature differences from the furnace that could affect temperature uniformity.

[0031] Compared with the common method of placing the heat exchanger externally and then introducing exhaust gas through a pipe to heat the process gas to be input, in this embodiment, the entire heat exchanger 20 is arranged in the cooling section 12, which can fully increase the heat exchange area between the exhaust gas and the process gas, thereby improving the heating efficiency of the process gas, shortening the heating time, and thus improving the processing efficiency of the material; secondly, since the heat exchange action is carried out directly in the cooling section 12, that is, the heat exchanger 20 directly participates in the cooling process of the cooling section 12, the cooling speed of the cooling section 12 and the material is further accelerated; furthermore, this setting method does not use additional heating means to increase the temperature of the process gas, thereby avoiding additional energy consumption; finally, the heat exchange also reduces the exhaust gas temperature in the cooling section 12, so that the exhaust gas temperature discharged into the atmosphere is not too high, thereby preventing excessive impact on the surrounding environment.

[0032] The heat exchanger 20 may be a common shell and tube heat exchanger or a plate heat exchanger, which provides a heat exchange surface for the internal and external gases through a shell tube bundle or corrugated plates to complete the heat exchange.

[0033] A main pressure gauge 51 is also provided in the heating section 11 for monitoring the internal real-time pressure. An exhaust fan 52 is also provided in the heating section 11 for discharging the exhaust gas in the furnace.

[0034] In one embodiment, a first flowmeter 31, a first thermometer 32, and a first pressure gauge 33 are provided between the heat exchanger 20 and the external gas source to monitor data such as the flow rate, temperature, and pressure of the gas within the pipeline. Preferably, each of the first flowmeter 31, the first thermometer 32, and the first pressure gauge 33 is connected to a communication module for transmitting the monitored data, such as the gas flow rate, temperature, and in-pipe pressure, to a control terminal (including both fixed and mobile terminals). This facilitates real-time monitoring of gas input by personnel and provides data reference for making adjustments based on production conditions.

[0035] exist Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, a first valve 34 is disposed between the heat exchanger 20 and the external gas source and is in communication with at least the first flow meter 31. The first valve 34 can automatically adjust its opening and closing based on data received from the first flow meter 31 to adjust the intake air flow rate to meet production requirements.

[0036] Specifically, a first PID control module 35 is connected between the first valve 34 and the first flowmeter 31 to achieve closed-loop coupling control between the two. Proportional control (P) is to respond to the current error immediately and output a control quantity proportional to the error. The larger the proportional coefficient, the faster the response, but too large will cause system oscillation. Integral control (I) is to accumulate historical errors and eliminate steady-state errors. The smaller the integral time constant, the stronger the integral effect, but it may cause overshoot. Differential control (D) is to predict the error change trend, suppress overshoot and speed up the response speed. Through proportional control (P), integral control (I) and differential control (D), the system error (here is the error between the real-time gas flow rate and the target flow rate) is dynamically adjusted to control the intake volume and the pressure in the furnace within the set process range value.

[0037] Preferably, the first valve 34, the first flowmeter 31, the first thermometer 32, and the first pressure gauge 33 are all connected to a wireless communication module (such as a 4G or 5G module). Compared to wired communication, wireless communication does not require separate power and data cables, making it more flexible and convenient. Furthermore, the wireless communication modules connecting the first valve 34, the first flowmeter 31, the first thermometer 32, and the first pressure gauge 33 are each connected to an independent power supply module. This transmits both intake data and power data, prompting the operator to replace or recharge the battery when the battery is low, thereby avoiding signal transmission interruptions due to power outages.

[0038] Since the first flow meter 31, the first thermometer 32, and the first pressure gauge 33 are arranged at the front end of the heat exchanger 20, in order to provide more precise air intake control, a second flow meter 41, a second thermometer 42, and a second pressure gauge 43 are also arranged between the heat exchanger 20 and the furnace body heating section 11. The three are arranged at the front end of the furnace body heating section 11 and the rear end of the heat exchanger 20, and the three are respectively connected to a communication module for real-time monitoring of the flow rate, temperature and pressure inside the pipe of the gas entering the furnace body.

[0039] At the same time, a second valve 44 is arranged between the heat exchanger 20 and the furnace body heating section 11, which is used to control the actual gas flow entering the heating section 11, and the second valve 44 is at least communicated with the second flow meter 41 to control the opening and closing angle of the valve according to the data received from the second flow meter 41, thereby controlling the actual gas flow flowing into the furnace body heating section 11 to meet production requirements.

[0040] A second PID control module 45 is connected between the second valve 44 and the second flow meter 41. PID control is also used between the two to dynamically adjust the system error (the error between the real-time gas flow rate and the target flow rate) to control the intake air volume and the pressure in the furnace within the set process range.

[0041] The second valve 44, the second flow meter 41, the second thermometer 42 and the second pressure gauge 43 are respectively connected to a wireless communication module, and each is connected to an independent power supply module, so there is no need to connect power lines and data lines separately. At the same time, according to the returned power data, the battery can be replaced or charged when the power is low, which is more flexible and convenient.

[0042] In summary, a combination of flow meters, thermometers, pressure gauges and valves are respectively provided at the front end of the heat exchanger 20 and the front end of the furnace heating section 11. The two sets of sensors and valves work together to control the air intake according to the environmental requirements in the furnace to meet the sintering requirements of the material; each sensor or valve transmits data back to the terminal through a wireless communication module, and each is connected to a wireless power supply module, thereby reducing the power supply lines and data lines, and the overall structure is simpler.

[0043] The present invention also provides a method for remotely controlling gas in an industrial kiln, which mainly comprises the following steps:

[0044] S1. A heat exchanger is installed in the cooling section of the kiln, with its air inlet connected to an external air source and its air outlet connected to the heating section of the kiln.

[0045] Specifically, a heat exchanger is installed within the kiln's cooling section, with its inlet connected to an external air source and its outlet connected to the kiln's heating section. By placing the heat exchanger directly within the kiln's cooling section, the incoming process gas temperature is raised while simultaneously lowering the exhaust gas temperature discharged into the atmosphere. This prevents low process gas temperatures from affecting temperature uniformity within the kiln and reduces the environmental impact of high exhaust gas temperatures.

[0046] S2. A thermometer, a pressure gauge, a flow meter and a valve connected to a wireless communication module are respectively installed at both ends of the heat exchanger.

[0047] Specifically, by setting a combination of thermometers, pressure gauges, flow meters and valves connected to wireless communication modules at both ends of the heat exchanger, the temperature, pressure and flow rate of the process gas before heat exchange, as well as the temperature, pressure and flow rate of the heated process gas input into the kiln heating section, are monitored. The pipeline channel and gas flow rate are controlled by valves according to production conditions.

[0048] S3. Establish a local server and a cloud server, and the cloud server receives and stores the data of the thermometer, pressure gauge, flow meter and valve.

[0049] Specifically, a local server and a cloud server are established, and the thermometer, pressure gauge, flow meter and valve upload data to the cloud server.

[0050] S4. The mobile terminal directly accesses the cloud server to obtain the data and controls the on / off and opening / closing size of the valve, or the cloud server transmits the data to the local server, and the local terminal obtains the data by accessing the local server and controls the on / off and opening / closing size of the valve.

[0051] Specifically, production enterprises obtain monitoring data and control the production process in two ways. One is that mobile terminals (such as mobile phones) obtain various monitoring data by accessing the cloud server, and control the on-off and opening and closing size of the valve according to production needs; the other is that the cloud server downloads the monitoring data to the local server, and various departments of the production enterprise (such as the monitoring department, process department and equipment department, etc.) can obtain various monitoring data by accessing the local server, and control the on-off or opening and closing size of the valve according to production needs.

[0052] The gas remote control method of this industrial kiln uploads all the data of the kiln to the cloud, realizing remote real-time viewing and setting of operating parameters on mobile and local terminals without the need for operators to operate on-site. Secondly, the process department and equipment department of the production enterprise can set the data statistics method according to needs, realizing one-click viewing of various equipment parameters without the need for secondary processing. Finally, this control method can improve the intelligence level of the equipment and avoid human error in operation or mis-leveling of data.

[0053] In one embodiment, each sensor or actuator (valve) is powered by a battery, so there is no need to use power lines and data lines, and the overall structure is simpler. At the same time, power data is transmitted back to remind the operator to replace or charge the battery when the power is low, so as to avoid monitoring the middle end.

[0054] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above and that the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and non-restrictive, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims, not the foregoing description, and all variations within the meaning and range of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included therein. Any reference sign in a claim should not be construed as limiting the claim to which it relates.

[0055] In addition, it should be understood that although this specification is described in terms of implementation methods, not every implementation method contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative method of the specification is only for the sake of clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other implementation methods that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. An industrial kiln, characterized in that: include: A furnace body, comprising a temperature rising section, a constant temperature section, and a temperature falling section arranged along the material transport direction; The heat exchanger is arranged in the temperature-lowering section of the furnace body, one end of the heat exchanger is connected to the temperature-higher section of the furnace body, and the other end is used for connecting to an external gas source.

2. The industrial kiln according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first flow meter, a first thermometer and a first pressure gauge are provided between the heat exchanger and the external gas source, and the first flow meter, the first thermometer and the first pressure gauge are respectively connected to a communication module.

3. The industrial kiln according to claim 2, characterized in that: A first valve is provided between the heat exchanger and the external gas source, and is at least in communication with the first flow meter.

4. The industrial kiln according to claim 3, characterized in that: A first PID control module is connected between the first valve and the first flow meter.

5. The industrial kiln according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first valve, the first flow meter, the first thermometer and the first pressure gauge are respectively connected to a wireless communication module.

6. The industrial kiln according to claim 1, characterized in that: A second flow meter, a second thermometer and a second pressure gauge are provided between the heat exchanger and the furnace heating section, and the second flow meter, the second thermometer and the second pressure gauge are respectively connected to a communication module.

7. The industrial kiln according to claim 6, characterized in that: A second valve is provided between the heat exchanger and the temperature rising section and is at least in communication with the second flow meter.

8. The industrial kiln according to claim 6, characterized in that: A second PID control module is connected between the second valve and the second flow meter.

9. The industrial kiln according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second valve, the second flow meter, the second thermometer and the second pressure gauge are respectively connected to a wireless communication module.

10. A method for remotely controlling gas in an industrial furnace, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. A heat exchanger is installed in the cooling section of the kiln, with its air inlet connected to an external air source and its air outlet connected to the heating section of the kiln; S2. Install a thermometer, a pressure gauge, a flow meter, and a valve connected to a wireless communication module at both ends of the heat exchanger; S3. Establish a local server and a cloud server, wherein the cloud server receives and stores data of the thermometer, pressure gauge, flow meter, and valve; S4. The mobile terminal directly accesses the cloud server to obtain the data and controls the on / off and opening / closing size of the valve, or the cloud server transmits the data to the local server, and the local terminal obtains the data by accessing the local server and controls the on / off and opening / closing size of the valve.

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