Novel process for detecting moisture of sintering mixture

Abstract

The invention relates to a novel sintering mixture moisture detection process, which is characterized in that transverse rotary cutting and sampling equipment with a material taking hopper is arranged in the middle of a sintering mixture belt, a small belt special for moisture detection is arranged, and an iron removal device, a demagnetization device, a scraping device and a microwave moisture meter receiver are sequentially arranged on the small belt special for moisture detection. The microwave moisture meter emitter is arranged at a part which is below the working layer of the special small belt for moisture detection and corresponds to the microwave moisture meter receiver above the working layer of the special small belt through the small belt; a material stacking device is further mounted on the mixture belt and in front of the rotating area of the material taking hopper; a belt radian keeping device is further mounted at the position, corresponding to the rotating area of the upper material taking hopper, below the working layer of the mixture belt; in order to keep the measured moisture data lasting and accurate, a mechanism for calibrating by using a drying method is also configured in the detection process, and the mechanism comprises a microcomputer, a mechanical arm, a manipulator, an electronic scale with a drying device, a sampling disc and a rotary brush; through the configuration, a novel process and equipment configuration for detecting the moisture of the sintering mixture are formed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of moisture detection in sintering mixtures for steel enterprises, specifically a new process flow and equipment configuration system for microwave moisture detection in sintering mixtures. Background Technology

[0002] Because the blast furnaces in the current ironmaking process of the steel industry still mainly use sintered ore as the iron-containing furnace charge; because sintered ore must be produced by sintering machines; because sintering machines must use a "mixture" composed of various materials when producing sintered ore; because the "mixture" must be mixed with water and granulated before being laid on the sintering machine, especially since the amount of water added to the mixture not only affects the air permeability, thermal conductivity and heat exchange of the sintering bed, but also affects the yield and quality of the sintered ore; therefore, almost all sintered ore producers attach great importance to the moisture detection of the sintering mixture. Initially, this was done by manually sampling and offline drying and weighing to calculate the moisture content. Because this method results in slow data feedback, high labor intensity for workers, and personal safety risks, it is also not conducive to timely adjustment of the moisture content of the mixture. With the development and progress of technology and equipment, many manufacturers have gradually begun to adopt microwave moisture detection equipment to detect and display the moisture content of the mixture online. Compared with manual sampling, drying, and weighing methods, microwave moisture detection equipment can obtain data in a timely manner and provide more timely guidance on the amount of water added later. Therefore, it is beneficial to the regulation and control of the moisture content of the sintering mixture, the stability of the moisture content of the sintering mixture, the stability of the sinter quality, the reduction of manual labor for workers, and personal safety.

[0003] Given the importance of moisture detection in sintered ore production, almost all sintered ore manufacturers have raised the requirements for the automation and accuracy of moisture detection in sintered ore mixtures, and some companies have already carried out research in this area. For example, the patent application No. 201921662076.5, "An Online Moisture Detection Device for Sintered Arrangements in Flow State," has studied the removal of the influence of iron wires in the conveyor belt and the leveling of the material surface. However, there is still room for research in terms of completely eliminating factors that affect the accuracy of moisture detection in sintered ore mixtures.

[0004] Another patent series, with application number 202211653523.7, entitled "An integrated device for detecting moisture in sintered mixtures and its usage method," proposes another solution for detecting moisture in sintered mixtures. This solution involves configuring appropriate equipment and using "drying and weighing" as the main method to achieve online detection of moisture in sintered mixtures. Although this solution can achieve automatic sampling and avoid manual intervention, and considers cleaning the equipment, the machinery used is relatively complex. Its daily maintenance, including cleaning and identifying the sampling containers, is somewhat difficult, and slight carelessness can affect the detection accuracy.

[0005] Through understanding the aforementioned patents and combining years of practical experience in moisture detection of sintered mixtures, it has become clear that microwave moisture detection remains the safest, most reliable, and easiest to implement method for moisture detection in sintered mixtures. However, microwave moisture detection is not without its flaws. The thickness of the sintered mixture layer on the mixing belt cannot be perfectly uniform, and maintaining this thickness is subject to uncontrollable factors, thus affecting the accuracy of microwave moisture detection. Besides layer thickness, ferrous impurities are often mixed into the sintered mixture, significantly interfering with the accuracy of microwave moisture detection. In addition to layer thickness and ferrous impurities, magnetite is sometimes added to the sintered mixture, and its magnetic properties greatly interfere with the accuracy of microwave moisture detection.

[0006] In response to the objective reasons for the existence of the aforementioned mixtures and their impact on the accuracy of microwave moisture detection, this application proposes a new process flow and equipment configuration system for microwave moisture detection of sintering mixtures. The aim is to completely eliminate all interfering factors in microwave moisture detection of sintering mixtures, so as to provide enterprises with more accurate moisture detection data for sintering mixtures, enabling enterprises to more accurately adjust and control the moisture content of sintering mixtures, and thus enabling enterprises to produce sintered ore products with better quality and higher yield. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose and technical task of this invention is to develop and utilize a new process flow and equipment configuration system for microwave moisture detection of sintered mixtures, as described in this invention, to completely eliminate all interfering factors in microwave moisture detection of sintered mixtures, and to provide enterprises with more accurate moisture detection data for sintered mixtures.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives and technical tasks, the technical measures adopted by this invention are as follows: Addressing the problem that the sintered mixture has a thick, uneven, unstable, and uncontrollable layer thickness on its mixing belt, which affects the accuracy of microwave moisture detection, the invention improves the accuracy of moisture detection by installing appropriate equipment at a suitable position in the middle of the sintered mixture conveyor belt. The installed equipment includes a material handling device capable of laterally rotating and cutting the material chute to obtain a cross-sectional sample; a dedicated small conveyor belt for moisture detection is installed behind the material handling device; and an iron removal device installed on the small conveyor belt to eliminate interference from iron impurities in the sintered mixture that could interfere with the accuracy of microwave moisture detection. The measures taken to mitigate the impact on microwave moisture detection include: a demagnetizing device installed on the conveyor belt to eliminate interference from the magnetism of the magnetite itself; a scraping device to evenly spread the sample on the conveyor belt to maintain uniform material layer thickness and overcome the impact of uneven material layer thickness on microwave moisture detection; and the implementation of these measures to reduce and homogenize the material layer thickness, resulting in a more rational and complete process flow and equipment configuration, thus leading to more accurate moisture measurements of the sintered mixture.

[0009] Specifically, above a suitable position in the middle of the sintering mixture conveyor belt, a material handling device capable of laterally rotating and cutting the cross-section of the mixture chute is first installed. A material stacking device is installed in front of this "material handling device" to concentrate the chute towards the center of the conveyor belt, creating conditions for obtaining a complete chute cross-section. A "dedicated moisture detection conveyor belt" is installed behind the "material handling device" to evenly distribute the sample taken by the rotating material handling device onto the "dedicated conveyor belt." Simultaneously, to improve the accuracy of moisture detection, an iron removal device and a demagnetizing device are sequentially installed on the dedicated moisture detection conveyor belt. The system includes a scraping device and a microwave moisture detection device. The microwave moisture detection device consists of a microwave moisture meter transmitter and a microwave moisture meter receiver. The microwave moisture meter transmitter is installed below the working layer of the small conveyor belt, corresponding to the microwave moisture meter receiver above it, separated by the small conveyor belt. Through the above configuration and arrangement, the accuracy of microwave moisture detection of the sintering mixture can be significantly improved. This provides enterprises with more accurate and timely moisture information of the sintering mixture, which is conducive to timely control of the moisture content of the sintering mixture and thus helps enterprises produce sintered ore products with better quality and higher output.

[0010] Specifically, a rotary hopper sampling device is installed at an appropriate position in the middle of the sintering mixture conveyor belt. This sampling device can rotate along the arc of the cross-section of the conveyor belt to "collect" material, obtaining a sample of the cross-section of the "material sluice" by transverse rotation and cutting. Then, the sample is discharged by rotating the "collecting hopper" to the top and quickly braking, and then discharged onto a "dedicated small conveyor belt for moisture detection" via a "guide plate". When the sample is laid flat on the dedicated small conveyor belt for moisture detection and passes under the "iron removal device", "demagnetizing device", "scraping device" and "microwave moisture meter receiver", the moisture of the sintering mixture is detected. Compared with the existing equipment that only uses microwave detection, this configuration can make the moisture detection data of the mixture more accurate.

[0011] To address the issue that all conveyor belts have a certain degree of flexibility, and to prevent the working layer of the mixed material belt from "sagging" during material collection and affecting the collection accuracy, a "belt curvature maintaining device" is specifically installed below the working layer of the mixed material belt, specifically below the part of the mixed material belt working layer corresponding to the rotation of the "collector hopper". This device keeps the curvature of the upper surface of the belt consistent with the curvature formed by the rotation radius of the "collector hopper", thus creating conditions for obtaining a complete cross-sectional material sample of the chute.

[0012] After testing, the mixture is discharged from the tail of the small conveyor belt and falls back onto the mixing conveyor belt.

[0013] To ensure that the process described in this invention can consistently provide accurate data, a mechanism for periodic calibration using a "drying" method is also configured in the above-mentioned detection process. This mechanism mainly consists of a microcomputer, a robotic arm, a robotic hand, a sampling tray, an electronic scale with a drying device, and a rotating brush. The microcomputer and the electronic scale with the drying device are mounted on a large platform, and the rotating brush is mounted on a brush rotation motor, which is installed at the lower right end of the large platform. The sampling method is as follows: the robotic arm and robotic hand hold the sampling tray and extend the sampling tray into the small leather... The material sample is collected at the "drop point" at the end of the conveyor belt. The sample, along with the sampling tray, is placed on an electronic scale with a drying device for drying and weighing. After drying and weighing, the robotic arm and robotic hand remove the sampling tray and return the sample to the sintering mixture conveyor belt. On the return trip, a rotating brush cleans the sampling tray, and the tray is then placed back on the electronic scale with a drying device to weigh the empty tray. This cycle is repeated to "calibrate" the previous test data, ensuring the continuous accuracy of the system's data.

[0014] In order for the system to operate continuously and stably, maintain data accuracy, and automatically sample and calibrate the system at regular intervals using a drying method, a microcomputer is used to control the system and process the data.

[0015] The "new process for moisture detection of sintered mixtures" described above can be used not only for moisture detection of sintered mixtures, but also for bulk materials such as coal and grain that require moisture detection.

[0016] The outstanding features and beneficial effects of this invention, "A Novel Process for Moisture Detection of Sintered Mixtures," are as follows: The rotating hopper sampling method and the use of a small conveyor belt allow for a thinner, more uniform, and easier-to-level material layer to be tested, facilitating microwave penetration. Furthermore, the iron removal and demagnetization devices installed on the small conveyor belt effectively eliminate the influence of iron impurities and the magnetism of magnetite on microwave moisture detection, resulting in more accurate data. The overall process flow and equipment configuration, including the method of periodic calibration through drying and weighing, not only completely eliminate all interference factors affecting the accuracy of microwave moisture detection in sintered mixtures but also ensure the system data remains accurate for a longer period. Therefore, this invention provides enterprises with more accurate and timely moisture information for sintered mixtures, enabling more precise and effective moisture regulation and control, and ultimately leading to higher quality and higher yields of sintered ore products. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Appendix Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention, "A new process for detecting moisture in sintered mixtures".

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 1. Mixing conveyor belt; 2. Small conveyor belt for moisture detection; 3. Large platform; 4. Large platform support leg; 5. Small platform; 6. Small platform support leg. 7. Ground; 8. Stacking device; 9. Hopper rotary motor; 10. Connecting part; 11. Hopper; 12. Hopper inner inclined plate; 13. Guide plate; 14. Iron removal device; 15. Demagnetizing device; 16. Scraping device; 17. Microwave moisture meter receiver; 18. Microwave moisture meter transmitter; 19. Hopper swirl area (see area shown by double-dotted line); 20. Belt curvature maintaining device; 21. Crossbeam supporting the small belt conveyor (position shown by dashed line in the figure); 22. Discharge port; 23. Robotic arm; 24. Microcomputer; 25. Electronic scale with drying device; 26. Robotic arm drive device; 27. Robotic arm; 28. Sampling tray; 29. ​​Rotating brush; 30. Brush rotary motor; "→" in the figure indicates the belt running direction; "double-dotted line" indicates the situation where the robotic arm puts the sampling tray back on the "electronic scale with drying device".

[0019] Regarding the lack of attached diagrams and the absence or unclear representation of certain parts in the diagrams: 1. Due to the attached diagrams... Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a technological process (equipment configuration). Therefore, the specific structure of some devices or components is not shown in the diagram; only their relative positions are displayed. Furthermore, the connection relationships of some components may require textual description. 2. Due to the appendix... Figure 1 Based on the description of "selecting samples from the middle of the mixing conveyor belt and using a transverse rotating cutting method to collect materials," it is understandable that the "collecting hopper" rotates and collects materials within the "collecting hopper's rotating area." Therefore, no schematic diagram showing the circumferential rotation of the "collecting hopper" is provided (see attached diagram). Figure 1 (Left view); 3. To clearly and concisely express the process flow of the conveyor belt, the belts in the figure are all represented by "lines," and well-known components such as "belt frame and idlers" are not specifically shown. Furthermore, the corresponding equipment connected and fixed to the belt frame and their fixing methods are all described in text; 4. Since the installation and fixing method of the "mixed material belt" is a well-known technology in the industry, it is not shown in the attached figure; 5. To simplify the attached figure, the same components in different parts are only labeled once, and unlabeled parts are identified by their shape; 6. The circuit connection methods for system control are not provided. The attached diagrams rely solely on textual descriptions for illustrative purposes; 7. The scene in the attached diagrams where "the robotic arm coordinates with the robotic handheld sampling tray to take samples at the end of the small belt" is represented by a thick solid line, and the scene where "the robotic arm coordinates with the robotic handheld sampling tray to place the sample along with the sampling tray onto an electronic scale with a drying device" is represented by a double-dotted line. However, the scene where "the robotic arm coordinates with the robotic handheld sampling tray to clean at the rotating brush" is not shown and is only described in textual descriptions; 8. Since it is considered that the specific structure of the "robotic arm" and how it holds the sampling tray are not necessary to address at this time, they are not specifically shown in the attached diagrams or descriptions; 9. Since the control program and software design of the entire system are not considered to be relevant at this time, they are not shown in the attached drawings; 10. The braking of the rotating motor of the hopper is achieved through the internal electrical control of the motor, so other components are not shown in the attached drawings; 11. Since the installation and fixing methods of the microwave moisture meter transmitter and the belt curvature holding device are not shown in the attached drawings, they are only described in the description; 12. The robotic arm in the figure is a two-section structure, but it is not labeled separately, and the "joints" are not labeled separately either, so they are only described in the description of their functions; 13. Since the "robotic hand" is not shown in the figure, the mechanical structure of the "robotic hand" holding the "sampling plate" can only be described in the description; This is hereby explained. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Referring to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, the "new process for moisture detection of sintering mixtures" of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0021] Before proceeding, the following explanation is provided regarding the use of "shape terms" and "location terms" and component names containing "shape terms" and "location terms" in this explanation and the preceding description: Terms such as "above," "below," "left front," "left end," "lower end," "upper end," "right end," "end," "above," "below," "outside," "left side," "from left to right," "large," and "small" used in this explanation and the preceding description are merely expressions of the shapes and orientations seen in the accompanying drawings. They are used solely to describe the shapes, orientations, and interrelationships of the components in the drawings, for identification and ease of review, and do not represent a specific shape, necessary form, necessary installation position, or connection method for any particular component, nor are they limitations on the shape, structure, or function of any specific component. This is hereby stated.

[0022] The embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings are described below: The "new process for moisture detection of sintered mixture" described in this invention is as follows: a small belt (2) for moisture detection is installed above a suitable position in the middle of the sintered mixture belt (1) of an iron and steel enterprise. The "belt frame" of the small belt (2) for moisture detection is installed on the crossbeam (21) supporting the small belt conveyor. The crossbeam (21) supporting the small belt conveyor is installed and fixed inside the large platform support leg (4). The lower end of the large platform support leg (4) is fixed on the ground (7), and the upper end of the large platform support leg (4) is installed on the large platform (3). Referring to the attached drawings, a "hopper sampling device" is installed in front of the small belt (2) for moisture detection. The "hopper sampling device" includes a "hopper rotary motor" (9), a connector (10), and a hopper (11). The hopper rotary motor (9) is installed on the small platform (5). The lower end of the small platform (5) is connected to the upper end of the small platform support leg (6), and the lower end of the small platform support leg (6) is installed on the ground (7). Referring to the attached diagram, a connector (10) is installed on the shaft at the right end of the hopper rotary motor (9). A hopper (11) is installed on the connector (10). An "inner hopper ramp" (12) for easy unloading is installed inside the hopper (11). The lower end of the "inner hopper ramp" (12) is connected to the lower part of the discharge port (22). A guide plate (13) is located on the right side outside the discharge port (22). The guide plate (13) is fixed to the lower left end of the large platform (3). The hopper rotary motor (9) Driven by the hopper, the hopper (11) rotates in the hopper swirl area (19). When the hopper (11) rotates to the bottom, it takes a sample. When the hopper (11) rotates to the top after taking the sample, it is braked to stop the hopper (11) at the top so that the sample can flow out of the discharge port (22) along the "inner inclined plate" (12) and then flow through the guide plate (13) to be smoothly discharged onto the working layer of the moisture detection special small belt (2). This cycle is repeated to realize the sampling operation.

[0023] To improve the accuracy of microwave detection of moisture in sintered mixtures, referring to the attached diagram, an iron removal device (14), a demagnetizing device (15), a scraping device (16), and a microwave moisture meter receiver (17) are installed from left to right above the working layer of the moisture detection belt (2) and below the large platform (3). Below the microwave moisture meter receiver (17), that is, below the working layer of the moisture detection belt (2) corresponding to the microwave moisture meter receiver (17), a microwave moisture meter transmitter (18) is installed and fixed on the belt frame of the moisture detection belt (2).

[0024] To make material collection easier and more representative, a stacking device (8) is installed on the mixing conveyor belt (1), in front of the "hopper sampling device" on the left side. The upper end of the stacking device (8) is fixed to the lower left end of the small platform (5).

[0025] To prevent the material hopper (11) from scraping the mixture incompletely due to the sagging of the mixing belt (1) during material collection, a belt curvature retaining device (20) is installed below the working layer of the mixing belt (1) and below the part corresponding to the hopper swirl area (19). The belt curvature retaining device (20) is installed and fixed on the belt frame of the mixing belt (1).

[0026] To maintain the stable operation of the process described in this invention and the long-term accuracy of the data, a mechanism for periodic calibration using a "drying" method is also configured in the detection process. This mechanism includes a microcomputer (24), a robotic arm (23), a robotic hand (27), and an electronic scale (25) with a drying device, as well as a sampling tray (28) and a rotating brush (29). The microcomputer (24) and the electronic scale (25) with a drying device are mounted on a large platform (3). The "rotating brush" (29) is mounted on a brush rotation motor (30), which is mounted on the lower right side of the large platform (3). The robotic arm (23) holds the sampling tray (28) through the robotic hand (27) and performs a sampling on the moisture detection tray. Take a sample from the lower right end of the small belt (2), and then place the sample along with the sampling tray (28) on the electronic scale (25) with the drying device for drying and weighing. After drying and weighing, the robot (27) and the robotic arm (23) take the sampling tray (28) away and pour the sample back onto the sintering mixture belt (1). Then, when returning, use the rotating brush (29) to clean the concave surface of the sampling tray (28), and then put the sampling tray (28) back onto the electronic scale (25) with the drying device to weigh the empty tray. Repeat this process once to periodically "calibrate" the previous test data, thereby achieving continuous accuracy of the system data.

[0027] The "robotic arm" (23) is mounted on the "robotic arm drive device" (26), which is fixed to the upper right end of the "large platform" (3). The "robotic arm" (23) is a two-section structure, connected by a "joint". The end is equipped with a "robotic hand" (27), which can hold the "sampling tray" (28). The "robotic hand" (27) also has a flipping function, which can flip the "sampling tray" (28) to pour the material. It can work with the robotic arm (23) to rotate the concave surface of the "sampling tray" (28) to the position aligned with the "rotating brush" (29) and use the "rotating brush" (29) to clean the concave surface of the "sampling tray" (28). The "rotating brush" (29) is mounted on the "brush rotating motor" (30), which is mounted on the lower right end of the large platform (3).

[0028] As can be seen from the above description of the embodiments, the "new process for moisture detection of sintered mixture" of the present invention can completely eliminate the interference factors of the mixture on microwave moisture detection, and can periodically calibrate the previous detection data. Therefore, it can provide manufacturers with more accurate moisture detection data.

[0029] The "new process for moisture detection of sintered mixtures" shown in the above embodiments can also be used for bulk materials such as coal and grain that require moisture detection.

[0030] The above detailed description is an illustration of preferred embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, any process employing the microwave moisture detection technology for sintered mixtures described in this invention, including equipment configuration systems, such as using a rotating hopper to sample the mixture from the middle of the conveyor belt and combining this with a small conveyor belt for re-laying the material layer and performing moisture detection, as well as installing iron removal devices and demagnetizing devices, and being able to automatically calibrate the detected data at regular intervals, regardless of whether a "material stacking device" and a "belt curvature maintaining device" are installed, falls within the protection scope of this invention. Furthermore, any modifications and variations conceived by those skilled in the art based on this invention without creative effort, or technical solutions obtained by those skilled in the art based on the concept of this invention through certain technical means, also fall within the protection scope defined by this invention.

Claims

1. A novel process for detecting moisture content in sintered mixtures, characterized in that: A transverse rotating cutting and sampling device with a hopper is installed in the middle of the sintering mixture conveyor belt. A dedicated small conveyor belt for moisture detection is also installed, and an iron removal device, a demagnetizing device, a scraping device, and a microwave moisture meter receiver are sequentially installed on the dedicated small conveyor belt. The microwave moisture meter transmitter is installed below the working layer of the dedicated small conveyor belt, corresponding to the microwave moisture meter receiver above it across the small conveyor belt. A material stacking device is also installed on the mixing conveyor belt in front of the hopper's rotating area. A belt curvature maintaining device is also installed below the working layer of the mixing conveyor belt, corresponding to the hopper's rotating area above. To maintain the stable operation of the process described in this invention and the long-term accuracy of the data, a calibration mechanism using a drying method is also configured in the detection process. This mechanism includes a microcomputer, a robotic arm, a robotic hand, and an electronic scale with a drying device, as well as a sampling plate and a rotating brush. The microcomputer and the electronic scale with the drying device are mounted on a large platform. The rotating brush is mounted on a brush rotation motor, which is installed at the lower right end of the large platform. The above configuration forms a new process flow and equipment configuration system for moisture detection of sintering mixtures.

2. The novel process for moisture detection of sintered mixtures according to claim 1, characterized in that: The novel process for moisture detection of sintered mixtures can also be applied to bulk materials such as coal and grain that require moisture testing.

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