Intelligent sponge sand drying and curing equipment applying digital twinning technology

Abstract

The invention discloses intelligent sponge sand drying and curing equipment applying a digital twinning technology, which comprises a drying oven body, a heater, a circulating fan and a dehumidifier are arranged in the drying oven body, and a plurality of temperature sensors and humidity sensors for monitoring the temperature and humidity in the drying oven are distributed in the drying oven body. The near-infrared spectrometer is used for monitoring the water content and the curing degree of the sponge sand, the non-contact thermal imager is used for monitoring the surface temperature field distribution of the sponge sand, the current sensor is used for monitoring current, and the fan vibration sensor is used for monitoring the circulating fan; the system further comprises a data receiving and analyzing module based on the digital twinborn body, the data receiving and analyzing module is connected with a display unit and an execution control module, and the execution control module is used for controlling and adjusting the heater, the circulating fan and the dehumidifier. The oven has the characteristic of being capable of sensing the state of materials in the oven in real time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a sponge sand thermosetting device, and more particularly to a smart drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology. Background Technology

[0002] Sponge abrasive, commonly known as sponge sandpaper or sponge blocks, is made by bonding abrasive particles such as alumina and silicon carbide to the surface of polyurethane foam (sponge) using synthetic resin. During production, the sponge abrasive surface needs to undergo a drying and curing process. This drying and curing is a crucial step in the production of sponge abrasive, directly determining the abrasive adhesion, product softness, and final quality. However, current sponge abrasive curing equipment relies heavily on manual experience to set process parameters (such as drying temperature, time, and airflow), making it impossible to perceive microscopic changes in the material's state inside the oven (such as moisture gradient and degree of curing) in real time. This leads to quality control depending on subsequent finished product inspection, hindering timely intervention and adjustments. Therefore, existing technology suffers from the problem of not being able to perceive the material's state inside the oven in real time. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide an intelligent drying and curing device for sponge sand that utilizes digital twin technology. This invention features the ability to sense the state of materials inside the drying oven in real time.

[0004] The technical solution of this invention: A smart drying and curing device for sponge sand using digital twin technology, comprising an oven body, which houses a heater, a circulating fan, and a dehumidifier. The oven body contains multiple temperature and humidity sensors for monitoring temperature and humidity within the oven, a near-infrared spectrometer for monitoring the moisture content and degree of curing of the sponge sand, a non-contact thermal imager for monitoring the surface temperature field distribution of the sponge sand, a current sensor for monitoring current, and a fan vibration sensor for monitoring the circulating fan. It also includes a data receiving and analysis module based on digital twins, connected to a display unit and an execution control module. The execution control module controls and adjusts the heater, circulating fan, and dehumidifier.

[0005] In the aforementioned intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology, the data receiving and analysis module receives monitoring data from various sensors. The multi-physics coupling model calculates and predicts information on moisture migration, heat transfer, and adhesive curing reaction of the sponge sand during the drying process based on the monitoring data. It also displays the temperature field, humidity field, current moisture content and degree of curing of the material inside the drying oven in real time and in a visual manner, and predicts future state evolution. At the same time, the execution control module controls and adjusts the heater and the circulating fan dehumidifier.

[0006] The process of establishing a multi-physics coupling model in the aforementioned intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology: S1. Set the thickness, width, and porosity of the sponge sand; set the density, specific heat capacity, and thermal conductivity of the sponge sand substrate and abrasive; set the initial temperature and humidity of the oven and the material. S2. Establish the governing equations for each physical field; S3. Connect the governing equations of each physical field through coupling terms; S4. Solve using the finite element volume method.

[0007] In the aforementioned intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology, step S2 includes the physical field control equations: airflow field control equation, temperature field control equation, humidity field / mass transfer equation, and chemical reaction field-curing kinetics equation. The governing equations for the airflow field are based on a turbulence model. Temperature field governing equations: , in: Cp is density, K is specific heat capacity, T is thermal conductivity, and t is time. It is the velocity vector, and Q is the heat source term; The humidity field / mass transfer equation is as follows: , Where C is the water vapor concentration, D eff S is the effective diffusion coefficient, and S is the evaporation source term; The chemical reaction field-solidification kinetic equation is as follows: , Where A refers to the pre-factor, E a It is the activation energy, R is the ideal gas constant, and n is the reaction order.

[0008] In the aforementioned intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology, the oven body includes a box body with an inlet and an outlet at the top and bottom of one side. The box body contains three layers of heat-insulating partitions located between the inlet and outlet. The top and bottom heat-insulating partitions have a first through-hole on the other side, and the middle heat-insulating partition has a second through-hole on one side. The box body contains a conveying mechanism with its inlet end corresponding to the inlet and its outlet end corresponding to the outlet. The vertical section of the conveying mechanism passes through the corresponding first and second through-holes. Anti-deviation components corresponding to the vertical area of ​​the conveying mechanism are located at the top and bottom of the first and second through-holes. A preheating mechanism is located in the cavity above the top heat-insulating partition, heating mechanisms are located in the cavities above and below the middle heat-insulating partition, and a rear heating mechanism is located in the cavity below the bottom heat-insulating partition.

[0009] In the aforementioned intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology, the conveying mechanism includes multiple flat conveying rollers located above the upper heat-insulating partition plate, a horizontal conveying roller group located above and below the middle heat-insulating partition plate, and a horizontal conveying roller group located below the lower heat-insulating partition plate; the horizontal conveying roller group includes multiple horizontal rollers that are staggered vertically along the horizontal conveying direction.

[0010] In the aforementioned intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology, both the flat conveying roller and the horizontal roller include a central air duct. The central air duct is fitted with a uniform air distribution pipe. The side wall of the central air duct has a set of annularly distributed linear openings, and the surface of the uniform air distribution pipe has a set of uniformly distributed air distribution holes.

[0011] In the aforementioned intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology, the anti-deviation component includes an anti-deviation substrate located on the side of the sponge sand, and anti-deviation baffles are provided at both ends of the anti-deviation substrate.

[0012] In the aforementioned intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology, a set of spreading rollers is provided on the inner side of the feed inlet.

[0013] In the aforementioned intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology, each cavity of the housing is also equipped with a circulating fan, a dehumidifier, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a near-infrared spectrometer, and a non-contact thermal imager.

[0014] Compared with existing technologies, this invention, by incorporating temperature and humidity sensors inside the oven body for monitoring temperature and humidity, a near-infrared spectrometer for monitoring the moisture content and degree of curing of the sponge sand, a non-contact thermal imager for monitoring the temperature field distribution on the surface of the sponge sand, a current sensor for monitoring the heater, and a fan vibration sensor for monitoring the circulating fan, and utilizing a data receiving and analysis module based on a digital twin to calculate, analyze, and predict the monitoring data, it can not only display the temperature and humidity fields inside the oven, as well as the current moisture content and degree of curing of the material, and predict future state evolution in real time, but also adjust the heater and the circulating fan dehumidifier through a control execution module to achieve precise control of the drying and curing process. In summary, this invention has the characteristic of being able to perceive the state of the material inside the oven in real time. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side sectional view of the horizontal roller.

[0016] The labels in the attached diagram are as follows: 1-box body, 2-feed inlet, 3-discharge outlet, 4-heat-insulated partition plate, 5-first through-hole, 6-second through-hole, 7-conveying mechanism, 8-anti-deviation component, 9-preheating mechanism, 10-heating mechanism, 11-rear heating mechanism, 71-flat conveying roller, 72-horizontal conveying roller group, 721-horizontal roller, 711-central air duct, 712-air distribution duct, 713-linear opening, 81-anti-deviation base plate, 82-anti-deviation baffle, 12-expansion roller group. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, but this should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0018] Example. A smart drying and curing device for sponge sand using digital twin technology includes an oven body. The oven body contains a heater, a circulating fan, and a dehumidifier. The oven body is equipped with multiple temperature and humidity sensors for monitoring temperature and humidity within the oven, a near-infrared spectrometer for monitoring the moisture content and degree of curing of the sponge sand, a non-contact thermal imager for monitoring the surface temperature field distribution of the sponge sand, a current sensor for monitoring current, and a fan vibration sensor for monitoring the circulating fan. It also includes a data receiving and analysis module based on digital twins. This module is connected to a display unit and an execution control module, which controls and adjusts the heater, circulating fan, and dehumidifier.

[0019] The data receiving and analysis module receives monitoring data from various sensors. The multiphysics coupling model calculates and predicts information on moisture migration, heat transfer, and adhesive curing reaction of sponge sand during the drying process based on the monitoring data. It also displays the temperature field, humidity field, current moisture content and degree of curing of the material inside the oven in real time and in a visual manner, and predicts future state evolution. At the same time, it controls and adjusts the heater and the circulating fan dehumidifier through the execution control module.

[0020] The process of establishing a multiphysics coupling model: S1. Set the thickness, width, and porosity of the sponge sand; set the density, specific heat capacity, and thermal conductivity of the sponge sand substrate and abrasive; set the initial temperature and humidity of the oven and the material. S2. Establish the governing equations for each physical field; S3. Connect the governing equations of each physical field through coupling terms; S4. Solve using the finite element volume method.

[0021] In step S2, the physical field control equations include the airflow field control equation, the temperature field control equation, the humidity field / mass transfer equation, and the chemical reaction field-curing kinetics equation. The governing equations for the airflow field are based on a turbulence model. Temperature field governing equations: , in: Cp is density, K is specific heat capacity, T is thermal conductivity, and t is time. It is the velocity vector, and Q is the heat source term; The humidity field / mass transfer equation is as follows: , Where C is the water vapor concentration, D eff S is the effective diffusion coefficient, and S is the evaporation source term; The chemical reaction field-solidification kinetic equation is as follows: , Where A refers to the pre-factor, E a It is the activation energy, R is the ideal gas constant, and n is the reaction order.

[0022] The oven body includes a box body 1. A feed inlet 2 and a discharge outlet 3 are located at the top and bottom ends of one side of the box body 1. Three layers of heat-insulating partition plates 4 are located inside the box body 1 between the feed inlet 2 and the discharge outlet 3. The top and bottom layers of heat-insulating partition plates 4 have a first through-hole 5 on their other side, and the middle layer of heat-insulating partition plates 4 has a second through-hole 6 on one side. A conveying mechanism 7 is located inside the box body 1. The feed end of the conveying mechanism 7 corresponds to the feed inlet 2, and the discharge end corresponds to the discharge outlet 3. The vertical section of the conveying mechanism 7 passes through the corresponding first through-hole 5 and second through-hole 6. Anti-deviation components 8, corresponding to the vertical area of ​​the conveying mechanism 7, are located at the top and bottom ends of the first through-hole 5 and second through-hole 6. A preheating mechanism 9 is located in the cavity above the top layer of heat-insulating partition plates 4. Heating mechanisms 10 are located in the cavities above and below the middle layer of heat-insulating partition plates 4. A rear heating mechanism 11 is located in the cavity below the bottom layer of heat-insulating partition plates 4.

[0023] The conveying mechanism 7 includes multiple flat conveying rollers 71 located above the upper heat-insulating partition plate 4, and horizontal conveying roller groups 72 located above and below the middle heat-insulating partition plate 4 and below the lower heat-insulating partition plate 4; the horizontal conveying roller group 72 includes multiple horizontal rollers 721 that are staggered vertically along the horizontal conveying direction.

[0024] Both the flat conveying roller 71 and the horizontal roller 721 include a central air supply pipe 711. The central air supply pipe 711 is covered with an air distribution pipe 712. The side wall of the central air supply pipe 711 is provided with a set of annularly distributed linear openings 713. The surface of the air distribution pipe 712 is provided with a set of evenly distributed air distribution holes.

[0025] The anti-deviation component 8 includes an anti-deviation base plate 81 located on the side of the sponge sand, and anti-deviation baffles 82 are provided at both ends of the anti-deviation base plate 81.

[0026] The inner side of the feed inlet 2 is provided with a stretching roller group 12.

[0027] Each cavity of the enclosure 1 is also equipped with a circulating fan, a dehumidifier, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a near-infrared spectrometer, and a non-contact thermal imager.

[0028] The coupling terms in step S3 are as follows: Thermal-fluid coupling: In the energy equation, the convection term Directly includes flow rate .

[0029] Thermochemical Coupling: Reaction Heat Source Term Where Htotal is the total heat of reaction. Here, the solution to the chemical reaction equation is... As the heat source in the energy equation.

[0030] Thermal-humid coupling: Evaporation source term S evaporation It is related to local temperature and moisture content. Meanwhile, the latent heat of vaporization Q... phase change It will appear as a sink (endothermic term) in the energy equation.

[0031] The process of real-time and visually displaying the temperature field, humidity field, current moisture content and degree of solidification of materials inside the drying oven, and predicting future state evolution based on the data receiving and analysis module of the digital twin is as follows: collecting data from multiple sources of sensors deployed on the physical drying equipment, including environmental parameters: temperature (temperature sensor: thermocouple), humidity (humidity sensor), and air pressure (pressure sensor) at multiple key points inside the drying oven.

[0032] Equipment operating parameters: heater power, fan speed, damper opening, motor current, vibration data.

[0033] Material state parameters: Near-infrared spectrometer: Real-time online detection of moisture content and curing degree on the surface of sponge sand.

[0034] Non-contact thermal imager: Non-contact scanning to acquire the two-dimensional temperature field distribution on the surface of materials and detect localized overheating or undercooling areas.

[0035] Step 2: Clean and preprocess the above data, including: Filtering: Removing noise from a signal; Alignment: Ensure that timestamps of data with different sampling rates are synchronized; Compression: Reduces network transmission burden; Upload: The processed standardized data is uploaded to a digital twin on a cloud platform or local server via industrial Ethernet or 5G network.

[0036] Step 3: Data Fusion and Status Update Multiphysics coupling models fuse discrete sensor measurements (such as temperatures at several points) with continuous field information from the model and then perform calculations to predict the results. For example, thermocouple readings can be used as known points to correct and update the simulation results for the entire temperature field.

[0037] Calculation and prediction: Using limited, surface measurement data (such as surface temperature and surface moisture), the internal state that cannot be directly measured can be calculated through the back-calculation capability of the model.

[0038] Step 4: Visualization and Mapping The updated status of the digital twin is displayed to the operator in an intuitive way through a large monitoring screen.

[0039] By setting three layers of heat-insulating partitions distributed vertically between the inlet and outlet of the chamber, the chamber is divided into multiple drying chambers with different heating temperature zones. This allows the upper and lower surfaces of the sponge sand to change during movement, ensuring good heat contact between the upper and lower surfaces of the sponge sand and improving the uniformity of drying. Moreover, using multiple chambers with different temperature zones helps to improve the drying quality of the sponge sand.

[0040] It can help to stretch out the sponge sand and reduce the occurrence of wrinkles.

[0041] This invention optimizes the structure of the conveying mechanism by using multiple flat conveying rollers in the upper layer to facilitate preheating, drying and curing of the sponge sand surface. Then, the sand is dried by the horizontal rollers in the middle cavity, which are arranged in an alternating pattern. Finally, it is heated by the rear heating mechanism in the cavity below the bottom heat-insulating partition plate to complete the heating and drying process. Through multiple conversions between the front and back sides, the heating uniformity can be effectively improved.

[0042] Both the flat conveyor roller and the horizontal roller are composed of a central air duct and a uniform air duct. By conveying hot air, the surface of the sponge sand can be dried, which can improve drying efficiency and drying uniformity.

[0043] The preheating mechanism includes an electric heating wire located at the top of the chamber, the heating mechanism includes an electric heating wire assembly located below the upper heat-insulating partition plate and an electric heating wire assembly located on the lower surface of the middle heat-insulating partition plate, and the rear heating mechanism includes an electric heating wire assembly located on the lower surface of the lower heat-insulating partition plate.

[0044] The electric heating wires are arranged in a ring.

[0045] Multiple sealing plates are installed on the inner side of both the discharge port and the inlet port.

[0046] One end of the central air duct is connected to a hot air supply module.

[0047] By using both electric heating wires and hot air drying, the uniformity and efficiency of drying can be effectively improved.

[0048] The drying process of this invention is as follows: The sponge sand enters the chamber through the inlet and is first conveyed by flat conveyor rollers through the upper drying chamber for preheating. Then, it enters two intermediate cavities and is conveyed by a horizontal conveyor roller group consisting of staggered horizontal rollers, sequentially passing through the two intermediate cavities for heating and drying. Finally, it is heated by the rear heating mechanism in the cavity below the bottom heat-insulated partition plate, completing the heating and drying process. During the conveying process, the sponge sand undergoes multiple front-to-back switching to ensure uniform heat drying on both sides.

Claims

1. A smart drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology, comprising a drying oven body, wherein the drying oven body is equipped with a heater, a circulating fan and a dehumidifier, characterized in that: The oven body contains multiple temperature and humidity sensors for monitoring temperature and humidity inside the oven, a near-infrared spectrometer for monitoring the moisture content and curing degree of the sponge sand, a non-contact thermal imager for monitoring the temperature field distribution on the surface of the sponge sand, a current sensor for monitoring current, and a fan vibration sensor for monitoring the circulating fan; it also includes a data receiving and analysis module based on a digital twin, which is connected to a display unit and an execution control module, which is used to control and adjust the heater, the circulating fan, and the dehumidifier.

2. The intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: The data receiving and analysis module receives monitoring data from various sensors. The multiphysics coupling model calculates and predicts information on moisture migration, heat transfer, and adhesive curing reaction of sponge sand during the drying process based on the monitoring data. It also displays the temperature field, humidity field, current moisture content and degree of curing of the material inside the oven in real time and in a visual manner, and predicts future state evolution. At the same time, it controls and adjusts the heater and the circulating fan dehumidifier through the execution control module.

3. The intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology according to claim 2, characterized in that, The process of establishing a multiphysics coupling model: S1. Set the thickness, width, and porosity of the sponge sand; set the density, specific heat capacity, and thermal conductivity of the sponge sand substrate and abrasive; set the initial temperature and humidity of the oven and the material. S2. Establish the governing equations for each physical field; S3. Connect the governing equations of each physical field through coupling terms; S4. Solve using the finite element volume method.

4. The intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology according to claim 3, characterized in that, In step S2, the physical field control equations include the airflow field control equation, the temperature field control equation, the humidity field / mass transfer equation, and the chemical reaction field-curing kinetics equation. The governing equations for the airflow field are based on a turbulence model. Temperature field governing equations: ， in: Cp is density, K is specific heat capacity, T is thermal conductivity, and t is time. It is the velocity vector, and Q is the heat source term; The humidity field / mass transfer equation is as follows: ， Where C is the water vapor concentration, and D eff S is the effective diffusion coefficient, and S is the evaporation source term; The chemical reaction field-solidification kinetic equation is as follows: ， Where A refers to the pre-factor, E a It is the activation energy, R is the ideal gas constant, and n is the reaction order.

5. The intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology according to claim 1, characterized in that, The oven body includes a box body (1), with an inlet (2) and an outlet (3) at the top and bottom ends of one side of the box body (1). The box body (1) contains three layers of heat-insulating partitions (4) located between the inlet (2) and the outlet (3). The top and bottom heat-insulating partitions (4) have a first through-hole (5) on the other side, and the middle heat-insulating partition (4) has a second through-hole (6) on one side. The box body (1) contains a conveying mechanism (7), with the inlet end of the conveying mechanism (7) corresponding to the inlet (2) and the outlet end corresponding to the outlet (3). Correspondingly, the vertical section of the conveying mechanism (7) passes through the corresponding first through-hole (5) and second through-hole (6); the upper and lower ends of the first through-hole (5) and second through-hole (6) are provided with anti-deviation components (8) corresponding to the vertical area of ​​the conveying mechanism (7); a preheating mechanism (9) is provided in the cavity above the uppermost heat-insulating partition plate (4), a heating mechanism (10) is provided in the cavity above and below the middle layer heat-insulating partition plate (4), and a rear heating mechanism (11) is provided in the cavity below the lowermost heat-insulating partition plate (4).

6. The intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology according to claim 5, characterized in that, The conveying mechanism (7) includes multiple flat conveying rollers (71) above the upper heat-insulating partition plate (4), a horizontal conveying roller group (72) above and below the middle heat-insulating partition plate (4) and below the lower heat-insulating partition plate (4); the horizontal conveying roller group (72) includes multiple horizontal rollers (721) that are staggered up and down along the horizontal conveying direction.

7. The intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology according to claim 6, characterized in that, Both the flat conveying roller (71) and the horizontal roller (721) include a central air duct (711), and the central air duct (711) is covered with a uniform air duct (712). The side wall of the central air duct (711) is provided with a set of annularly distributed linear openings (713), and the surface of the uniform air duct (712) is provided with a set of uniformly distributed air holes.

8. The intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology according to claim 5, characterized in that, The anti-deviation component (8) includes an anti-deviation base plate (81) located on the side of the sponge sand, and anti-deviation baffles (82) are provided at both ends of the anti-deviation base plate (81).

9. The intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology according to claim 5, characterized in that: The feed inlet (2) is provided with a stretching roller group (12).

10. The intelligent drying and curing equipment for sponge sand using digital twin technology according to claim 5, characterized in that: Each cavity of the enclosure (1) is also equipped with a circulating fan, a dehumidifier, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a near-infrared spectrometer, and a non-contact thermal imager.

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