Novel automatic energy-saving environment-friendly anode carbon block conveying system and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a novel automatic energy-saving and environment-friendly anode carbon block conveying system and method, and relates to the technical field of carbon-based functional material preparation. Comprising a carbon block conveying belt, an automatic bowl guiding device and a grouping mechanism which are arranged along the carbon block conveying belt, a carbon block transport vehicle used for running in a workshop, a track for providing a walking path for the carbon block transport vehicle, and a cooling and ungrouping all-in-one machine used for treating roasted carbon blocks, the carbon block conveying system comprises a multifunctional unit used for clamping and processing carbon blocks and an automatic cleaning machine, and further comprises an intelligent control system, and the full-process automation of carbon block conveying, grouping, charging, discharging, cooling and ungrouping, cleaning and storing is achieved through the carbon block conveying system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of carbon-based functional material preparation technology, specifically a novel automatic energy-saving and environmentally friendly anode carbon block conveying system and method. Background Technology

[0002] The loading and unloading of prebaked anode carbon blocks are key processes in aluminum electrolysis production. Currently, the industry commonly employs a multi-functional unit collaborative model. This model relies on the frequent coordination of multiple large pieces of equipment (such as clamping multi-functional units, suction and unloading multi-functional units, and disassembly machines) to achieve the grouping, transfer, roasting, and cooling of the carbon blocks. The core process includes: Loading stage: After the carbon blocks are transported from the forming workshop to the roasting workshop, they are manually covered and compacted. The flat carbon blocks are then turned into an upright state (with guide rods arranged in an alternating pattern) by the grouping station. The clamping multi-functional unit then picks them up and places them into the roasting furnace hopper. Finally, filler material is added to cover the carbon blocks for roasting. Unloading stage: After roasting, the carbon blocks cool to a certain temperature. The suction unit removes the filler material, the clamping unit picks up the carbon blocks and places them flat on the disassembly machine. A conveyor then cleans the surface residue, and finally, the blocks are stacked and cooled. The current process has significant shortcomings in terms of efficiency, energy consumption, cost, and quality: the equipment has high energy consumption and low efficiency; the multi-functional unit needs to frequently travel between the grouping station, material bin, and degrouping machine, resulting in a high idle rate and excessive power consumption per ton of charcoal. Grouping and degrouping rely on manual operation, leading to long work cycles and limited batch processing capacity (e.g., only 7-8 charcoal blocks per group), hindering overall capacity improvement. Manual grouping and handling easily cause collision damage to the charcoal blocks (e.g., chipped corners, cracks); the dispersed layout of the grouping station, degrouping machine, and other equipment requires large-area plant space, resulting in low land resource utilization. The unit has high maintenance costs, and quality losses due to human error further compress profit margins. From adding covering material and grouping to handling and transfer, manual intervention is required, which is not only labor-intensive but also leads to quality fluctuations due to inconsistent operating standards, making it difficult to achieve fully automated production. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned problems, specifically those raised in the background section, this invention proposes a novel automatic energy-saving and environmentally friendly anode carbon block conveying system and method. The system includes a carbon block conveyor belt, an automatic guide bowl device, a grouping mechanism, a carbon block transport vehicle, a track, a rotary table, a transverse trolley, a cooling and disassembly integrated machine, a multi-functional unit, and an automatic cleaning machine. The system also includes an intelligent control system; this intelligent control system is the system's command center, comprising a ground-based warehouse scheduling and management system for receiving production plans and uniformly scheduling and coordinating the automatic guide bowl device, grouping mechanism, carbon block transport vehicle, multi-functional unit, and cooling and disassembly integrated machine; and a wireless communication system using an industrial 5G network to ensure seamless communication between all components. The system ensures real-time and reliable transmission of instructions and data between the equipment and the ground-based warehouse scheduling and management system. The server stores production plans, a charcoal block characteristic database, and real-time location and status information for all equipment. The automatic guide bowl device is equipped with a detection device for identifying charcoal block models, including a 3D LiDAR and an industrial camera, which sends the identified charcoal block model information to the intelligent control system. Both the charcoal block transport vehicle and the multi-functional unit are equipped with independent positioning and vehicle control systems to acquire their absolute position information in the workshop coordinate system in real time and upload it to the intelligent control system. The system's operation is scheduled and executed by the intelligent control system, and includes the following steps: Step 1, Carbon Block Model Identification and Guide Bowl: The anode carbon blocks enter the automatic guide bowl device via the carbon block conveyor belt, and the detection device identifies the carbon block model and performs automatic guide bowl operation; Step 2, Automatic grouping and loading: The charcoal blocks with the guide bowls are grouped by the grouping mechanism by standing, turning and staggering, and then loaded into the charcoal block transport vehicle; Step 3, Automatic Transportation and Furnace Loading: The ground warehouse dispatch management system instructs the charcoal block transport vehicle to transport the charcoal blocks to the target roasting furnace chamber, and instructs the multi-functional unit to move above the furnace chamber. The two work together to accurately pick up and load the charcoal blocks into the furnace. Step 4, Automatic Unloading and Transfer: After roasting, the ground storage area dispatch management system instructs the multi-functional unit to remove the covering material and pick up the charcoal blocks and transfer them to the charcoal block transport vehicle. Step 5, Cooling, Disassembly and Cleaning: The charcoal block transport vehicle transports the charcoal blocks to the integrated cooling and disassembly machine for cooling, and finally the automatic cleaning machine completes the cleaning; through the above process, the entire process from charcoal block identification to cleaning and storage is automated.

[0004] A further provision of this invention patent is that the model identification process of the automatic bowl guide device specifically includes: a) Data acquisition: By sending a synchronous trigger signal through STM32, the 3D LiDAR and industrial camera can capture images of the carbon block at the same time, and obtain camera images and LiDAR point cloud data that are aligned in time and space. b) Image preprocessing: The acquired image undergoes weighted median filtering and grayscale processing to eliminate noise interference. Then, the outer contour of the charcoal block is obtained through Candy edge detection to determine the length of the charcoal block. ) and width ( ); c) Point cloud processing and feature extraction: The YOLOv5 model based on image features is used to extract the ROI in the image, and a 3D cone-shaped ROI is generated according to the perspective projection relationship to obtain the point cloud of the charcoal block / bowl and its surroundings; the Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) algorithm is applied to perform plane fitting on the point cloud clusters of the charcoal bowl to obtain the point cloud of the plane where the charcoal bowl is located; the edge contour extraction method based on normal estimation is used to obtain the edge point cloud of the charcoal bowl and the edge point cloud of the charcoal bowl protrusion; d) Model determination: Calculate the radius of the charcoal bowl based on the depth information. ) and the bounding rectangle size of the charcoal bowl boss ( The coordinates of the charcoal bowl center were obtained based on the RANSAC fitted circle, and the Euclidean distance between the centers of adjacent charcoal bowls was calculated. ); the acquired feature data group ( , , , , The model is identified by comparing it with standard data in the database and when the deviation is less than the confidence threshold.

[0005] A further provision of this invention patent is that the positioning system of the charcoal block transport vehicle includes an RGB color sensor installed on the bottom of the vehicle and a laser rangefinder installed at one end of the vehicle body; the RGB color sensor is used to detect the high-temperature resistant color strips laid on the track to determine the furnace chamber area, and the laser rangefinder is used to detect the absolute distance traveled by the vehicle.

[0006] A further feature of this invention is that the positioning system of the multi-functional unit includes a Gray busbar or coded strip installed along the X-axis of the main track, speed sensors installed on the main and auxiliary trolleys, and a laser rangefinder installed on the auxiliary trolley; its PLC control system is based on speed closed loop and position closed loop to achieve precise alignment with the target point.

[0007] A further provision of this invention patent is that: the ground warehouse scheduling and management system of the intelligent control system is responsible for generating and issuing specific operation instructions to the vehicle-mounted or local PLC control systems of each device and unit based on the production plan issued by the production management system, which includes information on the specifications, quantity, and location of the calcining furnace chamber; the wireless communication system adopts an industrial 5G network to ensure low-latency and high-reliability transmission of scheduling instructions and equipment status data; the database of the server records and updates in real time the model information, current location, process status, furnace entry time, expected furnace exit time, and stacking level information in the material bin for each charcoal block, realizing full-process tracking, recording, and interaction of key information of the charcoal blocks.

[0008] A further provision of this invention patent is that, in the automatic transportation and furnace feeding step, the coordinated operation of the charcoal block transport vehicle (4) and the multi-functional unit (7) is specifically as follows: a) The charcoal block transport vehicle (4) is precisely positioned and stopped according to the absolute position information of the X-axis of the target furnace chamber; b) The multi-functional unit (7) moves to the top of the target material box according to the furnace chamber and material box map recorded by the system; c) After both parties verify the alignment via wireless communication, the multi-functional unit (7) picks up the carbon block and puts it into the material box; d) After loading the furnace, the system automatically updates the coal block stacking information of the material bin in the server.

[0009] The beneficial technical effects of this invention patent are as follows: Increased automation level: The charcoal block transportation method of this invention achieves full automation of the entire process of charcoal block conveying, grouping, loading into the furnace, unloading, cooling and disassembling, cleaning, and storage, significantly reducing manual intervention. Reduced equipment costs: By eliminating the use of multi-functional clamp-type transportation units and replacing them with a rail transportation system, the use of high-cost equipment is reduced, procurement and maintenance costs are lowered, and energy required for equipment operation is saved. Increased production efficiency: Optimized transportation paths and equipment layout enable rapid grouping, precise loading into the furnace, and continuous unloading, improving operational efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall invention.

[0011] Reference numerals: 1. Charcoal block conveyor belt; 2. Automatic guide bowl device; 3. Grouping mechanism; 4. Charcoal block transport vehicle; 5. Track; 6. Turntable; 7. Multifunctional unit; 8. Cooling and disassembling integrated machine; 9. Automatic cleaning machine; 10. Intelligent control system. Detailed Implementation

[0012] The following is a reference to the appendix. Figure 1The preferred embodiments of this invention are described below. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely for explaining the technical principles of this invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention.

[0013] This invention patent proposes a novel automatic energy-saving and environmentally friendly anode carbon block conveying system and method for the automated processing and conveying of anode carbon blocks. It includes a carbon block conveyor belt 1, an automatic guide bowl device 2 and a grouping mechanism 3 installed along the conveyor belt 1, a carbon block transport vehicle 4 operating within the workshop, a track 5 providing the travel path for the transport vehicle 4, a rotary table 6 located at track intersections, a transverse trolley located at the junction of the grouping mechanism 3 and track 5, a cooling and disassembly integrated machine 8 for processing the calcined carbon blocks, a multi-functional unit 7 for clamping and processing the carbon blocks, and an automatic cleaning machine 9. It also includes an intelligent control system 10, which comprises: a ground-based warehouse scheduling and management system for unified intelligent scheduling and management of the automatic guide bowl device 2, grouping mechanism 3, carbon block transport vehicle 4, multi-functional unit 7, and cooling and disassembly integrated machine 8 according to the production plan issued by the production management system; and wireless communication. The system is used to establish communication and transmit signals between the ground storage area scheduling and management system and each device and unit; the server serves as a data storage unit, storing production plans, charcoal block characteristic data, equipment location information, and status information; the automatic guide bowl device 2 is equipped with a detection device for identifying charcoal block models, and the detection device sends the identified charcoal block model information to the intelligent control system 10; the charcoal block transport vehicle 4 and the multi-functional unit 7 are both equipped with independent positioning systems and vehicle control systems, and the positioning system is used to obtain its own absolute position information in the workshop coordinate system and send it to the intelligent control system 10; based on the charcoal block model information and the absolute position information of each device, the ground storage area scheduling and management system schedules the charcoal block transport vehicle 4 and the multi-functional unit 7 to work together to complete the fully unmanned operation of the anode charcoal block automatic identification, automatic grouping, automatic transportation, automatic loading, automatic unloading, and automatic ungrouping and cooling.

[0014] The detection device of the automatic bowl guiding device 2 includes a three-dimensional lidar and an industrial camera. The three-dimensional lidar and the industrial camera achieve time synchronization through trigger signals and spatial alignment through joint calibration. The automatic bowl guiding device 2 also includes an automatic bowl tamping control system. The automatic bowl tamping control system is used to process the images and point cloud data collected by the detection device to obtain the length and width of the charcoal block, the radius of the charcoal bowl, the boundary size of the charcoal bowl protrusion, and the spatial distance between the centers of adjacent charcoal bowls as a set of charcoal block identification feature data. The system compares this set of feature data with the standard feature data set stored in the server to complete the identification of the charcoal block model.

[0015] The onboard control system of the charcoal block transport vehicle 4 is a PLC. The PLC is connected to a positioning system for achieving precise positioning. The positioning system includes an intelligent digital RGB color sensor installed on the bottom of the vehicle and a fixed high-precision laser rangefinder installed at one end of the vehicle body. The RGB color sensor is used to detect the high-temperature resistant color strip laid in the middle of the track 5 to determine the furnace chamber area. The laser rangefinder is used to detect the absolute distance the vehicle travels along the track 5.

[0016] The multi-functional unit 7 is installed on a large trolley track on the workshop pillars. The multi-functional unit 7 includes a large trolley, a small trolley, and a charcoal block clamp and a covering material suction and unloading device installed on the small trolley. The positioning system of the multi-functional unit 7 includes a precise distance detection system installed along the X-axis of the large trolley track, a speed sensor installed on the large trolley, a high-precision laser rangefinder installed on the small trolley, and a speed sensor installed on the small trolley. The precise distance detection system is a Gray busbar or coded tape, used to provide the absolute position of the large trolley in the X-axis. The laser rangefinder on the small trolley is used to provide the moving distance of the small trolley in the Y-axis. The PLC control system of the multi-functional unit 7 is based on speed closed loop and position closed loop to achieve precise alignment of the clamp or suction and unloading pipe with the target furnace chamber material box or charcoal block transport vehicle 4 in the XY plane.

[0017] The ground warehouse scheduling and management system of the intelligent control system 10 is responsible for generating and issuing specific operation instructions to the vehicle-mounted or local PLC control systems of each device and unit based on the production plan issued by the production management system, which includes information on the specifications, quantity, and location of the calcining furnace. The wireless communication system adopts an industrial 5G network to ensure low-latency and high-reliability transmission of scheduling instructions and equipment status data. The database of the server records and updates in real time the model information, current location, process status, furnace entry time, expected furnace exit time, and stacking level information in the material box for each charcoal block, realizing full-process tracking, recording, and interaction of key information of the charcoal blocks.

[0018] The scheduling and execution steps of the intelligent control system 10 are as follows: Step 1, Carbon block model identification and tamping: Anode carbon blocks enter the automatic tamping device 2 via carbon block conveyor belt 1. The detection device collects the three-dimensional point cloud and two-dimensional image data of the carbon blocks. The automatic tamping control system processes the data to identify the carbon block model and uploads the model information to the ground storage area dispatch management system. Then, the corresponding automatic tamping operation is performed according to the identified model. Step 2, Automatic Grouping and Loading: The charcoal blocks that have been pounded continue to be transported to the grouping mechanism 3. The grouping control system, according to the instructions issued by the ground warehouse dispatch management system, groups the charcoal blocks by standing, turning, and arranging them in an alternating manner, and loads them onto the charcoal block transport vehicle 4 that has been docked and locked at the designated position. Step 3, Automated Transportation and Furnace Loading: The ground warehouse dispatch management system issues transportation instructions to the charcoal block transport vehicle 4 based on the production plan and charcoal block type. The instructions include the absolute location information of the target furnace chamber. The charcoal block transport vehicle 4 uses its positioning system to achieve path tracking and precise stopping. At the same time, the dispatch management system drives the multi-functional unit 7 to move to the designated XY coordinates above the target furnace chamber based on its positioning system. The multi-functional unit 7 and the charcoal block transport vehicle 4 interact through a wireless communication system to collaboratively complete the precise clamping, transfer, and placement of charcoal blocks into the designated furnace chamber material box. Step 4, Automatic Furnace Unloading and Transfer: When the server records that the charcoal blocks in a certain furnace chamber have reached the roasting time, the ground warehouse dispatch management system first dispatches the multi-functional unit 7 to perform the covering material removal operation on the charcoal blocks in that furnace chamber, and then dispatches the charcoal block transport vehicle 4 to the designated waiting position; the multi-functional unit 7 picks up the roasted charcoal blocks from the material box, and after accurately aligning them with the charcoal block transport vehicle 4, loads them onto the charcoal block transport vehicle 4; Step 5, Cooling, Disassembly and Cleaning: The charcoal block transport vehicle 4 transports the roasted charcoal blocks to the receiving end of the cooling and disassembly integrated machine 8. The multi-functional unit 7 sends the charcoal blocks to the automatic cleaning machine 9 for automatic cleaning. The cleaned charcoal blocks are finally transported to the designated storage area.

[0019] Step one, charcoal block type identification and pounding bowl, specifically includes: a) Data acquisition: By sending a synchronous trigger signal through STM32, the 3D LiDAR and industrial camera can capture images of the carbon block at the same time, and obtain camera images and LiDAR point cloud data that are aligned in time and space. b) Image preprocessing: The acquired image undergoes weighted median filtering and grayscale processing to eliminate noise interference. Then, the outer contour of the charcoal block is obtained through Candy edge detection to determine the length of the charcoal block. ) and width ( ); c) Point cloud processing and feature extraction: The YOLOv5 model based on image features is used to extract the ROI in the image, and a 3D cone-shaped ROI is generated according to the perspective projection relationship to obtain the point cloud of the charcoal block, charcoal bowl and its surroundings; the Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) algorithm is applied to perform plane fitting on the point cloud clusters of the charcoal bowl to obtain the point cloud of the plane where the charcoal bowl is located; the edge contour extraction method based on normal estimation is used to obtain the edge point cloud of the charcoal bowl and the edge point cloud of the charcoal bowl protrusion; d) Model determination: Calculate the radius of the charcoal bowl based on the depth information. ) and the bounding rectangle size of the charcoal bowl boss ( The coordinates of the charcoal bowl center were obtained based on the RANSAC fitted circle, and the Euclidean distance between the centers of adjacent charcoal bowls was calculated. ); the acquired feature data group ( , , , , The model is identified by comparing it with standard data in the database and when the deviation is less than the confidence threshold.

[0020] The specific process of the automated transport and furnace loading in step three is as follows: a) Vehicle positioning: The on-board PLC system of the charcoal block transport vehicle 4 uses the target furnace chamber X-axis absolute position information sent by the ground warehouse dispatch management system as the target parking position, performs closed-loop speed adjustment based on the speed feedback from the speed sensor, and achieves precise positioning of the X-axis absolute position of the pre-loaded furnace chamber based on the absolute distance information feedback from the laser rangefinder. b) Unit positioning: The PLC system of the multi-functional unit 7 drives the trolley to the designated furnace chamber and material box based on the absolute position map of the furnace chamber and material box recorded by the system, and drives the trolley to the designated furnace chamber and material box based on the absolute position information of the X-axis of the Gray busbar / encoding tape and the relative position information of the Y-axis of the laser rangefinder. c) Alignment and verification: The trolley drive fixture of the multi-functional unit 7 achieves precise alignment with the on-board carbon block column based on the absolute position information of the Y-axis direction and the carbon block transport vehicle 4 recorded by the system; after alignment, the multi-functional unit 7 starts its on-board machine vision recognition system to identify and verify whether the carbon block transport vehicle 4 is within the gripping range of the fixture. d) Clamping and Information Update: After successful verification, the unit PLC sends a clamping command to the transport vehicle PLC. The transport vehicle unlocks the carbon blocks and remains locked while stopped. The unit PLC uses the clamp lifting distance sensor to determine the Z-axis height for precise clamping. After clamping, the multi-functional unit 7 places the carbon blocks into the target bin and updates the server database with information such as the stacking height, placement time, and type of carbon blocks in that bin. The charcoal blocks mentioned in this invention are of various models. Different models need to be distinguished from multiple aspects such as the spacing between the bowls, the size of the bowls, the size of the charcoal block (L×W×H), and the shape of the charcoal block bowl protrusion (sloping rectangle, gourd shape, etc.).

[0021] According to the production plan, after the anode carbon blocks are formed in the forming workshop, they are transported to the roasting workshop by carbon block conveyor belt 1. First, they pass through the guide bowl station. The automatic guide bowl device 2 controls the clamping of the anode carbon blocks and stops their movement, ensuring that the carbon blocks stop at the detection position for a period of time for detection. In this technology, the detection device adopts a fusion structure of 3D LiDAR and industrial camera to scan the upper surface of the carbon block. The automatic guide bowl control system first filters, denoises, and corrects the point cloud image acquired by the machine vision sensor to obtain a grayscale image with good results; the image filtering adopts median filtering, and the grayscale value of any pixel in the image is represented by the mean value obtained by calculating its R, G, and B factors according to different weights. The R, G, and B factor values ​​of this pixel in the image are respectively , , The corresponding weights of R, G, and B are and satisfy The visual perception system in the automatic bowl guide device 2 control system performs weighted grayscale processing on the acquired top-view image of the charcoal block, which effectively eliminates noise interference such as random noise and Gaussian noise. Then, based on Candy edge detection, it finds the intensity gradient of the image, thereby accurately obtaining the outer edge of the charcoal block in the top-view image. Finally, based on the inverse transformation between the image coordinate system and the world coordinate system, it obtains the length of the current charcoal block. and width information The intelligent control system 10 records the current length and width information of the anode carbon block into the system database.

[0022] Explanation of the charcoal block model identification process: Relying solely on planar images acquired by industrial cameras makes it difficult to accurately distinguish the shape of the charcoal block's protrusion boundary line, the shape of the charcoal bowl boundary line, and information such as the charcoal bowl diameter and centroid within the charcoal block's top-view image. Therefore, the automatic guide bowl control system described in this paper integrates an industrial camera and a LiDAR to achieve accurate detection of the overall shape of the charcoal block. During operation, firstly, the detection device sends a 5Hz trigger signal via an STM32 to synchronize the time of the industrial camera and the LiDAR, ensuring that the charcoal block's point cloud and image are captured at the same moment. The system then performs joint calibration of the camera and LiDAR to achieve spatial alignment and establish the coordinate system transformation relationship between the camera and the LiDAR. After obtaining the time- and spatially aligned camera images and LiDAR point cloud data, candidate point cloud clusters for the charcoal block and charcoal bowl are obtained based on image features. The system extracts Regions of Interest (ROIs) from images using the YOLOv5 image detection module and generates 3D conical ROIs based on perspective projection relationships to obtain point clouds of the charcoal bowl and its surrounding area. After acquiring the point cloud information, the system applies Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) to perform planar fitting on the point cloud clusters of the charcoal bowl to obtain the point cloud of the plane containing the charcoal bowl (the charcoal bowl protrusion). Then, an edge contour extraction method based on normal estimation is used to obtain the edge point clouds of the charcoal bowl and the edge point clouds of the charcoal bowl protrusion. Combined with the depth information obtained by LiDAR, the recognition system of the automatic bowl guiding device can identify the size of the charcoal bowl (the radius of the charcoal bowl). The boundary of the charcoal bowl boss includes the rectangular frame size ( The system binds the recognition results and the currently detected carbon block together, recording them as data in the database of the intelligent control system 10 of the production line as part of the carbon block recognition feature value. After the vision inspection system identifies the point cloud of the carbon bowl edge, it obtains the coordinates of the carbon bowl center based on RANSAC fitting of a circle. The system traverses the point cloud cluster of the carbon bowl protrusions, identifies the centers of all carbon bowls on the protrusions, and calculates the Euclidean distance between the carbon bowl centers, which is then transformed by inverse coordinates to obtain the spatial distance between the centers of adjacent carbon bowls. This parameter also serves as the database of the automatic control system for recording characteristic data to determine the type of charcoal bowl. The production line automatic control system acquires the characteristic data set of the currently detected charcoal block ( , , , , Afterwards, the data is compared with the standard characteristic data set of each anode carbon block recorded in the database of the automated production line system. When the deviation of the detected characteristic data from the standard characteristic data of a certain anode carbon block in the database is all less than the reference confidence threshold, the system completes the identification process of the current carbon block type, grouping information, furnace entry information, and customer information. The automatic bowl guiding mechanism performs bowl guiding operations according to the determined block type.

[0023] The charcoal blocks that have completed the guiding process continue to be transported via conveyor belt. The intelligent control system 10, based on the production plan received from the ERP and MES systems, transports the identified charcoal block models to the anode charcoal block roasting furnace and material bins designated by the production management system. This process is completed by the grouping mechanism 3. The grouping mechanism 3 reads the width information of the current charcoal block. Based on this information, the system autonomously determines the number of carbon blocks in a column (e.g., 7 or 8 blocks per column). When the grouping control system detects waiting carbon blocks, it sends information to the multi-functional unit 7 and the carbon block transport vehicle 4 via a wireless network (industrial 5G). When the carbon block transport vehicle 4 receives an automatic block receiving command from the ground storage area dispatch management system, it automatically communicates with and docks with the grouping mechanism 3. After the carbon block transport vehicle 4's position is locked, the grouping control system automatically groups the carbon blocks.

[0024] After the charcoal block transport car 4 receives two trains of charcoal blocks, the ground warehouse scheduling and management system guides the charcoal block transport car 4 to transport the charcoal blocks to the designated furnace chamber material box according to the production plan and the current group of charcoal blocks. In the roasting workshop, the transport track of the charcoal block transport car 4 is the X-axis, and the transport direction of the charcoal blocks by the charcoal block conveyor belt 1 is the Y-axis. A precise distance detection system (referred to as a Gray busbar or coded belt in the text) is installed along the X-axis of the multi-functional unit 7's main carriage running track in the workshop. Distance detection sensing devices are installed on the end beams of the multi-functional unit 7's main carriage, and speed sensors are installed on the drive auxiliary wheels of the multi-functional unit 7's main carriage to accurately detect the carriage's speed and feed it back to the onboard PLC control system. Through a precise distance detection system, the control system of the multi-functional unit 7 can monitor the current position of the trolley in real time (based on the Gray busbar / encoded zero point). By comparing the absolute position information of each furnace chamber along the X-axis recorded by the system, it achieves precise alignment of the multi-functional unit 7 clamps or suction / discharge pipes with the furnace chamber along the X-axis based on speed closed-loop control. The multi-functional unit 7 trolley is also equipped with a high-precision laser rangefinder, and speed sensors are installed on the trolley's auxiliary drive wheel set. The control system of the multi-functional unit 7 can monitor the trolley's movement distance in the Y-axis direction in real time. Through the speed closed-loop control system, it controls the trolley to compare the absolute position of the corresponding furnace chamber's material box in the Y-axis direction recorded in the intelligent transport control system database, achieving precise alignment of the charcoal block clamps and suction / discharge pipes with the material box in the Y-axis direction.

[0025] Different colored high-temperature resistant strips are laid between the tracks of the charcoal block transport vehicles 4 in different furnace chambers. Intelligent digital RGB color sensors are installed at the bottom of each charcoal block transport vehicle 4. The onboard PLC control system of each charcoal block transport vehicle 4 uses the color sensors to detect the color of the strips in the middle of the transport tracks to determine which furnace chamber and which transport track the charcoal block transport vehicle 4 is currently running on. A high-precision laser rangefinder is installed at a fixed position near the end of each charcoal block transport vehicle 4 close to the disassembly and refrigeration integrated machine. The rangefinder is positioned relative to the zero point of the Gray busbar along the X-axis of the roasting workshop. A reflector is installed at the end of each charcoal block transport vehicle 4 in the forward direction. The laser rangefinder detects the absolute distance traveled by each charcoal block transport vehicle 4 along the X-axis of the roasting workshop. This information is transmitted to the onboard PLC system of each charcoal block transport vehicle 4 via the industrial wireless local area network within the workshop and wireless communication on the charcoal block transport vehicle 4. Based on the charcoal block transport instructions issued by the ground warehouse dispatch management system, the PLC system automatically transports the grouped charcoal blocks to the designated furnace chamber. The onboard PLC system of the charcoal block transport vehicle completes the closed-loop precise speed adjustment based on the real-time speed feedback from the speed sensor, and realizes the precise positioning control of the flatcar on the absolute position of the pre-loaded charcoal block furnace chamber along the X-axis based on laser ranging information, with an alignment accuracy of less than 3cm.

[0026] After the ground storage area dispatch management system issues the instruction to load anode carbon blocks into the furnace, the roasting crane PLC system automatically drives the 7-carriage of the multi-functional unit to the designated absolute position along the X-axis of the furnace chamber based on the absolute position map of the furnace chamber and material bin recorded by the system. Upon receiving the instruction number to transport the carbon block train, the onboard PLC system uses the target furnace chamber's absolute position along the X-axis sent by the ground storage area dispatch management system as the target parking position, and drives the carbon block transport vehicle 4 to pick up the carbon blocks and transport the carbon block train to the designated parking position. After the charcoal block transport vehicle 4 comes to a stop at the designated position, the multi-functional unit 7's trolley-driven clamp controls the clamp to precisely align with the charcoal block column on the vehicle, based on the absolute position information of the Y-axis alignment with the charcoal block transport vehicle 4 recorded by the system. After the alignment action stops, the multi-functional unit 7 uses its onboard machine vision recognition system (industrial camera) to identify and verify whether the charcoal block transport vehicle 4 is within the clamping range of the unit's clamp. After successful calibration, the unit's PLC system sends a clamping command to the PLC system of the charcoal block transport vehicle 4 via a wireless network. The transport vehicle opens its charcoal block clamping device, locks into a parking state, and automatically clamps the charcoal blocks in cooperation with the multi-functional unit 7. The PLC system of the multi-functional unit 7 accurately determines the height (Z-axis direction of the roasting workshop) between the clamp and the charcoal block column on the transport vehicle using a clamp lifting distance detection sensor, achieving precise clamping of the charcoal blocks on the vehicle.

[0027] After the onboard ultrasonic sensor of the charcoal block transport vehicle 4 detects that the charcoal block column has been clamped to a safe height by the unit, it will continue to automatically drive to the designated grouping mechanism 3 according to the instructions issued by the ground storage area dispatch management system, and begin the grouping and transfer operation of the new charcoal block type. The multi-functional unit 7, according to the dispatch instructions of the storage area dispatch management system, uses the absolute position information (X-axis distance, Y-axis distance) of the target material box in the database to clamp the charcoal block column above the target roasting furnace material box. The onboard machine vision recognition system calibrates the shape and center of the charcoal block roasting material box to determine whether the charcoal block column clamped by the multi-functional unit 7 is within the allowable deviation range for block placement. After confirmation, the unit control system lowers this charcoal block column into the designated material box of the target roasting furnace. Simultaneously, it updates the storage area management system database with information such as the stacking height (number of layers), placement time, anode charcoal block type, and estimated roasting time of the charcoal block column in the corresponding material box. After the carbon block column is placed into the designated material box, the multi-functional unit 7 will automatically add covering material to the pre-baked carbon block column according to the furnace charging process. At this point, the process of identifying the block shape, transporting, automatically picking up, placing into the furnace chamber material box, and adding covering material for a standard anode carbon block column is completed.

[0028] Based on the system dataset records of the ground storage area dispatch management system, when the roasting time of anode carbon blocks reaches the process set value and they need to be unloaded, the system first dispatches the multi-functional unit 7 to the designated pre-unloading material box position. The multi-functional unit 7 uses a combination of suction and unloading lifting detection sensors, horizontal sweeping, and deep suction technology to collect the covering material between the material boxes on both sides and the carbon blocks to perform the material suction operation for the roasted carbon block column. Simultaneously, the dispatch management system issues a transport command to the carbon block transport vehicle 4, driving the vehicle to the designated furnace chamber waiting position. The multi-functional unit 7 clamps the carbon block column to achieve precise alignment with the transport vehicle (based on absolute position X-axis and Y-axis distance information). After calibration by the unit's onboard vision system, the roasted carbon block column is loaded into the carbon block placement position on the transport vehicle. After the onboard detection sensors on the transport vehicle detect the carbon block column being loaded, and simultaneously detect that the unit's clamps have been raised to a safe height, the cooked carbon blocks are automatically transported to the end of the track (near the disassembly and cooling integrated machine). After the calcined anode blocks are delivered to their designated positions, the warehouse dispatch management system will automatically control the multi-functional unit 7 to pick up the calcined anode carbon block train and place it into the carbon block receiving frame at the starting end of the automatic disassembly and cooling integrated machine. The disassembly and cooling control system will input the block shape information and carbon block frame number information of the anode calcined blocks currently being cooled and disassembled into the system. The automatic disassembly device drives the chain plate to slowly move the carbon block frame towards the pushing mechanism at the other end of the disassembly and cooling integrated machine. After the system times 24 hours and the calcined block train reaches the specified cooling temperature, the carbon block frame will be at the disassembly and pushing position for automatic disassembly. The disassembly and cooling control system will check the current carbon block frame number to determine the current anode carbon block specifications and transmit the relevant information to the subsequent automatic cleaning machine 9.

[0029] The automatic cleaning machine 9's control system uses high-precision 3D LiDAR combined with an industrial camera to identify the shape of the current charcoal block, extracting the shape of the charcoal cup protrusion and the three-dimensional size information of the charcoal block. This information is then checked and calibrated against the charcoal block type information transmitted by the disassembly system. Once calibration is successful, the automatic cleaning machine 9 drives the robotic arm to precisely control the trajectory and feed rate of the charcoal block cleaning blades, performing the charcoal block cleaning process. After cleaning, the storage area scheduling and management system, based on the system-identified charcoal block type, transports the calcined blocks via charcoal block conveyor belt 1 to the corresponding anode calcined block storage area. This completes a standard process for unloading and transporting calcined anode blocks after roasting.

[0030] The intelligent charcoal block transportation control system developed in this technology can realize fully automatic intelligent scheduling and control in the roasting workshop, and achieve unmanned operation of the entire process of automatic block shape recognition, automatic grouping, automatic transportation, automatic block clamping, automatic furnace loading, automatic furnace unloading, automatic disassembly and cooling, automatic slag removal and automatic transfer of anode charcoal blocks. During the entire process of charcoal block operation, the system can simultaneously achieve full-process tracking, recording and information exchange of key information of commercial charcoal blocks.

[0031] Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, various modifications can be made and components can be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present invention. In particular, the technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any manner, provided there is no structural conflict. The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

[0032] In the description of this invention patent, terms such as "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," which indicate direction or positional relationships, are based on the direction or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These are used merely for ease of description and do not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention patent. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0033] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this invention patent, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention patent according to the specific circumstances.

[0034] The term "comprising" or any other similar term is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, article, or apparatus / device that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to those processes, articles, or apparatus / devices.

[0035] The technical solution of this invention has been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of this invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of this invention, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions resulting from these changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A novel automatic energy-saving and environmentally friendly anode carbon block conveying system and method for the automated processing and conveying of anode carbon blocks, comprising a carbon block conveyor belt (1), an automatic guide bowl device (2), a grouping mechanism (3), a carbon block transport vehicle (4), a track (5), a rotary table (6), a transverse trolley, a cooling and disassembly integrated machine (8), a multi-functional unit (7), and an automatic cleaning machine (9), characterized in that, The system also includes an intelligent control system (10). The intelligent control system (10) is the command center of the system, including the ground warehouse area scheduling and management system: used to receive production plans and to uniformly schedule and coordinate the automatic guide bowl device (2), the grouping mechanism (3), the charcoal block transport vehicle (4), the multi-functional unit (7) and the cooling and disassembly integrated machine (8); the wireless communication system: adopts an industrial 5G network to ensure real-time and reliable transmission of instructions and data between each device and the ground warehouse area scheduling and management system; Server: Used to store production plans, charcoal block characteristic database, and real-time location and status information of all equipment; The automatic guide bowl device (2) is equipped with a detection device for identifying the type of charcoal block. This detection device includes a three-dimensional laser radar and an industrial camera, and can send the identified charcoal block type information to the intelligent control system (10). The charcoal block transport vehicle (4) and the multi-functional unit (7) are both equipped with independent positioning systems and vehicle control systems to obtain their absolute position information in the workshop coordinate system in real time and upload it to the intelligent control system (10). The operation process of the system is scheduled and executed by the intelligent control system (10), and includes the following steps in sequence: Step 1, Carbon block model identification and guide bowl: The anode carbon block enters the automatic guide bowl device (2) via the carbon block conveyor belt (1), and the carbon block model is identified by its detection device and the automatic guide bowl is executed; Step 2, Automatic grouping and loading: The charcoal blocks with the guide bowl completed are grouped by the grouping mechanism (3) by standing, turning and staggering, and then loaded into the charcoal block transport vehicle (4). Step 3, Automatic transport and loading into the furnace: The ground warehouse dispatch management system instructs the charcoal block transport vehicle (4) to transport the charcoal blocks to the target roasting furnace chamber, and instructs the multi-functional unit (7) to move above the furnace chamber. The two work together to complete the precise clamping and loading of the charcoal blocks into the furnace. Step 4, Automatic unloading and transfer: After roasting, the ground storage area dispatch management system instructs the multi-functional unit (7) to remove the covering material and pick up the char blocks and transfer them to the char block transport vehicle (4); Step 5, Cooling, Disassembly and Cleaning: The charcoal block transport vehicle (4) transports the charcoal blocks to the cooling and disassembly integrated machine (8) for cooling, and finally the automatic cleaning machine (9) completes the cleaning; The above process enables fully automated operation from carbon block identification to cleaning and storage.

2. The novel automatic energy-saving and environmentally friendly anode carbon block conveying system and method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The model identification process of the automatic bowl guide device (2) specifically includes: a) Data acquisition: By sending a synchronous trigger signal through STM32, the 3D LiDAR and industrial camera can capture images of the carbon block at the same time, and obtain camera images and LiDAR point cloud data that are aligned in time and space. b) Image preprocessing: The acquired image undergoes weighted median filtering and grayscale processing to eliminate noise interference. Then, the outer contour of the charcoal block is obtained through Candy edge detection to determine the length of the charcoal block. ) and width ( ); c) Point cloud processing and feature extraction: The YOLOv5 model based on image features is used to extract the ROI in the image, and a 3D cone-shaped ROI is generated according to the perspective projection relationship to obtain the point cloud of the charcoal block / bowl and its surroundings; the Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) algorithm is applied to perform plane fitting on the point cloud clusters of the charcoal bowl to obtain the point cloud of the plane where the charcoal bowl is located; the edge contour extraction method based on normal estimation is used to obtain the edge point cloud of the charcoal bowl and the edge point cloud of the charcoal bowl protrusion. d) Model determination: Calculate the radius of the charcoal bowl based on the depth information. ) and the bounding rectangle size of the charcoal bowl boss ( The coordinates of the charcoal bowl center were obtained based on the RANSAC fitted circle, and the Euclidean distance between the centers of adjacent charcoal bowls was calculated. ); the acquired feature data group ( , , , , The model is identified by comparing it with standard data in the database and when the deviation is less than the confidence threshold.

3. The novel automatic energy-saving and environmentally friendly anode carbon block conveying system and method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning system of the charcoal block transport vehicle (4) includes an RGB color sensor installed on the bottom of the vehicle and a laser rangefinder installed at one end of the vehicle body; the RGB color sensor is used to detect the high-temperature resistant color strip laid on the track (5) to determine the furnace chamber area, and the laser rangefinder is used to detect the absolute distance traveled by the vehicle.

4. The novel automatic energy-saving and environmentally friendly anode carbon block conveying system and method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning system of the multi-functional unit (7) includes a Gray busbar or coding tape installed along the X-axis of the main track, speed sensors installed on the main and trolleys, and laser rangefinders installed on the trolleys. Its PLC control system is based on speed closed loop and position closed loop to achieve precise alignment with the target point.

5. The novel automatic energy-saving and environmentally friendly anode carbon block conveying system and method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the automatic transportation and furnace feeding steps, the coordinated operation of the charcoal block transport vehicle (4) and the multi-functional unit (7) is as follows: a) The charcoal block transport vehicle (4) is precisely positioned and stopped according to the absolute position information of the X-axis of the target furnace chamber; b) The multi-functional unit (7) moves to the top of the target material box according to the furnace chamber and material box map recorded by the system; c) After both parties verify the alignment via wireless communication, the multi-functional unit (7) picks up the carbon block and puts it into the material box; d) After loading the furnace, the system automatically updates the coal block stacking information of the material bin in the server.

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