Automatic continuous crushing process for traditional Chinese medicinal materials

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of general crushing, in particular to an automatic continuous crushing process for traditional Chinese medicinal materials, which comprises the following steps: in the automatic continuous crushing process of the traditional Chinese medicinal materials, acquiring a plurality of coarse crushing discharge particle connected domains in a coarse crushing discharge port medicinal material flow image at each moment so as to acquire a coarse crushing discharge index at the current moment; obtaining a medicinal material particle index at the current moment in combination with the fluctuation of the power of a coarse crushing motor along with time, then adjusting the rated hammer rotating speed of a fine crushing device in combination with the flow of the medicinal material at a coarse crushing discharge hole at the current moment, and obtaining the hammer rotating speed of the fine crushing device required at the next moment of the current moment; and adjusting the rated rotating speed of the grading wheel to obtain the required rotating speed of the grading wheel at the next moment of the current moment. The whole crushing efficiency can be improved, meanwhile, the fine crushing quality is guaranteed, and the equipment operation risk is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of general pulverization technology, and specifically to an automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicine materials. Background Technology

[0002] In the production of Chinese medicinal herbs, health product processing, and deep processing of prepared herbal pieces, pulverization is typically required to meet the demands of subsequent extraction, mixing, granulation, or molding processes. As the Chinese medicine industry develops towards industrialization, large-scale production, and standardization, the pulverization process is gradually evolving from manual or semi-automatic methods to automated and continuous processes. Currently, automated continuous pulverization equipment is widely used in the pulverization of Chinese medicinal herbs. This type of equipment typically employs a multi-stage pulverization structure, setting multiple pulverization stages such as coarse crushing and fine crushing to progressively pulverize lumpy, strip-shaped, or flake-shaped herbs, thereby ensuring processing capacity while meeting the fineness requirements of different processes. This multi-stage continuous pulverization process features a continuous flow, stable operation, and strong adaptability, and has been widely applied in the industrial processing of rhizomes, fruits, and some fibrous Chinese medicinal herbs.

[0003] Existing Problems: However, in existing automated continuous pulverization processes for Chinese medicinal herbs, the coordinated control methods between multi-stage pulverization processes still need improvement. In traditional solutions, coarse pulverization and subsequent fine pulverization processes often operate as relatively independent pulverization units. Their correlation control methods are mainly based on the feed size or rated processing capacity of the coarse pulverization stage, failing to fully consider the dynamic impact of the real-time discharge status of coarse pulverization on the fine pulverization process. In actual operation, when abnormal situations such as local blockage, pulverization efficiency fluctuations, or large medicinal herb particles flowing out with the discharge occur in the coarse pulverization stage, the feed rate and material state of the fine pulverization stage will change accordingly. However, the fine pulverization parameters usually remain at their original settings, making it difficult to match and adjust them in a timely manner. This leads to a decrease in fine pulverization processing speed, unstable operating status, and even problems such as excessive pulverization load, increased energy consumption, or accelerated equipment wear. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides an automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicine materials to solve existing problems.

[0005] The automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to the present invention adopts the following technical solution: One embodiment of the present invention provides an automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicine materials, the process comprising the following steps: In the automated continuous crushing process of Chinese medicinal materials, the flow image of medicinal materials at the coarse crushing outlet, the flow rate of medicinal materials at the coarse crushing outlet, and the power of the coarse crushing motor are acquired at each moment; then the rated speed of the hammer blades and the rated speed of the classifying wheel of the fine crushing device are acquired. Obtain several coarse crushed discharge particle connected regions in the coarse crushing discharge port herb flow image at each time moment. Based on the size of the coarse crushing discharge particle connected regions, obtain the coarse crushing discharge index at the current time moment. Based on the fluctuation of the coarse crushing motor power over time, combined with the size of the coarse crushing discharge index, obtain the herb particle index at the current time moment. Based on the current particle size index of medicinal materials and the flow rate of medicinal materials at the coarse crushing outlet, the rated hammer speed of the fine crushing device is adjusted to obtain the required hammer speed of the fine crushing device for the next moment. The rated speed of the classifier wheel is adjusted according to the required speed of the crushing hammer in the next moment, so as to obtain the required speed of the classifier wheel in the next moment.

[0006] Furthermore, the specific steps for obtaining the coarse crushing output index at the current moment are as follows: Based on the size of the connected region of each coarse crushed particle, obtain the particle size of the connected region of each coarse crushed particle. The mean value of the particle size of all coarsely crushed particles in the coarsely crushed discharge port connected region in the coarsely crushed discharge port herbal material flow image at all time points is recorded as the particle size threshold. Based on the particle size of the connected domain of coarse crushed particles in the coarse crushing discharge port herbal material flow image at the current moment, and the particle size threshold, the coarse crushing discharge index at the current moment is obtained.

[0007] Furthermore, the specific steps for obtaining the particle size of the connected domain of each coarse crushed particle are as follows: In the image of the herbal material flow at the coarse crushing outlet at each time moment, the diameter of the smallest circumscribed circle of the connected domain of each coarse crushing particle is obtained and denoted as the particle size of the connected domain of each coarse crushing particle.

[0008] Furthermore, the specific steps for obtaining the coarse crushing discharge index at the current moment based on the particle size of the connected region of the coarse crushing discharge particles in the coarse crushing discharge port medicinal material flow image at the current moment, and the particle size threshold, are as follows: In the current moment's image of the herbal material flow at the coarse crushing outlet, the average particle size of all coarse crushing discharge particle connected regions is obtained and denoted as the coarse crushing average particle size. All coarse crushing discharge particle connected regions with a particle size greater than the particle size threshold are denoted as coarse crushing discharge large particle connected regions. The ratio of the number of all coarse crushing discharge large particle connected regions to the total number of coarse crushing discharge particle connected regions is obtained and denoted as the large particle quantity ratio. The normalized value of the coarse crushing average particle size and the average value of the large particle quantity ratio are obtained and denoted as the coarse crushing discharge index at the current moment.

[0009] Furthermore, the specific steps for obtaining the herbal particle index at the current moment are as follows: With a preset time coefficient n, and the current time as time t, the standard deviation of the coarse crushing motor power at all times between time tn and time t is obtained and recorded as the coarse crushing key parameter fluctuation index at the current time. The mean of the coarse crushing output index at all times between time tn and time t is obtained and recorded as the average coarse crushing output index at the current time. Based on the fluctuation index of key coarse crushing parameters and the average coarse crushing output index at the current moment, the medicinal material particle index at the current moment is obtained.

[0010] Furthermore, the specific steps for obtaining the medicinal material particle index at the current moment based on the fluctuation index of the key coarse crushing parameters and the average coarse crushing output index are as follows: The product of the normalized value of the fluctuation index of the key coarse crushing parameter at the current moment and the preset stability correction gain coefficient is recorded as the first product. The sum of the first product and the preset constant is recorded as the first sum. The product of the first sum and the average coarse crushing output index at the current moment is recorded as the medicinal material particle index at the current moment.

[0011] Furthermore, the specific steps for obtaining the required rotational speed of the crushing device hammers for the next moment are as follows: Based on the current particle size index of medicinal materials and the flow rate of medicinal materials at the coarse crushing outlet, obtain the fine crushing correction coefficient at the current moment; The product of the rated hammer speed of the fine crushing device and the preset speed adjustment coefficient is recorded as the base hammer speed. The product of the fine crushing correction coefficient at the current moment and the base hammer speed is recorded as the required fine crushing device hammer speed for the next moment.

[0012] Furthermore, the specific steps for obtaining the refinement correction coefficient at the current moment are as follows: The product of the inversely proportional normalized value of the herb particle index at the current moment and the preset correction weight of the particle index on the fine crushing speed is recorded as the second product. The product of the normalized value of the herb flow rate at the coarse crushing outlet at the current moment and the preset correction weight of the flow rate on the fine crushing speed is recorded as the third product. The sum of the second product and the third product is recorded as the fine crushing correction coefficient at the current moment.

[0013] Furthermore, the specific steps for obtaining the speed of the graded wheel required for the next time step are as follows: If the required speed of the crushing device hammers in the next moment is greater than the speed of the base hammers, then the final grading adjustment coefficient is set to the preset first grading adjustment coefficient. If the required speed of the crushing device hammers in the next moment is less than or equal to the speed of the base hammers, then the final grading adjustment coefficient is set to the preset second grading adjustment coefficient. Based on the required crushing device hammer speed, basic hammer speed, and final grading adjustment coefficient for the next time step, the rated speed of the grading wheel is adjusted to obtain the required grading wheel speed for the next time step.

[0014] Furthermore, the specific steps involved in adjusting the rated speed of the classifying wheel based on the required speed of the crushing device hammers, the basic hammers, and the final classification adjustment coefficient for the next time step, to obtain the required speed of the classifying wheel for the next time step, are as follows: Obtain the difference between the required fine crushing device hammer speed and the basic hammer speed for the next time step, and record it as the hammer speed difference value. Obtain the product of the normalized value of the hammer speed difference value and the final grading adjustment coefficient, and record it as the fifth product. Subtract the fifth product from the preset constant and use it as the grading wheel speed adjustment coefficient. Obtain the product of the grading wheel speed adjustment coefficient and the rated speed of the grading wheel, and record it as the required grading wheel speed for the next time step.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the technical solution of the present invention are: In this embodiment of the invention, several connected regions of coarsely crushed particles in the image of the herb flow at the coarse crushing outlet at each moment during the automated continuous pulverization process of traditional Chinese medicine are obtained to obtain the coarse crushing output index at the current moment. Combined with the fluctuation of the coarse crushing motor power over time, the herb particle index at the current moment is obtained. Then, combined with the herb flow rate at the coarse crushing outlet at the current moment, the rated hammer speed of the fine crushing device is adjusted to obtain the required hammer speed of the fine crushing device for the next moment. Thus, by real-time detection of the coarse crushing results, the pulverization parameters of the subsequent fine crushing process are dynamically controlled to achieve coordinated matching between the coarse and fine crushing processes. This improves overall pulverization efficiency while ensuring fine crushing quality and reducing equipment operation risks. Based on the required hammer speed of the fine crushing device for the next moment, the rated speed of the classifying wheel is adjusted to obtain the required classifying wheel speed for the next moment. Thus, through dynamic adjustment of the classifying wheel speed, coordinated control of the fine crushing chamber and the classifying zone can be achieved, ensuring effective backflow of large particles during pulverization, optimizing overall pulverization efficiency and product particle size uniformity, while reducing the risk of equipment overload and abnormal operation. This invention achieves dynamic optimization and multi-level coordinated control of crushing parameters by real-time monitoring of particle distribution and flow rate changes in coarse crushing output, and adjusting the speed of fine crushing hammers and classifying wheels accordingly. It can effectively improve the efficiency and quality of Chinese herbal medicine crushing, reduce the risk of equipment damage, reduce the need for manual intervention, and ensure the uniformity of particle size and production stability of the final product. It is suitable for the industrial continuous processing of root, fruit, and fibrous Chinese herbal medicines, and significantly improves the automation level of preparation production and deep processing technology. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the steps of an automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the grading wheel. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To further illustrate the technical means and effects adopted by the present invention to achieve its intended purpose, the following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments, details the specific implementation, structure, features, and effects of an automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicine materials proposed according to the present invention. In the following description, different "one embodiment" or "another embodiment" do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, specific features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments can be combined in any suitable form.

[0019] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0020] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, details a specific scheme for an automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicinal materials provided by this invention.

[0021] Please see Figure 1 The diagram illustrates a flowchart of an automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicine materials according to an embodiment of the present invention. The process includes the following steps: Step S001: During the automated continuous crushing process of Chinese medicinal materials, acquire the image of the material flow at the coarse crushing outlet, the material flow rate at the coarse crushing outlet, and the power of the coarse crushing motor at each moment; then acquire the rated hammer speed and the rated speed of the grading wheel of the fine crushing device.

[0022] This embodiment describes an automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicine. By real-time monitoring of the coarse pulverization results, the pulverization parameters of the subsequent fine pulverization process are dynamically adjusted to achieve synergistic matching between the coarse and fine pulverization processes. This improves overall pulverization efficiency while ensuring fine pulverization quality and reducing equipment operation risks.

[0023] It should be noted that in the automated continuous pulverization process of Chinese medicinal materials, the equipment typically operates using a multi-stage pulverization structure with coarse and fine crushing arranged sequentially. The Chinese medicinal materials to be pulverized are continuously fed into the coarse crushing unit through a feeding device. After the materials are initially crushed by crushing components such as toothed discs, they are further fed into the subsequent fine crushing unit. In the fine crushing unit, they are further pulverized by the impact of hammers and grinding tiles. Under the action of screens or particle size limiting structures, fine powder that meets the target particle size requirements is discharged, while particles that are not large enough are returned to the fine crushing unit through a classifying wheel for further pulverization.

[0024] It should be further noted that traditional automated continuous crushing processes fail to consider the real-time impact of coarse crushing results on fine crushing parameters. Therefore, this embodiment considers acquiring operational and material status information during the coarse crushing process of Chinese medicinal herbs to improve the continuous crushing process. First, the operation parameter acquisition module of the coarse crushing unit is used to acquire real-time changes in motor power during the coarse crushing process to reflect the load status and operational stability of the process. At the discharge port of the coarse crushing unit, an image acquisition device (industrial camera) is used to acquire real-time images of the discharged medicinal herbs after coarse crushing, obtaining image information of the discharged material. Based on image analysis, the particle size distribution characteristics, proportion of larger particles, or particle morphology characteristics of the discharged medicinal herbs are identified and statistically analyzed to characterize the actual processing effect of coarse crushing. Then, by combining the quality detection or flow detection data from the discharge side, the output of coarse crushing and its changing trend are monitored, thereby comprehensively reflecting the real-time status of the processing efficiency, output stability and coarse crushing effect of the coarse crushing stage. This enables the fine crushing process to adaptively match its crushing intensity and processing rhythm according to the changes in the state of the coarse crushed material, thereby achieving coordinated operation between the coarse crushing and fine crushing processes. This improves the overall crushing efficiency and fine crushing quality while ensuring the stability of continuous crushing.

[0025] Therefore, during the automated continuous pulverization process of Chinese medicinal herbs, images of the herb flow at the coarse crushing outlet, the herb flow rate at the coarse crushing outlet, and the power of the coarse crushing motor are acquired at each moment. The acquisition frequency is once per second.

[0026] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the real-time flow rate of medicinal materials at the coarse crushing outlet is obtained by using machine vision (image method) material flow detection technology. That is, the image of the medicinal material flow at the coarse crushing outlet is collected by an industrial camera, the cross-sectional area of ​​the medicinal material flow and the speed of the medicinal material movement are extracted, and the volumetric flow rate is calculated. This is a well-known technology, and the specific method will not be described here.

[0027] Then, obtain the rated hammer speed, minimum hammer speed, maximum hammer speed, and rated speed of the classifier wheel from the technical manuals of the crushing equipment.

[0028] Step S002: Obtain several coarse crushing discharge particle connected regions in the coarse crushing discharge port herbal material flow image at each time moment; obtain the coarse crushing discharge index at the current time moment based on the size of the coarse crushing discharge particle connected regions; obtain the herbal material particle index at the current time moment based on the fluctuation of the coarse crushing motor power over time and the size of the coarse crushing discharge index.

[0029] It should be noted that: First, it is necessary to obtain the real-time distribution of medicinal material particles after coarse crushing. This is achieved by acquiring real-time image information from an industrial camera at the coarse crushing outlet. After computer vision processing, the characteristic size parameters of each particle are extracted. These characteristic size parameters specifically include the particle size of the coarse crushed output material, i.e., the particle diameter of each particle, which characterizes the feed particle size state entering the subsequent fine crushing unit. Furthermore, the real-time image can be used to determine the real-time output speed of the coarse crushing process based on the number of identified particles. After coarse crushing, the medicinal material particles directly enter the subsequent fine crushing unit during continuous grinding. By analyzing the particle size distribution changes at multiple consecutive sampling times, it can be determined whether there are fluctuations or abnormal deviations in the output particle size during the coarse crushing process. When the overall particle size of the coarse crushed output is detected to be too large or the proportion of large-diameter particles is high, there may be agglomeration caused by strong fibrous particles in the coarse crushing device. Larger coarse crushed medicinal materials will increase the load on the subsequent fine crushing unit. When the overall particle size is too small or the distribution is too concentrated, the degree of coarse crushing is too large. The finer coarse crushing result will lead to increased energy consumption in fine crushing or the risk of over-crushing.

[0030] It should be further explained that in this embodiment, the Chinese medicinal materials are automatically and continuously pulverized for the first 3 minutes using pre-designed pulverization parameters. Then, the pulverization parameters of the pulverization equipment are adaptively adjusted as follows. The operating data of the first 3 minutes after the start of pulverization is used as the basis for the subsequent adaptive adjustment of the pulverization parameters. This will be used as an example for the following description.

[0031] Preferably, in one embodiment of the present invention, the method for obtaining the medicinal material particle index at the current moment includes: In this embodiment of the invention, a segmentation neural network is used to identify and segment several connected regions of coarsely crushed particles in the image of the herbal material flow at the coarsely crushed discharge port at each time step.

[0032] It should be noted that the segmentation neural network used in this embodiment is the Mask R-CNN neural network. Mask R-CNN is a well-known technology, and its specific method will not be described here. The full Chinese name of Mask R-CNN is "Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network", and its full English name is "Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network". Mask R-CNN is an instance segmentation network that distinguishes between "medicinal material particles" and "background" and generates a unique mask (connected component) for each independent particle, directly distinguishing individual particles and directly outputting the independent connected component of each particle.

[0033] In the image of the herbal material flow at the coarse crushing outlet at each time moment, the diameter of the smallest circumscribed circle of the connected domain of each coarse crushing particle is obtained and denoted as the particle size of the connected domain of each coarse crushing particle.

[0034] In this embodiment, the mesh of the filter screen in the coarse crushing process of the medicinal materials is circular. Therefore, the diameter of the smallest circumscribed circle of the connected domain of each coarse crushed particle is taken as the particle size of the connected domain of each coarse crushed particle.

[0035] The mean value of the particle size of all coarsely crushed particles in the coarsely crushed discharge port connected region in the coarsely crushed discharge port herbal material flow image at all time points is obtained and recorded as the particle size threshold.

[0036] In the current moment's image of the herbal material flow at the coarse crushing outlet, the average particle size of all coarse crushing discharge particle connected regions is obtained and denoted as the coarse crushing average particle size. All coarse crushing discharge particle connected regions with a particle size greater than the particle size threshold are denoted as coarse crushing discharge large particle connected regions. The ratio of the number of all coarse crushing discharge large particle connected regions to the total number of coarse crushing discharge particle connected regions is obtained and denoted as the large particle quantity ratio. The normalized value of the coarse crushing average particle size and the average value of the large particle quantity ratio are obtained and denoted as the coarse crushing discharge index at the current moment.

[0037] Following the above method, the coarse crushing output index at each moment can be obtained.

[0038] The Welzl algorithm (fast minimum bounding circle algorithm) is used to obtain the minimum bounding circle of the connected domain of each coarse crushed particle. The min-max normalization method is used to normalize the average particle size of coarse crushing at all times to between 0 and 1. Both the Welzl algorithm and the min-max normalization method are well-known techniques, and the specific methods are not described here.

[0039] It should be noted that the current coarse crushing discharge index characterizes the discharge status at the coarse crushing outlet at that moment, comprehensively considering both the average size of the medicinal material particles and the proportion of large particles. The average particle size of the coarse crushing reflects the degree of overall particle size imbalance; a larger average particle size indicates a higher risk of insufficient coarse crushing. The proportion of large particles reflects the percentage of small, insufficiently crushed large medicinal material particles. Even if the average particle size is normal, the presence of some excessively large particles can affect the load and processing effect of subsequent fine crushing. The current coarse crushing discharge index can serve as a reference for fine crushing feedforward adjustment, helping to determine whether it is necessary to increase the fine crushing intensity or adjust parameters.

[0040] It should be further clarified that the aforementioned coarse crushing discharge index only reflects the average particle size and proportion of large particles at the current moment, without considering the stability of the coarse crushing equipment and lacking consideration for the continuity of time. In actual coarse crushing, if the material fibers are strong, it will lead to agglomeration during the crushing process, resulting in large particles at the discharge port. In this case, not only are there large particles at the discharge port, but there is also often frequent fluctuation in coarse crushing parameters during the coarse crushing process. When the coarse crushing parameters are stable and the coarse crushing discharge index is high, the outflow of large particles is usually due to insufficient crushing intensity. At this time, the fine crushing intensity can be appropriately increased to ensure the subsequent crushing effect. However, when the coarse crushing parameters are unstable and the coarse crushing discharge index is high, it indicates that there may be a risk of blockage or abnormal operation. At this time, the compensation adjustment of fine crushing should be more drastic to avoid the unstable fine crushing feed rate leading to a decrease in processing efficiency or increased equipment wear.

[0041] The preset time coefficient n is 20, the preset stability correction gain coefficient is 0.8, and the preset constant is 1. This will be used as an example for description.

[0042] Taking the current time as time t, obtain the standard deviation of the coarse crushing motor power at all times (including time tn and time t) between time tn and time t, and denot it as the coarse crushing key parameter fluctuation index at the current time. Obtain the mean of the coarse crushing output index at all times between time tn and time t, and denot it as the average coarse crushing output index at the current time.

[0043] The product of the normalized value of the fluctuation index of the key coarse crushing parameter at the current moment and the preset stability correction gain coefficient is recorded as the first product. The sum of the first product and the preset constant is recorded as the first sum. The product of the first sum and the average coarse crushing output index at the current moment is recorded as the medicinal material particle index at the current moment.

[0044] The normalized value of the coarse-fragmented key parameter fluctuation index at the current moment is the ratio of the current moment's coarse-fragmented key parameter fluctuation index to the maximum value of the coarse-fragmented key parameter fluctuation index at all moments.

[0045] Step S003: Based on the current particle size index of the medicinal materials and the flow rate of the medicinal materials at the coarse crushing outlet, adjust the rated speed of the fine crushing device hammer blades to obtain the required speed of the fine crushing device hammer blades for the next moment.

[0046] It should be noted that while the herbal particle index considers whether large particles will remain for a long time during the coarse crushing process, potentially affecting the fine crushing process, when the crushing force and degree of crushing are high during the coarse crushing process, the fine crushing parameters need to be further adjusted based on the real-time flow rate at the coarse crushing outlet. This involves considering real-time flow rate changes based on the real-time herbal particle index. When the herbal particle index is high and the flow rate is low, it indicates potential blockage in the crushing chamber and unstable particle distribution. Maintaining high-speed crushing can easily cause wear or damage to the fine crushing equipment. Therefore, the fine crushing speed should be reduced and the crushing time appropriately extended to ensure safety and processing uniformity. Conversely, if the herbal particle index is low but the flow rate is high, it indicates that the coarse crushed particles are large but the discharge speed is fast. The fine crushing equipment can withstand higher speeds, so the fine crushing speed should be increased to accelerate processing and improve overall crushing efficiency.

[0047] Preferably, in one embodiment of the present invention, the method for obtaining the required rotational speed of the crushing device hammers at the next moment from the current moment includes: The preset particle index has a correction weight of 0.7 for the fine grinding speed, and the preset flow rate has a correction weight of 0.3 for the fine grinding speed, ensuring that the sum of their weights is 1. This will be used as an example for explanation. It is noted that large particles have a greater impact on performance, therefore the preset particle index is given a larger correction weight for the fine grinding speed.

[0048] The product of the inversely proportional normalized value of the herb particle index at the current moment and the preset correction weight of the particle index on the fine crushing speed is recorded as the second product. The product of the normalized value of the herb flow rate at the coarse crushing outlet at the current moment and the preset correction weight of the flow rate on the fine crushing speed is recorded as the third product. The sum of the second product and the third product is recorded as the fine crushing correction coefficient at the current moment.

[0049] Specifically, the ratio of the current herbal particle index to the maximum value among all herbal particle indices at all times is recorded as the first ratio. The difference between 1 and the first ratio is recorded as the inverse proportional normalized value of the herbal particle index at the current time. The ratio of the current herbal flow rate at the coarse crushing outlet to the maximum value among all herbal flow rates at the coarse crushing outlet is used as the normalized value of the herbal flow rate at the coarse crushing outlet at the current time.

[0050] It should be noted that the hammer speed can be further adjusted based on the obtained fine crushing correction coefficient, so that it can not only cope with the damage risk caused by large particles, but also speed up the processing speed and improve the overall efficiency when the particles are fine and the flow rate is sufficient.

[0051] The preset speed adjustment coefficient is 72%, which will be used as an example for explanation.

[0052] The product of the rated hammer speed of the fine crushing device and the preset speed adjustment coefficient is recorded as the base hammer speed. The product of the fine crushing correction coefficient at the current moment and the base hammer speed is recorded as the required fine crushing device hammer speed for the next moment.

[0053] It should be noted that the basic hammer speed represents the recommended hammer speed under rated stable operating conditions. If the required hammer speed for the next fine crushing moment is greater than the maximum hammer speed of the fine crushing device, then the required hammer speed for the next fine crushing moment is set to equal the maximum hammer speed. Conversely, if the required hammer speed for the next fine crushing moment is less than the minimum hammer speed of the fine crushing device, then the required hammer speed for the next fine crushing moment is set to equal the minimum hammer speed. Therefore, the basic hammer speed is corrected according to the fine crushing correction coefficient. Then, considering the limitations of factors such as motor power in the actual fine crushing process, a limit is imposed on the hammer speed between the maximum and minimum hammer speeds.

[0054] Step S004: Adjust the rated speed of the classifier wheel according to the required speed of the crushing device hammers for the next moment, and obtain the required speed of the classifier wheel for the next moment.

[0055] It should be noted that, furthermore, the fine crushing state at different times needs to be considered, and the parameters of the classifying wheel need to be adjusted accordingly. The classifying wheel (also known as the classifying rotor or dynamic classifier wheel) is a core classifying component in powder processing systems such as air jet milling and mechanical milling. It is mainly used to accurately separate powders according to particle size, determining the upper limit and particle size distribution of the final product. In the coordinated control of fine crushing and classification, the main control objective of the classifying wheel is to prevent large, insufficiently crushed particles from being directly discharged from the system with the airflow. During fine crushing, changes in the hammer speed not only affect the crushing intensity but also alter the composition and flow state of the material entering the classification zone. When the hammer speed is high, the impact and shearing effects per unit time within the fine crushing chamber are enhanced, the material crushing process is relatively stable, the proportion of fine powder generated is high, and a larger suction airflow is present, resulting in a significant increase in the quantity and flow tendency of fine powder meeting the particle size requirements. If the classifying wheel speed remains high at this time, a large amount of fine powder that has met the requirements will be returned to the fine crushing chamber, leading to over-crushing. Therefore, when the hammer speed is high, the classifying wheel speed should be appropriately reduced to ensure that fine powder passes smoothly through the classification zone and is discharged from the system. When the hammer mill speed is low, the material entering the grinding chamber is relatively unstable, increasing the probability of incomplete grinding. This leads to a higher proportion of substandard particles entering the classification zone, and the overall grinding volume is smaller. The risk of bringing back qualified fine powder during the classification and reflux process is also lower. Therefore, when the hammer mill speed is low, the classification wheel speed should be increased to enhance the interception and reflux capacity of large particles. (See diagram of classification wheel). Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 After being pulverized, the material enters the rotating classifier wheel. Under the action of centrifugal force, the heavy particles are returned as coarse particles, that is, they fall back to the pulverizing zone, while the light particles are discharged as qualified fine powder.

[0056] Preferably, in one embodiment of the present invention, the method for obtaining the speed of the staged wheel required for the next time step from the current time step includes: The preset adjustment coefficient for the first level is 0.8, and the preset adjustment coefficient for the first level is 0.3. This will be used as an example for the description.

[0057] If the required speed of the crushing device hammers in the next moment is greater than the speed of the base hammers, then the final grading adjustment coefficient is set to the preset first grading adjustment coefficient.

[0058] If the required crushing device hammer speed for the next moment is less than or equal to the basic hammer speed, then the final grading adjustment coefficient is set to the preset second grading adjustment coefficient.

[0059] Obtain the difference between the required fine crushing device hammer speed and the basic hammer speed for the next time step, and record it as the hammer speed difference value. Obtain the product of the normalized value of the hammer speed difference value and the final grading adjustment coefficient, and record it as the fifth product. Subtract the fifth product from the preset constant and use it as the grading wheel speed adjustment coefficient. Obtain the product of the grading wheel speed adjustment coefficient and the rated speed of the grading wheel, and record it as the required grading wheel speed for the next time step.

[0060] The normalized value of the hammer speed difference is between -1 and 1. Specifically, the difference between the rated hammer speed and the minimum hammer speed of the crushing device is recorded as the third difference. The difference between the maximum hammer speed and the rated hammer speed of the crushing device is recorded as the fourth difference. If the required hammer speed of the crushing device in the next moment is greater than the basic hammer speed, the ratio of the hammer speed difference value to the fourth difference is used as the normalized value of the hammer speed difference. If the required hammer speed of the crushing device in the next moment is less than or equal to the basic hammer speed, the ratio of the hammer speed difference value to the third difference is used as the normalized value of the hammer speed difference.

[0061] It should be noted that: if the required hammer speed of the fine crushing device in the next moment is greater than the basic hammer speed, it indicates that the hammer speed is too high and the speed of the classifying wheel should be appropriately reduced. If the required hammer speed of the fine crushing device in the next moment is closer to the maximum hammer speed of the fine crushing device, the normalized value of the hammer speed difference will be closer to 1. The final classification adjustment coefficient is 0.3, so the maximum of the fifth product is 0.3. The preset constant is 1, so the minimum adjustment coefficient of the classifying wheel speed is 0.7. The required classifying wheel speed in the next moment can be reduced to a maximum of 0.7 times the rated speed of the classifying wheel to avoid excessive backflow of fine powder. If the required hammer speed of the fine crushing device in the next moment is less than or equal to the basic hammer speed, it indicates that the hammer speed is too low, and the speed of the classifying wheel should be appropriately increased. The closer the required hammer speed of the fine crushing device in the next moment is to the minimum hammer speed of the fine crushing device, the closer the normalized value of the hammer speed difference is to -1. The final classifying adjustment coefficient is 0.8, so the minimum fifth product is -0.8. The preset constant is 1, therefore the maximum classifying wheel speed adjustment coefficient is 1.8. The required classifying wheel speed in the next moment can be increased to a maximum of 1.8 times the rated speed of the classifying wheel, enhancing the ability to intercept backflow of insufficiently crushed large particles. In this embodiment, the minimum classifying wheel speed can be as low as 0.7 times the rated speed of the classifying wheel, and the maximum classifying wheel speed can be as high as 1.8 times the rated speed of the classifying wheel. This is used as an example for description. Thus, real-time adjustment of the hammer speed and the classifying wheel speed of the fine crushing device is achieved during the automated continuous pulverization of traditional Chinese medicine materials.

[0062] It should be further explained that by dynamically adjusting the rotational speed of the classifying wheel, coordinated control of the fine crushing chamber and the classification zone can be achieved, ensuring effective backflow of large particles during the crushing process, optimizing overall crushing efficiency and product particle size uniformity, while reducing the risk of equipment overload and abnormal operation. Through the dynamic adjustment of the fine crushing hammer rotational speed and the coordinated control of the classifying wheel rotational speed, this embodiment can achieve intelligent response to real-time particle status and material flow rate during continuous crushing. Under different operating conditions, the crushing intensity and classification backflow strategy of the fine crushing chamber can be automatically adjusted according to the particle size distribution and flow rate information of the coarse crushing output, realizing closed-loop linkage control between coarse crushing and fine crushing, and between crushing and classification. This ensures particle uniformity and stability during the fine crushing process, while reducing the risk of large particle escape and over-crushing, making the crushing process more efficient, reliable, and controllable.

[0063] This invention is now complete.

[0064] In summary, in this embodiment of the invention, several connected regions of coarsely crushed particles in the image of the herb flow at the coarse crushing outlet at each moment during the automated continuous pulverization process of traditional Chinese medicine are obtained to acquire the coarse crushing output index at the current moment. Combined with the fluctuation of the coarse crushing motor power over time, the herb particle index at the current moment is obtained. Then, combined with the herb flow rate at the coarse crushing outlet at the current moment, the rated hammer speed of the fine crushing device is adjusted to obtain the required hammer speed of the fine crushing device for the next moment. This is used to adjust the rated speed of the classifying wheel to obtain the required classifying wheel speed for the next moment. This invention can improve overall pulverization efficiency while ensuring fine crushing quality and reducing equipment operating risks.

[0065] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicinal materials, characterized in that, The process includes the following steps: In the automated continuous crushing process of Chinese medicinal materials, the flow image of medicinal materials at the coarse crushing outlet, the flow rate of medicinal materials at the coarse crushing outlet, and the power of the coarse crushing motor are acquired at each moment; then the rated speed of the hammer blades and the rated speed of the classifying wheel of the fine crushing device are acquired. Obtain several coarse crushed discharge particle connected regions in the coarse crushing discharge port herb flow image at each time moment. Based on the size of the coarse crushing discharge particle connected regions, obtain the coarse crushing discharge index at the current time moment. Based on the fluctuation of the coarse crushing motor power over time, combined with the size of the coarse crushing discharge index, obtain the herb particle index at the current time moment. Based on the current particle size index of medicinal materials and the flow rate of medicinal materials at the coarse crushing outlet, the rated hammer speed of the fine crushing device is adjusted to obtain the required hammer speed of the fine crushing device for the next moment. The rated speed of the classifier wheel is adjusted according to the required speed of the crushing hammer in the next moment, so as to obtain the required speed of the classifier wheel in the next moment.

2. The automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The specific steps for obtaining the coarse crushing output index at the current moment are as follows: Based on the size of the connected region of each coarse crushed particle, obtain the particle size of the connected region of each coarse crushed particle. The mean value of the particle size of all coarsely crushed particles in the coarsely crushed discharge port connected region in the coarsely crushed discharge port herbal material flow image at all time points is recorded as the particle size threshold. Based on the particle size of the connected domain of coarse crushed particles in the coarse crushing discharge port herbal material flow image at the current moment, and the particle size threshold, the coarse crushing discharge index at the current moment is obtained.

3. The automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 2, characterized in that, The specific steps for obtaining the particle size of each coarse crushed particle's connected region are as follows: In the image of the herbal material flow at the coarse crushing outlet at each time moment, the diameter of the smallest circumscribed circle of the connected domain of each coarse crushing particle is obtained and denoted as the particle size of the connected domain of each coarse crushing particle.

4. The automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 2, characterized in that, The specific steps for obtaining the coarse crushing discharge index at the current moment, based on the particle size of the connected domain of the coarse crushed particles in the coarse crushing discharge port medicinal material flow image at the current moment and the particle size threshold, are as follows: In the current moment's image of the herbal material flow at the coarse crushing outlet, the average particle size of all coarse crushing discharge particle connected regions is obtained and denoted as the coarse crushing average particle size. All coarse crushing discharge particle connected regions with a particle size greater than the particle size threshold are denoted as coarse crushing discharge large particle connected regions. The ratio of the number of all coarse crushing discharge large particle connected regions to the total number of coarse crushing discharge particle connected regions is obtained and denoted as the large particle quantity ratio. The normalized value of the coarse crushing average particle size and the average value of the large particle quantity ratio are obtained and denoted as the coarse crushing discharge index at the current moment.

5. The automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The specific steps for obtaining the herbal particle index at the current moment are as follows: With a preset time coefficient n, and the current time as time t, the standard deviation of the coarse crushing motor power at all times between time tn and time t is obtained and recorded as the coarse crushing key parameter fluctuation index at the current time. The mean of the coarse crushing output index at all times between time tn and time t is obtained and recorded as the average coarse crushing output index at the current time. Based on the fluctuation index of key coarse crushing parameters and the average coarse crushing output index at the current moment, the medicinal material particle index at the current moment is obtained.

6. The automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 5, characterized in that, The specific steps for obtaining the medicinal material particle index at the current moment based on the fluctuation index of key coarse crushing parameters and the average coarse crushing output index at the current moment are as follows: The product of the normalized value of the fluctuation index of the key coarse crushing parameter at the current moment and the preset stability correction gain coefficient is recorded as the first product. The sum of the first product and the preset constant is recorded as the first sum. The product of the first sum and the average coarse crushing output index at the current moment is recorded as the medicinal material particle index at the current moment.

7. The automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The specific steps for obtaining the required rotational speed of the crushing device hammers for the next moment are as follows: Based on the current particle size index of medicinal materials and the flow rate of medicinal materials at the coarse crushing outlet, obtain the fine crushing correction coefficient at the current moment; The product of the rated hammer speed of the fine crushing device and the preset speed adjustment coefficient is recorded as the base hammer speed. The product of the fine crushing correction coefficient at the current moment and the base hammer speed is recorded as the required fine crushing device hammer speed for the next moment.

8. The automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 7, characterized in that, The specific steps for obtaining the fine correction coefficient at the current moment are as follows: The product of the inversely proportional normalized value of the herb particle index at the current moment and the preset correction weight of the particle index on the fine crushing speed is recorded as the second product. The product of the normalized value of the herb flow rate at the coarse crushing outlet at the current moment and the preset correction weight of the flow rate on the fine crushing speed is recorded as the third product. The sum of the second product and the third product is recorded as the fine crushing correction coefficient at the current moment.

9. The automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 7, characterized in that, The specific steps for obtaining the speed of the graded wheel required for the next time step are as follows: If the required speed of the crushing device hammers in the next moment is greater than the speed of the base hammers, then the final grading adjustment coefficient is set to the preset first grading adjustment coefficient. If the required speed of the crushing device hammers in the next moment is less than or equal to the speed of the base hammers, then the final grading adjustment coefficient is set to the preset second grading adjustment coefficient. Based on the required crushing device hammer speed, basic hammer speed, and final grading adjustment coefficient for the next time step, the rated speed of the grading wheel is adjusted to obtain the required grading wheel speed for the next time step.

10. The automated continuous pulverization process for traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 9, characterized in that, The specific steps involved in adjusting the rated speed of the classifying wheel based on the required speed of the crushing device hammers, the basic hammer speed, and the final classification adjustment coefficient for the next time step, to obtain the required speed of the classifying wheel for the next time step, are as follows: Obtain the difference between the required fine crushing device hammer speed and the basic hammer speed for the next time step, and record it as the hammer speed difference value. Obtain the product of the normalized value of the hammer speed difference value and the final grading adjustment coefficient, and record it as the fifth product. Subtract the fifth product from the preset constant and use it as the grading wheel speed adjustment coefficient. Obtain the product of the grading wheel speed adjustment coefficient and the rated speed of the grading wheel, and record it as the required grading wheel speed for the next time step.

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