Intelligent sludge discharge system and method for a multiple-bucket sedimentation tank

Abstract

The application discloses an intelligent sludge discharge system and method of a multi-bucket sedimentation tank, and belongs to the technical field of sewage treatment. The system comprises a multi-bucket sedimentation tank, a partitioned sludge discharge system, an online sludge concentration monitoring unit, a sludge level monitoring unit and an intelligent controller. According to the sludge level signals of each bucket and the concentration signals of the main pipe, the intelligent controller adopts a six-fold combination control logic (sludge level priority start, concentration optimization termination, alternate sludge discharge, low sludge level locking, forced periodic sludge discharge and abnormal alarm) to realize accurate control of each pneumatic sludge discharge valve. Through the intelligent sludge discharge mode of "starting according to sludge amount, terminating according to concentration and alternating according to sequence", the problems of extensive control and low sludge discharge concentration of the traditional sludge discharge mode are solved, the solid content rate of sludge discharge can be increased from 0.5% to 0.8% to 2% to 5%, water saving is more than 75%, the energy consumption and the drug consumption of subsequent sludge treatment are significantly reduced, and full-automatic optimized operation of the sedimentation tank is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of wastewater treatment technology, specifically relating to an intelligent sludge removal and operation optimization system and method for sedimentation tanks, which is particularly suitable for multi-bucket sedimentation tanks. Background Technology

[0002] With increasingly stringent requirements for water environment management, underground wastewater treatment plants are widely used due to their advantages such as space-saving design and environmental friendliness. Underground wastewater treatment plants place higher demands on the footprint and operational reliability of sedimentation tanks. Rectangular perimeter inlet and outlet sedimentation tanks, coupled with multi-hopper sludge discharge systems, are gradually becoming the preferred solution for sedimentation tanks in underground wastewater treatment plants due to their advantages such as the absence of underwater sludge scrapers, simple structure, and low investment. This structure typically involves multiple sludge hoppers evenly arranged along the length of the tank, with each hopper equipped with an independent sludge discharge pipe and valve, replacing the traditional chain scraper.

[0003] However, in practical engineering applications, existing multi-hopper sedimentation tank sludge removal technology still has some shortcomings. First, the sludge removal control method is relatively crude, relying heavily on fixed time cycles or manual experience for uniform sludge removal, and failing to perform differentiated and precise sludge removal based on the actual sludge accumulation in each sludge hopper. This often results in some sludge hoppers discharging large amounts of clear water due to over-discharge, while other sludge hoppers experience excessive sludge accumulation due to untimely sludge removal, even leading to sludge caking or anaerobic floating, ultimately affecting the effluent quality of the sedimentation tank.

[0004] Secondly, the concentration of discharged sludge is unknown. Traditional sludge discharge pipelines typically lack concentration monitoring devices, making it impossible for operators to determine in real time whether the discharged sludge is high-concentration or low-concentration mixed liquor. Under fixed-cycle sludge discharge, the solids content of the discharged sludge mixed liquor is usually only 0.5% to 0.8%, meaning that a large amount of clean water is discharged into the sludge treatment system along with it. This not only wastes water resources but also significantly increases the processing load and energy consumption of subsequent sludge thickening and dewatering stages.

[0005] In addition, traditional sludge discharge valve actuators also suffer from slow response and inconvenient maintenance. For example, when using a sleeve valve in conjunction with an electric hoist, the valve's full stroke takes tens of seconds, making it difficult to achieve rapid start-stop control; moreover, the electric actuator is constantly exposed to a humid environment, which can easily lead to insulation degradation, jamming, and other malfunctions, affecting the reliability of the system.

[0006] In summary, existing technologies have failed to effectively address the comprehensive technical challenges of multi-bucket sedimentation tanks in areas such as differential sludge level sensing, real-time feedback of sludge concentration, coordinated scheduling of multiple buckets, prevention of excessive sludge discharge, prevention of sludge caking, and self-diagnosis of faults. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a novel intelligent sludge discharge system and method to improve the operational efficiency, reliability, and intelligence level of multi-bucket sedimentation tanks. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and provide an intelligent sludge removal system and method for multi-bucket sedimentation tanks. This solution retains the advantages of multi-bucket sedimentation tanks, such as the absence of a sludge scraper and simple structure, while achieving precise sludge removal by integrating independent pneumatic sludge removal in different zones, online monitoring of main pipeline concentration, and multiple combined control logics. This aims to significantly improve the solids content of the removed sludge, save water resources, reduce energy consumption in subsequent treatment, and achieve fully automated optimized operation of the sedimentation tank.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0009] An intelligent sludge removal system for a multi-bucket sedimentation tank includes:

[0010] A multi-hopper sedimentation tank, with multiple independent sludge hoppers arranged along the length of the tank at its bottom;

[0011] A partitioned sludge discharge system includes sludge discharge branch pipes respectively connected to the bottom of the plurality of sludge hoppers, a sludge discharge main pipe that collects the sludge discharge branch pipes, and a pneumatic sludge discharge valve installed on each of the sludge discharge branch pipes.

[0012] An online sludge concentration monitoring unit is installed on the sludge discharge main pipe to detect the sludge concentration passing through the sludge discharge main pipe in real time;

[0013] A sludge level monitoring unit includes multiple sludge level sensors configured to monitor the height of the sludge interface in each of the sludge hoppers.

[0014] An intelligent controller is electrically connected to the pneumatic sludge discharge valve, the online sludge concentration monitoring unit, and the sludge level monitoring unit, respectively.

[0015] The intelligent controller is configured to receive the sludge level signal from each of the sludge hoppers and the concentration signal from the sludge discharge main pipe, and control the opening and closing of each of the pneumatic sludge discharge valves according to preset logic.

[0016] The preset logic includes at least the following: when the sludge level in any sludge hopper reaches a high sludge level threshold, the sludge level priority start logic for activating the pneumatic sludge discharge valve corresponding to that sludge hopper is activated; and during the sludge discharge process, when the sludge concentration in the main sludge discharge pipe is lower than the lower concentration limit, the concentration optimization termination logic for closing the pneumatic sludge discharge valve that is discharging sludge is activated.

[0017] Preferably, the preset logic further includes:

[0018] Alternating sludge discharge logic: When multiple sludge hoppers reach the high sludge level threshold at the same time, the intelligent controller will open only one or two pneumatic sludge discharge valves at a time to perform alternating sludge discharge according to preset rules.

[0019] Low sludge level locking logic: When the sludge level drops below the low sludge level threshold after the sludge discharge from a certain sludge hopper is completed, the intelligent controller will not respond to the sludge discharge command for that sludge hopper within the set locking time.

[0020] Forced periodic sludge discharge logic: When the time without sludge discharge in any sludge hopper exceeds the set maximum sludge discharge interval, the intelligent controller forcibly opens the pneumatic sludge discharge valve corresponding to that sludge hopper to discharge sludge.

[0021] Abnormal alarm logic: When the sludge concentration in the sludge discharge main pipe is continuously lower than the preset value during the sludge discharge process, but the sludge level in the corresponding sludge hopper does not drop as expected, the intelligent controller triggers an alarm.

[0022] The present invention also provides a corresponding intelligent sludge removal method, which is applied to the above-mentioned system and includes the following steps:

[0023] S1: The sludge level signal Hᵢ of each sludge hopper is collected in real time by a sludge level sensor installed above each sludge hopper, and the sludge concentration signal C is collected in real time by an online sludge concentration monitoring unit installed on the sludge discharge main pipe.

[0024] S2: When the sludge level signal Hᵢ of any sludge hopper reaches the high sludge level threshold Hmax, execute the sludge level priority start logic and open the pneumatic sludge discharge valve corresponding to the sludge hopper to discharge sludge.

[0025] S3: During the sludge discharge process, continuously monitor the sludge concentration signal C. When C is continuously lower than the lower concentration limit Cmin and the duration exceeds the set value T1, execute the concentration optimization termination logic and close the pneumatic sludge discharge valve that is discharging sludge.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0027] 1. Significantly improves sludge solids content: By installing a concentration meter on the main sludge discharge pipe and combining it with "concentration-optimized termination logic," the valve is ensured to open only when high-concentration sludge is discharged and to close immediately once the concentration decreases, achieving precise sludge discharge based on concentration. The average solids content of the discharged sludge can be significantly increased from the traditional 0.5%–0.8% to 2%–5%, thereby greatly reducing the processing load of the subsequent sludge dewatering system.

[0028] 2. Significantly saves water resources: By avoiding ineffective and excessive sludge discharge, the total amount of water discharged can be reduced by more than 75%, significantly reducing water waste and unnecessary energy consumption for wastewater recirculation treatment.

[0029] 3. Reduce operating energy and chemical consumption: Since the sludge concentration entering the sludge treatment system is higher and the water volume is less, the power consumption of the subsequent sludge dewatering process can be reduced by 15% to 30%, and the consumption of chemicals such as polyacrylamide (PAM) can be reduced by 10% to 20%.

[0030] 4. Fast response and high reliability: The pneumatic mud discharge valve has a fast opening and closing speed (usually less than 1 second), large thrust, is not easy to jam, and has no motor overheating or insulation problems. It is especially suitable for frequent operation in humid or underwater environments, with low system maintenance and high operational reliability.

[0031] 5. Achieve fully automatic differentiated sludge discharge: By configuring independent sludge level monitoring and valve control for each sludge hopper, the system can sense the sludge accumulation status of each hopper in real time. Combined with the rotation logic, it can intelligently adapt to the uneven distribution of sludge caused by factors such as water intake and hydraulic flow, thus avoiding the problem of excessive sludge accumulation in some sludge hoppers while other hoppers are over-emptied.

[0032] 6. Six-fold synergistic logic forms a complete closed loop: The six logics of this invention (sludge level priority start-up, concentration optimization termination, alternating sludge discharge, low sludge level locking, forced periodic sludge discharge, and abnormal alarm) correspond to the six key aspects of the sludge discharge process: start-up, termination, coordination, protection, redundancy, and safety, forming a complete intelligent sludge discharge decision-making closed loop. In particular, the "low sludge level locking logic" effectively prevents frequent and ineffective start-ups of emptied sludge hoppers, while the "forced periodic sludge discharge logic" solves the problems of caking or denitrification that may result from long-term sludge settling. The organic combination of these six logics has an overall technical effect far superior to the simple superposition of the individual logics. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the system of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the sludge discharge zone structure in the sludge hopper of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the control logic flow of the method of the present invention;

[0036] Explanation of the reference numerals in the figure:

[0037] 1-Sedimentation tank body; 2-Sludge hopper; 3-Sludge discharge branch pipe; 4-Pneumatic sludge discharge valve; 5-Sludge discharge main pipe; 6-Sludge concentration online monitoring unit; 7-Sludge level monitoring unit; 8-Intelligent controller; 9-Air compressor; 10-Solenoid valve group. Detailed Implementation

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments in this specification, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some examples or embodiments of this specification. For those skilled in the art, these drawings can be applied to other similar scenarios without creative effort. Unless obvious from the context or otherwise specified, the same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same structures or operations.

[0039] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0040] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides an intelligent sludge discharge system for a multi-bucket sedimentation tank, which mainly includes a sedimentation tank body 1, a zoned sludge discharge system, an online sludge concentration monitoring unit 6, a sludge level monitoring unit 7, an intelligent controller 8, and an air source and control valve group.

[0041] The sedimentation tank body 1 is a multi-hopper sedimentation tank, with multiple independent sludge hoppers 2 evenly arranged along its length at the bottom. This structure eliminates the need for underwater sludge scraping equipment, relying on gravity to allow the sludge to settle into the hoppers.

[0042] A zoned sludge discharge system is the foundation for differentiated sludge discharge. Each sludge hopper 2 has an independent sludge discharge branch pipe 3 connected to its bottom. Each branch pipe 3 is equipped with a pneumatic sludge discharge valve 4. All branch pipes 3 ultimately converge into a common main sludge discharge pipe 5, through which sludge is transported to the subsequent sludge treatment system. The pneumatic sludge discharge valve 4 is preferably a pneumatic gate valve or a pneumatic butterfly valve, and its body material can be made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel or treated with anti-corrosion agents to adapt to the wastewater environment. The pneumatic actuator has the advantages of fast response, large thrust, explosion-proof design, and suitability for frequent opening and closing.

[0043] The sludge level monitoring unit 7 is used to monitor the sludge accumulation in each sludge hopper 2 in real time. Specifically, a sludge level sensor 7, such as an ultrasonic sludge level gauge or a pressure sludge level gauge, is installed directly above the water surface in each sludge hopper 2. Each sludge level sensor 7 independently measures the sludge interface height in its corresponding sludge hopper 2 and sends the measurement signal to the intelligent controller 8.

[0044] The online sludge concentration monitoring unit 6 is crucial for achieving sludge discharge based on concentration. It is installed on the horizontal section of the main sludge discharge pipe 5. Since all sludge from the sludge hoppers 2 is discharged through this main pipe, and through a rotating discharge logic control, only one sludge hopper is typically discharging sludge at any given time. Therefore, the reading of this single concentration meter accurately reflects the real-time concentration of the sludge discharged from the currently discharging sludge hopper. This "multi-hopper shared single concentration meter" configuration significantly reduces equipment investment while ensuring monitoring accuracy. The sludge concentration meter 6 can be an online optical type (such as a suspended solids concentration meter) or an ultrasonic sludge concentration meter, with a preferred range of 0–50 g / L, capable of outputting standard signals such as 4–20 mA to the intelligent controller 8.

[0045] The intelligent controller 8 is the brain of the entire system, and it is usually a programmable logic controller (PLC). It receives sludge level signals from all sludge level sensors 7 and concentration signals from sludge concentration meters 6. The intelligent controller 8 has a preset control logic program embedded in it. Based on these input signals, it makes decisions in real time and outputs control commands to the air source and the solenoid valve group 10 in the control valve group, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the corresponding pneumatic sludge discharge valve 4.

[0046] The air source and control valve assembly includes an air compressor 9 and a solenoid valve assembly 10. The air compressor 9 provides compressed air as a power source. The solenoid valve assembly 10 receives electrical signals from the intelligent controller 8 to control the opening and closing of the air path, thereby driving the operation of each pneumatic mud discharge valve 4.

[0047] The core of this invention lies in the six-fold combination control logic built into the intelligent controller 8, such as... Figure 3 As shown, this specifically includes: ① Sludge level priority start logic: The intelligent controller 8 continuously monitors the sludge level Hᵢ of all sludge hoppers 2. When the sludge level Hᵢ of any sludge hopper reaches or exceeds the set high sludge level threshold Hmax, it indicates that the hopper has accumulated a lot of sludge and needs to be discharged. The controller sets the hopper to the sludge discharge standby state, which is the primary condition for starting sludge discharge.

[0048] ② Concentration Optimization Termination Logic: Once a sludge hopper begins discharging sludge, the intelligent controller 8 continuously monitors the concentration C on the main sludge discharge pipe 5. If the concentration C continuously falls below the set lower limit Cmin (e.g., 1.5% or 15 g / L), and this state lasts for more than a set value T1 (e.g., 20 seconds, used to filter instantaneous fluctuations), the controller determines that the high-concentration sludge in that hopper has been basically discharged and begins discharging clean water or low-concentration mixed liquor. At this time, the controller immediately closes the corresponding pneumatic sludge discharge valve 4 to avoid ineffective sludge discharge and water waste. This is the key logic for maximizing sludge discharge efficiency.

[0049] ③ Rotational Sludge Discharge Logic: In actual operation, two or more sludge hoppers 2 may simultaneously reach the high sludge level threshold Hmax. To avoid excessive hydraulic load and pressure loss in the main sludge discharge pipe 5 due to multiple valves opening simultaneously, or inaccurate concentration readings due to clean water mixing, the controller executes a rotational sludge discharge logic. The controller will sort all sludge hoppers to be discharged according to the principle of "first come, first served" or "highest sludge level first," opening only one (or 1-2 depending on the pipeline design capacity) pneumatic sludge discharge valve 4 at a time. After the sludge discharge of that hopper is completed (judged by the concentration optimization termination logic), the next sludge hopper to be discharged will be opened, and so on, until all sludge hoppers that meet the conditions have completed sludge discharge.

[0050] ④ Low Sludge Level Locking Logic: To prevent excessive sludge discharge from a sludge hopper, when the sludge level in a sludge hopper drops below the low sludge level threshold Hmin through discharge, the controller will initiate a locking procedure for that hopper. During the subsequent locking time T_lock (e.g., 30 minutes), the controller will not open the sludge discharge valve of that hopper, even if other trigger signals are present. This provides time for the sludge to settle and compact again, avoiding unnecessary disturbance to the newly emptied area.

[0051] ⑤ Forced Periodic Sludge Discharge Logic: To prevent sludge from remaining in sludge hoppers with poor hydraulic conditions for extended periods, leading to problems such as caking, hardening, or denitrification gas generation and buoyancy, the controller sets a maximum sludge discharge interval Tmax (e.g., 4 hours) for each sludge hopper. The controller records the time since the last sludge discharge for each hopper. If this time exceeds Tmax, regardless of whether the sludge level has reached Hmax, the controller will forcibly initiate the sludge discharge program for that hopper until the sludge concentration decreases or the sludge level drops to the lower limit, thereby achieving the functions of "cleaning" and "activation".

[0052] ⑥ Abnormal Alarm Logic: This logic is used for system self-diagnosis. If the controller issues a sludge discharge command, but within the preset response time (e.g., 30 seconds), the reading C of the sludge concentration meter 6 remains significantly lower than the normal value (e.g., below Cmin), and the corresponding sludge level sensor 7 reading Hᵢ does not decrease significantly, the controller can determine that a fault has occurred. The most likely cause is blockage of the sludge discharge branch pipe 3 or failure of the corresponding pneumatic sludge discharge valve 4 to open properly. At this time, the controller will trigger an audible and visual alarm and display fault information on the central control system interface, prompting maintenance personnel to check.

[0053] Example 1

[0054] This embodiment relates to a renovation project of a sedimentation tank in a wastewater treatment plant. The sedimentation tank is a rectangular tank with a perimeter inlet and outlet, measuring 42m in length, 15m in width, and an effective water depth of 4.5m. Two rows of 24 sludge hoppers are evenly arranged along the length of the tank bottom. Before the renovation, each sludge hopper was equipped with a DN200 sleeve valve and an electric hoist, operating on a fixed cycle of 30 minutes of sludge discharge every 4 hours. Operational problems included low sludge concentration (average solids content 0.5%), large daily sludge discharge volume (approximately 300m³), and high operating load on the subsequent dewatering machine.

[0055] The modification adopts the solution of this invention, the specific details of which are as follows:

[0056] 1. Replace the sludge discharge valve: Remove the original sleeve valve and electric hoist, and install a DN100 pneumatic gate valve 4 (double-acting, rubber-lined valve body, 304 stainless steel valve plate) on the DN100 sludge discharge branch pipe 3 of each sludge hopper.

[0057] 2. Install monitoring units: Install an online optical sludge concentration meter 6 (range 0~50g / L) on the horizontal section of the DN400 sludge discharge main pipe 5; install an ultrasonic sludge level meter 7 (range 0~4.5m) on a fixed bracket above each sludge hopper.

[0058] 3. Control System Configuration: An outdoor PLC control cabinet is installed as the intelligent controller 8, which integrates a solenoid valve group 10 consisting of 24 DC24V solenoid valves. A 4KW air compressor 9 is configured as the air source.

[0059] 4. Write and set control logic parameters:

[0060] High mud level threshold Hmax: 1.7m (approximately 70% of the bucket depth); Low mud level threshold Hmin: 0.5m (approximately 20% of the bucket depth). Lower limit of concentration Cmin: 1.5% (i.e., 15g / L); Concentration judgment duration T1: 20 seconds.

[0061] The longest sludge removal interval, Tmax, is 4 hours.

[0062] Rotation rule: For sludge hoppers that simultaneously meet the sludge discharge conditions, a maximum of 2 valves can be opened at a time, and the valves can be opened sequentially from the highest to the lowest sludge level.

[0063] Low mud level lock-in time T_lock: 30 minutes.

[0064] Abnormal alarm conditions: If the concentration is still below 1.5% and the mud level drops by less than 0.1m within 30 seconds after the mud discharge command is issued, it is judged as a blockage fault.

[0065] Running result:

[0066] The upgraded system operates fully automatically, requiring no manual intervention. Statistical data from three consecutive months of operation shows:

[0067] The average solids content of the discharged sludge increased from 0.5% to 2.5%;

[0068] The average daily sludge discharge volume was reduced from 300 m³ to 60 m³, achieving a water saving rate of 80%.

[0069] The power consumption of the subsequent belt dewatering machine decreased by 28%;

[0070] PAM drug consumption decreased by 19%;

[0071] The suspended solids (SS) in the sedimentation tank effluent were stable at 8–12 mg / L, which is better than before the renovation.

[0072] There was no excessive sludge accumulation in the sludge hopper or discharge of clean water;

[0073] The pneumatic valve operates reliably, with a cumulative operation count exceeding 1000 times per valve without any malfunctions.

[0074] Example 2

[0075] This embodiment describes an emergency wastewater treatment project with a treatment capacity of 1000 m³ / d. An integrated multi-hopper sedimentation tank (12m long, 3m wide, and 3.5m high) is used, with four sludge hoppers at the bottom. This project is designed and constructed directly according to the scheme of this invention. System configuration: four DN100 pneumatic gate valves, four ultrasonic sludge level gauges, one sludge concentration meter, and one PLC control cabinet (including an intelligent controller and a solenoid valve assembly).

[0076] The control parameters were adjusted and set according to the characteristics of the sludge on site: the high sludge level threshold Hmax was 1.6m, the low sludge level threshold Hmin was 0.3m, the lower limit of concentration Cmin was 2.0% (due to the high density of the sludge in this project), and the forced sludge discharge interval Tmax was 2 hours. Operating results: After the system was put into operation, the solids content of the discharged sludge stabilized between 3.5% and 4.2%, and the sludge discharge volume was only about 15% of that of traditional timed sludge discharge designs, significantly reducing the processing burden on the subsequent screw filter press, and the suspended solids in the sedimentation tank effluent consistently met the standards.

[0077] Comparative experiment

[0078] To verify the superiority of the six-fold logic combination of the present invention, at the modification site of Example 1, under the same water inlet conditions, the PLC program was modified and the following three control modes were used for a week of comparative testing. The results are shown in the table below: Mode A (single mud level trigger mode): only the mud level priority start logic is used. When the mud level reaches Hmax, the valve is opened and discharged for a fixed time (e.g., 10 minutes).

[0079] Mode B (Mud Level + Concentration Dual Logic Mode): Uses mud level priority start logic and concentration optimization termination logic, but has no rotation, locking, forcing and alarm logic.

[0080] Mode C (Six-fold Logic Mode of the Invention): Fully adopts the six-fold combined control logic of the present invention.

[0081] The results of the comparative experiment are shown in the table below:

[0082]

[0083] Experimental results show that compared with Mode A, Mode B, which incorporates concentration feedback, has significantly improved in terms of solids content and water saving. Furthermore, Mode C of this invention, based on Mode B, further increases the average solids content of discharged sludge by 56% and reduces the amount of discharged sludge water by 36% through the addition of synergistic logic such as rotation, locking, and forced operation. It also significantly improves the unevenness of sludge accumulation in the sludge hopper, demonstrating the significant technical advantages brought about by the synergistic effect of the six logics.

[0084] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0085] Finally, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the embodiments described herein. Other variations may also fall within the scope of this specification. Therefore, alternative configurations of the embodiments described herein are intended to be illustrative rather than limiting, and should be considered consistent with the teachings of this specification. Accordingly, the embodiments described herein are not limited to those explicitly introduced and described herein.

Claims

1. An intelligent sludge removal system for a multi-bucket sedimentation tank, characterized in that, include: A multi-hopper sedimentation tank (1) has multiple independent sludge hoppers (2) arranged along the length of the tank at its bottom. A partitioned sludge discharge system includes sludge discharge branch pipes (3) respectively connected to the bottom of multiple sludge hoppers (2), a sludge discharge main pipe (5) that gathers the sludge discharge branch pipes (3), and a pneumatic sludge discharge valve (4) installed on each of the sludge discharge branch pipes (3). An online sludge concentration monitoring unit (6) is installed on the sludge discharge main pipe (5) for real-time detection of the sludge concentration passing through the sludge discharge main pipe (5); A sludge level monitoring unit (7) includes multiple sludge level sensors configured to monitor the height of the sludge interface in each of the sludge hoppers (2); An intelligent controller (8) is electrically connected to the pneumatic sludge discharge valve (4), the sludge concentration online monitoring unit (6), and the sludge level monitoring unit (7), respectively; The intelligent controller (8) is configured to receive the sludge level signal of each of the sludge hoppers (2) and the concentration signal of the sludge discharge main pipe (5), and control the opening and closing of each of the pneumatic sludge discharge valves (4) according to the preset logic. The preset logic includes at least the following: when the sludge level of any sludge hopper (2) reaches the high sludge level threshold, the sludge level priority start logic of the pneumatic sludge discharge valve (4) corresponding to the sludge hopper (2) is activated; and during the sludge discharge process, when the sludge concentration of the sludge discharge main pipe (5) is lower than the lower concentration limit, the concentration optimization termination logic of the pneumatic sludge discharge valve (4) that is discharging sludge is deactivated.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset logic also includes: Alternating sludge discharge logic: When multiple sludge hoppers (2) reach the high sludge level threshold at the same time, the intelligent controller (8) opens only one or two pneumatic sludge discharge valves (4) each time to perform alternating sludge discharge according to preset rules; Low mud level locking logic: When the mud level drops below the low mud level threshold after the sludge discharge of a certain sludge hopper (2) is completed, the intelligent controller (8) will not respond to the sludge discharge command of the sludge hopper (2) within the set locking time. Forced periodic sludge discharge logic: When the time without sludge discharge in any sludge hopper (2) exceeds the set maximum sludge discharge interval, the intelligent controller (8) forcibly opens the pneumatic sludge discharge valve (4) corresponding to the sludge hopper (2) to discharge sludge; Abnormal alarm logic: When the sludge concentration of the sludge discharge main pipe (5) is continuously lower than the preset value during the sludge discharge process, but the sludge level of the corresponding sludge hopper (2) does not drop as expected, the intelligent controller (8) triggers an alarm.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes an air source and control valve group, which includes a solenoid valve group (10) controlled by the air compressor (9) and the intelligent controller (8) to provide a driving air source for each of the pneumatic mud discharge valves (4).

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pneumatic mud discharge valve (4) is a pneumatic gate valve or a pneumatic butterfly valve.

5. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sludge concentration online monitoring unit (6) is an online optical sludge concentration meter or an ultrasonic sludge concentration meter.

6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each mud level sensor in the mud level monitoring unit (7) is an ultrasonic mud level gauge or a pressure mud level gauge.

7. An intelligent sludge removal method for a multi-bucket sedimentation tank, characterized in that, This method, applied to the system according to any one of claims 1-6, includes the following steps: S1: The sludge level signal of each sludge hopper (2) is collected in real time by a sludge level sensor installed above each sludge hopper (2). The sludge concentration signal C is collected in real time by the sludge concentration online monitoring unit (6) set on the sludge discharge main pipe (5); S2: When the sludge level signal Hᵢ of any sludge hopper (2) reaches the high sludge level threshold Hmax, the sludge level priority start logic is executed, and the pneumatic sludge discharge valve (4) corresponding to the sludge hopper (2) is opened to discharge sludge; S3: During the sludge discharge process, continuously monitor the sludge concentration signal C. When C is continuously lower than the lower concentration limit Cmin and the duration exceeds the set value, the sludge concentration signal will be released. At that time, the concentration optimization termination logic is executed, and the pneumatic sludge discharge valve (4) that is discharging sludge is closed.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes the following steps: S4: When multiple sludge hoppers (2) simultaneously meet the sludge discharge conditions, the alternating sludge discharge logic is executed, sorted from high to low sludge level, and only one or two pneumatic sludge discharge valves (4) are opened each time to perform the alternating operation. S5: After the sludge discharge is completed, if the sludge level of a certain sludge hopper (2) drops below the low sludge level threshold Hmin, the low sludge level locking logic is executed. Within the set locking time T_lock, the sludge discharge command for the sludge hopper (2) will not be responded to. S6: If the time without sludge discharge in any sludge hopper (2) exceeds the set maximum sludge discharge interval Tmax, then the forced periodic sludge discharge logic is executed, and the pneumatic sludge discharge valve (4) corresponding to the sludge hopper (2) is forcibly opened to discharge sludge. S7: If during the sludge discharge process, the sludge concentration signal C remains below the lower limit, but the sludge level signal of the corresponding sludge hopper (2) is lower than the lower limit, then... If there is no significant decrease, the abnormal alarm logic will be executed, triggering a blockage or valve malfunction alarm.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, In the alternating sludge discharge logic, the number of pneumatic sludge discharge valves (4) opened each time is 1.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The judgment condition of the abnormal alarm logic is: after the mud discharge command is issued, within a preset time... Inside, the sludge concentration signal C is consistently lower than the lower limit of concentration Cmin, and the sludge level drop value of the corresponding sludge hopper (2) is less than the preset height ΔH.

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