Semi-closed coal particle size real-time measuring device and measuring method

Abstract

The application discloses a semi-closed coal particle size real-time measuring device and a measuring method. The measuring device comprises a semi-closed conveying mechanism, a material conveying structure and a semi-closed shell covering the periphery of the material conveying structure. The material conveying structure has a feeding end and a discharging end. The semi-closed shell is internally provided with a material dispersing structure which can contact the material when the material is transferred from the feeding end to the discharging end. A feeding mechanism is arranged at the feeding end and can transport the material to the feeding end. A detection mechanism is arranged on the semi-closed shell and has a detection lens arranged towards the material conveying structure. The application can solve the problems of long sampling interval, poor data continuity and inability to respond to boiler working condition changes in real time caused by the dependence of the coal particle size detection on manual sampling and offline analysis in the prior art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of particulate material detection equipment, specifically to a semi-enclosed real-time measurement device and method for the particle size of coal combustion particles. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, during the operation of coal-fired boilers, the particle size distribution of coal directly affects combustion efficiency, pollutant emissions, and equipment wear. Especially under deep peak-shaving conditions, rapid load fluctuations place higher demands on the stability of fuel particle size, necessitating real-time, continuous monitoring of particle size parameters. Traditional detection methods mainly rely on manual sampling followed by offline sieving or visual estimation, which suffers from drawbacks such as long sampling cycles, data lag, and inability to dynamically respond to changes in operating conditions. Furthermore, operators frequently need to enter high-temperature, high-dust, and high-noise industrial environments, posing high safety risks and high labor intensity. To overcome these problems, in recent years, machine vision-based online particle size detection technology has been developed, achieving automatic particle size identification through image acquisition and analysis.

[0003] However, the aforementioned existing technologies still have significant shortcomings: First, most devices lack effective dust prevention and material dispersion mechanisms. In high-dust coal-fired environments, suspended coal dust easily adheres to the surface of the detection lens, leading to blurred images and distorted recognition, which seriously affects measurement accuracy and long-term operational reliability. Second, materials are prone to accumulation and overlap during transport. Without an active dispersion structure, it is difficult to ensure single-layer particle spreading, which restricts the accuracy of image recognition. Third, existing systems generally do not integrate cleaning and closed-loop processing functions, and cannot automatically remove residual coal dust or return materials after measurement, resulting in frequent equipment maintenance and low automation. Finally, some solutions rely on airflow suspension or complex vibration mechanisms, which are complex in structure, consume a lot of energy, and are prone to clogging under high humidity or viscous coal conditions, limiting their environmental adaptability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measurement device and method, which solves the problems of long sampling intervals, poor data continuity, and inability to respond to changes in boiler operating conditions in real time caused by the reliance on manual sampling and offline analysis for coal particle size detection in the prior art.

[0005] The above-mentioned objectives of this invention are mainly achieved by the following technical solutions: This invention provides a semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measurement device, comprising: A semi-enclosed conveying mechanism has a material conveying structure and a semi-enclosed outer shell covering the outer periphery of the material conveying structure. The material conveying structure has an inlet end and an outlet end. The semi-enclosed outer shell is provided with a material dispersing structure. When the material is transferred from the inlet end to the outlet end, the material dispersing structure can contact the material. A feeding mechanism is provided at the feeding end, and the feeding mechanism can transport the material to the feeding end; A detection mechanism is disposed on the semi-enclosed housing, and the detection mechanism has a detection lens disposed toward the material conveying structure.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the material dispersion structure includes multiple sets of brush groups, each brush group having multiple brushes, the multiple sets of brush groups being spaced apart along the material conveying direction, and the multiple brushes in each set of brush groups being spaced apart at an angle to the material conveying direction.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the brushes in two adjacent brush groups are staggered along the material conveying direction.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measuring device further includes a cleaning mechanism, the cleaning mechanism including at least one row of cleaning brushes disposed below the material conveying structure, the cleaning brushes having a plurality of cleaning brushes spaced apart along the conveying direction of the material.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning brush group consists of two rows, and the two rows of the cleaning brush group are respectively arranged on both sides below the material conveying structure.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning brush includes a fixed shaft and a plurality of rotating brushes spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the fixed shaft, the rotating brushes being able to contact the material conveying structure.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the feeding mechanism includes a feeding disc and a feeding brush, one end of the feeding disc is opposite to the feeding end, and the feeding brush is rotatably disposed on the feeding disc.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the material conveying structure is a conveyor belt, and the surface of the conveyor belt is coated with a wear-resistant layer.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the wear-resistant layer is made of polyurethane, polyethylene or polypropylene.

[0014] This invention also provides a semi-enclosed method for real-time measurement of coal particle size, using the semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measurement device described above, the measurement method comprising: Insert the feeding mechanism into the coal pellet pile to be conveyed, and start the feeding mechanism to convey the material in the coal pellet pile to the feeding end of the material conveying structure. The material conveying structure and the material dispersing structure are activated, and the material conveyed on the material conveying structure is dispersed and spread out by the material dispersing structure. The detection mechanism is activated, and images of the material on the material conveying structure are captured in real time through the detection lens to identify the sampling particle size of the material.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present invention has the following beneficial effects: This invention presents a semi-enclosed real-time particle size measurement device with a simple structure, effective dust and interference resistance, and automatic material dispersion and cleaning capabilities. It meets the demands of high-reliability, continuous online monitoring in coal-fired industrial sites. Compared to manual sampling and offline screening, this device achieves fully automatic, uninterrupted, closed-loop real-time monitoring of coal particle size distribution, with a higher detection frequency and improved temporal resolution of particle size data, significantly enhancing real-time response to combustion conditions (such as sudden changes in deep peak load). The semi-enclosed structure, combined with an internal positive pressure gas supply design, reduces lens contamination and stabilizes image recognition accuracy. The device can operate autonomously for extended periods in harsh environments, completely replacing manual inspections, with no material loss or additional waste, meeting clean production requirements.

[0016] The device of this invention has high overall operational reliability and can replace manual operation in harsh environments such as high / low temperature, dust, and noise. It can continuously sample coal particles and detect their size distribution in real time without generating new waste or environmental pollution during operation. Attached Figure Description

[0017] 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. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measurement device of the present invention.

[0018] Explanation of icon numbers: 1. Semi-enclosed conveying mechanism; 11. Material conveying structure; 111. Feeding end; 112. Discharge end; 12. Semi-enclosed outer shell; 13. Material dispersion structure; 131. Brush assembly; 1311. Brush; 2. Feeding mechanism; 21. Feeding tray; 22. Feeding brush; 23. Rotary motor; 3. Testing institution; 31. Testing lens; 32. Lens chamber; 4. Main conveyor belt; 5. Cleaning mechanism; 51. Cleaning brush assembly; 511. Cleaning brush; 5111. Fixed shaft; 5112. Rotating brush; F. Direction of material conveying. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of this invention, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0020] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only embodiments.

[0021] 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. The terminology used herein in the specification of this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0022] Implementation Method 1

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measurement device, including a semi-enclosed conveying mechanism 1, a feeding mechanism 2, and a detection mechanism 3; wherein, the semi-enclosed conveying mechanism 1 has a material conveying structure 11 and a semi-enclosed outer shell 12 covering the outer periphery of the material conveying structure 11, the material conveying structure 11 has a feeding end 111 and a discharging end 112, and the semi-enclosed outer shell 12 is provided with a material dispersion structure 13, which can contact the material when the material is transferred from the feeding end 111 to the discharging end 112; the feeding mechanism 2 is disposed at the feeding end 111, and the feeding mechanism 2 can transport the material to the feeding end 111; the detection mechanism 3 is disposed on the semi-enclosed outer shell 12, and the detection mechanism 3 has a detection lens 31 facing the material conveying structure 11, used to perform real-time imaging of the material during the conveying process to measure the particle size.

[0024] The semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measuring device of the present invention has a simple structure. The semi-enclosed shell 12 can effectively prevent dust and has strong anti-interference ability. At the same time, the material dispersion structure 13 can realize automatic material dispersion, and with the cooperation of the detection mechanism 3, the particle size of the material can be measured in real time. The present invention can meet the needs of coal-fired industrial sites for high reliability and continuous online detection.

[0025] Specifically, the material conveying structure 11 of the semi-enclosed conveying mechanism 1 is a conveyor belt, which has an inlet end 111 and an outlet end 112. The conveyor belt can be driven by a gear transmission structure located at the inlet end 111 and the outlet end 112. In this embodiment, the surface of the conveyor belt is coated with a wear-resistant layer. The material of the wear-resistant layer can be polyurethane, polyethylene, or polypropylene. This wear-resistant layer can resist long-term friction from coal particles and brushes, keeping the surface of the conveyor belt flat and smooth, which is beneficial for accurately extracting particle contours during image recognition. The color of the wear-resistant layer should be selected, for example, white, off-white, or light gray, so as to form a high contrast with black / brown materials (such as coal particles), which is convenient for image segmentation and particle size identification by the subsequent detection mechanism 3.

[0026] The semi-enclosed outer shell 12 of the semi-enclosed conveying mechanism 1 is generally a rectangular dome with an open bottom. The semi-enclosed outer shell 12 covers the outer periphery of the material conveying structure 11, thereby reducing the impact of environmental pollution on the material conveying structure 11 and minimizing its own dust pollution. It can replace manual operation in harsh environments such as high / low temperature, dust, and noise.

[0027] The material dispersion structure 13 is disposed on the inner top wall of the semi-enclosed shell 12. During the process of material transfer from the feed end 111 to the discharge end 112, the material dispersion structure 13 comes into contact with the material to achieve automatic material dispersion.

[0028] In this invention, the material dispersion structure 13 includes multiple sets of brush groups 131, each brush group 131 having multiple brushes 1311. The multiple sets of brush groups 131 are spaced apart along the material conveying direction F. The multiple brushes 1311 in each set of brush groups 131 are spaced apart at a certain angle to the material conveying direction F, so that the coal particles are laterally agitated and gradually flattened and dispersed when passing through each set of brushes 1311. In this embodiment, the material conveying direction F is a straight line, and the multiple brushes 1311 in each set of brush groups 131 are spaced apart perpendicular to the material conveying direction F. Of course, in other embodiments, the material conveying direction F can also be a curve or set according to actual conditions, and the spacing direction of the multiple brushes 1311 in each set of brush groups 131 can be set at an acute angle to the material conveying direction F; this invention does not limit this.

[0029] Specifically, multiple brushes 1311 in two adjacent brush groups 131 are staggered in the material conveying direction F to further enhance the disturbance effect on the material particles, prevent the material particles from overlapping or aggregating, and ensure that the material particles form a single layer and sparse distribution on the conveyor belt, so that the detection lens 31 can clearly capture the shape of each material particle.

[0030] The feeding mechanism 2 is located at the feeding end 111 of the semi-enclosed conveying mechanism 1 and is used to transport coal particles to the feeding end 111. In this invention, the feeding mechanism 2 includes a feeding disc 21 and a feeding brush 22. One end of the feeding disc 21 is opposite to the feeding end 111. The feeding brush 22 is rotatably mounted on the feeding disc 21. By rotating, the coal particles accumulated on the feeding disc 21 are evenly fed into the material conveying structure 11, avoiding the concentrated accumulation of materials that may affect the subsequent measurement accuracy.

[0031] Specifically, the feeding tray 21 includes a semi-circular feeding trough, which is a hollow frustum structure connected to the semi-enclosed shell 12 and fixed at the opening of the semi-enclosed shell 12. The feeding end of the semi-circular feeding trough is inserted into the coal particle pile of the main conveyor belt 4, and the discharge end of the semi-circular feeding trough is located at the center above the material conveying structure 11. In this invention, the feeding mechanism 2 has a rotary motor 23, which is fixed at the central axis of the frustum of the semi-circular feeding trough and can rotate at a controlled speed. The feeding brush 22 is fixed on the rotating shaft of the rotary motor 23 and can rotate at a constant speed with the rotary motor 23, transferring the coal particles near the feeding end of the semi-circular feeding trough to its discharge end at a constant speed, so that they fall into the middle of the feeding end 111 of the material conveying structure 11.

[0032] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the device is further provided with a cleaning mechanism 5, which includes at least one row of cleaning brush groups 51 disposed below the material conveying structure 11, wherein the cleaning brush groups 51 are provided with a plurality of cleaning brushes 511 spaced apart along the material conveying direction F.

[0033] Specifically, the cleaning brush 511 includes a fixed shaft 5111 and multiple rotating brushes 5112 spaced apart along the circumference of the fixed shaft 5111. The rotating brushes 5112 can contact the lower surface of the material conveying structure 11, removing residual coal particles adhering to the bottom surface of the conveyor belt and the bottom of the semi-enclosed housing 12 during the rotation of the conveyor belt, preventing ash accumulation from affecting the stability of equipment operation. The controlled rotation of the rotating brushes 5112 gradually pushes the cleaned particles to the outside of the semi-enclosed housing 12, returning them to the main conveying system, thus achieving automatic material return.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the cleaning brush group 51 consists of two rows, located on both sides below the material conveying structure 11.

[0035] The detection lens 31 of the detection mechanism 3 is installed on the top of the semi-enclosed shell 12, corresponding to the position above the material conveying structure 11. The detection lens 31 is integrated with a supplementary light, which can automatically adjust the supplementary light brightness according to the ambient light intensity and image clarity to ensure that high-quality particle images can be obtained under different working conditions.

[0036] Furthermore, the semi-enclosed housing 12 has an independent lens chamber 32 in the detection area. The lens chamber 32 can be connected to compressed air and continuously and slowly supplied with air to the inside of the lens chamber 32, so that the lens chamber 32 and the inside of the semi-enclosed housing 12 maintain a slightly positive pressure state, effectively preventing external coal dust from entering and blowing away any suspended dust, avoiding contamination of the detection lens 31, and ensuring measurement reliability under long-term operation.

[0037] When the device is in operation, the feeding mechanism 2 uniformly feeds the coal particles on the main conveyor belt 4 into the material conveying structure 11. During the conveying process, the material passes through multiple sets of staggered brush groups 131 in sequence and is gradually spread into a single-layer dispersed state. When the particles reach the detection area, the detection lens 31 captures images in real time, and the particle outline is identified and the particle size data is calculated by combining the image processing algorithm. At the same time, the cleaning mechanism 5 operates continuously to remove residual particles from the bottom of the conveyor belt and inside the shell, maintaining internal cleanliness. The entire process is completed in a semi-enclosed environment, which not only ensures the continuity and accuracy of the measurement, but also effectively controls the dust spillage. It is suitable for the online monitoring needs of coal particle size in industrial sites.

[0038] Implementation Method 2

[0039] This invention also provides a semi-enclosed method for real-time measurement of coal particle size, employing the semi-enclosed coal particle size real-time measurement device described in Embodiment 1. The specific structure, working principle, and beneficial effects of this semi-enclosed coal particle size real-time measurement device will not be elaborated further here. The measurement method includes the following steps: Step 1: Insert the feeding mechanism 2 into the coal pellet pile to be conveyed on the main conveyor belt 4, and start the feeding mechanism 2 to convey the material in the coal pellet pile to the feeding end 111 of the material conveying structure 11. The feeding mechanism 2 uses a feeding disc 21 and a feeding brush 22 in combination. Through the constant speed rotation of the feeding brush 22, the coal pellets piled in the feeding disc 21 are fed into the material conveying structure 11 evenly and continuously, so as to avoid the concentrated accumulation of materials affecting the subsequent dispersion and measurement accuracy. Step 2: Activate the material conveying structure 11 and the material dispersing structure 13. The material dispersing structure 13 disperses and spreads the material conveyed on the conveyor belt. The material conveying structure 11 is a conveyor belt with a wear-resistant layer on its surface. The wear-resistant layer is made of polyurethane, polyethylene or polypropylene material to ensure that the surface is flat and smooth during long-term operation. The material dispersing structure 13 includes multiple sets of brush groups 131 arranged at intervals along the material conveying direction F. Multiple brushes 1311 in each set of brush groups 131 are arranged at intervals along a direction at a certain angle to the material conveying direction F. The brushes 1311 in two adjacent sets of brush groups 131 are staggered in the material conveying direction F, so that the coal particles are subjected to multiple levels of lateral displacement during the conveying process, gradually flattening them into a single layer of sparse distribution, preventing the particles from overlapping and agglomerating. Step 3: Activate the detection mechanism 3 and take real-time pictures of the material on the material conveying structure 11 through the detection lens 31 to identify the sampling particle size of the material; the detection lens 31 is installed on the top of the semi-enclosed shell 12 corresponding to the position above the conveyor belt, and is equipped with a supplementary light that can automatically adjust the supplementary light brightness according to the ambient light intensity and image clarity; at the same time, the detection area is equipped with an independent lens chamber 32, which continuously introduces compressed air to maintain a slight positive pressure, prevents external coal powder from entering and blows away suspended dust, ensuring lens cleanliness and image quality; Furthermore, the measurement method also includes step four: during the measurement process, the cleaning mechanism 5 is activated simultaneously to remove residual particles attached to the bottom of the material conveying structure 11 and the inner wall of the semi-enclosed shell 12; the cleaning mechanism 5 includes two rows of cleaning brush groups 51 arranged on both sides below the conveyor belt, each row of cleaning brush groups includes multiple cleaning brushes 511 arranged at intervals along the material conveying direction F, each cleaning brush 511 consists of a fixed shaft 5111 and multiple rotating brushes 5112 arranged at intervals around its circumference, the rotating brushes 5112 contact the bottom surface of the conveyor belt and rotate in a controlled manner, gradually pushing the residual particles to the outside of the semi-enclosed shell 12 and returning them to the main conveying system, realizing automatic material return and internal self-cleaning.

[0040] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the present invention. It should be understood that the above descriptions are merely specific embodiments of the present invention and are 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.

Claims

1. A semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measurement device, characterized in that, include: A semi-enclosed conveying mechanism has a material conveying structure and a semi-enclosed outer shell covering the outer periphery of the material conveying structure. The material conveying structure has an inlet end and an outlet end. The semi-enclosed outer shell is provided with a material dispersing structure. When the material is transferred from the inlet end to the outlet end, the material dispersing structure can contact the material. A feeding mechanism is provided at the feeding end, and the feeding mechanism can transport the material to the feeding end; A detection mechanism is disposed on the semi-enclosed housing, and the detection mechanism has a detection lens disposed toward the material conveying structure.

2. The semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measuring device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The material dispersion structure includes multiple sets of brush groups, each brush group having multiple brushes. The multiple sets of brush groups are spaced apart along the material conveying direction, and the multiple brushes in each set are spaced apart at an angle to the material conveying direction.

3. The semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measuring device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The brushes in two adjacent brush groups are staggered along the material conveying direction.

4. The semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measuring device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measuring device also includes a cleaning mechanism, which includes at least one row of cleaning brushes arranged below the material conveying structure. The cleaning brushes have multiple cleaning brushes spaced apart along the conveying direction of the material.

5. The semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measuring device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The cleaning brush set consists of two rows, which are respectively arranged on both sides below the material conveying structure.

6. The semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measuring device as described in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The cleaning brush includes a fixed shaft and a plurality of rotating brushes spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the fixed shaft, the rotating brushes being able to contact the material conveying structure.

7. The semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measuring device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism includes a feeding disc and a feeding brush. One end of the feeding disc is opposite to the feeding end, and the feeding brush is rotatably mounted on the feeding disc.

8. The semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measuring device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The material conveying structure is a conveyor belt, and the surface of the conveyor belt is coated with a wear-resistant layer.

9. The semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measuring device as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The wear-resistant layer is made of polyurethane, polyethylene, or polypropylene.

10. A semi-enclosed method for real-time measurement of coal particle size, characterized in that, The semi-enclosed real-time coal particle size measuring device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 is used in real time, and the measuring method includes: Insert the feeding mechanism into the coal pellet pile to be conveyed, and start the feeding mechanism to convey the material in the coal pellet pile to the feeding end of the material conveying structure. The material conveying structure and the material dispersing structure are activated, and the material conveyed on the material conveying structure is dispersed and spread out by the material dispersing structure. The detection mechanism is activated, and images of the material on the material conveying structure are captured in real time through the detection lens to identify the sampling particle size of the material.

Images