A visual recognition-based shell-breaking and stirring system

Abstract

This application discloses a vision-based crust-breaking stirring system, including a target recognition module, multiple stirrers, and a control module. The stirrers are evenly spaced along the circumference of the tank's side and are adapted to oscillate left and right as well as up and down. The target recognition module is used to identify and calibrate the crust-forming areas on the liquid surface. The control module is electrically connected to the stirrers and the target recognition module, and is adapted to control the corresponding stirrers to perform actions based on the recognition results received from the target recognition module to break up the crust-forming areas. The advantages of this application are: it can accurately and promptly obtain the state of floating objects on the liquid surface through visual recognition, and then break up the floating objects when they form a crust. Compared with traditional continuous stirring methods, the technical solution of this application can effectively reduce the start-up time of the stirrers while breaking up the crust, thereby reducing energy waste.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of mixing technology, and in particular to a shell-breaking mixing system based on visual recognition. Background Technology

[0002] During the anaerobic fermentation of biomass to produce biogas, a crust often forms on the surface of the liquid, which not only affects gas production but can also lead to tank explosions in severe cases. Therefore, it is necessary to break up the crust above the liquid surface inside the tank during the anaerobic fermentation process.

[0003] Currently, the method for breaking up crusts involves installing a dedicated crust-breaking agitator on the upper tank of the anaerobic fermentation mixing equipment. Because the timing and location of crust formation are unpredictable, this agitator often requires prolonged operation, resulting in energy waste. Furthermore, the crust-breaking range of this agitator is limited, with poor effectiveness in breaking up crusts outside this range. Utility Model Content

[0004] One objective of this application is to provide a vision-based shell-breaking and stirring system that can solve at least one of the defects in the aforementioned background technology.

[0005] To achieve at least one of the above objectives, the technical solution adopted in this application is as follows: a visual recognition-based shell-breaking stirring system, comprising a target recognition module, multiple stirrers, and a control module; the stirrers are evenly spaced along the circumference of the tank and are adapted to oscillate left and right and up and down; the target recognition module is used to identify and calibrate the shelled area on the liquid surface; the control module is electrically connected to the stirrers and the target recognition module, and the control module is adapted to control the corresponding stirrer to perform actions to break up the shelled area based on the recognition result received from the target recognition module.

[0006] Preferably, the number of stirrers is three, and the left and right swing angle of each stirrer is 30°.

[0007] Preferably, each of the agitators is provided with a corresponding crushing range, and the control module is adapted to control the agitator to rotate, thereby crushing the crusted area located within its own crushing range.

[0008] Preferably, each of the agitators is provided with a corresponding crushing range, and the control module is also adapted to control some of the agitators to change position to form a circulation, thereby pushing the crusted area located outside the crushing range to the crushing range of the nearest agitator for crushing through the circulation.

[0009] Preferably, the shell-breaking range is fan-shaped, the central angle of the shell-breaking range is 60°, and the radius of the shell-breaking range is 3 to 10 times the diameter of the stirring blades installed on the stirrer.

[0010] Preferably, the target recognition module includes an image acquisition unit and an image recognition unit; the image acquisition unit is used to acquire images of floating objects on the liquid surface of the tank; the image recognition unit is electrically connected to the image acquisition unit, and the image recognition unit is adapted to statistically analyze the state and position of the floating objects on the liquid surface based on the image acquisition results of the image acquisition unit.

[0011] Preferably, the image acquisition unit includes a top-mounted camera unit, which is positioned above the liquid surface of the tank.

[0012] Preferably, the image acquisition unit further includes a side-mounted camera unit, which is disposed below the liquid surface of the tank.

[0013] Preferably, there are multiple side-mounted camera units, which are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the tank.

[0014] Preferably, the shell-breaking stirring system further includes an interaction module; the interaction module is electrically connected to the target recognition module, the stirrer and the control module respectively, so as to display the position and start / stop of the stirrer and the liquid level status of the tank.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows:

[0016] This technology can accurately and promptly acquire the state of floating objects on the liquid surface through visual recognition, and then break up the crust that forms on the surface. Compared with traditional continuous stirring methods, the technical solution of this application can effectively reduce the start-up time of the stirrer while breaking up the crust, thereby reducing energy waste. Furthermore, during the crust breaking process, the attitude changes of different stirrers can be controlled according to the position of the crust area to drive the crust area to move towards the nearest stirrer, thereby improving the crust breaking efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the shell-breaking stirring system in this application.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the state in this application where the crust-forming region is located outside the crust-breaking range of the agitator.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the circulation state formed by the change of the stirrer position in this application.

[0020] In the diagram: tank 100, liquid level 101, crust formation area 102, crust breaking range 103, stirrer 200, top-mounted camera unit 301, side-mounted camera unit 302, control module 400, and interaction module 500. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present application will now be further described in conjunction with specific embodiments. It should be noted that, in the description of this specification, the use of terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicates that the specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms should not be construed as necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0022] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center", "lateral", "longitudinal", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., which indicate the orientation and positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and should not be construed as limiting the specific protection scope of this application.

[0023] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0024] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0026] The terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification and claims of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such process, method, product, or device.

[0027] One aspect of this application provides a vision-based shell-breaking and stirring system, such as... Figures 1 to 3 As shown, one preferred embodiment includes a target recognition module, multiple agitators 200, and a control module 400. The multiple agitators 200 are evenly spaced along the circumference of the tank 100 on its side. Each agitator 200 can oscillate left and right, and up and down, meaning each agitator 200 can perform multi-position stirring actions. The target recognition module is used to identify and calibrate the crust region 102 on the liquid surface 101. The control module 400 is electrically connected to the agitators 200 and the target recognition module. Based on the recognition results received from the target recognition module, the control module 400 can control the agitators 200 to break up the crust within their own breaking range 103; or, control some agitators 200 to change position to form a circulation, thereby pushing the crust into the breaking range 103 of the nearest agitator 200 for breaking.

[0028] It is understood that the specific structure of the stirrer 200 is well-known to those skilled in the art, and therefore will not be described in detail here. Setting the stirrer 200 to be able to swing up and down and left and right effectively increases the shell-breaking range 103 and the shell-breaking effect. When the shell-forming region 102 is outside the shell-breaking range 103 of the nearest stirrer 200, the stirrer 200 closest to the shell-forming region 102 may not swing, or it may swing towards the shell-forming region 102; while the other stirrers 200 need to swing in the same direction. This ensures that the flow field formed by the other stirrers 200 during operation is unified to form a circulation. The circulation direction formed by the operation of the other stirrers 200 drives the shell-forming region 102 towards the nearest stirrer 200.

[0029] Based on the above-described operating scenario of the stirrer 200, the number of stirrers 200 is at least two; however, to improve the stability of the circulation formed during the operation of the stirrer 200, the number of stirrers 200 is at least three; for example, 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the number of stirrers 200 is preferably three, and the three stirrers 200 are arranged at 120° intervals along the circumferential direction.

[0030] It should be understood that traditional shell-breaking methods only involve placing an agitator 200 on the side of the tank 100. To ensure effective breaking of the crusted area 102, multiple agitators 200 are required, meaning the breaking range 103 of adjacent agitators 200 must be at least touching or partially overlapping. Furthermore, the agitators 200 need to operate continuously. Generally, the left-right oscillation angle of the agitator 200 is 30°. Therefore, to ensure effective breaking of the crusted area 102, traditional methods often require at least six agitators 200. The breaking range 103 of the agitator 200 is generally a fan-shaped area. The central angle of the breaking range 103 is the sum of the left and right oscillation angles of the agitator 200. The radius of the breaking range 103 is N times the blade diameter, where N ranges from 3 to 10, specifically selected based on the agitator 200's propulsion capacity.

[0031] Based on the setting of the shell-breaking range 103 of the agitator 200, the length of the agitator 200 should not be set too long. If it is too long, the shell-forming region 102 formed near the side wall of the tank 100 may not be completely broken up, and an excessively long agitator 200 may cause interference between the agitator blades on adjacent agitators 200. Therefore, the length of the traditional agitator 200 is generally 1 / 3 of the radius of the tank 100, which makes it difficult to break up the shell-forming region 102 formed near the middle of the tank 100. Therefore, the traditional method requires controlling the agitator 200 to work continuously, so that the entire liquid surface 101 is in a dynamic state to avoid the formation of the shell-forming region 102, but this will inevitably lead to energy waste.

[0032] In the technical solution of this application, the number of agitators 200 can be at least two, preferably three. When the crusting region 102 is close to one of the agitators 200 but not within its breaking range 103, the other two agitators 200 can generate circulation by swinging at a certain angle, thereby moving the crusting region 102 towards the breaking range 103 of the nearest agitator 200. Based on the attitude coordination control architecture of the agitators 200 in this solution, the crusting region 102 over the entire liquid surface 101 can be broken. Therefore, in the technical solution of this application, while effectively reducing the number of agitators 200, the agitators 200 can also be controlled to work intermittently to reduce their working time; that is, the agitators 200 are only started when a crusting region 102 forms on the liquid surface 101, thereby effectively reducing the energy consumption of the breaking agitation system. Furthermore, when the agitator 200 is breaking up the crust region 102, it can swing up and down to pull or press the flow field of the crust region 102, thereby accelerating the breaking efficiency of the crust region 102.

[0033] In this embodiment, the prerequisite for the stirrer 200 to perform system attitude control is that the target recognition module can accurately identify the crust region 102. There are various specific structures for the target recognition module capable of recognizing the crust region 102; for ease of understanding, one such structure will be described in detail below. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the target recognition module includes an image acquisition unit and an image recognition unit. The image acquisition unit is used to acquire images of floating objects on the liquid surface 101 of the tank 100; the image recognition unit is electrically connected to the image acquisition unit, and the image recognition unit can statistically analyze the state and position of the floating objects on the liquid surface 101 based on the image acquisition results of the image acquisition unit, and determine and mark the position of the crust region 102 based on the statistical results.

[0034] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the image acquisition unit includes a top-mounted camera unit 301, which can be installed above the liquid surface 101 of the tank 100. It captures image data of the liquid surface 101 by photographing it, and uses the acquired visual image as input to the image recognition unit. The specific structure and operation of the top-mounted camera unit 301 are well-known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here. Common top-mounted camera units 301 employ industrial cameras or UVC cameras, etc., and the specific installation height, lens field of view, and lighting scheme can be set according to actual needs.

[0035] It should be noted that when identifying floating objects formed by straw, some straw may be bound below the liquid surface 101, or the crusts formed by some straw may only be partially exposed above the liquid surface 101. This may cause the top-mounted camera unit 301 to make incorrect identification results.

[0036] Therefore, as Figure 1 As shown, the image acquisition unit in this embodiment may further include a side-mounted camera unit 302. The side-mounted camera unit 302 is positioned below the liquid surface 101 of the tank 100, and can acquire data on the distribution of suspended matter in the depth direction within the tank 100. Furthermore, the image recognition unit can combine the image data acquired by the top-mounted camera unit 301 and the side-mounted camera unit 302 to accurately analyze the crust region 102.

[0037] It should be understood that multiple side-mounted camera units 302 can be provided, and these multiple side-mounted camera units 302 can be arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the tank body 100. The specific structure and working process of the side-mounted camera unit 302 are well known to those skilled in the art; common side-mounted camera units 302 use industrial cameras or UVC cameras, etc., and the specific installation height, lens field of view, and lighting scheme can be set according to actual needs.

[0038] In this embodiment, the image recognition unit mainly uses the built-in image recognition algorithm to analyze the image data input by the image acquisition unit, thereby obtaining the coordinates of the floating area in the liquid surface 101, including the geometric center coordinates and boundary coordinates; as well as the state of the floating objects, including the area and aspect ratio of the floating objects.

[0039] Specifically, the image recognition algorithm built into the image recognition unit mainly includes threshold segmentation and deep learning multi-object detection algorithms. The specific working principles of both are well-known to those skilled in the art and will not be elaborated upon here. Threshold segmentation can segment regions based on the contrast, color gamut, and brightness differences between the floating object and the liquid inside the tank 100, specifically through pixel-level recognition and then defining the surface region based on the tolerance of adjacent pixel distances. The deep learning multi-object detection algorithm is mainly used to detect floating objects with specific characteristics, such as determining whether the floating object is a clump of straw or other impurities.

[0040] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 As shown, the shell-breaking stirring system also includes an interaction module 500; the interaction module 500 is electrically connected to the target recognition module, the stirrer 200 and the control module 400 respectively, so as to display the position and start / stop of the stirrer 200 and the state of the liquid level 101 of the tank 100.

[0041] Specifically, to facilitate user operation, an interactive module 500 integrates electronic control, algorithms, and data visualization onto a single electronic terminal; this terminal can be a computer or other mobile smart device. Taking a computer terminal as an example, communication and control between the interactive module 500, the control module 400, and the stirrer 200 are achieved via a Python + ModBUS bus. Data visualization is implemented using Plotly Dash or other dashboard solutions; the data visualization panel content may include:

[0042] (1) Manual operation buttons for starting, stopping and angle control of stirrer 200.

[0043] (2) Display of the overlay of real-time images and threshold segmentation algorithm of top-mounted camera unit 301 and side-mounted camera unit 302.

[0044] (3) A time series diagram containing information such as the angle of the stirrer 200, the area of ​​the floating object, the aspect ratio of the floating object, and the power consumption of the stirrer 200.

[0045] The basic principles, main features, and advantages of this application have been described above. Those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely the principles of this application. Various changes and modifications can be made to this application without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claims. The scope of protection claimed by this application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A shell-breaking and stirring system based on visual recognition, characterized in that, include: Multiple mixers; The agitators are evenly spaced along the circumference of the tank and are adapted to swing left and right as well as up and down. Target recognition module; The target recognition module is used to identify and calibrate the crust region on the liquid surface; as well as Control module; the control module is electrically connected to the stirrer and the target recognition module; The control module is electrically connected to the stirrer and the target identification module. The control module is adapted to control the corresponding stirrer to perform actions to break up the crust region based on the identification result received from the target identification module.

2. The visual recognition-based shell-breaking and stirring system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The number of stirrers is three, and the left and right swing angle of each stirrer is 30°.

3. The visual recognition-based shell-breaking and stirring system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the stirrers is provided with a corresponding crushing range, and the control module is adapted to control the stirrer to rotate, thereby crushing the crusted area located within its own crushing range.

4. The visual recognition-based shell-breaking and stirring system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The control module is also adapted to control part of the agitator to change position to form a circulation, thereby pushing the crusted area located outside the shell-breaking range into the shell-breaking range of the nearest agitator for crushing through the circulation.

5. The visual recognition-based shell-breaking and stirring system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The shell-breaking range is fan-shaped, with a central angle of 60°, and the radius of the shell-breaking range is 3 to 10 times the diameter of the stirring blades installed on the stirrer.

6. The visual recognition-based shell-breaking and stirring system as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The target recognition module includes: Image acquisition unit; the image acquisition unit is used to acquire images of floating objects on the liquid surface of the tank; and An image recognition unit is electrically connected to the image acquisition unit, and the image recognition unit is adapted to statistically analyze the state and position of floating objects on the liquid surface based on the image acquisition results of the image acquisition unit.

7. The visual recognition-based shell-breaking and stirring system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The image acquisition unit includes a top-mounted camera unit, which is positioned above the liquid surface of the tank.

8. The visual recognition-based shell-breaking and stirring system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The image acquisition unit also includes a side-mounted camera unit, which is positioned below the liquid surface of the tank.

9. The visual recognition-based shell-breaking and stirring system as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The number of side-mounted camera units is set to multiple, and the multiple side-mounted camera units are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the tank.

10. The visual recognition-based shell-breaking and stirring system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The shell-breaking stirring system also includes an interaction module; the interaction module is electrically connected to the target recognition module, the stirrer and the control module respectively, so as to display the position and start / stop of the stirrer and the liquid level status of the tank.

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