Information processing device, and information processing method

Abstract

To accurately detect waste without using a plurality of cameras.SOLUTION: An information processing device comprises: an acquiring unit of acquiring a range image from a single camera imaging the inside of an incineration chamber of an incineration furnace incinerating waste, with light of specified wavelengths penetrating through flames and being slightly emitted from the flames using the Time Of Flight method, to form a range image to the imaged subject; and an estimation unit of estimating a state of waste present in the combustion chamber on the basis of the range image acquired by the acquiring unit. The wavelength of the light penetrating through the flames is from 3.7 to 3.9 μm, or 1.6 μm.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] As a method for detecting waste that has been put into an incinerator and piled up on the grate, there are inventions disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2. The method for determining the state inside the incinerator disclosed in Patent Document 1 observes the waste piled up inside the incinerator through a filter that transmits light of wavelengths not emitted by flames using multiple infrared cameras installed behind the post-combustion section, and creates a three-dimensional image of the waste based on the images from the multiple infrared cameras. Then, based on the three-dimensional images at multiple times, the time change in the thickness of the waste and the time change in the moving speed of the surface of the waste are calculated. According to the invention of Patent Document 1, the shape and movement of the waste are detected, and the burning state is controlled according to the detected shape and movement, thereby making it possible to burn the waste stably.

[0003] The combustion equipment condition identification device disclosed in Patent Document 2 photographs the feeder that supplies materials to be incinerated to the furnace and the drying stage of the grate with an infrared camera installed behind the post-combustion stage, and photographs the combustion stage and post-combustion stage of the grate with a visible camera. The condition identification device then identifies the combustion state of each section from the images obtained by the infrared camera and the visible camera. The condition identification device disclosed in Patent Document 2 also proposes recommended operations for the combustion equipment based on the identified combustion state. According to the invention of Patent Document 2, the combustion equipment can be easily operated according to the combustion state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6596121 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7051792 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When multiple cameras are used as in the inventions of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the number of openings for installing the cameras increases, leading to greater heat loss, and the need for additional camera cooling equipment increases costs. In addition, when multiple cameras are used, the effort required to adjust the camera positions and orientations increases.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has an object to detect waste with high accuracy without using multiple cameras. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires an image of the interior of a combustion chamber of an incinerator that incinerates waste using a time-of-flight method with light of a predetermined wavelength that passes through a flame and is radiated little from the flame, and acquires the distance image from a single camera that generates a distance image to the photographed subject, and an estimation unit that estimates the state of the waste inside the combustion chamber based on the distance image acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0008] In the information processing device according to the present invention, the wavelength may be 3.7 to 3.9 μm, or 1.6 μm.

[0009] The information processing device according to the present invention may include a combustion control unit that controls the incinerator based on the state estimated by the estimation unit.

[0010] In the information processing device of the present invention, the estimation unit may estimate the shape of the waste in the combustion chamber based on the distance image acquired by the acquisition unit, and the combustion control unit may control the incinerator based on the shape of the waste estimated by the estimation unit.

[0011] In the information processing device of the present invention, the combustion control unit may control at least one of the following devices provided in the incinerator: a grate that moves the waste in the combustion chamber, an extruder that sends the waste to the combustion chamber, a damper that adjusts the amount of air supplied to the grate, and a heating device that heats the air.

[0012] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention includes an acquisition step of acquiring an image of the inside of a combustion chamber of an incinerator for incinerating waste using a time-of-flight method with light of a predetermined wavelength that passes through a flame and has little radiation from the flame, and acquiring the distance image from a single camera that generates a distance image to the photographed subject, and an estimation step of estimating the shape of the waste inside the combustion chamber based on the distance image acquired in the acquisition step. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, waste can be detected with high accuracy without using multiple cameras. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an incineration system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of camera installation. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the functions realized by the control unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process executed by the control unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the coordinates of the surface of the waste material. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below. In addition, in the description of the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are appropriately assigned the same reference numerals. Furthermore, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the dimensional relationship of each element may differ from the actual one. There may also be parts in which the dimensional relationship and ratio are different between the drawings.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an incineration system 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The incineration system 1000 includes an incinerator 1. The incinerator 1 is a so-called stoker-type incinerator that incinerates waste W, such as industrial waste and household garbage. The incinerator 1 includes a combustion chamber 2, an inlet 4, an extruder 5, a grate 6, a secondary combustion chamber 20, and a discharge section 7. The incinerator 1 also includes wind boxes 8a to 8c, a blower 9, a supply pipe 10, branch lines 10a to 10c, a heating device 11, and dampers 12a to 12c.

[0017] The inlet 4 is an inlet for feeding the waste W into the combustion chamber 2 in which the waste W is burned, and is provided upstream in the direction in which the waste W moves and above the combustion chamber 2. An extruder 5 is provided below the inlet 4 for pushing the fed waste W into the combustion chamber 2. A step wall 19 and a fire grate 6 are provided downstream of the extruder 5. The extruder 5 is provided above the fire grate 6. When the extruder 5 pushes the waste W from the upper end of the step wall 19 into the combustion chamber 2, a layer of the waste W is formed on the fire grate 6.

[0018] The secondary combustion chamber 20 is connected to the combustion chamber 2 downstream of the flow of the waste W, and burns unburned combustible gas from the combustion gas generated in the combustion chamber 2. A waste heat boiler (not shown) is connected to the secondary combustion chamber 20. The waste heat boiler recovers heat from the exhaust gas discharged from the incinerator 1 to generate steam. This steam is mainly used to generate electricity in a generator. The exhaust gas from which the heat has been recovered is treated with slaked lime or the like in an exhaust gas treatment device (not shown), and is then sent to a dust removal device (not shown) to recover reaction products, dust, and the like. The exhaust gas that has been cleaned and rendered harmless by the dust removal device is released into the atmosphere from a chimney.

[0019] The grate 6 is provided at the bottom of the combustion chamber 2. The grate 6 is composed of a drying grate 6a, a combustion grate 6b, and a post-combustion grate 6c, and is provided in the order of the drying grate 6a, the combustion grate 6b, and the post-combustion grate 6c from the inlet 4 side toward the discharge section 7. The drying grate 6a, the combustion grate 6b, and the post-combustion grate 6c are reciprocated to the upstream and downstream sides of the flow of the waste W by a known linear reciprocating mechanism (not shown), and transport the waste W from the upstream side to the downstream side. On the drying grate 6a, mainly drying and ignition of the waste W are performed. On the combustion grate 6b, mainly pyrolysis and partial oxidation of the waste W are performed. Also, on the combustion grate 6b, combustion of the combustible gas and solid content generated by pyrolysis is performed, and a flame is formed when the combustible gas is burned. On the post-combustion grate 6c, post-combustion is carried out to completely burn the solid unburned waste W, and when the solid waste W burns, no flame is generated but it burns with a glowing flame. This post-combustion forms a layer of incineration ash on the post-combustion grate 6c after complete combustion. The discharge section 7 discharges the incineration ash formed on the post-combustion grate 6c to the outside of the combustion chamber 2.

[0020] A wind box 8a is provided below the drying grate 6a, a wind box 8b is provided below the combustion grate 6b, and a wind box 8c is provided below the post-combustion grate 6c. Also, a branch line 10a for supplying primary air used in the combustion of the waste W is provided below the wind box 8a, a branch line 10b for supplying primary air is provided below the wind box 8b, and a branch line 10c for supplying primary air is provided below the wind box 8c.

[0021] The branch line 10a is provided with a damper 12a for adjusting the amount of primary air supplied to the wind box 8a, and the branch line 10b is provided with a damper 12b for adjusting the amount of primary air supplied to the wind box 8b. The blower 9 is a device for sending primary air to the branch lines 10a, 10b, and 10c. The heating device 11 is a device for heating the primary air discharged from the blower 9. The heating device 11 is controlled by a control device 100 described later and controls the temperature of the primary air. The damper 12c adjusts the amount of primary air sent to the branch lines 10a, 10b, and 10c. The dampers 12a, 12b, and 12c are controlled by a control device 100 described later, and the amount of primary air flowing through each of them can be adjusted independently.

[0022] The primary air supplied from the blower 9 is branched through the heating device 11, the supply pipe 10 for supplying the primary air, and the damper 12c. A part of the branched primary air is supplied to the drying grate 6a through the damper 12a and the branch line 10a, and a part of the branched primary air is supplied to the combustion grate 6b through the damper 12b and the branch line 10b. The rest of the branched primary air is supplied to the post-combustion grate 6c through the branch line 10c. The primary air supplied from below the grate 6 is supplied to the combustion chamber 2 and used for drying, stirring, and burning the waste W, and also for cooling the grate 6.

[0023] The incineration system 1000 also includes a camera 30 and a control device 100 to control the combustion of the waste W. The camera 30 is a so-called TOF (Time Of Flight) camera that emits light of a predetermined wavelength and measures the time it takes for the emitted light to be reflected by an object and return, thereby measuring the distance from the camera 30 to the waste W. The camera 30 is located close to the side wall 21 of the combustion chamber 2 downstream of the post-combustion grate 6c and at a position higher than the grate 6.

[0024] The camera 30 is set in an orthogonal coordinate system with X, Y, and Z axes, with the width direction of the combustion chamber 2 being the X-axis direction, the direction in which the drying grate 6a, the combustion grate 6b, and the post-combustion grate 6c are aligned, i.e., the direction in which the waste W moves being the Z-axis direction, and the height direction of the combustion chamber 2 being the Y-axis direction. The direction of the optical axis of the camera 30 coincides with the Z-axis direction. In this embodiment, the upstream side of the transport of the waste W is positive in the Z-axis direction, and the upper side in the height direction is positive in the Y-axis direction.

[0025] The wavelength of the light emitted by the camera 30 to measure the distance to the waste W is a wavelength that penetrates the flame generated by the combustion of the waste W in the combustion chamber 2 and is less radiated from the flame, for example, in the range of 3.7 to 3.9 μm. The wavelength of the light emitted by the camera 30 is not limited to the above-mentioned range, and may be, for example, 1.6 μm that penetrates the flame. By setting the wavelength of the light emitted by the camera 30 to the above-mentioned wavelength, even if there is a flame within the shooting range of the camera 30, the emitted light penetrates the flame, and an image of the waste W as the subject can be obtained without shooting the flame. The image generated by the camera 30 by shooting the inside of the combustion chamber 2 is a distance image based on the distance value from the origin of the Cartesian coordinate system to the subject for each pixel.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the installation of the camera 30 near the side wall 21. The window 22 is a hole formed in the side wall 21 of the combustion chamber 2 downstream of the post-combustion grate 6c, and penetrates the side wall 21. The connection part 50 is formed in a cylindrical shape from a heat-resistant material, and the internal space is connected to the window 22. The blower 40 is a device that supplies air to the connection part 50, and the supply pipe 41 is a pipe that supplies air to the connection part 50. The air discharged by the blower 40 is sent to the internal space of the connection part 50 through the supply pipe 41. By supplying the air sent from the blower 40 to the inside of the connection part 50, it is possible to prevent the incineration ash in the combustion chamber 2 from adhering to the filter 60.

[0027] The filter 60 is a bandpass filter that transmits light of a predetermined wavelength, and is installed in front of the lens of the camera 30. For example, when the wavelength of light emitted by the camera 30 is in the range of 3.7 to 3.9 μm, the filter 60 transmits light of wavelengths in this range and blocks light of wavelengths outside this range. The cooling device 70 is a device that cools the camera 30, and the cooling pipe 71 is a pipe that supplies a fluid for cooling the cooling device 70. The cooling device 70 cools the camera 30 by the fluid supplied from the cooling pipe 71, for example. The fluid supplied from the cooling pipe 71 is, for example, cooling water, but may also be cold air.

[0028] The control device 100 is a device that performs control for stably burning the waste W. Based on the measurement results of the camera 30, the control device 100 controls objects to be controlled, such as the extruder 5, the fire grate 6, the heating device 11, and the dampers 12a to 12c.

[0029] 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 100. The operation unit 102 has a keyboard, a mouse, and various buttons for operating the control device 100, and is operated by an operator of the incineration system 1000. The display unit 103 is, for example, a liquid crystal display device, and displays various information related to the controlled object. The interface 104 is controlled by the control unit 101, and outputs a control signal for controlling the controlled object to the controlled object. The interface 104 also acquires images generated by the camera 30.

[0030] The control unit 101 includes a calculation unit and a storage unit. The calculation unit is configured, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit is configured, for example, by a portion configured by a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a portion configured by a RAM (Random Access Memory). The portion configured by ROM stores various programs and data used by the calculation unit to perform calculation processing. The RAM is used as a working space when the calculation unit performs calculation processing, and for storing the results of the calculation processing of the calculation unit.

[0031] The control unit 101 realizes the function of stably burning the waste W by the CPU executing a program stored in the ROM, and controls the extruder 5, the grate 6, the heating device 11, the dampers 12a to 12c, etc. according to the measurement results of the camera 30. The functions of the control unit 101 are realized as a functional unit by the CPU reading and executing the program from the ROM. A block diagram of the functions realized by the control unit 101 is shown in FIG. 4.

[0032] The acquisition unit 101a acquires an image captured by the camera 30. The estimation unit 101b estimates the state of the waste W in the combustion chamber 2 based on the image acquired by the acquisition unit 101a. The estimation unit 101b estimates, as the state of the waste W, for example, the surface shape of the waste W, the thickness of the waste W, the position of the burnout point of the waste W, the volume of the waste W, etc. The combustion control unit 101c controls the extruder 5, the grate 6, the heating device 11, the dampers 12a to 12c, etc. based on the state of the waste W estimated by the estimation unit 101b.

[0033] Next, an example of the operation of the incineration system 1000 will be described. Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing the flow of the process executed by the control unit 101 when burning the waste W. The control unit 101 acquires images captured by the camera 30 at a predetermined cycle (step S101). The images captured by the camera 30 are distance information from the origin of the Cartesian coordinate system to the subject. Therefore, by acquiring an image of the waste W as the subject, the control unit 101 can obtain the distance from the origin of the Cartesian coordinate system to the surface of the waste W based on the acquired image.

[0034] Next, the control unit 101 identifies the coordinates of the surface of the waste W in the movement direction of the waste W and in the width direction of the combustion chamber 2, and estimates the surface shape of the waste W (step S102). The surface shape of the waste W is an example of the shape of the waste W. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the x-coordinate, y-coordinate, and z-coordinate of a position P on the surface of the waste W at a distance r from the origin can be calculated by the following equations from the angle θ between the line segment connecting the origin and the position P and the Z axis, the rotation angle φ on the XY plane of the line segment connecting the origin and the position P, and the distance r. The control unit 101 estimates the surface shape of the waste W based on the identified coordinates of the surface of the waste W. x = rsinθcosφ y = rsinθsinφ z=rcosθ

[0035] Next, the control unit 101 estimates the height from the grate 6 to the surface of the waste W, that is, the thickness of the waste W, based on the estimated surface shape of the waste W (step S103). The thickness of the waste W is an example of the shape of the waste W. The surface shape of the waste W is not constant not only in the Z-axis direction, which is the direction of movement of the waste W, but also in the X-axis direction, which is the width direction of the combustion chamber 2. Therefore, the control unit 101 calculates, for example, an average value of the thickness of the waste W over the X-axis direction for each coordinate in the Z-axis direction for the estimated surface shape of the waste W, and sets the calculated average value as the thickness of the waste W at that position. Since the xyz coordinates of the surface of the grate 6 are known to the control unit 101, the thickness of the waste W at that position can be specified for each coordinate in the X-axis direction from the difference between the y coordinate of the surface of the grate 6 and the y coordinate of the surface of the waste W, and the average value of the thickness of the waste W in the X-axis direction can be calculated.

[0036] Next, the control unit 101 estimates the position of the burnout point, which is the position in the Z-axis direction where the combustion of the waste W is considered to be completed (step S104). The position of the burnout point of the waste W is an example of the state of the waste W. Usually, the waste W in the combustion chamber 2 moves on the drying grate 6a, the combustion grate 6b, and the post-combustion grate 6c, and the volume gradually decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side, and when the combustion is completed, the thickness of the waste W becomes less than a predetermined thickness. Therefore, the thickness of the waste W where the combustion of the waste W is considered to be completed is set in advance, and the position where the thickness of the waste W in the movement direction of the waste W becomes equal to or less than the set thickness can be estimated as the burnout point. In this embodiment, the thickness of the waste W where the combustion is considered to be completed is set as a predetermined threshold, and the control unit 101 estimates the position where the thickness of the waste W is equal to the predetermined threshold in the movement direction of the waste W in the combustion chamber 2, and sets the estimated position as the burnout point. In addition, if there are multiple positions equal to the specified threshold value in the direction of movement of the waste W, the identified position that is most upstream is determined to be the burn-off point position, and the waste W located downstream of the burn-off point position is treated as unburned remains.

[0037] Next, the control unit 101 calculates the volume of the waste W from the step wall 19 to the burnout point (step S105). The volume of the waste W is an example of the state of the waste W. Here, the control unit 101 estimates the thickness of the waste W in the Z-axis direction and the X-axis direction based on the coordinates of the surface of the waste W and the coordinates of the surface of the fire grate 6. The control unit 101 also integrates this calculated thickness over the range from the step wall 19 to the burnout point and over the range in the width direction of the combustion chamber 2 to calculate the volume of the waste W.

[0038] Next, the control unit 101 controls the extruder 5, the grate 6, the heating device 11, and the dampers 12a to 12c, which are the objects of control, based on the specified position of the burnout point, the calculated volume of the waste W, the estimated surface shape of the waste W, and the like (step S106). The control performed by the control unit 101 on the grate 6 is, for example, control of the reciprocating speed of the grate 6. The control unit 101 controls the reciprocating speed of the grate 6, thereby controlling the amount of movement of the waste W. The control unit 101 controls the extruder 5, such as control of the reciprocating speed of the extruder 5 and control of the reciprocating movement amount of the extruder 5. The control unit 101 controls the extruder 5, thereby controlling the amount of waste W supplied to the combustion chamber 2 per unit time. The control unit 101 controls the heating device 11, such as control of the temperature of the primary air. The control unit 101 controls the heating device 11, thereby controlling the temperature of the primary air supplied to the grate 6. The control unit 101 controls the dampers 12a to 12c to control the amount of primary air supplied to each of the dampers 12a, 12b, and 12c. The control unit 101 controls the dampers 12a to 12c to control the amount of primary air blown into the drying grate 6a, the combustion grate 6b, and the post-combustion grate 6c.

[0039] Specifically, when the volume of the waste W on the grate 6 has increased from the previously calculated volume, the control unit 101 performs control to decelerate the reciprocating speed of the extruder 5 and the grate 6 and control to reduce the amount of reciprocating movement of the extruder 5 in order to reduce the amount of waste W supplied to the combustion chamber 2. In addition, when the volume of the waste W on the grate 6 has increased from the previously calculated volume, the control unit 101 performs control to increase the opening of the damper 12c to increase the amount of primary air supplied and control to raise the temperature of the primary air by the heating device 11 in order to promote combustion of the waste W.

[0040] On the other hand, when the volume of the waste W on the grate 6 is smaller than the previously calculated volume, the control unit 101 performs control to increase the reciprocating speed of the extruder 5 and the grate 6 and control to increase the amount of reciprocating movement of the extruder 5 in order to increase the amount of waste W supplied to the combustion chamber 2. Also, when the volume of the waste W on the grate 6 is smaller than the previously calculated volume, the control unit 101 performs control to reduce the opening of the damper 12c to reduce the amount of primary air supplied in order to suppress combustion of the waste W, and control to lower the temperature of the primary air by the heating device 11.

[0041] In addition, when the control unit 101 performs control based on the volume of the waste W, it may compare the volume with, for example, a predetermined volume, instead of comparing with the previously calculated volume, and control the control target based on the result of the comparison. For example, when the calculated volume of the waste W is greater than the predetermined volume, the control unit 101 performs control to slow down the reciprocating speed of the extruder 5 and the grate 6, control to reduce the amount of reciprocating movement of the extruder 5, control to increase the amount of primary air supply, control to increase the temperature of the primary air, etc. In this case, as the difference from the predetermined volume increases, the reciprocating speed, the movement amount, the amount of primary air supply, and the temperature of the primary air may be increased. In addition, for example, when the calculated volume of the waste W is less than the predetermined volume, the control unit 101 performs control to increase the reciprocating speed of the extruder 5 and the grate 6, control to increase the amount of reciprocating movement of the extruder 5, control to reduce the amount of primary air supply, and control to lower the temperature of the primary air. In this case, as the difference from the predetermined volume increases, the reciprocating speed, the movement amount, the amount of primary air supply, and the temperature of the primary air may be decreased.

[0042] Furthermore, when the burnout point position moves upstream from a predetermined reference position in the Z-axis direction, the control unit 101 assumes that the overall amount of waste W on the grate 6 is decreasing, and therefore performs an operation to increase the reciprocating speed of the grate 6. Note that, since simply increasing the speed of the grate 6 would cause the height of the waste W in the combustion chamber 2 to suddenly decrease, the control unit 101 also performs control to increase the reciprocating speed of the extruder 5.

[0043] Furthermore, when the burnout point position has moved upstream from the reference position, it is presumed that the waste W on the grate 6 has a high heat value and is easily combustible, and therefore it is desirable for the control unit 101 to generally reduce the supply amount of primary air supplied from below the grate 6. Furthermore, when the burnout point position has moved upstream from the reference position, the control unit 101 may control the heating device 11 to reduce the temperature of the primary air in order to prevent excessive combustion of the waste W.

[0044] On the other hand, when the position of the burnout point has moved downstream from the reference position, the control unit 101 desirably increases the overall supply amount of primary air supplied from below the fire grate 6, since it is estimated that the waste W on the fire grate 6 has a low heat value and is difficult to burn. Also, when the position of the burnout point has moved downstream from the reference position, the control unit 101 may control the heating device 11 to increase the temperature of the primary air in order to promote the combustion of the waste W.

[0045] In addition, when the burnout point has moved downstream beyond a predetermined distance from the reference position, the control unit 101 may control to significantly slow down the reciprocating speed of the grate 6 or to stop the reciprocating of the grate 6, thereby preventing the waste W from becoming unburned. In addition, when the burnout point has moved downstream beyond a predetermined distance from the reference position, the control unit 101 also slows down or stops the extruder 5, because if the reciprocating speed of the extruder 5 is not adjusted while the grate 6 is stopped, a large amount of waste W will accumulate on the drying grate 6a. In addition, the control unit 101 may control the dampers 12a to 12c to increase only the supply amount of primary air from below the post-combustion grate 6c in order to prevent the generation of unburned waste W.

[0046] In addition, in this embodiment, the control unit 101 estimates the surface shape of the waste W on the grate 6, and adjusts the flow rates of the primary air in the dampers 12a and 12b separately in accordance with the distribution of the waste W in the direction of movement of the waste W from this surface shape, thereby adjusting the distribution amount of primary air to the drying grate 6a and the primary air to the combustion grate 6b.

[0047] For example, when a large amount of waste W is present on the drying grate 6a and the thickness of the waste W on the drying grate 6a, in other words the volume of the waste W, increases, the control unit 101 controls the flow rate of primary air in the damper 12a corresponding to the drying grate 6a to increase the amount of primary air supplied to the drying grate 6a, or controls the heating device 11 to raise the temperature of the primary air, thereby promoting the drying of the waste W on the drying grate 6a.

[0048] The control unit 101 may also obtain the volume of the waste W downstream of the burnout point, i.e., the waste W corresponding to the unburned waste W, and control the dampers 12a and 12b to increase or decrease the amount of primary air supplied to the position of the unburned waste W according to the obtained volume. By performing such control, it is possible to promote the combustion of the unburned waste W with an appropriate amount of primary air. Note that the control unit 101 may also control the dampers 12a and 12c to increase the amount of primary air when the volume of the unburned waste W exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

[0049] According to this embodiment, the monocular camera 30 captures images of the inside of the combustion chamber 2 using a time-of-flight method with light of a wavelength that transmits the flame, so that the waste W can be detected with high accuracy without being affected by the flame. In addition, according to this embodiment, the shape and volume of the waste W can be estimated with one camera 30, so that the cost can be reduced compared to a method of estimating the shape and volume of the waste W using a stereo method. In addition, in this embodiment, the shape and volume of the waste W can be estimated with one camera 30, so that the opening of the combustion chamber 2 for installing the camera 30 can be reduced, so that the heat loss of the combustion chamber 2 can be reduced, compared to a method of estimating the shape and volume of the waste W using a stereo method. In addition, in this embodiment, the shape and volume of the waste W can be estimated with one camera 30, so that the equipment for cooling the camera 30 can be reduced, compared to a method of estimating the shape and volume of the waste W using a stereo method. In this embodiment, the extruder 5, the grate 6, the dampers 12a to 12c, and the heating device 11 are controlled based on the volume and shape of the waste W, so that more appropriate combustion control can be achieved.

[0050] [Variations] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and can be implemented in various other forms. For example, the above-mentioned embodiment may be modified as follows to implement the present invention. The above-mentioned embodiment and the following modifications may be combined with each other. The present invention also includes a configuration in which the components of the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications are appropriately combined. Further effects and modifications can be easily derived by a person skilled in the art. Therefore, the broader aspects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and modifications, and various modifications are possible.

[0051] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the control unit 101 performs control based on the position of the burnout point, the volume of the waste W on the grate 6, and the surface shape of the waste W. In addition, the control unit 101 may obtain the bulk density of the waste W fed into the incinerator 1, and control the extruder 5, the grate 6, the heating device 11, the dampers 12a to 12c, etc., based on the position of the burnout point, the volume of the waste W on the grate 6, the surface shape of the waste W, the bulk density of the waste W, etc. In this case, for example, a volume measuring unit for measuring the volume of the waste W and a weight measuring unit for measuring the weight of the waste W are provided in a bucket (not shown) for feeding the waste W into the inlet 4, and when the waste W is fed into the inlet 4, the volume and weight of the waste W in the bucket are measured, and the bulk density is calculated from the measured volume and weight. The control unit 101 controls the extruder 5, the grate 6, the heating device 11, the dampers 12a to 12c, etc., taking into account the calculated bulk density, thereby realizing more appropriate combustion control.

[0052] The control unit 101 may also calculate the calorific value of the waste W from the volume of the waste W and known properties of the waste W, and control the extruder 5, the grate 6, the heating device 11, the dampers 12a to 12c, etc., using the calculated calorific value of the waste W. Here, examples of the known properties of the waste W include the moisture content and bulk density of the waste W. The control unit 101 can achieve more appropriate combustion control by controlling the extruder 5, the grate 6, the heating device 11, the dampers 12a to 12c, etc., using the calorific value based on the properties of the waste W.

[0053] The control unit 101 may also control the extruder 5, the grate 6, the heating device 11, the dampers 12a to 12c, etc., depending on the volume of the waste W on the drying grate 6a, the volume of the waste W on the combustion grate 6b, and the volume of the waste W on the post-combustion grate 6c. For example, when the volume of the waste W on the drying grate 6a is greater than the volume of the waste W on the combustion grate 6b, the control unit 101 may control the damper 12a to make the amount of primary air supplied to the drying grate 6a greater than the amount of primary air supplied to the combustion grate 6b. When the volume of the waste W on the combustion grate 6b is greater than the volume of the waste W on the drying grate 6a, the control unit 101 may also control the damper 12b to make the amount of primary air supplied to the combustion grate 6b greater than the amount of primary air supplied to the drying grate 6a.

[0054] In addition, the control unit 101 calculates the volume of the waste W, but may also calculate the volume of the waste W supplied onto the drying grate 6a from the difference between the volume of the waste W when the extruder 5 is stopped and the volume of the waste W after the extruder 5 is operating, and control the grate 6, heating device 11, dampers 12a to 12c, etc. depending on the calculated volume. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1 Incinerator 2. Combustion chamber 5. Extruder 6. Grate 6a drying grate 6b Combustion grate 6c Post-combustion grate 11 Heating device 12a~12c Damper 30 Camera 100 Control device 101 Control section 101a Acquisition Department 101b Estimation part 101c Combustion control unit

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires distance images from a single camera that captures images of the interior of a combustion chamber of an incinerator that incinerates waste using a time-of-flight method with light of a predetermined wavelength that is transmitted through a flame and is radiated little from the flame, and generates a distance image to the captured subject; an estimation unit that estimates a state of the waste in the combustion chamber based on the distance image acquired by the acquisition unit; An information processing device comprising:

2. The wavelength is 3.7 to 3.9 μm, or 1.6 μm. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. A combustion control unit that controls the incinerator based on the state estimated by the estimation unit. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The estimation unit estimates a shape of the waste in the combustion chamber based on the distance image acquired by the acquisition unit, The combustion control unit controls the incinerator based on the shape of the waste estimated by the estimation unit. The information processing device according to claim 3 .

5. The combustion control unit controls at least one of a grate that moves the waste in the combustion chamber, an extruder that sends the waste to the combustion chamber, a damper that adjusts the amount of air supplied to the grate, and a heating device that heats the air, which are provided in the incinerator. The information processing device according to claim 4.

6. an acquisition step of acquiring a distance image from a single camera that captures an image of the interior of a combustion chamber of an incinerator for incinerating waste using a time-of-flight method with light of a predetermined wavelength that is transmitted through a flame and is radiated little from the flame, and generating a distance image to the captured subject; an estimation step of estimating a shape of the waste in the combustion chamber based on the distance image acquired in the acquisition step; An information processing method comprising the steps of:

Images