Cooperative drying conditioning facility, control method of the same, and monitoring device

Abstract

To lower a contract power by efficiently decreasing a maximum demand value of a cooperative drying conditioning facility without depending on determination of an operator.SOLUTION: A plurality of dryers perform drying steps by executing a plurality of types of predetermined operation modes in a preset order. All of the plurality of types of operation modes are modes for operating air blowers. A monitoring device acquires an electric power demand value and current executing operation modes of two or more dryers. When the acquired demand value is a predetermined allowable limit maximum demand value or more, the monitoring device repeats an operation for selecting a dryer being under operation of an operation mode having lower priority according to the priority of a predetermined operation mode, and stopping an air bower of the selected dryer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shared drying and processing facility such as a country elevator or rice center that receives harvested grain unhulled from multiple users and dries it. [Background technology]

[0002] As a conventional support system for grain processing facilities, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a network system that connects via communication lines an operation management system that manages the operation of a joint grain drying and processing facility, an operation management system that manages the operation of a grain milling facility, an operation management system that manages the operation of a rice cooking facility, and a sales management system that allows distributors and consumers to manage product sales trends. This support system works in conjunction with the farm management system, the operation management system and sales management system of each facility to centrally manage the operation of each facility, thereby managing the energy consumption, energy consumption by process, and / or demand of each facility. This reduces equipment duplication at each facility and reduces the labor and costs required to manage each facility. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-068030 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, while the above support system describes how to record and manage the amount of electricity used by each facility, it does not describe any specific measures for reducing power consumption (demand). Furthermore, the contract power (basic charge) for facilities such as shared drying and processing facilities is determined based on the maximum demand value over the past year (the maximum value over the past year of the demand value, which is the average power used every 30 minutes). However, operators of shared drying and processing facilities do not have a complete understanding of the power consumption of each individual device. Therefore, when trying to reduce the power consumption of the entire shared drying and processing facility, it is difficult for operators to determine which devices should be shut down without slowing down the operation of the facility.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to efficiently reduce the maximum demand value of a shared drying and preparation facility and lower the contracted power without relying on the judgment of the operator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention provides a shared drying and processing facility having a plurality of dryers for drying harvested grain, a detection unit for detecting the power demand values ​​of the plurality of dryers relative to a commercial power source, and a monitoring device. Each of the plurality of dryers includes at least a storage section for storing grain and a blower for blowing air onto the grain in the storage section. Each of the plurality of dryers executes a plurality of predetermined operating modes in a predetermined order. Each of the plurality of operating modes is a mode in which the blower is operated. While two or more dryers are operating, the monitoring device acquires the demand values ​​and the operating modes currently being executed by the two or more dryers from the detection unit, and if the acquired demand value is equal to or greater than a predetermined maximum allowable demand value, selects a dryer executing an operating mode with a lower priority in accordance with a predetermined priority order of the operating modes and stops the blower of the selected dryer, repeating this operation.

[0007] This allows the shared drying and preparation facility of the first aspect of the present invention to stop the blower of a dryer operating in a low-priority mode according to a predetermined priority order of the operating modes without relying on the judgment of the operator, thereby enabling the shared drying and preparation facility to reduce the maximum demand value and lower the contracted power.

[0008] The shared drying and preparing facility of the first aspect of the present invention may further include a conveyor that sequentially carries the grain into the plurality of dryers.

[0009] The dryer of the shared drying and preparation facility of the first aspect further includes, for example, a heater that heats the air, an elevator that circulates the grain in the storage unit by raising the grain from the lower part of the storage unit to the upper part, and a control unit that controls the operation of the storage unit, the blower, the heater, and the elevator. The storage unit has a grain inlet and a grain outlet.

[0010] The above-mentioned multiple types of operation modes include, for example, a storage operation mode, a drying operation mode, a circulation operation mode, and a discharge operation mode. The storage operation mode is a mode in which the control unit receives grain transported by the conveyor from the inlet of the storage unit while operating the blower. The drying operation mode is a mode in which the control unit operates the heater and the elevator while operating the blower. The circulation operation mode is a mode in which the control unit operates the elevator while operating the blower. The discharge operation mode is a mode in which the control unit discharges grain from the outlet of the storage unit while operating the blower.

[0011] The monitoring device of the shared drying and preparation facility of the first aspect can be configured to stop the heater and elevator when stopping the dryer operating in the drying mode.

[0012] Furthermore, when two or more dryers are executing operation modes of the same priority, the monitoring device can be configured to select one dryer and stop the blower of the selected dryer according to a predetermined condition, such as when the storage compartment contains the most grain, when the moisture content of the grain is the lowest, or when the remaining time until the completion of all operation modes is the longest.

[0013] In addition, it is preferable that the above-mentioned monitoring device be configured to output a message urging the user to save energy when the captured demand value is equal to or greater than the maximum allowable demand value but the fans of two or more of the dryers that are operating have already been stopped.

[0014] The monitoring device may be configured to keep the fan stopped for a predetermined time when the monitoring device stops the fan.

[0015] A second aspect of the present invention provides a monitoring device for controlling multiple dryers in a shared drying and processing facility. The shared drying and processing facility includes multiple dryers for drying harvested grain and a detection unit for detecting power demand values ​​for the multiple dryers relative to a commercial power source. Each of the multiple dryers includes at least a storage section for storing grain and a blower for blowing air to the grain in the storage section. Each of the multiple dryers executes multiple predetermined operating modes in a predetermined order. All of the multiple operating modes are modes for operating the blower. The monitoring device acquires the demand values ​​and the currently executing operating modes of the two or more dryers from the detection unit while two or more dryers are operating. If the acquired demand value is equal to or greater than a predetermined allowable maximum demand value, the monitoring device selects a dryer executing an operating mode with a lower priority in accordance with a predetermined priority order of the operating modes and stops the blower of the selected dryer, repeating this operation.

[0016] In this way, the monitoring device of the second aspect of the present invention stops the blower of the dryer that is operating in a low-priority operating mode according to a predetermined priority order of the operating modes without relying on the judgment of the operator. As a result, the monitoring device can efficiently reduce the maximum demand value of the shared drying and preparation facility, and can lower the contracted power of the shared drying and preparation facility.

[0017] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method for controlling multiple dryers in a shared drying and processing facility. The shared drying and processing facility includes multiple dryers for drying harvested grain and a detection unit for detecting power demand values ​​for the multiple dryers relative to a commercial power source. Each of the multiple dryers includes at least a storage unit for storing grain and a blower for blowing air onto the grain in the storage unit. Each of the multiple dryers executes multiple predetermined operating modes in a predetermined order. All of the multiple operating modes are modes for operating the blower. The control method includes the steps of: acquiring demand values ​​from the detection unit while two or more dryers are operating; acquiring the currently executing operating modes of the two or more dryers; and, if the acquired demand value is equal to or greater than a predetermined allowable maximum demand value, selecting a dryer executing a lower-priority operating mode according to a predetermined priority order of the operating modes; and stopping the blower of the selected dryer. As a result, the control method of the third aspect of the present invention stops the blower of a dryer operating in a low-priority mode according to a predetermined priority order of the operating modes without relying on the judgment of the operator. This control method can therefore efficiently reduce the maximum demand value of the shared drying and preparation facility, thereby enabling a reduction in the contracted power of the shared drying and preparation facility. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve stable low running costs for a shared drying and preparation facility without relying on the judgment of the operator. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a shared drying and preparation facility 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1A is a diagram showing the operation of the common drying and preparation facility 1 in a normal mode according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a graph showing the change in the demand value of the amount of electricity. [Figure 3] 1A is a diagram showing the operation of the shared drying and preparation facility 1 in a power saving mode according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1B is a graph showing the change in the demand value of the amount of electricity; [Figure 4] 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the shared drying and preparation facility 1 of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, a shared drying and preparation facility according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] The shared drying and processing facility 1 of this embodiment is a facility that receives harvested grain from multiple users and dries and processes it. As shown in FIG. 1, the shared drying and processing facility 1 of this embodiment includes multiple dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 that dry harvested grain, and each dryer 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 is equipped with a blower 13. The dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 are each configured to execute multiple predetermined operating modes in a predetermined order (see FIGS. 3(a) and 4(a)). Each of these multiple operating modes is a mode that activates the blower. A monitoring device monitors the power demand values ​​of the dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 from the commercial power source 60, and if the demand value is equal to or greater than the maximum allowable demand value, stops the blower of the dryer that is executing the operating mode with the lowest priority, according to a predetermined operating mode priority order.

[0022] This allows the monitoring device to stop the dryer's blower in accordance with the priority order without relying on the operator's judgment, thereby keeping the power demand value of the shared drying and preparation facility below the maximum allowable demand value. The basic charge for the commercial power source 60 is determined by the contracted power, which is set to the maximum value of the monthly maximum power demand (maximum monthly demand value) over the most recent 12 months. Therefore, the shared drying and preparation facility of this embodiment can reduce the demand value, thereby achieving stable low running costs.

[0023] <<Embodiment 1>> The shared drying and preparation facility 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG.

[0024] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the equipment that performs the drying process in the shared drying and processing facility 1. In addition to the equipment shown in Figure 1, the shared drying and processing facility 1 is also equipped with a storage silo, a huller, a sorter, etc., but we will not explain these here. Figures 2 and 3 are a diagram showing the operation of the shared drying and processing facility 1 and a graph showing changes in the demand value for electricity.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the shared drying and preparation facility 1 is configured to include a goods receiving device 80, a conveyor 40, a plurality of dryers 10, a detection unit 61 that detects a demand value, and a monitoring device 70.

[0026] The goods receiving device 80 is a device that receives grains such as rice (husks) and wheat that users have harvested and brought in from farm fields, removes impurities, and then weighs them.

[0027] Each of the multiple dryers 10 (here, three dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3) uses power from commercial power supply 60 to dry grain received by receiving device 80. Dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 each include a grain storage section 11 that stores the grain to be dried, a blower 13 that blows air onto the grain in grain storage section 11 and also expels dust inside the dryer to the outside, a heater 12 that heats the air blown onto the grain by blower 13, an elevator 14, and a control section 90 that controls these. Dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 also include sensors that detect the moisture content of the grain in grain storage section 11, and dry the grain until the moisture content reaches a preset value.

[0028] The grain storage section 11 is provided with an inlet and an outlet for grain. The conveyor 40 puts grain into the inlet of the grain storage section 11.

[0029] The elevator 14 circulates the grain and makes the moisture content of the entire grain uniform by moving the grain from the lower part of the grain storage section 11 to the upper part of the grain storage section 11. The elevator 14 is equipped with a motor that drives the elevator 14.

[0030] The heater 12 is configured to heat the air by burning fuel such as kerosene.

[0031] The blowers 13 and elevators 14 of the dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 are driven by power from a commercial power source 60.

[0032] A conveyor 40 is disposed between the receiving device 80 and the dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3. The conveyor 40 carries the grain received by the receiving device 80 into the grain storage section 11 of the dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3.

[0033] For example, conveyor 40 first carries grain into grain storage section 11 of dryer 10-1, and when a specified amount of grain has been added to grain storage section 11 of dryer 10-1, conveyor 40 changes its direction of conveyance toward dryer 10-2 and carries grain into grain storage section 11 of dryer 10-2. Then, when grain storage section 11 of dryer 10-2 is full of grain, conveyor 40 changes its direction of conveyance toward dryer 10-3 and carries grain into grain storage section 11 of dryer 10-3.

[0034] In this embodiment, the dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 dry the grain by executing a number of predetermined operating modes in a preset order, starting with the device into which the grain storage section 11 has loaded a specified amount of grain.

[0035] In normal operation, the plurality of operation modes are all modes that operate the blower 13. The plurality of operation modes include a filling operation mode, a drying operation mode, a circulation operation mode, and a discharge operation mode.

[0036] The stake-out operation mode is a mode in which the control unit 90 receives grain conveyed by the conveyor 40 from the inlet of the grain storage unit 11 while operating the blower 13.

[0037] The drying operation mode is a mode in which the control unit 90 operates the heater 12 and the elevator 14 while operating the blower 13.

[0038] The circulation operation mode is a mode in which the control unit 90 operates the elevator 14 while operating the blower 13. This diffuses and homogenizes the moisture inside the grains (tempering).

[0039] The discharge operation mode is a mode in which the control unit 90 operates the blower 13 to discharge grain from the discharge port of the storage unit 11 and transport the grain to a predetermined position by a transporter (not shown).

[0040] The order in which the multiple operation modes are executed is set in advance. For example, as shown in FIG. 2(a), [1] Stakeout driving mode, [2] Dry to a moisture value of α1 (e.g., α1 = 17%) in the first drying mode. [3] Run the first circulation operation mode for time β1. [4] Dry in the second drying mode until the moisture content reaches α2 (e.g., α2 = 15%). [5] Run the second circulation operation mode for time β2. [6] Discharge operation mode are set to run in this order.

[0041] The detection unit 61 monitors (detects) the power consumption of the dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 from the commercial power source 60 in real time, and calculates (predicts) in real time the demand value (average power usage every 30 minutes) if the power consumption continues.

[0042] When the three dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 are started to operate sequentially as shown in FIG. 2(a), the power demand value reaches its maximum during peak time period tp when the three dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 are operating simultaneously as shown in FIG. 2(b).

[0043] Therefore, the monitoring device 70 reduces the demand value during the peak time period tp to keep the power demand value during the peak time period tp below the maximum allowable demand value, thereby reducing the contracted power of the shared drying and processing facility 1. The maximum allowable demand value here refers to the upper limit allowable for the demand value (average power usage over 30 minutes) when that amount of power consumption continues for 30 minutes. The maximum allowable demand value is set by the operator with a certain margin, taking into account the value of the contracted power with the contracted electric power company, etc.

[0044] Specifically, when the operator has turned on the power saving mode via operation panel 71 of monitoring device 70, while two or more of dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 are operating, monitoring device 70 retrieves the demand value predicted by detection unit 61 and acquires the operation modes currently being executed by the two or more operating dryers. If the retrieved demand value is equal to or greater than a predetermined maximum allowable demand value, monitoring device 70 selects a dryer executing an operation mode with a lower priority in accordance with a predetermined priority order of operation modes and stops blower 13 of the selected dryer, repeating this operation.

[0045] If an operation mode in which it is not desired to stop the blower 13 is defined as an operation mode with a high priority, the priority of the operation modes is, for example, as follows: Filling operation mode < Discharge operation mode < Circulation operation mode < Drying operation mode That is, the mode with the highest priority and in which it is not desired to stop the blower 13 is the drying operation mode, followed by the circulation operation mode and the discharge operation mode in descending order of priority, and the mode with the lowest priority and in which it is acceptable to stop the blower 13 compared to the other modes is the tension operation mode.

[0046] The reasons for this priority are as follows:

[0047] During the stakeout operation mode, the moisture content of the grain fed into the grain storage section 11 is high, so even if the blower 13 is stopped, the amount of dust that is blown up is relatively small, and the impact of stopping the blower 13 is small. Therefore, the priority is set to the lowest.

[0048] During the discharge operation mode, the amount of dust increases compared to during the loading operation mode because the dried grain is discharged from the discharge port of the grain storage section 11, but the grain drying operation itself is completed. Therefore, stopping the blower 13 has little effect on the operating status of the dryer 10. Therefore, the priority is set to second from the bottom.

[0049] During the circulation operation mode, the heater 12 is temporarily stopped to perform tempering (a process of diffusing and homogenizing the moisture inside the grains and lowering the grain temperature), so it is desirable to avoid stopping the blower 13 as much as possible. However, if the demand value does not decrease even after stopping the blower 13 of the dryer 10 operating in the loading operation mode or the discharge operation mode, or if there is no dryer 10 operating in the loading operation mode or the discharge operation mode, the blower 13 of the dryer 10 operating in the circulation operation mode, which has less impact from stopping the blower 13 than in the drying operation mode, is stopped, and therefore the priority is set to third from the bottom.

[0050] During the drying operation mode, the heater 12 is in operation, heating the grain to reduce its moisture content. Therefore, as with the circulation operation mode, stopping the blower 13 is to be avoided as much as possible. However, if the demand value does not decrease even after stopping the blower 13 of the dryer 10 operating in the loading operation mode, discharge operation mode, or circulation operation mode, or if there is no dryer 10 operating in the loading operation mode, discharge operation mode, or circulation operation mode, the blower 13 of the dryer 10 operating in the drying operation mode is stopped. Therefore, the drying operation mode has the highest priority. However, if the blower 13 of the dryer 10 operating in the drying operation mode is stopped, the heater 12 and elevator 14 are also stopped at the same time.

[0051] Furthermore, when there are two or more dryers executing operation modes with the same priority, monitoring device 70 selects one dryer 10 according to predetermined conditions and stops blower 13 of the selected dryer. The predetermined conditions are the dryer 10 that satisfies any one of the following: the amount of grain in grain storage section 11 is the greatest, the moisture value of the grain at that time is the lowest, and the remaining time until the end of all operation modes is the longest.

[0052] Furthermore, when the demand value acquired from the detection unit 61 reaches the maximum allowable demand value but the blower 13 of the operating dryer 10 has already been stopped, the monitoring device 70 preferably outputs a message urging the user to save energy by another method, since stopping the operation of the dryer 10 cannot reduce the demand value. For example, the monitoring device 70 displays the message on the display screen of the operation panel 71.

[0053] Furthermore, once monitoring device 70 has stopped blower 13, it continues to stop blower 13 for a predetermined time (here, 30 minutes). By continuing to stop blower 13 for a certain period of time in this way, it is possible to reliably reduce the demand value calculated based on the integrated power value for 30 minutes.

[0054] The priority of the operation modes for stopping the blower 13 may be configured so that it can be set to a priority desired by the operator.

[0055] The operation of each part of the shared drying and preparation facility 1 of this embodiment will be described below using the flowchart in Fig. 4. The flowchart in Fig. 4 is configured to stop the blower 13 in the following order of priority: storage operation mode < discharge operation mode < circulation operation mode < drying operation mode.

[0056] The functions of the monitoring device 70 and the control unit 90 can be realized by software. In this case, the monitoring device 70 and the control unit 90 are configured by a computer or the like equipped with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and a memory, and the CPU reads and executes programs stored in the memory to realize those functions. It is also possible to configure part or all of the monitoring device 70 and the control unit 90 by hardware. For example, a circuit can be designed to realize the functions of each unit using a custom IC such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or a programmable IC such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

[0057] <Step 101> The monitoring device 70 reads the power saving mode setting on the operation panel 71 and determines whether the operator has set the power saving mode to ON. If the power saving mode is OFF, the normal operation mode is executed.

[0058] In the normal operation mode, as shown in FIG. 2(a), operation begins in order from the dryer 10 that has finished transporting grain by the conveyor 40, and each dryer 10 executes the above-mentioned operation modes [1] to [6] in that order to dry the grain.

[0059] On the other hand, if the power saving mode is set to ON in the monitoring device 70, the process proceeds to step 102 below.

[0060] <Step 102> The monitoring device 70 receives a setting of the maximum allowable demand value from the operator via the operation panel 71. The maximum allowable demand value is set by the operator taking into consideration the contracted power amount with the electric power company, etc., and here, the maximum allowable demand value is set to a demand value of the amount of power that is reached when three dryers 10 are operating simultaneously, but is not reached when two dryers 10 are operating simultaneously.

[0061] <Step 103> When the allowable maximum demand value is set, the monitoring device 70 permits the control units 90 of the dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3, the goods receiving devices 80, and the conveyor 40 to operate.

[0062] As a result, the goods receiving device 80 receives the harvested grain from the user and measures its weight.

[0063] The control unit 90 of the dryer 10-1 starts the stacking operation mode [1] and receives the grain transferred from the conveyor 40 into the grain storage unit 11. During the stacking operation mode, the blower 13 is operated.

[0064] When the specified amount of grain has been loaded into the grain storage section 11, the control section 90 sequentially executes the drying operation mode [2], the circulation operation mode [3], the second drying operation mode [4], and the second circulation operation mode [5], and then in the discharge operation mode [6], the dried grain is discharged from the grain storage section 11 and transported to a specified position by a transporter (not shown).

[0065] When the loading operation mode [1] of the first dryer 10-1 is completed, the loading operation mode [1] of the second dryer 10-2 is started, and when the loading operation mode [1] of the dryer 10-2 is completed, the loading operation mode [1] of the third dryer 10-3 is started. As a result, as shown in Figure 3(a), the operation modes [1] to [6] are executed in parallel in a preset order in each dryer 10 to dry the grain.

[0066] <Steps 104 and 105> After starting the storage operation mode [1] of the first dryer 10-1, the monitoring device 70 reads the demand value for the commercial power source 60 from the detection unit 61 and determines whether the demand value has reached the maximum allowable demand value. When the two dryers 10-1 and 10-2 are operating, the maximum allowable demand value is set in step 102 so that the demand value does not reach the maximum allowable demand value. However, when the three dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 start operating simultaneously at time t1 in FIG. 3(a), the demand value reaches the maximum allowable demand value, and the monitoring device 70 proceeds to step 106.

[0067] <Step 106> In step 106, monitoring device 70 determines whether any of dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 is operating its blower 13. Since this is the first time the maximum allowable demand value has been reached, all three dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 have their blowers 13 operating, and monitoring device 70 proceeds to step 107.

[0068] <Steps 107, 108, 109> The monitoring device 70 receives the current operation modes of the three dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 from the control unit 90, and proceeds to step 108 to determine whether any dryer 10 is operating in the lowest priority stake-out operation mode.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 3(a), at time t1, the third dryer 10-3 is operating in the stacking operation mode, so the process proceeds to step 109.

[0070] In step 109, if there are two or more dryers 10 operating in the loading operation mode, monitoring device 70 selects the dryer 10 with the largest loading amount or the lowest moisture value as the dryer for which to stop blower 13. At time t1, dryer 10-3 is the only dryer 10 operating in the loading operation mode [1], so monitoring device 70 selects dryer 10-3 as the dryer for which to stop blower 13, and proceeds to step 116.

[0071] <Step 116> In step 116, monitoring device 70 instructs control unit 90 of dryer 10-3 selected in step 109 to stop blower 13. In accordance with this instruction, at time t1, as shown in FIG. 3(a), dryer 10-3 executes the tension operation mode [1] with blower 13 stopped. As a result, monitoring device 70 reduces the power demand value as shown in FIG. 3(b), and returns to step 104.

[0072] <Steps 104 and 105> Returning to step 104, the monitoring device 70 again reads the demand value from the detection unit 61 and determines whether the demand value has reached the maximum allowable demand value.

[0073] Between time t1 when the dryer 10-3's tension operation mode [1] starts and time t2 when it ends, the blower 13 of the dryer 10-3 is stopped, so the demand value is less than the allowable maximum demand value, and the monitoring device 70 proceeds to step 118.

[0074] <Steps 118~122> In step 118, monitoring device 70 determines whether any blower 13 is stopped. Since blower 13 of dryer 10-3 is stopped between time t1 and time t2, the process proceeds to step 119, where it is determined whether 30 minutes have passed since blower 13 was stopped.

[0075] In step 119, if 30 minutes have not elapsed since the blower 13 was stopped, the monitoring device 70 returns to step 104 and repeats the process from the acquisition of the demand value.

[0076] If the monitoring device 70 determines in step 119 that 30 minutes have passed since the blower 13 was stopped, the monitoring device 70 proceeds to step 120, restarts the stopped blower 13, and proceeds to step 121.

[0077] In step 121, monitoring device 70 determines whether any elevators 14 and heaters 12 are stopped, and if so, restarts them. A situation in which there are elevators 14 and heaters 12 that are stopped means that the blower 13, elevators 14, and heaters 12 of the dryer 10 in the drying operation mode are stopped, so not only the blower 13 but also the elevators 14 and heaters 12 are restarted (step 122). In this case, the blower 13 of the third dryer 10-3 in the tension operation mode [1] is stopped, so the process returns from step 121 to step 104, and step 122 is not executed.

[0078] <Steps 104 and 105> Returning to step 104, when monitoring device 70 acquires the demand value, blower 13 is restarted in step 120, and the three dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 are operating between time t1 and time t2, so the maximum allowable demand value is again exceeded. Therefore, monitoring device 70 continues to stop blower 13 of dryer 10-3 in steps 105 to 109 and 116.

[0079] On the other hand, after time t2 when the storage operation mode of the third dryer 10-3 ends, the control unit 90 of the dryer 10-3 transitions to the drying operation mode [1], and when the monitoring device 70 restarts the blower 13 of the dryer 10-3 in step 120, the demand value reaches the maximum allowable demand value in step 104. The monitoring device 70 proceeds to step 106 after time t2 has passed.

[0080] <Steps 106-108, 110, 112> The process proceeds from step 106 to step 107, where the monitoring device 70 acquires the current operation modes of the three dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 from the control unit 90 (step 107).

[0081] After time t2 has elapsed, the dryer 10-1 is in the second drying operation mode [4], the dryer 10-2 is in the first drying operation mode [2], and the dryer 10-3 is also in the second drying operation mode [2].

[0082] In step 108, the monitoring device 70 determines whether any dryer 10 is operating in the storage operation mode [1]. After time t2 has elapsed, there are no dryers 10 in the storage operation mode [1], so the monitoring device 70 proceeds to step 110 to determine whether any dryer 10 is operating in the discharge operation mode [6]. Since there are no dryers 10 in the discharge operation mode [6], the monitoring device 70 proceeds to step 112 to determine whether any dryer is operating in the circulation operation mode [3] or [5]. Since there are no dryers operating in the circulation operation mode [3] or [5], the monitoring device 70 proceeds to step 114.

[0083] <Steps 114 and 115> In step 114, monitoring device 70 selects the dryer with the lowest grain moisture value among dryers 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 operating in the drying operation mode as the dryer for which to stop blower 13. In this case, dryer 10-1, which is performing the second drying operation mode [4], has the lowest grain moisture value of the three dryers, so dryer 10-1 is selected and the process proceeds to step 115.

[0084] In step 115, the monitoring device 70 stops the blower 13, the elevator 14, and the heater 12 of the dryer 10-1 in the drying operation mode, and then returns to step 104.

[0085] <Steps 104, 105, 118~122> In steps 104 and 105, when time t2 has elapsed, blower 13, elevator 14, and heater 12 of dryer 10-1 have stopped, so the demand value becomes less than the allowable maximum demand value. Monitoring device 70 proceeds to steps 118 to 122, and if 30 minutes have passed since the stoppage, restarts blower 13, elevator 14, and heater 12 of dryer 10-1 (step 122).

[0086] <Steps 104-108, 110, 112, 114-115> After time t2 has elapsed, until time t3 when the circulation operation mode [3] of the second dryer 10-2 is started, even if the blower 13, elevator 14, and heater 12 of dryer 10-1 are restarted, the demand value again exceeds the maximum allowable demand value (steps 104, 105), so the monitoring device 70 proceeds from steps 106 to 108, 110, and 112 to steps 114 and 115, and continues to stop the blower 13, elevator 14, and heater 12 of dryer 10-1.

[0087] <Steps 104-108, 110, 112, 113, 116> At time t3, the second dryer 10-2 starts the circulation operation mode [3], the first dryer 10-1 operates in the second drying operation mode [4], and the third dryer 10-3 operates in the first drying operation mode [2]. Therefore, the monitoring device 70 reaches step 112 via steps 104 to 108 and 110, selects the dryer 10-2 in the circulation operation mode [3] (step 113), and stops the blower 13 of the dryer 10-2 (step 116). The monitoring device 70 continues to stop the blower 13 of the dryer 10-2 until it confirms that another dryer is operating in the preferred operation mode.

[0088] <Steps 104-108, 110, 112, 113, 116> At time t4, the first dryer 10-1 starts the second circulation operation mode [5]. The second dryer 10-2 is in the first circulation operation mode [3], and the third dryer 10-3 is in the first drying operation mode [2]. The monitoring device 70 proceeds to step 112 via steps 104 to 108 and 110. In step 112, since the dryer 10-1 is in the circulation operation mode [5] and the dryer 10-2 is in the circulation operation mode [3], the monitoring device 70 proceeds to step 113. In step 113, the monitoring device 70 selects the dryer 10-1 in the circulation operation mode [5], [3], which has a lower moisture content of the grain, from the dryers 10-1 and 10-2 in the circulation operation mode [5] (step 113). The monitoring device 70 stops the blower 13 of the selected dryer 10-1 (step 116).

[0089] When time t5 is reached, the second dryer 10-2 starts the second drying operation mode [4], the first dryer 10-1 operates in the second circulation operation mode [5], and the third dryer 10-3 operates in the first drying operation mode [2]. Therefore, the monitoring device 70 selects the dryer 10-1 in the circulation operation mode [5] in steps 112, 113, and 116, and keeps the blower 13 of the dryer 10-1 stopped.

[0090] <Steps 104-109, 116> At time t6, the first dryer 10-1 starts the discharge operation mode [6]. The second dryer 10-2 is in the second drying operation mode [4], and the third dryer 10-3 is in the first drying operation mode [2]. Therefore, after going through steps 104 to 108, the monitoring device 70 proceeds to step 111 in step 110 because there is a dryer 10-1 that has started the discharge operation mode [6]. In step 111, the monitoring device 70 selects the dryer 10-1 in the discharge operation mode [6]. The monitoring device 70 stops the blower 13 of the selected dryer 10-1 (step 116).

[0091] Between time t6 and time t7, the discharge operation mode [6] of the dryer 10-1 is executed. Between time t6 and time t7, the second dryer 10-2 ends the second drying operation mode [4], and then starts the second circulation operation mode [5]. Also, between time t6 and time t7, the third dryer 10-3 ends the first circulation operation mode [3], and then starts the second drying operation mode [4]. Because the priority of the discharge operation mode [6] is lower than the circulation operation modes [5] and [3] and the drying operation modes [4] and [3], the monitoring device 70 continues to stop the blower 13 of the dryer 10-1 in the discharge operation mode until time t7.

[0092] <Steps 118~122> When the discharge operation mode of dryer 10-1 ends at time t7, only two dryers, 10-2 and 10-3, remain in operation, and the demand value no longer reaches the maximum allowable demand value. Therefore, in steps 118 to 121, monitoring device 70 restarts blower 13 of dryer 10-1, which has been stopped, and then blower 13 continues to operate.

[0093] <Step 117> In addition, if the demand value reaches the maximum allowable demand value in step 105, but there is no dryer 10 with its blower 13 operating in step 106, stopping the operation of the dryer 10 will not reduce the demand value, so a message urging the user to save energy is output to the display unit of the operation panel 71, etc.

[0094] According to this embodiment, the shared drying and processing facility 1 selects the grain dryer for which the blower should be stopped by the monitoring device 70 in accordance with a predetermined priority order so as to maximize the efficiency of grain drying operation while preventing the power demand value from exceeding the maximum allowable demand value. This makes it possible to automatically reduce the maximum demand value while ensuring facility operation, thereby enabling a reduction in the contracted power (basic charge).

[0095] In the above-described embodiment, an operation mode is described in which the storage operation mode is followed by two drying operation modes to dry to a desired moisture content, and then the circulation operation mode is performed after each of the two drying operation modes, and then the discharge operation mode is performed. However, the shared drying and preparation facility 1 of this embodiment is not limited to this operation mode and can be operated in an operation mode desired by the user. For example, it is also possible to change to an operation mode in which the storage operation mode is followed by only one drying mode to dry to a desired moisture content, then one circulation operation mode, and then discharge in the discharge operation mode. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1. Joint drying and preparation facility 10 Dryer 11 Grain storage section 12 Heater 13 Blower 14 Elevator 40 Conveyor 60 Commercial power supply 61 Detector 70 Monitoring equipment 71 Operation Panel 80 Loading device 90 Control Unit

Claims

1. The system includes a plurality of dryers for drying harvested grain, a detection unit for detecting power demand values ​​of the plurality of dryers relative to a commercial power source, and a monitoring device, Each of the plurality of dryers includes at least a storage section that stores grain and a blower that sends air to the grain in the storage section, each of the plurality of dryers executes a plurality of predetermined operation modes in a predetermined order, and each of the plurality of operation modes is a mode in which a blower is operated; The monitoring device acquires the demand value and the currently executing operating mode of the two or more dryers from the detection unit while the two or more dryers are operating, and if the acquired demand value is equal to or greater than a predetermined allowable maximum demand value, selects the dryer that is executing an operating mode with a lower priority in accordance with a predetermined priority order of the operating modes and stops the blower of the selected dryer, repeating the following operations.

2. 2. The shared drying and preparation facility according to claim 1, further comprising a conveyor that sequentially conveys the grain to the plurality of dryers, The dryer further includes a heater that heats the air, an elevator that circulates the grain in the storage unit by raising the grain from a lower portion of the storage unit to an upper portion, and a control unit that controls operations of the storage unit, the blower, the heater, and the elevator, and the storage unit has a grain inlet and a grain outlet, The plurality of operation modes include a filling operation mode, a drying operation mode, a circulation operation mode, and a discharge operation mode, The loading operation mode is a mode in which the control unit receives grain transported by the conveyor from an inlet of the storage unit while operating the blower, The drying operation mode is a mode in which the control unit operates the heater and the elevator while operating the blower, The circulation operation mode is a mode in which the control unit operates the elevator while operating the blower, A shared drying and preparing facility, characterized in that the discharge operation mode is a mode in which the control unit discharges grain from the discharge outlet of the storage unit while operating the blower.

3. 3. The shared drying and preparation facility according to claim 2, wherein the monitoring device also stops the heater and elevator when stopping the dryer operating in the drying operation mode.

4. 2. The shared drying and preparation facility according to claim 1, wherein when there are two or more dryers operating in the same priority mode, the monitoring device selects one dryer according to predetermined conditions and stops the blower of the selected dryer.

5. 2. The shared drying and preparation facility according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is one of the following: the amount of grain in the storage section is the greatest; the moisture content of the grain is the lowest; and the remaining time until the end of all operating modes is the longest.

6. 2. A shared drying and preparation facility according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring device outputs a message urging a user to save energy when the input demand value is equal to or greater than the maximum allowable demand value but the blowers of two or more of the operating dryers have already been stopped.

7. 2. The shared drying and preparation facility according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring device, when stopping the blower, keeps the blower stopped for a predetermined time.

8. A monitoring device for controlling a plurality of dryers in a shared drying and preparation facility, The shared drying and preparation facility has a plurality of dryers for drying harvested grain, and a detection unit for detecting power demand values ​​for the plurality of dryers relative to a commercial power source, each of the plurality of dryers including at least a storage section for storing grain and a blower for blowing air to the grain in the storage section, each of the plurality of dryers executing a plurality of predetermined operation modes in a predetermined order, and all of the plurality of operation modes are modes for operating the blower, A monitoring device characterized by repeating the following operations while two or more of the dryers are operating: acquiring a demand value and the operating mode currently being executed of the two or more dryers from the detection unit; if the acquired demand value is equal to or greater than a predetermined allowable maximum demand value, selecting a dryer that is executing an operating mode with a lower priority in accordance with a predetermined priority order of the operating modes, and stopping the blower of the selected dryer.

9. A control method for controlling a plurality of dryers in a shared drying and preparation facility, comprising: The shared drying and preparation facility has a plurality of dryers for drying harvested grain, and a detection unit for detecting power demand values ​​for the plurality of dryers relative to a commercial power source, each of the plurality of dryers including at least a storage section for storing grain and a blower for blowing air to the grain in the storage section, each of the plurality of dryers executing a plurality of predetermined operation modes in a predetermined order, and all of the plurality of operation modes are modes for operating the blower, acquiring a demand value from the detection unit while the two or more dryers are operating; obtaining a currently active operating mode of two or more of the dryers; selecting a dryer that is executing an operation mode with a lower priority in accordance with a predetermined priority order of operation modes when the acquired demand value is equal to or greater than a predetermined allowable maximum demand value; and stopping the blower of the selected dryer. A control method comprising:

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