Flow analysis based cylinder monitoring device and method of operation

Abstract

A cylinder monitoring device according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include a communication circuit that acquires flow rate data indicating a flow rate measured by a flow sensor that detects the flow rate of air supplied to a plurality of air cylinders for operating a chamber configured from a lower body and an upper body located on top of the lower body, or the flow rate of air discharged from the plurality of air cylinders, and a processor that determines, based on the flow rate data, a state of the plurality of air cylinders, including whether or not they are operating synchronously.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0173011 filed on December 12, 2022 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0134614 filed on October 10, 2023, and all contents disclosed in the documents of said Korean patent applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The embodiments disclosed herein relate to a flow analysis based cylinder monitoring device and method of operation. [Background technology]

[0003] In recent years, research and development into secondary batteries has been actively pursued. Here, secondary batteries are batteries that can be charged and discharged, and include both conventional Ni / Cd batteries, Ni / MH batteries, and more recent lithium-ion batteries. Among secondary batteries, lithium-ion batteries have the advantage of significantly higher energy density than conventional Ni / Cd batteries, Ni / MH batteries, and other batteries. Furthermore, lithium-ion batteries can be manufactured to be compact and lightweight, and are used as power sources for mobile devices. In recent years, their use has expanded to include power sources for electric vehicles, drawing attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0004] A secondary battery is manufactured by housing an electrode assembly including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode inside a battery case, injecting a liquid electrolyte, i.e., an electrolyte solution, and sealing the battery case.

[0005] The injected electrolyte solution seeps into the spaces between the positive electrode plate, negative electrode plate, and separator that make up the electrode assembly due to capillary force, but the characteristics of the microstructured porous electrode and the physical and chemical properties of the elements that make up the electrode and battery make it difficult for the electrolyte solution to penetrate.

[0006] To improve the electrolyte impregnation of secondary batteries, vacuum pressure chambers are used to apply pressure and pressure to secondary batteries filled with electrolyte. Such vacuum pressure chambers include an air cylinder for vertically moving a portion of the chamber body housing the secondary battery. However, until now, there has been no separate device for detecting the operating status and abnormalities of the air cylinder. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The vacuum pressure chamber includes a flow sensor that detects the flow rate of air supplied to or discharged from the cylinder. However, the flow sensor alone cannot detect and determine whether the cylinder is operating synchronously or if a malfunction has occurred, so a separate device and / or program that can determine the state of the cylinder is required.

[0008] The embodiments disclosed herein aim to provide a cylinder monitoring device and an operating method thereof that can analyze flow rate data of an air cylinder contained in a vacuum pressurization chamber and determine the state of the air cylinder.

[0009] The technical problems of the embodiments disclosed in this document are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A cylinder monitoring device according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include a communication circuit that acquires flow rate data indicating a flow rate measured by a flow sensor that detects the flow rate of air supplied to a plurality of air cylinders for operating a chamber configured from a lower body and an upper body located on top of the lower body, or the flow rate of air discharged from the plurality of air cylinders, and a processor that determines, based on the flow rate data, a state of the plurality of air cylinders, including whether or not they are operating synchronously.

[0011] In one embodiment of the cylinder monitoring device disclosed herein, the plurality of air cylinders include a first air cylinder and a second air cylinder, the flow rate data includes first flow rate data corresponding to the first air cylinder and second flow rate data corresponding to the second air cylinder, and the processor can compare the first flow rate data with the second flow rate data to determine whether the synchronous operation occurs.

[0012] In one embodiment of the cylinder monitoring device disclosed herein, the processor can determine that the operation is not synchronized when there is a time when the difference between the flow rate of the first air cylinder and the flow rate of the second air cylinder is equal to or greater than a specified value.

[0013] In one embodiment of the cylinder monitoring device disclosed herein, the processor can compare the flow data with an upper flow rate limit graph and a lower flow rate limit graph included in the reference operating data to determine abnormalities in the plurality of air cylinders.

[0014] In one embodiment of the cylinder monitoring device disclosed herein, the processor may determine that an air cylinder among the plurality of air cylinders whose flow rate does not return to a normal range according to the reference operating data after falling below a lower limit value according to the flow rate lower limit graph is out of operation.

[0015] In one embodiment of the cylinder monitoring device disclosed herein, the processor may determine that an air cylinder among the plurality of air cylinders has an air leak, the air cylinder having a flow rate that exceeds an upper limit value according to the flow rate upper limit graph and does not return to a normal range according to the reference operating data.

[0016] In one embodiment of the cylinder monitoring device disclosed in this document, the processor can determine that an air cylinder among the plurality of air cylinders whose flow rate rises above an upper limit value on the flow rate upper limit graph and then falls below the upper limit value, or whose flow rate falls below a lower limit value on the flow rate lower limit graph and then rises above the lower limit value, has a rod abnormality.

[0017] The cylinder monitoring device according to one embodiment disclosed herein may further include a display that displays a graph indicating the flow rate of air supplied to the plurality of air cylinders or the flow rate of air discharged from the plurality of air cylinders based on the flow rate data.

[0018] A cylinder monitoring method according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include an operation of acquiring flow rate data indicating a flow rate measured by a flow sensor that detects the flow rate of air supplied to a plurality of air cylinders for operating a chamber configured from a lower body and an upper body located on top of the lower body, or the flow rate of air discharged from the plurality of air cylinders, and an operation of determining, based on the flow rate data, a state of the plurality of air cylinders, including whether or not they are operating synchronously.

[0019] In one embodiment of the cylinder monitoring method disclosed herein, the plurality of air cylinders may include a first air cylinder and a second air cylinder, the flow rate data may include first flow rate data corresponding to the first air cylinder and second flow rate data corresponding to the second air cylinder, and the operation of determining whether or not a synchronous operation is occurring may include an operation of comparing the first flow rate data with the second flow rate data to determine whether or not a synchronous operation is occurring.

[0020] In one embodiment of the cylinder monitoring method disclosed herein, the operation of determining whether or not synchronous operation is occurring may include an operation of determining that synchronous operation is not occurring if there is a time point at which the difference between the flow rate of the first air cylinder and the flow rate of the second air cylinder is equal to or greater than a specified value.

[0021] In one embodiment of the cylinder monitoring method disclosed herein, the operation of determining the state of the plurality of air cylinders may include an operation of comparing the flow rate data with a flow rate upper limit graph and a flow rate lower limit graph included in reference operating data, and determining whether the plurality of air cylinders are abnormal.

[0022] In one embodiment of the cylinder monitoring method disclosed herein, the operation of determining whether the plurality of air cylinders are abnormal may include an operation of determining that an air cylinder among the plurality of air cylinders whose flow rate does not return to a normal range according to the reference operating data after falling below a lower limit value according to the flow rate lower limit graph is out of operation.

[0023] In one embodiment of the cylinder monitoring method disclosed herein, the operation of determining whether the plurality of air cylinders are abnormal may include an operation of determining that an air cylinder among the plurality of air cylinders, whose flow rate does not return to a normal range according to the reference operating data after rising above an upper limit value according to the flow rate upper limit graph, is suffering from an air leak.

[0024] In one embodiment of the cylinder monitoring method disclosed herein, the operation of determining whether the plurality of air cylinders are abnormal may include an operation of determining that an air cylinder among the plurality of air cylinders, whose flow rate rises above an upper limit value of the flow rate upper limit graph and then falls below the upper limit value, or an air cylinder, whose flow rate falls below a lower limit value of the flow rate lower limit graph and then rises above the lower limit value, has a rod abnormality. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, the status of the air cylinder contained in the vacuum pressurized chamber can be checked in real time, and any abnormal signs detected can be provided to the manager in real time, allowing for early prevention of problems caused by air cylinder failure.

[0026] In addition, various other effects may be provided that can be directly or indirectly grasped from this document. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liftable chamber according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a control unit for actuating multiple air cylinders according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a cylinder monitoring device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a graph illustrating baseline operating data and flow data according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a graph illustrating baseline operating data and flow data according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a graph illustrating baseline operating data and flow data according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a graph illustrating baseline operating data and flow data according to one embodiment. [Figure 8]4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cylinder monitoring device according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cylinder monitoring device according to one embodiment. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cylinder monitoring device according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, however, it should be understood that this is not intended to limit the present invention to the particular embodiments, but rather to encompass various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0029] The various embodiments and terms used in this document should not be understood to limit the technical features described in this document to a specific embodiment, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or alternatives of the embodiment. In connection with the description of the drawings, like reference numerals are used for like or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the said item, unless the relevant context clearly indicates a different meaning.

[0030] In this document, each of the phrases "A or B," "at least one of A and B," "at least one of A or B," "A, B, or C," "at least one of A, B, and C," and "at least one of A, B, or C" may include any one of the items listed with that phrase or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," "first," "second," "A," "B," "(a)," or "(b)" are used merely to distinguish one element from other elements and do not limit the element in other respects (e.g., weight or order) unless specifically stated to the contrary.

[0031] In this document, when a (e.g., first) component is referred to as being "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" to another (e.g., second) component, with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," or when a reference is made to being "coupled" or "connected," it means that the component can be coupled to the other component directly (e.g., by wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0032] According to various embodiments, each of the aforementioned components (e.g., modules or programs) may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be located separately in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the aforementioned components or operations may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, multiple components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as those performed by the respective components of the multiple components before the integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by modules, programs, or other components may be performed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be performed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0033] The configuration of a liftable chamber according to one embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liftable chamber according to one embodiment.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 1, the liftable chamber 10 may include a chamber main body 100 for storing an object (not shown), a chamber frame 200 surrounding the chamber main body 100, a plurality of air cylinders 300 for moving a portion of the chamber main body 100 up and down, and a control unit 400 for operating the plurality of air cylinders 300.

[0036] Here, the object may be a secondary battery, more specifically, a cylindrical secondary battery into which an electrolyte solution has been poured, and is not necessarily limited to this, but for the sake of convenience, the description will be given assuming that the secondary battery is housed in the main body of the chamber 10.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the chamber body 100 may be composed of a lower body 110 and an upper body 120. According to one embodiment, the lower body 110 may have a substantially circular plate-like structure. According to one embodiment, the upper body 120 is located above the lower body 110 and is movable up and down, and its overall outer shape may be hemispherical or semi-elliptical with an open interior.

[0038] The upper surface of the lower body 110 accommodates a secondary battery for impregnation with an electrolyte, and alternate pressure reduction and pressure application are required for rapid and uniform impregnation. Therefore, the lower body 110 may have a fastening structure that maintains airtightness so as to be isolated from the outside when the upper body 120 and the lower body 110 are tightly attached, and does not separate even when a predetermined pressure is applied to the inside. In addition, the lower body 110 and the upper body 120 may be provided with an openable port for pressure reduction and pressure application.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the chamber frame 200 may include a vertical frame 210 , a horizontal frame 220 , a support plate 230 , and a guide frame 240 .

[0040] According to one embodiment, the vertical frames 210 are formed in pairs facing each other across the chamber body 100. In this case, the vertical frames 210 on each side may be arranged two by two, spaced apart by a predetermined distance. Therefore, a total of four vertical frames 210 may be formed.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the horizontal frame 220 is fixed to the top of the four vertical frames 210 and may have a substantially rectangular plate-like structure.

[0042] According to one embodiment, the support plate 230 is located between the horizontal frame 220 and the upper body 120, and can move up and down by operating a plurality of air cylinders 300 while fixedly supporting the upper body 120.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the guide frame 240 is arranged to guide the support plate 230 so that it can move up and down stably, and is disposed to penetrate the guide frame 240 in the vertical direction. In particular, the lower end of the guide frame 240 is positioned on the ground, and the other end is roughly rod-shaped and positioned in close contact with the bottom surface of the horizontal frame 220. There may be four guide frames penetrating each corner of the guide frame 240, but the number of guide frames may be increased or decreased as needed.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the plurality of air cylinders 300 are located near the vertical frame 210, more specifically, between the pair of guide frames 240, and may be installed one by one facing each other at the end of the support plate 230 to stably raise and lower the support plate 230. For example, the plurality of air cylinders 300 may include a first air cylinder located on the left side of the chamber body 100 and a second air cylinder located on the right side of the chamber body 100.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the plurality of air cylinders 300 may include a cylindrical cylinder tube 310 , a head cover 320 , a rod cover 330 , and a piston 340 .

[0046] According to one embodiment, the head cover 320 is positioned to seal the head side end of the cylinder tube 310, and is provided with a head side port 321 so that air is introduced when the support plate 230 ascends and exhausted when the support plate 230 descends. A second air pipe connected to a supply flow rate sensor can be connected to the head side port 321.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the rod cover 330 may be provided with a rod-side port 331 that seals the rod-side end of the cylinder tube 310 and keeps it open at all times.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the piston 340 may be in close contact with the inner surface of the cylinder tube 310 to separate the cylinder chamber.

[0049] Such a plurality of air cylinders 300 corresponds to a known technique, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0050] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a control unit for operating a plurality of air cylinders according to one embodiment.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the control unit 400 can control the supply and exhaust of air and control the operation of the plurality of air cylinders 300 .

[0052] Referring to FIG. 2, the control unit 400 may include a main valve 410, a regulator 420, a first pressure sensor 430, a pilot valve 440, a supply flow sensor 450, an exhaust flow sensor 460, a second pressure sensor 470, and a relief valve 480.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the main valve 410 is for controlling the supply of air from an air compressor (not shown), such as a compressor, and may include an air inlet 411 on one side for connecting a first air pipe L1 connected to the air compressor.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the regulator 420 is located behind the main valve 410 and can function to adjust the pressure of the supplied air so that a set pressure is transmitted to the multiple air cylinders 300 when the multiple air cylinders 300 are raised.

[0055] According to one embodiment, the first pressure sensor 430 is located behind the regulator 420 and can measure the pressure of the air passing through the regulator 420. Here, the first pressure sensor 430 can be provided with a first display unit 431 to visually confirm the pressure measured in real time, and can be provided with a function to generate a warning signal such as an alarm or a warning when the pressure falls outside a predetermined pressure range or when an abnormal pressure state continues for a certain period of time.

[0056] According to one embodiment, the pilot valve 440 is located between the first pressure sensor 430, the exhaust flow sensor 460, and the second pressure sensor 470, i.e., on the path of the supplied air and the exhaust air, and can switch the direction of air movement.

[0057] According to one embodiment, the supply flow sensor 450 is a unidirectional flow sensor for measuring the flow rate of air passing through the first pressure sensor 430, and can measure the flow rate of air passing through the first pressure sensor 430, the pilot valve 440, and the exhaust flow sensor 460 in that order. The number of supply flow sensors 450 may be the same as the number of head-side ports of the plurality of air cylinders 300. For example, if there are two air cylinders each having one head-side port, the supply flow sensor 450 may include a first supply flow sensor 451 and a second supply flow sensor 452 to supply air to each head-side port. The first supply flow sensor 451 and the second supply flow sensor 452 may be provided with a first air inlet / outlet 451′ and a second air inlet / outlet 452′, respectively, which may be connected by a second air pipe L2. Here, the second air pipe L2 may be used as a passage for discharging compressed air when the air cylinder is lowered.

[0058] According to one embodiment, the exhaust flow sensor 460 is a unidirectional flow sensor for measuring the flow rate of air exhausted from the plurality of air cylinders 300, and may be located between the supply flow sensor 450 and the pilot valve 440. The exhaust flow sensor 460 may include a first exhaust flow sensor 461 and a second exhaust flow sensor 462 to measure the flow rate of air exhausted from each head-side port.

[0059] Meanwhile, although not shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 400 may include a communication circuit capable of transmitting flow rate data indicating the supply flow rate measured by the supply flow rate sensor 450 and / or the exhaust flow rate measured by the exhaust flow rate sensor 460 to an external device (e.g., the cylinder monitoring device 30 in FIG. 3) via a wired and / or wireless connection.

[0060] According to one embodiment, the second pressure sensor 470 is configured to measure the pressure of air moving through the exhaust flow sensor 460, and can measure the pressure of air that passes through the rear of the exhaust flow sensor 460, more specifically, the exhaust flow sensor 460 and the pilot valve 440 in that order. The second pressure sensor 470 can be provided with a second display 471 to check the pressure of the incoming air in real time, and can be provided with a function to generate a warning signal such as an alarm or alert if the pressure falls outside a predetermined pressure range or if an abnormal pressure state continues for a certain period of time.

[0061] According to one embodiment, the relief valve 480 is located behind the second pressure sensor 470 and can control the air in the cylinder tube 310 to be discharged while maintaining a predetermined pressure. That is, in order to prevent an unexpected accident that may be caused by the descending upper body 120, the pressure of the air in the cylinder tube 310 can be controlled to prevent the chamber body 100 from descending suddenly.

[0062] 3 is a block diagram of a cylinder monitoring device according to one embodiment, which will be explained using the configurations of FIGS.

[0063] 3, cylinder monitoring device 30 may include a communication circuit 31, a memory 32, a display 33, and / or a processor 34. Depending on the embodiment, cylinder monitoring device 30 shown in FIG. 3 may further include at least one component (e.g., an input device or an output device) other than the components shown in FIG. 3, or may omit at least one component (e.g., display 33) from the components shown in FIG. 3.

[0064] According to one embodiment, the communication circuit 31 can establish a wired communication channel and / or a wireless communication channel between the cylinder monitoring device 30 and the chamber 10 and / or the administrator terminal 20, and can transmit and receive data to and from the chamber 10 and / or the administrator terminal 20 via the established communication channel.

[0065] According to one embodiment, the communication circuitry 31 can acquire flow data indicative of the flow rates measured by the flow sensors (supply flow sensor 450 and / or exhaust flow sensor 460) of the chamber 10. For example, the communication circuitry 31 can acquire the flow rate data wired and / or wirelessly from communication circuitry included in the chamber 10.

[0066] According to one embodiment, the flow rate data may indicate the flow rate of air supplied to or discharged from the plurality of air cylinders 300. According to one embodiment, the flow rate data may include first flow rate data corresponding to a first air cylinder located on the left side of the chamber body 100 among the plurality of air cylinders 300, and second flow rate data corresponding to a second air cylinder located on the right side of the chamber body 100. Specifically, the first flow rate data (or the second flow rate data) may indicate the flow rate of air supplied to or discharged from the first air cylinder (or the second air cylinder).

[0067] According to one embodiment, the communication circuit 31 can transmit the flow rate data and / or result data processed by the processor 34 to the administrator terminal 30 via wired and / or wireless communication. Here, the result data can be data indicating the status including whether or not the multiple air cylinders 300, which will be described later, are operating synchronously.

[0068] According to one embodiment, memory 32 may include volatile and / or non-volatile memory.

[0069] According to one embodiment, the memory 32 may store data used by at least one component (e.g., the processor 34) of the cylinder monitoring device 30. For example, the data may include software (or associated instructions), input data, or output data. In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the processor 34, may cause the cylinder monitoring device 30 to perform the operation defined by the instructions.

[0070] According to one embodiment, the memory 32 can store reference operating data. Here, the reference operating data can be data that is preset based on flow rate data of a normally operating air cylinder. For example, the cylinder monitoring device 30 can generate an upper flow rate limit graph and a lower flow rate limit graph that indicate upper and lower flow rate limits based on the flow rate data of a normally operating air cylinder, and store the reference operating data in the memory 32.

[0071] According to one embodiment, the display 33 may display the flow rate data and / or resultant data processed by the processor 34. For example, the display 33 may display a graph showing the flow rate of air being supplied to or discharged from the plurality of air cylinders 300.

[0072] In one embodiment, processor 34 may include a central processing unit, an application processor, a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor.

[0073] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 can execute software stored in the memory 32, control at least one other component (e.g., hardware or software component) of the cylinder monitoring device 30 coupled to the processor 32, and perform various data processing or calculations.

[0074] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 can determine the status of the plurality of air cylinders 300. Here, the status can include whether or not the plurality of air cylinders 300 are operating synchronously and / or whether or not there is an abnormality. The processor 34 can determine the status of the plurality of air cylinders 300 based on the flow rate data acquired by the communication circuit 31.

[0075] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 can compare first flow data corresponding to a first air cylinder among the plurality of air cylinders 300 with second flow data corresponding to a second air cylinder, and determine whether the first air cylinder and the second air cylinder are operating synchronously.

[0076] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 can compare the start and end times of the operation of the first and second air cylinders to determine whether they are operating synchronously. For example, the processor 34 can determine that the first and second air cylinders are operating synchronously if both the start and end times of the operation of the first and second air cylinders are the same.

[0077] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 calculates the difference between the flow rate of the first air cylinder and the flow rate of the second air cylinder over time, and determines whether or not synchronized operation is occurring based on the calculated difference. For example, the processor 34 can determine that a synchronized operation state is not occurring when there is a time point at which the difference between the flow rate of the first air cylinder and the flow rate of the second air cylinder is equal to or greater than a specified value.

[0078] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 can determine whether or not synchronized operation is occurring by taking into consideration all of the operation start time, operation end time, and flow rate difference. For example, the processor 34 can determine that a synchronized operation state exists when the operation start time and operation end time of the first air cylinder and the second air cylinder are the same and the flow rate difference remains less than a specified value.

[0079] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 can compare the flow rate data with reference operating data stored in the memory 32 to determine abnormalities (e.g., stalls, air leaks, and / or rod abnormalities) in the plurality of air cylinders 300. The processor 34 can compare the flow rate data with upper and lower flow rate limit graphs included in the reference operating data to determine abnormalities in the plurality of air cylinders 300.

[0080] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may determine that an air cylinder is out of operation if the flow rate drops below the lower limit of the flow rate lower limit graph and does not return to a normal range according to the reference operating data, where the normal range may refer to the range of flow rate between the upper and lower flow rates of the reference operating data.

[0081] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 may determine that an air cylinder whose flow rate does not return to the normal range after rising above the upper limit value according to the flow rate upper limit graph is leaking air. Here, an air leak may mean that a crack or the like has occurred in the air cylinder, causing air to leak from or be exhausted from the air cylinder.

[0082] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 can determine that an air cylinder whose flow rate rises above an upper limit value according to the flow rate upper limit graph and then falls below the upper limit value, or whose flow rate falls below a lower limit value according to the flow rate lower limit graph and then rises above the lower limit value, has a rod abnormality.

[0083] 4 to 7, an example in which the processor 34 determines the status of the plurality of air cylinders 300 based on the flow rate data will be described below.

[0084] 4-7 are graphs illustrating baseline operating data and flow rate data according to one embodiment.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 4, the reference operating data includes an upper flow rate graph 41 and a lower flow rate graph 43, first flow rate data 45 corresponding to the first air cylinder, and second flow rate data 47 corresponding to the second air cylinder.

[0086] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 can determine that the multiple air cylinders 300 are in a synchronous operating state based on the first flow rate data 45 and the second flow rate data 47, because the start and end times of operation of the first air cylinder and the second air cylinder are the same and the flow rate difference is maintained below a specified value.

[0087] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 can determine that the plurality of air cylinders 300 are normal based on the first flow rate data 45 and the second flow rate data 47 because the flow rates of the first air cylinder and the second air cylinder are within the normal range of the reference operating data.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 5, the reference operating data includes an upper flow rate graph 41 and a lower flow rate graph 43, first flow rate data 55 corresponding to the first air cylinder, and second flow rate data 57 corresponding to the second air cylinder.

[0089] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 can determine that the multiple air cylinders 300 are in a synchronous operating state based on the first flow rate data 55 and the second flow rate data 57, because the start and end times of operation of the first air cylinder and the second air cylinder are the same and the flow rate difference is maintained below a specified value.

[0090] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 can determine, based on the first flow rate data 55 and the second flow rate data 57, that the flow rates of the first air cylinder and the second air cylinder have fallen below the lower limit value of the flow rate lower limit graph 43 and have not returned to the normal range according to the reference operating data, and therefore the multiple air cylinders 300 have stopped operating.

[0091] Referring to FIG. 6, the reference operating data includes an upper flow rate graph 41 and a lower flow rate graph 43, a first flow rate data 65 corresponding to the first air cylinder, and a second flow rate data 67 corresponding to the second air cylinder.

[0092] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 can determine, based on the first flow rate data 65 and the second flow rate data 67, that the first air cylinder and the second air cylinder start and end times are the same, but there is a time when the flow rate difference is greater than or equal to a specified value, and therefore determine that the multiple air cylinders 300 are not operating synchronously.

[0093] According to one embodiment, processor 34 can determine, based on first flow rate data 65, that the first air cylinder has a rod abnormality because the flow rate of the first air cylinder drops below the lower limit value of flow rate lower limit graph 43 and then rises above said lower limit value. Processor 34 can also determine, based on second flow rate data 67, that the second air cylinder also has a rod abnormality because there is a section in which the flow rate of the second air cylinder drops below the lower limit value of flow rate lower limit graph 43 and then rises above said lower limit value, and a section in which the flow rate rises above the upper limit value of flow rate upper limit graph 41 and then drops below said upper limit value.

[0094] Referring to FIG. 7, the reference operating data includes an upper flow rate graph 41 and a lower flow rate graph 43, first flow rate data 75 corresponding to the first air cylinder, and second flow rate data 77 corresponding to the second air cylinder.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the processor 34 can determine, based on the first flow rate data 75 and the second flow rate data 77, that the first and second air cylinders are not operating synchronously because the start times of the operation of the first and second air cylinders are the same but the end times of the operation are different, and there is a time when the flow rate difference is greater than or equal to a specified value.

[0096] According to one embodiment, based on the first flow rate data 75, it can be determined that the first air cylinder has an air leak because the flow rate of the first air cylinder rises above the upper limit value according to the flow rate upper limit graph 41 and then does not return to the normal range according to the reference operating data.

[0097] According to one embodiment, based on the second flow rate data 77, it can be determined that the second air cylinder is normal because the flow rate of the second air cylinder is within the normal range according to the reference operating data.

[0098] Fig. 8 is a flowchart of the operation of the cylinder monitoring device according to one embodiment. Fig. 8 explains the operation of the cylinder monitoring device 30 in Fig. 3, and will be explained using the configurations in Figs. 1 to 3.

[0099] The embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is only one embodiment, and the order of steps in various embodiments of the present invention may differ from that shown in FIG. 8, and some steps shown in FIG. 8 may be omitted, the order of steps may be changed, or steps may be combined.

[0100] 8 , in operation 805, cylinder monitoring device 30 may acquire flow data indicative of the flow measured by the flow sensors (supply flow sensor 450 and / or exhaust flow sensor 460) of chamber 10. According to one embodiment, cylinder monitoring device 30 may acquire the flow data wired and / or wirelessly from communication circuitry included in chamber 10 using communication circuitry 31.

[0101] According to one embodiment, the flow rate data may indicate the flow rate of air supplied to or discharged from the plurality of air cylinders 300. According to one embodiment, the flow rate data may include first flow rate data corresponding to a first air cylinder located on the left side of the chamber body 100 among the plurality of air cylinders 300, and second flow rate data corresponding to a second air cylinder located on the right side of the chamber body 100. Specifically, the first flow rate data (or the second flow rate data) may indicate the flow rate of air supplied to or discharged from the first air cylinder (or the second air cylinder).

[0102] In operation 810, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may determine the status of the plurality of air cylinders 300 based on the flow rate data acquired in operation 805. Here, the status may include whether the plurality of air cylinders 300 are operating synchronously and / or whether there is an abnormality.

[0103] The operation of the cylinder monitoring device 30 to determine whether or not the multiple air cylinders 300 are operating synchronously will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 9, and the operation to determine whether or not the multiple air cylinders 300 are abnormal will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

[0104] Fig. 9 is a flowchart of the operation of the cylinder monitoring device according to one embodiment. Fig. 9 explains the operation of the cylinder monitoring device 30 in Fig. 3, and will be explained using the configurations in Figs. 1 to 3.

[0105] The embodiment shown in FIG. 9 is just one embodiment, and the order of steps in various embodiments of the present invention may differ from that shown in FIG. 9, and some steps shown in FIG. 9 may be omitted, the order of steps may be changed, or steps may be combined.

[0106] Referring to FIG. 9 , in operation 905, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may obtain first flow data corresponding to a first air cylinder and second flow data corresponding to a second air cylinder of the plurality of air cylinders 300.

[0107] In operation 910, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may compare the first flow rate data and the second flow rate data obtained in operation 905. According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may compare the operation start and end times of the first and second air cylinders. According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may compare the flow rate of the first air cylinder and the flow rate of the second air cylinder. For example, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may calculate the difference between the flow rate of the first air cylinder and the flow rate of the second air cylinder over time.

[0108] In operation 915, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may determine whether the multiple air cylinders 3000 are operating synchronously based on the comparison results of operation 910.

[0109] According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring device 30 can determine that the first air cylinder and the second air cylinder are in a synchronous operation state if both the start and end times of the operation of the first air cylinder and the second air cylinder are the same.

[0110] According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring device 30 can determine that the operation is not synchronized if there is a point in time when the difference between the flow rate of the first air cylinder and the flow rate of the second air cylinder is equal to or greater than a specified value.

[0111] According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring device 30 can determine whether synchronized operation is occurring by taking into consideration all of the operation start time, operation end time, and flow rate difference. For example, the cylinder monitoring device 30 can determine that synchronized operation is occurring when the operation start time and operation end time of the first and second air cylinders are the same and the flow rate difference remains below a specified value.

[0112] Fig. 10 is a flowchart of the operation of the cylinder monitoring device according to one embodiment. Fig. 10 explains the operation of the cylinder monitoring device 30 in Fig. 3, and will be explained using the configurations in Figs. 1 to 3.

[0113] The embodiment shown in FIG. 10 is only one embodiment, and the order of steps in various embodiments of the present invention may differ from that shown in FIG. 10, and some steps shown in FIG. 10 may be omitted, the order of steps may be changed, or steps may be combined.

[0114] 10 , in operation 1005, cylinder monitoring device 30 may acquire flow data indicative of the flow measured by the flow sensors (supply flow sensor 450 and / or exhaust flow sensor 460) of chamber 10. According to one embodiment, cylinder monitoring device 30 may acquire the flow data wired and / or wirelessly from communication circuitry included in chamber 10 using communication circuitry 31.

[0115] In operation 1010, the cylinder monitoring device 30 can compare the reference operating data with the flow rate data acquired in operation 1005. Here, the reference operating data can be data that is preset based on the flow rate data of a normally operating air cylinder. For example, the cylinder monitoring device 30 can generate, as the reference operating data, an upper flow rate limit graph and a lower flow rate limit graph that indicate the upper and lower flow rate limits based on the flow rate data of a normally operating air cylinder.

[0116] According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring system 30 can compare the flow data to upper and lower flow limit graphs contained in the baseline operating data.

[0117] In operation 1015, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may determine abnormalities (e.g., stalled operation, air leak, and / or rod abnormalities) in the plurality of air cylinders 300 based on the comparison results of operation 1010.

[0118] According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring device 30 may determine that an air cylinder has stopped operating if the flow rate does not return to a normal range according to the reference operating data after dropping below the lower limit of the flow rate lower limit graph. Here, the normal range may refer to the flow rate range between the upper and lower flow rates of the reference operating data.

[0119] According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring device 30 can determine that an air cylinder whose flow rate does not return to the normal range after rising above the upper limit value according to the flow rate upper limit graph has an air leak. Here, an air leak can mean that a crack has occurred in the air cylinder, causing air to leak from or be exhausted from the air cylinder.

[0120] According to one embodiment, the cylinder monitoring device 30 can determine that an air cylinder in which the flow rate rises above the upper limit value of the flow rate upper limit graph and then falls below the upper limit value, or falls below the lower limit value of the flow rate lower limit graph and then rises above the lower limit value, has a rod abnormality.

[0121] As used above, terms such as "comprise," "constitute," and "have" mean that the relevant element can be present, unless otherwise specified, and should be interpreted as including other elements rather than excluding other elements. All terms, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed herein belong, unless otherwise defined. Commonly used terms, such as dictionary-defined terms, should be interpreted in a manner consistent with the context of the relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein. [Explanation of symbols]

[0122] 30 Cylinder monitoring device 31 Communication Circuit 34 processors

Claims

1. a communication circuit for acquiring flow rate data indicating a flow rate measured by a flow rate sensor that detects the flow rate of air supplied to a plurality of air cylinders for operating a chamber constituted by a lower body and an upper body located on top of the lower body, or the flow rate of air discharged from the plurality of air cylinders; a processor that determines a state of the plurality of air cylinders, including whether or not they are operating synchronously, based on the flow rate data; A cylinder monitoring device comprising:

2. the plurality of air cylinders includes a first air cylinder and a second air cylinder; the flow rate data includes first flow rate data corresponding to the first air cylinder and second flow rate data corresponding to the second air cylinder; The cylinder monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor compares the first flow rate data with the second flow rate data to determine whether the synchronous operation occurs.

3. 3. The cylinder monitoring device of claim 2, wherein the processor determines that the cylinders are not operating synchronously if there is a time when the difference between the flow rate of the first air cylinder and the flow rate of the second air cylinder is equal to or greater than a specified value.

4. 2. The cylinder monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the processor compares the flow rate data with an upper flow rate limit graph and a lower flow rate limit graph included in reference operating data to determine abnormalities in the plurality of air cylinders.

5. 5. The cylinder monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein the processor determines that an air cylinder among the plurality of air cylinders whose flow rate does not return to a normal range according to the reference operating data after falling below a lower limit value according to the flow rate lower limit graph is out of operation.

6. 5. The cylinder monitoring device of claim 4, wherein the processor determines that an air cylinder among the plurality of air cylinders has an air leak, the air cylinder having a flow rate that does not return to a normal range according to the reference operating data after rising above an upper limit value according to the flow rate upper limit graph.

7. 5. The cylinder monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein the processor determines that an air cylinder of the plurality of air cylinders whose flow rate rises above an upper limit value shown in the flow rate upper limit graph and then falls below the upper limit value, or whose flow rate falls below a lower limit value shown in the flow rate lower limit graph and then rises above the lower limit value, has a rod abnormality.

8. 2. The cylinder monitoring device according to claim 1, further comprising a display that displays a graph showing the flow rate of air supplied to the plurality of air cylinders or the flow rate of air discharged from the plurality of air cylinders based on the flow rate data.

9. an operation of acquiring flow rate data indicating a flow rate measured by a flow rate sensor that detects the flow rate of air supplied to a plurality of air cylinders for operating a chamber composed of a lower body and an upper body located on top of the lower body or the flow rate of air discharged from the plurality of air cylinders; an operation of determining a state including whether or not the plurality of air cylinders are operating synchronously based on the flow rate data; A cylinder monitoring method comprising:

10. the plurality of air cylinders include a first air cylinder and a second air cylinder; the flow rate data includes first flow rate data corresponding to the first air cylinder and second flow rate data corresponding to the second air cylinder; The cylinder monitoring method according to claim 9 , wherein the operation of determining whether or not a synchronous operation occurs includes an operation of comparing the first flow rate data with the second flow rate data to determine whether or not a synchronous operation occurs.

11. 11. The cylinder monitoring method according to claim 10, wherein the operation of determining whether or not a synchronous operation is occurring includes an operation of determining that a synchronous operation state is not occurring if there is a time point at which a difference between the flow rate of the first air cylinder and the flow rate of the second air cylinder is equal to or greater than a specified value.

12. 10. The cylinder monitoring method according to claim 9, wherein the operation of determining the state of the plurality of air cylinders includes an operation of comparing the flow rate data with a flow rate upper limit graph and a flow rate lower limit graph included in reference operating data, and determining whether or not there is an abnormality in the plurality of air cylinders.

13. 13. The cylinder monitoring method according to claim 12, wherein the operation of determining whether the plurality of air cylinders are abnormal includes an operation of determining that an air cylinder among the plurality of air cylinders whose flow rate does not return to a normal range according to the reference operating data after falling below a lower limit value according to the flow rate lower limit graph is out of operation.

14. 13. The cylinder monitoring method of claim 12, wherein the operation of determining whether the plurality of air cylinders are abnormal includes an operation of determining that an air cylinder among the plurality of air cylinders, whose flow rate does not return to a normal range according to the reference operating data after rising above an upper limit value according to the flow rate upper limit graph, is suffering from an air leak.

15. 13. The cylinder monitoring method according to claim 12, wherein the operation of determining whether the plurality of air cylinders are abnormal includes an operation of determining that an air cylinder among the plurality of air cylinders whose flow rate rises above an upper limit value indicated by the flow rate upper limit graph and then falls below the upper limit value, or an air cylinder whose flow rate falls below a lower limit value indicated by the flow rate lower limit graph and then rises above the lower limit value, has a rod abnormality.

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