Incinerator control device

Abstract

To provide a control device for an incinerator that can control combustion more appropriately. [Solution] The control device 100 for an incinerator 10 that burns the material to be incinerated W and has a primary combustion chamber and a secondary combustion chamber comprises a combustion image acquisition unit 51 that acquires combustion images inside the incinerator 10, a temperature acquisition unit 53 that acquires the temperature in the path from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27, an estimation unit 55 that estimates the combustion state inside the incinerator 10 based on the combustion images and temperature, and a control unit 57 that controls the control target 90 of the incinerator 10 based on the estimated combustion state.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device for an incinerator that burns materials to be incinerated. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, incinerators have been used to burn materials (such as garbage). Such incinerators require proper combustion of the materials to be burned. Therefore, technologies to achieve such combustion have been investigated.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a combustion control method for a rotary stoker type waste incinerator. In this combustion control method, the combustion state inside the incinerator is divided into multiple patterns according to the layer thickness distribution and combustion distribution of the material to be incinerated from the upstream side to the downstream side. The combustion state pattern is estimated from measured state quantities such as the temperature of the incinerator and primary air, and the primary air, dust pusher speed and furnace rotation speed are controlled based on this pattern. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-291933 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] The combustion control method described in Patent Document 1 uses measurements of the inlet temperature of the incinerator and the thickness of the waste layer for control. However, depending on the relationship between the amount of material to be incinerated and the size of the incinerator, it may be difficult to use these measurements for accurate control.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for incinerator control devices that can more effectively control combustion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The characteristic configuration of the incinerator control device according to the present invention is that it is a control device for an incinerator that burns material to be incinerated and has a primary combustion chamber and a secondary combustion chamber, and comprises: a combustion image acquisition unit that acquires a combustion image inside the incinerator; a temperature acquisition unit that acquires the temperature in the path from the primary combustion chamber to the secondary combustion chamber; an estimation unit that estimates the combustion state inside the incinerator based on the combustion image and the temperature; and a control unit that controls the control target of the incinerator based on the estimated combustion state.

[0008] With this feature configuration, the combustion state inside the incinerator can be estimated using combustion images taken inside the incinerator and the temperature in the path from the primary combustion chamber to the secondary combustion chamber. By automatically controlling the system according to the estimated combustion state, it is possible to transition to the optimal combustion state. The combustion images correlate with the location where the material to be incinerated is mainly burning in the primary combustion chamber (hereinafter also referred to as the "combustion location") and the size of the flame that emerges from the primary combustion chamber to the secondary combustion chamber. The temperature correlates with the amount of material to be incinerated. Therefore, by estimating the combustion state using these combustion images and temperatures, it is possible to realize an incinerator control device that can control combustion more appropriately.

[0009] Furthermore, the combustion image is an image taken from the downstream side of the primary combustion chamber, and the estimation unit preferably estimates the combustion state based on the brightness of a preset specific portion in the combustion image and the temperature.

[0010] In combustion images taken inside an incinerator, a specific area whose brightness changes according to the combustion state inside the incinerator is pre-set as a designated area. This allows for a more accurate understanding of the conditions inside the incinerator based on the brightness of the designated area in the combustion image. Therefore, it becomes possible to estimate the combustion state inside the incinerator with greater accuracy using a simple method.

[0011] Furthermore, the primary combustion chamber preferably has a rotary stoker for the drying stage and the combustion stage, and a sequential stoker for the post-combustion stage, and the specific part is preferably the structure of the rotary stoker in the incinerator whose position does not change in the combustion image.

[0012] With this configuration, the brightness of the rotating stoker structure, which does not change position in the combustion image, correlates with the location where the material to be incinerated is mainly burning in the rotating stoker and the size of the flame that exits the rotating stoker into the secondary combustion chamber. The temperature correlates with the amount of material to be incinerated on the progressive stoker (hereinafter also referred to as the "post-combustion stoker"). Therefore, the combustion state inside the incinerator can be grasped with greater accuracy by measuring brightness and temperature, making it possible to stabilize the combustion state.

[0013] Furthermore, the system preferably includes a storage unit that stores a map predefined of the combustion pattern when burning the material to be incinerated based on the brightness and temperature, and the estimation unit estimates the combustion state by applying the brightness and temperature to the combustion pattern.

[0014] With this configuration, the estimation unit can easily estimate the combustion state from brightness and temperature.

[0015] Furthermore, it is preferable that the control target includes at least one of the following: the amount of dust supplied to the incinerator, the amount of forced air introduced into the primary combustion chamber, the speed at which the incinerator transports the material to be incinerated, and the ratio of the amount of forced air to the multiple sections into which the primary combustion chamber is divided.

[0016] With this configuration, the control unit can control the combustion state of the incinerator by changing the amount of material to be incinerated supplied to the incinerator, the amount of forced air introduced into the primary combustion chamber, the speed at which the material to be incinerated is transported within the incinerator, and the ratio of the amount of forced air to be supplied to the multiple sections of the primary combustion chamber, based on the estimated combustion state.

[0017] Furthermore, it is preferable that the combustion state includes a first combustion state in a predetermined first period and a second combustion state in a second period that is longer than the first period.

[0018] With such a configuration, for example, it is possible to burn the incinerated material while reflecting the short-term and long-term combustion states in response to short-term and long-term fluctuations in the quality of the incinerated material. Therefore, even when the quality of the incinerated material fluctuates, appropriate combustion is possible.

[0019] Moreover, it is preferable that the estimation unit estimates the first combustion state based on the moving average value of the first period in the luminance and the temperature, and estimates the second combustion state based on the average value or the moving average value of the second period in the luminance and the temperature.

[0020] With such a configuration, for example, even when there are short-term fluctuations in the quality of the incinerated material, the first combustion state can be estimated based on the moving average value of the first period in luminance and temperature, and even when there are long-term fluctuations in the quality of the incinerated material, the second combustion state can be estimated based on the average value or the moving average value of the second period in luminance and temperature.

[0021] Moreover, the control targets in the first period include the amount of the incinerated material fed into the incinerator, the speed of conveying the incinerated material in the incinerator, and the ratio of the amount of pushing air into a plurality of divided sections in the primary combustion chamber. It is preferable that the control targets in the second period include the amount of pushing air introduced into the primary combustion chamber, the speed of conveying the incinerated material in the incinerator, and the ratio of the amount of pushing air into a plurality of divided sections in the primary combustion chamber.

[0022] With such a configuration, by selecting a control operation amount suitable for the short-term or long-term response speed, it is possible to stably follow fluctuations in the quality of the incinerated material and changes in the control set value, and to continuously maintain an optimal combustion state for a long time.

[0023] Moreover, when the estimation unit estimates the combustion state based on the luminance and the temperature, it is preferable to use at least one of the corrected luminance obtained by correcting the luminance based on the air ratio in the rotary stoker and the corrected temperature obtained by correcting the temperature based on the luminance of a specific part of the combustion image captured in the post-combustion stage.

[0024] Thus, when estimating the combustion state, using corrected brightness obtained by correcting brightness with respect to the air-fuel ratio in the rotating stoker reduces the influence of the air-fuel ratio on the flame state. Furthermore, when estimating the combustion state, using corrected temperature obtained by correcting temperature with respect to the brightness of a specific part of the combustion image captured of the post-combustion stage reduces the influence of brightness of a specific part of the post-combustion stage on the temperature. Therefore, with this configuration, the combustion state inside the incinerator can be grasped with greater accuracy, making it possible to stabilize the combustion state. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0025] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of an incinerator. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device. [Figure 3] This is a diagram showing the imaging status of combustion images. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a map that defines the combustion pattern. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] The incinerator control device according to the present invention is configured to appropriately control combustion in the incinerator. The incinerator control device (hereinafter referred to as "control device") 100 of this embodiment will be described below. However, the control device 100 is not limited to the following embodiment and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit thereof.

[0027] Figure 1 shows a power generation system 1 that generates electricity using steam produced from a boiler 20, which is operated by the heat of exhaust gas from an incinerator 10 controlled by a control device 100 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 1, the power generation system 1 comprises an incinerator 10, a boiler 20, a steam turbine generator 30, and a chimney 40.

[0028] The incinerator 10 burns the material to be incinerated W and has a primary combustion chamber 26 and a secondary combustion chamber 27. In this embodiment, the incinerator 10 is configured as a rotary stoker type incinerator in which the furnace body 11 (hereinafter also referred to as the "rotary stoker") is formed in a cylindrical shape and rotates around its axis as the center of rotation. The furnace body 11 is provided with an inlet 11a for the material to be incinerated W on the upstream side and an outlet 11b for the material to be incinerated W on the downstream side. The furnace body 11 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so that the inlet 11a is higher than the outlet 11b. The furnace body 11 is formed using a metal such as carbon steel. The primary combustion chamber 26 consists of the furnace body 11 and a post-combustion stoker 28. The material to be incinerated W corresponds to, for example, sludge or garbage.

[0029] The furnace body 11 is housed in a cover casing 12. The furnace body 11 has a plurality of water tubes 13 extending axially, spaced at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. Metal fins 14 extending axially are provided across two adjacent water tubes 13 in the circumferential direction. Thus, the water tubes 13 and fins 14 are arranged alternately along the circumferential direction. The fins 14 have a plurality of pores 15 that penetrate radially. The grate is formed by these water tubes 13 and fins 14.

[0030] The furnace body 11 is provided with a rotational transmission member (not shown) on the inlet 11a side of the furnace body 11. This rotational transmission member is configured to rotate around its axis as the center of rotation by a drive device (not shown). The furnace body 11 rotates in accordance with this rotation.

[0031] A hopper 5 is provided on the inlet 11a side of the furnace body 11. The material to be incinerated W, which is fed into the hopper 5, is supplied to the furnace body 11 by a dust supply device 6. In this embodiment, the dust supply device 6 is of the pusher type.

[0032] Multiple wind boxes 25 are provided on the lower side of the furnace body 11, communicating with the lower end of the cover casing 12. Primary gas (e.g., air) supplied to the wind boxes 25 is introduced into the interior of the furnace body 11 from the lower part of the furnace body 11 through vents 15. The amount of primary gas supplied to the furnace body 11 and the ratio of primary gas supplied to each combustion area in the furnace body 11 can be adjusted using the rotation speed of the forced air blower and flow rate adjustment devices (not shown) such as dampers. The amount of primary gas supplied and the ratio of primary gas supplied to each combustion area in the furnace body 11 are configured to be changeable, for example, according to the composition, quantity, and distribution of the material to be incinerated W inside the furnace body 11. The amount of primary gas supplied to the furnace body 11 and the ratio of primary gas supplied to each combustion area in the furnace body 11 are the amount of forced air introduced into the primary combustion chamber 26, which is the target of control, and the ratio of forced air to sections into which the primary combustion chamber is divided.

[0033] The material to be incinerated W is supplied into the furnace body 11 while the incinerator 10 is rotating at a low speed. The material to be incinerated W supplied to the furnace body 11 is agitated in accordance with the rotation of the furnace body 11 and gradually moves downstream. While the material to be incinerated W is moving inside the furnace body 11, primary gas is introduced into the furnace body 11 from the wind box 25. The amount of primary gas supplied is preferably set to an amount that maintains slow combustion of the material to be incinerated W. Unburned gas is generated during slow combustion, and this unburned gas is introduced into a secondary combustion chamber 27 located downstream of the furnace body 11. A secondary gas, such as air, is supplied to the secondary combustion chamber 27 along with the unburned gas. This burns the unburned gas. Furthermore, in order to further reduce the unburned components contained in the material to be incinerated W discharged from the furnace body 11, it is burned in a post-combustion stoker 28. The amount of primary gas supplied to the post-combustion stoker 28 and the supply ratio of primary gas can be changed as appropriate. The amount of primary gas supplied to the after-combustion stoker 28 and the ratio of primary gas supply are the amount of forced air introduced into the primary combustion chamber 26, which is the target of control, and the ratio of the amount of forced air to be divided into multiple sections within the primary combustion chamber.

[0034] The boiler 20 is located downstream of the secondary combustion chamber 27 and connected to the secondary combustion chamber 27. It generates steam by utilizing the heat from the furnace, the after-combustion stoker 28, and the exhaust gas discharged from the secondary combustion chamber 27. Water is supplied to the boiler 20 from the feedwater device 8, and steam is generated through heat exchange with the exhaust gas.

[0035] The steam turbine generator 30 is supplied with steam generated by the boiler 20, and the steam rotates the turbine to generate electricity. The exhaust gas from which heat has been recovered in the boiler 20 is cooled and subjected to dust removal by a dust removal device installed in the exhaust gas route between the boiler 20 and the chimney 40 before being discharged out of the system via the chimney 40.

[0036] The feedwater device 8 includes a condenser that cools and condenses the low-pressure wet steam discharged from the turbine outlet of the steam turbine generator 30, returning it to saturated water for storage, and a deaerator that deaerates the saturated water returned from the condenser to the boiler 20 by a pump.

[0037] The operation of such an incinerator 10 is controlled by a control device 100. Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 100. As shown in Figure 2, the control device 100 is composed of a combustion image acquisition unit 51, a temperature acquisition unit 53, an estimation unit 55, a control unit 57, and a storage unit 59. Each functional unit is built with a CPU as its core component and consists of hardware, software, or both, in order to perform processing related to the control of the control target 90 of the incinerator 10.

[0038] The combustion image acquisition unit 51 acquires a combustion image inside the incinerator 10. The combustion image inside the incinerator 10 is an image taken inside the primary combustion chamber 26 while the material to be incinerated W is being burned. In particular, the combustion image in this embodiment is an image taken from the downstream side of the primary combustion chamber 26 while the material to be incinerated W is being burned. The image taken from the downstream side of the primary combustion chamber 26 can be obtained, for example, by providing a window above the primary combustion chamber 26 and taking the image through this window with a camera 39 (ITV camera). In Figure 1, the imaging range of the camera 39 is shown by a dashed line. The combustion image acquired by the combustion image acquisition unit 51 is transmitted to the estimation unit 55, which will be described later.

[0039] The temperature acquisition unit 53 acquires the temperature in the path from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27. The path from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27 refers to the path from the outlet 11b of the furnace body 11 to the inlet 27a of the secondary combustion chamber 27. The temperature acquisition unit 53 acquires the measurement result of measuring the temperature of a predetermined part in this path from the outlet 11b of the furnace body 11 to the inlet 27a of the secondary combustion chamber 27 (for example, the upper temperature of the after-combustion stoker 28. In "upper temperature," "upper" is not limited to the part in contact with the stoker. Therefore, it is not limited to the temperature of the grate itself). The temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition unit 53 is transmitted to the estimation unit 55, which will be described later.

[0040] The estimation unit 55 estimates the combustion state inside the incinerator 10 based on the combustion image and temperature. The combustion image is transmitted from the combustion image acquisition unit 51 as described above, and the temperature is transmitted from the temperature acquisition unit 53.

[0041] In this embodiment, the estimation unit 55 estimates the combustion state based on the brightness and temperature of a preset specific portion in the combustion image. Based on this combustion image, the control device 100 determines the combustion position of the material to be incinerated W and the size of the flame that emerges from the primary combustion chamber 26 into the secondary combustion chamber 27 within the incinerator 10.

[0042] In this embodiment, the combustion position is identified using the brightness of the image in the combustion image, where the brightness increases when the combustion position of the material to be incinerated W is downstream and the flame exiting the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27 is large, and decreases when the combustion position of the material to be incinerated W is upstream and the flame exiting the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27 is small. In this embodiment, the primary combustion chamber 26 has a rotary stoker for the drying stage and the combustion stage, and a sequential stoker for the post-combustion stage. Such identified parts are preferably structures Z inside the primary combustion chamber 26, and are preferably, for example, structures Z of the rotary stoker that do not change position in the combustion image. As described above, the combustion image in this embodiment is a combustion image taken from the downstream side of the primary combustion chamber 26 (outside the furnace on the downstream side of the primary combustion chamber 26). Therefore, the combustion image includes an image of structures Z inside the primary combustion chamber 26. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the furnace body 11 is provided with rotational transmission members on the inlet 11a side and the outlet 11b side, and is configured to rotate in accordance with the rotation of these rotational transmission members. Structures Z whose position does not change in such a combustion image can be, for example, the double connecting pipe 17 of the rotary stoker or the ring header 16.

[0043] Figure 3 shows the combustion image acquisition status. As shown in Figure 3, the inside of the primary combustion chamber 26 is imaged by a camera 39 from the downstream side of the primary combustion chamber 26 (outside the furnace on the downstream side of the primary combustion chamber 26). Even when the furnace body 11 rotates, there is a structure Z whose position does not change in the combustion image, and the camera 39 images the inside of the primary combustion chamber 26 so that the structure Z is included in the imaging range. The estimation unit 55 calculates the brightness of the portion of the combustion image in which such a structure Z is captured. In this embodiment, as described above, the calculation is performed in the portion where the brightness increases when the combustion position of the material to be incinerated W is downstream and the flame coming out of the primary combustion chamber 26 (for example, the furnace body 11 (rotating stoker)) into the secondary combustion chamber 27 is large, and decreases when the combustion position of the material to be incinerated W is upstream and the flame coming out of the primary combustion chamber 26 into the secondary combustion chamber 27 is small. The estimation unit 55 may also calculate the brightness by defining a predetermined area of ​​the portion in which the structure Z is captured.

[0044] Here, if the brightness of structure Z in the combustion image is lower than the lower limit of the preset appropriate range, it can be estimated that the combustion position of the material to be incinerated W is upstream in the primary combustion chamber 26 and the flame emanating from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27 is small. If the brightness of structure Z in the combustion image is higher than the upper limit of the preset appropriate range, it can be estimated that the combustion position of the material to be incinerated W is downstream in the primary combustion chamber 26 and the flame emanating from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27 is large. The preset appropriate range (threshold) for brightness and post-combustion temperature can be set in advance while the incinerator 10 is running, by observing the operating conditions such as the in-furnace image and combustion process values.

[0045] Furthermore, if the temperature in the path from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27, as indicated by the temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition unit 53, is lower than the lower limit of the preset appropriate range, it can be estimated that the amount of material to be incinerated W in the post-combustion stoker 28 is relatively small. Conversely, if the temperature in the path from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27 is higher than the upper limit of the preset appropriate range, it can be estimated that the amount of material to be incinerated W in the post-combustion stoker 28 is relatively large.

[0046] Therefore, the memory unit 59 stores a map that predefines the combustion pattern when burning the material to be incinerated W based on brightness and temperature, and the estimation unit 55 estimates the combustion state by applying brightness and temperature to the combustion pattern.

[0047] Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, if the brightness of structure Z in the combustion image is lower than the lower limit of the preset appropriate range, and the temperature in the path from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27 is lower than the lower limit of the preset appropriate range (#1), it is estimated that the material to be incinerated W is burning upstream of the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26, and that the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28 is small. Also, if the brightness of structure Z in the combustion image is within the preset appropriate range, and the temperature in the path from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27 is lower than the lower limit of the preset appropriate range (#2), it is estimated that the material to be incinerated W is burning at the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26, and that the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28 is small. Furthermore, if the brightness of structure Z in the combustion image is higher than the upper limit of the preset appropriate range, and the temperature in the path from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27 is lower than the lower limit of the preset appropriate range (#3), it is estimated that the material to be incinerated W is burning downstream of the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26, and that the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28 is small.

[0048] Furthermore, if the brightness of structure Z in the combustion image is lower than the lower limit of the preset appropriate range, and the temperature in the path from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27 is within the preset appropriate range (#4), it is estimated that the material to be incinerated W is burning upstream of the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26, and the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28 is in an appropriate state. Furthermore, if the brightness of structure Z in the combustion image is within the preset appropriate range, and the temperature in the path from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27 is within the preset appropriate range (#5), it is estimated that the material to be incinerated W is burning at the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26, and the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28 is in an appropriate state. Furthermore, if the brightness of structure Z in the combustion image is higher than the upper limit of the preset appropriate range, and the temperature in the path from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27 is within the preset appropriate range (#6), it is estimated that the material to be incinerated W is burning downstream of the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26, and that the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28 is in an appropriate state.

[0049] Further, when the luminance of the structure Z in the combustion image is lower than the lower limit value of the preset appropriate range and the temperature in the path from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27 is higher than the upper limit value of the preset appropriate range (#7), it is estimated that the object to be incinerated W burns upstream of the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26 and that the amount of the object to be incinerated W burning in the afterburning stoker 28 is large. Also, when the luminance of the structure Z in the combustion image is within the preset appropriate range and the temperature in the path from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27 is higher than the upper limit value of the preset appropriate range (#8), it is estimated that the object to be incinerated W burns at the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26 and that the amount of the object to be incinerated W burning in the afterburning stoker 28 is large. Further, when the luminance of the structure Z in the combustion image is higher than the upper limit value of the preset appropriate range and the temperature in the path from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27 is higher than the upper limit value of the preset appropriate range (#9), it is estimated that the object to be incinerated W burns downstream of the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26 and that the amount of the object to be incinerated W burning in the afterburning stoker 28 is large. In the example of FIG. 4, it is shown as being divided into nine parts (#1 - #9), but it is not limited to nine divisions, and for example, a plurality of threshold values may be provided and divided into m × n (where m and n are natural numbers).

[0050] Degree of dependence (w for classifying into combustion pattern m × n , , , n , j , m , n , j , ij , m , j ,

[0050] , j ,

[0051] , , j: 1 to N, N: number of combustion patterns m × n) is calculated, and based on this degree of dependence (w j ), it is possible to determine the correction amount (Δu ij ) described later. There are functions (f m ) for classifying the combustion state based on luminance and functions (f n ) for classifying the combustion state based on temperature, and the degree of dependence (w j ) can be calculated as follows. w j = f m × f n

[0051] The control unit 57 controls the control target 90 of the incinerator 10 based on the estimated combustion state. The estimated combustion state is the combustion state inside the incinerator 10 estimated by the estimation unit 55 as described above. There is a correlation between the brightness of the structure Z, whose position does not change in the combustion image, and the combustion position of the material to be incinerated W in the primary combustion chamber 26 and the size of the flame that comes out of the primary combustion chamber 26 into the secondary combustion chamber 27. Therefore, by controlling the combustion position of the material to be incinerated W in the primary combustion chamber 26 and the size of the flame that comes out of the primary combustion chamber 26 into the secondary combustion chamber 27 to keep them constant, the combustion state inside the incinerator 10 can be stabilized. Accordingly, the control unit 57 controls the control target 90 of the incinerator 10 as follows, according to the combustion state.

[0052] If the combustion state is estimated to be such that the material to be incinerated W is burning upstream of the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26, and the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28 is small (#1), the control unit 57 controls the control target 90 so that the combustion position is downstream of the current combustion position, and so that the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28 is large. Specifically, this can be done by increasing the amount of dust supplied, decreasing the amount of forced air, or increasing the conveying speed. Also, if the combustion state is estimated to be such that the material to be incinerated W is burning at the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26, and the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28 is small (#2), the control unit 57 controls the control target 90 so that the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28 is large. Furthermore, if the combustion state is estimated to be such that the material to be incinerated W is burning downstream of the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26, and the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28 is small (#3), the control unit 57 controls the combustion position to be moved upstream of the current combustion position, and controls the controlled object 90 to increase the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28.

[0053] Furthermore, if the combustion state is estimated to be such that the material to be incinerated W is burning upstream of the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26, and the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28 is at an appropriate level (#4), the control unit 57 controls the controlled object 90 so that the combustion position is downstream of the current combustion position. Furthermore, if the combustion state is estimated to be such that the material to be incinerated W is burning at the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26, and the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28 is at an appropriate level (#5), the control unit 57 maintains the controlled object 90 in its current control state. In addition, if the combustion state is estimated to be such that the material to be incinerated W is burning downstream of the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26, and the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28 is at an appropriate level (#6), the control unit 57 controls the controlled object 90 so that the combustion position is upstream of the current combustion position.

[0054] Furthermore, if the combustion state is estimated to be such that the material to be incinerated W is burning upstream of the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26, and the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28 is large (#7), the control unit 57 controls the combustion position to be downstream of the current combustion position, and controls the controlled object 90 to reduce the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28. Furthermore, if the combustion state is estimated to be such that the material to be incinerated W is burning at the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26, and the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28 is large (#8), the control unit 57 controls the controlled object 90 to reduce the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28. Furthermore, if the combustion state is estimated to be such that the material to be incinerated W is burning downstream of the appropriate combustion position in the primary combustion chamber 26, and the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion stoker 28 is large (#9), the control unit 57 controls the combustion position to be moved upstream of the current combustion position, and controls the controlled object 90 to reduce the amount of material to be incinerated W burning in the post-combustion chamber 29. Specifically, this may involve reducing the amount of dust supplied, increasing the amount of forced air, or slowing down the conveying speed.

[0055] Here, for each combustion pattern, the aforementioned dependency (w) is applied to each controlled object. j Correction amount (Δu) according to the magnitude of ) ij There is a table that determines this correction amount (Δu ij ) are added together to obtain the final control correction amount (Δu i Determine the following: where i is each controlled object, j is 1 to N as mentioned above, and N is the number of combustion patterns.

[0056] To control the combustion state of the incinerator 10 as described above, the control target 90 should include at least one of the following: the amount of dust supplied with the material to be incinerated W into the incinerator 10, the amount of forced air introduced into the primary combustion chamber 26, the speed at which the material to be incinerated W is transported within the incinerator 10, and the ratio of the amount of forced air to each of the multiple sections within the primary combustion chamber 26. By changing the amount of dust supplied with the material to be incinerated W into the incinerator 10, the amount of forced air introduced into the primary combustion chamber 26, the speed at which the material to be incinerated W is transported within the incinerator 10, and the ratio of the amount of forced air to each of the multiple sections within the primary combustion chamber 26, it is possible to change the complete combustion state of the material to be incinerated W in the primary combustion chamber 26, the amount of unburned gas generated, and the amount of material to be incinerated W supplied to the post-combustion stoker 28. Therefore, by controlling such a control target 90, it is possible to bring the combustion state in the incinerator 10 to an appropriate state (state #5 in Figure 4).

[0057] Here, the combustion state may include a first combustion state in a predetermined first period and a second combustion state in a second period that is longer than the first period. The first period can be, for example, about 10 minutes (500 seconds). The second period can be about 2 hours (about half the time from when the material is put into the hopper 5 until post-combustion is completed, which corresponds to the time when the incinerated material W burning in the rotating stoker switches). In this case, the estimation unit 55 may estimate the first combustion state based on the moving average values ​​of brightness and temperature for the first period, and estimate the second combustion state based on the average or moving average values ​​of brightness and temperature for the second period. As a result, the estimation unit 55 can estimate the combustion state in the short first period (first combustion state) and the combustion state in the long second period (second combustion state) based on the short-term moving average values ​​of brightness and temperature and the long-term average values ​​or long-term moving average values ​​of brightness and temperature. Moving averages calculate the average value for each interval of time-series data, shifting the interval as needed, making it possible to represent the trend of data change as a smooth curve. By using short-term moving averages, long-term moving averages, and long-term moving averages, it becomes easier to grasp trends compared to using instantaneous values ​​with large fluctuations. Therefore, it becomes possible to burn the material to be incinerated W appropriately. The setting times for short-term and long-term moving averages can be set, for example, by knowing in advance when the brightness and post-combustion temperature change when controlling the controlled object 90. In addition, each combustion state can be displayed on a map, and past combustion states (for example, the history of the previous combustion state, or even earlier) can also be displayed in relation to the current state.

[0058] Furthermore, when estimating as described above, the control target 90 in the first period can be configured to include the amount of waste W to be incinerated into the incinerator 10, the speed at which the waste W is transported within the incinerator 10, and the ratio of the amount of forced air into the sections of the primary combustion chamber 26 that have been divided into multiple parts. The control target 90 in the second period can be configured to include the amount of forced air introduced into the incinerator 10, the speed at which the waste W is transported within the incinerator 10, and the amount of forced air introduced into the primary combustion chamber 26. This makes it possible to calculate a more appropriate control amount according to the quality and quantity of the waste W to be incinerated, thereby enabling more accurate control of the combustion state.

[0059] Furthermore, as described above, the control unit 57 controls the controlled object 90 using the estimation results obtained by the estimation unit 55, which estimates the combustion state in a short-term first period (first combustion state) and the combustion state in a long-term second period (second combustion state) based on the short-term moving average value of brightness and temperature and the long-term average value or long-term moving average value of brightness and temperature. This makes it possible to control the combustion state more appropriately.

[0060] [Other Embodiments] In the above embodiment, the specific part was described as a structure Z within the primary combustion chamber 26. However, the specific part may be a part other than structure Z within the primary combustion chamber 26, as long as it is a part where the brightness increases when the combustion position of the material to be incinerated W is downstream and the flame exiting from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27 is large, and decreases when the combustion position of the material to be incinerated W is upstream and the flame exiting from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27 is small (a part that can be correlated with the combustion position).

[0061] In the above embodiment, the memory unit 59 was described as having a map that pre-defines the combustion pattern when burning the material to be incinerated W based on brightness and temperature. However, the memory unit 59 can also be configured without this map.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the estimation unit 55 was described as estimating the combustion state by applying brightness and temperature to the combustion pattern. However, the estimation unit 55 can also be configured to estimate the combustion state without using a combustion pattern.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the control target 90 was described as including at least one of the following: the amount of dust supplied to the incinerator 10, the amount of forced air introduced into the primary combustion chamber 26, the speed at which the incinerator 10 transports the incinerator 10, and the ratio of the amount of forced air to the multiple sections within the primary combustion chamber 26. However, the control target 90 may be different from the amount of dust supplied to the incinerator 10, the amount of forced air introduced into the primary combustion chamber 26, the speed at which the incinerator 10 transports the incinerator 10, and the ratio of the amount of forced air to the multiple sections within the primary combustion chamber 26. Specifically, the control target 90 may include the forward and backward speed and period of the dust supply pusher, and the forward and backward speed and period of the post-combustion device pusher.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the combustion state was described as including a first combustion state in a predetermined first period and a second combustion state in a second period longer than the first period. However, the combustion state can also be configured without including the first and second combustion states. Furthermore, although the combustion state is described as including a first combustion state in a predetermined first period and a second combustion state in a second period longer than the first period, it may also be three or more combustion states.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the estimation unit 55 was described as estimating the first combustion state based on the moving average values ​​of the luminance and temperature over the first period, and estimating the second combustion state based on the average or moving average values ​​of the luminance and temperature over the second period. However, the estimation unit 55 may also estimate the first combustion state based on the average values ​​of the luminance and temperature over the first period.

[0066] Furthermore, the estimation unit 55 may determine a first combustion state based on a short-term average of brightness and a short-term average of temperature, and determine a second combustion state based on a long-term average of brightness and a long-term average of temperature. That is, the estimation unit 55 may determine a first combustion state based on the average value of brightness over a first period and the average value of temperature over a first period, and determine a second combustion state based on the average value of brightness over a second period and the average value of temperature over a second period.

[0067] Furthermore, the estimation unit 55 may determine the combustion state based on the moving average rate of change of luminance and the moving average rate of change of temperature. That is, the estimation unit 55 may determine the combustion state based on the rate of change of the moving average value of luminance over a predetermined period and the rate of change of the moving average value of temperature over a predetermined period. Alternatively, the estimation unit 55 may set a period separate from the first period and the second period and determine the combustion state based on the rate of change for each moving average.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the control target 90 in the first period includes the amount of dust supplied with material to be incinerated W into the incinerator 10, the speed at which the material to be incinerated W is transported within the incinerator 10, and the ratio of the amount of forced air to be fed into the sections into which the primary combustion chamber 26 is divided. The control target 90 in the second period includes the amount of forced air introduced into the primary combustion chamber 26, the speed at which the material to be incinerated W is transported within the incinerator 10, and the ratio of the amount of forced air to be fed into the sections into which the primary combustion chamber 26 is divided. However, the control target 90 in the first period may include at least one of the following: the amount of forced air introduced into the primary combustion chamber 26, the speed at which the material to be incinerated W is transported within the incinerator 10, and the ratio of the amount of forced air to each of the sections into which the primary combustion chamber 26 is divided. The control target 90 in the second period may include at least one of the following: the amount of dust supplied to the incinerator 10 for the material to be incinerated W, the speed at which the material to be incinerated W is transported within the incinerator 10, and the amount of forced air introduced into the primary combustion chamber 26.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the estimation unit 55 was described as estimating the combustion state inside the incinerator 10 based on the combustion image and temperature. However, when the estimation unit 55 estimates the combustion state based on brightness and temperature, it may also correct the brightness with a corrected brightness obtained by correcting the air ratio in the rotating stoker, or / or correct the temperature with a corrected temperature obtained by correcting the brightness of a specific part of the image taken of a specific part of the post-combustion stage (the brightness of a specific part of the image that shows post-combustion).

[0070] Depending on the air-fuel ratio within the rotating stoker, the flame may expand or contract. Specifically, a high air-fuel ratio causes the flame to expand, while a low air-fuel ratio causes it to contract. As a result, a high air-fuel ratio leads to an increase in brightness, leading to the misjudgment that combustion is occurring downstream of the actual combustion location. A low air-fuel ratio leads to a decrease in brightness, leading to the misjudgment that combustion is occurring upstream of the actual combustion location. If the system is controlled based on these incorrect judgments, it may not be possible to properly control the combustion state. Therefore, it is advisable to not correct the brightness when the air-fuel ratio in the rotating stoker is within the appropriate range, including the desired value (ideal value), and to correct the brightness to increase it (positive correction) when the air-fuel ratio in the rotating stoker is below the lower limit of the appropriate range. On the other hand, it is advisable to correct the brightness to decrease it (negative correction) when the air-fuel ratio in the rotating stoker is above the upper limit of the appropriate range. Furthermore, when performing positive and negative corrections, it is advisable to set the correction values ​​used for the correction in stages according to the air-fuel ratio in the rotating stoker. In this case, it is preferable to determine the combustion state using a short-term moving average and a long-term average value based on the brightness (instantaneous value) in the combustion image captured inside the primary combustion chamber 26 and the brightness corrected by a correction value set according to the air ratio (instantaneous value) described above.

[0071] Furthermore, when the material to be incinerated W that falls from the rotating stoker into the post-combustion stage (post-combustion stoker 28) ignites, the brightness of a specific part of the combustion image captured of the post-combustion stage increases. As a result, the brightness of a specific part of the combustion image captured of the post-combustion stage may have a faster response speed than the temperature in the path from the primary combustion chamber 26 to the secondary combustion chamber 27. Therefore, it is preferable to correct the temperature when the brightness of a specific part of the post-combustion stage increases. When correcting the temperature significantly (positive correction) or decreasing it (negative correction), it is preferable to set the correction value used for correction in stages according to the brightness of a specific part of the post-combustion stage. Alternatively, the combustion state may be determined by using a short-term moving average and a long-term average value based on the post-combustion upper temperature (instantaneous value) and the post-combustion upper temperature corrected by a correction value set according to the post-combustion brightness (instantaneous value). In addition, a separate combustion image acquisition unit may be provided to acquire a combustion image of the post-combustion stage. Note that the "specific portion" in the "specific portion of the combustion image captured during the post-combustion stage" described above is different from the "specific portion" in the "pre-set brightness and temperature of a specific portion in the combustion image" used by the estimation unit 55 when estimating the combustion state as described in the above embodiment. [Industrial applicability]

[0072] This invention can be used in a control device for an incinerator that burns materials to be incinerated. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0073] 10: Incinerator 26: Primary combustion chamber 27: Secondary combustion chamber 51: Combustion image acquisition unit 53:Temperature acquisition part 55: Estimation part 57: Control Unit 59: Storage section 90: Controlled object 100: Control device W: Incinerated material Z: Structure

Claims

1. A control device for an incinerator that burns materials to be incinerated and has a primary combustion chamber and a secondary combustion chamber, A combustion image acquisition unit that acquires combustion images inside the incinerator, A temperature acquisition unit that acquires the temperature in the path from the primary combustion chamber to the secondary combustion chamber, An estimation unit that estimates the combustion state inside the incinerator based on the combustion image and the temperature, A control unit controls the target of the incinerator based on the estimated combustion state, A control device for an incinerator equipped with [a specific feature / feature].

2. The combustion image is an image taken from the downstream side of the primary combustion chamber, The control device for an incinerator according to claim 1, wherein the estimation unit estimates the combustion state based on the brightness of a predetermined specific portion in the combustion image and the temperature.

3. The primary combustion chamber has a rotary stoker for the drying stage and the combustion stage, and a sequential stoker for the subsequent combustion stage. The control device for an incinerator according to claim 2, wherein the specified part is a structure of the rotating stoker in the incinerator whose position does not change in the combustion image.

4. The system further includes a storage unit that stores a map in which a predetermined combustion pattern is defined when burning the material to be incinerated based on the brightness and temperature. The control device for an incinerator according to claim 2, wherein the estimation unit estimates the combustion state by applying the brightness and temperature to the combustion pattern.

5. The control device for an incinerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control target is at least one of the amount of material to be incinerated supplied into the incinerator, the amount of forced air introduced into the primary combustion chamber, the speed at which the material to be incinerated is transported within the incinerator, and the ratio of the amount of forced air to the compartments into which the primary combustion chamber is divided.

6. The control device for an incinerator according to claim 2, wherein the combustion state includes a first combustion state in a predetermined first period and a second combustion state in a second period longer than the first period.

7. The control device for an incinerator according to claim 6, wherein the estimation unit estimates the first combustion state based on the moving average values ​​of the luminance and temperature over the first period, and estimates the second combustion state based on the average or moving average values ​​of the luminance and temperature over the second period.

8. The control target in the first period includes the amount of dust supplied to the incinerator, the speed at which the incinerator transports the material to be incinerated, and the ratio of the amount of forced air into sections that divide the primary combustion chamber into multiple sections. The control device for an incinerator according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the control target in the second period includes the amount of forced air introduced into the primary combustion chamber, the speed at which the material to be incinerated is transported within the incinerator, and the ratio of the amount of forced air to sections into which the primary combustion chamber is divided.

9. The control device for an incinerator according to claim 3, wherein the estimation unit, when estimating the combustion state based on the brightness and the temperature, uses at least one of the following: corrected brightness obtained by correcting the brightness based on the air ratio in the rotating stoker, and corrected temperature obtained by correcting the temperature based on the brightness of a specific portion of a combustion image captured of the post-combustion stage.

Images