Cleaning robot, recovery boiler, and smelt spout cleaning method

Abstract

The present invention provides a cleaning robot, a recovery boiler, and a method for cleaning a smelt spout that can thoroughly clean smelt adhering to the smelt spout. [Solution] This cleaning robot 6 comprises a cleaning member 5, robot bodies 61 and 62 including a robot arm 62 to which the cleaning member 5 is connected at its end, a position acquisition unit 7 for acquiring the position Psm of the smelt spout 4, and a control unit 8 that performs control to clean the attached smelt Smc by moving the cleaning member 5 together with the robot arm 62 based on the position of the smelt spout 4 acquired using the position acquisition unit 7.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a cleaning robot, a recovery boiler, and a method for cleaning a smelt spout.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, recovery boilers have been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a chemical recovery boiler (recovery boiler).

[0004] The chemical recovery boiler of Patent Document 1 is a boiler configured to use the heat obtained by burning black liquor generated in the pulp manufacturing process for steam generation and power generation, and to use the chemicals obtained by burning the black liquor for pulp manufacturing. Such a chemical recovery boiler includes a smelt spout and a cleaning unit. The smelt spout is a member for discharging smelt from the chemical recovery boiler to a smelt dissolver tank. Here, the smelt is a chemical such as soda (sodium) contained in the black liquor. The cleaning unit is configured to form a hot air curtain by automatically supplying high-temperature air to the base of the smelt spout. Thereby, the hot air curtain blocks the inflow of air into the chemical recovery boiler, suppressing the cooling of the smelt, and heating and melting the smelt adhering to and solidifying (semi-solidifying) on the smelt spout to remove it from the smelt spout.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the chemical recovery boiler described in Patent Document 1, it is conceivable that the smelt adhering to the smelt spout may not be sufficiently heated and melted due to the hot air curtain, resulting in insufficient cleaning of the smelt adhering to the smelt spout. Therefore, there is a need for a chemical recovery boiler (recovery boiler) that can adequately clean the smelt adhering to the smelt spout.

[0007] The invention was developed to solve the aforementioned problems and aims to provide a cleaning robot, a recovery boiler, and a smelt spout cleaning method that can thoroughly clean smelt adhering to the smelt spout. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The cleaning robot in the first phase comprises a cleaning member for cleaning a smelt spout to which smelt generated by the combustion of black liquor introduced into the boiler body has adhered; a robot body including a robot arm to which the cleaning member is connected at its end; a position acquisition unit for acquiring the position of the smelt spout; and a control unit that performs control to clean the adhering smelt spout by moving the cleaning member together with the robot arm based on the position of the smelt spout acquired using the position acquisition unit.

[0009] In the cleaning robot according to the first phase, as described above, a control unit is provided that controls the movement of a cleaning member together with the robot arm based on the position of the smelt spout acquired using a position acquisition unit, thereby cleaning the attached smelt spout. As a result, the control unit automatically moves the cleaning member together with the robot arm, allowing the cleaning member to come into contact with (for example, poke) the smelt attached to the smelt spout. Therefore, by bringing the cleaning member into contact with the smelt attached to the smelt spout, the smelt attached to the smelt spout can be peeled off. This ensures reliable removal of the smelt attached to the smelt spout compared to heating and melting the smelt attached to the smelt spout. As a result, the smelt attached to the smelt spout can be thoroughly cleaned. In addition, by automatically cleaning the smelt attached to the smelt spout using a cleaning robot, the workload of the operator can be reduced.

[0010] The recovery boiler in the second phase comprises a boiler body, a black liquor inlet for introducing black liquor into the boiler body, a smelt spout through which smelt generated by the combustion of the black liquor introduced into the boiler body flows, a cleaning member for cleaning the smelt-covered smelt spout, a robot body including a robot arm to which the cleaning member is connected at its end, a position acquisition unit for acquiring the position of the smelt spout, and a cleaning robot including a control unit that performs control to clean the smelt spout by moving the cleaning member together with the robot arm based on the position of the smelt spout acquired using the position acquisition unit.

[0011] In the recovery boiler according to the second phase, as described above, a control unit is provided that controls the cleaning of the smelt spout by moving a cleaning member together with a robot arm based on the position of the smelt spout acquired using a position acquisition unit. As a result, the control unit automatically moves the cleaning member together with the robot arm, making it possible to bring the cleaning member into contact with (for example, poke) the smelt adhering to the smelt spout. Therefore, the smelt adhering to the smelt spout can be peeled off the smelt spout. This ensures that the smelt adhering to the smelt spout can be reliably removed compared to heating and melting the smelt adhering to the smelt spout. As a result, a recovery boiler capable of thoroughly cleaning the smelt adhering to the smelt spout can be provided.

[0012] The third phase of the smelt spout cleaning method comprises the steps of: acquiring the position of the smelt spout through which smelt, generated by the combustion of black liquor introduced into the boiler body, flows using a position acquisition unit; and cleaning the smelt spout by moving a cleaning member together with a robot arm based on the acquired position of the smelt spout.

[0013] In the third phase of the smelt spout cleaning method, as described above, a step is provided in which the smelt spout is cleaned by moving a cleaning member together with a robot arm based on the acquired position of the smelt spout. This allows the cleaning member to automatically move together with the robot arm, bringing it into contact with (for example, poking) the smelt adhering to the smelt spout. Therefore, the smelt adhering to the smelt spout can be peeled off. This ensures reliable removal of the smelt adhering to the smelt spout compared to heating and melting the smelt adhering to the smelt spout. As a result, a smelt spout cleaning method that can sufficiently clean the smelt adhering to the smelt spout can be provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to this disclosure, as described above, the smelt adhering to the smelt spout can be thoroughly cleaned. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This figure shows the area around the smelt spout of the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a plan view showing multiple cleaning robots for a recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the smelt spout of the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a side view showing the cleaning member of the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area where the cleaning robot and smelt spout of the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment are located. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the control unit of the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing the state in which smelt has adhered to the smelt spout of the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view showing the measurement of the Z-direction displacement of the part to be positioned in the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view showing the measurement of the Z-direction displacement of the part to be positioned in the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view showing the measurement of the Y-direction displacement of the part to be positioned in the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional view showing the measurement of the Y-direction displacement of the part to be positioned in the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view showing the measurement of the X-direction displacement of the part to be positioned in the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13]It is a cross-sectional view showing the measurement of the displacement amount in the X direction of the position acquisition target portion in the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a plan view showing the cleaning of the inner peripheral surface of the smelt spout in the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a cross-sectional view showing the cleaning of the inner peripheral surface of the smelt spout in the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 16] It is a plan view showing the cleaning of the interface portion of the smelt spout in the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 17] It is a plan view showing the cleaning of the end face of the smelt spout in the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 18] It is a cross-sectional view showing the cleaning of the end face of the smelt spout in the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 19] It is a plan view showing the cleaning of the inner surface of the smelt inlet of the smelt spout in the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 20] It is a cross-sectional view showing the cleaning of the inner surface of the smelt inlet of the smelt spout in the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 21] It is a flowchart showing the method for cleaning the smelt spout performed in the control unit of the recovery boiler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 22] It is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cleaning robot of the recovery boiler and the location where the smelt spout is arranged according to the second embodiment. [Figure 23] It is a perspective view showing the measurement of the displacement amount in the Z direction of the position acquisition target portion in the recovery boiler according to the second embodiment. [Figure 24] It is a perspective view showing the measurement of the displacement amount in the Y direction of the position acquisition target portion in the recovery boiler according to the second embodiment. [Figure 25] It is a perspective view showing the measurement of the displacement amount in the X direction of the position acquisition target portion in the recovery boiler according to the second embodiment. [Figure 26] It is a side view showing the cleaning member of the recovery boiler according to the modified examples of the first and second embodiments. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0017] [First Embodiment] The configuration of the recovery boiler 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 21.

[0018] (Overall configuration of the recovery boiler) As shown in Figure 1, the recovery boiler 100 is configured to burn black liquor generated during pulp production. The heat obtained by burning black liquor in the recovery boiler 100 is used for steam generation and power generation. The chemicals obtained by burning black liquor in the recovery boiler 100 are used in pulp production. Here, the recovery boiler 100 is configured to recover chemicals (smelt Sm) such as soda (sodium) contained in the black liquor.

[0019] In other words, the recovery boiler 100 comprises a boiler body 1, a black liquor input section 2, a smelt recovery tank 3, a smelt spout 4, a cleaning member 5, a cleaning robot 6, a position acquisition section 7, and a control unit 8.

[0020] Here, the vertical direction is defined as the Z direction, the upward direction as the Z1 direction, and the downward direction as the Z2 direction. In the direction perpendicular to the Z direction, the direction in which the boiler body 1 and the cleaning robot 6 are aligned is defined as the X direction, the direction on the boiler body 1 side of the X direction is defined as the X1 direction, and the direction on the cleaning robot 6 side of the X direction is defined as the X2 direction. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction is defined as the Y direction, one of the Y directions is defined as the Y1 direction, and the other of the Y directions is defined as the Y2 direction.

[0021] The boiler body 1 is configured to receive (inject) black liquor into the interior from the black liquor inlet 2 and burn the black liquor. The boiler body 1 includes a combustion furnace 11. The combustion furnace 11 is made of a heat-resistant material. A charvet Ch is formed on the bottom surface of the combustion furnace 11 by the injected black liquor. The combustion furnace 11 has a side wall 11a, a bottom wall 11b, and an outlet 11c. The side wall 11a is rectangular in shape when viewed from above. An opening 11d is formed in the side wall 11a where the black liquor inlet 2 is located. The bottom wall 11b is configured to close the lower end (the end on the Z2 direction side) of the side wall 11a. The outlet 11c is formed in the portion of the side wall 11a on the X2 direction side, on the Z1 direction side than the bottom wall 11b. The outlet 11c penetrates the side wall 11a in the X direction. The discharge port 11c is an opening for discharging smelt generated by the combustion of black liquor.

[0022] The black liquor inlet section 2 is configured to inject black liquor into the boiler body 1. The black liquor inlet section 2 includes, for example, a nozzle for spraying black liquor.

[0023] The smelt recovery tank 3 is a container for recovering smelt that has been discharged from the outlet 11c and flowed through the smelt spout 4. The smelt recovery tank 3 is located on the X2 side of the boiler body 1 and is installed below the floor Fr (Z2 side). The smelt recovery tank 3 is located below the cleaning robot 6 (Z2 side).

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the opening 3a above the smelt recovery tank 3 (in the Z1 direction) is shielded by a shielding member 101. An opening 101a is formed on the side of the shielding member 101 in the X2 direction. The cleaning member 5 is moved by the cleaning robot 6 through the opening 101a to the smelt spout 4. The robot arm 62 of the cleaning robot 6 can also pass through openings 101a and 3a.

[0025] (Smelt spout) As shown in Figure 1, the smelt spout 4 is a component through which smelt Sm, generated by the combustion of black liquor introduced into the boiler body 1, flows. High-temperature (800°C to 900°C) smelt Sm flows through the smelt spout 4. For this reason, a cooling water channel (not shown) is formed inside the smelt spout 4 through which cooling water flows in order to maintain the temperature of the smelt spout 4 at approximately 70°C. As a result, the temperature of the smelt spout 4 is maintained at a nearly constant level, thereby suppressing deformation of the smelt spout 4 caused by the high-temperature smelt Sm.

[0026] The base end (the end on the X1 direction) of the smelt spout 4 is attached to the side wall 11a so that the outlet 11c and the smelt inlet 43b are in communication. The tip (the end on the X2 direction) of the smelt spout 4 is located inside the smelt recovery tank 3. The smelt spout 4 is inclined downward (towards the Z2 direction) towards the tip. As shown in Figure 2, multiple (four) such smelt spouts 4 are attached to the boiler body 1. The multiple smelt spouts 4 are arranged in a line in the Y direction. Note that there may be one to three or five or more smelt spouts 4.

[0027] Let's explain Smelt Spout 4 in more detail.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the smelt spout 4 includes a mounting plate 41, a position acquisition target portion 42, and a trough portion 43.

[0029] The mounting plate 41 is a component for attaching the position acquisition target portion 42 and the trough portion 43 to the boiler body 1. The mounting plate 41 is a metal plate-shaped component. The position acquisition target portion 42 and the trough portion 43 are fixed to the mounting plate 41. The mounting plate 41 is also attached to the boiler body 1 by fastening members (not shown). The mounting plate 41 has an opening 41a formed to match the position of the discharge port 11c of the boiler body 1. The opening 41a and the discharge port 11c are in communication in the X direction.

[0030] The position acquisition target portion 42 is a cylindrical member that protrudes from the mounting plate 41 in the X2 direction. The position acquisition target portion 42 is positioned above the opening 41a (in the Z1 direction) to prevent smelt Sm from adhering to it. The position acquisition target portion 42 is the part that is detected for the purpose of acquiring the position of the spout by the position acquisition unit 7. The position Pc of the center point of the tip surface of the position acquisition target portion 42 in the X2 direction is the part that is detected using the position acquisition unit 7.

[0031] The gutter section 43 has a U-shape that is open upwards (towards the Z1 direction) when viewed from the X2 direction. The gutter section 43 slopes downwards (towards the Z2 direction) as it approaches the X2 direction.

[0032] The trough section 43 has an inner circumferential surface 43a, a smelt inlet 43b, a smelt outlet 43c, an interface section 43e, and an end face 43d. The inner circumferential surface 43a is the U-shaped inner surface of the trough section 43. The smelt inlet 43b is the opening on the X1 direction side of the trough section 43. That is, the smelt inlet 43b is the opening at the base end of the smelt spout 4. The smelt inlet 43b communicates with the opening 41a and the outlet 11c in the X direction. The smelt outlet 43c is the opening on the X2 direction side of the trough section 43. That is, the smelt inlet 43b is the opening at the tip of the smelt spout 4. The interface section 43e is the portion of the inner circumferential surface 43a of the smelt spout 4 that includes the interface with the liquid surface of the smelt Sm and the vicinity of the interface. The end face 43d is the outer circumferential surface around the smelt outlet 43c at the tip of the smelt spout 4. The end face 43d is the outer circumferential surface around the tip surface of the trough 43 on the X2 direction side.

[0033] (Cleaning components) The cleaning member 5 is a member that cleans the smelt Sm adhering to the smelt spout 4. The cleaning member 5 is a metal member. Here, the smelt Sm flowing through the smelt spout 4 is cooled by the smelt spout 4 and the outside air, solidifying (or partially solidifying) and adhering to the smelt spout 4. The cleaning member 5 is a member that peels off the solidified smelt Sm adhering to the smelt spout 4 by contacting (poking) it. The peeled-off smelt Sm is carried into the smelt recovery tank 3 by the flow of smelt Sm flowing through the smelt spout 4.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, the cleaning member 5 includes a rod-shaped portion 51, a flange portion 52, and a plurality of fastening members 53.

[0035] The rod-shaped portion 51 is the tapered rod-shaped part of the cleaning member 5. The rod-shaped portion 51 is the part that contacts (pokes) the smelt Sm that has solidified on the cleaning member 5 and adhered to the smelt spout 4. The flange portion 52 is provided at the base end of the rod-shaped portion 51. The flange portion 52 is a plate-like portion that protrudes from the rod-shaped portion 51 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rod-shaped portion 51. The flange portion 52 has an insertion hole into which a fastening member 53 is inserted. The number of insertion holes corresponds to the number of fastening members 53. Each of the multiple fastening members 53 is a member for fixing the cleaning member 5 to the cleaning robot 6. Each of the multiple fastening members 53 is a member for fastening and fixing the flange portion 62e, which will be described later and is provided at the tip of the robot arm 62 of the cleaning robot 6, to the flange portion 52 of the cleaning member 5.

[0036] In this manner, the cleaning component 5 is attached to each of the multiple cleaning robots 6.

[0037] (Cleaning robot) As shown in Figure 5, the cleaning robot 6 is a robot that cleans the smelt Sm adhering to the smelt spout 4 by moving the cleaning member 5. Specifically, the cleaning robot 6 includes a joint 61, a robot arm 62, and a trolley 63. Note that the configuration including the joint 61 and the robot arm 62 is an example of the "robot body" in the claims.

[0038] The joint 61 has a drive source such as a motor and a reduction mechanism. A robot arm 62 is attached to the joint 61. The robot arm 62 includes an arm portion 62a, a joint portion 62b, a joint portion 62c, an arm portion 62d, and a flange portion 62e. The arm portion 62a is rotatably attached to the joint 61. The joint portion 62c is rotatably attached to the joint portion 62b. The joint 62b has a drive source such as a motor and a reduction mechanism. The arm portion 62d is rotatably attached to the joint portion 62c. The flange portion 62e is rotatably attached to the arm portion 62d. The flange portion 62e has a drive source such as a motor and a reduction mechanism. As described above, the flange portion 52 of the cleaning member 5 is fixed to the flange portion 62e. In this way, the cleaning member 5 is connected to the flange portion 62e, which is the end of the robot arm 62.

[0039] The trolley 63 is configured for moving the cleaning robot 6 on the floor Fr. The cleaning robot 6 and the control unit 8 are mounted on the trolley 63.

[0040] The cleaning robot 6 has a three-dimensional robot coordinate system for performing various controls. The reference position Pr of this three-dimensional robot coordinate system is, for example, the rotation center position of the upper end (the end on the Z1 direction side) of the joint 61. The driving control of the cleaning robot 6 is performed using this three-dimensional robot coordinate system.

[0041] In this configuration, the cleaning robot 6 is positioned, when viewed from above (Z1 direction), at a location offset in the Y direction relative to the center line of the smelt spout 4, which is parallel to the X direction (see Figure 2). From this Y-off position, the cleaning robot 6 moves the cleaning member 5 together with the robot arm 62 to clean the smelt Sm adhering to the smelt spout 4.

[0042] (Position acquisition part) As shown in Figure 5, the position acquisition unit 7 is configured to acquire the position of the smelt spout 4 when the cleaning robot 6 cleans the smelt spout 4. The position acquisition unit 7 is, for example, a laser measuring unit including a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit. The position acquisition unit 7 is attached to the side of the flange portion 62e. The position acquisition unit 7 rotates and moves linearly together with the flange portion 62e by the robot arm 62. The position acquisition unit 7 is configured to measure the distance from the side of the flange portion 62e to the object. This makes it possible to acquire the three-dimensional position of the object in the robot coordinate system based on the reference position Pr, the dimensions of the robot arm 62, the distance from the side of the flange portion 62e to the object measured by the position acquisition unit 7, and the inclination (rotation angle) of the position acquisition unit 7 (flange portion 62e).

[0043] (Control unit and memory unit) As shown in Figure 6, the control unit 8 controls the operation of the cleaning robot 6. The control unit 8 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), non-volatile memory, and a storage unit 81. The control unit 8 controls the cleaning robot 6 by executing a program stored in the memory via the CPU. The storage unit 81 is a storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage unit 81 stores the reference position Pr, the dimensions of the robot arm 62, dimensions including design values ​​such as the length and depth of the smelt spout 4, the teaching positions Pt1 and Pt2 of the smelt spout 4, and the position Psm of the smelt spout 4.

[0044] The dimensions of the smelt spout 4, including design values ​​such as length and depth, are either design values ​​from drawings or measured values ​​taken by the operator. The teaching positions Pt1 and Pt2 of the smelt spout 4 are the three-dimensional positions of the smelt spout 4 in the robot coordinate system, obtained by the operator operating the cleaning robot 6. Teaching position Pt1 is, for example, the position of the upper end on the Y2 side of the tip on the X2 side of the trough portion 43 of the smelt spout 4. Teaching position Pt2 is, for example, the position of the upper end on the Y1 side of the tip on the X2 side of the trough portion 43 of the smelt spout 4. Note that the positions of teaching positions Pt1 and Pt2 may be positions other than those described above.

[0045] The position Psm of the smelt spout 4 is obtained based on a reference position Pr, the dimensions of the robot arm 62, dimensions including design values ​​such as the length and depth of the smelt spout 4, and the taught positions Pt1 and Pt2 of the smelt spout 4. The position Psm of the smelt spout 4 includes multiple three-dimensional positions in the robot coordinate system, such as the mounting plate 41, the position acquisition target portion 42, the inner circumferential surface 43a of the trough 43, the smelt inlet 43b of the trough 43, the smelt outlet 43c of the trough 43, the interface 43e of the trough 43, and the end face 43d of the trough 43.

[0046] (Cleaning the smelt spout) Referring to Figures 7 to 20, the cleaning of the smelt spout in the first embodiment will be described below.

[0047] As shown in Figure 7, the smelt Sm flowing through the smelt spout 4 is cooled and solidified (or partially solidified) by both the smelt spout 4 and the outside air, and adheres to the smelt spout 4. This smelt adhering to the smelt spout 4 is referred to as adhering smelt Smc. If the adhering smelt Smc is not removed, it is possible that the adhering smelt Smc may clog the trough 43 or block the smelt inlet 43b of the trough 43. For this reason, the cleaning robot 6 moves the cleaning member 5 to clean the adhering smelt Smc. Note that the adhering smelt Smc is an example of "adhered smelt" in the claims.

[0048] In the first embodiment, the cleaning of the adhering smelt Smc is performed without contact with the smelt spout 4. To achieve this non-contact cleaning, first, the position of the smelt spout 4 is obtained, as shown in Figures 8 to 13. That is, the boiler body 1 deforms due to the heat generated by the combustion of black liquor. This deformation occurs due to the temperature change of the boiler body 1 caused by the heat. In addition, the smelt spout 4 attached to the boiler body 1 is displaced along with this deformation, so it is necessary to obtain the three-dimensional position of the smelt spout 4 after displacement. This acquisition of the three-dimensional position is performed on the smelt spout 4 when the temperature of the boiler body 1 has reached the operating temperature after startup is complete.

[0049] First, as shown in Figure 8, the operator operates the cleaning robot 6 to drive the joint 61 and robot arm 62 of the cleaning robot 6, thereby moving the position acquisition unit 7 to the home position Ph along with the robot arm 62. The position acquisition unit 7 is then used to acquire the teaching positions Pt1 and Pt2, which are stored in the storage unit 81. The home position Ph is a position where the X, Y, Z coordinates and rotation angle of the flange portion 62e in the robot coordinate system are pre-set. The control unit 8 performs control to calculate the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 in the robot coordinate system based on the reference position Pr, the dimensions of the robot arm 62, the dimensions including design values ​​such as the length and depth of the smelt spout 4, and the teaching positions Pt1 and Pt2 of the smelt spout 4. The calculated position Psm of the smelt spout 4 is stored in the storage unit 81.

[0050] The control unit 8 then controls the cleaning robot 6 to clean the smelt spout 4 after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of operation of the recovery boiler 100. The predetermined time is, for example, about 1 hour, but it may also be about 2 hours or about 10 minutes. At this time, the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 is reacquired because the smelt spout 4 has been displaced.

[0051] (Smelt spout position acquisition control) An example of position acquisition control performed by the control unit 8, which acquires the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 that is displaced due to the deformation of the boiler body 1 caused by heat, will be explained with reference to Figures 8 to 13. In this position acquisition control, the control unit 8 performs control to acquire the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 that is displaced due to the deformation of the boiler body 1 caused by heat, in three mutually orthogonal axes: the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis, based on the position of the position acquisition target portion 42 acquired by the position acquisition unit 7.

[0052] Specifically, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the control unit 8 moves the flange portion 62e of the robot arm 62 to the home position Ph. While rotating the flange portion 62e in the Z2 direction relative to the position acquisition target portion 42 (see Figure 9), the control unit 8 measures the distance and angle between the tip surface of the position acquisition target portion 42 and the position acquisition unit 7, as measured by the position acquisition unit 7. As a result, the control unit 8 performs control to calculate the distance in the Z direction from the position where the distance becomes shorter to the position where the distance becomes longer as the length in the Z direction of the tip surface of the position acquisition target portion 42.

[0053] Next, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the control unit 8 moves the flange portion 62e of the robot arm 62 to the home position Ph. While rotating the flange portion 62e in the Y2 direction relative to the position acquisition target portion 42 (see Figure 11), the control unit 8 measures the distance and angle between the tip surface of the position acquisition target portion 42 and the position acquisition unit 7, as measured by the position acquisition unit 7. As a result, the control unit 8 performs control to calculate the distance in the Y direction from the position where the distance becomes shorter to the position where the distance becomes longer, as the length in the Y direction of the tip surface of the position acquisition target portion 42.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, the control unit 8 moves the flange portion 62e of the robot arm 62 to the home position Ph. While rotating the flange portion 62e in the X1 direction relative to the position acquisition target portion 42 (see Figure 12), the control unit 8 measures the distance and angle between the Z1-side surface of the position acquisition target portion 42, as measured by the position acquisition unit 7, and the position acquisition unit 7. Based on this, the control unit 8 performs control to calculate the distance in the X direction from the position where the distance becomes shorter to the position where the distance no longer changes, as the X-direction length of the Z1-side surface of the position acquisition target portion 42.

[0055] Based on these, the control unit 8 controls the acquisition of the 3-axis position of the position acquisition target portion 42 based on the length in the Z direction of the tip surface of the position acquisition target portion 42, the length in the Y direction of the tip surface of the position acquisition target portion 42, and the length in the X direction of the surface on the Z1 direction side of the position acquisition target portion 42. The control unit 8 then controls the acquisition of the 3-axis displacement amount of the smelt spout 4 based on the difference between the 3-axis position of the position acquisition target portion 42 in the robot coordinate system stored in the memory unit 81 and the acquired 3-axis position of the position acquisition target portion 42 in the robot coordinate system.

[0056] The control unit 8 performs control to acquire the corrected position of the smelt spout 4 based on the acquired displacement amounts of the three axes. Specifically, the control unit 8 performs control to acquire two post-displacement positions by adding (or subtracting) the acquired displacement amounts of the three axes to the respective taught positions Pt1 and Pt2 of the smelt spout 4. The control unit 8 performs control to calculate the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 in the robot coordinate system based on the reference position Pr, the dimensions of the robot arm 62, the dimensions of the smelt spout 4 including design values ​​such as length and depth, and the two post-displacement positions. The calculated position Psm of the smelt spout 4 is stored in the storage unit 81. This corrects (updates) the position Psm of the smelt spout 4.

[0057] Here, when cleaning the attached smelt Smc is performed multiple times, the control unit 8 performs control to acquire the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 using the position acquisition unit 7 each time cleaning is performed on one of the smelt spouts 4 (each time the attached smelt Smc is cleaned). In other words, the control unit 8 performs control to correct the position of the smelt spout 4 based on the acquired displacement amounts of the three axes of the smelt spout 4.

[0058] (Smelt spout cleaning control) Next, as shown in Figures 14 to 20, after correcting the position Psm of the smelt spout 4, the smelt spout 4 is cleaned. That is, the control unit 8 controls the cleaning member 5 to move together with the robot arm 62 to clean the attached smelt spout 4 based on the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 acquired using the position acquisition unit 7. During this cleaning, the control unit 8 controls the cleaning member 5 to move non-contact at a position away from the surface of the smelt spout 4 based on the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 acquired using the position acquisition unit 7.

[0059] The control unit 8 controls the smelt spout 4 to clean the smelt spout 4 by moving the cleaning member 5 non-contactly over the portion through which the smelt Sm flows. Here, cleaning is performed on at least one of the inner circumferential surface 43a, interface portion 43e, end face 43d, and smelt inlet 43b. In the following description, we will describe the case where cleaning is performed on all of the inner circumferential surface 43a, interface portion 43e, end face 43d, and smelt inlet 43b.

[0060] (Cleaning the inner surface) As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the control unit 8 controls the movement of the cleaning member 5 to clean the smelt spout 4 by moving it non-contact with respect to the inner circumferential surface 43a of the smelt spout 4, based on the position Psm of the smelt spout 4, including the U-shaped inner circumferential surface 43a, which is acquired using the position acquisition unit 7.

[0061] Specifically, the control unit 8 positions the tip of the cleaning member 5 at a predetermined distance from the acquired three-dimensional position of the inner circumferential surface 43a of the smelt spout 4, and controls the movement of the cleaning member 5 along the cleaning path Rtc1 with the robot arm 62. The predetermined distance is, for example, about 20 mm, but is not limited to this distance. The cleaning path Rtc1 is, for example, a path that moves from the X2 direction towards the X1 direction while meandering in the Y1 and Y2 directions relative to the inner circumferential surface 43a.

[0062] (Cleaning of the interface) As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the control unit 8 controls the cleaning of the smelt spout 4 by moving the cleaning member 5 non-contactually to the respective interface portions 43e on the Y1 and Y2 directions of the smelt spout 4, based on the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 acquired by the position acquisition unit 7.

[0063] Specifically, the control unit 8 positions the tip of the cleaning member 5 at a predetermined distance from the three-dimensional positions of the interfaces 43e on the Y1 and Y2 sides of the acquired smelt spout 4, and controls the movement of the cleaning member 5 together with the robot arm 62 along the cleaning path Rtc2 along the interfaces 43e on the Y1 and Y2 sides. The predetermined distance is, for example, about 20 mm, but is not limited to this distance. The cleaning path Rtc2 is, for example, a path that moves from the X2 direction towards the X1 direction while meandering in the Y1 and Y2 directions relative to the interfaces 43e.

[0064] (Cleaning the end faces) As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the control unit 8 controls the cleaning of the smelt spout 4 by moving the cleaning member 5 non-contactually to the end face 43d of the smelt spout 4, based on the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 acquired by the position acquisition unit 7.

[0065] Specifically, the control unit 8 positions the tip of the cleaning member 5 at a predetermined distance from the acquired three-dimensional position of the end face 43d of the smelt spout 4, and controls the movement of the cleaning member 5 along the cleaning path Rtc3 with the robot arm 62. The predetermined distance is, for example, about 20 mm, but is not limited to this distance. The cleaning path Rtc3 is, for example, a path that moves from the Y1 direction to the Y2 direction while meandering in the Z1 and Z2 directions relative to the end face 43d.

[0066] (Cleaning of the smelt inlet) As shown in Figures 19 and 20, the control unit 8 controls the cleaning of the smelt spout 4 by moving the cleaning member 5 non-contacting the inner surface of the smelt inlet 43b of the smelt spout 4, based on the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 acquired by the position acquisition unit 7.

[0067] Specifically, the control unit 8 positions the tip of the cleaning member 5 at a predetermined distance from the acquired three-dimensional position on the inner surface of the smelt inlet 43b of the smelt spout 4, and controls the movement of the cleaning member 5 together with the robot arm 62 along the cleaning path Rtc4 with its end face 43d facing upward. The predetermined distance is, for example, about 20 mm, but is not limited to this distance. The cleaning path Rtc4 is, for example, a path that moves from the X2 direction to the X1 direction relative to the inner surface of the smelt inlet 43b.

[0068] (Smelt spout cleaning treatment) Referring to Figure 21, the smelt spout cleaning process by the control unit 8 will be described. Note that the smelt spout cleaning process is an example of the "smelt spout cleaning method" in the claims.

[0069] In step S1, the position of the smelt spout 4 is obtained. Specifically, the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 in the robot coordinate system is calculated based on the reference position Pr, the dimensions of the robot arm 62, the dimensions of the smelt spout 4 including design values ​​such as length and depth, and the taught positions Pt1 and Pt2 of the smelt spout 4 (see Figure 8). The calculated position Psm of the smelt spout 4 is stored in the storage unit 81.

[0070] In step S2, the memory unit 81 acquires the displacement amounts of the three axes of the smelt spout (the position of the three axes of the smelt spout 4) between the previously cleaned smelt spout position (the position of the three axes of the smelt spout 4) stored in the memory unit 81. The displacement amount of the three axes of the smelt spout 4 is obtained from the difference between the position of the acquired position target part 42 in the robot coordinate system and the position of the acquired position target part 42 in the robot coordinate system (see Figures 8 to 13).

[0071] Step S2 is a step in which the displacement amount of the smelt spout 4, through which smelt Sm generated by the combustion of black liquor introduced into the boiler body 1 flows, is acquired using the position acquisition unit 7.

[0072] In step S3, the position of the smelt spout 4 is corrected. Specifically, the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 in the robot coordinate system is calculated based on the acquired 3-axis displacement, the reference position Pr, the dimensions of the robot arm 62, the dimensions of the smelt spout 4 including design values ​​such as length and depth, and the taught positions Pt1 and Pt2 of the smelt spout 4. This corrects (updates) the position Psm of the smelt spout 4.

[0073] In step S4, cleaning of the smelt spout 4 is initiated. Based on the position Psm of the smelt spout 4, the cleaning member 5 moves non-contact at a position away from the surface of the smelt spout 4. Cleaning is performed on at least one of the inner circumferential surface 43a, interface portion 43e, end face 43d, and smelt inlet 43b.

[0074] Step S4 is the step of cleaning the smelt spout 4 by moving the cleaning member 5 together with the robot arm 62 based on the acquired position Psm of the smelt spout 4.

[0075] After step S4, the smelt spout cleaning process is completed.

[0076] (Effects of the first embodiment) In the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0077] In the first embodiment, as described above, the recovery boiler 100 includes a control unit 8 that controls the cleaning of the smelt spout 4 by moving the cleaning member 5 together with the robot arm 62 based on the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 acquired using the position acquisition unit 7. As a result, the control unit 8 automatically moves the cleaning member 5 together with the robot arm 62, allowing the cleaning member 5 to come into contact with (for example, poke) the attached smelt Smc. Therefore, by bringing the cleaning member 5 into contact with the attached smelt Smc, the attached smelt Smc can be peeled off the smelt spout 4. This ensures that the attached smelt Smc can be reliably removed from the smelt spout 4 compared to heating and melting the attached smelt Smc. As a result, the attached smelt Smc can be sufficiently cleaned from the smelt spout 4. In addition, by automatically cleaning the attached smelt Smc from the smelt spout 4 using the cleaning robot 6, the workload on the operator can be reduced.

[0078] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as described above, the control unit 8 controls the movement of the cleaning member 5 at a position away from the surface of the smelt spout 4, based on the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 acquired using the position acquisition unit 7, in a non-contact manner. This allows the cleaning member 5 to contact (poke) the attached smelt Smc without the cleaning member 5 coming into contact with the smelt spout 4, thus suppressing the increase in load on the smelt spout 4 caused by the cleaning member 5 coming into contact with the smelt spout 4, compared to the case where the cleaning member 5 directly contacts the smelt spout 4. In addition, when an operator cleans the smelt spout 4, it is not easy to perform non-contact cleaning work because the operator has difficulty visually inspecting the smelt spout 4. However, by using the robot arm 62, the cleaning position can be accurately controlled, making it easy to perform non-contact cleaning work on the smelt spout 4.

[0079] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as described above, the control unit 8 controls the movement of the cleaning member 5 in the portion of the smelt spout 4 through which the smelt Sm flows, thereby cleaning the smelt spout 4. As a result, the adhering smelt Smc that has been removed by contact (poking) with the cleaning member 5 can be discharged from the smelt spout 4, so that the flow of smelt Sm in the smelt spout 4 is not obstructed by the adhering smelt Smc.

[0080] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as described above, when cleaning the attached smelt Smc multiple times, the control unit 8 performs control to acquire the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 using the position acquisition unit 7 each time cleaning is performed on one of the smelt spouts 4. This allows the cleaning member 5 to clean the attached smelt Smc based on the accurate position Psm of the smelt spout 4, so that the cleaning member 5 can be accurately moved relative to the smelt spout 4 while cleaning the attached smelt Smc.

[0081] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as described above, the position acquisition unit 7 is configured to acquire the position of the target portion 42 of the smelt spout 4. The control unit 8 performs control to acquire the position Psm of the smelt spout 4, which is displaced in the three mutually orthogonal axes of the X, Y, and Z axes, based on the center position Pc of the target portion 42 acquired using the position acquisition unit 7, due to the deformation of the boiler body 1 caused by heat. As a result, by acquiring the displacement of the smelt spout 4 in the three axes of the X, Y, and Z based on the center position Pc of the target portion 42, the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 can be acquired more easily than when the deformation of the entire smelt spout 4 is acquired and the displacement of the smelt spout 4 in the three axes of the X, Y, and Z is acquired.

[0082] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as described above, the recovery boiler 100 includes a storage unit 81 that stores the center position Pc of the position acquisition target portion 42 acquired using the position acquisition unit 7. The control unit 8 performs control to acquire the displacement amount of the three axes of the smelt spout 4 based on the difference between the three axis positions of the position acquisition target portion 42 acquired using the position acquisition unit 7 and the three axis positions of the position acquisition target portion 42 stored in the storage unit 81. As a result, by simply calculating the difference between the three axis positions of the position acquisition target portion 42, the displacement amount of the three axes of the smelt spout 4 can be acquired more easily than when the deformation of the entire smelt spout 4 is acquired and the displacement amount of the three axes is acquired.

[0083] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as described above, the control unit 8 performs control to acquire the corrected position Psm of the smelt spout 4 based on the acquired displacement amounts of the three axes. This allows the smelt spout 4 to be cleaned using the accurate three-dimensional position Psm of the smelt spout 4, so that the cleaning member 5 can be moved more accurately relative to the smelt spout 4 while cleaning the attached smelt Smc.

[0084] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as described above, the control unit 8 controls the non-contact movement of the cleaning member 5 to clean the smelt spout 4 based on the position Psm of the smelt spout 4, which includes the U-shaped inner surface 43a, obtained using the position acquisition unit 7. This control is performed on at least one of the following: the inner surface 43a of the smelt spout 4, the interface portion 43e (interface and near the interface) of the inner surface 43a of the smelt spout 4 with the liquid surface of the smelt, the end face 43d around the smelt outlet 43c at the tip of the smelt spout 4, and the inner surface of the smelt inlet 43b at the base end of the smelt spout 4. This allows for non-contact cleaning of the adhering smelt Smc on any of the following surfaces: the inner circumferential surface 43a of the smelt spout 4, the interface 43e of the smelt spout 4 (the interface and its vicinity), the end face 43d of the smelt spout 4, and the inner surface of the smelt inlet 43b of the smelt spout 4.

[0085] [Second Embodiment] Referring to Figures 22 to 25, the configuration of the recovery boiler 200 according to the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the part whose position is to be acquired is the position Pe of the corner of the smelt inlet 43b. In the second embodiment, detailed explanations of the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0086] (Overall configuration of the recovery boiler) As shown in Figure 22, the recovery boiler 200 comprises a boiler body 1, a black liquor input unit 2 (see Figure 1), a smelt recovery tank 3 (see Figure 1), a smelt spout 204, a cleaning member 5, a plurality of cleaning robots 6, a position acquisition unit 7, and a control unit 8.

[0087] Here, the vertical direction is defined as the Z direction, the upward direction as the Z1 direction, and the downward direction as the Z2 direction. In the direction perpendicular to the Z direction, the direction in which the boiler body 1 and the cleaning robot 6 are aligned is defined as the X direction, the direction on the boiler body 1 side of the X direction is defined as the X1 direction, and the direction on the cleaning robot 6 side of the X direction is defined as the X2 direction. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction is defined as the Y direction, one of the Y directions is defined as the Y1 direction, and the other of the Y directions is defined as the Y2 direction.

[0088] (Smelt spout) As shown in Figure 22, the smelt spout 204 includes a mounting plate 41 and a trough 43.

[0089] (Smelt spout position acquisition control) In other words, as shown in Figures 23 to 25, the control unit 8 performs control to acquire the position Psm of the smelt spout 204, which is displaced due to the deformation of the boiler body 1 caused by heat, in three mutually orthogonal axes: the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis, based on the position Pe of the corner of the opening 41a of the mounting plate 41, which is the position acquisition target portion acquired by the position acquisition unit 7. Note that the position Pe of the corner of the opening 41a of the mounting plate 41 is an example of the "position acquisition target portion" in the claims.

[0090] Specifically, as shown in Figure 22, the control unit 8 moves the flange portion 62e of the robot arm 62 to the home position Ph. While rotating the flange portion 62e in the Z2 direction relative to the opening 41a (see Figure 23), the control unit 8 measures the distance and angle between the mounting plate 41 and the position acquisition unit 7. Based on this, the control unit 8 acquires the position of the upper edge of the opening 41a of the mounting plate 41 and also performs control to acquire the distance in the Z direction to the corner position Pe, based on the position where the distance has increased.

[0091] Next, as shown in Figure 24, the control unit 8 rotates the mounting plate 41 in the Y1 direction from the acquired upper edge position, measuring the distance and angle between the mounting plate 41 and the position acquisition unit 7, as measured by the position acquisition unit 7. Based on this, the control unit 8 acquires the position Pe of the corner of the opening 41a and the distance in the Y direction to the corner position Pe, based on the position where the distance has shortened.

[0092] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 25, the control unit 8 rotates the flange portion 62e in the X1 direction from the corner position Pe, and measures the distance and angle between the Z1-side surface of the mounting plate 41, as measured by the position acquisition unit 7, and the position acquisition unit 7. Based on this, the control unit 8 performs control to calculate the X-direction distance from the position where the distance increases to the position where the distance no longer changes, as the X-direction length of the Z1-side surface of the mounting plate 41.

[0093] The control unit 8 performs control to calculate the X, Y, and Z coordinates of the corner position Pe in the robot coordinate system based on the distances in the Z, Y, and X directions from the boiler body 1 to the corner position Pe, respectively, which are acquired by the position acquisition unit 7. This acquires the three-axis position of the corner position Pe in the robot coordinate system.

[0094] The control unit 8 performs control to acquire the displacement amount of the three axes of the smelt spout 204 based on the difference between the position of the three axes in the robot coordinate system of the corner position Pe stored in the memory unit 81 and the acquired position of the three axes in the robot coordinate system of the corner position Pe.

[0095] The control unit 8 performs control to acquire the corrected position Psm of the smelt spout 204 based on the acquired displacement amounts of the three axes. Specifically, the control unit 8 performs control to acquire two post-displacement positions by adding (or subtracting) the acquired displacement amounts of the three axes to the respective taught positions Pt1 and Pt2 of the smelt spout 204. The control unit 8 performs control to calculate the position Psm of the smelt spout 204 in the robot coordinate system based on the reference position Pr, the dimensions of the robot arm 62, the dimensions of the smelt spout 204 including design values ​​such as length and depth, and the two post-displacement positions. The calculated position Psm of the smelt spout 204 is stored in the storage unit 81. This corrects (updates) the position Psm of the smelt spout 204.

[0096] (Smelt spout cleaning control) Then, similar to the first embodiment, after correcting the position Psm of the smelt spout 4, the smelt spout 204 is cleaned.

[0097] The other configurations of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0098] (Effects of the second embodiment) In the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0099] In the second embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, the recovery boiler 200 includes a control unit 8 that controls the cleaning of the smelt spout 4 by moving the cleaning member 5 together with the robot arm 62 based on the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 acquired using the position acquisition unit 7. This ensures that the attached smelt Smc is thoroughly cleaned.

[0100] Furthermore, the other effects of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, so we will omit their explanation.

[0101] [Differentiation] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the claims rather than the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (modifications) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0102] For example, in the first and second embodiments described above, the cleaning robot 6 is shown to be a vertical articulated robot, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, the cleaning robot may be a horizontal articulated robot or a parallel link robot. Furthermore, one cleaning robot may include two or more robotic arms.

[0103] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the control unit 8 (control unit) is shown to control the movement of the cleaning member 5 in a non-contact manner at a position away from the surface of the smelt spout 4 based on the acquired position Psm of the smelt spout 4, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, if the smelt is severely adhered to the smelt spout, the control unit may control the movement of the cleaning member in contact with the surface of the smelt spout based on the acquired position of the smelt spout.

[0104] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the control unit 8 was shown to perform control to acquire the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 using the position acquisition unit 7 each time the adhering smelt Smc is cleaned multiple times, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, if the amount of deformation of the boiler body is small, the control unit may perform control to acquire the position of the smelt spout once every few times instead of each time the smelt is cleaned.

[0105] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the control unit 8 is shown to perform control to acquire the position Psm of the smelt spout 4 (204) in three mutually orthogonal axes, the X, Y, and Z axes, based on the position of the position acquisition target portion 42 (Pe) acquired using the position acquisition unit 7, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, instead of the position acquisition unit which is a laser measurement unit, the control to acquire the position of the smelt spout may be performed using an optical transmitter attached to a predetermined position on the smelt spout and an optical receiver attached to a robot arm. Alternatively, the control to acquire the position of the smelt spout may be performed by acquiring the shape of the smelt spout using the distance measured by scanning with a line laser or an image captured by a camera. Alternatively, the control to acquire the position of the smelt spout may be performed by acquiring the shape of the smelt spout using the difference between the temperature of the smelt spout, the temperature of the smelt, and the temperature of the attached smelt, as measured by thermography. Furthermore, instead of the laser measurement unit, which is the position acquisition unit 7, a photoelectric sensor, an eddy current displacement sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor may be used.

[0106] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the rod-shaped portion 51 of the cleaning member 5 was shown as a tapered rod-shaped part, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, as shown in the modified example in Figure 23, the rod-shaped portion of the cleaning member may be an L-shaped rod-shaped part.

[0107] Furthermore, while the first and second embodiments described above show the cleaning member 5 contacting (poking) the adhering smelt Smc, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the cleaning member may scrape off the adhering smelt.

[0108] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, for the sake of explanation, the control processing of the control unit 8 was explained using a flow-driven flowchart that processes sequentially according to the processing flow, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, the control processing of the control unit may be performed by event-driven processing, which executes processing on an event-by-event basis. In this case, it may be performed as a completely event-driven system, or a combination of event-driven and flow-driven systems may be used.

[0109] [Pattern] The embodiments described above are specific examples of the following embodiments.

[0110] (Aspect 1) A cleaning member for cleaning the smelt spout to which smelt generated by the combustion of black liquor introduced into the boiler body has adhered, The robot body includes a robot arm to which the cleaning member is connected at its end, A position acquisition unit for acquiring the position of the aforementioned smelt spout, A cleaning robot comprising: a control unit that performs control to clean the attached smelt spout by moving the cleaning member together with the robot arm based on the position of the smelt spout acquired using the position acquisition unit.

[0111] (Aspect 2) The cleaning robot according to embodiment 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the non-contact movement of the cleaning member at a position away from the surface of the smelt spout based on the position of the smelt spout acquired using the position acquisition unit.

[0112] (Aspect 3) The cleaning robot according to embodiment 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the cleaning member to move non-contact over the portion of the smelt spout through which the smelt flows, thereby cleaning the smelt spout that has adhered to it.

[0113] (Aspect 4) The cleaning robot according to any one of embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the control unit is configured to perform control to acquire the position of the smelt spout using the position acquisition unit each time the cleaning of the adhering smelt is performed multiple times.

[0114] (Aspect 5) The position acquisition unit is configured to acquire the position of the portion of the smelt spout that is to be positioned. The cleaning robot according to any one of embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the control unit is configured to perform control to acquire the position of the smelt spout, which is displaced due to the deformation of the boiler body caused by heat, in three mutually orthogonal axes: the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis, based on the position of the position acquisition target portion acquired using the position acquisition unit.

[0115] (Aspect 6) The system further includes a storage unit that stores the position of the part to be acquired using the position acquisition unit, The cleaning robot according to embodiment 5, wherein the control unit is configured to perform control to acquire the displacement amount of the three axes of the smelt spout based on the difference between the three axis positions of the position acquisition target portion acquired using the position acquisition unit and the three axis positions of the position acquisition target portion stored in the storage unit.

[0116] (Aspect 7) The cleaning robot according to embodiment 6, wherein the control unit is configured to perform control to acquire the corrected position of the smelt spout based on the acquired displacement amounts of the three axes.

[0117] (Pattern 8) The cleaning robot according to embodiment 3, wherein the control unit is configured to control the movement of the cleaning member non-contact to at least one of the following: the inner surface of the smelt spout, the interface between the inner surface of the smelt spout and the liquid surface of the smelt, the end face around the smelt discharge port at the tip of the smelt spout, and the inner surface of the smelt inlet at the base end of the smelt spout, based on the position of the smelt spout including its U-shaped inner surface acquired using the position acquisition unit, in order to clean the smelt spout that has adhered to it.

[0118] (Aspect 9) The boiler body and The boiler body includes a black liquor inlet for introducing black liquor, A smelt spout through which smelt, generated by the combustion of black liquor introduced into the boiler body, flows, A recovery boiler comprising: a cleaning member for cleaning the smelt spout to which the smelt has adhered; a robot body including a robot arm to which the cleaning member is connected at its end; a cleaning robot including a position acquisition unit for acquiring the position of the smelt spout; and a control unit that performs control to clean the smelt spout by moving the cleaning member together with the robot arm based on the position of the smelt spout acquired using the position acquisition unit.

[0119] (Aspect 10) The recovery boiler according to embodiment 9, wherein the control unit is configured to control the non-contact movement of the cleaning member at a position away from the surface of the smelt spout based on the position of the smelt spout acquired using the position acquisition unit.

[0120] (Aspect 11) The steps include: acquiring the position of the smelt spout through which smelt, generated by the combustion of black liquor introduced into the boiler body, flows using a position acquisition unit; A method for cleaning a smelt spout, comprising the steps of cleaning the smelt spout by moving a cleaning member together with a robot arm based on the acquired position of the smelt spout.

[0121] (Aspect 12) The smelt spout cleaning method according to embodiment 11, wherein the step of cleaning the smelt spout includes the step of moving the cleaning member in a non-contact manner at a position away from the surface of the smelt spout. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0122] 1. Boiler body 2 Black liquor inlet 4,204 Smelt Spout 5 Cleaning components 6 Cleaning robots 7 Position acquisition part 8 Control Unit 9 Memory section 42. Area to be acquired 43a Inner surface (of the smelt spout) 43b Smelt Inlet 43c Smelt Drop-off 43d (end face of smelt spout) 43e Interface (interface and near the bottom surface) 62 Robot Arms 100, 200 recovery boilers Smc Adhered Smelt (Adhered Smelt)

Claims

1. A cleaning component for cleaning the smelt spout, which is contaminated with smelt generated by the combustion of black liquor introduced into the boiler body, The robot body includes a robot arm to which the cleaning member is connected at its end, A position acquisition unit for acquiring the position of the aforementioned smelt spout, A cleaning robot comprising: a control unit that performs control to clean the attached smelt spout by moving the cleaning member together with the robot arm based on the position of the smelt spout acquired using the position acquisition unit.

2. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the non-contact movement of the cleaning member at a position away from the surface of the smelt spout based on the position of the smelt spout acquired using the position acquisition unit.

3. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the cleaning member to move non-contact over the portion of the smelt spout through which the smelt flows, thereby cleaning the smelt spout that has adhered to it.

4. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to perform control to acquire the position of the smelt spout using the position acquisition unit each time the cleaning of the adhering smelt is performed multiple times.

5. The position acquisition unit is configured to acquire the position of the portion of the smelt spout that is to be positioned. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to perform control to acquire the position of the smelt spout, which is displaced due to the deformation of the boiler body caused by heat, in three mutually orthogonal axes: the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis, based on the position of the position acquisition target portion acquired using the position acquisition unit.

6. The system further includes a storage unit that stores the position of the part to be acquired using the position acquisition unit, The cleaning robot according to claim 5, wherein the control unit is configured to perform control to acquire the displacement amount of the three axes of the smelt spout based on the difference between the three axis positions of the position acquisition target portion acquired using the position acquisition unit and the three axis positions of the position acquisition target portion stored in the storage unit.

7. The cleaning robot according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is configured to perform control to acquire the corrected position of the smelt spout based on the acquired displacement amounts of the three axes.

8. The cleaning robot according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to perform control to move the cleaning member non-contactually to at least one of the following: the inner surface of the smelt spout, the interface between the inner surface of the smelt spout and the liquid surface of the smelt, the end face around the smelt discharge port at the tip of the smelt spout, and the inner surface of the smelt inlet at the base end of the smelt spout, based on the position of the smelt spout including its U-shaped inner surface obtained using the position acquisition unit, in order to clean the smelt spout that has adhered to it.

9. The boiler body and The boiler body includes a black liquor inlet for introducing black liquor, A smelt spout through which smelt, generated by the combustion of black liquor introduced into the boiler body, flows, A recovery boiler comprising: a cleaning member for cleaning the smelt spout to which the smelt has adhered; a robot body including a robot arm to which the cleaning member is connected at its end; a cleaning robot including a position acquisition unit for acquiring the position of the smelt spout; and a control unit that performs control to clean the smelt spout by moving the cleaning member together with the robot arm based on the position of the smelt spout acquired using the position acquisition unit.

10. The recovery boiler according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to control the non-contact movement of the cleaning member at a position away from the surface of the smelt spout based on the position of the smelt spout acquired using the position acquisition unit.

11. The steps include: acquiring the position of the smelt spout through which smelt, generated by the combustion of black liquor introduced into the boiler body, flows using a position acquisition unit; A method for cleaning a smelt spout, comprising the steps of cleaning the smelt spout by moving a cleaning member together with a robot arm based on the acquired position of the smelt spout.

12. The smelt spout cleaning method according to claim 11, wherein the step of cleaning the smelt spout includes the step of moving the cleaning member in a non-contact manner at a position away from the surface of the smelt spout.

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