Control device for electrostatic separation device, electrostatic separation system, control method for electrostatic separation device, and control program for electrostatic separation device

Abstract

This invention provides an electrostatic separation technology that prevents the accidental input of mixed plastics as raw materials into an electrostatic separation device. [Solution] The electrostatic sorting technology using an electrostatic sorting device, comprising a control device 301 which includes a user input acquisition unit 303 that acquires composition data entered by the user as user input, and a composition determination unit 304 that compares the user input with the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically sorted and determines whether or not the user input and the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically sorted are the same.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to control technology for electrostatic separation.

Background Art

[0002] In order to reduce the environmental load and realize a sustainable society, research and development of recycling technologies for efficiently recycling plastics contained in discarded household appliances have been carried out. Household appliances often use multiple types of plastics (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "mixed plastics"). For example, a plurality of plastics such as polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), and polystyrene (PS) are mixed. In order to recycle these multiple types of plastics, it is required to separate each plastic with high purity.

[0003] As technologies for separation, there are various ones such as a floating method using the density difference of substances and an air jet separation method using the difference in the weight of substances. The present disclosure relates to a technology for separation by electrostatic separation. Electrostatic separation is a separation technology using the charging sequence of substances. The charging sequence is an order representing the ease of charging of substances by friction.

[0004] As a document teaching such a separation technology by electrostatic separation, there is Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses a control method for controlling an electrostatic separation device using a computer, including steps of acquiring raw material data including information on raw materials input to the electrostatic separation device in time series, detecting the presence or absence of a change in the raw material state from the raw material data acquired in the time series, based on the detection of a stepwise change in the raw material state, using the raw material data acquired after the change as input data for a learning model for predicting the separation result by the electrostatic separation device, determining the separation conditions for the raw materials by the electrostatic separation device based on the input data and the learning model, and controlling the electrostatic separation device under the determined separation conditions. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7351043 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] According to the technology described in Patent Document 1, the sorting conditions for raw materials can be determined according to the raw materials newly fed into the electrostatic separator. However, there is room for improvement in that it is not possible to notify the system that the newly fed raw materials are different from the raw materials that were originally intended to be fed.

[0007] This disclosure is based on this understanding and aims to provide an electrostatic separation technology that enables the prevention of the erroneous feeding of mixed plastics as raw materials into an electrostatic separation device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the control device for an electrostatic sorting apparatus according to the embodiments of this disclosure includes a user input acquisition unit that acquires composition data entered by a user as user input, and a composition determination unit that compares the user input with the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically sorted and determines whether the user input and the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically sorted are the same. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the control device for an electrostatic separator according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, a composition determination unit is provided, so that the user can be made aware of the possibility that the raw material fed into the electrostatic separator may be different from what was expected, or that the parameters may be different. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing an example configuration of an electrostatic sorting system. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the configuration of a control device for an electrostatic sorting system. [Figure 3A] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of the control device for an electrostatic sorting system. [Figure 3B] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of the control device for an electrostatic sorting system. [Figure 4A] This figure shows an example of a display screen. [Figure 4B] This figure shows an example of a display screen. [Figure 5A] This figure shows an example of a display screen. [Figure 5B] This figure shows an example of a display screen. [Figure 6A] This figure shows an example of a display screen. [Figure 6B] This figure shows an example of a display screen. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the display screen for a quality certificate. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows an example of a control method for an electrostatic sorting device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Various embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and redundant descriptions of such parts will be omitted. In this disclosure, the term "or" is used in the sense of an inclusive OR unless otherwise stated.

[0012] The electrostatic separation technology disclosed in the present disclosure aims to prevent incorrect feeding of mixed plastics into an electrostatic separation device. More specifically, it aims to prevent incorrect feeding of mixed plastics as raw materials into the electrostatic separation device. Here, incorrect feeding means that the mixed plastics to be electrostatically separated are not the intended mixed plastics.

[0013] Embodiment 1. <Configuration> Referring to FIG. 1, a configuration example of an electrostatic separation system including a control device according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described. An electrostatic separation system is a system that separates mixed plastics into each material by using the charging sequence of a plurality of materials contained in the mixed plastics as raw materials. Examples of mixed plastics include a mixture of ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), PS (polystyrene), and PP (polypropylene), but other materials may be included in the mixed plastics. As shown in FIG. 1, the electrostatic separation system includes a feeder 101, a charging lamp 102, a vibrating feeder 103, electrodes 104, electrode 105, collection boxes 106 (A to C), identification sensors 201, identification sensor 202, a weight sensor 203, and a control device 301. In the present disclosure, the device including the feeder 101, the charging lamp 102, the vibrating feeder 103, the electrodes 104, the electrode 105, and the collection boxes 106 (A to C) will be referred to as an electrostatic separation device.

[0014] (Feeder) The feeder 101 is a device that accommodates plastic pieces (hereinafter, may be referred to as "flakes") that have been previously pulverized and dried, and supplies the accommodated flakes to the charging lamp 102 under the control of the control device 301. In FIG. 1, the case where the flakes contain ABS, PS, and PP is exemplified. The mixed plastics supplied from the feeder 101 are supplied directly to the charging lamp 102 or via a device such as a conveyor.

[0015] (Charging lamp) The flashlight 102 is a cylinder that continuously rotates at a predetermined rotational speed under the control of the control device 301. The flashlight 102 is arranged such that the rotation axis of the flashlight 102 has a gradient with respect to the horizontal. The flakes introduced into the flashlight 102 are charged by friction as the flashlight 102 rotates. The ease of charging of each material contained in the flakes varies depending on the material. When the flakes include ABS, PS, and PP, relatively, ABS is positively charged, and PS or PP is negatively charged. Since the flashlight 102 is arranged such that the rotation axis of the flashlight 102 is inclined, the charged flakes are supplied to the vibrating feeder 103.

[0016] (Vibrating feeder) The vibrating feeder 103 includes an inclined tray and, under the control of the control device 301, the tray moves up and down along the vertical direction. Due to the up and down movement of the tray, the flakes on the tray are conveyed in a predetermined direction, in the example of FIG. 1, the direction of the free space between the electrodes 104 and 105, and fall from the tip of the vibrating feeder 103.

[0017] (Electrodes; Recovery box) The electrodes 104 and 105 are electrodes that can be set to any voltage value under the control of the control device 301. By charging the plastic pieces + or - with the flashlight 102 and applying a specified voltage to the electrodes 104 and 105, the plastic pieces are sorted. As in the example of FIG. 1, when sorting three types of materials, by performing the sorting in two steps, ABS, PS, and PP can be sorted. Generally, when sorting n types of materials, n types of materials can be sorted by performing n - 1 (times) of electrostatic sorting.

[0018] To explain using the example in Figure 1, where three types of materials are sorted, the first sorting separates ABS from PS or PP. As the charging cylinder 102 rotates, ABS becomes relatively positively charged, while PS and PP become negatively charged. By applying voltage such that the voltage at electrode 104 is lower than the voltage at electrode 105, or that electrode 104 has a negative voltage value and electrode 105 has a positive voltage value, ABS can be separated from PS or PP. In the example in Figure 1, ABS falls into the collection box 106A located below electrode 104, and PS or PP falls into the collection box 106C located below electrode 105. The collection box 106B is located between 106A and 106C and is used to collect flakes that were not sorted into either 106A or 106C.

[0019] Following this first sorting, the second sorting separates the PS and PP collected in the collection box 106C. As the charging cylinder 102 rotates, the PS becomes relatively positively charged and the PP becomes negatively charged. Therefore, by applying voltage such that the voltage of electrode 104 is lower than the voltage of electrode 105, or so that electrode 104 has a negative voltage value and electrode 105 has a positive voltage value, the PS and PP can be separated.

[0020] (Identification sensor) The identification sensor 201 is a sensor for obtaining the composition of multiple types of plastics in the mixed plastic before it is classified into collection boxes 106A to 106C. The term "composition" may include not only information indicating the type of material, but also composition ratios indicating the proportion of each material present. To achieve this purpose, the identification sensor 201 can be a sensor that identifies materials from their unique absorption wavelengths, such as a hyperspectral camera. The identification sensor 201 may also be a sensor that uses infrared light. The identification sensor 201 is placed, for example, inside the feeder 101, inside the charging cylinder 102, near the vibrating feeder 103, or in a position that allows it to see the free space between electrodes 104 and 105. In order to detect the composition of the mixed plastic with the identification sensor 201, it is desirable that no substances other than the mixed plastic are included in the sensing area. However, if substances other than the mixed plastic are included in the sensing area, the difference between the mixed plastic and the background can be taken with the other substances as the background, and the composition of the mixed plastic can be determined from the remainder after removing the background. The identification sensor 201 supplies the composition of the detected plastic to the control device 301. Here, the raw material composition ratio (hereinafter abbreviated as composition ratio) represents the proportion of each type of plastic in a mixture of several types. For example, the composition ratio is calculated by classifying each plastic by the wavelength reflected from it using the identification sensor 201, such as a mid-infrared sensor, and estimating the proportion of each plastic from its area.

[0021] Furthermore, the identification sensor 202 is a sensor for identifying what kind of plastic has been separated into the collection box 106, for example, 106A or 106C. To achieve this purpose, a mid-infrared sensor can be used as the identification sensor 202. The identification sensor 202 is positioned to have a view of the inside of each collection box 106. The identification sensor 202 supplies the identification result of the detected plastic to the control device 301.

[0022] (Weight sensor) The weight sensor 203 is a sensor that measures the weight of the mixed plastic or the weight of the plastic pieces collected in each collection box 106. The measured weight is supplied to the control device 301.

[0023] The electrostatic sorting system may also be equipped with a charge sensor (not shown). The charge sensor may be used to measure the specific charge of the plastic pieces collected in each collection box 106. The measured specific charge is supplied to the control device 301.

[0024] Next, an example of the configuration of the control device 301 will be described with reference to Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the control device 301 comprises a control unit 302, a user input acquisition unit 303, a composition determination unit 304, an operation determination unit 305, an operation control unit 306, a certificate issuance unit 307, an output control unit 308, and a storage device 309.

[0025] (Control Unit) The control unit 302 is a functional unit that controls the overall operation of the control device 301. The control unit 302 is connected to each functional unit of the control device 301 via a bus (not shown).

[0026] (User input acquisition unit) The user input acquisition unit 303 is a functional unit that acquires user input. User input includes the number of types of plastics contained in the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated, the names of the plastics, or the names of the companies, but may also include specific charge and other information related to the mixed plastic. In addition, user input may include threshold values ​​related to various judgments. The user input acquisition unit 303 will now be explained with reference to Figures 4A and 4B.

[0027] Figures 4A and 4B are examples of display screens. More specifically, Figures 4A and 4B are examples of screens for registering plastics to be sorted. The display screens are shown on a display device (not shown) under the display control of the output control unit 308.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4A, on the plastic registration screen, the user of the control device 301 inputs how many types of plastic to sort. Input is performed using an input device not shown, such as a keyboard or mouse. The user input acquisition unit 303 acquires the content entered by the input device. After the user (i.e., the operator performing electrostatic sorting) inputs the number of types of plastic to sort, they press the "Next" software key in Figure 4A.

[0029] Figure 4B is an example of a screen that appears when the "Next" key in Figure 4A is pressed, and is an example of a screen for receiving input about the type of plastic to be sorted. The name or abbreviation of the plastic may be configured to be accepted via a pull-down menu, for example, as shown in Figure 4B. In the example in Figure 4B, it has been selected that plastic A is ABS, plastic B is PS, and plastic C is PP.

[0030] Furthermore, the user input acquisition unit 303 may acquire the name of the company that supplies the mixed plastic along with the combination of mixed plastic described above, and associate the acquired company name with the combination of mixed plastic. The composition of the mixed plastic varies depending on the supplier of the mixed plastic. Therefore, by acquiring the name of the company that supplies the mixed plastic, it becomes possible to compare the composition of the mixed plastic related to the acquired company name with the composition of the mixed plastic related to a specific company that has been acquired in advance.

[0031] The user input acquisition unit 303 of the control device 301 acquires this input information as user input. The user input acquisition unit 303 supplies the acquired user input to the composition determination unit 304.

[0032] (Composition determination department) The composition determination unit 304 is a functional unit that compares user input with the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated and determines whether the user input and the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated are the same (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "identity determination"). If the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated differs from the composition data entered by the user, it is considered that the composition of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is contrary to the user's intention. Identity determination may be performed by various methods. Several methods will be described below.

[0033] As an example, the composition determination unit 304 may determine identity based on how close the sum of the composition ratios (first composition ratios) of user-inputted plastic types in the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated, obtained from the identification sensor 201 (first identification sensor), is to 100%. More specifically, the composition determination unit 304 may determine whether the proportion of materials composed by the type of material obtained from the user input acquisition unit 303 in the composition of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated, obtained from the identification sensor 201 (first identification sensor), is below a predetermined threshold. If it is below the predetermined threshold, the unit may determine that the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the user-inputted composition data. This point will be explained with reference to Figures 5A and 5B. Figures 5A and 5B are examples of display screens that show the raw material composition ratio and specific charge of plastics separated by electrostatic separation. In each figure, the left column shows the type of material entered by the user, the middle column shows the composition ratio of each material obtained by the identification sensor 201, and the right column shows the specific charge of each material.

[0034] In the example in Figure 5A, it is shown that ABS has a composition ratio of 72% and a specific charge of 14 nC / g, PS has a composition ratio of 19% and a specific charge of -19 nC / g, and PP has a composition ratio of 9% and a specific charge of -28 nC / g. In this example, the composition ratio of ABS + PS + PP is 100%, so it can be determined that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is composed only of the materials entered by the user.

[0035] In the example in Figure 5B, it is shown that for ABS, the composition ratio is 32% and the specific charge is 14 nC / g; for PS, the composition ratio is 17% and the specific charge is -19 nC / g; and for PP, the composition ratio is 9% and the specific charge is -28 nC / g. In this example, the composition ratio of ABS + PS + PP is 58%, so it is considered that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated contains something other than the intended material. By setting a predetermined threshold value of, for example, 75%, if the proportion of the composition of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated obtained from the identification sensor 201 that is composed of the type of material obtained from the user input acquisition unit 303 (58%) is below the threshold value of 75%, the composition determination unit 304 may determine that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the composition data entered by the user.

[0036] If the proportion of user-inputted materials in the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is below a predetermined threshold, the composition determination unit 304 may determine that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the composition data input by the user and supply a "not appropriate" result to the operation determination unit 305. On the other hand, if the proportion of user-inputted materials in the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is not below a predetermined threshold, the composition determination unit 304 may determine that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is the same as the composition data input by the user and supply a "appropriate" result to the operation determination unit 305.

[0037] As another example, the composition determination unit 304 compares the composition ratio of user-inputted plastic types in the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated (first composition ratio) obtained from the identification sensor 201 (first identification sensor) with the composition ratio of a pre-prepared mixed plastic (second composition ratio) to determine whether the first composition ratio deviates from the second composition ratio by a predetermined threshold or more. If it determines that the deviation exceeds the threshold, it may determine that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the composition data input by the user. The second composition ratio may be obtained from the operation history database (DB) stored in the storage device 309. The operation history DB pre-records information that associates the company name, the types of materials constituting the mixed plastic, and the composition ratio. The composition determination unit 304 obtains the composition ratio corresponding to the company name or type of material obtained as user input by referring to the operation history DB.

[0038] The composition determination unit 304 compares the first composition ratio with the second composition ratio to determine whether the deviation in the composition ratios exceeds a predetermined threshold. If it determines that the deviation exceeds a predetermined threshold, the composition determination unit 304 determines that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the composition data entered by the user. If it determines that the deviation does not exceed a predetermined threshold, the composition determination unit 304 determines that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is the same as the composition data entered by the user. The determination of whether the deviation in the composition ratios exceeds a predetermined threshold may be performed on only a portion of the materials constituting the mixed plastic. For example, when electrostatically separating mixed plastics A+B+C, suppose the composition ratio obtained from the identification sensor 201 is A:B:C = 70(%):20(%):10(%), and the second composition ratio obtained as comparison information is A:B:C = 76(%):16(%):8(%). Also, suppose the threshold is 5%. In such an example, the deviation of the composition ratio can be determined by determining whether any of the materials constituting the mixed plastic deviates by 5% or more from the threshold. In this example, the deviation of material B is 4%, and the deviation of material C is 2%, both of which are below the threshold of 5%, but the deviation of material A is 6%, which exceeds the threshold of 5%. Therefore, the composition determination unit 304 may determine that the deviation of the composition ratio deviates by a predetermined threshold or more.

[0039] If the deviation in composition ratio is less than a predetermined threshold, the composition determination unit 304 may determine that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is the same as the composition data entered by the user and supply a determination result of "appropriate" to the operation determination unit 305. On the other hand, if the deviation in composition ratio is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the composition determination unit 304 may determine that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the composition data entered by the user and supply a determination result of "inappropriate" to the operation determination unit 305. Furthermore, the composition determination unit 304 may supply not only the determination result but also the information used in the determination to the operation determination unit 305.

[0040] (Operation Judgment Unit) The operation determination unit 305 receives information supplied from the composition determination unit 304, the identification result from the identification sensor 202, and the weight detected by the weight sensor 203, and performs various determinations.

[0041] For example, the operation determination unit 305 may determine whether the proportion of the composition of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated, obtained from the identification sensor 201 (first identification sensor), is below a predetermined threshold value based on the type of material obtained from the user input acquisition unit 303. If it is below the predetermined threshold value, the operation determination unit 305 may determine that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is identical to the composition data entered by the user. In other words, the processing performed by the composition determination unit 304, as explained in relation to Figures 5A and 5B, may be performed instead of the composition determination unit 304.

[0042] As another example, the operation determination unit 305 determines whether or not to perform electrostatic sorting based on the acquired information. Specifically, if the determination result from the composition determination unit 304 indicates "appropriate," the operation determination unit 305 determines to perform electrostatic sorting, and if the determination result from the composition determination unit 304 indicates "inappropriate," the operation determination unit 305 determines not to perform electrostatic sorting. The operation determination unit 305 outputs the determination result to the operation control unit 306.

[0043] As another example, the operation determination unit 305 calculates the recovery rate or purity based on the acquired information. Here, the recovery rate and purity will be explained with reference to Figures 6A and 6B. Figure 6A is an example screen that displays information about ABS sorted by electrostatic separation. In the example in Figure 6A, the recovery rate is 96% and the purity is 97%. A software key labeled "Certificate Issuance" for issuing a certificate is also shown.

[0044] Here, the recovery rate is an index calculated by (weight of the target plastic recovered in the recovery box) / (weight of each plastic in the mixed plastic as raw material) × 100 (%). For example, in the case of ABS, it is (weight of recovered ABS) / (weight of ABS in the raw material) × 100 (%), in the case of PS, it is (weight of recovered PS) / (weight of PS in the raw material) × 100 (%), and in the case of PP, it is (weight of recovered PP) / (weight of PP in the raw material) × 100 (%). Information on what the target plastic is is acquired by the user input acquisition unit 303 and supplied to the operation determination unit 305 via the composition determination unit 304, or from the user input acquisition unit 303 to the operation determination unit 305. The weight here is calculated by estimating the composition ratio from the area of ​​each plastic using an identification sensor 202 such as a mid-infrared sensor.

[0045] Furthermore, purity is an index determined by (weight of each plastic in the collection box) / (total weight of plastics in the collection box) × 100 (%). The type of plastic piece in the collection box can be determined, for example, using an identification sensor 202 such as a mid-infrared sensor. The weight here is calculated by estimating the composition ratio from the area of ​​each plastic using an identification sensor 202 such as a mid-infrared sensor.

[0046] In this way, the operation determination unit 305 calculates the recovery rate or purity based on the information obtained from the identification sensor 202 and the weight sensor 203.

[0047] Furthermore, the operation determination unit 305 may determine whether the electrostatic separation performed was appropriate based on the calculated recovery rate or purity. Specifically, if either the calculated recovery rate or purity is below a predetermined threshold, it may be determined that the electrostatic separation performed was inappropriate. Inappropriate electrostatic separation includes cases where the values ​​of parameters such as voltage set during electrostatic separation are inappropriate.

[0048] For example, as shown in Figure 6A, if the calculated recovery rate is 96% and the purity is 97%, and the predetermined threshold for both is 90%, then since neither the recovery rate nor the purity is below the predetermined threshold, the operation determination unit 305 may determine that the electrostatic separation performed was appropriate.

[0049] In contrast, as shown in Figure 6B, if the calculated recovery rate is 43% and the purity is 97%, and the predetermined threshold is 90% for both, then although the purity is not below the predetermined threshold, the recovery rate is below the predetermined threshold, so the operation determination unit 305 may determine that the electrostatic separation performed was inappropriate. Note that in the example of Figure 6B, the purity is a high value of 97%, so the electrostatically separated plastic is suitable for reuse.

[0050] In this manner, the operation determination unit 305 may determine whether the calculated recovery rate or purity is acceptable. That is, if either the calculated recovery rate or purity is below a predetermined threshold, the operation determination unit 305 may determine that the electrostatically separated mixed plastic is not the intended mixed plastic, and if it is not below the threshold, the electrostatically separated mixed plastic is the intended mixed plastic.

[0051] As another example, the operation determination unit 305 compares the weight ratio of user-inputted plastic types (first weight ratio) in the electrostatically separated mixed plastic (group of plastic pieces) with the weight ratio of pre-prepared mixed plastics (second weight ratio) to determine whether the first weight ratio deviates from the second weight ratio by a predetermined threshold. If it determines that the deviation exceeds the threshold, it may determine that the electrostatic separation performed was inappropriate. Inappropriateness here includes cases where the electrostatically separated mixed plastic is not the mixed plastic that the user intended to electrostatically separate, or where the parameter settings are inappropriate. The first weight ratio is obtained from the weight sensor 203 based on user input acquired by the user input acquisition unit 303. The second weight ratio is obtained from the operation history database (DB) stored in the storage device 309. The operation history DB pre-records information such as the company name, the types of materials constituting the mixed plastic, and the corresponding weight ratios. The operation determination unit 305 obtains the weight ratio corresponding to the company name or material type acquired as user input by referring to the operation history DB. The operation determination unit 305 may determine that the electrostatic sorting performed was appropriate if the deviation in the weight ratio is less than a predetermined threshold. On the other hand, if the deviation in the composition ratio is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the operation determination unit 305 may determine that the electrostatic sorting performed was inappropriate.

[0052] The operation determination unit 305 may store the information included in the determination result in the memory device 309, associating it with the other information. The operation determination unit 305 also outputs the determination result to the operation control unit 306. The operation determination unit 305 also outputs the determination result to the output control unit 308. The determination result here includes the calculation results of the recovery rate, purity, or weight ratio. The operation determination unit 305 may also output the information received from the composition determination unit 304 to other functional units.

[0053] (Operation Control Unit) The operation control unit 306 controls the operation of the electrostatic separator according to the determination result of the composition determination unit 304 or the operation determination unit 305. For example, if the determination result indicates operation, the operation control unit 306 drives the electrostatic separator according to the set parameter values ​​such as voltage values. If the determination result indicates stopping operation, the operation control unit 306 stops the electrostatic separator. The determination result indicating stopping operation includes cases where the composition determination unit 304 determines that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the composition data entered by the user, or where the operation determination unit 305 determines that the mixed plastic that has been electrostatically separated is different from the composition data entered by the user, or where the electrostatic separation performed is deemed inappropriate.

[0054] (Certificate Issuance Department) The certificate issuing unit 307 is an additional functional unit that issues certificates certifying the quality of electrostatically separated materials. When the control device 301 is equipped with the certificate issuing unit 307, the storage device 309 is located on a cloud-based server device that can communicate via a network (not shown in Figure 2), and the storage device 309 stores an operation history DB that records the operation history of the electrostatic separations performed. The operation history stores various information associated with each electrostatic separation performed, such as an ID identifying the electrostatic separation, date and time, the ID of the device that performed the electrostatic separation, the raw material composition ratio of the mixed plastics, input amount, recovery rate, purity, and specific charge. The operation history is collected from the operation determination unit 305 via a communication device (not shown).

[0055] Referring to Figure 7, the functions of the certificate issuing unit 307 will be explained. Figure 7 is an example of the display screen for an issued quality certificate. In the example in Figure 7, information such as the purity of the ABS sorted by electrostatic separation being 97% is displayed. In the example in Figure 7, "○○ Recycling Co., Ltd." represents the company that performed the electrostatic separation, and "○○ Automobile Co., Ltd." represents the company that receives the ABS sorted by electrostatic separation from "○○ Recycling Co., Ltd."

[0056] By placing the storage device 309, which stores the electrostatic sorting information necessary for certification, on a server device in the cloud, the company that wishes to obtain a quality certificate (in this case, "○○ Recycling Co., Ltd.") and the company that issues the certificate (in this case, the company operating the server device) are separated. Furthermore, by preventing the company that wishes to obtain a quality certificate from overwriting the information stored on the server device, a third-party certification function can be provided.

[0057] The certificate issuing unit 307 transmits information identifying the electrostatic sorting process for which the material for which a certificate is to be obtained (for example, ABS in the example in Figure 7) was acquired, such as the date and time of electrostatic sorting and the ID of the device that performed the electrostatic sorting, to the server device via a communication device (not shown). The server device then refers to the operation history DB held in the storage device 309 and provides the control device 301 via a web browser with a quality certificate that has copy protection applied to information such as the product name (i.e., the electrostatically sorted material) and purity. The certificate issuing unit 307 then supplies the acquired quality certificate to the output control unit 308.

[0058] (Output control unit) The output control unit 308 receives the output of the operation determination unit 305 or the certificate issuance unit 307 as input and controls the output of an output device (not shown). For example, the output control unit 308 controls the display of an output device (not shown), such as a liquid crystal display, to display example screens shown in Figures 4 to 7. From the example screens shown in Figures 4 to 7, the user can recognize that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is not the intended mixed plastic. For example, the output control unit 308 controls the printing of a printing device (not shown) to print a quality certificate. For example, the output control unit 308 controls the sounding of a speaker (not shown) to notify the user by voice that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is not the intended mixed plastic.

[0059] Through various displays or audio notifications, the output control unit 308 may notify the user that the composition determination unit 304 has determined that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is not the intended mixed plastic. The output control unit 308 may also notify the user that the operation determination unit 305 has determined that the electrostatically separated mixed plastic is not the intended mixed plastic.

[0060] (storage device) As described above, the storage device 309 is a storage device that holds the operation history DB. The storage device 309 is composed of, for example, a hard disk.

[0061] Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 301 will be described with reference to Figures 3A and 3B. Each function of the control device 301 is realized by a processing circuit. The processing circuit may be a dedicated processing circuit 300a as shown in Figure 3A, or a processor 300b that executes a program stored in memory 300c as shown in Figure 3B.

[0062] If the processing circuitry is a dedicated processing circuit 300a, the dedicated processing circuit 300a may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), an FPGA (field-programmable gate array), or a combination thereof. The functions of the control device 301 may be realized by multiple separate processing circuits, or the functions of the control device 301 may be realized by a single processing circuit.

[0063] When the processing circuitry is a processor 300b as a computer, the functions of the control device 301 are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware are written as programs and stored in memory 300c. The processor 300b realizes the functions of the control device 301 by reading and executing the programs stored in memory 300c. Here, examples of memory 300c include non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memories such as RAM (random access memory), ROM (read-only memory), flash memory, EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory), and EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), as well as magnetic disks, flexible disks, optical disks, compact disks, minidiscs, and DVDs.

[0064] Furthermore, some of the functions of the control device 301 may be implemented using dedicated hardware, while other functions are implemented using software or firmware. In this way, the processing circuit can implement the functions of the control device 301 using hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.

[0065] <Operation> Next, an example of a control method by the control device 301 will be described with reference to Figure 8. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a control method by the control device 301.

[0066] (Step ST1) In step ST1, the composition determination unit 304 receives input regarding the object to be electrostatically separated.

[0067] As an example, the composition determination unit 304 obtains the types of materials of the mixed plastic that the user intends to electrostatically sort via the user input acquisition unit 303. Through the processing in step ST1, the composition determination unit 304 may obtain information that, for example, the types of materials of the mixed plastic are three types: ABS, PP, and PS.

[0068] (Step ST2) In step ST2, the composition determination unit 304 obtains the composition (composition ratio) of the mixed plastic from the identification sensor 201, which detects the composition of the materials that make up the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated. Through the processing in step ST2, the composition determination unit 304 obtains the raw material composition ratio of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated, for example, ABS:PP:PS:PE (polyethylene) = 32 (%):17 (%):9 (%):42 (%).

[0069] (Step ST3) In step ST3, the composition determination unit 304 makes a determination on the composition of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated, which is obtained from the identification sensor 201. For example, the composition determination unit 304 determines whether the proportion of the composition of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated (first composition) obtained from the identification sensor 201 is below a predetermined threshold, and if it is below the predetermined threshold, it determines that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is not the same as the input composition data, i.e., it is not the intended mixed plastic. In the above example, the determination is made based on a comparison between the value 32(%) + 17(%) + 9(%) = 58(%) and a threshold that is set as appropriate.

[0070] As another example, the composition determination unit 304 compares the first composition ratio of user-inputted plastic types in the composition of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated (first composition) obtained from the identification sensor 201 with the composition ratio obtained from the operation history DB (second composition ratio) to determine whether the first composition ratio deviates from the second composition ratio by a predetermined threshold or more. If it determines that the first composition ratio deviates from the second composition ratio by a predetermined threshold or more, it determines that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is not the same as the input composition data, i.e., it is not the intended mixed plastic. In the above example, the determination is made based on a comparison between the first composition ratio of 32(%), 17(%), and 9(%) and the second composition ratio of 72(%), 19(%), and 9(%).

[0071] The composition determination unit 304 outputs an "inappropriate" result if the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is not the same as the input composition data, i.e., it is not the intended mixed plastic, and an "appropriate" result if it is the same as the input composition data, i.e., it is the intended mixed plastic.

[0072] (Step ST4) In step ST4, if the composition determination unit 304 determines that the result is "inappropriate," that is, if the composition determination unit 304 determines that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is not the intended mixed plastic, the output control unit 308 may notify the user accordingly. Also, in step ST4, if the composition determination unit 304 determines that the result is "inappropriate," the operation determination unit 305 determines to stop the operation of the electrostatic separation device, and the operation control unit 306 stops the operation of the electrostatic separation device according to this determination.

[0073] (Step ST5) In step ST4, if the composition determination unit 304 determines that the result is "appropriate", the operation determination unit 305 determines to operate the electrostatic separation device, and the operation control unit 306 starts operating the electrostatic separation device according to this determination result.

[0074] (Step ST6) In step ST6, the operation determination unit 305 receives the output of the identification sensor 202 or the weight sensor 203 and calculates a recovery rate or purity value from the received output. The operation determination unit 305 also determines that if either the calculated recovery rate or purity value is below a predetermined threshold, the electrostatically separated mixed plastic is not identical to the composition data entered by the user, i.e., it is not the intended mixed plastic. The operation determination unit 305 determines that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is "inappropriate" if it is not the intended mixed plastic, and "appropriate" if it is the intended mixed plastic. The operation determination unit 305 may also calculate the weight ratio. The operation determination unit 305 compares the weight ratio of user-inputted plastic types (first weight ratio) in the electrostatically separated mixed plastic (group of plastic pieces) with the weight ratio of pre-prepared mixed plastics (second weight ratio) to determine whether the first weight ratio deviates from the second weight ratio by a predetermined threshold or more. If it determines that the deviation exceeds the threshold, it may determine that the electrostatic separation performed was inappropriate.

[0075] (Step ST7) In step ST7, if the operation determination unit 305 determines that the result is "inappropriate", the output control unit 308 may notify the user accordingly. Furthermore, if the operation determination unit 305 determines that the result is "inappropriate" in step ST7, the operation determination unit 305 further determines to stop the operation of the electrostatic separation device, and the operation control unit 306 stops the operation of the electrostatic separation device according to this determination.

[0076] (Step ST8) In step ST8, the certificate issuing unit 307 issues a quality certificate certifying the quality of the material obtained by electrostatic sorting.

[0077] <Note> Some aspects of the various embodiments described above are summarized below. (Note 1) The control device for the electrostatic sorting apparatus according to Appendix 1 includes a user input acquisition unit (303) that acquires composition data entered by the user as user input, and a composition determination unit (304) that compares the user input with the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically sorted and determines whether the user input and the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically sorted are the same. It is equipped with.

[0078] (Note 2) The control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus according to Appendix 2 is the control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus according to Appendix 1, The composition determination unit is, The first composition is obtained from a first identification sensor that detects the first composition of the materials that make up the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated. In the first composition, it is determined whether the proportion of materials obtained as user input is below a predetermined threshold. If it is below the predetermined threshold, it is determined that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the user input.

[0079] (Note 3) The control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus described in Appendix 3 is the control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus described in Appendix 2, The first identification sensor is a hyperspectral camera.

[0080] (Note 4) The control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus described in Appendix 4 is the control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus described in any one of Appendix 1 to 3, The composition determination unit is, The first composition is obtained from a first identification sensor that detects the first composition of the materials that make up the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated. By referring to a database that associates the types of materials and their composition ratios that make up the mixed plastic, a second composition ratio is obtained that corresponds to the type of material acquired as user input. The first composition ratio of the material type obtained as user input in the first composition is compared with the second composition ratio to determine whether the first composition ratio deviates from the second composition ratio by a predetermined threshold or more. If it is determined that the first composition ratio deviates from the second composition ratio by a predetermined threshold, the electrostatic sorting performed is deemed inappropriate.

[0081] (Note 5) The control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus according to Appendix 5 is a control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus described in any one of Appendix 1 to 4, further comprising an operation determination unit (305) that calculates the recovery rate, purity, or weight ratio of the group of plastic pieces electrostatically separated from the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated.

[0082] (Note 6) The control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus described in Appendix 6 is the control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus described in Appendix 5, The operation determination unit determines that the electrostatic separation performed is inappropriate if either the calculated recovery rate or purity value is below a predetermined threshold.

[0083] (Note 7) The control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus described in Appendix 7 is the control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus described in Appendix 5, The aforementioned operation determination unit, The weight ratio of the user-inputted plastic types in the electrostatically sorted group of plastic pieces is calculated as the first weight ratio. By referring to a database that associates the types and weight ratios of materials constituting the mixed plastic, a second weight ratio corresponding to the material type obtained as user input is obtained. The first weight ratio and the second weight ratio are compared to determine whether the first weight ratio deviates from the second weight ratio by a predetermined threshold or more. If it is determined that the first weight ratio deviates from the second weight ratio by a predetermined threshold, the electrostatic sorting performed is deemed inappropriate.

[0084] (Note 8) The control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus described in Appendix 8 is the control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus described in any one of Appendix 5 to 7, If the composition determination unit determines that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the user input, or if the operation determination unit determines that the electrostatic separation performed is inappropriate, the output control unit (308) notifies the user accordingly. It is further equipped with [this feature].

[0085] (Note 9) The control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus described in Appendix 9 is the control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus described in Appendix 8, If the composition determination unit determines that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the user input, or if the operation determination unit determines that the electrostatic separation performed is inappropriate, the operation control unit (306) stops the operation of the electrostatic separation apparatus that performs the electrostatic separation. It is further equipped with [this feature].

[0086] (Note 10) The control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus described in Appendix 10 is the control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus described in any one of Appendix 1 to 9, A certificate issuing department (307) that issues quality certificates certifying the quality of materials obtained by electrostatic sorting, It is further equipped with [this feature].

[0087] (Note 11) A control device for an electrostatic sorting device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 10, An electrostatic sorting device controlled by the control device, An electrostatic sorting system equipped with the following features.

[0088] (Note 12) The control method for the electrostatic sorting device according to Appendix 12 is: A control method for an electrostatic sorting apparatus performed by a control device for an electrostatic sorting apparatus comprising a user input acquisition unit (303), a composition determination unit (304), and an output control unit (308), The user input acquisition unit acquires composition data entered by the user as user input (ST1), The composition determination unit compares the user input with the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated and determines whether the user input and the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated are the same (ST3), If the output control unit determines that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the user input, it takes the step (ST4) of notifying that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the user input, It is equipped with.

[0089] (Note 13) The control program for the electrostatic sorting device according to Appendix 13 is: A function to acquire composition data entered by the user as user input, A function to compare the user input with the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated, and to determine whether the user input and the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated are the same, If it is determined that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the user input, a function is provided to notify the user that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the user input. Have the computer execute it.

[0090] Furthermore, it is possible to combine embodiments, or to modify or omit each embodiment as appropriate. [Industrial applicability]

[0091] The control device of this disclosure can be used as a device for controlling an electrostatic sorting apparatus that electrostatically sorts mixed plastics based on an electrostatic sequence. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0092] 101 Feeder, 102 Charged cylinder, 103 Vibrating feeder, 104 Electrode, 105 Electrode, 106 (106A, 106B, 106C) Collection box, 201 Identification sensor (first identification sensor), 202 Identification sensor (second identification sensor), 203 Weight sensor, 300a Processing circuit, 300b Processor, 300c Memory, 301 Control device, 302 Control unit, 303 User input acquisition unit, 304 Composition determination unit, 305 Operation determination unit, 306 Operation control unit, 307 Certificate issuance unit, 308 Output control unit, 309 Storage device.

Claims

1. A user input acquisition unit that acquires composition data indicating the type of material entered by the user as user input, A composition determination unit compares the user input with the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated and determines whether the user input and the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated are the same. A control device for an electrostatic sorting apparatus.

2. The composition determination unit is The first composition is obtained from a first identification sensor that detects the first composition of the materials that make up the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated. In the first composition, it is determined whether the proportion of materials obtained as user input is below a predetermined threshold, and if it is below the predetermined threshold, it is determined that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the user input. A control device for the electrostatic sorting apparatus described in claim 1.

3. The first identification sensor is a hyperspectral camera. A control device for the electrostatic separation apparatus described in claim 2.

4. The composition determination unit is The first composition is obtained from a first identification sensor that detects the first composition of the materials that make up the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated. By referring to a database that associates the types of materials and their composition ratios that make up the mixed plastic, a second composition ratio corresponding to the type of material obtained as user input is obtained. The first composition ratio of the material type obtained as user input in the first composition is compared with the second composition ratio to determine whether the first composition ratio deviates from the second composition ratio by a predetermined threshold or more. If it is determined that the first composition ratio deviates from the second composition ratio by a predetermined threshold, the electrostatic sorting performed is deemed inappropriate. A control device for the electrostatic sorting apparatus described in claim 1.

5. An operation determination unit that calculates the recovery rate, purity, or weight ratio of the group of plastic pieces electrostatically separated from the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated. A control device for an electrostatic sorting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

6. The operation determination unit determines that the electrostatic separation performed is inappropriate if either the calculated recovery rate or purity value is below a predetermined threshold. A control device for the electrostatic sorting apparatus described in claim 5.

7. The aforementioned operation determination unit, The weight ratio of the user-inputted plastic types in the electrostatically sorted group of plastic pieces is calculated as the first weight ratio. By referring to a database that associates the types and weight ratios of materials constituting the mixed plastic, a second weight ratio corresponding to the material type obtained as user input is obtained. The first weight ratio and the second weight ratio are compared to determine whether the first weight ratio deviates from the second weight ratio by a predetermined threshold or more. If it is determined that the first weight ratio deviates from the second weight ratio by a predetermined threshold, the electrostatic sorting performed is deemed inappropriate. A control device for the electrostatic sorting apparatus described in claim 5.

8. If the composition determination unit determines that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the user input, or if the operation determination unit determines that the electrostatic separation performed is inappropriate, the output control unit notifies the user accordingly. A control device for an electrostatic sorting apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

9. If the composition determination unit determines that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the user input, or if the operation determination unit determines that the electrostatic separation performed is inappropriate, the operation control unit will stop the operation of the electrostatic separation apparatus that performs the electrostatic separation. A control device for an electrostatic sorting apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

10. A certificate issuing department that issues quality certificates certifying the quality of materials obtained through electrostatic sorting. A control device for an electrostatic sorting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

11. A control device for an electrostatic sorting apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, An electrostatic sorting device controlled by the control device, An electrostatic sorting system equipped with the following features.

12. A control method for an electrostatic separation apparatus, which is performed by a control device for an electrostatic separation apparatus comprising a user input acquisition unit, a composition determination unit, and an output control unit, The user input acquisition unit acquires composition data entered by the user as user input, The composition determination unit compares the user input with the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated and determines whether the user input and the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated are the same. If the output control unit determines that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the user input, it takes the step of notifying that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the user input. A control method for an electrostatic separation device equipped with the following features.

13. A function to acquire composition data entered by the user as user input, A function to compare the user input with the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated, and to determine whether the user input and the composition data of the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated are the same, If it is determined that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the user input, the system has a function to notify the user that the mixed plastic to be electrostatically separated is different from the user input. A control program for an electrostatic sorting device that causes a computer to execute certain commands.

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