Information processing device, information processing method, information processing program, and filtering system

Abstract

To improve accuracy of determination of crushing completion at low costs.SOLUTION: An information processing device (1) controls crushing in a filter press device which causes a compressed fluid to flow into a crushing chamber formed between a first filter plate and a diaphragm seat continuously so as to crush a solid matter remaining after an undiluted solution injected into a filter chamber formed between the diaphragm sheet, which is provided at the first filter plate and may expand and contract, and a second filter plate, which is disposed so as to face the first filter plate, is filtered. The information processing device (1) includes a calculation part (101) configured to calculate a degree of progress of crushing, which is a degree of progress of crushing of the solid matter, based on an inflow speed of the compressed fluid into the crushing chamber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device for managing compression in a filter press device. [Background technology]

[0002] A filter press is a device that separates a stock solution containing solids and liquids, filtering the stock solution, dehydrating it, and then discharging the solids. In terms of operational management of the device, determining when dehydration is complete is an important factor. For example, Patent Document 1 describes that dehydration is determined to be complete when the cake thickness and moisture content calculated from the measured values ​​of the stock solution concentration and the filtrate volume reach their respective reference values. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6909980 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Measurement of small amounts of filtrate using small-scale equipment in laboratories can be performed relatively accurately. However, it is difficult to measure and quantify large amounts of filtrate as stable and continuous values ​​using large-scale equipment in production sites.

[0005] Therefore, determining the completion of dehydration based on the amount of filtrate is somewhat inaccurate. Also, to measure the large amount of filtrate discharged from a large-scale device as a stable and continuous value, a large-scale device for measuring the large amount of filtrate is required, which is inconvenient in terms of cost.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention aims to improve the accuracy of determining completion of squeezing at low cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, one embodiment of the present invention provides an information processing device that manages compression in a filter press device that continuously flows pressurized fluid into a compression chamber formed between a first filter plate and an expandable and contractible member provided on the first filter plate and a second filter plate arranged opposite the first filter plate, so as to compress the remaining solid matter after filtering of the raw liquid injected into the filter chamber formed between the first filter plate and the expandable and contractible member, and that includes a calculation unit that calculates the degree of compression progress, which is the degree to which the compression of the solid matter is progressing, based on the inflow rate of the pressurized fluid into the compression chamber.

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one embodiment of the information processing method of the present invention is an information processing method for managing compression in a filter press device that continuously flows pressurized fluid into a compression chamber formed between a first filter plate and an expandable and contractible member provided on the first filter plate and a second filter plate arranged opposite the first filter plate so as to compress the remaining solid matter after filtering of the raw liquid injected into the filter chamber formed between the first filter plate and the expandable and contractible member, and includes a calculation step of calculating the degree of compression progress, which is the degree to which the compression of the solid matter is progressing, based on the inflow rate of the pressurized fluid into the compression chamber. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, the accuracy of determining whether squeezing is complete can be improved at low cost. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a main part of an information processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a filtering system including the information processing device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a main part of a filter press device included in the filtration system. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the main part of the filter press device in a state where the diaphragm sheet in the filter press device is deformed by pressurized air, thereby squeezing solid matter in the filter chamber. [Figure 5] 10 is a graph showing the change in the cumulative flow rate of pressurized air flowing into a compression chamber formed in the filter chamber with respect to compression time. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of processing performed by a control unit of the information processing device in the pressing step of the filter press device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] [System Overview] An overview of a filtration system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of the filtration system 100.

[0012] As shown in Figure 2, the filtration system 100 is a system for filtering raw liquid to be filtered, and includes an information processing device 1, a terminal device 2, a filter press device 3, a tank 4, a pump 5, a compressor 6 (inflow source), and a flow meter 7.

[0013] The information processing device 1 is a device that manages the compression performed by the filter press device 3, and determines the completion of compression during the compression process based on the inflow rate of the pressurized fluid used for compression into a compression chamber 37 (see FIG. 3 ), which will be described later. The information processing device 1 also calculates the degree of compression progress, which is an index for determining the completion of compression. The information processing device 1 builds a database of the compression progress degree by chronologically accumulating the calculated compression progress degree for each date and time of compression.

[0014] The flow rate of the pressurized fluid is expressed as the product of the inflow rate of the pressurized fluid and the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipe through which the pressurized fluid flows. Therefore, the information processing device 1 may be configured to acquire time-series data of the flow rate instead of the inflow rate from the flowmeter 7, and its location is not particularly limited. For example, the information processing device 1 may be a cloud server installed on a cloud. The information processing device 1 configured as a cloud server acquires time-series data of the flow rate via any communication network. Furthermore, the information processing device 1 may be an edge computer installed in the facility where the filter press device 3 is installed. In this case, the time-series data of the inflow rate does not leave the facility, making it easier to prevent information leaks.

[0015] The terminal device 2 acquires the data accumulated by the information processing device 1 and displays it so that it can be viewed. Furthermore, the terminal device 2 performs processes such as creating graphs and statistical data based on the data.

[0016] The filter press device 3 is a device that filters the raw liquid injected from the tank 4 by the pump 5 in a filter chamber 36 (see FIG. 3) described below that is formed between a plurality of filter plates 32. The raw liquid is stored in the tank 4 and contains solids to be separated from the liquid. The filter press device 3 also continuously flows pressurized fluid compressed by the compressor 6 into a compression chamber 37 (see FIG. 3) formed in the filter chamber 36 so as to compress the remaining solids after the raw liquid has been filtered.

[0017] The flow meter 7 is a device that measures the flow rate of the pressurized fluid compressed by the compressor 6 and supplied to the filter press device 3, and is configured, for example, as an ultrasonic flow meter. The flow meter 7 calculates the flow rate (volumetric flow rate) [L / sec.] from the diameter of the pipe through which the pressurized fluid flows and the flow velocity of the raw liquid flowing through the pipe.

[0018] [Configuration of filter press device] The configuration of the filter press device 3 will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 2 to Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the main parts of the filter press device 3. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the main parts in a state where the diaphragm sheet 35 in the filter press device 3 is deformed by pressurized air to squeeze the solid matter in the filter chamber 36.

[0019] In FIG. 2, the X direction is one of the horizontal directions, the Y direction is one of the horizontal directions perpendicular to the X direction, and the Z direction is one of the vertical directions perpendicular to the X and Y directions.

[0020] 2, the filter press device 3 is a device for filtering raw liquid under pressure. The filter press device 3 has a support frame 31, a plurality of filter plates 32, and a filter plate opening and closing mechanism 33.

[0021] The support frame 31 supports the entire filter press device 3, and includes a pair of side bars 31a as part of the support frame 31. The pair of side bars 31a are formed long in the movement direction of the filter plate 32 in order to movably support the filter plate 32.

[0022] The filter plates 32 are plate-shaped members that are supported on the side bars 31a by protrusions (not shown) that extend horizontally from both sides so that multiple plates are stacked in the Y direction and can move in the Y direction and the reverse direction. As shown in Fig. 3, two types of filter plates 32 are provided: first filter plates 321 and second filter plates 322, which are arranged alternately on the side bars 31a.

[0023] The surface of the first filter plate 321 facing the second filter plate 322 is covered with a filter cloth 34 and has a recess 321a. A diaphragm sheet (elastic member) is provided between the filter cloth 34 and the recess 321a.

[0024] Diaphragm sheet 35 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and is fixed by a structure in which at least a plurality of points on its outer periphery are fitted into the outer periphery of recess 321a. Diaphragm sheet 35 is made of an elastic material such as rubber containing natural rubber, and has flexibility.

[0025] The space formed between the recess 321a and the diaphragm sheet 35 constitutes a compression chamber 37. On the other hand, the surface of the second filter plate 322 facing the first filter plate 321 is covered with the filter cloth 34 and has a recess 322a similar to the recess 321a.

[0026] 3, in a tight contact state in which the opposing surfaces of the first filter plate 321 and the second filter plate 322 are in tight contact with each other via the two filter cloths 34, the recesses 321a and 322b form a filter chamber 36, and an injection port 38 through which the stock solution is injected is formed at the top. In addition, in the tight contact state, a filtration space is formed in the filter chamber 36 by the two filter cloths 34. The stock solution is injected into this filtration space at high pressure through the injection port 38, and the stock solution is filtered by the filter cloths 34.

[0027] The filtrate that has passed through the filter cloth is discharged to the outside through outlet 321b provided in the lower part of first filter plate 321 and outlet 322b provided in the lower part of second filter plate 322. Solid matter contained in the raw liquid is filtered out by filter cloth 34 and gradually accumulates on the inner surface of filter cloth 34, forming a cake layer.

[0028] The outlet 321b is connected to the outlet 322b of the second filter plate 322 (not shown) adjacent to the first filter plate 321 on the right side in Fig. 3. The outlet 322b is also connected to the outlet 321b of the first filter plate 321 (not shown) adjacent to the second filter plate 322 on the left side in Fig. 3. In this way, adjacent outlets 321b, 322b are connected to each other, thereby forming a continuous outlet across the entire plurality of filter plates 32.

[0029] Additionally, an inlet passage 321c that leads from the recess 321a to the outside is provided above the first filter plate 321. Pressurized fluid from the compressor 6 described above flows into the compression chamber 37 via the inlet passage 321c. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the expandable diaphragm sheet 35 deforms toward the second filter plate 322, increasing the volume of the compression chamber 37 in the filter chamber 36. As a result, the filtered solids that form a cake layer on the inner surfaces of the two filter cloths 34 are pushed toward the recess 322a by the diaphragm sheet 35, and the filtrate contained in the solids is further squeezed out.

[0030] 3 and 4, the first filter plate 321 also has a recess 321a on the surface opposite to the surface on which the recess 321a is provided (opposite surface), and the second filter plate 322 also has a recess 322a on the surface opposite to the surface on which the recess 322a is provided (opposite surface). As a result, the first filter plate 321 forms a filtration chamber 36 with another second filter plate 322 arranged on the opposite surface of the first filter plate 321, and the second filter plate 322 forms a filtration chamber 36 with another first filter plate 321 arranged on the opposite surface of the second filter plate 322.

[0031] The squeezed filtrate is discharged through outlets 321b and 322b, just like the filtrate during filtration. All of the pressurized fluid that has flowed into compression chamber 37 remains in compression chamber 37. If holes or cracks occur due to damage to diaphragm sheet 35, the pressurized fluid will leak out from the damaged area.

[0032] The filter plate opening / closing mechanism 33 has a movable head 33a, a fixed head 33b, and an advancing / retreating mechanism 33c. The fixed head 33b is fixed to the support body 31b. The movable head 33a is disposed at a distance from the fixed head 33b so as to be movable by a chain block (not shown) that moves on the side bar 31a. The filter plate opening / closing mechanism 33 is disposed so that multiple filter plates 32 are sandwiched between the movable head 33a and the fixed head 33b. The advancing / retreating mechanism 33c is constituted by, for example, a hydraulic cylinder, and moves the movable head 33a in the Y direction and the reverse direction.

[0033] By moving the moving head 33a in the Y direction, the filter plates 32 are pushed toward the fixed head 33b and come into close contact with each other in the Y direction. In addition, by moving the moving head 33a in the direction opposite to the Y direction, the close contact state of the filter plates 32 is released.

[0034] [Configuration of information processing device] The configuration of the information processing device 1 will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 5. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the main parts of the information processing device 1. Fig. 5 is a graph showing the change in the integrated flow rate of pressurized air flowing into the compression chamber 37 with respect to the compression time.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 1 includes a control unit 10, a storage unit 11, and an output unit 12.

[0036] The control unit 10 performs processes for determining whether the compression is complete and whether the diaphragm sheet 35 is damaged, and processes for estimating the thickness of the cake layer. To perform these processes, the control unit 10 has a calculation unit 101, a determination unit 102, a damage estimation unit 103, and a thickness estimation unit 104. The memory unit 11 also stores flow rate data, compression progress data, and cake thickness data. The flow rate data is digitized data of the measurement values ​​of the flow rate of the pressurized fluid that are continuously measured and output by the flow meter 7 during the compression process by the filter press device 3.

[0037] In the following description, an example will be described in which pressurized air is used as the pressurized fluid, although it goes without saying that the pressurized fluid is not limited to air and may be water.

[0038] As the compression progresses, the amount of pressurized air remaining in the compression chamber 37 increases, causing the inflow rate to decrease. Therefore, the calculation unit 101 calculates the compression progress degree, which is the degree to which the compression of the solid material is progressing, based on the inflow rate. The calculation unit 101 writes the calculated compression progress degree into the storage unit 11 as compression progress degree data each time it is calculated, for use in the above-mentioned processing by the terminal device 2.

[0039] Since the inflow rate is an instantaneous value, it is easily affected by pressure fluctuations in the source of the pressurized fluid, i.e., compressor 6, and is likely to experience large instantaneous fluctuations. Therefore, the calculation unit 101 linearly approximates the change in the integrated flow rate of the pressurized fluid based on the inflow rate, and calculates the slope of the approximated line as the degree of compression progress.

[0040] Here, the flow rate is expressed as the product of the inflow velocity of the pressurized fluid and the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipe through which the pressurized fluid flows. The integrated flow rate is the value obtained by multiplying the volumetric flow rate (L / sec.) measured by the flow meter 7 by the time (sec.) from the start of compression.

[0041] Specifically, the calculation unit 101 linearly approximates the change from the integrated flow rate a predetermined time (e.g., 120 seconds) before the calculation point of the compression progress degree as the starting point to the integrated flow rate at the calculation point, as shown in Fig. 5. In Fig. 5, black dots represent calculation points, and the thick straight lines following the black dots represent the approximated straight lines.

[0042] Furthermore, the calculation unit 101 may calculate the degree of compression progress as a value obtained by dividing the slope of the approximate line by the volume of the filter chamber 36. The volume of the filter chamber 36 varies depending on the scale of the filter press device 3. Therefore, the slope of the approximate curve varies depending on the volume of the filter chamber 36. Therefore, by dividing the slope of the approximate line by the volume of the filter chamber 36, the calculation unit 101 can obtain the degree of compression progress as a value per unit volume, regardless of the volume of the filter chamber 36.

[0043] The determination unit 102 determines that the compression is complete when the degree of compression progress calculated by the calculation unit 101 reaches a specified range below a predetermined threshold. The determination unit 102 can also output the result of determining that the compression is complete as a completion determination signal.

[0044] The threshold value is set to, for example, 0.1 based on experimental data, but is not limited to this value. For example, the threshold value may be set in two stages, such as setting the threshold value to 0.2 during normal operation of the filter press device 3 and setting the value to 0.1 as a preferred value.

[0045] When the degree of compression progress is maintained at a value outside the specified range that is equal to or greater than the threshold value for a predetermined period of time, the damage estimation unit 103 estimates damage to the diaphragm sheet 35. The damage estimation unit 103 can also output the result of the damage estimation as a damage estimation signal.

[0046] The thickness estimation unit 104 estimates the thickness of the solid matter deposited on the filter cloth 34, i.e., the thickness of the cake layer, by performing a predetermined calculation process from the volume of the solid matter obtained by subtracting the volume of the pressurized air that has flowed into the compression chamber 37 from the volume of the filter chamber 36. The thickness estimation unit 104 writes the estimated cake layer thickness as cake thickness data in the memory unit 11 every time it estimates it, so that it can be used in the above-mentioned processing by the terminal device 2.

[0047] The output unit 12 converts the completion determination signal and the damage determination signal into any output form, such as an image, printout, or sound, and outputs them alone or in combination. The output unit 12 also outputs the pressing progress data and cake thickness data stored in the memory unit 11 in a form that can be viewed by the terminal device 2.

[0048] [Processing by the control unit] An information processing (information processing method) including a process by the information processing device 1 to determine the completion of squeezing and whether or not the diaphragm sheet 35 is damaged, and a process to estimate the cake thickness will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the processing performed by the control unit 10 of the information processing device 1 in the squeezing step of the filter press device 3.

[0049] First, the information processing device 1 continuously writes the flow rate values ​​output from the flow meter 7 as flow rate data in the memory unit 11. As shown in Fig. 6, the calculation unit 101 of the control unit 10 reads and acquires the flow rate data stored in the memory unit 11 at a predetermined cycle (step S1), and calculates the degree of compression progress based on the flow rate data (step S2, calculation step).

[0050] In calculating the degree of compression progress, the calculation unit 101 calculates the integrated flow rate of the pressurized air from the flow rate data (instantaneous value), approximates the change in the integrated flow rate to a straight line, and divides the slope of the straight line by the volume of the filter chamber 36. Note that in calculating the degree of compression progress, the calculation unit 101 may divide the calculated integrated flow rate of the pressurized air by the volume of the filter chamber 36, and then approximate the change in the divided value to a straight line.

[0051] Next, the determination unit 102 determines whether the degree of compression progress calculated by the calculation unit 101 is less than the threshold value (step S3). If the determination unit 102 determines in step S3 that the degree of compression progress is less than the threshold value (YES), it determines that compression is complete (step S4).

[0052] Since all of the pressurized air flowing into the compression chamber 37 remains in the compression chamber 37, the degree of compression progress falls below the threshold and eventually reaches zero.

[0053] When it is determined that the compression is complete, the thickness estimation unit 104 reads out the flow rate data used to determine the completion of the compression from the flow rate data stored in the memory unit 11, estimates the cake thickness based on the flow rate data (step S5), and ends the process. In estimating the cake thickness, as shown in Fig. 5, the thickness estimation unit 104 regards the volume of pressurized air that has flowed into the compression chamber 37 (integral flow rate) as the area of ​​a trapezoid whose upper and lower bases are the integrated flow rates before and after the change per unit time, and calculates the area of ​​the trapezoid. From this calculation, the thickness estimation unit 104 calculates the volume of pressurized air that has flowed into the compression chamber 37 (integral flow rate), and estimates the thickness of the cake layer from the volume of solids obtained by subtracting the integrated flow rate from the volume of the filter chamber 36.

[0054] Furthermore, if the damage estimation unit 103 determines in step S3 that the degree of compression progress is not less than the threshold, i.e., is equal to or greater than the threshold (NO), it determines whether the degree of compression progress has maintained a value equal to or greater than the threshold for a predetermined time (step S6). If the damage estimation unit 103 determines in step S6 that the degree of compression progress has maintained a value equal to or greater than the threshold for a predetermined time (YES), it estimates and notifies of damage to the diaphragm sheet 35 (step S7). In this case, since it is highly likely that the compression process cannot be continued, the information processing device 1 ends the process.

[0055] Furthermore, if the damage estimation unit 103 determines in step S6 that the degree of compression progress has not maintained a value equal to or greater than the threshold value for a predetermined time period (NO), the process returns to step S1. In this case, it can be determined that the diaphragm sheet 35 is not damaged, and the compression process continues.

[0056] Here, the principle of the estimation of the cake layer thickness performed in step S5 will be described.

[0057] Figure 5 can be divided into three regions A1 to A3. Region A1 is the region below the curve where the cumulative flow rate of the pressurized air flowing into the compression chamber 37 changes, and represents the change in the volume of the pressurized air flowing into the compression chamber 37. Region A2 is the region above 1500 L, and represents the volume of solids contained in the raw liquid. Region A3 is the region between regions A1 and A2, and represents the volume of water contained in the raw liquid.

[0058] If the volume of the filter chamber 36 is 2833 L, when the compression time reaches 960 seconds, the volume of water shown in region A3 is almost zero. Therefore, the volume of solid matter can be roughly calculated by subtracting the cumulative flow rate of pressurized air when the compression time reaches 960 seconds from the volume of the filter chamber 36.

[0059] The thickness estimation unit 104 calculates the sum of the thicknesses of the solids in all of the filter chambers 36 by dividing the volume of the solids obtained by the subtraction as described above by the area of ​​the portions where the solids accumulate in the two filter cloths 34. The thickness estimation unit 104 further converts this thickness to a value per filter chamber 36, thereby calculating and estimating the thickness of the cake layer formed by the solids accumulated in one filter chamber 36. The thickness estimation unit 104 performs the above conversion by dividing the thicknesses of the solids in all of the filter chambers 36 by the number of filter chambers 36. Alternatively, the thickness estimation unit 104 performs the above conversion by dividing the thicknesses of the solids in all of the filter chambers 36 by a value A expressed by the following formula:

[0060] A=T×{1-(D / C)} In the above formula, T is the thickness (mm) of one filter chamber 36, D is the cumulative flow rate of the compressed air, and C is the total filtration processing volume in the filter press device 3 (the total volume of the multiple filter chambers 36).

[0061] Incidentally, the slope of the integrated flow rate when the squeezing time reaches 960 seconds in Figure 5, i.e., the degree of squeezing progress, differs between when the filter cloth 34 is new and when the filter cloth 34 is clogged. Specifically, the slope is small when the filter cloth 34 is new (small degree of squeezing progress), and the slope is large when the filter cloth 34 is clogged (large degree of squeezing progress). Therefore, when the filter cloth 34 is clogged, the slope can be made smaller by further extending the squeezing time. If the slope does not change even when the squeezing time is extended, it means that the slope does not decrease even though the integrated flow rate is increasing, and it can be assumed that the diaphragm sheet 35 is damaged.

[0062] When the filter cloth 34 is new and not clogged, the slope usually becomes smaller when the squeezing time reaches 960 seconds. Therefore, if the slope does not change even when the squeezing time is extended as described above, it can be assumed that the diaphragm sheet 35 is damaged.

[0063] Next, the principle of estimating damage to the diaphragm sheet 35, which is performed in step S7, will be described.

[0064] When the diaphragm sheet 35 is in a normal state, as described above, all of the pressurized air remains in the compression chamber 37, causing the degree of compression to decrease to the threshold value and eventually reach 0. In contrast, if the diaphragm sheet 35 is damaged, such as by a hole or crack, and pressurized air leaks from the damaged area through the outlet 321b, the degree of compression may not decrease to the threshold value if the outflow velocity of the pressurized air exceeds the inflow velocity. Furthermore, as the damage becomes larger, the outflow velocity of the pressurized air increases, causing the degree of compression to increase.

[0065] Therefore, if the degree of compression progress has not reached a specified range below the threshold value even after a predetermined time has elapsed, the damage estimation unit 103 can estimate that the diaphragm sheet 35 is damaged without using any special means. Therefore, damage to the diaphragm sheet 35, which is not visible from the outside of the filter press device 3, can be estimated based on the degree of compression progress. Therefore, by inspecting the condition of the diaphragm sheet 35 based on this estimation, maintenance of the diaphragm sheet 35 can be easily performed.

[0066] As described above, the information processing device 1 includes the calculation unit 101, which calculates the degree of compression progress based on the integrated flow rate, which is closely related to the inflow rate of pressurized air. The determination unit 102 can determine the completion of compression based on the calculated degree of compression progress. Furthermore, because pressurized air continues to flow into the compression chamber 37, the inflow rate of pressurized air is measured as a continuous value. This makes it possible to acquire the degree of compression progress as a continuous value. This improves the accuracy of determining the completion of compression.

[0067] The calculation unit 101 linearly approximates the change in the cumulative flow rate of the compressed air and calculates the slope of the approximated line as the degree of compression progress, i.e., estimates the degree of compression progress from the slope of the approximated line, thereby reducing the influence of instantaneous fluctuations in the inflow velocity. This further improves the accuracy of the judgment by the judgment unit 102. Furthermore, the calculation unit 101 calculates the value obtained by dividing the slope of the approximated line by the volume of the filter chamber as the degree of compression progress, thereby making it possible to determine the degree of compression progress as a value per unit volume, regardless of the volume of the filter chamber 36, which varies depending on the size of the filter press apparatus 3.

[0068] Furthermore, the information processing device 1 includes the determination unit 102, and by appropriately setting a threshold value, can easily determine the completion of compression. Furthermore, the damage estimation unit 103 estimates that the diaphragm sheet 35 is damaged when the degree of compression progress is maintained at a value equal to or greater than the threshold value for a predetermined time, thereby facilitating maintenance of the diaphragm sheet 35, as described above.

[0069] Incidentally, as described in Patent Document 1, conventionally, the thickness of the cake layer after squeezing is calculated based on the concentration of the stock solution. Since an expensive concentration meter is used to measure the concentration of the stock solution, this method is not practical from the viewpoint of cost-effectiveness.

[0070] In contrast, the information processing device 1 is provided with a thickness estimation unit 104, which allows the thickness of the cake layer to be estimated based on the volume of pressurized air flowing into the compression chamber 37. This makes it possible to estimate the thickness of the cake layer using the flow meter 7, which is relatively inexpensive. This improves the cost-effectiveness of estimating the cake layer thickness. This makes it possible to inexpensively estimate whether the cake layer has the thickness required for discharge.

[0071] [Modification] Next, a modified example of this embodiment will be described. The information processing device according to this modified example may be configured as follows.

[0072] Although not shown, the control unit 10 includes a calculation unit replacing the calculation unit 101, a compression progress estimation unit replacing the judgment unit 102, a damage estimation unit replacing the damage estimation unit 103, a thickness estimation unit replacing the thickness estimation unit 104, and an output unit replacing the output unit 12. The compression progress estimation unit, the damage estimation unit, and the thickness estimation unit constitute a new estimation unit. The information processing device also includes a memory unit replacing the memory unit 11. The memory unit stores flow rate data acquired from the flow meter 7 and various calculation data.

[0073] The calculation unit has an integrated flow rate calculation unit and an approximate slope calculation unit. Similar to the calculation unit 101 described above, the integrated flow rate calculation unit calculates the integrated flow rate of the pressurized fluid based on the flow rate data stored in the memory unit 11. Similar to the calculation unit 101 described above, the approximate slope calculation unit performs a calculation to linearly approximate the change in the integrated flow rate based on the integrated flow rate of the pressurized fluid calculated by the integrated flow rate calculation unit.

[0074] The compression progress estimation unit estimates the compression progress based on the slope of the straight line approximated by the approximate slope calculation unit. Similar to the damage estimation unit 103, the damage estimation unit estimates damage to the diaphragm sheet 35 when the compression progress maintains a value equal to or greater than a threshold for a predetermined time. Similar to the thickness estimation unit 104, the thickness estimation unit estimates the thickness of the cake layer from the volume of solid matter obtained by subtracting the integrated flow rate of the pressurized fluid calculated by the integrated flow rate calculation unit, i.e., the volume of pressurized air flowing into the compression chamber 37, from the volume of the filter chamber 36.

[0075] The output unit writes the estimation results from the compression progress estimation unit, the damage estimation unit, and the thickness estimation unit as various calculation data in the memory unit 11. The output unit also reads out the flow rate data and various calculation data from the memory unit and outputs them to the terminal device 2. Alternatively, the terminal device 2 may directly acquire the flow rate data and various calculation data from the memory unit.

[0076] 1 and the information processing device according to this modification are assumed to be installed in a location relatively close to the filter press device 3, and acquire flow rate data directly from the flow meter 7 via a signal line. In contrast, the information processing device 1 and the information processing device according to this modification may be installed in a location distant from the filter press device 3, such as a cloud server, and may acquire flow rate data from the flow meter 7 via the Internet or the like.

[0077] [Contribution to SDGs] According to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, the filtration system 100 is provided with the information processing device 1, which allows it to more appropriately determine the time when the squeezing is complete. This allows for more efficient squeezing by reducing over- and under-squeezing. This can contribute to the achievement of Goal 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and build resilient infrastructure (including infrastructure and systems development)."

[0078] [Software implementation example] The functions of the information processing device 1 can be realized by an information processing program that causes a computer to function as the information processing device 1. The information processing program is a program that causes a computer to function as each control block of the information processing device 1 (particularly each unit included in the control unit 10).

[0079] The information processing device 1 includes, as hardware for executing an information processing program, a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) constituting the above-mentioned storage unit 11. The above-mentioned program is executed by the control device and storage device, thereby realizing each of the functions described in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0080] The information processing program may be recorded non-transitoryly on one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the information processing device 1. In the latter case, the information processing program may be provided in a location separate from the information processing device 1, such as a cloud, and may be supplied to the information processing device 1 via any wired or wireless transmission medium. Furthermore, when the information processing device 1 is incorporated into the control panel of the filter press device 3, the information processing program may be stored in the information processing device 1.

[0081] Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the control blocks can be realized by logic circuits. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the functions of the control blocks can also be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0082] Furthermore, each process described in each of the above embodiments may be executed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). In this case, the AI ​​may run on the control device or on another device (for example, an edge computer or a cloud server).

[0083] 〔summary〕 As described above, the information processing device according to aspect 1 of the present invention is an information processing device that manages compression in a filter press device that continuously flows pressurized fluid into a compression chamber formed between a first filter plate and an expandable and contractible member provided on the first filter plate and a second filter plate arranged opposite the first filter plate so as to compress the remaining solid matter after filtering of the raw liquid injected into the filter chamber formed between the first filter plate and the expandable and contractible member, and is equipped with a calculation unit that calculates the degree of compression progress, which is the degree to which the compression of the solid matter progresses, based on the inflow speed of the pressurized fluid into the compression chamber.

[0084] As the pressurized fluid flows into the compression chamber, the amount of pressurized fluid flowing into the compression chamber increases. When the amount of liquid squeezed out by compressing the solids with the pressurized fluid decreases, it becomes more difficult to compress the solids, and the inflow rate of the pressurized fluid decreases. Therefore, with the above configuration, the completion of compression can be determined based on the degree of compression progress based on the inflow rate. Furthermore, because the pressurized fluid continues to flow into the compression chamber, the inflow rate of the pressurized fluid is measured as a continuous value. This allows the degree of compression progress to be acquired as a continuous value. Therefore, the accuracy of determining the completion of compression can be improved.

[0085] The information processing device according to aspect 2 of the present invention may be in accordance with aspect 1, further comprising a determination unit that determines completion of the compression based on the calculated degree of compression progress.

[0086] According to the above configuration, the completion of the squeezing can be easily determined by using the degree of squeezing progress as an element for determining the completion of the squeezing.

[0087] In the information processing device according to aspect 3 of the present invention, in the above aspect 2, the determination unit may determine that the compressing is complete when the calculated degree of compressing progress reaches a specified range.

[0088] According to the above configuration, by appropriately setting the specified range, it is possible to easily determine when the compression is complete.

[0089] An information processing device according to aspect 4 of the present invention may be configured such that, in any one of aspects 1 to 3 above, the calculation unit linearly approximates the change in the cumulative flow rate of the pressurized fluid based on the inflow velocity, and calculates the slope of the approximated straight line as the degree of compression progress.

[0090] Since the inflow rate is an instantaneous value, it is susceptible to pressure fluctuations at the source of the pressurized fluid and is likely to experience large instantaneous fluctuations. In contrast, with the above configuration, the compression progress is expressed by the slope of a straight line that approximates the change in the integrated flow rate, thereby reducing the influence of instantaneous fluctuations in the inflow rate. This further improves the accuracy of the judgment by the judgment unit.

[0091] In the information processing device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect, the calculation unit may calculate, as the degree of compression progress, a value obtained by dividing the slope by the volume of the filter chamber.

[0092] According to the above configuration, the degree of compression progress can be determined as a value per unit volume, regardless of the volume of the filter chamber, which varies depending on the scale of the filter press device.

[0093] The information processing device according to aspect 6 of the present invention, in any of aspects 1 to 5 above, may further include a thickness estimation unit that estimates the thickness of the solid matter from the volume of the solid matter obtained by subtracting the volume of the pressurized fluid that has flowed into the compression chamber from the volume of the filter chamber.

[0094] Conventionally, the thickness of solids after compression is calculated based on the concentration of the stock solution. Measuring the concentration of the stock solution requires an expensive concentration meter, which is not practical from a cost-effectiveness perspective. In contrast, with the above configuration, the thickness of solids is estimated based on the volume of pressurized fluid flowing into the compression chamber. Flow meters used to measure the volume of pressurized fluid are relatively inexpensive. This improves the cost-effectiveness of estimating the thickness of solids. Therefore, it is possible to inexpensively estimate whether solids have the thickness required for discharge.

[0095] The information processing device of aspect 7 of the present invention may further include, in aspect 3 above, a damage estimation unit that estimates damage to the expandable member when the degree of compression progress maintains a value outside the specified range for a predetermined period of time.

[0096] If the degree of compression progress does not reach the specified range even after a predetermined time has passed, even though pressurized fluid is flowing into the compression chamber, and remains outside the specified range, there is a high possibility that pressurized fluid is leaking from the telescopic member. According to the above configuration, if the degree of compression progress does not reach the specified range even after a predetermined time has passed, the judgment unit can determine that the telescopic member is damaged without using any special means. Therefore, by inspecting the condition of the telescopic member based on this estimation, maintenance of the telescopic member can be easily performed.

[0097] A filtration system according to an eighth aspect of the present invention includes an information processing device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, a filtration chamber for filtering raw liquid and compressing the remaining solids after filtration, a compression chamber provided in the filtration chamber into which a pressurized fluid flows so as to compress the solids, and an inflow source for continuously flowing the pressurized fluid into the compression chamber.

[0098] According to the above configuration, the filtration system can more appropriately determine the time when compression is complete, thereby reducing over-compression and under-compression, thereby enabling efficient compression.

[0099] The information processing device according to aspect 9 of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the computer is made to operate as each unit (software element) of the information processing device. As a result, an information processing program for the information processing device that causes the computer to realize the information processing device, and a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded, also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0100] An information processing method according to aspect 10 of the present invention is an information processing method for managing compression in a filter press device in which pressurized fluid is continuously introduced into a compression chamber formed between a first filter plate and an expandable and contractible member provided on the first filter plate and a second filter plate arranged opposite the first filter plate so as to compress the remaining solid matter after filtering of the raw liquid injected into the filter chamber formed between the first filter plate and the expandable and contractible member, and includes a calculation step for calculating the degree of compression progress, which is the degree to which the compression of the solid matter progresses, based on the inflow rate of the pressurized fluid into the compression chamber.

[0101] This allows the degree of compression progress to be acquired as a continuous value, similar to the information processing device according to aspect 1. This improves the accuracy of determining whether compression is complete.

[0102] [Additional Notes] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Furthermore, embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the respective embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1. Information processing equipment 6 Compressor (inlet source) 35 Diaphragm sheet (elastic member) 36 Chamber 37 Pressing Room 100 Filtration System 101 Calculation Unit 102 Judgment Department 103 Damage Estimation Department 104 Thickness estimation section 321 First filter plate 322 Second filter plate

Claims

1. An information processing device for managing compression in a filter press device in which a pressurized fluid is continuously introduced into a compression chamber formed between a first filter plate and an expandable and contractible member provided on the first filter plate and a second filter plate arranged to face the first filter plate, so as to compress remaining solid matter after filtering of a raw liquid injected into the filter chamber formed between the first filter plate and the expandable and contractible member, a calculation unit that calculates a compression progress degree, which is a degree to which compression of the solid material progresses, based on an inflow velocity of the pressurized fluid into the compression chamber; a thickness estimation unit that estimates the thickness of the solid matter from the volume of the solid matter obtained by subtracting the volume of the pressurized fluid that has flowed into the compression chamber from the volume of the filter chamber.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a determination unit that determines completion of the squeezing based on the calculated degree of squeezing progress.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the determination unit determines that the squeezing is complete when the calculated degree of squeezing progress reaches a specified range.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation unit linearly approximates a change in the integrated flow rate of the pressurized fluid based on the inflow velocity, and calculates a slope of the approximated line as the degree of compression progress.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the calculation unit calculates a value obtained by dividing the slope by the volume of the filter chamber as the degree of compression progress.

6. An information processing device that manages compression in a filter press device that continuously flows pressurized fluid into a compression chamber formed between a first filter plate and an expandable elastic member provided on the first filter plate and a second filter plate arranged opposite the first filter plate, so as to compress residual solid matter filtered from a raw liquid injected into the filter chamber formed between the first filter plate and the expandable elastic member, a calculation unit that calculates a compression progress degree, which is a degree to which compression of the solid material progresses, based on an inflow velocity of the pressurized fluid into the compression chamber; a determination unit that determines completion of the compression when the calculated compression progress degree reaches a specified range; An information processing device characterized by comprising: a damage estimation unit that estimates damage to the expandable member when the degree of compression progress maintains a value outside the specified range for a predetermined period of time.

7. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6; a filter chamber in which the raw liquid is filtered and the remaining solid matter after filtration is squeezed; a compression chamber provided in the filter chamber into which a pressurized fluid flows so as to compress the solid material; a source of pressurized fluid continuously flowing into the compression chamber.

8. 7. An information processing program for causing a computer to function as the information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing program causes the computer to function as each of the units.

9. An information processing method for managing compression in a filter press device, in which a pressurized fluid is continuously introduced into a compression chamber formed between a first filter plate and an expandable and contractible member provided on the first filter plate and a second filter plate arranged to face the first filter plate, so as to compress remaining solid matter after filtering of a stock solution injected into the filter chamber formed between the first filter plate and the expandable and contractible member, a calculation step of calculating a compression progress degree, which is a degree of progress of compression of the solid material, based on an inflow rate of the pressurized fluid into the compression chamber; a thickness estimation step of estimating a thickness of the solid matter from a volume of the solid matter obtained by subtracting a volume of the pressurized fluid flowing into the compression chamber from a volume of the filter chamber.

10. An information processing method for managing compression in a filter press device, in which a pressurized fluid is continuously introduced into a compression chamber formed between a first filter plate and an expandable elastic member provided on the first filter plate and a second filter plate arranged opposite the first filter plate, so as to compress residual solid matter filtered from a raw liquid injected into the filter chamber formed between the first filter plate and the expandable elastic member, a calculation step of calculating a compression progress degree, which is a degree of progress of compression of the solid material, based on an inflow rate of the pressurized fluid into the compression chamber; a determining step of determining completion of the compression when the calculated degree of compression progress reaches a specified range; An information processing method characterized by including a damage estimation process of estimating damage to the expandable member when the degree of compression progress maintains a value outside the specified range for a predetermined period of time.

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