A device for transporting materials, a method for operating the device, and a control program for transporting materials.

Abstract

To provide a processing subject conveying apparatus that can perform smooth conveyance of a processing subject without causing entanglement of the subject after crushing during agitation in conveying the processing subject by water, a method for operating a processing subject conveying apparatus, and a control program of a processing subject conveying apparatus.SOLUTION: Provided is a processing subject conveying apparatus that comprises: a conveyance path which conveys a processing subject by water; a crushing part which is arranged in the conveyance path and crushes the processing subject; and a water supply part which supplies clean water to the following step of the crushing part, and generates a swirling flow in the conveyance path by clean water supplied from the water supply part. Also provided is a processing subject conveying method using the apparatus. According to the present invention, in conveyance of a processing subject by water, agitation by water flow can be performed instead of mechanical agitation by an agitator equipped with agitation blades. Thus, the processing subject after crushing is not entangled in the agitation blade or the like, and effective agitation and smooth conveyance can be performed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an object to be processed conveying device that conveys by water, an operation method of the object to be processed conveying device, and a control program of the object to be processed conveying device.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, as a conveying means for an object (object to be processed), a device such as a belt conveyor using a driving device and conveying on land is known. For example, the scum removed from sewage in a grit chamber facility such as a sewage treatment plant or a pump station is transferred to a scum treatment facility for treatment. At this time, the scum separated by the grit chamber facility was conveyed to a storage hopper using a belt conveyor. However, a large space is required to install the belt conveyor, and there are problems related to the working environment such as the odor from the scum and the scattering of sewage, and problems related to maintenance management such as the frequent cleaning of the driving device.

[0003] Therefore, as a device for washing and transferring scum as the object to be processed, a water conveying device (scum conveying device) that combines crushing, washing, and pipe transfer of scum has been proposed.

[0004] For example, in Patent Document 1, a first washing section, a crushing section, and a second washing section are provided in a tank with an integrated structure, and the scum collected from a sewage treatment plant is put here. After crushing and washing the scum, a scum conveying device (scum treatment system) that conveys the mixture of crushed scum and water by a transfer pump is described. Further, Patent Document 1 describes that this scum conveying device can reliably crush and wash scum, treat it hygienically, and facilitate the maintenance of the device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0006] Patent Document 1 describes a material handling device (slag handling device) in which the material to be handled (slag) is handled by water, and after crushing the material to be handled, the mixture of the crushed material and water is handled by a transfer pump (discharged out of the system). On the other hand, although not specifically mentioned in Patent Document 1, in general material handling equipment (slag handling equipment), it is also common practice to discharge any mixture (drain) remaining in the material handling equipment from the system through the drain outlet at the end of operation. In this case, it is common practice to perform the drain discharge operation with the crusher stopped.

[0007] However, in typical material handling systems, the drain outlet is located downstream of the crusher. When the drain is discharged, the material remaining upstream of the crusher flows into the stopped crusher and accumulates there. This raises concerns that when the next operation starts, a large amount of accumulated material may jam the crusher all at once, causing an overload. Furthermore, especially if the material being processed is something like shavings that requires odor control, the mere presence of material upstream of the crusher after the drain is discharged poses a significant environmental impact.

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a material handling device, an operating method for the material handling device, and a control program for the material handling device that can reliably discharge the material to be handled from the system without accumulating in front of the crusher after a drain discharge operation when transporting the material to be handled by water. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] As a result of diligent research into the above-mentioned problems, the inventors of the present invention have discovered that by continuing to operate the crusher even during the drain discharge operation when transporting the material to be processed with water, it is possible to reliably discharge the material out of the system without any residue remaining after the drain discharge operation, thereby completing the present invention. In other words, the present invention relates to the following material handling device, operating method for the material handling device, and control program for the material handling device.

[0010] The present invention, which solves the above problems, is a material transport device comprising a transport path for transporting material by water, a crushing unit arranged in the transport path for crushing the material, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the crushing unit, wherein the control unit continues to operate the crushing unit even during drain discharge operations in the transport path. This material handling device allows for the continuous operation of a crushing section within the transport path during water-based material handling, even during drain discharge operations. This enables crushing of the material flowing into the crushing section during drain discharge operations, preventing material buildup before the crushing section and ensuring reliable discharge of the crushed material. Furthermore, this prevents a large amount of material from flowing into the crushing section at the start of the next operation, thus suppressing overload.

[0011] Furthermore, one embodiment of the material transport device of the present invention is characterized by stopping the operation of the crushing section when the drain discharge operation in the transport path is completed. This feature allows the crushing section to be operated until drain discharge is complete, further suppressing the accumulation and retention of processed material in front of the crushing section.

[0012] The present invention provides an operating method for a material handling device to solve the above problems, comprising: a transport path for transporting material by water; and a crushing unit located within the transport path for crushing the material; and an operating control step that keeps the crushing unit running even during drain discharge operations in the transport path. According to this method of operating the material handling device, in a material handling device that uses water to transport materials, by continuously operating the crushing section installed in the transport path even during drain discharge operations, it is possible to crush the materials that flow into the crushing section during drain discharge operations, thereby suppressing the accumulation of materials before the crushing section and ensuring that the crushed materials are reliably discharged outside the system. Furthermore, this prevents a large amount of materials from flowing into the crushing section at the start of the next operation, thereby suppressing the occurrence of overload in the crushing section of the material handling device.

[0013] The control program for a material transport device of the present invention, which solves the above problems, is a control program for a material transport device, wherein the material transport device comprises a transport path for transporting material by water, a crushing unit arranged in the transport path for crushing material, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the crushing unit, and is characterized in that the control unit is made to execute an operation control step that keeps the crushing unit running even during drain discharge operations in the transport path. According to the control program for this material handling device, in a material handling device that uses water to transport materials, the crushing section installed in the transport path is kept running even during drain discharge operations. This allows for crushing of materials that flow into the crushing section during drain discharge operations, preventing the accumulation of materials before the crushing section and ensuring that the crushed materials are reliably discharged outside the system. Furthermore, this prevents a large amount of materials from flowing into the crushing section at the start of the next operation, thereby suppressing the occurrence of overload. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, in the transport of materials to be processed using water, it is possible to provide a material transport device, an operating method for the material transport device, and a control program for the material transport device that can reliably discharge the material to be processed outside the system without accumulating in front of the crusher after the drain discharge operation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a material handling device in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart relating to the operation control by the control unit of the material handling device in an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] The material transport device, operating method, and control program of the present invention are used for transporting materials using water. The material to be transported is not particularly limited. For example, the material to be transported may be one that requires odor control during transport, or one that requires transport and washing in parallel. More specifically, the material to be transported may be one of the materials to be transported, such as films with attached substances or sludge collected and separated in sedimentation tank facilities at sewage treatment plants or pumping stations. In particular, the material transport device, the operating method for the material transport device, and the control program for the material transport device of the present invention are suitably used for transporting sludge collected and separated in sedimentation tank facilities such as sewage treatment plants and pumping stations. In the following description of embodiments, sludge will be mainly used as an example of the material to be transported, but the invention is not limited to this.

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the material handling device, the operating method of the material handling device, and the control program of the material handling device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the material handling method and the control program of the material handling device according to the present invention will be replaced by the following description of the structure and operation of the material handling device. Furthermore, the material handling devices described in the embodiments are merely examples used to illustrate the material handling device according to the present invention and are not limiting.

[0018] [Embodiment] (Processing material transport device) Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the material handling device 1 in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the object to be processed conveying device 1 according to this embodiment includes a conveying path 2, a crushing unit 3, and a control unit 4. Further, the object to be processed conveying device 1 according to this embodiment includes a transfer unit 5 for transferring the object to be processed in the conveying path 2 to the outside of the system. Here, as the object to be processed conveying device 1 according to this embodiment, an example in which the sludge removed from the grit chamber facility is used as the object to be processed will be taken for the following explanation. The arrows in FIG. 1 indicate the flow of water, and the dashed-dotted arrows indicate that they are controllably or input-connectably connected.

[0019] The object to be processed conveying device 1 according to this embodiment inputs the object to be processed (sludge S) and water W0 into the conveying path 2, crushes the sludge S with the crushing unit 3 provided in the conveying path 2, and then, by the transfer unit 5 connected to the downstream side of the conveying path 2, pipes and transfers the mixture of the crushed sludge and water (hereinafter referred to as "mixed water M") from the crushing unit 3. Hereinafter, each component of the object to be processed conveying device 1 in this embodiment will be described.

[0020] The conveying path 2 is for mixing and conveying the sludge S and the water W0, and examples include a water-channel type tank in which water is stored up to a predetermined water level. Further, the conveying path 2 includes an input unit 20 for inputting the sludge S and the water W0, and a water flow is formed toward the crushing unit 3. By this water flow, the sludge S can be conveyed to the crushing unit 3. The sludge S crushed by the crushing unit 3 is discharged to the outside of the system from the transfer unit 5 provided on the most downstream side. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, in addition to the transfer unit 5, a drain discharge unit 21 for discharging the mixed water M in the conveying path 2 is provided in the conveying path 2.

[0021] The input section 20 provided in the transport path 2 is used to introduce sludge S removed from the sedimentation tank facility and water W0 for slurrying the sludge S into the transport path 2. In this embodiment, the means for introducing the sludge S and water W0 and the structure of the input section 20 are not particularly limited. For example, a mixing section (not shown) for mixing the sludge S and water W0 may be provided in front of the material transport device 1, and the input section 20 may be used to introduce the sludge S and water W0 from the same location via the mixing section. Alternatively, the input section 20 may be provided with separate locations for introducing the sludge S and water W0 into the material transport device 1, and the sludge S and water W0 may be mixed on the upstream side of the transport path 2. Furthermore, the input section 20 may be equipped with a control device for controlling the inflow rate of sludge S and water W0. This makes it possible to change the amount of waste S introduced into the material transporting device 1 according to its condition (quantity and quality), making it easy to achieve a state (quantity and quality) suitable for processing in the material transporting device 1. Furthermore, the water W0 introduced from the input section 20 is not particularly limited and can include drinking water, water for general use, treated water, etc. Considering the costs associated with water procurement, it is particularly preferable to utilize treated water discharged from treatment facilities such as sewage treatment plants.

[0022] The drain discharge section 21 provided in the transport path 2 discharges the mixed water M of crushed sludge and water to the outside of the transport path 2. In this embodiment, the structure of the drain discharge section 21 is not particularly limited. A specific example of the drain discharge section 21 in this embodiment is, for example, a pipe 21b equipped with an on / off valve 21a, as shown in Figure 1.

[0023] The means for forming a water flow within the transport path 2 are not particularly limited. For example, this could involve using a pump to circulate water within the transport path 2, or creating a structure that utilizes potential energy by providing a height difference from the upstream to the downstream side of the transport path 2. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, a height difference is provided in the transport path 2 from the upstream side to the downstream side (from the input section 20 to the drain discharge section 21 in Figure 1).

[0024] A water level gauge WG may be installed in the transport path 2, and measures may be taken according to the observed water level. In this case, the location where the water level gauge WG is installed is not particularly limited. For example, a water level gauge WG is installed upstream of the transport path 2. If the water level rises above a predetermined value, measures are taken to stop the input of sludge S and water W0 from the input section 20, or to drain the water by providing a structure that allows overflow from the top of the transport path 2. Also, if the water level falls below a predetermined value, measures are taken to increase the inflow rate from the input section 20 when transporting sludge S to continue. As a result, the amount of water necessary for transporting sludge S is maintained within the transport path 2, thereby enabling stable transport of sludge S. Another example is to install a water level gauge WG downstream of the transport path 2, as shown in Figure 1, and use the water level as one of the parameters for controlling the drive of the pump 52 in the transfer section 5, which will be described later.

[0025] Furthermore, the transport path 2 may be provided with a cleaning means for cleaning the inside of the transport path 2 (not shown). An example of a cleaning means is to supply cleaning water to the water channel and crushing section 3 of the transport path 2. This makes it possible to clean the inside of the transport path 2 and to promote the smooth discharge of the mixed water M inside the transport path 2 during the drain discharge operation described later.

[0026] The crushing unit 3 is used to perform a crushing step in which the material to be processed (debris S) is crushed. By crushing the debris S, the transport of the debris S within the transport path 2 can be further accelerated. Here, the debris S consists of metals, plastics, underwear, rags, cotton wool, and other fibers contained in sewage and wastewater. If these are transported as they are through the transport path 2, they can become entangled in downstream equipment (such as the pump in the transfer section 5 described later), potentially causing equipment failure. Therefore, crushing the debris S using the crushing section 3 prevents failure of downstream equipment. Furthermore, crushing the debris S also improves the cleaning efficiency of the debris S.

[0027] As the crushing unit 3, a crusher 31 can be used. Any type of crusher 31 may be used; for example, a twin-shaft crusher equipped with multiple crushing blades on a drive shaft rotated by a drive unit 32 can be used. In this embodiment, since the crusher 31 is installed inside the transport path 2, a vertical twin-shaft crusher with an upright drive shaft is particularly preferred. Furthermore, regarding the installation of the crusher 31, it is preferable to incline it with respect to the direction of water flow in the transport path 2. More specifically, it is particularly preferable to incline the drive shaft of the vertical twin-shaft crusher with respect to the bottom surface of the installation position in the transport path 2. This suppresses the accumulation of debris S on the upstream side of the crusher 31 and allows the debris S to flow easily into the crusher 31. As a result, the crushing of debris S can be further promoted.

[0028] The transfer unit 5 is used to transfer the mixed water M, which is a mixture of sludge and water crushed in the crushing unit 3, via piping, and is connected to the downstream side of the transport path 2. As shown in Figure 1, the transfer unit 5 may include an intake pipe 51, a pump 52, and a discharge pipe 53.

[0029] The suction pipe 51 is provided on the transport path 2 side and connected to the pump 52. The arrangement of the suction pipe 51 is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the end of the suction pipe 51 (opening 51a) can be positioned to open from the top to the bottom surface of the transport path 2. In this case, the distance between the opening 51a and the bottom surface of the transport path 2 may be set based on the diameter of the suction pipe 51. This makes it possible to suppress blockage of the suction pipe 51 by debris S during pipe transport by the transport unit 5, and to suppress the residue S remaining on the bottom surface of the transport path 2. Another configuration for the arrangement of the suction pipe 51 is to install it on the downstream side of the transport path 2. This makes it easier for the water flow in the transport path 2 to converge towards the opening of the suction pipe 51 when the transport unit 5 starts transporting the mixed water M through the pipe, thereby further accelerating the transport of the mixed water M.

[0030] Pump 52 is for transferring the mixed water M in the transport path 2 via the suction pipe 51 and discharge pipe 53. Any pump capable of transferring fluids can be used as pump 52, such as a vortex pump or a jet pump. In this embodiment, it is preferable to use a jet pump as pump 52, from the viewpoint that the pump will not overheat or be damaged even if the fluid being transferred is in a gas-liquid mixture state or a gas-only state.

[0031] The discharge pipe 53 extends to the outside of the material transport device 1 and is connected to the pump 52. Further downstream of the discharge pipe 53, various processing devices may be provided for treating the material (residue S) discharged as mixed water M.

[0032] Examples of various processing devices installed downstream of the discharge pipe 53 include separators and dewatering machines. The separator is used to separate the mixed water M into crushed sludge S and separated water. The separator can be any device for solid-liquid separation, such as a drum-type filter or a centrifugal separator. The separated water may be returned to the sedimentation tank facility, or it may be returned to the input section 20 in this embodiment and used as water W0 to slurry the sludge S. Furthermore, the dewatering machine is used to dewater the residue S that has been separated into solid and liquid by the separator. The dewatering machine can be any device that removes water from a solid, such as a screw press type, rotary press type, or belt press type.

[0033] On the other hand, when the operation of the material transport device 1 ends (when the supply of sludge S and water W0 from the input section 20 stops), the mixed water M in the transport path 2 is not transported by pipes via the transfer section 5, but is instead discharged outside the system via the drain discharge section 21. In conventional technology, the drain discharge operation is typically performed with the crusher 31 in the crushing section 3 stopped.

[0034] However, as shown in Figure 1, since the drain discharge section 21 is located in the transport path 2 downstream of the crusher 31, when the drain discharge operation is performed, the water flow in the transport path 2 converges towards the drain discharge section 21. At this time, the material to be processed (debris S) remaining upstream of the crusher 31 flows towards the crusher 31, which has stopped operation, due to this water flow, and accumulates upstream of the crusher 31. For this reason, with conventional technology, there was a concern that when the next operation started, a large amount of accumulated material to be processed (debris S) would get jammed into the crusher 31 all at once, causing an overload. In addition, especially when the material to be processed is debris S, which requires odor control measures, the mere fact that debris S remains upstream of the crusher 31 after the drain discharge operation has a significant impact on the surrounding environment. Therefore, it is necessary to properly control the operation of the material handling device 1 during drain discharge operations.

[0035] The control unit 4 is for performing an operation control step that controls the operation of the crushing unit 3 when the mixed water M is discharged as drain from the transport path 2. The control unit 4 may be directly connected to the crushing unit 3 by wiring or the like, or it may be indirectly connected via communication technology such as wireless communication. In this embodiment, the control unit 4 includes a determination unit 41 that determines the operating state of the drain discharge unit 21 and an operation control unit 42 that controls the operating state of the crushing unit 3.

[0036] The determination unit 41 determines the status of drain discharge in the drain discharge unit 21, and this determination result is used as a criterion for controlling the operation of the crushing unit 3. The determination means of the determination unit 41 include means for acquiring information related to the open / closed state of the on / off valve 21a of the drain discharge unit 21, and means for the operator to directly input the drain discharge status in the drain discharge unit 21. Furthermore, means for acquiring information related to the input status of sludge S and water W0 in the input unit 20 may be provided, and the timing of the drain discharge operation may be treated as the determination result.

[0037] The operation control unit 42 controls the operating state of the crushing unit 3, specifically controlling the driving and stopping of the drive unit 32 (motor, etc.) of the crusher 31.

[0038] The following describes an embodiment of the operation control of the crushing unit 3 by the control unit 4, with a particular emphasis on preferred operation control of the crushing unit 3 during drain discharge. Note that the flowchart in the following description is merely an example of an embodiment and is not limited thereto.

[0039] Figure 2 shows a flowchart relating to the operation control of the crushing unit 3 by the control unit 4. First, in normal operation before draining, the material to be processed (debris S) and water W0 are fed into the material to be processed transport device 1 from the input section 20, and the crushing section 3 is driven to crush the debris S to produce mixed water M. This mixed water M is then transported out of the system by the transfer section 5 via the transport path 2 downstream of the crushing section 3. Then, after a predetermined time has elapsed, or when the transport of the material to be transported (debris S) is no longer required, the supply of debris S and water W0 by the input unit 20 is stopped, and the transport by the transport unit 5 is also stopped, thereby ending the normal operation of the material transport device 1.

[0040] After the normal operation of the material handling device 1 is stopped, cleaning water is supplied to the water channel of the transport path 2 and the crushing section 3 (crusher 31) via the cleaning means to start the cleaning operation. This cleaning operation is optional. Then, the on / off valve 21a of the drain discharge section 21 is opened, and the mixed water M in the transport path 2 is discharged as drain (start of drain discharge operation). During the operation of the washing operation and the drain discharge operation, the control unit 4 keeps the crushing unit 3 running. At this time, as the water level in the transport path 2 decreases due to the drain discharge, the water flow velocity in the transport path 2 increases, and the material to be processed (debris S) remaining in front of the crushing unit 3 moves quickly toward the crushing unit 3. Therefore, by continuing the operation of the crushing unit 3, the debris S remaining in the transport path 2 is crushed more reliably and discharged toward the drain discharge unit 21 together with the washing water. This makes it possible to suppress the accumulation of the material to be processed (residue S) in front of the crushing section 3, and to ensure that the crushed material to be processed (residue S) is reliably discharged outside the system.

[0041] Then, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the supply of cleaning water is stopped and the cleaning operation is terminated. Furthermore, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the on / off valve 21 of the drain discharge section 21 is closed, and drain discharge is stopped (end of drain discharge operation). At this time, the control unit 4 determines that the drain discharge operation has been completed by the determination unit 41, and then the operation control unit 42 stops the operation of the crushing unit 3. By continuing to operate the crushing unit 3 even after the drain discharge operation is completed, it is possible to further suppress the accumulation and retention of the material to be processed in front of the crushing unit 3. By stopping the operation of the crushing unit 3, the operation of the material handling device 1 as a whole will be completely terminated. Then, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, or when it becomes necessary to transport the item to be transported, the next operation (normal operation) will begin. Furthermore, after the drain discharge operation is completed and before stopping the operation of the crushing unit 3, a water supply operation may be performed to supply water for transport into the transport path 2 in preparation for the next operation. This operation is optional.

[0042] The operation control by the control unit 4 described above may include manual operation by an operator, but from the viewpoint of reducing the workload of the operator, it is preferable to make it capable of automatic control. Specifically, the decision unit 41 and the operation control unit 42 are, for example, computing devices that execute programs necessary for data acquisition and decision-making, as well as the transmission of control signals related to the driving and stopping of the crushing unit 3, using a processor such as a CPU, thereby enabling automatic control. Here, the program that operates the decision unit 41 and the operation control unit 42 corresponds to the operation control program in the present invention.

[0043] As described above, the material transport device, the operating method of the material transport device, and the control program of the material transport device in this embodiment allow the crushing section provided in the transport path to continue operating even during drain discharge operations when transporting materials with water. This enables crushing of materials that flow into the crushing section during drain discharge operations, suppressing the accumulation of materials before the crushing section and ensuring that the crushed materials are reliably discharged outside the system. Furthermore, this prevents a large amount of materials from flowing into the crushing section at the start of the next operation, thereby suppressing the occurrence of overload.

[0044] The embodiments described above are examples of a material handling device, an operating method for the material handling device, and a control program for the material handling device. The material handling device, the operating method for the material handling device, and the control program for the material handling device according to the present invention are not limited to the embodiments described above, and the material handling device, the operating method for the material handling device, and the control program for the material handling device according to the embodiments described above may be modified without changing the gist of the claims. [Industrial applicability]

[0045] The material transport device, operating method, and control program of the present invention can be used for transporting materials using water. In particular, they are suitable for transporting sediment collected and separated in sedimentation tank facilities such as sewage treatment plants and pumping stations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1 Material handling device, 2 Transport path, 20 Input section, 21 Drain discharge section, 21a On / off valve, 21b Piping, 3 Crushing section, 31 Crusher, 4 Control unit, 41 Judgment unit, 42 Operation control unit, 5 Transfer section, 51 Suction pipe, 52 Pump, 53 Discharge pipe, M Mixed water, S Sludge, W0 Water, WG Water level gauge

Claims

1. A transport path that uses water to transport the material to be processed, A crushing section is arranged within the transport path and crushes the material to be processed, The system includes a control unit that controls the operation of the crushing section, The control unit is characterized in that it keeps the crushing unit running even during drain discharge operations in the transport path, thereby providing a transport device for materials to be processed.

2. The material transport apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit stops the operation of the crushing unit when the drain discharge operation in the transport path is completed.

3. A method for operating a material handling device, The material transport device comprises a transport path for transporting the material by water, and a crushing section located within the transport path for crushing the material. A method for operating a material conveying apparatus, characterized by including an operation control step that keeps the crushing section running even during a drain discharge operation in the conveying path.

4. A control program for a device that transports objects to be processed, The material transport device comprises a transport path for transporting the material by water, a crushing unit located within the transport path for crushing the material, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the crushing unit. A control program for a material transport device, characterized in that the control unit executes an operation control step that keeps the crushing unit running even during drain discharge operations in the transport path.

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