Pellet Manufacturing Apparatus for Producing High-Quality Pellet Using Characteristic Information of Forest Biomass and Control Method Thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a pellet manufacturing apparatus for producing high-quality pellets using forest biomass and a control method thereof, comprising: an input unit for inputting forest biomass; a characteristic acquisition unit for acquiring characteristic information including particle size distribution and moisture content of the forest biomass; a control unit for acquiring grinding conditions corresponding to the particle size distribution and drying conditions corresponding to the moisture content; a grinding unit for grinding the forest biomass according to the grinding conditions; and a drying unit for drying the forest biomass according to the drying conditions.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The technical concept of the present disclosure relates to a pellet manufacturing apparatus and a control method thereof for manufacturing high-quality pellets using characteristic information of forest biomass, and more specifically, to a pellet manufacturing apparatus and a control method thereof for manufacturing high-quality pellets by automatically adjusting the process conditions of the pellet manufacturing apparatus according to characteristic information of forest biomass. Background Technology

[0002] Pellet, produced by compressing biomass into granular forms of a uniform size, is widely used as a solid biofuel. Biomass refers to renewable biological resources and is recognized as an important eco-friendly energy source capable of replacing fossil fuels.

[0003] When using these biofuels, carbon and carbon dioxide emissions are significantly lower than when using fossil fuels.

[0004] However, in these biofuel manufacturing processes, the process conditions for each stage were often fixed or set based on the operator's experience.

[0005] In particular, in the process of manufacturing forest biomass such as wood, sawdust, and wood chips, there was a problem where process conditions were set without sufficiently reflecting the characteristics of the forest biomass, such as tree species, moisture content, and particle size distribution.

[0006] Furthermore, conventional technology had limitations in that the quality of the produced biofuel could not be consistently maintained because it failed to adequately reflect quality indicators such as the amount of dust generated or the strength index of solid biofuels.

[0007] Therefore, there is a growing need for technology capable of stably maintaining the quality of biofuels by appropriately reflecting process conditions according to the characteristics of forest biomass. The problem to be solved

[0008] The problem that the technical concept of the present disclosure aims to solve is to provide a pellet manufacturing apparatus and a control method thereof for manufacturing high-quality pellets using characteristic information of forest biomass, which can provide optimal process conditions for the pellet manufacturing process according to the characteristics of forest biomass, such as tree species, moisture content, and particle size distribution of the forest biomass.

[0009] The problem that the technical concept of the present disclosure aims to solve is to provide a pellet manufacturing apparatus and a control method thereof for manufacturing high-quality pellets using characteristic information of forest biomass, which can adjust process conditions of the pellet manufacturing process in real time by reflecting the dust amount and strength index of the pellets. means of solving the problem

[0010] According to one embodiment, a pellet manufacturing apparatus for producing high-quality pellets using characteristic information of forest biomass may include: an input unit for inputting the forest biomass; a characteristic acquisition unit for acquiring characteristic information including a particle size distribution and a moisture content of the forest biomass; a control unit for acquiring grinding conditions corresponding to the particle size distribution and drying conditions corresponding to the moisture content; a grinding unit for grinding the forest biomass according to the grinding conditions; and a drying unit for drying the forest biomass according to the drying conditions.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the grinding conditions include the grinding speed of the grinding unit and the mesh size of the grinding unit, and the drying conditions may include the drying temperature and drying time of the drying unit.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a molding unit for obtaining the pellet, wherein the molding unit may include a compressor for compressing the forest biomass to obtain the pellet; and a driving motor for driving the compressor.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the characteristic information further includes the species of the forest biomass, and the control unit can use a database of reference density and fiber content by species to determine the reference density of the forest biomass and the reference fiber content of the forest biomass corresponding to the species of the forest biomass, obtain molding conditions including at least one of a molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or a supply rate at which the forest biomass is supplied to the molding unit corresponding to the reference density of the forest biomass and the reference fiber content of the forest biomass, and control the compressor so that the compressor compresses the forest biomass according to the molding conditions.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the control unit obtains a load value of the drive motor including at least one of current, power, or torque applied to the drive motor, and uses the load value to adjust at least one of the molding pressure, the molding temperature, the molding time, or the feed rate included in the molding conditions, and can control the compressor so that the compressor compresses the forest biomass according to at least one of the adjusted molding pressure, the adjusted molding temperature, the adjusted molding time, or the adjusted feed rate.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the apparatus further includes an evaluation unit for obtaining the amount of dust of the pellet, and the control unit adjusts at least one of the molding pressure, the molding temperature, the molding time, or the feed rate using the amount of dust and a reference amount of dust, and can control the compressor to compress the forest biomass according to at least one of the adjusted molding pressure, the adjusted molding temperature, the adjusted molding time, or the adjusted feed rate.

[0016] According to one embodiment, a method for controlling a pellet manufacturing device for manufacturing high-quality pellets using characteristic information of forest biomass may include: a step of introducing the forest biomass; a step of obtaining characteristic information including a particle size distribution and a moisture content of the forest biomass; a step of obtaining a crushing condition of the pellet manufacturing device corresponding to the particle size distribution and a drying condition corresponding to the moisture content; a step of crushing the forest biomass according to the crushing condition; and a step of drying the forest biomass according to the drying condition. Effects of the invention

[0017] A pellet manufacturing apparatus and a control method thereof for manufacturing high-quality pellets using characteristic information of forest biomass according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can improve the quality of pellets and manufacture pellets having uniform physical properties by providing optimal process conditions for the pellet manufacturing process according to characteristics of forest biomass such as tree species, moisture content, and particle size distribution of the forest biomass.

[0018] A pellet manufacturing apparatus and a control method thereof for manufacturing high-quality pellets using characteristic information of forest biomass according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can improve the quality of pellets and manufacture pellets having uniform physical properties by adjusting process conditions in real time by reflecting the dust amount and strength index of the pellets.

[0019] The effects obtainable from the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects can be clearly derived and understood by those skilled in the art to which the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure belong from the description below. That is, unintended effects resulting from the implementation of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can also be derived by those skilled in the art from the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0020] FIG. 1a illustrates a schematic block diagram of a pellet manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment. FIG. 1b illustrates a pellet manufactured by a pellet manufacturing device according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates the components of a control unit according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a pellet manufacturing device according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for obtaining crushing conditions and drying conditions according to the particle size distribution and moisture content of forest biomass according to one embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for obtaining mixing conditions and molding conditions according to the tree species and fiber content of forest biomass according to one embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for adjusting molding conditions according to the load value of a driving motor according to one embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for adjusting mixing conditions and molding conditions according to the amount of dust of pellets according to one embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for adjusting mixing conditions and molding conditions according to the strength index of a pellet according to one embodiment. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0021] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure are described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. As various embodiments of the present disclosure may be subject to various modifications and may have various forms, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail. However, this is not intended to limit the various embodiments of the present disclosure to specific forms, and it should be understood that they include all modifications and / or equivalents and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the various embodiments of the present disclosure. In relation to the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals have been used for similar components.

[0022] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, terms such as “comprising” or “having” are intended to indicate the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0023] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, expressions such as “or” include any and all combinations of the words listed together. For example, “A or B” may include A, may include B, or may include both A and B.

[0024] Expressions such as "first," "second," "first," or "second" used in various embodiments of the present disclosure may modify various components of the various embodiments, but do not limit such components. For example, such expressions do not limit the order and / or importance of such components and may be used to distinguish one component from another.

[0025] When it is mentioned that a component is "connected" or "joined" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected or joined to the other component, but that a new component may also exist between the component and the other component.

[0026] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, terms such as "module," "unit," "part," etc. are used to refer to a component that performs at least one function or operation, and such component may be implemented in hardware or software, or in a combination of hardware and software. Additionally, a plurality of "modules," "units," "parts," etc. may be integrated into at least one module or chip and implemented as at least one processor, except where each needs to be implemented in specific individual hardware.

[0027] Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in the various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0029] FIG. 1a illustrates a schematic block diagram of a pellet manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment. FIG. 1b illustrates a pellet manufactured by a pellet manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment.

[0030] Referring to FIGS. 1a and 1b, according to one embodiment, a pellet manufacturing device (1) relates to a pellet manufacturing device that manufactures pellets (2) using forest biomass. According to one embodiment, forest biomass may include unused wood, sawdust, wood chips, and agricultural by-products. Unused wood may include products from logging for forest tending, logging products from the process of controlling forest pests and diseases such as removing damaged trees, products from the process of logging and pruning for the establishment and management of street trees, and products that are not used for raw timber production as forest fire-damaged trees.

[0031] Conventionally, pellet manufacturing process conditions were often fixed or set based on the operator's experience, which failed to adequately respond to changes in raw material characteristics. Consequently, there were problems with inconsistent quality, such as pellet density, strength, and dust generation. Furthermore, variations in raw material characteristics led to limitations, including reduced production efficiency and excessive energy consumption.

[0032] A pellet manufacturing device (1) according to one embodiment can produce high-quality pellets (2) by automatically adjusting process conditions according to the characteristics of the raw material (e.g., forest biomass).

[0033] A pellet manufacturing device (1) according to one embodiment analyzes characteristic information including the moisture content, particle size distribution, tree species, and fiber content of forest biomass in real time, and automatically adjusts the conditions of the crushing, drying, mixing, and molding processes according to the analysis results, thereby enabling stable and continuous production of high-quality pellets (2) of uniform quality even if there is a variation in the characteristics of the raw materials. For example, the pellet manufacturing device (1) according to one embodiment can automatically adjust the drying temperature and residence time according to the moisture content of the raw materials, and automatically adjust the crushing speed and sieve size according to the particle size distribution, thereby improving drying efficiency and crushing efficiency and reducing unnecessary energy consumption. In addition, the pellet manufacturing device (1) according to one embodiment can automatically adjust the amount of binder added, molding pressure, die temperature, compression ratio, and feed speed according to the density and fiber content of each tree species, thereby improving the density, strength, and durability of the pellets (2) and reducing dust generation. In addition, the pellet manufacturing device (1) according to one embodiment can evaluate the quality of the produced pellets (2) in real time and automatically correct process conditions according to the evaluation results, thereby reducing quality deviation and improving the stability of the production process. Through this, stable mass production of high-quality pellets using forest biomass can be made possible.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the pellet (2) may represent a solid fuel formed by compressing raw materials into a granular shape of a certain size. According to one embodiment, the pellet (2) may have a cylindrical shape or a polygonal columnar shape.

[0035] According to one embodiment, a pellet manufacturing device (1) may include an input section (10), a characteristic acquisition section (20), a control section (30), a crushing section (40), a drying section (50), a mixing section (60), a molding section (70), and an evaluation section (80). According to one embodiment, forest biomass may sequentially move to the input section (10), the characteristic acquisition section (20), the crushing section (40), the drying section (50), the mixing section (60), and the molding section (70), and the pellet (2) obtained by the molding section (70) may move to the evaluation section (80). The input section (10), the characteristic acquisition section (20), the crushing section (40), the drying section (50), the mixing section (60), the molding section (70), and the evaluation section (80) may be arranged in-line so that a manufacturing process for producing pellets (2) can be performed continuously.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can control the overall operation of the pellet manufacturing device (1).

[0037] According to one embodiment, forest biomass can be introduced into the input section (10).

[0038] According to one embodiment, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) can acquire characteristic information of forest biomass. According to one embodiment, the characteristic information may include the moisture content, particle size distribution, and tree species of the forest biomass.

[0039] According to one embodiment, moisture content is an indicator representing the amount of moisture contained in forest biomass and can be defined as the mass ratio of moisture to the total mass of forest biomass. According to one embodiment, particle size distribution is an indicator representing the size distribution of particles constituting forest biomass and can be defined as the mass ratio or number ratio by particle diameter. According to one embodiment, tree species may represent the types of trees constituting forest biomass. For example, tree species may include tree types such as pine, oak, and birch.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) may be equipped with a sensor that acquires characteristic information of forest biomass. According to one embodiment, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) may include at least one of a moisture sensor, a near-infrared sensor, an image sensor, or a sieve analysis sensor.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) can acquire the moisture content of forest biomass using a moisture sensor. According to one embodiment, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) can measure electrical characteristics (e.g., resistance, permittivity) of forest biomass in a contact or non-contact manner using a moisture sensor. According to one embodiment, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) can acquire the moisture content corresponding to the measured electrical characteristics by comparing the measured electrical characteristics with previously stored electrical characteristics.

[0042] According to one embodiment, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) may acquire the moisture content using a near-infrared sensor. According to one embodiment, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) may irradiate near-infrared light onto forest biomass using a near-infrared sensor and measure the reflected or absorbed spectrum. According to one embodiment, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) may acquire the moisture content by comparing the measured spectrum with a stored spectrum.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) can acquire a particle size distribution using an image sensor. According to one embodiment, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) can acquire an image containing forest biomass using an image sensor. According to one embodiment, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) can acquire the size of the particles, including the area, diameter, and total number of particles of each particle of the forest biomass included in the image. According to one embodiment, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) can acquire the mass ratio or number ratio by particle diameter.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) may classify forest biomass using a plurality of mesh nets of different sizes using a sieve analysis sensor and obtain a particle size distribution by measuring the ratio of particles that passed through each mesh net.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) can identify the species of forest biomass by comparing a spectrum measured using a near-infrared sensor with a spectrum stored in advance. According to one embodiment, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) can also identify the species of forest biomass by using an image acquired using an image sensor. According to one embodiment, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) can identify the species of forest biomass by extracting color, texture, or shape features of the image.

[0046] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can obtain process conditions for the grinding unit (40), drying unit (50), mixing unit (60), and molding unit (70) based on characteristic information.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the crushing unit (40) can crush forest biomass into flake form. According to one embodiment, the crushing unit (40) may include a crushing device for crushing forest biomass, a driving motor for driving the crushing device, and a mesh net for discharging only particles of a predetermined size or smaller. The crushing device may include a blade or a hammer to crush the forest biomass. According to one embodiment, forest biomass crushed to a predetermined size or smaller passes through the mesh net and moves to a drying unit (50), and forest biomass having particles exceeding a predetermined size may be re-crushed within the crushing unit (40).

[0048] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can obtain grinding conditions of the grinding unit (40) corresponding to the particle size distribution. According to one embodiment, the grinding conditions may include the grinding speed of the grinding unit (40) and the mesh size. According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can obtain the grinding speed of the grinding unit (40) and the mesh size so that the mass ratio or number ratio having a specific diameter value in the particle size distribution has a reference ratio. For example, the reference ratio may represent a target particle size ratio set in advance to ensure the strength and durability of the pellet (2).

[0049] For example, if the mass ratio or number ratio of particles having a specific diameter value in the particle size distribution is greater than the reference ratio, the control unit (30) can increase the grinding speed of the grinding unit (40) and decrease the size of the mesh. If the mass ratio or number ratio of particles having a specific diameter value in the particle size distribution is not greater than the reference ratio, the control unit (30) can decrease the grinding speed of the grinding unit (40) and increase the size of the mesh.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the drying unit (50) can dry the crushed forest biomass. According to one embodiment, the drying unit (50) can evaporate the moisture of the forest biomass by spraying high-temperature air onto the crushed forest biomass.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can obtain drying conditions for the drying unit (50) by comparing the moisture content included in the characteristic information with the specified moisture content. According to one embodiment, the drying conditions may include a drying temperature and a drying time. For example, the specified moisture content may be 3% to 15%, 5% to 15%, 7% to 15%, 3% to 10%, 5% to 10%, or 7% to 10%. If the moisture content exceeds 15%, the moisture content is excessive, so sufficient compression may not be achieved during molding, or the strength of the pellet (2) may decrease, and deformation or spoilage may occur during storage. On the other hand, if the moisture content is less than 3%, the raw material is excessively dried, so the bonding strength decreases during molding, and cracking or dust generation in the pellet (2) may increase. The specified moisture content may not be limited to the above numerical range. The specified moisture content may represent a target moisture content set in advance to ensure the strength and durability of the pellet (2).

[0052] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can obtain drying conditions including a drying temperature and a drying time so that the moisture content of the crushed forest biomass becomes a specified moisture content.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the mixing unit (60) may mix forest biomass and a binder. According to one embodiment, the binder may include either a natural organic binder comprising starch, sugars and / or lignin, or a polymer binder comprising synthetic polymers, or a combination thereof, but this is an example and may not be limited to the examples above. According to one embodiment, the binder may be a material for complementing the fibrous bonding of forest biomass. According to one embodiment, the mixing unit (60) may include a batch mixer or a continuous mixer.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can obtain the mixing conditions of the mixing unit (60). The mixing conditions may include a mixing speed and an amount of binder. According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can determine the reference fiber content corresponding to the tree species of the forest biomass by using a database of fiber content by tree species. The fiber content by tree species is a representative physical property value representing the ratio of fiber components contained in the forest biomass of a specific tree species, and may refer to a value calculated and stored based on chemical analysis, experimental data, or literature data performed in advance. Fiber content may be defined based on the content of structural components including cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, and may be set as an average value or a representative value by tree species.

[0055] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can obtain mixing conditions corresponding to the standard fiber content of forest biomass. According to one embodiment, the lower the standard fiber content of a tree species, the smaller the binding force between fibers, so the control unit (30) can relatively increase the amount of binder.

[0056] According to one embodiment, the molding part (70) can mold forest biomass to obtain pellets (2).

[0057] According to one embodiment, the molding unit (70) may include a compressor for compressing forest biomass, a die for molding forest biomass into a pellet (2) shape, and a drive motor for driving the compressor. According to one embodiment, the molding unit (70) may further include a temperature sensor and / or a pressure sensor. For example, the temperature sensor and / or the pressure sensor may be placed in the die.

[0058] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can verify the standard density and standard fiber content of the forest biomass corresponding to the forest biomass species by using a database of standard density and fiber content by tree species. The standard density by tree species is a representative physical property value representing the mass per unit volume of forest biomass belonging to a specific tree species, and may refer to a value calculated and stored based on experiments, statistical analysis, or literature data previously performed on forest biomass of the same tree species.

[0059] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) may obtain molding conditions including a molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, and a feed rate at which forest biomass is supplied to the molding unit (70), corresponding to a reference density of forest biomass and a reference fiber content of forest biomass. The molding pressure may represent the pressure of the compressor, the molding temperature may represent the temperature of the die, and the molding time may represent the compression time. The feed rate at which forest biomass is supplied to the molding unit (70) may be the feed rate at which forest biomass is supplied to the die.

[0060] According to one embodiment, as the higher the reference density of the tree species, the greater the compressive force required during the molding of the forest biomass, so the control unit (30) can relatively increase at least one of the molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or the supply rate at which the forest biomass is supplied to the molding unit (70). Through this, the bonding strength of the pellet (2) can be improved by promoting the softening of lignin. Lignin is a natural polymer material contained in forest biomass and refers to a component that serves to bind cellulose fibers. Lignin can act as an adhesive during the molding of the pellet (2) by softening at a certain temperature or higher and exerting bonding strength.

[0061] According to one embodiment, since the higher the standard fiber content of a tree species, the greater the bonding force between fibers, molding is possible even at a relatively low pressure, so the control unit (30) can relatively reduce at least one of the molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or the supply rate at which forest biomass is supplied to the molding unit (70).

[0062] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can control the crushing unit (40) to crush forest biomass according to crushing conditions. Accordingly, the crushing unit (40) can crush forest biomass according to crushing conditions.

[0063] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can control the drying unit (50) to dry the forest biomass according to drying conditions. Accordingly, the drying unit (50) can dry the forest biomass according to drying conditions.

[0064] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can control the mixing unit (60) to mix forest biomass and binder according to mixing conditions. According to one embodiment, the mixing unit (60) can mix forest biomass and binder according to mixing conditions.

[0065] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can control the molding unit (70) to compress forest biomass according to molding conditions. Accordingly, the molding unit (70) can mold the forest biomass according to molding conditions to obtain pellets (2).

[0066] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can adjust the molding conditions based on the load value of the molding unit (70) after obtaining the first pellet (2).

[0067] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can obtain a load value of a drive motor included in the molding unit (70). According to one embodiment, the load value is a value including at least one of current, power, or torque applied to the drive motor, and may represent a value reflecting the compression resistance of the forest biomass generated during the molding process of the pellet (2). Compression resistance may represent a resistance force generated in opposition to the compressive force applied to the forest biomass. According to one embodiment, the load value may be calculated based on at least one of current, power, or torque applied to the drive motor.

[0068] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can adjust at least one of the molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or the supply rate at which forest biomass is supplied to the molding unit (70) using a load value. According to one embodiment, if the load value does not fall within the range of a reference load value, the control unit (30) can adjust at least one of the molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or the supply rate at which forest biomass is supplied to the molding unit (70). For example, the range of the reference load value may represent a preset range of load reference values ​​for a drive motor to ensure that the forest biomass is molded into an appropriately compressed state. According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can adjust the molding conditions so that at least one of the current, power, or torque applied to the drive motor is included within the range of a reference current value, the range of a reference power value, or the range of a reference torque value. According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can control the molding unit (70) to compress the forest biomass according to the adjusted molding conditions.

[0069] According to one embodiment, if the load value applied to the drive motor exceeds an upper limit value included in the range of reference load values, it means that the compression resistance of the forest biomass has increased, so the control unit (30) can reduce at least one of the molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or the supply speed at which the forest biomass is supplied to the molding unit (70).

[0070] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can increase at least one of the molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or the supply speed at which forest biomass is supplied to the molding unit (70) when the load value applied to the driving motor is less than the lower limit value included in the range of the reference load value, so that the compression resistance of the forest biomass is insufficient.

[0071] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can adjust the molding conditions and / or mixing conditions according to the amount of dust of the pellet (2) after obtaining the first pellet (2). The operation of adjusting the molding conditions and / or mixing conditions according to the amount of dust of the pellet (2) is described below.

[0072] According to one embodiment, the evaluation unit (80) can evaluate the quality of the pellet (2). According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can adjust the molding conditions of the molding unit (70) according to the quality of the pellet (2) evaluated by the evaluation unit (80). According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can adjust the mixing conditions of the mixing unit (60) according to the quality of the pellet (2) evaluated by the evaluation unit (80).

[0073] According to one embodiment, the evaluation unit (80) may include a vibration unit that generates vibration to vibrate the pellet (2) and a sensor unit for measuring the amount of dust generated during the vibration process of the pellet (2) or the mass of the remaining pellet (2). The sensor unit may be equipped with an optical sensor or a mass measuring sensor, but this is an example and is not limited thereto.

[0074] According to one embodiment, the evaluation unit (80) can check the amount of dust of the pellet (2).

[0075] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can compare the amount of dust obtained by the evaluation unit (80) with the reference amount of dust. According to one embodiment, when the amount of dust is greater than the reference amount of dust, the control unit (30) can adjust at least one of the molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or the supply rate at which forest biomass is supplied to the molding unit (70) included in the molding conditions. According to one embodiment, the reference amount of dust may represent a reference value that determines whether to adjust the molding conditions and / or mixing conditions, as a preset reference value that satisfies the durability and strength of the pellet (2).

[0076] According to one embodiment, when the amount of dust is greater than the reference amount of dust, the control unit (30) can adjust the molding conditions by increasing at least one of the molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or the supply rate at which forest biomass is supplied to the molding unit (70) to improve the binding strength of the pellet (2).

[0077] According to one embodiment, when the amount of dust is greater than the standard amount of dust, the control unit (30) can adjust the amount of binder introduced in the mixing process performed by the mixing unit (60) to increase the binding force and strength of the pellet (2), and control the mixing unit (60) to introduce the adjusted amount of binder.

[0078] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can adjust the molding conditions and / or mixing conditions according to the strength index of the pellet (2) after obtaining the first pellet (2). The operation of adjusting the molding conditions and / or mixing conditions according to the amount of dust of the pellet (2) is described below.

[0079] According to one embodiment, the evaluation unit (80) can check the remaining mass of the pellet (2) through the sensor unit. According to one embodiment, the evaluation unit (80) can check the pellet durability index (PDI). The pellet durability index is given by Equation 1 below. The pellet durability index can represent the ratio of the remaining pellet (2) mass after vibrating the pellet (2) to the pellet (2) mass before vibrating the pellet (2).

[0081]

[0082] In mathematical formula 1, PDI represents the pellet strength index, the pellet mass after the vibration test is the remaining mass of the pellet after the pellet has been vibrated, and the pellet mass before the vibration test is the mass of the pellet before the pellet has been vibrated.

[0083] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) may adjust the molding conditions to increase at least one of the molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or the supply rate at which forest biomass is supplied to the molding unit (70) when the strength index of the pellet (2) is not greater than the reference strength index. According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) may adjust the mixing conditions to increase the amount of binder to improve the bonding strength and strength of the pellet (2) when the strength index of the pellet (2) is not greater than the reference strength index, and may control the mixing unit (60) to mix according to the adjusted mixing conditions.

[0084] FIG. 2 illustrates the components of a control unit according to one embodiment.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 2, the control unit (30) may include a processor (100), RAM (Random Access memory) (200), storage (300), and a communication unit (400). The control unit (30) may be implemented as various types of devices, for example, a laptop computer, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet PC, a mobile internet device (MID), a personal digital assistant (PDA), an enterprise digital assistant (EDA), a digital still camera, a digital video camera, a portable multimedia player (PMP), a personal navigation device or portable navigation device (PND), a handheld game console, an e-book, or a smart device. The smart device may be implemented as a smart watch, a smart band, or a smart ring.

[0086] The processor (100) can control the overall operation of the control unit (30). The processor (100) may include a single processor core or a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that includes multiple processor cores. The control unit (30) may include one or more processors (100).

[0087] For example, the processor (100) may include a microprocessor, a central processing unit, a processor core, a multi-core processor, a multiprocessor, an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), and an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0088] The processor (100) can process or execute programs, data, or instructions stored in storage (300).

[0089] RAM (200) can temporarily store programs, data, or instructions. For example, programs and / or data stored in storage (300) may be temporarily stored in RAM (200) under the control of the processor (100) or boot code. For example, RAM (200) includes DRAM (Dynamic RAM), SRAM (Static RAM), SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM), etc.

[0090] Storage (300) is a storage location for storing data and can store an OS (Operating System), various programs, and various data. Storage (300) includes ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, PRAM (Phase-change RAM), MRAM (Magnetic RAM), RRAM (Resistive RAM), FRAM (Ferroelectric RAM), etc. In an embodiment, storage (300) can be implemented as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. For example, a database of standard densities by tree species and fiber content by tree species can be stored in storage (300). For example, a moisture content corresponding to electrical characteristics (e.g., resistance, dielectric constant) can be stored in storage (300). For example, standard values ​​such as a standard ratio, a standard dust amount, and / or a standard strength index of the pellet (2) can be stored in storage (300). For example, grinding conditions, drying conditions, mixing conditions, and molding conditions corresponding to reference values ​​can be stored in the storage (300).

[0091] The communication unit (400) can transmit and / or receive data from the control unit (30). For example, the communication unit (400) may be configured to communicate with various types of external devices according to various types of communication methods. The communication unit (400) may include at least one of a network chip, a Wi-Fi chip, a Bluetooth chip, a wireless communication chip, and an NFC chip. For example, each of the Wi-Fi chip and the Bluetooth chip can perform communication in a Wi-Fi method and a Bluetooth method, respectively. When using a Wi-Fi chip or a Bluetooth chip, various connection information such as SSID and session key may be transmitted and received first, and then various information may be transmitted and received after establishing a communication connection using this information. A wireless communication chip refers to a chip that performs communication according to various communication standards such as IEEE, Zigbee, 3G (3rd Generation), 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project), LTE (Long Term Evolution), 5G (5th Generation), etc. Wireless communication chips according to 5G communication standards can use not only frequency bands such as 3.5 GHz (Below 6 GHz), but also millimeter wave (mmWave) bands such as 26, 28, 38, 39, and 60 GHz, i.e., ultra-high frequency bands (Above 6 GHz). An NFC chip refers to a chip that operates using the NFC (Near Field Communication) method, which uses the 13.56 MHz band among various RF-ID frequency bands such as 135 kHz, 13.56 MHz, 433 MHz, 860~960 MHz, and 2.45 GHz.

[0092] Accordingly, the control unit (30) of the present disclosure can perform operations by means of the above configurations, temporarily store data or commands, or perform data transmission and / or reception with other management servers.

[0093] The operations of the pellet manufacturing device (1) described in the drawings below may be performed by the control unit (30). However, for the convenience of explanation, the operations performed by the control unit (30) will be described as being performed by the pellet manufacturing device (1).

[0094] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a pellet manufacturing device according to one embodiment.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 3, according to one embodiment, in operation S310, the pellet manufacturing device (1) may feed forest biomass through the input section (10). According to one embodiment, the forest biomass may include unused wood, sawdust, wood chips, and agricultural by-products.

[0096] According to one embodiment, in operation S320, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can acquire characteristic information through the characteristic acquisition unit (20). For example, the characteristic acquisition unit (20) may include a moisture sensor, a near-infrared sensor, a sieve analysis sensor, and / or an image sensor. According to one embodiment, the characteristic information may include the moisture content, particle size distribution, and tree species of the forest biomass.

[0097] According to one embodiment, in operation S330, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can obtain process conditions for each of the grinding section (40), drying section (50), mixing section (60), and molding section (70).

[0098] According to one embodiment, in operation S340, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can crush forest biomass through a crushing unit (40) according to crushing conditions. According to one embodiment, the crushing conditions may include the crushing speed of the crushing unit (40) and the mesh size.

[0099] According to one embodiment, in operation S350, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can dry forest biomass according to drying conditions through a drying unit (50). According to one embodiment, the drying conditions may include a drying temperature and a drying time of the drying unit (50).

[0100] According to one embodiment, in operation S360, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can mix forest biomass and a binder according to mixing conditions through a mixing unit (60). According to one embodiment, the mixing conditions may include the mixing speed of the mixing unit (60) and the amount of binder.

[0101] According to one embodiment, in operation S370, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can mold forest biomass through a molding section (70) according to molding conditions. According to one embodiment, the molding conditions may include at least one of the molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or the supply rate at which forest biomass is supplied to the molding section (70). According to one embodiment, by molding the forest biomass through the molding section (70) according to the molding conditions, pellets (2) can be obtained from the forest biomass.

[0102] According to one embodiment, in operation S380, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can evaluate the quality of the pellet (2) through the evaluation unit (80). According to one embodiment, if the result of evaluating the quality of the pellet (2) does not satisfy the criteria, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can adjust the mixing conditions and / or molding conditions and obtain the pellet (2) according to the adjusted mixing conditions and / or molding conditions. According to one embodiment, if the result of evaluating the quality of the pellet (2) satisfies the criteria, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can continuously obtain the pellet (2) while maintaining the mixing conditions and molding conditions.

[0104] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for obtaining crushing conditions and drying conditions according to the particle size distribution and moisture content of forest biomass according to one embodiment.

[0105] Referring to FIG. 4, according to one embodiment, in operation S410, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can obtain the particle size distribution of forest biomass through the characteristic acquisition unit (20). According to one embodiment, the particle size distribution is an indicator representing the size distribution of particles constituting the forest biomass, and can be defined as the mass ratio or number ratio by diameter of the particles.

[0106] According to one embodiment, in operation S430, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can obtain the moisture content of the forest biomass through the characteristic acquisition unit (20). According to one embodiment, the moisture content is an indicator representing the amount of moisture contained in the forest biomass, and can be defined as the mass ratio of moisture to the total mass of the forest biomass.

[0107] According to one embodiment, in operation S450, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can obtain the grinding conditions of the grinding section (40) and the drying conditions of the drying section (50).

[0108] According to one embodiment, the grinding conditions may include the grinding speed of the grinding unit (40) and the mesh size. According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) may determine the grinding speed of the grinding unit (40) and the mesh size such that the mass ratio or number ratio having a specific diameter value in the particle size distribution has a reference ratio.

[0109] According to one embodiment, drying conditions may include a drying temperature and a drying time. According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) may determine the drying temperature and drying time of the drying section (50) so that the moisture content corresponds to a specified moisture content.

[0110] A pellet manufacturing device (1) according to one embodiment analyzes the moisture content and particle size distribution of forest biomass in real time and automatically sets grinding conditions and drying conditions according to the analysis results, thereby enabling stable production of pellets (2) of uniform quality even if there is a variation in the characteristics of the raw materials.

[0112] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for obtaining mixing conditions and molding conditions according to the tree species and fiber content of forest biomass according to one embodiment.

[0113] Referring to FIG. 5, according to one embodiment, in operation S510, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can identify the species of forest biomass through the characteristic acquisition unit (20).

[0114] According to one embodiment, in operation S530, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can determine the reference density and reference fiber content. According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can determine the reference density and reference fiber content corresponding to the tree species of forest biomass by checking the database of reference density and fiber content by tree species stored in the storage (300).

[0115] According to one embodiment, in operation S550, the pellet manufacturing device (1) may obtain mixing conditions and molding conditions. According to one embodiment, the molding conditions may include at least one of molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or the supply rate at which forest biomass is supplied to the molding section (70). According to one embodiment, the mixing conditions may include a mixing rate and an amount of binder.

[0116] According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can obtain mixing conditions corresponding to the standard fiber content of forest biomass. According to one embodiment, the lower the standard fiber content of the tree species, the smaller the binding force between fibers, so the pellet manufacturing device (1) can relatively increase the amount of binder.

[0117] According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) may obtain molding conditions including at least one of a molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or supply rate at which forest biomass is supplied to the molding section (70), corresponding to the standard density of the forest biomass and the standard fiber content of the forest biomass. According to one embodiment, as the higher the standard density of the tree species, the greater the compressive force required during molding of the forest biomass, so the pellet manufacturing device (1) may relatively increase at least one of the molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or supply rate at which forest biomass is supplied to the molding section (70). According to one embodiment, as the higher the standard fiber content of the tree species, the greater the bonding force between fibers, so molding is possible even at a relatively low pressure, so the pellet manufacturing device (1) may relatively decrease at least one of the molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or supply rate at which forest biomass is supplied to the molding section (70).

[0118] A pellet manufacturing device (1) according to one embodiment can stably and continuously produce high-quality pellets (2) having uniform density and strength even if there is a variation in raw material characteristics by automatically setting mixing conditions and molding conditions by reflecting raw material characteristics such as the species of forest biomass and fiber content in real time.

[0120] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for adjusting molding conditions according to the load value of a driving motor according to one embodiment.

[0121] Referring to FIG. 6, according to one embodiment, in operation S610, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can obtain a load value of the driving motor of the molding part (70). According to one embodiment, the load value is a value including at least one of current, power, or torque applied to the driving motor, and may represent a value reflecting the compression resistance of the forest biomass generated during the molding process of the pellet (2). Compression resistance may represent a resistance force generated in opposition to the compressive force applied to the forest biomass.

[0122] According to one embodiment, in operation S630, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can check whether the load value is included in the range of reference load values. The range of reference load values ​​may represent a preset range of load reference values ​​for a drive motor to ensure that the forest biomass is formed into an appropriately compressed state.

[0123] According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can check whether the current value is included in the range of a reference current value. According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can check whether the power value is included in the range of a reference power value. According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can check whether the torque value is included in the range of a reference torque value.

[0124] According to one embodiment, if the pellet manufacturing device (1) confirms that the load value is included within the range of the reference load value (S630-Yes), it can maintain the molding conditions in operation S650. This is to maintain operational stability and production efficiency, as it implies that the current molding process is in an operating state capable of stably producing high-quality pellets (2).

[0125] According to one embodiment, if the pellet manufacturing device (1) determines that the load value is not included in the range of the reference load value (S630-No), in operation S670, the molding conditions can be adjusted. According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can adjust the molding conditions so that at least one of the current, power, or torque applied to the drive motor is included in the range of the reference current value, the range of the reference power value, or the range of the reference torque value.

[0126] According to one embodiment, if the load value applied to the drive motor exceeds an upper limit value included in the range of reference load values, it means that the compression resistance of the forest biomass has increased, so the control unit (30) can reduce at least one of the molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or the supply speed at which the forest biomass is supplied to the molding unit (70).

[0127] According to one embodiment, the control unit (30) can increase at least one of the molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or the supply speed at which forest biomass is supplied to the molding unit (70) when the load value applied to the driving motor is less than the lower limit value included in the range of the reference load value, so that the compression resistance of the forest biomass is insufficient.

[0128] A pellet manufacturing device (1) according to one embodiment can improve production efficiency by analyzing the compression resistance and equipment load conditions occurring in the molding process in real time and automatically optimizing the molding conditions according to the analysis results, thereby stably and continuously producing high-quality pellets (2) having uniform density and strength even if there is a variation in the characteristics of the raw materials.

[0130] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for adjusting mixing conditions and molding conditions according to the amount of dust of pellets according to one embodiment.

[0131] A pellet manufacturing device (1) according to one embodiment evaluates the amount of dust of the produced pellets (2) in real time and automatically corrects process conditions according to the evaluation result, thereby enabling stable and continuous production of pellets (2) of uniform quality even if variations in raw material characteristics occur. In addition, the pellet manufacturing device (1) according to one embodiment can improve production efficiency by enhancing the durability of the pellets (2) and contribute to reducing the process defect rate and ensuring operational stability.

[0132] Below, a method for adjusting mixing conditions and molding conditions according to the amount of dust of the pellet (2) by a pellet manufacturing device (1) according to one embodiment will be described in detail.

[0133] Referring to FIG. 7, according to one embodiment, in operation S710, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can obtain the amount of dust of the pellet (2) through the evaluation unit (80). According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can apply power to the vibration unit included in the evaluation unit (80) so that the vibration unit vibrates. According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can obtain the amount of dust generated during the vibration process of the pellet (2) using the sensor unit included in the evaluation unit (80).

[0134] According to one embodiment, in operation S730, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can check whether the amount of dust is smaller than the reference amount of dust. According to one embodiment, the reference amount of dust may represent a reference value that determines whether to adjust the mixing conditions and / or molding conditions, as a preset reference value that satisfies the durability and strength of the pellet (2).

[0135] According to one embodiment, if the pellet manufacturing device (1) confirms that the amount of dust is smaller than the standard amount of dust (operation S730-Yes), it may maintain the mixing and molding conditions in operation S750. This is to maintain process stability, as it implies that the current process conditions satisfy the quality of the pellet (2).

[0136] According to one embodiment, if the pellet manufacturing device (1) confirms that the amount of dust is not less than the reference amount of dust (operation S730-No), in operation S770, the mixing conditions and / or molding conditions may be adjusted. According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) may adjust the molding conditions by increasing at least one of the molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or the supply rate at which forest biomass is supplied to the molding section (70) to improve the binding strength of the pellet (2). According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) may adjust the mixing conditions by increasing the amount of binder to be added to the crushed forest biomass to improve the binding strength of the pellet (2).

[0137] A pellet manufacturing device (1) according to one embodiment can improve the strength and quality of the pellet (2) by evaluating the quality of the pellet (2) in real time and automatically correcting process conditions according to the evaluation result.

[0139] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for adjusting mixing conditions and molding conditions according to the strength index of a pellet according to one embodiment.

[0140] A pellet manufacturing device (1) according to one embodiment evaluates the strength index of the produced pellet (2) in real time and automatically corrects process conditions according to the evaluation result, thereby enabling stable and continuous production of pellets (2) of uniform quality even if variations in raw material characteristics occur. In addition, the pellet manufacturing device (1) according to one embodiment can improve production efficiency by enhancing the durability of the pellet (2) and contribute to reducing the process defect rate and ensuring operational stability.

[0141] Below, a method for adjusting mixing conditions and molding conditions according to the strength index of the pellet (2) by a pellet manufacturing device (1) according to one embodiment will be described in detail.

[0142] Referring to FIG. 8, according to one embodiment, in operation S810, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can obtain the strength index of the pellet (2) through the evaluation unit (80).

[0143] According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) may apply power to the evaluation unit (80) so that the vibration unit included in the evaluation unit (80) vibrates. According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) may check the mass of the pellet (2) before the vibration unit vibrates and the remaining mass of the pellet (2) after the vibration unit vibrates through the evaluation unit (80).

[0144] According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can determine the pellet durability index (PDI) based on the mass of the pellet (2) before the vibrating part vibrates and the remaining mass of the pellet (2) after the vibrating part vibrates. The pellet durability index is given by the following mathematical formula 2.

[0145]

[0146] In mathematical formula 2, PDI represents the strength index of the pellet (2), the pellet mass after the vibration test is the remaining mass of the pellet (2) after the pellet (2) has been vibrated, and the pellet mass before the vibration test is the mass of the pellet (2) before the pellet (2) has been vibrated.

[0147] According to one embodiment, in operation S830, the pellet manufacturing device (1) can determine whether the strength index of the pellet (2) is greater than the reference strength index. According to one embodiment, the reference strength index may represent a reference value that determines whether to adjust the mixing conditions and / or molding conditions, as a reference value preset to a level that satisfies the durability and strength of the pellet (2).

[0148] According to one embodiment, if the pellet manufacturing device (1) confirms that the strength index of the pellet (2) is greater than the reference strength index (operation S830-Yes), then in operation S850, the mixing conditions and molding conditions may be maintained. This is to maintain process stability, as the current process conditions satisfy the quality of the pellet (2).

[0149] According to one embodiment, if the pellet manufacturing device (1) determines that the strength index of the pellet (2) is not greater than the reference strength index (operation S830-No), then in operation S870, the mixing conditions and / or molding conditions may be adjusted. According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) may adjust the molding conditions by increasing at least one of the molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or the supply rate at which forest biomass is supplied to the molding section (70) to improve the binding strength of the pellet (2). According to one embodiment, the pellet manufacturing device (1) may adjust the mixing conditions by increasing the amount of binder to be added to the crushed forest biomass to improve the binding strength of the pellet (2).

[0150] A pellet manufacturing device (1) according to one embodiment can improve the strength and quality of the pellet (2) by evaluating the quality of the pellet (2) in real time and automatically correcting process conditions according to the evaluation result.

[0151] Meanwhile, the methods according to the various embodiments of the present invention described above can be implemented in the form of an application or software program that can be installed on an existing electronic device.

[0152] In addition, the whole or part of the method may be composed of multiple software function modules and implemented on an operating system (OS). Alternatively, each step may be composed of a single software function module, or each step may be combined to form a single software function module and implemented on an operating system. Therefore, even if all of the embodiments of the present disclosure are not implemented as a single software function module, if multiple software function modules implement each step of the present disclosure and multiple software function modules are implemented on a single operating system, it can be understood that the method of the present disclosure has been implemented.

[0153] In addition, the methods according to the various embodiments of the present invention described above can be implemented solely through software upgrades or hardware upgrades of existing electronic devices. Furthermore, the various embodiments of the present invention described above can also be performed through an embedded server equipped in an electronic device or an external server of the electronic device.

[0154] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the various embodiments described above may be implemented as software comprising instructions stored on a computer-readable recording medium using software, hardware, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the embodiments described herein may be implemented as the processor itself. According to the software implementation, embodiments such as the procedures and functions described herein may be implemented as separate software modules. Each of the software modules may perform one or more functions and operations described herein.

[0155] Meanwhile, a computer or a similar device may include a device according to the disclosed embodiments, which is capable of calling instructions stored from a storage medium and operating according to the called instructions. When said instructions are executed by a processor, the processor may perform a function corresponding to said instructions directly or by using other components under the control of said processor. The instructions may include code generated or executed by a compiler or an interpreter.

[0156] A computer-readable recording medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium. Here, "non-transitory" simply means that the storage medium does not contain a signal and is tangible, without distinguishing whether data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium. In this context, a non-transitory computer-readable medium refers to a medium that stores data semi-permanently and is readable by a device, rather than a medium that stores data for a short moment, such as registers, caches, or memory. Specific examples of non-transitory computer-readable media may include CDs, DVDs, hard disks, Blu-ray discs, USBs, memory cards, and ROMs.

[0157] As described above, exemplary embodiments have been disclosed in the drawings and specification. Although specific terms have been used to describe the embodiments in this specification, they are used only for the purpose of explaining the technical concept of this disclosure and are not intended to limit the meaning or the scope of this disclosure as defined in the claims. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent alternative embodiments are possible therefrom. Accordingly, the true technical scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the technical concept of the appended claims.

Claims

Claim 1 A pellet manufacturing apparatus for producing high-quality pellets using characteristic information of forest biomass comprises: an input unit for inputting the forest biomass; a characteristic acquisition unit for acquiring characteristic information including particle size distribution and moisture content of the forest biomass; a control unit for acquiring grinding conditions corresponding to the particle size distribution and drying conditions corresponding to the moisture content; a grinding unit for grinding the forest biomass according to the grinding conditions; a drying unit for drying the forest biomass according to the drying conditions; and a molding unit for obtaining the pellets, wherein the molding unit comprises a compressor for compressing the forest biomass to obtain the pellets. A pellet manufacturing apparatus for producing high-quality pellets using characteristic information of forest biomass, comprising a drive motor for driving the compressor, wherein the characteristic information further includes the species of the forest biomass, and the control unit confirms the reference density of the forest biomass and the reference fiber content of the forest biomass corresponding to the species of the forest biomass using a database of reference density and fiber content by species, obtains molding conditions including at least one of a molding pressure, molding temperature, molding time, or a supply rate at which the forest biomass is supplied to the molding unit corresponding to the reference density of the forest biomass and the reference fiber content of the forest biomass, and controls the compressor so that the compressor compresses the forest biomass according to the molding conditions. Claim 2 A pellet manufacturing apparatus for producing high-quality pellets using characteristic information of forest biomass, wherein, in claim 1, the grinding conditions include the grinding speed of the grinding unit and the mesh size of the grinding unit, and the drying conditions include the drying temperature and drying time of the drying unit. Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 A pellet manufacturing apparatus for producing high-quality pellets using characteristic information of forest biomass, wherein the control unit obtains a load value of the drive motor including at least one of current, power, or torque applied to the drive motor, adjusts at least one of the molding pressure, the molding temperature, the molding time, or the feed rate using the load value, and controls the compressor to compress the forest biomass according to at least one of the adjusted molding pressure, the adjusted molding temperature, the adjusted molding time, or the adjusted feed rate. Claim 6 A pellet manufacturing apparatus for producing high-quality pellets using characteristic information of forest biomass, wherein, in claim 1, it further includes an evaluation unit for obtaining the amount of dust of the pellet, and the control unit adjusts at least one of the molding pressure, the molding temperature, the molding time, or the feed rate using the amount of dust and a reference amount of dust, and controls the compressor to compress the forest biomass according to at least one of the adjusted molding pressure, the adjusted molding temperature, the adjusted molding time, or the adjusted feed rate. Claim 7 delete

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