Detecting damage to a conveyor belt on the basis of temperature distribution

Abstract

A method for automatically detecting the appearance of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of a conveyor belt is implemented with the aid of a computing device connected to a device for measuring the amount of tensioning force on a tensioning device of a belt conveyor. The condition of the conveyor belt is determined by plotting and analyzing the temperature distribution on thermograms. The claimed method and system make it possible, by the processing of measurements, to more precisely detect the presence of an anomalous source of resistance to the movement of a conveyor belt, indicating damage to the conveyor belt.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATED DETERMINATION OF AN ANOMALOUS SOURCE OF CONCENTRATED RESISTANCE TO CONVEYOR BELT MOVEMENT BASED ON TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This technical solution relates to the field of computer technology, in particular to a method and system for automated monitoring of the condition of a conveyor belt in terms of identifying anomalous sources of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt by analyzing temperature distribution data on thermograms.

[0002] Conveyor transport for bulk cargo transportation is used in many industries, including mining, processing, energy, chemicals, and in cargo handling. Bulk cargo, whether waste rock, ore, coal, coke, charge, concentrate, sinter, pellets, chemicals, or other materials, is transported directly on a conveyor belt from the loading point, typically near the tail pulley, to the unloading point, typically near the head pulley. During conveyor operation, emergency situations may arise related to conveyor belt damage, including the most severe type—a longitudinal belt tear (cut), which leads to partial or complete belt loss and unscheduled downtime for belt repair or replacement.

[0003] Longitudinal ruptures in a conveyor belt can be caused by a number of factors: − Foreign ore-contaminating materials, such as excavator teeth, scrap, rebar, steel sheets, etc., getting into the transported material. Such objects can pierce the conveyor belt at the loading point, jam it, and cause a longitudinal rupture; − Heavy, large, and sharp pieces of ore, which can also pierce the belt, jam it, and tear it longitudinally; − Sharp elements of failed rollers, cleaning scrapers, the conveyor frame, or other conveyor parts can pierce and cut the belt longitudinally.

[0004] Since the above-mentioned causes of longitudinal ruptures in a conveyor belt slow down its movement, they are anomalous, i.e., not consistent with the trouble-free operation of the conveyor, sources of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt, the effective recording of which allows for the detection of belt damage.

[0005] The faster an emergency situation on a conveyor is localized and detected to stop it, the less conveyor belt will be lost as a result of damage.

[0006] The most widely used conveyor belt protection systems against longitudinal ruptures are those that operate by damaging elements vulcanized into the belt (inductive loops, inserts, antennas, etc.). An example of such a solution is the CONTI RipProtect system manufactured by Continental® (https: / / www.continental-industry.com / en / solutions / conveyor-belt-systems / conveyor-services / belt-monitoring / products / conti-protect / conti-ripprotect). Inductive loops are vulcanized into the belt at a specific pitch at the customer's discretion (usually 50-150 linear meters), so that if any of the inductive loops is damaged due to a belt rupture, the conveyor stops. In this case, the amount of damaged belt is limited by the pitch of the inductive loops installed in the conveyor belt.

[0007] The disadvantages of this type of solution are that such systems cannot be used on any tape, since a tape with inductive loops is required, and inductive loops often fail, giving false signals.

[0008] There are laser systems known, for example, CONTI SurfaceProtect (https: / / www.continental-industry.com / en / solutions / conveyor-belt-systems / conveyor-services / belt-monitoring / products / conti-protect / conti-surfaceprotect), which use laser scanning of the belt surface for damage, including longitudinal belt tears.

[0009] The main disadvantages of such systems are that they are very sensitive to environmental conditions, positioning and the condition of the belt surface (problems arise when the belt surface is wet or when there is adhesion of the transported material that fills damaged areas), which leads to very strict operating conditions for these systems and a large number of false alarms.

[0010] There are systems that control the width of the belt (http: / / www.beltscan.com / products / belt-5k-fabric-belt-rip-detector.html) or determining its integrity by transmitting vibration across the belt Belt width monitoring systems operate based on the principle that longitudinal cutting can cause the belt to expand or contract due to overlapping of the cut sections, changing its width. Ultrasonic or radar sensors are installed to monitor the edge position of the belt to determine belt width. Systems based on transverse vibration transmission operate based on the principle that longitudinal cutting of the belt disrupts its integrity and prevents vibration from being transmitted across the belt.

[0011] The main drawbacks of belt width monitoring systems are that if a cut doesn't involve belt divergence or narrowing, the cut isn't detected because the belt width doesn't change. Vibration systems, on the other hand, are very sensitive to the type of belt carcass and rubber compound and aren't suitable for all belt types. Furthermore, in the case of a longitudinal cut, the signal can effectively bypass the conveyor belt and travel through the transported material, thereby failing to detect the longitudinal tear.

[0012] To address the aforementioned shortcomings, a solution was previously proposed that analyzes the condition of a conveyor belt based on data obtained using an IR camera (patent RU 2766476 C1). This solution detects belt damage when a temperature trace appears on the resulting thermograms. This trace is analyzed for its temperature and deviation from a specified delta over a selected time range, allowing the presence of a longitudinal belt cut to be determined.

[0013] The claimed solution is an improved technology for analyzing the condition of a conveyor belt using its analysis in the IR range, while analyzing the temperature distribution, which allows for the effective assessment of the condition of the conveyor belt and the recording of its damage, primarily in terms of the formation of ruptures, by recording an abnormal source of resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt. ESSENCE OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The claimed solution is aimed at overcoming the shortcomings inherent in known approaches from the state of the art and ensures the implementation of a new method and systems for efficient automated monitoring of conveyor belt condition.

[0015] The technical result consists in determining the presence of an abnormal source of resistance to the movement of a conveyor belt by analyzing the temperature distribution on a thermogram.

[0016] An additional technical result consists in providing the ability to determine damage to a conveyor belt based on recording the occurrence of an abnormal source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt.

[0017] The effectiveness of the proposed system for conveyor belt damage detection is ensured by the fact that mechanical damage to the belt, including longitudinal tears, inevitably results in the release of thermal energy and an increase in temperature on the belt surface, which is reflected in thermal imaging frames. An important approach to analyzing this type of data is the construction and analysis of temperature distribution on thermograms, which allows for more accurate belt damage detection, eliminating false spikes in heat generation during belt movement that are not related to belt damage.

[0018] The technical result is achieved by implementing a method for automatically determining an abnormal source of concentrated resistance to the movement of a conveyor belt, performed using a computing device connected to at least one infrared camera, and containing the steps of: a) receiving a sequence of frames from at least one infrared camera placed in such a way as to obtain thermal images of the surface of the conveyor belt; b) receiving a temperature distribution for thermograms, the obtained frames of a thermal image of the surface of the conveyor belt; c) processing the received frames of the thermal image, during which a comparison of the temperature distribution for the thermogram of the received frame of the thermal image of the surface of the conveyor belt is performed with at least one reference temperature distribution or a given reference value of at least one parameter of the temperature distribution; d) determining the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt if the value of one or more temperature distribution parameters differs from a specified reference value for one or more temperature distribution parameters and / or the temperature distribution on the thermogram differs from one or more reference temperature distributions corresponding to the operation of the conveyor belt in normal mode, or corresponds to at least one reference temperature distribution indicating the occurrence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt; e) recording data on the detected anomalous sources of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt in the memory of the computing device and / or transmitting them to an external device.

[0019] In one particular example of implementation, at step b), the temperature distribution is obtained on a thermogram for the temperature difference.

[0020] In another particular example of implementation, the temperature difference is obtained by subtracting the value of the reference temperature T опор from the measured temperature values ​​on the thermogram.

[0021] In another particular example of implementation, the reference temperature Ax is specified, or equal to the ambient temperature, or equal to the minimum temperature on the thermogram, or determined based on the measured temperatures on the thermogram.

[0022] In another particular implementation example, steps a) - d) are performed in a given time window.

[0023] In another particular implementation example, the time window is defined as a sequence of a given number N of thermal image frames, where N ≥ 1.

[0024] In another particular implementation example, a given number of thermal image frames are sequential.

[0025] In another particular example of implementation, the time window is counted from the first or K-th frame containing a thermal image for which the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt is established, where K≥ 1.

[0026] In another particular example of implementation, after the end of the time window, a new time window begins to be counted from the next first or K-th detected frame of the thermal image for which the presence is established an abnormal source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt, where K≥ 1.

[0027] In another particular example of implementation, at step d), the degree of continuity R is determined as a certain number of frames or a proportion of frames of the thermal image recorded during a time window for which the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt is determined.

[0028] In another particular example of implementation, at step d) the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt is determined if the degree of continuity R exceeds a given value.

[0029] In another particular example of implementation, at step d), the difference of the temperature distribution parameter value from the specified reference value is its deviation from the reference value by more than a specified amount or a deviation by more than a specified percentage from the reference value.

[0030] In another particular example of implementation, the section of the conveyor where the infrared camera is located contains protective walls.

[0031] In another particular example of implementation, the outer surface of the walls contains a light- or heat-reflecting coating.

[0032] In another particular example of implementation, the infrared camera is installed in a housing with a heating and / or cooling function.

[0033] In another particular example of implementation, the computing device is configured to recognize at least one characteristic pattern of temperature distribution corresponding to an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of a conveyor belt, when analyzing frames of a thermal image of the surface of the conveyor belt obtained from an infrared camera using analytical methods or artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

[0034] In another particular example of implementation, an external device is connected to a computing device via a wired or wireless data transmission channel.

[0035] In another particular example of implementation, the external device is: a monitor, or an interactive screen, or a computer, or a laptop, or a tablet, or a smartphone, or a smart wearable device, or a removable data carrier, or a belt conveyor control controller, or a belt conveyor control system.

[0036] In another particular example of implementation, the computing device is connected to the belt conveyor control system in at least one of the following ways: via relay outputs, via the Modbus protocol, or via Profibus or Profinet networks.

[0037] In another particular example of implementation, at step e), the computing device generates a signal for stopping the belt conveyor, transmitted to the belt conveyor control system, upon determining the presence of an abnormal source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt.

[0038] In another particular example of implementation, the GUI is implemented on an external device and / or in a computing device.

[0039] In another particular example of implementation, the computing device is additionally configured with the ability to configure it and / or monitor the result of its operation using an external device.

[0040] In another particular example of implementation, the GUI has the ability to set at least one ROI (Region Of Interest), which characterizes the area of ​​interest on the thermogram in which the data analysis takes place.

[0041] In another particular example of implementation, a video stream is additionally generated with an image of the conveyor belt surface, obtained from a video camera.

[0042] In another particular example of implementation, the computing device additionally generates an alarm signal to notify the belt conveyor operator of the occurrence of an abnormal source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt, transmitted to an external device and / or a sound and / or light alert device.

[0043] The claimed technical result is also achieved by implementing a system for automated determination of an abnormal source of concentrated resistance to the movement of a conveyor belt, containing a computing device connected to at least one infrared camera positioned in such a way as to obtain a thermal image of the surface of the conveyor belt, wherein the computing device ensures: obtaining a sequence of frames from at least one infrared camera positioned in such a way as to obtain thermal images of the surface of the conveyor belt; obtaining a temperature distribution for thermograms, obtained frames of a thermal image of the surface of a conveyor belt; processing the obtained frames of a thermal image, during which a comparison is made of the temperature distribution for a thermogram, obtained frame of a thermal image of the surface of a conveyor belt with at least one reference temperature distribution or a given reference value of at least one parameter of the temperature distribution;determining the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt if the value of one or more parameters of the temperature distribution differs from the reference value for one or more parameters of the temperature distribution and / or the temperature distribution on the thermogram differs from one or more reference temperature distributions corresponding to the operation of the conveyor belt in normal mode, or corresponds to at least one reference temperature distribution indicating the occurrence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt; recording in the memory of the computing device data on the detected anomalous sources of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt and / or transmitting them to an external device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS;

[0044] Fig. 1 illustrates the general appearance of the claimed system.

[0045] Fig. 2 illustrates a block diagram of the method for determining damage to a conveyor belt.

[0046] Figs. 3A-3B illustrate examples of temperature distribution.

[0047] Fig. 4A – 4B illustrate an example of thermograms obtained during monitoring of a conveyor belt.

[0048] Fig. 4B illustrates an example of generating belt damage data using augmented reality technology.

[0049] Fig. 5 illustrates a general view of the computing device. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[0050] As shown in Fig. 1, the solution consists in creating an automated method for monitoring the condition of the conveyor belt (101) when transporting material (105), in particular ore, rocks and other types of material fed onto a belt (101) through a loading hopper (104). The movement of the conveyor belt (101) is achieved by rotating the head (drive) (102) and tail (103) drums; there may be several drive drums; they are driven by electric motors, which in turn are started by a control controller (not shown).

[0051] The analysis of the state of the conveyor belt (101) is carried out using one or more infrared cameras (IR cameras) (106) and one or more video cameras (110) can additionally be used. The cameras (106, 110) are arranged in such a way as to obtain images from the surface of the belt (101). It is preferable to install the cameras (106, 110) in such a way that their monitoring areas are synchronized (i.e., so that the visibility zones of the cameras 106, 110 are the same). In this case, the cameras (106, 110) can be installed in any place of the conveyor to capture the working or non-working surface of the conveyor belt (101), for example, under or above the return branch of the belt (101), under the supporting branch of the belt (101), or before the loading hopper (104), etc.

[0052] The placement of the IR camera (106) and video camera (110) is determined by the specific design of the conveyor and the permissible possible installations of the cameras (106, 110) at various points on the conveyor in such a way as to ensure the capture of the belt surface (101) to obtain objective data for subsequent analysis. It should be noted that the given examples of camera placement (106, 110) do not limit other options for their placement on the conveyor, nor the use of multiple cameras of one or another type.

[0053] The video camera (110) provides a duplicate video stream, along with a thermal image from the IR camera (106). The resulting video images of the tape (101) allow for additional recording and identification of damaged areas of the tape (101).

[0054] The IR camera (106) and the video camera (110) are connected to a computing device (107), for example, a desktop PC, a server, a computing unit (module), for example, based on a CPU (one or more processors), a microcontroller, etc. The computing device (107) can be installed directly on the conveyor, or be connected to it via a data transmission channel. The computing device (107) can also be implemented in a single housing with one of the cameras (106, 110) or simultaneously with two types of cameras. The device (107) provides the necessary computing processes when analyzing incoming IR cameras (106) and video cameras (110) of thermal image frames and a video stream, performing their subsequent processing to determine the occurrence of damage to the conveyor belt (101). The connection of the IR camera (106) and video camera (110) to the computing device (107) can be carried out using well-known communication principles, in particular, by means of a wired or wireless connection, for example, USB, Wi-Fi, TCP / IP, etc. The cameras (106, 110) can be implemented in the form of PTZ cameras, with the provision of their remote control. The computing device (107) can archive in memory the video recording from the video camera (110) and the recording of thermograms from the infrared camera (106) and the processing results.

[0055] Fig. 2 shows a step-by-step execution of the method (200) for automated monitoring of the state of a conveyor belt. At step (201), the computing device (107) receives a stream of thermal image frames from the IR camera (106). Additionally, video frames may also be received from the camera (110), reflecting images of the surface of the belt (101). Data from the cameras (106, 110) are transmitted via a data transmission channel. A thermal image frame from the IR camera (106) is a thermogram recording the temperature of objects captured by the field of view of the IR camera (106).

[0056] Next, at step (202), with the aid of the computing device (107), frame-by-frame processing of the incoming thermograms is performed, during which a temperature distribution is constructed on the thermogram frames and a further comparison of the temperature distribution for the thermogram of the received frame of the thermal image of the conveyor belt surface (101) is performed with the reference temperature distribution or the temperature distribution parameter specified by the reference value.

[0057] The temperature distribution can be constructed in the form of a histogram or a continuous temperature spectrum of the probability density of temperature on the thermogram, as shown in Fig. 3A - 3B. The following can be taken as parameters of the temperature distribution: the dispersion of the distribution, the width of the distribution for the maximum and minimum temperatures, another statistical parameter that determines the variability of the distribution, the maximum temperature of the distribution, the temperature by a certain percentage less than the maximum temperature in the distribution or higher / lower than the average temperature of the distribution, the temperature otherwise calculated based on the temperature distribution, a given temperature on the distribution, the area under the distribution curve from a given temperature or calculated from the distribution, and above, the fact that the given temperature falls within the temperature distribution region, etc.

[0058] Fig. 3A – 3B show variants of temperature distribution, where T is the temperature, and P is the probability density of the temperature distribution. The temperature distribution can also be constructed in the form of a histogram, where the ordinate axis represents the number of pixels or their share of the total number in the analyzed area of ​​the thermogram with a temperature in the range from T i to T i + ΔT, and the abscissa axis is divided into discrete temperature intervals ΔT. Initially, normal (fault-free) operation of a conveyor belt, for example, may correspond to the distribution (301) shown in Fig. 3A. Normal operation of a conveyor belt is understood to mean its operation in the usual fault-free mode, wherein during normal operation of the conveyor belt, non-critical temperature anomalies may occur that do not affect its performance.

[0059] When a conveyor belt is damaged, for example, in the event of a longitudinal tear, an abnormal source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt arises in the zone of the belt tear, which causes it to tear and slow down, for example, a stuck / jammed piece of ore, foreign ore-contaminating material, etc., as a result, mechanical damage to the belt web is accompanied by the appearance of an abnormal source of heat generation, wherein the temperature distribution expands and to the distribution section (301), characterizing the initial normal (accident-free) temperature distribution, at least one distribution section (302) can be added, indicating the presence of an abnormal source of heat generation, as shown in Figs. 3B-3C, which is evidence of the appearance of an abnormal source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt.

[0060] As shown in Figs. 3B-3C, the occurrence of an anomalous heat source, at a minimum, results in a broadening of the temperature distribution toward higher temperatures and the possible emergence of at least one temperature maximum (302) to the right of the region of the normal temperature distribution (301), i.e., in the region of higher temperatures. If this change in the temperature spectrum (distribution) is observed on one or more thermograms, this indicates the occurrence of an anomalous heat source on the surface of the conveyor belt and, accordingly, the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt.

[0061] At step (203), the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to conveyor belt movement is determined. This source is determined if the value of one or more temperature distribution parameters differs from a specified reference value for one or more temperature distribution parameters and / or the temperature distribution on the thermogram differs from one or more reference temperature distributions corresponding to the operation of the conveyor belt in normal mode (Fig. 3A) or a combination of such reference temperature distributions, which will also form a reference temperature distribution.Also, the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to movement of the conveyor belt is determined if the data at step (202) correspond to at least one reference temperature distribution indicating the occurrence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to movement of the conveyor belt or a combination of such reference temperature distributions that also form a reference temperature distribution.

[0062] An abnormal concentrated resistance to the movement of a conveyor belt (101) and, as a consequence, an abnormal heat generation on its surface may be caused, for example, by such emergency situations and damage to the conveyor belt (101) as a longitudinal cut (tear), a breakdown or abnormal friction of the belt, both against moving and stationary or jammed elements of the conveyor, or jammed pieces of ore or foreign ore-contaminating objects.

[0063] If the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to conveyor belt movement is detected (204), then at step (205) its presence is recorded and information about this source is recorded in the memory of the device (107), and / or the corresponding information is sent to an external device (108). If such a source is not detected, then processing of the received thermograms continues.

[0064] Also, at step (202), the temperature distribution on the thermogram can be constructed for the temperature difference, which can be obtained by subtracting the value of the reference temperature T опор from the measured temperature values ​​on the thermogram. In this case, the reference temperature T опор may be specified, or equal to the ambient temperature, equal to the minimum temperature on the thermogram, or determined based on the measured temperatures on the thermogram (for example, the arithmetic mean or median value).

[0065] In one particular implementation example, at step (202), the thermal image frame analysis can be processed within a specified time window. The time window can be defined as a sequence of a specified number N of thermal image frames, where N ≥ 1. Furthermore, the specified number of thermal image frames can be either sequential or selected using software logic or artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to recognize the corresponding data.

[0066] The time window may be counted, for example, from the first or K-th frame containing a thermal image for which the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt (101) is established, where K≥ 1. The subsequent time window after the completion of the previous one may begin to be counted from the next first or K-th detected frame of thermal radiation for which the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt (101) is established, where K≥ 1.

[0067] Additionally, during step (203), the degree of continuity R may be determined as a certain number of frames or a proportion of frames of the thermal image, recorded during a time window, for which the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt (101) is determined. In this case, the fact of the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt (101) is established if the degree of continuity R exceeds a specified threshold value.

[0068] The threshold value of the degree of continuity R may have a preset value, for example, in fractions of a unit 0.10, 0.18, 0.67, 0.73, 0.80, etc. or in percentages 10%, 18%, 67%, 73%, 80%, etc. or in the number of frames 1, 3, 5, 10, 30, etc. and be set depending on the speed of the conveyor belt, the specifics of the operating conditions of the conveyor, the required sensitivity of damage detection and the type of damage, the number of IR cameras installed, by setting the parameters in the device (107), etc.

[0069] Additionally, the video camera (110) can form images of the surface of the tape (101), which allows for the subsequent synchronization of video data and the thermogram for more detailed analysis, for example, to determine the actual location of the presence of an abnormal heat source.

[0070] Fig. 4A - 4B show examples of displaying areas on the surface of the conveyor belt (101) in connection with an increase in temperatures indicating its damage, in particular, areas in frames (401, 402) Display the infrared trace of a belt cut. When a belt (101) is cut by a foreign material or a sharp piece of ore, thermal energy is released. For example, when a conveyor belt is cut (torn), the energy of the conveyor drive station is expended on deformation, destruction, and friction in the cut area. Most of the energy required to cut (torn) the belt (101) is released as heat, leading to heating of the conveyor belt in the cut area. In this case, the area where the cut occurred is an example of an anomalous heat source, which allows for the analysis of pixels on the thermogram by plotting the temperature distribution and identifying the anomalous situation.

[0071] The release of heat leads to an increase in temperature in the area of ​​the cut, which allows for its effective recording in the infrared spectrum.

[0072] Fig. 4B shows an example of the formation of an augmented reality image (405) in a graphical user interface (GUI), which is formed using a computing device (107) by superimposing images of a thermogram (403) obtained from an IR camera (106) onto a video image (404) recorded by a video camera (110). Also, instead of the entire thermogram (403), areas whose temperature is above a threshold temperature can be superimposed on the video image, and these areas can be highlighted, for example, by filling with color.

[0073] Based on the collected data on characteristic damage to the conveyor belt (101), as well as on the corresponding patterns of temperature distribution, with the help of the computing device (107), it may also be possible to form a pattern database for their subsequent recognition using analytical methods or an artificial neural network, which will be trained on the mentioned patterns for their rapid automated detection.

[0074] The external device (108) may be a separate stationary device or a device controlled by a user (109), for example, a conveyor operator, and is intended to obtain operational information on the state of the conveyor belt (101). The device (108) may generally be a PC, tablet, laptop, smartphone, smart wearable device, or removable storage medium, or a belt conveyor control controller, or a remote belt conveyor control system. In this case, the computing device (107) may be implemented with the function of programming and setting its operating parameters remotely from the external device (108), for example, via a web interface (web browser) or a software application.

[0075] Additionally, the computing device (107) may be connected to the belt conveyor control system in one of the following ways: via relay outputs, via the Modbus protocol, or via Profibus or Profinet networks. In this case, the computing device (107), upon detecting the presence of an abnormal source of concentrated resistance to the conveyor belt movement, may generate a signal to stop the belt conveyor, which is transmitted from the device (107) to the belt conveyor control system and / or another external device.

[0076] The external device (108), like the device (107), can provide user interaction via a GUI, which may have the ability to define areas for analysis. Analysis can be accomplished by defining a Region of Interest (ROI), which characterizes the area of ​​interest in the video image and / or thermogram where the data analysis occurs.

[0077] Also, in one of the particular embodiments of the solution, the device (107) can generate an additional alert signal about the presence of an abnormal source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt (101), sent to a signaling device (light, sound), the conveyor operator's console or another external device (108), for example, in the form of a notification (SMS, PUSH, e-mail), via a relay connection or another control signal over an Ethernet or Wi-Fi network and displayed in the graphical interface of the device (108).

[0078] The claimed solution can be applied in conveyor operating conditions in both hot and cold climates. To reduce the impact of ambient temperature on the accuracy of thermal image frames obtained from the IR camera (106), the section of the conveyor where the IR camera (106) is located is equipped with protective walls. The walls can be covered with a light- or heat-reflective coating, which eliminates the impact of external weather and temperature factors on the accuracy of the IR camera (106). When operating the solution in cold climates, in order to prevent failure of the IR camera (106) and video camera (110), each of the cameras (106, 110) can be installed in a special housing with a heating function, and in conditions of operation at elevated ambient temperatures, in a special housing with a cooling function.

[0079] Fig. 5 shows a general example of a computing device (500), such as a computing unit (computing module), computer, server, laptop, smartphone, SoC (System-on-a-Chip), etc., which can be used for the full or partial implementation of the claimed solution, in particular for the implementation of devices (107, 108). In the general case, the device (500) comprises the following components: one or more processors (501), at least one random access memory (502), a means for persistent data storage (503), input / output interfaces (504) including relay outputs for connection to belt conveyor motion controllers, an I / O means (505), and network interaction means (506).

[0080] The processor (501) of the device performs the basic computing operations necessary for the operation of the device (500) or the functionality of one or more of its components. The processor (501) executes the necessary machine-readable instructions contained in the RAM (502).

[0081] Memory (502) is typically implemented as RAM and contains the necessary software logic to provide the required functionality. Data storage (503) can be implemented as HDD, SSD, RAID array, network storage, flash memory, optical storage (CD, DVD, MD, Blue-Ray discs), etc. Data storage (503) enables long-term storage of various types of information, such as request processing history (logs), user identifiers, camera data, images, etc.

[0082] Interfaces (504) are standard means for connecting and working with computing devices. Interfaces (504) may represent, for example, relay connections, USB, RS232 / 422 / 485 or others, RJ45, LPT, UART, COM, HDMI, PS / 2, Lightning, FireWire, etc. for work, including, via Modbus protocols and Probfibus networks. The choice of interfaces (504) depends on the specific design of the device (500), which may be a computing unit (computing module), for example, based on a CPU (one or more processors), a microcontroller, etc., a personal computer, a mainframe, a server cluster, a thin client, a smartphone, a laptop, etc., as well as connected third-party devices.

[0083] The following can be used as I / O data means (505): keyboard, joystick, display (touch display), projector, touchpad, mouse, trackball, light pen, speakers, microphone, etc.

[0084] The network interaction means (506) are selected from a device that provides network data reception and transmission, for example, an Ethernet card, a WLAN / Wi-Fi module, a Bluetooth module, a BLE module, an NFC module, an IrDa module, an RFID module, a GSM modem, etc. With the help of the means (506), the organization of data exchange via a wired or wireless data transmission channel, for example, a WAN, is ensured. PAN, LAN, Intranet, Internet, WLAN, WMAN or GSM, quantum data transmission channel, satellite communication, etc. The components of the device (500) are usually connected via a common data transmission bus.

[0085] These application materials present a preferred disclosure of the implementation of the claimed technical solution, which should not be used as limiting other, particular embodiments of its implementation that do not go beyond the scope of the requested scope of legal protection and are obvious to specialists in the relevant field of technology.

Claims

FORMULA 1. A method for the automated determination of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of a conveyor belt, performed using a computing device connected to at least one infrared camera, and comprising the steps of: a) obtaining a sequence of frames from at least one infrared camera positioned so as to obtain thermal images of the surface of the conveyor belt; b) obtaining a temperature distribution for thermograms of the obtained frames of a thermal image of the surface of the conveyor belt; c) processing the obtained frames of the thermal image, during which a comparison of the temperature distribution for the thermogram of the obtained frame of the thermal image of the surface of the conveyor belt is performed with at least one reference temperature distribution or a given reference value of at least one parameter of the temperature distribution;d) determining the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt if the value of one or more temperature distribution parameters differs from a given reference value for one or more temperature distribution parameters and / or the temperature distribution on the thermogram differs from one or more reference temperature distributions corresponding to the operation of the conveyor belt in normal mode, or corresponds to at least one reference temperature distribution indicating the occurrence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt; e) recording in the memory of the computing device data on the detected anomalous sources of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt and / or transmitting them to an external device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that at step b) the temperature distribution on the thermogram is obtained for the temperature difference.

3. The method according to paragraph 2, characterized in that the temperature difference is obtained by subtracting the value of the reference temperature Topor from the measured temperature values ​​on the thermogram.

4. The method according to paragraph 3, characterized in that the reference temperature T опорis given, or is equal to the ambient temperature, or is equal to the minimum temperature on the thermogram, or is determined based on the measured temperatures on the thermogram.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that steps a) - d) are performed in a given time window.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the time window is defined as a sequence of a given number N of thermal image frames, where N ≥ 1.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the given number of thermal image frames are sequential.

8. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the time window is counted from the first or K-th frame containing a thermal image for which the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to conveyor belt movement is established, where K≥1.

9. The method according to claim8, characterized in that after the end of the time window, a new time window begins to be counted from the next first or K-th detected frame of the thermal image, for which the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt is established, where K≥1.

10. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that at step d) the degree of continuity R is determined as a certain number of frames or a proportion of frames of the thermal image recorded during the time window, for which the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt is determined.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that at step d) the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt is determined if the degree of continuity R exceeds a predetermined value.

12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the section of the conveyor where the infrared camera is located contains protective walls.

13. The method according to claim12, characterized in that the outer surface of the walls contains a light- or heat-reflecting coating.

14. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the infrared camera is installed in a housing with a heating and / or cooling function.

15. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the computing device is configured to recognize at least one characteristic pattern of temperature distribution corresponding to an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt, when analyzing frames of a thermal image of the surface of the conveyor belt obtained from the infrared camera using analytical methods or artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

16. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the external device is connected to the computing device via a wired or wireless data transmission channel.

17. The method according to claim1, characterized in that the external device is: a monitor, or an interactive screen, or a computer, or a laptop, or a tablet, or a smartphone, or a smart wearable device, or a removable data carrier, or a belt conveyor control controller, or a belt conveyor control system.

18. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the computing device is connected to the belt conveyor control system in at least one of the following ways: via relay outputs, via the Modbus protocol or Profibus or Profinet networks.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that in step e) the computing device generates a signal for stopping the belt conveyor, transmitted to the belt conveyor control system, upon determining the presence of an abnormal source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt.

20. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the GUI is implemented on the external device and / or in the computing device.

21. The method according to claim1, characterized in that the computing device is additionally configured with the ability to configure it and / or monitor the results of its operation using an external device.

22. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that the GUI implements the ability to set at least one ROI (Region Of Interest), which characterizes the region of interest on the thermogram in which the data analysis takes place.

23. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a video stream with an image of the surface of the conveyor belt is additionally generated, received from a video camera.

24. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the computing device additionally generates an alarm signal for notifying the operator of the belt conveyor about the occurrence of an abnormal source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt, transmitted to an external device and / or a sound and / or light notification device.

25. A system for automated determination of an abnormal source of concentrated resistance to the movement of a conveyor belt, containing a computing device connected to at least one infrared camera placed in such a way as to obtain a thermal image of the surface of the conveyor belt, wherein the computing device ensures: receiving a sequence of frames from at least one infrared camera placed in such a way,to obtain thermal images of the surface of a conveyor belt; obtaining a temperature distribution for thermograms, obtained frames of a thermal image of the surface of the conveyor belt; processing the obtained frames of the thermal image, during which a comparison is made of the temperature distribution for the thermogram, the obtained frame of the thermal image of the surface of the conveyor belt with at least one reference temperature distribution or a specified reference value of at least one parameter of the temperature distribution; determining the presence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt, if the value of one or more parameters of the temperature distribution differs from the reference value for one or more parameters of the temperature distribution and / or the temperature distribution in the thermogram differs from one or more reference temperature distributions corresponding to the operation of the conveyor belt in normal mode,or corresponds to at least one reference temperature distribution, indicating the occurrence of an anomalous source of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt; recording in the memory of the computing device data on the identified anomalous sources of concentrated resistance to the movement of the conveyor belt and / or their transmission to an external device.

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