Apparatus and method of analyzing solids concentration in coating liquid

Abstract

An apparatus for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating liquid according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises one or more processors, and a storage medium for storing computer-readable instructions, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: measure, in real time, a refractive index of the coating liquid maintained at a constant temperature within an error range via a temperature maintaining unit; and obtain the concentration of the solids contained in the coating liquid on the basis of the refractive index of the coating liquid measured in real time.

Description

Device and method for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution

[0001] The present application relates to an apparatus and method for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution.

[0002] In general, a post-treatment solution is coated onto the surface of a coil-shaped galvanized steel sheet through a roll coating process. The post-treatment solution is typically contained in a wide pan called a drip pan, and the coating is applied to the surface of the steel sheet by means of a pick-up roll and an applicator roll.

[0003] The drip pan has a structure that is widely exposed to the atmosphere, and during long-term coating operations, the solid content of the post-treatment solution inside the drip pan can continuously change due to causes such as the solution adhering to and being consumed on the steel plate surface by the coating process, or the solvent volatilizing into the atmosphere.

[0004] The varying solid content of the solution leads to inconsistent adhesion amounts under identical equipment conditions, which can act as a factor affecting the quality of surface-treated steel sheets. Therefore, measuring the changing solid content of the solution in real time to maintain a consistent post-treatment adhesion amount for identical surface-treated steel sheets is crucial for ensuring quality robustness.

[0005] Conventionally, the method for measuring the solid content of a solution involves separating the volatile and non-volatile components within the solution using various methods, measuring the weight of the remaining non-volatile component, and calculating the weight ratio of the non-volatile component to the initial solution to determine the solid content.

[0006] Methods for separating volatile and non-volatile components from solution samples include drying, centrifugation, and filtration using filters; however, since these methods require a significant amount of time for the separation and weighing process, there are limitations to measuring the weight of solids in real time.

[0007] (Patent Document 1) Published Patent KR 10-2022-0065399 ("Strip bottom surface coating device", Publication Date: May 20, 2022)

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a device and method for analyzing the concentration of solids are provided, which can measure the concentration of solids without separating volatile and non-volatile components in a solution, and can also reduce the time required to measure the concentration of solids.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution comprises: one or more processors; and a storage medium for storing computer-readable instructions, wherein when the computer-readable instructions are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors are configured to: measure the refractive index of a coating solution maintained at a constant temperature within an error range through a temperature maintaining unit in real time, and determine the concentration of solids contained in the coating solution based on the refractive index of the coating solution measured in real time.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention described above, by measuring the refractive index of a coating solution and determining the concentration of solids contained in the coating solution based on the measured refractive index of the coating solution, the concentration of solids can be measured without separating volatile and non-volatile components in the solution, and the time required to measure the concentration of solids can be reduced, thereby providing the advantage of enabling real-time quantitative analysis of the coating solution.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the temperature maintaining member may include a Peltier element.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the concentration of the solid component and the refractive index may have a proportional relationship.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the one or more processors may be configured to measure the refractive index of the coating solution using total reflection.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the one or more processors may be configured to periodically determine the concentration of solids.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a transfer unit for transferring a coating liquid contained in a drip pan is further included, wherein the transfer unit may include a first pipe connected to the drip pan; a first transfer pump for transferring the coating liquid contained in the drip pan through the first pipe; and a first opening / closing valve provided in the first pipe.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus further comprises a discharge unit connected to the refractive index measuring unit for discharging the coating liquid after measurement is completed, wherein the discharge unit may include a second pipe connected to the refractive index measuring unit; a second transfer pump for discharging the coating liquid contained in the refractive index measuring unit through the second pipe; and a second opening / closing valve provided in the second pipe.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for analyzing the concentration of a solid component contained in a coating solution is provided, comprising: a first step of measuring the refractive index of a coating solution in real time, which is maintained at a constant temperature within an error range through a temperature maintaining unit; and a second step of determining the concentration of a solid component contained in the coating solution based on the refractive index of the coating solution measured in real time.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the temperature maintaining member may include a Peltier element.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the concentration of the solid component and the refractive index may have a proportional relationship.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of measuring the refractive index of the coating solution may measure the refractive index of the coating solution using total internal reflection.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the concentration analysis method can be performed periodically.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method may further include the step of transferring a coating liquid contained in a drip pan; and the step of discharging the coating liquid after measurement is completed.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present invention, by measuring the refractive index of a coating solution and determining the concentration of solids contained in the coating solution based on the measured refractive index of the coating solution, the concentration of solids can be measured without separating volatile and non-volatile components in the solution, and the time required to measure the concentration of solids can be reduced, thereby providing the advantage of enabling real-time quantitative analysis of the coating solution.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a device for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a computing device that can wholly or partially implement a solid content concentration analysis device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following detailed description is provided to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatus, and / or systems described herein. However, this is merely illustrative and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0028] In describing the embodiments of the present invention, detailed descriptions of known technologies related to the present invention are omitted if it is determined that such descriptions would unnecessarily obscure the essence of the invention. Furthermore, the terms described below are defined in consideration of their functions within the present invention, and these definitions may vary depending on the intentions or practices of the user or operator. Therefore, such definitions should be based on the content throughout this specification. Terms used in the detailed description are intended merely to describe the embodiments of the present invention and should not be limiting. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, expressions in the singular form include the meaning of the plural form. In this description, expressions such as "include" or "comprise" are intended to refer to certain characteristics, numbers, steps, actions, elements, parts thereof, or combinations thereof, and should not be interpreted to exclude the existence or possibility of one or more other characteristics, numbers, steps, actions, elements, parts thereof, or combinations thereof other than those described.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a device for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a device (100) for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a transfer unit (110), a concentration analysis unit (120), and a discharge unit (130).

[0031] First, the transfer unit (110) can transfer the coating liquid contained in the drip pan (10) to the concentration analysis unit (120).

[0032] This transfer unit (110) may include a first pipe (111) connected to a drip pan (10), a first transfer pump (112) for transferring a coating liquid contained in the drip pan (10) through the first pipe (111) to a concentration analysis unit (120) (see D1), and a first opening / closing valve (113) provided in the first pipe (111). The first transfer pump (112) and the first opening / closing valve (113) may be controlled by a control unit (122) described later.

[0033] The concentration analysis unit (120) measures the refractive index of the coating solution and can determine the concentration of solids contained in the coating solution based on the measured refractive index of the coating solution. This concentration analysis unit (120) may be configured to include a refractive index measuring unit (121), a control unit (122), and a storage unit (123).

[0034] The refractive index measuring unit (121) can measure the refractive index of the coating liquid in real time according to the control of the control unit (122). Specifically, the refractive index measuring unit (121) can measure the refractive index of the coating liquid using total reflection. It should be noted that since such a refractive index measuring unit (121) is a configuration widely known to those skilled in the art, it is not described in detail in the present invention.

[0035] Meanwhile, in order to measure the refractive index of the coating solution in real time, it is necessary to maintain the temperature of the coating solution at a constant temperature. To this end, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the refractive index measuring unit (121) may further include a temperature maintaining unit to maintain the temperature of the coating solution at a constant temperature within an error range. The constant temperature and error range may be, for example, 20 degrees ± 0.5 degrees, but are not necessarily limited to such specific values.

[0036] A Peltier element can be used as the temperature maintaining unit described above. A Peltier element has a structure in which two different metals or semiconductors are joined, and one side can absorb heat to generate a cooling effect, while the other side can release heat to generate a heating effect. Through such a Peltier element, the temperature of the coating liquid can be rapidly maintained at a constant level within a predetermined range.

[0037] Meanwhile, the control unit (122) can determine the concentration of solids contained in the coating solution based on the measured refractive index of the coating solution. For example, the concentration of solids and the refractive index may have a proportional relationship. That is, as the concentration of solids contained in the coating solution increases, the refractive index may increase.

[0038] The above-described control unit (122) may include a processor (e.g., computer, microprocessor, CPU, ASIC, logic circuit, etc.) and a memory storing software instructions that provide various functions when executed by the processor. Here, the processor and the memory may be implemented as separate semiconductor circuits. Alternatively, the processor and the memory may be implemented as a single integrated semiconductor circuit. There may be one or more processors.

[0039] The control unit (122) described above can periodically determine the concentration of solids (e.g., minutes to tens of minutes).

[0040] The storage unit (123) can store various programs and data for implementing the functions performed by the control unit (122) described above.

[0041] Meanwhile, the discharge unit (130) is connected to the concentration analysis unit (120) and can discharge the coating liquid for which measurement is completed to the outside. This discharge unit (130) may include a second pipe (131) connected to the concentration analysis unit (120), a second transfer pump (132) for discharging the coating liquid contained in the concentration analysis unit (120) through the second pipe (131) (see D2), and a second opening / closing valve (133) provided in the second pipe (132). This second transfer pump (132) and the second opening / closing valve (133) may be controlled by the aforementioned control unit (122).

[0042] As described above, according to one embodiment of the present invention, by measuring the refractive index of a coating solution and determining the concentration of solids contained in the coating solution based on the measured refractive index of the coating solution, the concentration of solids can be measured without separating volatile and non-volatile components in the solution, and the time required to measure the concentration of solids can be reduced, thereby providing the advantage of enabling real-time quantitative analysis of the coating solution.

[0043] Meanwhile, FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Hereinafter, a method (S200) for analyzing the concentration of solid components contained in a coating solution according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. However, for the sake of simplicity of the invention, descriptions that overlap with FIG. 1 will be omitted.

[0045] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a method (S200) for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution according to one embodiment of the present invention may be initiated by the step of transferring the coating solution contained in a drip pan to a concentration analysis unit (120) (S201).

[0046] As described above, this transfer unit (110) may include a first pipe (111) connected to a drip pan (10), a first transfer pump (112) for transferring a coating liquid contained in the drip pan (10) to a concentration analysis unit (120) through the first pipe (111) (see D1), and a first opening / closing valve (113) provided in the first pipe (111).

[0047] Afterwards, the concentration analysis unit (120) measures the refractive index of the coating solution in real time (S202), and can determine the concentration of solids contained in the coating solution based on the measured refractive index (S203).

[0048] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the concentration analysis unit (120) may further include a temperature maintaining unit to maintain the temperature of the coating solution at a constant temperature within an error range, as described above, and a Peltier element may be used as such a temperature maintaining unit.

[0049] As previously mentioned, the concentration of solids and the refractive index may have a proportional relationship, and the refractive index may increase as the concentration of solids contained in the coating solution increases.

[0050] Subsequently, the discharge unit (130) can discharge the coating liquid contained in the concentration analysis unit (120) to the outside (S304). As described above, this discharge unit (130) may include a second pipe (131) connected to the concentration analysis unit (120), a second transfer pump (132) for discharging the coating liquid contained in the concentration analysis unit (120) through the second pipe (131), and a second opening / closing valve (133) provided in the second pipe (132).

[0051] As described above, the method for analyzing the concentration of solid matter (S300) described above can be performed periodically (e.g., minutes to tens of minutes).

[0052] Meanwhile, FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a computing device (300) capable of wholly or partially implementing a solid content concentration analysis device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the computing device (300) includes at least one processor (301), a computer-readable storage medium (302), and a communication bus (303).

[0054] The processor (301) can cause the computing device (300) to operate according to the exemplary embodiment described above. For example, the processor (301) can execute one or more programs stored in a computer-readable storage medium (302). The one or more programs may include one or more computer-executable instructions, and the computer-executable instructions may be configured to cause the computing device (300) to perform operations according to the exemplary embodiment when executed by the processor (301).

[0055] A computer-readable storage medium (302) is configured to store computer-executable instructions or program code, program data and / or other suitable forms of information. A program (302a) stored in the computer-readable storage medium (302) includes a set of instructions executable by a processor (301). In one embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium (302) may be memory (volatile memory such as random access memory, non-volatile memory, or a suitable combination thereof), one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, other forms of storage media that are accessed by a computing device (300) and capable of storing desired information, or a suitable combination thereof.

[0056] The communication bus (303) interconnects various other components of the computing device (300), including the processor (301) and the computer-readable storage medium (302).

[0057] The computing device (300) may also include one or more input / output interfaces (305) and one or more network communication interfaces (306) that provide an interface for one or more input / output devices (304). The input / output interfaces (305) and network communication interfaces (306) are connected to a communication bus (303). The network may be any one of a cellular network, such as GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), Time Division-CDMA (TD-CDMA), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), LTE (Long Term Evolution), or other cellular networks. Additionally, the network communication interface (306) may further include NFC (Near Field Communication), which is one of the wireless tag technologies.

[0058] An input / output device (304) may be connected to other components of the computing device (300) through an input / output interface (305). An exemplary input / output device (304) may include a pointing device (such as a mouse or trackpad), a keyboard, a touch input device (such as a touchpad or touchscreen), a voice or sound input device, various types of sensor devices and / or input devices such as a camera, and / or output devices such as a display device, a printer, a speaker and / or a network card. An exemplary input / output device (304) may be included inside the computing device (300) as a component constituting the computing device (300), or it may be connected to the computing device (300) as a separate device distinct from the computing device (300).

[0059] Meanwhile, embodiments of the present invention may include a program for performing the methods described herein on a computer, and a computer-readable recording medium containing said program. The computer-readable recording medium may include program instructions, local data files, local data structures, etc., either alone or in combination. The medium may be one specifically designed and configured for the present invention, or one that is commonly available in the field of computer software. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes; optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs; and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, and flash memory. Examples of said programs may include machine code, such as that generated by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc.

[0060] Although representative embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims set forth below as well as equivalents thereof.

[0061] (Explanation of symbols)

[0062] 100: Concentration analyzer

[0063] 110: Transfer unit

[0064] 111: 1st Pipeline

[0065] 112: 1st transfer pump

[0066] 113: First shut-off valve

[0067] 120: Concentration Analysis Unit

[0068] 121: Refractive index measuring unit

[0069] 122: Control unit

[0070] 123: Storage section

[0071] 130: Discharge part

[0072] 131: 2nd Piping

[0073] 132: Second transfer pump

[0074] 133: Second shut-off valve

[0075] 300: Block diagram of a computing device capable of wholly or partially implementing a solid concentration analysis device

[0076] 301: Processor

[0077] 302: Computer-readable storage media

[0078] 302a: Program

[0079] 303: Communications bus

[0080] 304: Input / Output Device

[0081] 305: Input / Output Interface

[0082] 306: Network communication interface

Claims

1. An apparatus for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution, One or more processors; and It includes a storage medium that stores computer-readable instructions, When the above computer-readable instruction is executed by the above one or more processors, the above one or more processors: The refractive index of a coating solution maintained at a constant temperature within an error range is measured in real time through a temperature maintenance unit, and A device for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution, configured to determine the concentration of solids contained in the coating solution based on the refractive index of the coating solution measured in real time.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above temperature maintaining unit is, A device for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution, comprising a Peltier element.

3. In Paragraph 1, The concentration of the above solid and the above refractive index are, A device for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution having a proportional relationship.

4. In Paragraph 1, The above one or more processors, A device for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution, configured to measure the refractive index of the coating solution using total internal reflection.

5. In Paragraph 1, The above one or more processors, A device for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution, configured to periodically determine the concentration of solids.

6. In Paragraph 1, A device for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution, further comprising a transfer unit for transferring a coating solution contained in a drip pan.

7. In Paragraph 6, The above transfer unit is, A first pipe connected to the drip pan above; A first transfer pump for transferring the coating liquid contained in the drip pan through the first pipe; and A device for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution, comprising a first shut-off valve provided in the first pipe.

8. In Paragraph 1, A device for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution, further comprising a discharge unit connected to the refractive index measuring unit and discharging the coating solution after measurement is completed.

9. In Paragraph 8, The above discharge section is, A second pipe connected to the above refractive index measuring unit; A second transfer pump for discharging the coating liquid contained in the refractive index measuring unit through the second pipe; and A device for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution, comprising a second opening / closing valve provided in the second pipe.

10. A method for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution, A first step of measuring the refractive index of a coating solution in real time, which is maintained at a constant temperature within an error range through a temperature maintaining unit; and A method for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution, comprising a second step of determining the concentration of solids contained in the coating solution based on the refractive index of the coating solution measured in real time.

11. In Paragraph 10, The above temperature maintaining unit is, A method for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution, comprising a Peltier element.

12. In Paragraph 10, The concentration of the above solid and the above refractive index are, A method for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution having a proportional relationship.

13. In Paragraph 10, The step of measuring the refractive index of the above coating solution is, A method for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution by measuring the refractive index of the coating solution using total internal reflection.

14. In Paragraph 10, The above concentration analysis method is, A method for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution, performed periodically.

15. In Paragraph 10, A step of transferring the coating liquid contained in the drip pan; and A method for analyzing the concentration of solids contained in a coating solution, further comprising the step of discharging the coating solution after measurement is completed.

Images