Material sorting method and material sorting apparatus

Abstract

A material sorting method, comprising: in response to the determination of a target material to be sorted, acquiring monitored current blowing medium parameters of blowing mechanisms (310, 320); calculating a blowing duration for blowing said target material to a sorting position on the basis of the blowing medium parameters; and controlling the blowing mechanisms (310, 320) to blow the target material according to the blowing duration and on the basis of the blowing medium parameters. Further provided is a material sorting apparatus. In the material sorting method, blowing medium parameters are monitored to dynamically adjust a blowing strategy, so that the overall long-term operational stability and reliability of material sorting can be improved, thereby continuously achieving a good material sorting effect.

Description

Material sorting methods and material sorting devices

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202411845008.8, filed on December 13, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the fields of material sorting, radiation detection, or other technical fields, and more specifically, to material sorting methods and material sorting apparatus. Background Technology

[0004] In the material sorting process, materials can be sorted to matching positions by blowing air through them. For example, an air compressor can be used as the air source, and a solenoid valve can be opened and closed, with nozzles used to start and stop the blowing.

[0005] During the process of blowing materials, the operation of blowing components such as air compressors, solenoid valves and nozzles is usually controlled according to the ideal operating conditions, as well as parameters such as gas pressure and gas flow rate. However, the actual blowing situation is somewhat different from the ideal situation.

[0006] For example, the gas pressure in an air compressor fluctuates. The air compressor is initially set with loading and unloading pressures. When the system pressure falls below the loading pressure, the air compressor starts working to pressurize the system. Once the system reaches the unloading pressure, the air compressor stops working. The area between the loading and unloading pressures is the air compressor's control dead zone, causing the air pressure value to fluctuate within this dead zone. Furthermore, when the solenoid valve opens, the system pressure of the air compressor drops rapidly, resulting in varying injection pressures at different times. The rate of change in system pressure also varies depending on the quantity of material. Different injection pressures lead to different injection effects, thus affecting the overall injection efficiency.

[0007] Furthermore, after prolonged operation, components such as air compressors, solenoid valves, and nozzles may experience contamination and aging. For example, dust and slag entering the nozzle can cause the nozzle orifice to become smaller or blocked, altering the airflow rate and affecting the blowing force generated per unit time, thus leading to a decrease in sorting efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In view of the above problems, this application provides a material sorting method and a material sorting device.

[0009] According to a first aspect of this application, a material sorting method is provided, comprising: in response to determining a target material to be sorted, acquiring the current blowing medium parameters of a monitored blowing mechanism; calculating the blowing duration for blowing the target material to a sorting position based on the blowing medium parameters; and controlling the blowing mechanism to blow the target material according to the blowing duration based on the blowing medium parameters.

[0010] According to an embodiment of this application, calculating the blowing time for blowing the target material to the sorting position based on the blowing medium parameters includes: obtaining a first functional relationship between the theoretical blowing medium parameters and the theoretical blowing time in the preset blowing instruction, and a first change between the blowing medium parameters and the theoretical blowing medium parameters, wherein the first functional relationship indicates the functional relationship for blowing the target material to the sorting position according to the theoretical blowing medium parameters and the theoretical blowing time; and adjusting the theoretical blowing time to the blowing time based on the first functional relationship and the first change.

[0011] According to an embodiment of this application, obtaining the first functional relationship between the theoretical blowing medium parameter and the theoretical blowing time in the preset blowing strategy includes: obtaining the theoretical blowing force parameter based on the product of the theoretical blowing medium parameter and the adjustment coefficient, wherein the adjustment coefficient is a predetermined constant; obtaining the second functional relationship between the theoretical blowing force parameter and the theoretical blowing time, wherein the second functional relationship indicates the target momentum applied to blow the target material to the sorting position according to the theoretical blowing force parameter and the theoretical blowing time.

[0012] According to an embodiment of this application, adjusting the theoretical blowing time to the blowing time based on the first functional relationship and the first change includes: when the first change is greater than a preset threshold, obtaining the blowing force parameter based on the product of the blowing medium parameter and the adjustment coefficient; and obtaining the blowing time based on the blowing force parameter, the second functional relationship and the theoretical blowing time.

[0013] According to an embodiment of this application, calculating the blowing time for blowing a target material to a sorting position based on the blowing medium parameters includes: calculating the target momentum for blowing the target material to the sorting position, and the blowing force applied to the target material based on the blowing medium parameters; and obtaining the blowing time based on the ratio of the target momentum to the blowing force.

[0014] According to an embodiment of this application, before calculating the blowing time for blowing the target material to the sorting position based on the blowing medium parameters, the method further includes: adjusting the blowing mechanism to a target blowing angle according to the shape parameters of the target material, wherein the blowing mechanism is configured to blow the target material according to the target blowing angle.

[0015] According to an embodiment of this application, calculating the blowing time for blowing the target material to the sorting position based on the blowing medium parameters includes: calculating the blowing time for blowing the target material to the sorting position based on the target blowing angle and the blowing medium parameters.

[0016] According to an embodiment of this application, in response to determining the target material to be sorted, obtaining the current blowing medium parameters of the monitored blowing mechanism includes: in response to determining multiple target materials of multiple types to be sorted, obtaining the current blowing medium parameters of each of the monitored multiple blowing mechanisms, wherein the multiple blowing mechanisms correspond one-to-one with multiple types.

[0017] According to an embodiment of this application, within the same type range and having the same sorting position, adjusting the blowing mechanism to the target blowing angle based on the shape parameters of the target material includes: for different target materials with different shape parameters within the same type range, adjusting the blowing mechanism corresponding to that type to different target blowing angles.

[0018] According to embodiments of this application, different sorting positions exist between different types and ranges. Adjusting the blowing mechanism to the target blowing angle based on the shape parameters of the target material includes:

[0019] Based on the shape parameters of different target materials of different types, adjust the different blowing mechanisms corresponding to different types to different target blowing angles.

[0020] According to embodiments of this application, the parameters of the blowing medium include at least one of the following: blowing medium pressure, blowing medium flow rate, and blowing medium velocity.

[0021] Another aspect of this application provides a material sorting device, including: a conveying mechanism for conveying materials to be sorted; a detection mechanism for detecting the materials to be sorted and obtaining detection results; a control unit for determining the target material to be sorted based on the detection results, so as to execute the material sorting method as described above; and a blowing mechanism for responding to the blowing command of the control unit and blowing the target material according to the blowing duration in the blowing command based on the current blowing medium parameters.

[0022] According to an embodiment of this application, the material sorting device includes multiple blowing mechanisms, including a first blowing mechanism and a second blowing mechanism, which are used to sort out at least three types of target materials.

[0023] The above-described one or more embodiments have the following beneficial effects: By continuously monitoring the real-time current blowing medium parameters of the blowing mechanism, when blowing the target material, the actual blowing medium parameters can be considered to calculate the blowing time required to blow the target material to the sorting position. This allows the blowing mechanism to execute the blowing based on the actual blowing medium parameters and the calculated blowing time. Therefore, by dynamically adjusting the blowing strategy by monitoring the blowing medium parameters, the long-term operational stability and reliability of the overall material sorting can be improved, resulting in consistently good material sorting performance. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The above-mentioned contents, other objects, features and advantages of this application will become clearer from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] Figure 1 schematically illustrates the structure of a material sorting device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 2 schematically illustrates a flowchart of a material sorting method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 3 schematically illustrates a flowchart for calculating the blowing time according to an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 4 schematically illustrates a flowchart of obtaining the first function relationship according to an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 5 schematically illustrates a flowchart of obtaining the blowing time according to an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 6 schematically shows a block diagram of a control unit suitable for implementing a material sorting method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0031] The reference numerals in the above figures are as follows: 100, conveying mechanism; 210, first image acquisition module; 220, second image acquisition module; 310, first spraying mechanism; 320, second spraying mechanism; 400, sorting bin; 600, control unit.

[0032] It should be noted that, for clarity, the dimensions of the overall / partial structure or the overall / partial region in the drawings used to describe the embodiments of this application may be enlarged or reduced, that is, these drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of this application for ease of explanation. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be implemented without these specific details. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of this application.

[0034] Figure 1 schematically shows a structural diagram of a material sorting apparatus according to an embodiment of this application.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the material sorting device includes a conveying mechanism 100, a detection mechanism (e.g., including a first image acquisition module 210 and a second image acquisition module 220), a blowing mechanism, a sorting bin 400, and a control unit 600. The conveying mechanism 100 is used to convey the material to be sorted; the detection mechanism is used to detect the material to be sorted and obtain the detection result; the control unit 600 is used to determine the target material to be sorted based on the detection result, so as to execute the material sorting method provided in some embodiments of this application; the blowing mechanism is used to respond to the blowing command of the control unit 600 and blow the target material according to the blowing duration in the blowing command based on the current blowing medium parameters.

[0036] For example, the conveying mechanism 100 can be one or a combination of a horizontally arranged conveyor belt, an inclined conveyor belt, and an angled inclined slide. Hereinafter, unless otherwise stated, the conveying mechanism 100 is a horizontally arranged conveyor belt. Materials of different types and particle sizes are distributed along the length direction (i.e., the conveying direction) and the width direction (perpendicular to the conveying direction) on the conveying mechanism 100. Due to the conveyor belt's certain operating speed, different materials are scattered on the conveyor belt, and when transported to the end position, the materials are thrown out of the conveyor belt in a projectile motion. For example, the conveyor belt can operate at speeds ranging from 2 m / s to 5 m / s.

[0037] The control unit 600 may include a host computer, a terminal device (such as a mobile phone, laptop, desktop computer or other device) or a server (such as a local server or cloud server).

[0038] For example, the first image acquisition module 210 may include an X-ray source and an X-ray detector. For instance, the X-ray source may be positioned above the material to be sorted, while the X-ray detector may be positioned below the material, such as below the conveyor belt of the conveyor mechanism 100. The X-ray detector receives X-rays that have penetrated the material and converts them into an X-ray image.

[0039] For example, the second image acquisition module 220 may include a three-dimensional structured light camera. This camera projects light with a specific pattern (such as striped or grid-like light) onto the surface of a material. By analyzing the deformation of the light pattern reflected from the material surface, the three-dimensional shape of the material is calculated to obtain a three-dimensional image. For example, the first image acquisition module 210 may include a line laser binocular stereo camera. This camera uses a linear laser as a light source to project a straight laser beam. It is equipped with two cameras that capture the projection of the laser line onto the material surface from different angles. By analyzing the difference in the position of the laser line in the images captured by the two cameras, the three-dimensional information of the material is calculated to obtain a three-dimensional image.

[0040] It is understood that the testing institutions are not limited to those using X-ray image acquisition technology and three-dimensional image acquisition technology, but may also include institutions that utilize other testing technologies, such as visible light cameras, near-infrared cameras, or hyperspectral imaging institutions.

[0041] In some embodiments, the material sorting device includes a plurality of blowing mechanisms, including a first blowing mechanism 310 and a second blowing mechanism 320, which are used to sort out at least three types of target materials.

[0042] As shown in Figure 1, △, □, and ○ represent three different types of materials. Materials of type △, after leaving the conveyor 100, fall freely along their original trajectory to their sorting position. Materials of type ○, after leaving the conveyor 100, are blown to the furthest sorting position by the first blowing mechanism 310. Materials of type □, after leaving the conveyor 100, are not blown by the first blowing mechanism 310, but instead move a distance along their original trajectory before being directed to the middle sorting position by the second blowing mechanism 320. This spatially avoids the intersection of the trajectories of materials falling into the middle and furthest positions.

[0043] For example, the nozzle orifice diameter of the first blowing mechanism 310 is larger than that of the nozzle orifice diameter of the second blowing mechanism 320, which is more conducive to blowing the target material to the farthest sorting position.

[0044] For example, the airflow from the first blowing mechanism 310 and the airflow from the second blowing mechanism 320 do not interfere with each other. The orthographic projections of the blowing areas of the first blowing mechanism 310 and the second blowing mechanism 320 are spaced apart by a preset distance along the conveying direction, ensuring that the airflows from the first blowing mechanism 310 and the second blowing mechanism 320 do not interfere with each other. Here, the blowing area refers to the area where the airflow leaves the blowing mechanism. Alternatively, there may be a preset angular difference between the blowing angles of the first blowing mechanism 310 and the second blowing mechanism 320 to avoid interference between the blowing airflows.

[0045] Exemplarily, the multiple blowing mechanisms (such as the first blowing mechanism 310 and the second blowing mechanism 320) in the embodiments of this application can be located on the same side of the material movement trajectory. In the case of being located on the same side, for example, the multiple blowing mechanisms are located below the material movement trajectory. In this application, the material movement trajectory refers to the movement trajectory of the material after it leaves the conveying mechanism 100 along the conveying direction. In this embodiment, by setting the blowing mechanism below the movement trajectory, blowing force can be applied to the material, reducing energy consumption while improving the impact of different blowing positions on sorting accuracy. For example, when the material reaches the blowing position, the blowing mechanism can instantly spray a high-pressure airflow of a specific blowing duration, changing the material's movement trajectory through the airflow, causing the material to fall into the corresponding sorting bin 400. Similarly, exemplarily, the multiple blowing mechanisms (such as the first blowing mechanism 310 and the second blowing mechanism 320) in the embodiments of this application can be located on different sides of the material movement trajectory.

[0046] Exemplarily, the individual spraying mechanisms can be independent of each other. Each spraying mechanism may include an independent solenoid valve and an air compressor, and each nozzle may be connected to the solenoid valve, which may be a high-frequency solenoid valve. The solenoid valve is connected to an air compressor (not shown). The air compressor is used to provide a gas source to the nozzles for spraying different types of materials. Each spraying mechanism includes one or more nozzles. In the case of multiple nozzles, for example, the multiple nozzles may be arranged in an array. For example, the spraying pressure range of each spray may be greater than or equal to 0.5 MPa and less than or equal to 0.75 MPa.

[0047] For example, the spray angle between each nozzle of each spraying mechanism and the horizontal direction can be dynamically adjusted within a range of greater than or equal to 20 degrees and less than or equal to 60 degrees, and can be adjusted according to parameters such as the type, particle size, and shape of the material. For example, the spray angle of the first spraying mechanism 310 is preferably 45 degrees, and the spray angle of the first spraying mechanism 310 is preferably 37 degrees (for example only).

[0048] For example, each of the above-mentioned sorting positions is provided with a sorting bin 400, and each sorting bin 400 can be assembled by partitions. Different blowing forces combined with blowing angles result in different material movement trajectories, and different movement trajectories can use different partition heights. For example, the length of a single sorting bin 400 is greater than or equal to 1.2m and less than or equal to 2m, the width is greater than or equal to 0.8m and less than or equal to 1.5m, and the height can be adjusted according to the material movement trajectory.

[0049] The material sorting method of this application embodiment will be described in detail below based on the material sorting device described in FIG1, with reference to FIG2 to FIG5.

[0050] Figure 2 schematically illustrates a flowchart of a material sorting method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0051] As shown in Figure 2, this embodiment includes:

[0052] In operation S210, in response to determining the target material to be sorted, the current blowing medium parameters of the monitored blowing mechanism are obtained.

[0053] In this embodiment, the particle size of the material to be sorted can be greater than or equal to 30 mm and less than or equal to 350 mm, which is merely an example. The material to be sorted may include ores, food, beverages, or other objects to be sorted on a production line. By identifying the material information of the material to be sorted, the material is divided into multiple types based on the material information, and different types of materials are sorted. In specific classification, different classification methods may exist depending on the sorting requirements. Material types can be classified according to shape and size, density, substance content, etc., and this application is not limited in this respect. The target material can be determined by the control unit 600 based on one or more parameters such as the identified material particle size and material type.

[0054] For example, taking ore beneficiation as an example, ores can be divided into metallic ores and non-metallic ores. Metallic ores include ferrous metals and non-ferrous metals, such as iron, manganese, and chromium; non-ferrous metal ores include copper, lead, zinc, aluminum, tin, molybdenum, nickel, antimony, and tungsten. Non-metallic ores include most oxygen-containing salt ores and some oxide and halide ores, such as diamond, quartz, Iceland spar, boron, tourmaline, mica, topaz, corundum, graphite, gypsum, asbestos, and fuel ores. When classifying ores, the material type is classified according to the different types of metals contained, their grade, and chemical composition. Taking ore beneficiation as an example, ores can be divided into three types based on the content of a specific metal: high-grade ore (highest content of a specific metal), medium-grade ore (medium content of a specific metal), and low-grade ore (lowest content of a specific metal).

[0055] The blowing medium can include gases (such as air, helium, nitrogen, etc.) or fluids (such as water). When the blowing medium is a gas, the blowing mechanism can include an air compressor, a solenoid valve, and a nozzle.

[0056] The parameters of the injection medium refer to the medium-related parameters that affect the injection effect. In some embodiments, the injection medium parameters may include at least one of injection medium pressure, injection medium flow rate, and injection medium velocity. When the injection medium is a gas, it may include at least one of gas pressure, gas flow rate, and gas velocity. For example, a gas flow monitoring device, a gas pressure monitoring device, and a gas velocity monitoring device can be installed in each injection mechanism to monitor parameters such as gas pressure, gas flow rate, and gas velocity in real time.

[0057] For example, a pressure gauge is installed in the valve chamber of the solenoid valve, and a gas flow meter is installed in the air supply pipeline of the air compressor, which can provide real-time feedback on changes in air pressure and flow rate in the air supply pipeline. When the solenoid valve opens to spray the target material, the gas injection causes the air pressure in the valve chamber to decrease. As the amount of target material sprayed increases, the air pressure in the valve chamber decreases further, and the overall air pressure in the air supply pipeline decreases. When the pressure reaches the lower limit of the set threshold, the air compressor starts to replenish the pressure. It takes a certain amount of time for the air pressure to drop to the normal spraying pressure (i.e., the ideal spraying pressure used when the control unit 600 generates the spraying command). Therefore, the current gas pressure can be monitored in real time.

[0058] In operation S220, the blowing time for blowing the target material to the sorting position based on the blowing medium parameters is calculated.

[0059] Because the actual monitored parameters of the blowing medium differ from the ideal parameters, the control unit 600, upon obtaining the current blowing medium parameters, calculates the time required to blow the target material to the sorting position based on the actual situation and generates a blowing command. This blowing command includes the blowing duration, and may also include the blowing angle and position of the blowing mechanism. It can be understood that under the same blowing force, the longer the blowing time on the target material, the greater the interference with the target material's movement trajectory. By reasonably controlling the blowing duration, the movement trajectory of the target material can be interfered with to a certain extent, causing it to fall into the sorting position (sometimes called the designated position). It can also be understood that when blowing is performed when the blowing pressure decreases, using the original blowing duration may not be able to cause the target material to fall into the desired sorting position, while extending the blowing duration can cause the target material to fall into the desired sorting position.

[0060] In some embodiments, the type, mass, and shape of the target material can be acquired, and the velocity of the target material can be obtained by continuously capturing multiple images of the target material. Then, based on the gas velocity, gas flow rate, and gas pressure, combined with the mass and velocity of the target material, an empirical formula is used to calculate the injection duration. Specifically, the density is determined by the material type, and the volume is calculated from the shape profile to obtain the material mass. Data under different materials and injection medium parameters can be collected in advance, and empirical formulas can be established through statistical analysis.

[0061] In some embodiments, a machine learning model can be used to predict the injection duration. For example, a dataset of injection durations and related injection medium parameters can be pre-collected, and this dataset can be used to train a machine learning model (e.g., a neural network model). For instance, the type, mass, and shape of the target material can be obtained, and the velocity of the target material can be obtained by capturing multiple images of the target material sequentially. Then, the gas velocity, gas flow rate, and gas pressure, as well as the mass and velocity of the target material, are input into the machine learning model to obtain the injection duration.

[0062] In some embodiments, the interface of simulation software can be called in real time to obtain the blowing duration through simulation. For example, a simulation model of the material sorting device can be pre-built, including blowing simulation data of the blowing mechanism under different blowing medium parameters, and simulation data of materials of different types, particle sizes, and speeds can be acquired. A simulation model of the target material can be generated in the simulation software through image acquisition, and the current blowing medium parameters and material characteristics (such as type, mass, shape, and movement speed) can be set in the simulation environment. The simulation is run and the time it takes for the material to reach the sorting position is recorded to obtain the blowing duration.

[0063] In some embodiments, the blowing time can be obtained using a lookup table method. Specifically, firstly, blowing data for different blowing medium parameters, different material properties, and corresponding sorting positions are collected through experiments or theoretical calculations. The collected blowing data is then organized into a table and stored in a database or file. When performing operation S220, the corresponding blowing time is looked up from the table based on the real-time monitored blowing medium parameters and material properties.

[0064] In operation S230, the control jetting mechanism performs jetting on the target material based on the jetting medium parameters and the jetting duration. According to the calculated jetting duration, the opening and closing of the nozzles and the duration are controlled to jet the target material to the designated location.

[0065] According to embodiments of this application, by continuously monitoring the real-time current blowing medium parameters of the blowing mechanism, when blowing the target material, the actual blowing medium parameters can be considered to calculate the blowing time required to blow the target material to the sorting position. This allows the blowing mechanism to execute the blowing based on the actual blowing medium parameters and the calculated blowing time. Therefore, by dynamically adjusting the blowing strategy by monitoring the blowing medium parameters, the long-term operational stability and reliability of the material sorting process can be improved, resulting in consistently good material sorting performance.

[0066] The following examples, illustrated in Figures 3 to 5, illustrate an implementation of the calculation of the blowing duration using operation S220.

[0067] Figure 3 schematically illustrates a flowchart for calculating the blowing time according to an embodiment of this application.

[0068] As shown in Figure 3, this embodiment is one example of operating S220, including:

[0069] In operation S310, the first functional relationship between the theoretical blowing medium parameters and the theoretical blowing time in the preset blowing command is obtained, as well as the first change between the blowing medium parameters and the theoretical blowing medium parameters. The first functional relationship indicates the functional relationship of blowing the target material to the sorting position according to the theoretical blowing medium parameters and the theoretical blowing time.

[0070] The preset injection command includes predefined injection operation parameters, including theoretical injection medium parameters and theoretical injection duration. Theoretical injection medium parameters refer to the parameters that the injection medium should have under ideal or standard conditions, such as pressure and flow rate. Theoretical injection duration refers to the time required to inject the material to the sorting position under the theoretical injection medium parameters. For example, the preset injection command might be: "For medium-grade ore with a particle size of 50mm (target material), use a pressure of 0.6MPa and a flow rate of 5cm..." 3 / s of spraying (theoretical spraying medium parameters), lasting 2 seconds (theoretical spraying duration)".

[0071] In operation S320, the theoretical blowing time is adjusted to the blowing time based on the first functional relationship and the first change.

[0072] In some embodiments, the control unit 600 generates preset blowing commands for different materials through experiments or simulations. For example, a series of experiments are designed to test the reaction of different materials under different blowing medium parameters. These blowing medium parameters may include the type, pressure, flow rate, flow volume, and temperature of the blowing medium. During the experiment, data on material movement are collected, including the time and path it takes to reach the sorting position. Statistical methods are used to analyze the experimental and simulation data to extract a first functional relationship. The blowing medium parameters can be substituted into the first functional relationship to calculate the blowing duration, and then the theoretical blowing duration can be adjusted accordingly.

[0073] In other embodiments, referring to Figure 1, after acquiring an image of the material to be sorted, the detection mechanism sends the image to the control unit 600. The control unit 600 identifies parameters such as the type, shape, and position of one or more materials in the image. Then, it generates a preset blowing command based on the theoretical blowing medium parameters under ideal conditions, and the blowing execution time in this command is the theoretical blowing duration.

[0074] For example, the law of conservation of momentum applied to the target material is as shown in Equation 1: F·t=m·ΔV Equation 1

[0075] Where F is the blowing force applied to the target material, t is the theoretical blowing time, m is the mass of the target material, and ΔV is the change in velocity of the target material before and after blowing.

[0076] For example, not only can the type and shape of the target material be obtained, but its mass can also be determined based on its equivalent atomic number and mass thickness. The equivalent atomic number and mass thickness of each type of material can be predetermined, or the equivalent atomic number and mass thickness of the target material can be detected in real time using X-ray image acquisition technology and 3D image acquisition technology. Then, continuously acquired target images can reflect the different positions of the target material at different times, thus obtaining its velocity and trajectory before spraying. Next, its sorting position can be determined based on the type of target material, and the velocity after spraying can be calculated based on the sorting position, mass, and velocity before spraying. That is, the target momentum m·ΔV that sprays the target material to the sorting position can be obtained. At the spraying position, applying the target momentum to the target material allows it to reach the sorting position along a specific trajectory.

[0077] For example, the relationship between the jetting force and the jetting medium parameters is characterized by Equation 2, where the jetting medium parameters include gas pressure and gas flow rate. F = f(P, Q) Equation 2

[0078] Where P represents gas pressure, Q represents gas flow rate, and f() represents the functional relationship between P, Q, and F.

[0079] Substituting Formula 2 into Formula 1, we get Formula 3: f(P,Q)·t=m·ΔV Formula 3

[0080] Where P is the theoretical gas pressure, Q is the theoretical gas flow rate, and t is the theoretical injection time, Formula 3 can represent the first functional relationship.

[0081] After obtaining the actual monitored parameters of the injection medium, if the first change is greater than the preset threshold, the actual monitored parameters of the injection medium are substituted into Formula 3, and the injection duration t' is obtained while the result of m·ΔV remains unchanged.

[0082] For example, the parameters of the injection medium include gas pressure and gas flow rate. The first change can be obtained by summing the changes in gas pressure and gas flow rate and then averaging them.

[0083] According to the embodiments of this application, the preset blowing command can be dynamically adjusted based on the actual monitored blowing medium parameters, and the actual blowing time can be accurately calculated based on the actual monitored blowing medium parameters by utilizing the first functional relationship between the theoretical blowing medium parameters and the theoretical blowing time.

[0084] Figure 4 schematically illustrates a flowchart of obtaining the first function relationship according to an embodiment of this application.

[0085] As shown in Figure 4, this embodiment is one example of operating S310, including:

[0086] In operation S410, the theoretical blowing force parameter is obtained by multiplying the theoretical blowing medium parameter with the adjustment coefficient, where the adjustment coefficient is a predetermined constant.

[0087] In operation S420, a second functional relationship between the theoretical blowing force parameter and the theoretical blowing time is obtained. This second functional relationship indicates the target momentum applied to blow the target material to the sorting position based on the theoretical blowing force parameter and the theoretical blowing time. The first functional relationship may include the product relationship between the theoretical blowing medium parameter and the adjustment coefficient, as well as the second functional relationship.

[0088] Based on Formula 2, the functional relationship between P, Q, and F is further analyzed: F = f(y1(δ1,P),y2(δ2,Q)) Formula 4

[0089] Where δ1 is the adjustment coefficient of gas pressure P, y1() represents the functional relationship between δ1 and P, δ2 is the adjustment coefficient of gas flow rate Q, and y2() represents the functional relationship between δ2 and P.

[0090] For example, y1() can indicate the product operation between δ1 and P, and y2() can indicate the product operation between δ2 and Q. Formula 4 can be expressed as follows: F = K·δ1·P·δ2·Q Formula 5

[0091] K is a predetermined constant coefficient, δ1·P is the theoretical jetting force parameter of P, and δ2·Q is the theoretical jetting force parameter of Q. For example, the ranges of K, δ1, and δ2 are each greater than 0 and less than 1 (for example only). The specific values ​​can be obtained by fitting experimental or simulated jetting data to form a mapping between P, Q, and F.

[0092] Combining formulas 3 and 5, we obtain formula 6: K·δ1·P·δ2·Q·t=m·ΔV (Formula 6)

[0093] Formulas 5 and 6 can characterize the second functional relationship. From Formulas 5 and 6, we know that the greater the gas pressure, the greater the blowing force, and the greater the change in material velocity; the greater the gas flow rate, the greater the blowing force, and the greater the change in material velocity; and the longer the action time, the greater the flight momentum obtained by the material.

[0094] According to the embodiments of this application, by introducing theoretical blowing force parameters, the relationship between theoretical blowing medium parameters and theoretical blowing time can be expressed more accurately and clearly, making the blowing control more refined, which is conducive to more accurately calculating the required blowing time and realizing precise blowing adjustment of the target material.

[0095] Figure 5 schematically illustrates a flowchart of obtaining the blowing time according to an embodiment of this application.

[0096] As shown in Figure 5, this embodiment is one example of operating S320, including:

[0097] In operation S510, when the first change is greater than the preset threshold, the blowing force parameter is obtained based on the product of the blowing medium parameter and the adjustment coefficient.

[0098] For example, the first change is expressed as a percentage change in the parameters of the blowing medium before and after the change, and the preset threshold can be 10% (for example only). When the first change is greater than a certain value, it is considered to have a significant impact on the blowing force, which will affect the momentum applied to the target material, causing the target material to fail to reach the sorting position accurately.

[0099] Referring to Formula 5, by substituting the actual monitored gas pressure P' and gas flow rate Q' into the injection medium parameters, we can obtain δ1·P' as the injection force parameter of P' and δ2·Q' as the injection force parameter of Q'.

[0100] When operating S520, the blowing time is obtained based on the blowing force parameters, the second function relationship, and the theoretical blowing time.

[0101] In some embodiments, Formula 6 can be simplified to reduce computational complexity. Referring to Formula 6, while keeping m·ΔV constant, if P' or Q' increases relative to the ideal value, the jetting force may increase accordingly, and the value of t can be appropriately decreased. Conversely, if P' or Q' decreases, the jetting force may decrease accordingly, and the value of t can be appropriately increased. Furthermore, the effect of changes in P' or Q' on the jetting force is the result of multiple factors coupled together. Therefore, δ1 and δ2 are introduced to characterize the coupled effect. In other words, δ1 and δ2 can be used to determine the influence weights of air pressure and flow rate. For example, if air pressure fluctuates greatly, by setting the value of δ1, the problem of reduced overall stability caused by wide fluctuations in jetting time can be avoided. Therefore, if δ1·P'·δ2·Q' increases, the jetting force may increase accordingly, and the value of t can be appropriately decreased. If δ1·P'·δ2·Q' decreases, the jetting force may decrease accordingly, and the value of t can be appropriately increased. This negative correlation can be obtained through the second functional relationship, expressed as Formula 7:

[0102] Where α is a constant used for adjustment, for example, within a range greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 1 (for example only). t' is the blowing duration. ΔP = P' - P, ΔQ = Q' - Q.

[0103] Referring to Figure 1, each type of material has a corresponding target sorting bin at its sorting position, and the opening of each sorting bin (400mm) has a certain area. In other words, the purpose of dynamically adjusting the blowing command is to ensure that the target material reaches the opening with a certain area and falls into the target sorting bin, rather than aiming for each target material to reach the same point above the target sorting bin and fall in through the same trajectory. Therefore, by substituting the theoretical blowing time and the actually monitored gas pressure P' and gas flow rate Q' from the blowing medium parameters, as represented by Equation 7, we can obtain t'. Referring to Equation 7, α, to a certain extent, regulates the relationship between the fluctuation of gas pressure and flow rate and t'. For example, when α is set to 0, then even if the gas pressure and flow rate fluctuate, they will no longer participate in the regulation of t'.

[0104] Optionally, after obtaining t', the control unit 600 can obtain the motion trajectory and arrival position of the target material after executing t' through simulation. If it can fall into the sorting position, it can be executed directly. If it cannot fall into the sorting position, the value of α can be adjusted and the simulation can be repeated until it can fall into the sorting position.

[0105] In other embodiments, calculating the blowing time for blowing the target material to the sorting position based on the blowing medium parameters includes: calculating the target momentum for blowing the target material to the sorting position, and the blowing force applied to the target material based on the blowing medium parameters; and obtaining the blowing time based on the ratio of the target momentum to the blowing force.

[0106] In some embodiments, the target momentum and the parameters of the blowing medium are substituted into Formula 6, and the blowing duration t' can be obtained by the ratio of the target momentum m·ΔV to the blowing force K·δ1·P'·δ2·Q'. Then, the control unit 600 updates the actual blowing duration to be executed to the value of t' in the preset blowing command.

[0107] In some embodiments, before calculating the blowing time for blowing the target material to the sorting position based on the blowing medium parameters, the method further includes: adjusting the blowing mechanism to a target blowing angle according to the shape parameters of the target material, wherein the blowing mechanism is configured to blow the target material at the target blowing angle.

[0108] For example, the target blowing angle can include the angle between the nozzle blowing direction of the blowing mechanism and the horizontal direction, which is essentially equivalent to the angle between the airflow blown by the nozzle and the horizontal direction. Shape parameters include the geometric shape characteristics of the target material, such as contour shape, size, and other parameters.

[0109] For example, point cloud data can be extracted from 3D images acquired from a detection structure. Boundary detection algorithms (such as the Canny boundary detector, Sobel operator, and Laplacian operator) can be used to identify the material's contour boundaries (i.e., shape parameters). Boundary information can be characterized using 3D coordinates. The centroid can be determined by calculating the weighted average position of the material pixels, for example, by weighted summation of the coordinates of each voxel (3D pixel). Then, the target blowing angle of the blowing mechanism can be adjusted based on the determined centroid.

[0110] For example, for materials of different shapes and sizes, their movement trajectories can be determined in advance through experiments, and the optimal blowing angle can be determined based on these trajectories. Alternatively, simulation software can be used to simulate the blowing process, and the optimal blowing angle can be found by simulating the effect of different blowing angles on the material's movement trajectory. Then, a lookup table containing different material shape parameters and their corresponding blowing angles can be created. When it is necessary to calculate the target blowing angle for a material, materials with the same or similar shape parameters can be identified by looking up the table, and then the corresponding blowing angle can be obtained from the table.

[0111] According to the embodiments of this application, a better target blowing angle is determined by considering the shape parameters of the target material, which can apply a suitable blowing force to the target material based on the actual monitored blowing medium parameters, thereby improving the sorting accuracy.

[0112] In some embodiments, calculating the blowing time for blowing the target material to the sorting position based on the blowing medium parameters includes: calculating the blowing time for blowing the target material to the sorting position based on the target blowing angle and the blowing medium parameters.

[0113] Referring to Formula 4, the blowing angle can be introduced to analyze the functional relationship between P, Q, and F, as shown in Formula 8: F=f(y1(δ1,P),y2(δ2,Q),y3(δ3,A)) Formula 8

[0114] Where δ3 is the adjustment coefficient of the jetting angle A (Angle), and y3() characterizes the functional relationship between δ3 and A.

[0115] According to the embodiments of this application, by comprehensively considering the blowing angle and blowing duration, the accuracy of material sorting is improved.

[0116] In some embodiments, in response to determining the target material to be sorted, obtaining the current blowing medium parameters of the monitored blowing mechanism includes: in response to determining multiple target materials of multiple types to be sorted, obtaining the current blowing medium parameters of each of the monitored multiple blowing mechanisms, wherein the multiple blowing mechanisms correspond one-to-one with multiple types.

[0117] For example, the control unit 600 can perform the following operations: inputting the X-ray image and the 3D image as inputs to the two branches of a deep learning model, extracting their respective features, then concatenating the feature maps of the X-ray image and the 3D image to obtain a richer feature representation. This is then transformed into a new feature space through a fully connected layer. Finally, the softmax function in the classification layer is used to convert the output of the fully connected layer into a probability distribution to obtain the final recognition result. For example, in a binary classification scenario, the classification layer outputs predicted probabilities of concentrate and tailings, and the higher probability is taken as the recognition result. In a three-class classification scenario, the classification layer outputs predicted probabilities of concentrate, medium-grade ore, and tailings, and the higher probability is taken as the recognition result. It is understood that this application does not limit the number of categories output by the classification layer; it can output predicted probabilities corresponding one-to-one with multiple pre-set categories.

[0118] The control unit 600 can identify multiple material types, such as high-grade ore, medium-grade ore, and low-grade ore, and generate corresponding preset injection commands. After obtaining the current injection medium parameters for each injection mechanism, operation S220 is executed to calculate the injection duration for each injection mechanism, and operation S230 is executed to control each injection mechanism to inject the corresponding target material according to the injection duration.

[0119] According to embodiments of this application, a corresponding blowing mechanism is configured for each material type, thereby improving the efficiency of the sorting process.

[0120] In related technologies, two rows of nozzles arranged at the same angle on the same side of the material's movement trajectory are used to separate the materials using different blowing forces. However, using two rows of nozzles at the same angle relies entirely on the blowing energy of the nozzles to separate materials of different masses and compositions. For example, materials of the same mass and composition may have different shapes, resulting in different blowing forces received by the high-pressure gas on the two material blocks. Furthermore, different types of materials correspond to different movement trajectories and sorting positions; even if different types of materials have the same shape, different optimal blowing angles and blowing forces are required. Therefore, even with the same blowing force from the nozzles, two materials will have different movement trajectories, leading to a very high probability of mis-sorting.

[0121] In some embodiments, within the same type range and having the same sorting position, adjusting the blowing mechanism to the target blowing angle according to the shape parameters of the target material includes: for different target materials with different shape parameters within the same type range, adjusting the blowing mechanism corresponding to that type to different target blowing angles.

[0122] For example, the particle size of a material can be determined based on its profile shape and dimensions (such as length, width, and height) in the shape parameters. Different target materials with different shape parameters can include materials with different particle sizes, thus allowing for sorting using different blowing forces and blowing angles. This ensures that target materials of the same type but different shape parameters can be accurately blown to the predetermined sorting position. It is understood that different target materials of the same type can be blown by the same blowing mechanism at different times, or by different blowing mechanisms at the same time.

[0123] In some embodiments, different sorting positions exist between different types. Adjusting the blowing mechanism to the target blowing angle according to the shape parameters of the target material includes: adjusting different blowing mechanisms corresponding to different types to different target materials to different target blowing angles according to their respective shape parameters.

[0124] In this embodiment, there is a one-to-one correspondence between different types of ores, different sorting locations, and different blowing mechanisms. For example, copper ore, iron ore, and aluminum ore each have corresponding blowing mechanisms to blow the three types of ores to different sorting locations. Even if two materials of different types have the same or similar shape parameters, their corresponding blowing mechanisms may have different target blowing angles due to differences in the location of the blowing mechanism and the material density. In this embodiment, different target materials may be blown at different times or at the same time.

[0125] According to embodiments of this application, multiple blowing mechanisms are provided to provide precise blowing angles for different types of materials and to adapt to different shapes and sizes, thereby improving blowing efficiency and effectiveness.

[0126] In the blowing mechanism involved in this application, for any nozzle of the blowing mechanism, the larger the blowing angle, the steeper the blowing direction, and the longer the time for the material to undergo projectile motion when being blown. With a fixed blowing force in the first blowing device, the material can be blown farther. Correspondingly, the smaller the blowing angle, the gentler the blowing direction, meaning the material is blown closer. For example, if the blowing angle of each nozzle is 20–60 degrees, since the momentum direction of the material (i.e., the blowing direction) makes an angle of 20–60 degrees with the horizontal plane, it increases the horizontal momentum of the material's flight while reducing the momentum of its descent, thus resulting in a greater horizontal flight distance.

[0127] For example, when each blowing mechanism has one nozzle, adjusting different blowing mechanisms to different target blowing angles includes adjusting the blowing direction of each nozzle to different target blowing angles. When each blowing mechanism has multiple nozzles, adjusting different blowing mechanisms to different target blowing angles includes the multiple nozzles of each blowing mechanism having a uniform blowing angle, and different blowing mechanisms having different target blowing angles.

[0128] For example, various materials are conveyed on a conveyor belt at the same speed. Different types of materials have different densities, while materials of the same type may have different shape parameters (such as profile shape, particle size, etc.). This results in different trajectories for each material as it falls downwards after leaving the conveyor belt. When each material is sprayed, the optimal force state is that the spray angle of the nozzle is substantially perpendicular to the tangent of the target material's trajectory. Therefore, adjusting different spraying mechanisms to different target spray angles involves: determining the trajectory of each target material before spraying (e.g., this can be determined in advance based on shape parameters through experiments or simulations, or by capturing material images in real time), and adjusting the spray angle of one or more nozzles applying the spraying force to be substantially perpendicular to that trajectory.

[0129] In one or more embodiments of this application, innovative designs are implemented in the blowing structure and blowing control strategy to improve the long-term operational stability and reliability of material sorting and continuously ensure good sorting results. In the blowing structure, different blowing mechanisms are adjusted to use different angles to separate multiple types of materials or materials of the same type but different shape parameters. In the control strategy, gas flow sensors and air pressure sensors are used to monitor the blowing system, and the blowing duration is adjusted online in real time based on the monitoring results, which can effectively improve the material sorting accuracy and enhance sorting performance.

[0130] Figure 6 schematically shows a block diagram of a control unit 600 suitable for implementing a material sorting method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0131] As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 600 according to an embodiment of the present application includes a processor 601, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to a program stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 602 or a program loaded from a storage portion 608 into a random access memory (RAM) 603. The processor 601 may include, for example, a general-purpose microprocessor (e.g., a CPU), an instruction set processor and / or an associated chipset and / or a special-purpose microprocessor (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), etc. The processor 601 may also include onboard memory for caching purposes. The processor 601 may include a single processing unit or multiple processing units for performing different actions of the method flow according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0132] RAM 603 stores various programs and data required for the operation of control unit 600. Processor 601, ROM 602, and RAM 603 are interconnected via bus 604. Processor 601 executes various operations of the method flow according to embodiments of this application by executing programs in ROM 602 and / or RAM 603. It should be noted that programs may also be stored in one or more memories other than ROM 602 and RAM 603. Processor 601 may also execute various operations of the method flow according to embodiments of this application by executing programs stored in one or more memories.

[0133] According to embodiments of this application, the control unit 600 may further include an input / output (I / O) interface 605, which is also connected to a bus 604. The control unit 600 may also include one or more of the following components connected to the I / O interface 605: an input section 606 including a keyboard, mouse, etc.; an output section 607 including a cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), etc., and a speaker, etc.; a storage section 608 including a hard disk, etc.; and a communication section 609 including a network interface card such as a LAN card, modem, etc. The communication section 609 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet. A drive 610 is also connected to the I / O interface 605 as needed. A removable medium 611, such as a disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, semiconductor memory, etc., is installed on the drive 610 as needed so that computer programs read from it can be installed into the storage section 608 as needed.

[0134] Those skilled in the art will understand that the features described in the various embodiments and / or claims of this application can be combined or combined in various ways, even if such combinations or combinations are not explicitly described in this application. In particular, the features described in the various embodiments and / or claims of this application can be combined or combined in various ways without departing from the spirit and teachings of this application. All such combinations and / or combinations fall within the scope of this application.

[0135] The embodiments of this application have been described above. However, these embodiments are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application. Although various embodiments have been described above, this does not mean that the measures in the various embodiments cannot be used advantageously in combination. The scope of this application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Various substitutions and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of this application, and all such substitutions and modifications should fall within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A material sorting method, comprising: In response to identifying the target material to be sorted, the current blowing medium parameters of the monitored blowing mechanism are obtained; Calculate the blowing time for blowing the target material to the sorting position based on the blowing medium parameters; The blowing mechanism is controlled to blow the target material according to the blowing medium parameters and the blowing duration.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The calculation based on the blowing medium parameters includes the blowing time for blowing the target material to the sorting position, which includes: Obtain the first functional relationship between the theoretical blowing medium parameters and the theoretical blowing time in the preset blowing command, and the first change between the blowing medium parameters and the theoretical blowing medium parameters. The first functional relationship indicates the functional relationship of blowing the target material to the sorting position according to the theoretical blowing medium parameters and the theoretical blowing time. Based on the first functional relationship and the first change, the theoretical blowing time is adjusted to the blowing time.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first functional relationship between the theoretical blowing medium parameters and the theoretical blowing duration in the preset blowing strategy includes: The theoretical blowing force parameter is obtained by multiplying the theoretical blowing medium parameter and the adjustment coefficient, where the adjustment coefficient is a predetermined constant. Obtain a second functional relationship between the theoretical blowing force parameter and the theoretical blowing duration, wherein the second functional relationship indicates the target momentum applied to blow the target material to the sorting position according to the theoretical blowing force parameter and the theoretical blowing duration.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of adjusting the theoretical blowing duration to the blowing duration based on the first functional relationship and the first change includes: When the first change is greater than a preset threshold, the blowing force parameter is obtained based on the product of the blowing medium parameter and the adjustment coefficient. The blowing time is obtained based on the blowing force parameters, the second functional relationship, and the theoretical blowing time.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The calculation of the blowing time for blowing the target material to the sorting position based on the blowing medium parameters includes: Calculate the target momentum for blowing the target material to the sorting position, and the blowing force applied to the target material based on the blowing medium parameters; The blowing duration is obtained based on the ratio of the target momentum to the blowing force.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, Before calculating the blowing time for blowing the target material to the sorting position based on the blowing medium parameters, the method further includes: The blowing mechanism is adjusted to a target blowing angle according to the shape parameters of the target material, wherein the blowing mechanism is configured to blow the target material according to the target blowing angle.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The calculation of the blowing time for blowing the target material to the sorting position based on the blowing medium parameters includes: Calculate the blowing time required to blow the target material to the sorting position based on the target blowing angle and the blowing medium parameters.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, In response to determining the target material to be sorted, the acquisition of the current blowing medium parameters of the monitored blowing mechanism includes: In response to identifying multiple target materials of multiple types to be sorted, the current blowing medium parameters of each of the monitored multiple blowing mechanisms are obtained, wherein the multiple blowing mechanisms correspond one-to-one with the multiple types.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, Within the same type range and at the same sorting location, adjusting the blowing mechanism to the target blowing angle based on the shape parameters of the target material includes: For different target materials with different shape parameters within the same type range, adjust the corresponding blowing mechanism to different target blowing angles.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, Different sorting positions exist between different types of materials. Adjusting the blowing mechanism to the target blowing angle according to the shape parameters of the target material includes: Based on the shape parameters of the different target materials of different types, the different blowing mechanisms corresponding to the different types are adjusted to different target blowing angles.

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The parameters of the blowing medium include at least one of the following: blowing medium pressure, blowing medium flow rate, and blowing medium velocity.

12. A material sorting device, comprising: Conveying mechanisms are used to transport materials to be sorted. The testing organization is used to test the materials to be sorted and obtain test results; A control unit is configured to determine the target material to be sorted based on the detection results, so as to execute the material sorting method according to any one of claims 1 to 11; The blowing mechanism is used to respond to the blowing command of the control unit and blow the target material according to the blowing duration in the blowing command based on the current blowing medium parameters.

13. The material sorting device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The material sorting device includes multiple blowing mechanisms, including a first blowing mechanism and a second blowing mechanism. The first and second jetting mechanisms are used to sort at least three types of target materials.

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