Failsafe System for Material Reducing Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing material reducing apparatuses suffer damage when attempting to process hard materials like metal, leading to costly downtime for repairs and maintenance due to inadequate protection mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A failsafe system that detects hard materials using an accelerometer to rapidly reverse the rotational direction of the feed roller and slow down the rotor, while simultaneously actuating a grate assembly to discharge the material before any damage occurs to internal components, ensuring minimal downtime and maximum throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If shear arrangements with shear pins are used to allow components to break away when hard material is detected, then damage to the material reducing apparatus is minimized, but some damage still occurs and costly downtime is required for repair or replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of hard materials using accelerometers before significant damage can occur. The control system is pre-programmed with response protocols that automatically execute upon detection, reversing feed roller rotation and actuating the grate assembly to eject the hard material before it can cause catastrophic damage to internal components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own operational components (feed roller reversal, grate assembly actuation) to protect itself from damage. The accelerometer-mounted control system creates a self-protecting mechanism where the apparatus detects and responds to hard materials using its existing mechanical systems, eliminating the need for external shear arrangements and enabling continuous operation without downtime.
2Productivity
If the rotor rotates at relatively high speed to efficiently reduce material, then productivity is improved, but the risk of damage from hard materials increases
Solution Approach 1:
Accelerometers mounted on the rotor assembly provide real-time feedback on vibrations and impacts during material reduction. This feedback is continuously monitored by the control system, which maintains high rotor speeds for productivity while instantly detecting abnormal vibrations caused by hard materials and automatically initiating protective measures to prevent damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains high rotor speeds for efficient material reduction while having pre-programmed protective responses ready to execute immediately upon hard material detection. The feed roller reversal and grate assembly actuation are pre-configured to activate within milliseconds, allowing the rotor to continue operating at high speed without compromising safety.
3Reliability
If shear arrangements are implemented to minimize damage, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional components and mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the complex shear pin arrangements and breakaway mechanisms from the system. Instead, it uses simple accelerometers mounted on existing components (feed roller, rotor assembly) coupled with a basic control system that triggers feed roller reversal and grate assembly actuation. This approach achieves reliable protection while significantly reducing mechanical complexity compared to traditional shear arrangements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively prevents damage to internal components by quickly withdrawing hard materials from the processing path, reducing downtime and maintaining apparatus efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
an accelerometer, affixed to a bearing housing supporting a shaft which supports the rotor, to detect generated vibrations when any of the supported hammers or strikers impacts against a hard material
Data Source
AI summary
A material reducing apparatus comprising a feed conveyor, for conveying material to be reduced, and a feed roller cooperating with the feed conveyor. An upwardly rotatable rotor carrying a plurality of strikers which facilitate reduction of the material to be reduced and an anvil cooperating with the plurality of strikers to facilitate further reduction of the material to be reduced. A grate assembly, located adjacent an arcuate path of the rotor, which permits sufficiently reduced material to pass therethrough. The material reducing apparatus further includes a failsafe system which comprising an accelerometer supported by the rotor and coupled to a control system such that the accelerometer, upon detection of the rotor contacting a hard material, sends a signal to the control system. If the signal indicates a sufficiently large material, the control system reverses a rotational direction of the feed roller so that the feed roll rotates to withdraw the hard material from contact with the rotor. A section of the grate assembly may also be moved away from the rotor, by a release device, upon the release device receiving a command from the control system.