Grinding Particle Characterization via Spectral Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for characterizing ground material flows in grinding plants lack comprehensive characterization, particularly for whole grain, intermediate, and end products, leading to inefficiencies in the milling process and product quality control.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses electromagnetic radiation to irradiate and detect particles, employing a color image sensor for spectrally selective detection, combining incident and transmitted light to enhance characterization with color and size information, allowing for precise evaluation of particle composition and process control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanical, aerodynamic and/or optical separation or sorting processes are used to remove foreign bodies and impurities, then the purity of the cleaned ground material is improved, but the yield of the cleaned ground material deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses detection means to characterize the incoming grist and provides feedback information about particle properties (size, shape, color). This feedback enables dynamic adjustment of separation criteria to optimize both purity and yield by distinguishing between good regrind and actual impurities based on multiple parameters rather than simple size thresholds.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes multiple parameters simultaneously for characterization: particle size, particle shape, and color properties. By analyzing multiple parameters together, the system can make more accurate separation decisions that maintain higher yield while achieving the required purity level, avoiding over-rejection of good material.
2Measurement precision
If the particle size distribution is determined using image information from the flow of ground material, then the characterization of the ground material is improved, but the complexity of the measurement system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple detection functions into a single integrated system. The detection means simultaneously captures particle size, particle shape, and color information in one measurement process rather than requiring separate systems for each parameter, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive characterization.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection means is designed with multi-functionality to perform multiple characterization tasks: determining particle size distribution, analyzing particle shape, and measuring color properties. This universal detection approach eliminates the need for multiple specialized devices, simplifying the overall system while providing comprehensive ground material characterization.
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
Enables more precise characterization of particle size and color, improving the selectivity of the comminution process, facilitating efficient fractionation and product variation, and enabling real-time optimization of the grinding process.
Implementation Method 1
an irradiation means for irradiating the particles in at least part of the material to be ground with electromagnetic radiation
Implementation Method 2
a detection means for detecting electromagnetic radiation emitted by particles of the part of the grinding stock flow conveyed through the irradiation section
Implementation Method 3
the color image sensor having sensor pixels for spectrally selective detection of the electromagnetic radiation imaged on the sensor pixels
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A system and method for ground material characterization in a grinding system, in particular for characterizing particles in a ground material stream of ground grain products in a grain grinding system, uses an irradiation section through which at least a part of the ground material stream is fed and with irradiation means for irradiating the particles in the at least one part of the ground material stream with electromagnetic radiation; and a detection section through which the at least one part of the ground material stream is fed and with a detection means for detecting electromagnetic radiation emitted from the particles of the part of the ground material stream fed through the irradiation section. The detection means comprises an imaging system and a color image sensor for imaging the particles onto the color image sensor by way of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the particles. The color image sensor comprises sensor image elements for spectrally selective detection of the electromagnetic radiation imaged onto the sensor image elements.