METHOD FOR MONITORING A TORPEDO CAR AND A TORPEDO CAR MONITORING SYSTEM

Abstract

A method for monitoring a torpedo car in which a position detector PE is used to determine a position deviation between a target position and an actual position of a filling opening E of the torpedo car disposed in a filling station BS for filling it with pig iron and provided with an RFID transponder containing an object data set for identification, the filling opening E is positioned in the target position in the event of a position deviation, the filling level FM in the torpedo car disposed in the target position is measured by means of a filling level meter FM, the temperature of the pig iron filled into the filling opening is measured by means of a temperature meter TM, and data characterizing the position deviation, the filling level and the temperature is added to the object data set of the torpedo car by means of a data processor DV.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a torpedo car TW in which a position detector PE is used, comprising: determining a position deviation between a target position and an actual position of a filling opening E of the torpedo car TW disposed in a filling station BS for filling it with pig iron and provided with an RFID transponder containing an object data set for identification, the filling opening E is positioned in the target position in the event of a position deviation, measuring the filling level FM in the torpedo car TW disposed in the target position by means of a filling level meter FM, measuring the temperature of the pig iron filled into the filling opening by means of a temperature meter TM, and data characterizing the position deviation, and adding the filling level and the temperature to the object data set of the torpedo car TW by means of a data processor DV.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data processor DV calculates the position deviation as a difference between the target position and the actual position of the filling opening E and transmits the position deviation to a controller SE for positioning the torpedo car TW in the target position as a correcting variable.

3. A torpedo car monitoring system comprising: an identification device for identifying the torpedo car TW, a position detector PE for detecting the position of the torpedo car TW in a filling station BS for filling it with pig iron, a filling level meter FM for measuring the pig iron filling level in the torpedo car TW, a temperature meter TM for measuring the pig iron temperature, and a data processor DV for calculating a position deviation of an actual position relative to a target position of the torpedo car TW and for entering the data characterizing the position deviation, the filling level and the temperature into the object data set of the torpedo car TW.

4. The torpedo car monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the identification device comprises the RFID transponder installed on the torpedo car and at least one reader/writer LS installed adjacent to the torpedo car TW.

5. The torpedo car monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the position detector PE comprises a sensor device for detecting the relative position of a filling opening of the torpedo car below a filling device of the filling station BS.

6. The torpedo car monitoring system according to claim 5, wherein the sensor device is designed as a laser scanner operated in pulsed mode and disposed in the filling station in a position above the filling opening E of the torpedo car TW.

7. The torpedo car monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the filling level meter FM is designed as a radar device.

8. The torpedo car monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the position detector PE, the filling level meter FM and the temperature meter TM are connected to the data processor DV via data connections.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of the invention;

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a feeding plane of a filling station disposed above a torpedo car including a possible arrangement of components used for operating the torpedo car monitoring system;

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a torpedo car disposed below the feeding plane.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a torpedo car TW in a filling station BS at the time of a filling with pig iron, which is filled into torpedo car TW through a filling opening E from a tilting runner KR and forms a filling level F therein, for illustrating a possible embodiment of the method. Torpedo car TW is equipped with an RFID transponder, which allows torpedo car TW to be identified by means of a reader/writer LS disposed on the filling station. In addition to reader/writer LS, filling station BS comprises a position detector PE, a filling level meter FM, a temperature meter TM and an actuator SE.

[0029] Position detector PE is designed as a laser scanner, light pulses being modulated onto a carrier wave in pulsed mode and the time between the emission and the reception being measured. The carrier wave scans the surface of torpedo car TW, allowing the effective filling opening actually formed in the surface of the torpedo car to be precisely located.

[0030] Pig iron deposits formed at the opening edge of filling opening E because of the repeated use of the torpedo car can lead to significant deviations between the opening edge constructively defined on the torpedo car and the actually formed opening edge, said deviations being detected by the position detector with the result that a data processor DV can calculate position deviations between a center axis of the constructively defined filling opening E and a center axis ME of the effective filling opening E as a function of output signal a of the position detector and can transmit them as control signals to an actuator SE, by means of which the position can be readjusted in such a manner that center axis ME coincides with an outpour GS pouring from tilting runner KR into torpedo car TW. In this position, the function of a filling level meter FM is enabled by position detector PE, allowing filling level meter FM, which is preferably designed as a radar device, to measure the distance between a horn antenna disposed at filling station BS and the liquid surface in torpedo car TW and data processor DV to calculate filling level F therefrom.

[0031] The temperature of outpour GS, i.e., the temperature of the pig iron as it enters torpedo car TW, can be measured using temperature meter TM, which is preferably designed as a pyrometer. Output signal c of temperature meter TM is transmitted to data processor DV, as are output signal b of filling level meter FM and output signal a of position detector PE, allowing data processor DV, which is disposed at filling station BS or can also be disposed anywhere outside of filling station BS and be connected via data connections, to transmit data generated from the output signals, such as characteristics calculated from the output signals, to reader/writer LS in order to amend an object data set stored on the RFID transponder, or allowing a performance characteristic to be calculated based on the data or characteristics using a suitable algorithm in data processor DV and said performance characteristic to be subsequently stored on the RFID transponder.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a possible installation of position detector PE, filling level meter FM and temperature meter TM of the torpedo car monitoring system at a filling station BS, filling level meter FM, which is provided with a horn antenna HA displaceable parallel to the drawing plane, temperature meter TM, the beam path of a pyrometer of which is directed at outpour GS, and position detector PE being disposed in a feeding plane BE of filling station BS, in which tilting runner KR is disposed.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, torpedo car TW, whose filling opening E is disposed below outpour GS, is located below feeding plane BE. Reader/writer LS, which communicates with the RFID transponder installed on torpedo car TW, is also disposed below feeding plane BE. Furthermore, actuator SE, which can comprise a drive acting on torpedo car TW or which can also be designed as a display in order to display the actuation path to be executed in order to correctly position filling opening E, is provided adjacent to the torpedo car.