OPERATION-CONTROL DEVICE FOR OPERATION AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING OPERATION OF A DISPERSER AND DISPERSER SYSTEM COMPRISING A DISPERSER AND A COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

Abstract

Described herein is an operation-control device adapted for controlling operation of a disperser and including an input unit for receiving, from sensing devices, state-values (V.sub.1, V.sub.2, V.sub.3) of at least two different physical entities and/or operational states of the disperser, such as temperature, pressure, etc. A functional-correlation storage unit is configured to store a functional correlation model including correlations of state-values of subsets of physical entities and/or operational states of the mill and indicative of a predetermined plausibility condition associated to a respective correlation. A plausibility-checking unit is configured to determine a flag to the plausibility condition and to provide a corresponding status signal.

Claims

1. An operation-control device adapted for controlling operation of a disperser, said disperser having a rotor unit for rotating in a liquid, the operation-control device comprising: an input unit for receiving, from external sensing devices, state-values of at least two different physical entities and/or operational states of the disperser associated to a dispersing process of the disperser; a functional-correlation storage unit configured to store at least one functional correlation model comprising one or more correlations of state-values of subsets of different physical entities and/or operational states of the disperser, wherein a given state-value of at least one of the subsets puts the state-value of at least another subset under a predetermined plausibility condition associated to a correlation of the functional correlation model; and a plausibility-checking unit connected to the input unit and to the functional-correlation storage unit and configured to determine a flag to the plausibility condition associated to the correlation of the state-values received and to provide a corresponding status signal.

2. The operation-control device of claim 1, further comprising: an operation-instruction storage unit configured to store one or more operation-instructions associated with a respective plausibility condition; and/or an instruction-selection unit connected to the plausibility-checking unit and to the operation-instruction storage unit and configured to receive the status signal and to select, in accordance with the status signal, a determined specific operation-instruction from the operation-instructions associated to the applied plausibility criterion; and/or an output unit connected to the instruction-selection unit and configured to provide the selected operation-instruction for further control of the dispersing process.

3. The operation-control device of claim 1, wherein the disperser is a bead mill and the dispersing process is a milling process.

4. The operation-control device of claim 1, wherein the selected operation instruction is indicative of a request for modifying a current state value of the physical entities or a current operational state for further control of the dispersing process.

5. The operation-control device of claim 1, wherein the plausibility-checking unit is further configured to determine a first flag when the plausibility condition associated to the correlation of the state-values received is fulfilled and a second flag, different than the first flag when the plausibility condition associated to the correlation of the state-values received is not fulfilled.

6. The operation-control device of claim 1, wherein, when a second flag is determined when the plausibility condition associated to the correlation of the state-values received is not fulfilled, the selected operation instruction is indicative of a request for modifying a current state value of the physical entities or a current operational state for further control of the dispersing process; and/or when the second flag is determined, the selected operation instruction is indicative of a request to increase reliability of the state values received from the sensing devices.

7. The operation-control device of claim 6, wherein, when the second flag is determined, it is requested to check temperature measuring points or to check pressure loss at a pump suction side, or to check a grinding media fill level, or to check a temperature sensor in the disperser's output, or to reduce the speed of an agitator, or to check the sealing medium line.

8. The operation-control device of claim 1, wherein an output unit is configured to output a perceivable system-state signal in accordance with the selected operation instruction.

9. The operation-control device of claim 1, wherein the functional-correlation storage unit is configured to store the functional correlation model comprising correlations of state-values of: a product flowrate and a cooling medium flowrate as the first subset and product temperature, cooling medium temperature and sealing medium temperature as the second subset; and/or a product flowrate and a cooling medium flowrate as the first subset and pressure as the second subset; and/or electrical power provided as the first subset and temperature and product flowrate as the second subset; and/or a first temperature and a first product flowrate as the first subset and a second temperature and a second product flowrate as the second subset; and/or viscosity as the first subset and product flowrate as the second subset; and/or rotational speed as the first subset and product flowrate and pressure as the second subset; and/or product flowrate as the first subset and pressure as the second subset; and/or rotational speed as the first subset and electrical power provided as the second subset; and/or product temperature and rotational speed as the first subset and temperature of the sealing medium as the second subset; and/or rotational speed as the first subset and product temperature as the second subset; and/or product temperature and cooling medium flowrate as the first set and temperature of the cooling medium as the second set; and/or product temperature as the first subset and product density as the second subset; and/or temperature as the first subset and electrical power provided and cooling medium temperature as the second subset; and/or product flowrate as the first subset and electrical power provided as the second subset; and/or rotational speed as the first subset and pressure as the second subset; and/or product flowrate and product viscosity as the first subset and pressure as the second subset; and/or temperature of the sealing medium as the first subset and rotational speed as the second subset.

10. A disperser system comprising: an operation-control device according to claim 1; and a disperser having a rotor unit for rotating in a liquid, the disperser system further comprising: a dispersing unit configured to carry out a dispersing process of a product; and at least two sensing devices configured to ascertain and provide the state values of the at least two different physical entities to the input unit of the operation-control device.

11. The disperser system of claim 10, wherein a respective sensing device is: a temperature sensing device configured to ascertain a temperature state value at one or more predetermined locations within the disperser or its surroundings; or a flowrate sensing device configured to ascertain a flowrate state value of a material at one or more predetermined locations within the disperser; or a pressure-sensing device configured to ascertain a pressure state value at a one or more predetermined locations within the disperser or its surroundings; or a rotation-speed-sensing device configured to ascertain a rotation-speed state value of one or more predetermined rotating parts of the disperser; or an electrical power-sensing device configured to ascertain a power-consumption state value indicative of an amount of electrical power provided to one or more predetermined electrically-driven units of the disperser; or a viscosity-sensing device configured to ascertain a viscosity state value of a material at one or more predetermined locations within the disperser; or a density-sensing device configured to ascertain a density state value of a material at one or more predetermined locations within the disperser; or a colour-sensing device configured to ascertain a colour value of a material at one or more predetermined locations within the disperser.

12. A method for controlling operation of a disperser, the method characterized by: providing a functional correlation model comprising one or more correlations of state-values of subsets of different physical entities and/or operational states of the disperser, and wherein a given state-value of at least one of the subsets puts the state-value of at least another subset under a predetermined plausibility condition associated to a respective correlation of the functional correlation model; receiving, from sensing devices, state-values of at least two different physical entities associated to a dispersing process of the disperser in accordance to the functional correlation model; and checking plausibility by determining a flag to the plausibility condition associated to the correlation of the state-values received and providing a corresponding status signal.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: providing a number of operation-instructions associated with a respective plausibility condition; and/or selecting, in accordance with the status signal, a determined specific operation-instruction from the plurality of operation-instruction associated to the applied plausibility criterion; and/or providing the selected operation-instruction for further control of the dispersing process.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein checking plausibility comprises: determining a first flag when the plausibility condition associated to the correlation of the state-values received is fulfilled; and/or determining a second flag, different from the first flag, when the plausibility condition associated to the correlation of the state-values received is not fulfilled.

15. A computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a processing unit of a computer and/or of the operation-control device, cause the computer and/or the operation-control device to carry out the method of claim 12.

16. The computer program of claim 15, wherein the program is executed by a control panel of an operation-control device comprising: an input unit for receiving, from external sensing devices, state-values of at least two different physical entities and/or operational states of the disperser associated to a dispersing process of the disperser; a functional-correlation storage unit configured to store at least one functional correlation model comprising one or more correlations of state-values of subsets of different physical entities and/or operational states of the disperser, wherein a given state-value of at least one of the subsets puts the state-value of at least another subset under a predetermined plausibility condition associated to a correlation of the functional correlation model; and a plausibility-checking unit connected to the input unit and to the functional-correlation storage unit and configured to determine a flag to the plausibility condition associated to the correlation of the state-values received and to provide a corresponding status signal.

17. The operation-control device of claim 1, wherein said disperser is in the form of a mill, a bead mill, a high-speed disperser, or a dissolver.

18. The operation-control device of claim 6, wherein the selected operation instruction is indicative of a request to increase reliability of the state values received from the sensing devices.

19. The disperser system of claim 10, wherein said disperser is in the form of a mill or a dissolver.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein said disperser is a mill, a bead mill, a dissolver, and/or a disperser system comprising the disperser.

Description

[0091] In the following drawings:

[0092] FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an operation-control device for controlling operation of a mill based on state-values of physical entities provided by associated sensing devices.

[0093] FIG. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of a mill comprising an operation control unit and associated sensing devices.

[0094] FIGS. 3A and 3B show diagrams of two particular embodiments of a disperser, in particular of a mill.

[0095] FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method for control operation of a disperser.

[0096] The following discussion will be focused on a mill, in particular on a bead mill. However, the invention in not limited to mills and can be applied to other type of dispersers such as mixers, mills, dissolvers, kneaders, in particular agitator or stirrer or ball or pebble mills, further mixers and kneaders suitable for dispersing or dissolving pigments and other solids into a liquid or other dispersing devices as mentioned in the introduction.

[0097] FIG. 1 show a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an operation-control device 1 configured to control operation of a mill 10, wherein the mill 10 is shown here as a first exemplary non-restrictive embodiment of a disperser of general kind. The disperser in general, here the mill, has a process-control unit 11 and sensing devices 21, 22 and 23. The operation-control device comprises an input unit 2 that is configured to receive, from the associated sensing devices 21, 22 and 23, state values V.sub.1, V.sub.2, V.sub.3 of at least two different physical entities associated to a milling process of the mill 1, respective in general a dispersing process of the disperser.

[0098] The current state values of the physical entities are thus related to a state of the dispersing process, in particular here a milling process. The physical entities whose state-values are sensed by the sensing device may include, for example, temperature, material flowrate, pressure, electrical power provided or consumed by a certain electronic unit of the mill, viscosity, density, rotation-speed of a particular rotating unit of the mill, such as the pump or the milling unit etc., and can be sensed at different positions or locations within the mill, such as inlets, outlets, milling unit, pumps, or even in the immediate vicinity of the mill, such as in the case of temperature and pressure. In this case, the temperature and pressure state-values sensed can be advantageously used as reference values for temperature and pressure state-values sensed within the mill.

[0099] The operation-control device 1 further comprises a functional-correlation storage unit 3 that configured to store at least one functional correlation model M comprising one or more correlations of state-values of a number of subsets of different physical entities and/or operational states of the mill. The state-value is indicative of a respective different state parameter of the milling process arising from a respective physical entity. A given functional-correlation model involves determining a correlation between the state-values of at least two different subsets of the physical entities such that a given state-value of one or more of the subsets puts the state-value of at least another one of the remaining subsets under a predetermined plausibility condition associated to a respective correlation of the functional correlation model.

[0100] The operation-control unit further comprises a plausibility-checking unit 5, connected to the input unit and to the functional-correlation storage unit and configured to determine a flag to the plausibility condition associated to the correlation of the state-values received and to provide a corresponding status signal S.

[0101] Advantageously, and optionally, the operation-control unit further comprises an operation-instruction storage unit 4 configured to store one or more operation-instructions associated to a respective plausibility condition. In this particular operation control unit, the state signal is received by an instruction-selection unit 6 that is configured to select, based on the state signal, a determined specific operation-instruction Os from the operation instructions O associated to the applied plausibility criterion.

[0102] Shown in FIG. 1 as a non-limiting example the mill 10, shown here as the first exemplary non-restrictive embodiment of a disperser of general kind, in the milling system for the mill 10 the sensing-device 21 is configured to ascertain an amount of electrical power delivered to the disperser, in particular here the mill 10, the sensing device 22 is configured to ascertain the current temperature value of an incoming product, and/or cooling medium, and/or sealing medium, and the sensing device 23 is configured to ascertain the current temperature value in the vicinity of the disperser, in particular here the mill 10.

[0103] A suitable functional-correlation model M includes correlation of state values of a first subset of physical entities including the amount of power provided, and of a second subset of physical entities including product temperature and/or cooling medium temperature and/or sealing medium temperature and reference temperature in the vicinity of the disperser, in particular here the mill 20. The correlation required by this particular functional correlation model is: when the mill is not operating (electrical power received is zero), does the ascertained temperature of the product and/or cooling medium and/or sealing medium differ from the ambient temperature in the vicinity by an amount larger than the predetermined difference-threshold amount. Based on this correlation and on the received state values, the plausibility-checking unit is configured to generate a flag indicative of whether the plausibility condition associated to the correlation is fulfilled. A set of operation-instructions that can be associated to this particular plausibility condition is for example: “keep the current operation state” and “signalize possible error: request check of temperature measurement locations”. In the case that the plausibility condition is fulfilled, i.e., that the temperature difference is smaller than the predetermined difference threshold amount, the plausibility-checking unit 5 provides a status signal indicative thereof and the instruction selection unit 6 receives the status signal and selects the instruction “keep the current operation state”. If, however, the flag is indicative of the plausibility condition not being fulfilled, i.e., that the temperature difference is larger than the predetermined difference threshold amount, the plausibility-checking unit 5 provides a status signal indicative thereof and the instruction selection unit 6 receives the status signal and selects the instruction “signalize possible error: request check of temperature measurement locations”. For instance, in the case of the mill 10 of FIG. 1, the selected operation-instruction O.sub.s provided by an output unit 7 of the operation-control device is sent to the mill 10, in particular to a process-control unit 11 thereof, having a user interface for outputting a perceivable signal, such a coded-light or an acoustic alarm is case the operation-instruction is indicative of a possible malfunction of the mill or of a request to perform a check. Depending on the received operation instruction, the process control unit is configured to change an operational state of the mill. For instance, if the current correlation of the state values of the physical entities, according to a given plausibility condition of a functional correlation model indicates that the milling process should be immediately stopped, the process control unit is advantageously configured to change the state of the mill to stop the milling process.

[0104] Other possible, and non-limiting, examples of functional correlation models are described in sections (a)-(n) and the corresponding examples of generation and provision of operation instructions discussed above.

[0105] FIG. 2 shows, as a second exemplary non-restrictive embodiment of a disperser of general kind, a block diagram of an embodiment of a mill 20 comprising a milling unit 24 for performing a milling process on a product. The disperser, in particular here the mill 20, also comprises an operation-control device 1, as described with reference to FIG. 1, which is configured to receive, from the associated sensing devices 21, 22, 23, state-values of different physical entities and to provide an operation instruction in dependence on the received state-values. The dependency is based on a predetermined functional-correlation model and a corresponding plausibility condition associated to a respective correlation of the functional correlation model.

[0106] The operation instruction is provided to the control panel 11 which is configured to either steer the milling process or to output a perceivable system-state signal, for instance a green light in case the milling process is running optimally, or a red light having a predetermined respective lighting pattern, in case user interaction is needed to perform a predetermined corresponding check on the disperser, in particular here mill 20.

[0107] FIGS. 3A and 3B show in detail schematic diagrams specifically of a mill system with a mill 30, namely a disperser system comprising a mill as a specific kind of disperser. Still also here it is to be notified that the schematic diagrams specifically of a mill 30 can be considered as being a representative for analogue schematic diagrams of other dispersers considered to be constituted as a specific kind of fluid energy machines adapted to bring in energy into the pigments and other solids for dissolving the same into the liquid; in particular, to produce a paint or a lacquer. This is as mentioned in the introduction disperser like e.g. dissolvers and mills, in particular agitator or stirrer or ball or pebble mills, further mixers and kneaders suitable for dispersing or dissolving pigments and other solids into a liquid.

[0108] The mill 30 comprises a product inlet 31 for introducing a product to be milled into the mill. The product inlet is connected to a pump 32 for conveying the product to a milling unit 33. After the milling process is concluded, the milled product is conveyed to a product outlet 37. The mill also comprises a cooling unit 33 connected to a cooling medium reservoir 35 and to a sealing medium reservoir 36. Additionally, FIG. 3A shows a nitrogen rinsing circuit 38. The mill 30 comprises a plurality of sensing device configured to ascertain a state-value of a given physical entity and to provide said value to the operation-control device 1. In alternative embodiments, the operation-control device is integrated into the mill sharing a common housing. The sensing devices include, but are not restricted to, [0109] temperature sensing devices T.sub.1, T.sub.2, T.sub.3, T.sub.4, T.sub.5 configured to ascertain a temperature state value at one or more predetermined locations within the mill 30 or its surroundings, in particular in the vicinity of the mill T.sub.0, of a product at the product inlet T.sub.1, of the product at the product outlet T.sub.2, of the cooling medium at the cooling medium inlet T.sub.3 and outlet T.sub.4 and of the sealing medium T.sub.5, [0110] flowrate sensing devices F.sub.1, F.sub.2 configured to ascertain a flowrate state value of a material at the product inlet and outlet respectively; [0111] pressure-sensing devices P.sub.0, P.sub.1, P.sub.2 configured to ascertain a pressure state value at a vicinity of the mill P.sub.0, at the product inlet P.sub.1 and at the product outlet P.sub.2; [0112] rotation-speed-sensing device S.sub.1, S.sub.2 configured to ascertain a rotation-speed state value of the pump S.sub.1 and of the milling unit S.sub.2; [0113] electrical power-sensing devices J.sub.1, J.sub.2 configured to ascertain a power-consumption state value indicative of an amount of electrical power provided to one or more predetermined electrically-driven units of the mill, such as the pump J.sub.1 and the milling unit J.sub.2; or [0114] a viscosity-sensing device Q.sub.1 configured to ascertain a viscosity state value of a material at the product inlet; and [0115] a density-sensing device D.sub.2 configured to ascertain a density state value of a material at the product outlet.

[0116] FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of a particular embodiment of a method 100 for controlling operation of a disperser system comprising a disperser of general kind, i.e. here an embodiment of a mill 10, 20, 30 the disperser, in particular here the mill, in particular a bead mill. The disperser is associated with different physical entities and/or operational states of the disperser, in particular material flowrate, pressure, viscosity, rotation speed, electrical power, density and temperature.

[0117] The method comprises, in a step 102, receiving state-values of at least two of the different physical entities and/or operational states of the disperser.

[0118] The method is characterized by, providing, in a step 104, a functional correlation model comprising one or more correlations of state-values of a number of subsets of different physical entities and/or the operational states of the mill, wherein a state-value is indicative of a respective different state parameter of a milling process arising from a respective physical entity, and wherein a given state-value of one or more of the subsets puts the state-value of at least another one of the remaining subsets under a predetermined plausibility condition associated to a respective correlation of the functional correlation model. The method further comprises, in a step 106, providing a number of operation-instructions associated with a respective plausibility condition.

[0119] Regarding step 102, and in view of the introduction of the functional correlation model, the step comprises receiving, from associated sensing devices, the state-values of at least two of the different physical entities according to the functional correlation model.

[0120] The method further comprises, in a step 108, checking plausibility by determining a flag to the plausibility condition associated to the correlation of the state-values received and providing a corresponding status signal, in a step 110, selecting, in accordance with status signal, a determined specific operation-instruction from the plurality of operation-instruction associated to the applied plausibility criterion, and in a step 112, providing the selected operation-instruction for further control of the milling process.

[0121] In a particular embodiment of the method, the step 108 comprises determining, in a step 108.1 a first flag when the plausibility condition associated to the correlation of the state-values received is fulfilled and determining, in a step 108.2 a second flag, different from the first flag, when the plausibility condition associated to the correlation of the state-values received is not fulfilled.

[0122] Further, in another embodiment, the method comprises, in a step 114, outputting a perceivable system state signal in accordance with the selected operation instruction.

[0123] In summary, the invention is directed to an operation-control device for controlling operation of a mill and comprising an input unit for receiving, from sensing devices, state-values of at least two different physical entities, such as temperature, pressure, etc.

[0124] A functional-correlation storage unit is configured to store a functional correlation model comprising correlations of state-values of subsets of physical entities and/or operational states of the mill and indicative of a predetermined plausibility condition associated to a respective correlation. A plausibility-checking unit is configured to determine a flag to the plausibility condition and to provide a corresponding status signal and an instruction-selection unit is configured and to select, in accordance with the status signal, a determined specific operation-instruction from a set of operation-instructions associated to the applied plausibility criterion for further control of the milling process.

[0125] Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

[0126] In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality.

[0127] A single unit or device may fulfil the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0128] A computer program may be stored/distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium, supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunication systems.

[0129] Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0130] 1 Operation-control device [0131] 2 Input unit [0132] 3 Functional-correlation storage unit [0133] 4 Operation instruction storage unit [0134] 5 Plausibility-checking unit [0135] 6 Instruction-selection unit [0136] 7 Output unit [0137] 10, 20, 30 Mill [0138] 11 Process control unit [0139] 21, 22, 23 Associated sensing-devices [0140] 31 Product inlet [0141] 32 Pump [0142] 33 Cooling unit [0143] 24, 34 Milling unit [0144] 35 Cooling medium reservoir [0145] 36 Sealing medium reservoir [0146] 37 Product outlet [0147] 38 Nitrogen rinsing circuit [0148] 400 Method for controlling operation of a mill [0149] 400-4xx Method steps [0150] D.sub.2 Density sensor at product outlet [0151] F.sub.1 Product flowrate sensor at product inlet [0152] F.sub.2 Product flowrate sensor at product outlet [0153] J.sub.1 Electrical power sensor at pump [0154] J.sub.2 Electrical power sensor at mill [0155] M Functional correlation model [0156] O Operation instructions [0157] O.sub.s Selected operation instruction [0158] P Product [0159] P.sub.0 Pressure sensor in the vicinity of the mill [0160] P.sub.1 Pressure sensor at product inlet [0161] P.sub.2 Pressure sensor at product outlet [0162] Q.sub.1 Viscosity sensor at product inlet [0163] S Status signal [0164] S.sub.1 Rotation-speed sensor at pump [0165] S.sub.2 Rotation speed sensor at mill [0166] T.sub.0 Temperature sensor in the vicinity of the mill [0167] T.sub.1 Temperature sensor at product inlet [0168] T.sub.2 Temperature sensor at product outlet [0169] T.sub.3 Temperature sensor at cooling medium inlet [0170] T.sub.4 Temperature sensor at cooling medium outlet [0171] T.sub.5 Temperature sensor at sealing medium reservoir [0172] V.sub.1, V.sub.2, V.sub.3 State values of physical entities