System for monitoring scarper chain based on measurement on transmittance of torsion spring and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11807465-B2
Application number	US-202117802188-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2021
Priority date	Mar 8, 2021
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system for monitoring a scraper chain based on a measurement on transmittance of a torsion spring and a method thereof. The system includes a sprocket-wheel torsion detection device, a fixing device, a wireless receiver, an A/D converter and an industrial computer. In the method, the relative torsion of the two sprocket wheels is converted into the density change of the torsion spring, the light transmission area is converted into the current value by the laser sensing panel, a varying range of the torsion spring is calculated by the industrial computer through the preset threshold and its own program to monitor the operating conditions of the chain. The method has a novel concept, a stable and reliable system, and a high promotion value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A system for monitoring a scarper chain based on a measurement on transmittance of a torsion spring, characterized by comprising a sprocket-wheel torsion detection device, a fixing device, a wireless receiver, an A/D converter and an industrial computer, wherein the sprocket-wheel torsion detection device comprises a transmission shaft with sprocket wheels fixed at both ends of the transmission shaft, a middle part of the transmission shaft is sheathed in a torsion spring, both ends of the torsion spring are fixedly connected to one end face of the sprocket wheels at a side proximate to the transmission shaft through a support, respectively, a laser sensing panel is adhered to a middle part of an outer surface of the transmission shaft, the laser sensing panel is covered by the torsion spring with a certain distance from the torsion spring, the fixing device is provided with a laser illuminator, an illuminating end of the laser illuminator is aligned with a sensing area of the laser sensing panel, and a signal acquisition device, a wireless transmitter and a power supply unit are further arranged in the fixing device, the power supply unit is respectively electrically connected with the laser illuminator, the signal acquisition device and the wireless transmitter, the signal acquisition device is electrically connected with the wireless transmitter, the laser sensing panel is electrically connected with the signal acquisition device in the fixing device through a shielded conductive wire, and the wireless receiver, the A/D converter and the industrial computer are electrically connected to one another in sequence.

2 . The system for monitoring the scarper chain based on the measurement on the transmittance of the torsion spring according to claim 1 , wherein, the both ends of the torsion spring are fixedly connected to the end face of the sprocket wheels at the side proximate to the transmission shaft by welding, respectively.

3 . The system for monitoring the scarper chain based on the measurement on the transmittance of the torsion spring according to claim 2 , wherein, safety distances between welding joints at the both ends of the torsion spring and the fixing device are maintained to prevent the torsion spring from contacting and colliding with the fixing device at a deformation limit.

4 . The system for monitoring the scarper chain based on the measurement on the transmittance of the torsion spring according to claim 1 , wherein, the torsion spring is in a type of a separately-wound type and gaps between coils of the torsion spring are maintained, the torsion spring is in a loosened state when installing, where an illuminated area of the laser sensing panel accounts for 50% of a total area of the laser sensing panel, and the torsion spring is installed coaxially with the transmission shaft and maintains a certain distance from a surface of the transmission shaft.

5 . The system for monitoring the scarper chain based on the measurement on the transmittance of the torsion spring according to claim 1 , wherein, the fixing device is in a shape of a square box, and the wireless transmitter, the signal acquisition device and the power supply unit are all integrated in the square box.

6 . The system for monitoring the scarper chain based on the measurement on the transmittance of the torsion spring according to claim 1 , wherein, coils of the torsion spring are capable of covering the laser sensing panel completely both at a compression limit and at a stretch limit.

7 . The system for monitoring the scarper chain based on the measurement on the transmittance of the torsion spring according to claim 1 , wherein, the laser illuminator is installed at a middle part of an upper end face of the fixing device, and emits a visible light laser to the sensing area of the laser sensing panel when the system is in operation.

8 . A method for monitoring a scarper chain based on a measurement on transmittance of a torsion spring, characterized by specifically comprising following steps:
S1, initializing an industrial computer, and setting threshold currents I1, I2, I3, I4, I5 and I6 sequentially corresponding to different current values I generated for an illuminated area of a laser sensing panel being of 5%, 25%, 45%, 55%, 75%, or 95%; S2, acquiring, by a signal acquisition device, a current signal I of the laser sensing panel in real time and transmitting the signal to the industrial computer during a normal operation of a scarper conveyor; S3, comparing, by the industrial computer, the obtained current signal I with the different threshold currents, and determining, when I1≤I≤I2, that the illuminated area S of the laser sensing panel is greater than or equal to 5% and less than or equal to 25%, determining, when I2<I≤I3, that the illuminated area S of the laser sensing panel is greater than 25% and less than or equal to 45%, determining, when I3<I≤I4, that the illuminated area S of the laser sensing panel is greater than 45% and less than or equal to 55%, determining, when I4<I≤I5, that the illuminated area S of the laser sensing panel is greater than 55% and less than or equal to 75%, and determining, when I5<I≤I6, that the illuminated area S of the laser sensing panel is greater than 75% and less than or equal to 95%; S4, calculating, by the industrial computer, a range of S through the current signal I obtained in real time, and a varying range of M according to a formula
M = 2 π 2 E d 3 c 3667 ab H abc − abdn 0 c − S ,
when 5%≤S≤25%, M1≤M≤M2; when 25%<S≤45%, M2<M≤M3; when 45%<S≤55%, M3<M≤M4; when 55%<S≤75%, M4<M≤M5; when 75%<S≤95%, M5<M≤M6; and where M denotes a torque acting on the torsion spring, positive and negative signs of values of M denote that whether a direction of the torque is the same as a spiral direction of the torsion spring, E denotes an elastic modulus of a material of the torsion spring, d denotes a diameter of coils of the torsion spring, c denotes an axial length of a number of the working coils of the torsion spring, a denotes a width of the laser sensing panel, b denotes a length of the laser sensing panel, H denotes a stretched length of the torsion spring, n0 denotes an initial number of the coils of the torsion spring, and S denotes the illuminated area of the laser sensing panel; S5, determining, by the industrial computer, that whether the chain of the scraper conveyor is broken or stuck according to the calculated range of S: determining, when I1<I≤I2, that is, M1<M≤M2, or I5<I≤I6, that is, M5<M≤M6, that the chain of the scarper conveyor is broken; determining, when I2<I≤I3, that is, M2<M≤M3, or I4<I≤I5, that is, M4<M≤M5, that the chain of the scarper conveyor is stuck; and determining, when I3<I≤I4, that is, M3<M≤M4, that the chain of the scarper conveyor is operating normally; and S6, repeating Steps S2 to S5 to monitor the chain of the scarper conveyor in real time.

Assignees

• Univ China Mining

Inventors

• Lu Hao
• Jiang Hui
• Zhu Zhencai
• Cao Guohua
• Peng Yuxing
• Zhou Gongbo
• Shen Gang
• Jiang Fan
• Tang Yu
• Li Xiang
• Wang Wei

Classifications

• B65G43/06 Primary

  interrupting the drive in case of driving element breakage; Braking or stopping loose load-carriers · CPC title

• B65G19/20 Primary

  Traction chains, ropes, or cables · CPC title