CLOSED LOOP CONTROL WITH CAMERA DETECTION OF PEBBLE SIZE OF LIME PARTICLES TO AMELIORATE LIME KILN RINGING and IMPROVE UPTIME and OPERATING EFFICIENCY

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020290924-A1
Application number	US-202016800703-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 25, 2020
Priority date	Mar 15, 2019
Publication date	Sep 17, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An improved lime mud recycling system including a camera proximate the kiln outlet imaging the granular lime and providing outlet images of the granular lime exiting the kiln, a processor analyzing the outlet images of the granular lime and providing pebble size distributions for the granular lime exiting the kiln, as well as a controller communicating with the processor comparing the pebble size distribution of the granular lime exiting the kiln with predetermined prescribed operating parameters for pebble size distributions for the granular lime exiting the kiln and issuing (I) a notification and/or (II) a control signal prompting remedial action when the pebble size distributions for the granular lime exiting the kiln are outside of the predetermined prescribed operating parameters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for recycling lime mud having closed loop control for ameliorating kiln ringing and ball formation with camera detection of pebble size comprising:
(a) a lime kiln with a lime mud inlet, a reburned lime outlet and a burner to heat the kiln; (b) a lime mud feed system adapted to wash, filter and feed lime mud to the lime mud inlet of the kiln,
the kiln being adapted to heat the lime mud and convert the lime mud to lime in granular form while advancing the feed toward the reburned lime outlet of the kiln where lime in granular form exits the kiln;
(c) a camera adapted to image the lime in granular form proximate the reburned lime outlet of the kiln to provide outlet images of lime in granular form as it exits the kiln;
(d) an analyzer coupled with the camera adapted to analyze the outlet images of the lime in granular form as it exits the kiln to provide pebble size distributions for the granular lime exiting the kiln; and
(e) a controller communicating with the analyzer operative to: (I) compare the pebble size distributions of the granular lime exiting the kiln with predetermined prescribed operating parameters for pebble size distributions of granular lime exiting the kiln and (II) issue a notification and/or a control signal when the pebble size distributions of granular line exiting the kiln are outside of the predetermined prescribed operating parameters for pebble size distributions for granular lime exiting the kiln.

2 . The system for recycling lime mud according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined prescribed operating parameters comprise size distribution values for the pebble size distributions of granular lime exiting the kiln.

3 . The system for recycling lime mud according to claim 2 , wherein the size distribution values for the pebble size distributions of granular lime exiting the kiln require that 90% by weight or more of granulated lime exiting the kiln has a pebble size of less than 30 mm.

4 . The system for recycling lime mud according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined prescribed operating parameters comprise rate values corresponding to changes in size distribution values for pebble size distributions of granular lime exiting the kiln.

5 . The system for recycling lime mud according to claim 4 , wherein the rate values corresponding to changes in size distribution values for pebble size distributions of granular lime exiting the kiln require that the increases in the rate of formation of pebbles having a pebble size of 30 mm or more are below a threshold value of 1% by weight additional pebbles having a pebble size of 30 mm or more per 24 hours.

6 . The system for recycling lime mud according to claim 1 , operated such that the controller issues notifications with remedial instructions for adjusting one or more kiln parameters or one or more feed parameters when the pebble size distribution of the granular lime exiting the kiln is outside of the predetermined prescribed operating parameters for granular lime exiting the kiln.

7 . The system for recycling lime mud according to claim 1 , operated such that the controller automatically issues control signals to the kiln or the lime mud feed system for taking remedial action to adjust one or more kiln parameters or one or more feed parameters when the pebble size distribution of the granular line exiting the kiln is outside the prescribed operating parameters for granular lime exiting the kiln.

8 . The system for recycling lime mud according to claim 7 , wherein the controller automatically issues control signals to the kiln to take remedial actions to adjust kiln temperature.

9 . The system for recycling lime mud according to claim 7 , wherein the lime kiln is a rotary kiln and the controller automatically issues control signals to the kiln to take remedial action to adjust rotational speed of the kiln.

10 . The system for recycling lime mud according to claim 7 , wherein the controller automatically issues control signals to the lime mud feed system to take remedial actions to adjust one or more of: (I) feed rate of lime mud to the kiln; (II) consistency of the lime mud fed to the kiln; or (III) impurity levels in the lime mud fed to the kiln.

11 . In a paper mill with a re-causticizer feeding a lime mud recycling system having a lime kiln with an inlet adapted to receive lime mud, apply heat thereto, process the lime mud into lime in granular form and discharge the granular lime to a kiln outlet and a lime mud feed system adapted to wash, filter and feed lime mud to the lime mud inlet of the kiln, the improvement comprising a camera proximate the kiln outlet imaging granular lime and providing outlet images of granular lime exiting the kiln, a processor analyzing the outlet images of the granular lime and providing pebble size distributions for granular lime exiting the kiln, as well as a controller communicating with the processor comparing pebble size distributions of granular lime exiting the kiln with predetermined prescribed operating parameters for the pebble size distribution for the granular lime exiting the kiln and issuing (I) a notification and/or (II) a control signal prompting remedial action when the pebble size distributions for the granular lime exiting the kiln is outside of the predetermined prescribed operating parameters for pebble size distributions for granular lime exiting the kiln.

12 . The improvement according to claim 11 , wherein the predetermined prescribed operating parameters comprise size distribution values for the pebble size distribution of granular lime exiting the kiln and the predetermined prescribed operating values for the pebble size distribution require that 90% by weight or more of granulated lime exiting the kiln has a pebble size of less than 30 mm.

13 . The improvement according to claim 11 , wherein the predetermined prescribed operating parameters comprise rate values corresponding to changes in size distribution values for pebble size distributions of granular lime exiting the kiln and the rate values corresponding to changes in size distribution values for pebble size distribution of granular lime exiting the kiln require that the increases in the rate of formation of pebbles having a pebble size of 30 mm or more are below a threshold value of 1% by weight additional pebbles having a pebble size of 30 mm or more per 24 hours.

14 . The improvement according to claim 11 , wherein the controller issues notifications with remedial instructions for adjusting one or more kiln parameters or one or more feed parameters when the pebble size distributions of the granular lime exiting the kiln is outside of the predetermined prescribed operating parameters for granular lime exiting the kiln.

15 . The improvement according to claim 11 , wherein the controller automatically issues control signals to the kiln or the lime mud feed system for taking remedial action to adjust one or more kiln parameters or one or more feed parameters when the pebble size distributions of the granular line exiting the kiln is outside the prescribed operating parameters for granular lime exiting the kiln.

16 . The improvement according to claim 15 , wherein the controller automatically issues control signals to the kiln to take remedial actions to adjust kiln temperature or the lime kiln is a rotary kiln and the controller automatically issues control signals to the kiln to take remedial action to adjust rotational speed of the kiln.

17 . The improvement according to claim 15 , wherein the controller automatically issues control s

Assignees

• Gpcp Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Kicklighter Thomas
• Panchapakesan Bala

Classifications

• G05D5/06

  characterised by the use of electric means · CPC title

• G05B19/41875

  characterised by quality surveillance of production · CPC title

• C04B2/005 Primary

  obtained from an industrial by-product · CPC title

• C04B2290/20

  Integrated combined plants or devices, e.g. combined foundry and concrete plant · CPC title

• F27D19/00

  Arrangements of controlling devices · CPC title