EP2027454A1

EP2027454A1 - Apparatus for determining particular properties of a pourable material

Info

Publication number: EP2027454A1
Application number: EP07723599A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Joachim Mannhardt; Franz Faehler
Original assignee: J & M Analytische Mess & Regeltechnik GmbH; J & M Analytische Mess- und Regeltechnik GmbH; Pharma Test Apparatebau GmbH; PHARMA TEST APPBAU GmbH
Current assignee: J & M Analytik AG; Pharma Test Apparatebau GmbH
Priority date: 2006-05-15
Filing date: 2007-03-26
Publication date: 2009-02-25
Also published as: WO2007131571A1; DE102006022894A1

Abstract

An apparatus (10) for determining particular properties of a pourable material (3), which flows out of a container (5) onto an essentially flat plate (6) and accumulates on the plate (6) in the form of a cone (3a), has at least one optical conductor (12) which is fitted to a holding device (11) and has at least one illumination fibre (13) and at least one detection fibre (14). The illumination fibre (13) sends optical radiation to the pourable material (3). The detection fibre (14) is arranged in such a manner that it receives optical radiation reflected by the pourable material (3).

Description

Device for determining certain properties of a bulk material

The invention relates to a device for determining certain properties of a pourable Guts after further defined in the preamble of claim 1. The invention further relates to a system for determining certain properties of a pourable Guts, with a plate for receiving the pourable Guts in the form of a cone ,

Devices according to the invention are known from the general state of the art. In this case, a fixed amount of pourable material, in particular powder, introduced into a container. Through a fixed opening in the container, the powder can flow or fall on a plate located below the container and collects there in the form of a cone. In order to obtain constant results, the plate has a fixed diameter and is mounted on a weighing device to determine the mass and density of the pourable material. Depending on the flow properties and the overall state of the pourable Guts results in a cone with a certain cone height, the excess material falls at the edge of the plate down into a collecting container. To determine physical parameters, such as flow time, flow volume, cone volume, cone height, mass or density, suitable sensors can be used, whereby the parameters recorded by them are displayed and logged. After the measurement, the plate with the cone located on it is removed, emptied and cleaned. The device can after the Inserting the empty plate can be used for the next measurement.

However, various properties of the free-flowing material can not be determined with the known devices, which is why additional measuring devices are used for this purpose.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for determining certain properties of a pourable Guts, which is able to determine a larger number of such properties.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by the features mentioned in claim 1.

By virtue of the at least one optical waveguide with the at least one illumination fiber and the at least one detection fiber, it is possible to determine not only the known purely physical properties of the free-flowing material, but also its chemical and morphological properties, such as moisture content, specific concentrations or concentrations. and / or mixing ratios, in particular active substance concentrations, the particle size or the identity of the pourable material and information on the homogeneity of the free-flowing material. Advantageously, this is no separate device necessary, but the properties mentioned can be determined during the determination of the general physical parameters, such as flow time, flow volume, cone volume, cone height, mass or density.

In addition to this simultaneous acquisition of the optical and physical data, it is of course also possible to perform a sequential acquisition, whereby this is always possible within an experimental procedure. gangs and experimental setup is to accomplish. As a result, it is possible to dispense with an additional analysis of the parameters mentioned in an optical measuring device, so that not only a considerable saving in time, but also a corresponding cost saving results.

In a very advantageous development of the invention it can be provided that the at least one optical light guide is arranged so that the illumination fiber transmits the optical radiation from the container to the pourable material during flow of the schϋttfähige Guts.

By such a measurement during the flow or carriage of the pourable Guts thus leading to the formation of the cone on the plate material flow is measured, whereby a large part of the total amount and thus a representative part of the total amount of the pourable Guts located in the container can be determined can. In this case, it plays a subordinate role at which position in the material flow the measurement is carried out, wherein a close arrangement of the optical waveguide is to be preferred to the container.

In this case, a particularly advantageous embodiment consists in that the container has an opening which can be closed with a flap, which can be brought into a position in which the optical radiation emitted by the illumination fiber of the at least one optical waveguide for the purpose of white balance on a Reference surface of the flap hits.

Such a white balance is particularly useful for obtaining accurate measurement data, with no additional expense being required by the described embodiment, since the flap closing the opening of the container is used to dispense the bulk material. enabled Guts must be opened anyway, which can be dispensed with additional drive devices. Before the start of a measurement, such an automatic white balance can therefore be carried out in a particularly simple manner.

In an alternative embodiment it can be provided that the at least one optical light guide is arranged such that the illumination fiber transmits the optical radiation to the free-flowing material located in the container. In this way, the pourable material can thus be measured while it is still in the container.

Finally, there is a further embodiment of the invention in that the at least one optical light guide is arranged so that the illumination fiber transmits the optical radiation to the cone located on the plate. In this way, the pourable material is thus measured while it is in the form of a cone on the plate.

A particularly accurate measurement associated with a simple structure of the light guide results when, in an advantageous development of the invention, the at least one optical light guide is arranged so that the optical radiation impinges at least approximately perpendicularly on the cone.

Furthermore, it can be provided that a plurality of light guides are attached to the holding device in such a way that they at least partially surround the cone. By means of such an arrangement of a plurality of light guides, a plurality of points can be measured at the same time over the lateral surface of the cone, so that averaged information regarding the chemical and / or morphological data can be obtained. If the holding device is adjustable in the vertical direction, an optimum distance of the same from the free-flowing material can always be ensured even if the arrangement of the at least one light guide is rigid in the horizontal direction.

From claim 13 results in a system for determining certain properties of a pourable Guts, with a plate for receiving the pourable Guts in the form of a cone, with at least one means for determining a physical parameter, such as flow time, flow volume, cone volume, cone height, mass and / or bulk density, and with the apparatus described above for determining certain properties of the bulk material.

With such a device can thus physical properties, such as flow time, flow volume, cone volume, cone height, mass or density, as well as optically determinable variables, such as moisture content, concentrations, concentration or mixing ratios, particle size or identity of the pourable Guts in one and the same device determine.

In an advantageous development of this system can be provided that above the plate, a holding device for receiving the pourable Guts and outputting the same is provided on the plate, wherein in particular the holding device for the at least one optical fiber is attached to the holding device for the free-flowing material.

In this way, there results an optimal integration of the device for determining the optically determinable variables in the system for determining the physically determinable variables. Further advantageous embodiments and modifications of the invention will become apparent from the remaining dependent claims. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawing is shown in principle.

It shows:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the device according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a more detailed view of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view according to the detail III of Fig. 2;

4 is a plan view of the holding device of the device according to the invention;

5 shows an alternative embodiment of the device according to the invention in a first view;

Fig. 6 is a view of the device according to the arrow VI of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 shows the device of Fig. 5 in a different position.

1 shows a plant 1 for determining certain properties of a pourable material 3, in particular a powder, located in a container 2. The container 2 is located on a holding device 4 and has a closable opening 5, through which the free-flowing material 3 can fall or flow onto a plate 6 located below the container 2. The plate 6 is arranged on a connecting rod 7 on a collecting container 8, wherein in the present If there is a weighing device 9 between the collecting container 8 and the connecting rod 7.

When the pourable material 3 falls through the opening 5 of the container 2 on the plate 6, it forms a cone 3a, wherein the excess flowable Good 3 falls over the edge of the plate 6 into the receptacle 8. By means not shown, but known per se, certain physical parameters of the pourable Guts 3, such. B. flow time, flow volume, cone volume, cone height, mass or density of the pourable Guts 3, are determined. These parameters determine the properties of the free-flowing material 3 and its behavior during further processing. One of the sensors, for example, the weighing device 9. The detected parameters can be displayed on a display, not shown, and logged in a storage device, also not shown.

To chemical or morphological data of the free-flowing Guts 3, which can be determined by optical measurements, such. B. its moisture content, certain concentrations, certain concentration and / or mixing ratios, particle size or the identity of the free-flowing Guts 3 to determine a further device 10 is provided which has a holding device 11 and at least one mounted on the holding device 11 optical light guide 12 , The optical waveguide 12 in turn has, as can be seen in FIG. 3, at least one illumination fiber 13 and at least one detection fiber 14.

For measuring said optically determinable data, the illumination fiber 13 emits optical radiation to the cone 3a of the pourable material 3 forming on the plate 6 or already located thereon, which cone is reflected by the cone 3a. The detection fiber 14 is arranged so that it receives the optical radiation reflected by the cone 3a and transmits it to an evaluation device 15, which is indicated very schematically in FIG. 1, where the measured values are preferably further processed by software. The methods for measuring the respective properties of the free-flowing material 3 are known per se and are therefore not explained in detail below.

In Fig. 1 it can be seen that the light guide 12 is arranged so that the optical radiation impinges at least approximately perpendicular to the lateral surface of the cone 3a. In this context, it should be made clear that optical radiation is not just about visible light. Rather, depending on the property to be measured or determined, the light guide 12 may be suitable for UV-VIS (visible UV light), NIR (near infrared), fluorescence or Raman spectroscopy or photometry. The material of the respective light guide 12 is thus optimized for the respectively selected measurement method or the respective spectral range.

If, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a plurality of optical light guides 12 are provided around the circumference of the cone 3 a, they can optionally operate according to different principles in each case, resulting in a device 10 which can be used very universally. In other words, differently configured light guides 12 can be attached to one and the same holding device 11 in order to use different measuring methods. In FIG. 4, by way of example, seven light guides 12 distributed around the circumference of the cone 3a are shown, but of course any other suitable number is conceivable. The holding device 11, which holds the at least one light guide 12, in the present case in the vertical direction, ie in the direction of the vertical extent of the cone 3a, adjustable, so that on the one hand several points in the longitudinal direction of the cone 3a can be measured and on the other hand always an optimal distance of the light guide 12 to the schϋttfähigen Good 3 is adjustable. In a manner not shown, the holding device 11 could also be rotatable about a substantially vertical axis, so that with only one light guide 12 still different points on the circumference of the cone 3a could be measured. Furthermore, a tiltable around a substantially horizontal axis holding device 11 is possible. In a further embodiment, a plurality of optical fibers 12 arranged one above the other in the vertical direction could also be provided so that a different distance to the cone 3a results for each of the optical fibers 12. A further preferred embodiment of the holding device 11 includes a semi-circular design thereof, of course, other geometries can be used. Combinations of the different embodiments of the holding device 11 are possible.

In contrast to the light guide 12 shown enlarged in Fig. 3, it could also be a fiber bundle, i. a plurality of illumination fibers 13 and / or a plurality of detection fibers 14, wherein in particular an embodiment with an illumination fiber 13 and a plurality of detection fibers 14 is to be preferred, since in this way a greater flexibility in terms of emitting the optical radiation is given.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 show a particularly preferred, alternative embodiment of the plant 1 and of the device 10 for determining the properties of the free-flowing material 3 present in the container 2. To simplify the illustration, various parts of the system 1 have been dispensed with in FIGS. 6 and 7, since they are essentially identical to the holding device 4 for the container 2 in the above-described exemplary embodiments. Here, the container is ter 2 also on the holding device 4 and has the closable opening 5, wherein in this case also a pivotable about an axis of rotation 16a, depending on its pivotal position, the opening 5 of the container 2 occlusive or releasing flap 16 is shown. Below the container 2 is again the plate 6, which is arranged on the connecting rod 7 on the collecting container 8. The arranged between the collecting container 8 and the connecting rod 7 weighing device 9 is provided. The device 10 shown in FIG. 5 furthermore has the at least one optical light guide 12, which in turn has the at least one illumination fiber 13 and the at least one detection fiber 14, which however can not be seen in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. In that regard, it is therefore an essentially identical to the above-described systems 1 and devices 10 embodiment.

In contrast to the embodiments described above, however, the optical waveguide 12 is arranged so that the illumination fiber 13, the optical radiation during the flow of the bulk material 3 from the container 2 on the plate 6 to the free-flowing material 3 sends, which by an arrangement of optical fiber 12 is achieved in the immediate vicinity of the opening 5 of the container 2. In the present case, the optical light guide 12 is attached to the holder 2 provided for the container 2 and thus in the immediate vicinity of the container 2. In other words, the holding device 11 for the optical waveguide 12 corresponds to the holding device 4 for the container 2.

6, it can be seen that a reference surface 17 indicated in FIG. 5 only by means of a dashed line is mounted on the flap 16 for a white balance. stood the flap 16 is located directly in front of the optical light guide 12. By this reference surface 17 and due to the above-described arrangement of the optical waveguide 12 in the vicinity of the opening 5 of the container 2, the flap 16 is in its closed position in a position in which emitted from the illumination fiber 13 of the optical waveguide 12 optical radiation meets the reference surface 17 of the flap 16, which can be used to perform a white balance. Such a white balance can thus be carried out in a very simple manner, if appropriate before each measurement, in order to ensure the accuracy of the measured data. Preferably, flap 16 and reference surface 17 are coated to prevent particle adhesion and facilitate cleaning. Of course, it is also possible to perform a white balance with an independent of the flap 16 reference surface, but the arrangement described allows the abandonment of additional drives.

By opening the flap 16, which is shown in Fig. 7 in its open position, the free-flowing material 3 can flow out of the container 2 and thus flows past the optical fiber 12, which can thereby perform the measurements described above. As a result of this arrangement of the optical waveguide 12 immediately after the opening 5 of the container 2, in addition to the measured values described above, a large part of the total quantity and thus a representative part of the total amount of free-flowing material 3 present in the container 2 can be determined. The pourable material 3 is analyzed essentially only on its surface, since there is no radiation through the entire product beam.

FIG. 7 also shows a dust protection device 18 into which the reference surface 17 of the flap 16 is opened. Neten state of the flap 16 moves. By this dust protection device 18, which may be embodied for example in the form of a bag or the like, preferably a dust seal or the like and may be attached to the holding device 4, contamination of the reference surface 17 is prevented, so in the open state of the flap 16 in a protected position.

In an embodiment of the plant 1 and the device 10, not shown, the optical waveguide 12 could also be attached to the container 2 in order to transmit the optical radiation to the free-flowing material 3 located in the container 2. In this case, the wall of the container 2 could for example be provided with a window for the optical light guide 12.

In this case, an embodiment is conceivable in which the optical light guide 12 is arranged on the underside of the flap 16 to measure in the closed state of the flap 16 located in the container 2 pourable Good 3, and in the pivoted, ie open state of Flap 16 to measure the flowing out of the opening 5 of the container 2 pourable Good 3. It is only necessary to ensure that the optical waveguide 12 does not hinder the movement of the flap 16.

Claims

Patent claims

1. Device for determining certain properties of a pourable Guts, which flows from a container on a substantially flat plate and accumulates in the form of a cone on the plate, characterized you rch at least one of a holding device (4,11) mounted optical fiber ( 12) comprising at least one illumination fiber (13) and at least one detection fiber (14), the illumination fiber (13) transmitting optical radiation to the bulk material (3), and wherein the detection fiber (14) is arranged to receive the from the bulk material (3) reflected optical radiation receives.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one optical light guide (12) is arranged such that the illumination fiber (13) transmits the optical radiation during the flow of the free-flowing material (3) from the container (2) to the Plates (6) to the pourable Good (3) sends.

3. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that the container (2) has an opening (5) which is closable with a flap (16) which can be brought into a position in which the illumination of the fiber (13) of the at least one optical waveguide (12) emitted optical radiation for the purpose of white balance on a reference surface (17) of the flap (16).

4. The device according to claim 1, since you rchge ke nnzeichnet that the at least one optical light guide (12) is arranged so that the illumination fiber (13) the optical radiation on the in the container (2) located Schϋttfähige Good (3) sends.

5. The device according to claim 1, since you rchgekennzei chn et, that the at least one optical light guide (12) is arranged so that the illumination fiber (13) sends the optical radiation on the on the plate (6) located cone (3a) ,

6. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the at least one optical light guide (12) is arranged so that the optical radiation impinges on the cone (3a) at least approximately perpendicularly.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that a plurality of light guides (12) are attached to the holding device (11) such that they at least partially surround the cone (3a).

8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the holding device (11) is adjustable in the vertical direction.

9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, d a d u r c h e c e n e c i n e in that the holding device (11) is rotatable about a substantially vertical axis.

10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, d a d u r c h e c e n e c i n e s in that the holding device (11) is tiltable about a substantially horizontal axis.

11. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the at least one light guide (12) is formed so that with the same a UV-VIS spectroscopy, an NIR spectroscopy, a fluorescence spectroscopy or a Raman Spectroscopy is feasible.

12. Device according to one of claims 1 to 11, a d u c h e c e n e c e in that the optical waveguide (12) comprises a plurality of illumination fibers (13) and / or a plurality of detection fibers (14).

13. Plant for determining certain properties of a pourable material, comprising a plate for receiving the pourable material in the form of a cone, with at least one device for determining a physical parameter, such as flow time, flow volume, cone volume, cone height, mass and / or density of the free-flowing Guts, and with a device for determining certain properties of the pourable Guts according to one of claims 1 to 12.

14. Plant according to claim 13, characterized in that a holding device (4) for receiving the container (2) for the pourable material (3) is provided above the plate (6).

15. Installation according to claim 14, characterized in that the holding device (11) for the at least one optical fiber (12) is attached to the holding device (4) for receiving the container (2) for the free-flowing material (3).