Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F27/00—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders
  • B01F27/60—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders with stirrers rotating about a horizontal or inclined axis
  • B01F27/70—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders with stirrers rotating about a horizontal or inclined axis with paddles, blades or arms
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F35/00—Accessories for mixers; Auxiliary operations or auxiliary devices; Parts or details of general application
  • B01F35/20—Measuring; Control or regulation
  • B01F35/21—Measuring
  • B01F35/213—Measuring of the properties of the mixtures, e.g. temperature, density or colour
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F35/00—Accessories for mixers; Auxiliary operations or auxiliary devices; Parts or details of general application
  • B01F35/20—Measuring; Control or regulation
  • B01F35/21—Measuring
  • B01F35/214—Measuring characterised by the means for measuring
  • B01F35/2142—Measuring characterised by the means for measuring using wireless sensors introduced in the mixture, e.g. transponders or RFID tags, for measuring the parameters of the mixture or components to be mixed

Definitions

• the invention relates to a mixer and to a device and method for monitoring or controlling this mixer.
• the applicant knows a mixer comprising:
• the monitoring or control device is a device which makes it possible to verify that the mixing is carried out according to a pre-established plan and / or to control different equipment of the mixer such as the stirrer so that the mixing takes place in accordance with this preset plan.
• the device makes it possible to stop the mixer when the mixture is homogeneous.
• the measurable characteristic used may also be representative of the progress of a process related to the mixture such as a chemical reaction. In the latter case, the device makes it possible to monitor the smooth running of the process and to act on the mixer if the process does not proceed as expected.
• the monitoring or control device comprises: at least one instrumented particle incorporated in the mixture, each instrumented particle being: a. able to freely move autonomously inside the mixture under the action of the products stirred by the agitator, and b. equipped with at least one sensor capable of measuring the characteristic of the mixture,
• a processing unit able to monitor or control the mixer according to the measurements of the characteristic made by each instrumented particle.
• the instrumented particles are free to move in the mixture, they are capable of measuring the characteristic at many points in this mixture and even under the visible surface of the mixture.
• the number of instrumented particles is less than the number of points where a measurement can be made. This makes it possible to limit the number of sensors used compared to a situation where one would like to obtain the same measurements by using sensors fixed on the walls of the container.
• instrumented particles move in the mixture under the action of turbulent flows created by the agitator. It is therefore not necessary to provide specific means of propulsion for these particles.
• the mixer equipped with the monitoring or control device above thus simply allows to monitor and control more efficiently the progress of mixing.
• the embodiments of this mixer may comprise the following characteristic: the agitator is a mechanical stirrer integral with the receptacle and capable of mechanically agitating the products received in the receptacle in order to mix them with each other.
• the invention also relates to a device for monitoring or controlling a mixer that can be implemented in the mixer above.
• the density of each instrumented particle is equal to the density of the mixture within plus or minus 10%;
• the processing unit is able to indicate the end of the mixing when the instantaneous measurements of the characteristic are equal, during a predetermined time interval, to the average value of the measurements made at + or - ⁇ g near, ⁇ g being a predetermined threshold ;
• the device comprises several instrumented particles each equipped with a sensor able to measure said characteristic of the mixture;
• each instrumented particle comprises an emitter for transmitting the realized measurements of the characteristic by a wireless link, and the processing unit comprises a receiver able to receive the measurements transmitted by each instrumented particle;
• the device comprises a locator adapted to record the position of each instrumented particle in a frame of reference integral with a container in which the mixture is made, and the processing unit is able to monitor or control the mixer according to the measurements made by each instrumented particle and the positions taken; the characteristic measured by the sensor of each instrumented particle is representative of the physical quantity distinguishing the mixed products from each other.
• the indication of the end of the mixture from the measurements made by the instrumented particles makes it possible to stop the mixer just at the moment when the mixture is considered homogeneous in the container with regard to the measured characteristic, - to use several particles simultaneously instrumented in the same mixture makes it faster and more accurate, for example, the determination of inhomogeneity in the mixture,
• transmitting the measurements via a wireless link to the treatment unit makes it possible to reduce the size of the particles and thus, ultimately, to improve the monitoring or the control of the unfolding of the mixture, to locate the particles that have been instrumented at the
• the interior of the mixture makes it possible to improve the monitoring or the control of the mixer, taking into account, for example, places where there are inhomogeneities within the mixture.
• the subject of the invention is also a method of monitoring or controlling a mixer of fluid or granular products which are distinguishable from each other, before mixing, by at least one measurable physical quantity, characterized in that this process comprises :
• FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the architecture of a mixer equipped with a monitoring and control device
• FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of an instrumented particle of the monitoring and control device of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method for monitoring and controlling the mixer of FIG. 1
• FIG. 4 is a graph schematically illustrating the various measurements taken by instrumented particles of the monitoring and control device of FIG. 1,
• the products introduced into the container 4 are distinguished from each other, before mixing, by at least one measurable physical quantity.
• the mixture is inhomogeneous.
• the purpose of the mixer is to homogenize the mixture with respect to the spatial distribution of the values of a characteristic of this locally measurable mixture. More specifically, here it is considered that a mixture is inhomogeneous if there exists in the mixture at least a first and a second product pockets in which the measured characteristic has, respectively, a first and a second different values, the difference between these first and second values being greater than a predetermined threshold.
• the minimum size of the pockets taken into account and the predetermined threshold is, for example, set beforehand by the user according to the products to be mixed.
• the mixture is considered homogeneous if it is not inhomogeneous.
• the characteristic of the locally measurable mixture is the physical quantity which makes it possible, before mixing, to distinguish the mixed products.
• FIG. 1 the embodiment of FIG. 1 is described in the particular case where the mixed products are respectively yellow and blue liquid paints.
• the purpose of the mixer is to obtain a homogeneous mixture of uniformly green color.
• the mixer 2 is equipped with a monitoring and control device.
• This device comprises: - several instrumented particles 24 incorporated in the mixture 5,
• Each instrumented particle 24 and capable of measuring the physical quantity that makes it possible to differentiate the mixed products in the container 4.
• these particles 24 are each equipped with a color sensor making it possible to differentiate the two paints of different colors.
• These particles 24 are also equipped with a transmitter making it possible to send, in real time and simultaneously, the measurements made by their respective sensors to the antennas 26 to 28. The particles 24 are described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2.
• the antennas 26 to 28 are arranged outside the container 4 so as to receive the measurements made by the particles 24.
• the three antennas 26 to 28 are arranged relative to each other so as to allow a localization of each particle instrumented by triangulation.
• the processing unit 30 comprises a receiver 32 connected to each of the antennas 26 to 28 so as to receive the measurements sent by the particles 24.
• the unit 30 also comprises:
• a clean mixer monitoring module 36 for example, to detect inhomogeneity in the mixture from the measurements transmitted by the particles 24, and
• the module 38 is able to control the following equipment of the mixer 2:
• the motor 18 for adjusting the rotational speed of the propeller 16 the mechanism 20 for orienting the propeller 16 in a predetermined direction
• the doser 6 to introduce, if necessary, new quantities of the products into the mixture 5.
• FIG. 2 shows in greater detail an instrumented particle 24.
• Each particle 24 comprises:
• an analog-digital converter 46 capable of converting the signals delivered by the sensor 44 into digital signals
• a multiplexer 48 capable of multiplexing the digital signals of several sensors when the particle 24 is equipped with several sensors, and a transmitter 50 capable of transmitting the multiplexed digital signals delivered by the multiplexer 48 to the antennas 26 to 28.
• a second sensor 56 is also shown in broken lines.
• This second sensor 56 may be identical to the sensor 44, that is to say it may be able to measure the same physical quantity as the sensor 44 or, on the contrary, to be able to measure another physical quantity than that measured by the sensor 44. In the case where the sensors 44 and 56 measure the same physical quantity, these are arranged at different places around the periphery of the particle 24 and preferably diametrically opposed.
• the sensor 56 like the sensor 44 is connected to the converter 46.
• the particle 24 comprises only the sensor 44.
• the sensor 44 is a color sensor capable of distinguishing the two paints mixed by their colors. respectively.
• the particle 24 also comprises a protective shell 58 adapted to protect the various electronic equipment it contains from the external environment inside which it is intended to be incorporated.
• the sphere 58 has a diameter D.
• the diameter D is small enough that the cumulative volume of all the particles 24 remains small compared to the volume of the mixture. For example, the cumulative volume of the particles 24 is less than 10% of the volume of the mixture. Thus, the presence of the particles does not interfere with the mixing.
• the diameter D is less than 2 cm and preferably less than 1 cm.
• the weight of the particle 24 is sufficient so that it can pass through the different product pockets during mixing.
• the diameter D of the particle 24 is chosen so that the density of this particle is substantially equal to the density of the mixture 5.
• substantially equal is meant the fact that the density of the particle 24 is equal to the density from mixture 5 to plus or minus 10%.
• the density of the particle 24 is equal to the volume of this particle divided by its weight.
• the density of the mixture is equal to the volume of this mixture divided by its weight. If the mixture is made at constant weight and volume, the volume of the mixture can be determined a priori by the ratio of the volume of the products to be mixed to the weight of the products to be mixed.
• PF is the density of the mixture 5
• - D is the diameter to be determined of the particle 24.
• the particles 24 are incorporated in the mixture 5.
• the particles 24 are introduced at the same time as the products to be mixed in the container 4.
• the stirrer 14 is controlled to stir the products to be mixed inside the container 4.
• the motor 18 rotates the propeller 16 which itself mixes the various products present in the container 4.
• This stirring of the products also causes the particles 24 to move inside the container 4 under the action of the turbulent flows created in the mixture 5 by the propeller 16.
• each particle 24 is independent from other particles. Under these conditions, the particles 24 uniformly sweep the entire volume of the mixture 5.
• the sensor 44 of each particle 24 performs an instantaneous measurement g, (t) of the physical quantity which makes it possible to differentiate the mixed products, that is to say here, their color.
• the index i identifies the particle 24 that made the measurement.
• each measurement g, (t) is instantaneously sent to the receiver 32 via a wireless link established between the emitter 50 of this particle and the antennas 26 to 28.
• the unit 30 executes a phase 66 for monitoring and controlling the mixer 2.
• the receiver 32 receives the measurements g, (t)
• Each particle 24 sends its measurements on a frequency that is specific to it so as not to interfere with the emissions of the other particles 24 present in the same mixture.
• each information frame transmitted by a particle 24 has an identifier of this particle making it possible to identify this particle from all the particles present in the mixture 5.
• the module 36 determines, for example, whether the mixture is sufficiently homogeneous to be able to stop the stirrer 14.
• an average value g (Y) of the different instantaneous measurements g, (t) sent by each particle 24 is calculated.
• this average g (/) is a sliding average carried out over a predetermined time interval ⁇ t.
• the module 36 checks whether each instantaneous measurement g, (t) sent by each particle 24 during the interval ⁇ t is equal to the average g (0 plus or minus ⁇ g.
• ⁇ g is a tolerance margin on the homogeneity of the mixture, ⁇ g is predetermined by the user, for example here ⁇ g is chosen to be less than 10% of the average g (t) and, preferably, less than 5% of the average g (t).
• the module 38 controls, during a step 76, In this case, it is considered that the mixture 5 has become sufficiently homogeneous and it is therefore no longer necessary to continue stirring it.
• the locator 34 determines the position, in an integral reference frame of the container 4, of each particle 24.
• the position of each particle 24 is determined by triangulation from moments of reception of the measurement g, (t) by the antennas 26 to 28 or from the power of the signals received by each of the antennas 26 to 28.
• the unit 38 controls the different equipment of the mixer 2 according to the measurements g, (t) sent by the particles 24 and the location of these particles 24 obtained in step 78. For example, from each measurement g, (t) and the location of the particle having sent this measurement, the module 38 determines where the residual pockets of yellow or blue color in the container 4. Then, the module 38 controls the mechanism 20 to preferentially stir areas of the mixture 5 where are these residual pockets of yellow or blue color . During step 80, the module 38 can also control the motor 18 to accelerate or otherwise slow down the stirring of the products according to the measurements g, (t).
• step 80 if the average color predicted for mixing from the measurements g, (t) sent by each of the particles 24 does not correspond to a target color set by the user, then the module 38 also controls the metering device 6 for introducing products during mixing. For example, if the uniform color predicted for blend 5 is too close to yellow, the module 38 controls the addition of blue paint to this blend.
• FIG. 4 represents an example of evolution over time of the measurements g, (t) carried out by four particles 24.
• the measurements of the first, second, third and fourth particles 24 are identified by, respectively, a cross, a circle, a square and a triangle.
• the particles 24 are either in pockets of yellow paint or in pockets of blue paint.
• the standard deviation of the distribution of these measurements around the average g (/) is therefore important.
• this standard deviation gradually decreases.
• the mixture thus becomes more and more homogeneous and the measurements g, (t) are close to the average g (t).
• each measurement made by any of the particles 24 is included in a band of width 2 ⁇ g centered around the average g (t).
• the agitator 14 is thus stopped at time ti after the time interval ⁇ t has elapsed.
• the senor 44 may be replaced by any sensor of a locally measurable mixture characteristic. This measured characteristic may be different from the physical quantity used to differentiate, before mixing, the mixed products. Such a choice of the characteristic may be appropriate if the inhomogeneities of the mixture that one seeks to detect appear following reactions that occur between the mixed products, for example.
• the sensor may also be selected to measure a representative characteristic of the progress of a chemical or other reaction that occurs as the mixture.
• the sensor may be a sensor of temperature, pressure, pH, polarography, resistivity, capacitance, spectrophotometry, opacity, turbidity, refractometry or viscosity.
• the sensor may also be a biochip, a biosensor or a sensor known as "lab-on-chip".
• the mixer that has been described and its monitoring and control device can be adapted to many applications.
• the mixed products it is not necessary for the mixed products to be miscible liquid products as in the case of paints. It can also be immiscible products.
• the mixed products may be in liquid, gaseous or granular form. In the case of gases, it will be noted that it is possible to fill the interior space of the particle with a possibly lighter gas than the gases in which the particle is incorporated.
• the mixer 2 may be suitable for monitoring and controlling a mixer of granular products such as concrete.
• the granular products to be mixed are sand and gravel.
• the sand is distinguished, before mixing, gravel by the weight of its grains which is more than ten times lower than that of a gravel. This difference in weight between a grain of sand and a gravel can be measured using an accelerometer. Indeed, since the gravel is heavier than sand grains, their inertia is greater. Therefore, when a gravel strikes an instrumented particle the amplitude of the deceleration or acceleration experienced by the instrumented particle is much greater than if the same particle had been struck in the same condition by a grain of sand.
• this particle makes it possible to discriminate a pocket of sand from a pocket of gravel.
• the module 36 or 38 calculates, over a predetermined time interval ⁇ t, the ratio between the standard deviation of the measurements a (t) on the average of these measurements a (t). In the area Pi, this ratio is small. Conversely, in zone P2, this ratio is much larger. Finally, in a zone P3, where sand and gravel are uniformly mixed, this ratio has an intermediate value between the two previous ones. Indeed, in zone P3, the variations of the amplitude a (t) around the average are generally small except from time to time when the particle meets a gravel. This ratio can therefore be used to monitor the state of mixing of sand and gravel and, for example, stop the mixer when the ratio has reached a predetermined target value.
• Module 38 may be omitted.
• the instantaneous measurements g, (t) of the instrumented particles are used to predict the evolution of the average g (t).
• the predicted evolution for the mean g (t) is represented by a line in broken lines g (t).
• the predicted evolution g (t) is, for example, used by the module 36 to ensure that the mixture is under control and will not exceed a predetermined threshold Si. In the case where the predictions indicate that the mixture deviates from what is expected, so the module 36 triggers an alarm.
• the device is only used to monitor the mixture without controlling the mixer to intervene on the course of mixing.
• the average g (t) can be predetermined experimentally by measurements on a homogeneous mixture.
• the average g (t) can also be established using only the measurements sent at time t.
• the density of the instrumented particles is chosen substantially equal to the density of the homogeneous mixture.
• the instrumented particles incorporated in the mixture do not all have the same density. For example, in the case of a mixture of two products having different densities, particles have a density substantially equal to the density of the first product and other particles have a density substantially equal to the density of the second product.
• the particles When the turbulence created by the stirrer 14 is strong enough to make negligible the effect of gravity on the path of the particles in the mixture, it is not necessary that the particles have substantially the same density as the mixed products or the same density as the mixture obtained. It is considered that the force exerted by the gravity on a particle is negligible compared to the force exerted by the turbulences on this particle, if there is at least a ratio ten between these two forces. For example, the density of the particles in this case is between 1/10 and ten times the density of the mixture.
• the stirrer 14 can be replaced by a mechanical stirrer consisting of rotating the container 4 as, for example, in the case of a concrete mixer.
• Agitator 14 can also create the forces that stir the products to be mixed by other means.
• brewing forces can be electromagnetic forces.
• the number of instrumented particles incorporated into the mixture can be reduced to one. However, preferably this number is greater than four or ten.
• the measurements transmitted to the receiver 32 may be differential measurements, that is to say corresponding to the difference between the measurements made by each of the sensors of the particle.
• a differential measurement is particularly interesting if the sensors are arranged on diametrically opposite sides of the instrumented particle.
• Part of the treatments carried out here by the processing unit 30 can be carried out inside each particle 24.
• the module 36 can be incorporated inside the particles 24.
• the particles send no plus measurements made but already pre-processed information such as an alarm.
• the communication between the particles 24 and the processing unit 30 can then be bidirectional.
• the wave used to locate each particle is not necessarily the same as that used to transmit the measurements in real time. If a less precise location is required, one of the three antennas may be omitted.
• the location of the particles in the mixture can also be achieved by means other than triangulation. For example, the particles can be located using one or more cameras and image processing.
• the transmission of measurements to the receiver 32 by the particles implements a frequency multiplexing.
• this frequency multiplexing may be replaced by a time division multiplexing.
• Other technologies like CDMA technology (Code Division Multiple Access

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Accessories For Mixers (AREA)

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• 2008
  • 2008-02-08 FR FR0800682A patent/FR2927266B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2009
  • 2009-01-27 US US12/865,775 patent/US20110004344A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2009-01-27 CN CN2009801123326A patent/CN101990456A/zh active Pending
  • 2009-01-27 EP EP09708028A patent/EP2242565B1/de not_active Not-in-force
  • 2009-01-27 WO PCT/EP2009/050880 patent/WO2009098146A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2009-01-27 ES ES09708028T patent/ES2398170T3/es active Active

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