EP2748104A1

EP2748104A1 - Vacuum device for plants for the processing of containers, and method for controlling a vacuum device

Info

Publication number: EP2748104A1
Application number: EP12743680.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gernot Von Haas; Gregor Schäfer; Olaf Muszinski
Original assignee: KHS GmbH
Current assignee: KHS GmbH
Priority date: 2011-08-25
Filing date: 2012-08-01
Publication date: 2014-07-02
Anticipated expiration: 2032-08-01
Also published as: SI2748104T1; WO2013026522A1; DE102011111188A1; EP2748104B2; SI2748104T2; EP2748104B1; US9599104B2; US20140356189A1

Abstract

A vacuum device (3) for generating negative pressure in plants for the processing of containers (2), in particular in plants for filling containers (2) with a liquid product, having a vacuum source, the vacuum and/or suction power of which can be controlled and/or regulated. The vacuum source of the vacuum device (3) is formed by at least two electrically driven vacuum pumps (4.1 - 4.3) designed for parallel operation, and the overall vacuum or suction power of the vacuum device (3) can be controlled, for example by means of a control and regulating unit (5), by way of the number of respectively activated vacuum pumps (4.1 - 4.3).

Description

VACUUM APPARATUS FOR APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT OF STORAGE AND METHOD FOR

CONTROL OF A VACUUM DEVICE

The invention relates to a vacuum device according to the preamble

Claim 1, to a plant for treating containers according to

For example, in plants for filling containers with a liquid product, e.g. in Behälterabfüllanlagen, is in certain filling vacuum or

Vacuum required and used to ambient air and associated with the oxygen in the ambient air from the to be filled

Remove containers in one of the actual filling phase

preceding single or multi-stage pretreatment phase.

Known, especially used in the beverage industry

Vacuum devices have in common that they are always equipped with a vacuum source formed by a single vacuum source, the vacuum pump in question in terms of their vacuum power and their electrical power, etc. to the respective system in normal operation or in the

Maximum operation required vacuum or suction power is adjusted.

Changes or fluctuations in the currently required vacuum or

Suction power can then be taken into account by changing the speed of the vacuum pump only within certain limits.

This procedure has the consequence that the manufacturers of such systems for different vacuum devices of different vacuum performance

different, adapted to the respective required vacuum power

Provide vacuum pumps. Disadvantages include increased costs for storage and stockpile different vacuum pumps and their spare parts, associated increased costs and the fact that a change in the vacuum and

Suction power of the relevant vacuum device only to a limited extent and then only possible that in certain operating conditions, only a poor efficiency for the single vacuum pump is accepted.

The object of the invention is to provide a vacuum device which avoids the aforementioned disadvantages and allows for high reliability an adaptation of the vacuum device provided or ready to put vacuum or suction in a wide range and while maintaining the best possible efficiency.

To solve this problem is a vacuum device according to the

Claim 1 is formed. An apparatus for treating containers is the subject of claim 8. A method for controlling a

Vacuum device is the subject of claim 9.

According to a first aspect of the invention, the vacuum device consists of at least two vacuum pumps designed for parallel operation, preferably of more than two designed for parallel operation

Vacuum pumps, these vacuum pumps are preferably those of identical construction and performance. An essential aspect of the invention is that the total vacuum or suction power of the vacuum device is controlled by the speed and the number of activated vacuum pumps.

Substantial advantages of the invention are i.a.

- reduced energy and electricity consumption,

- Reduction of warehousing and storage costs, especially of spare parts,

- shorter delivery time for spare parts,

- partially redundant systems, - simplified maintenance, as well

- Water savings through common sealing water treatment for all vacuum pumps. Furthermore, the invention offers the possibility of already existing

Convert vacuum equipment accordingly.

The expression "essentially" or "approximately" in the sense of the invention means deviations from the exact value by +/- 10%, preferably by +/- 5% and / or deviations in the form of changes that are insignificant for the function.

Further developments, advantages and applications of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments and from the figures. All are described and / or illustrated

Features alone or in any combination in principle subject of the invention, regardless of their summary in the claims or their dependency. Also, the content of the claims is made an integral part of the description. "Bulk performance" in the sense of the invention means the filling capacity of the container filling machine per unit of time measured, for example, in liters.

"Container" are in the context of the invention in particular cans, bottles, tubes, pouches, each made of metal, glass and / or plastic, but also others

Packaging suitable for filling liquid or viscous products.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the figures of an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a function or block diagram. FIG

Container treatment machine together with a vacuum device; Fig. 2 is a diagram of the electrical power of the vacuum device in

Dependence on the suction power at a given negative pressure.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a plant for treating containers 2, for example in the form of bottles. The plant 1 comprises at least one device or machine, for example a filling machine, in which the containers 2 and / or

Device areas a vacuum or with a negative pressure, for example, with a negative pressure in the range of 80 mbar - 100 mbar are applied. The containers 2 are fed to the system 1 at a container inlet 1.1 and discharged from the system 1 at a container outlet 1.2.

In order to generate the necessary negative pressure or vacuum, a central vacuum device 3 is provided for the system 1, which has a multiplicity of electrically operated vacuum pumps 4.1-4.3. In the illustrated

Embodiment, the vacuum device 3 has a total of three vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3, the vacuum or suction power can be individually controlled within certain limits by changing the pump speed or regulated. For this purpose, the electrical control of the drive motor of the respective

Vacuum pump 4.1 - 4.3 frequency-controlled via a frequency control device, for example in a frequency range between 40 Hz and 60 Hz.

5 is in the figure 1, a control and regulation electronics or a

Machine control referred to, for example, formed by the process computer of Appendix 1 or provided in addition to this process computer and about which u.a. depending on process parameters in the manner described in more detail below, the circuit and control or regulation of the vacuum pump 4.1 - 4.3 takes place.

The process parameters can for example be retrievable from a memory of the control and regulating electronics and / or be input via an input 6 in the control electronics. Be V _{fh II} e _r a _r eni a plant for filling the container 2, wherein the container, for example, before

V _{fh Ir} ea _r en

the e ₃ S _lu i _p enxgentlichen filling one or more times and then subjected to vacuum, purged with an inert gas such as C02 gas, it may be in the process parameters for product-specific parameters,

Tank size, the filling temperature, etc. act.

With these process parameters, the required number of pumps is for example tabulated and entered or read at the beginning of production in the machine control 5 for a special treatment method and for a temperature for the closed circuit of the vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3, so that with this number of pumps (start condition) the production Appendix 1 can be started.

In the tables below, the number of required vacuum pumps 4.1-4.3 depending on the suction power in m ³ / h are reproduced for three different treatment methods carried out with the system 1, ie for three different filling methods and for different temperatures of the sealing water of the vacuum pumps.

Number of pumps

temperature

1 2 3

15 ° C 19 m ³ / h 38 m ³ / h 57 m ³ / h

20 ° C 18 m ³ / h 36 m ³ / h 54 m ³ / h

25 ° C 16 m ³ / h 32 m ³ / h 48 m ³ / h

30 ° C 14 m / h 28 m ³ / h 40 m ³ / h

Number of pumps

temperature

1 2 3

15 ° C 10 m ³ / h 21 m / h 32 m ³ / h

20 ° C 10 m / h 20 m ³ / h 30 m ³ / h

25 ° C 9 m ³ / h 18 m ³ / h 27 m ³ / h

30 ° C 6 m ³ / h 14 m ³ / h 22 m ³ / h Number of pumps

temperature

1 2 3

15 ° C 16 m ³ / h 33 m '/ h 48 m ³ / h

20 ° C 14 m ³ / h 31 m ³ / h 45 m ³ / h

25 ° C 13 m ³ / h 27 m ³ / h 40 m ³ / h

30 ° C 12 m ³ / h 25 m / h 36 m ³ / h

As mentioned above, the suction power of the vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3 is controlled or regulated by their speed. In this case, it is necessary, depending on the type of pump used, to set the speed of the vacuum pump 4.1-4.3 so that it makes economic sense, i. can be operated with the best possible efficiency. Taking into account the frequency of the operating or supply voltage, the power consumption, the mechanical efficiency, the hydraulic efficiency and the electrical efficiency, a pump characteristic can be determined for each type of pump, which reproduces the electrical connection power, ie the electrical power requirement as a function of the vacuum or suction power , In the event that other parameters, such as the barrier water temperature have a significant influence on the electrical power requirement of the respective vacuum pump 4.1 - 4.3, these are also taken into account in the pump characteristic or parameter-specific pump characteristics are determined.

In the applicant's home, different specific power requirements were determined during tests on a vacuum pump at different operating states, these values ranging from 27 m ³ / kW up to 40 m ³ / kW. These values make it clear that there is considerable potential for optimization here.

Taking into account the pump characteristic, preferably also under

Considering the overall efficiency of the vacuum device 3 and the vacuum leading portion of the system 1, which is shown in FIG

Overall characteristic 7 formed at a given, from the Vacuum device 3 generated constant negative pressure, ie in the illustrated embodiment at a negative pressure of 80 mbar the electrical

Power requirement in kW as a function of the suction power in m ³ / h. With this overall characteristic curve 7, which is stored in the memory of the machine controller 5, the further regulation and control of the vacuum device 3 then take place during the ongoing operation of the system 1, for example on the basis of the start condition defined on the basis of the above table.

An essential part of the overall characteristic curve 7 are the switching points indicated there with SP1 and SP2, at which the switching of the number of

Vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3 to a higher or lower number

Vacuum pumps, for example, switching from a vacuum pump to two parallel-operated vacuum pumps at the switching point SP1 and the switching of two parallel-operated vacuum pumps to three parallel operated

Vacuum pumps at the switching point SP2 and vice versa takes place. As a criterion for switching by the machine control 5, for example, serves the

Vacuum device supplied electrical power supplied by the

Machine control is monitored. As can be seen from the diagram of FIG. 2, it would be fundamentally possible to achieve a higher suction power exceeding the switching point SP1 even with only a single vacuum pump 4.1 - 4.2, but with a marked deterioration of the efficiency and thus an increased electrical power requirement, such as this is indicated in the diagram with the operating point 7.1. Here, the operating point represents a possible operating point in the operation of a single vacuum pump 4.1 -4.3, wherein also for this

Operating point of a single vacuum pump suction power and associated

Power requirements are known. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the power requirement of a single vacuum pump is significantly higher than the power requirement of two vacuum pumps operated at the operating point 7.1. In an analogous manner, with only two vacuum pumps operated in parallel, the suction power could be increased beyond the suction point SP2, but again with a markedly reduced efficiency and with a clear degree of efficiency

Increasing the electrical power consumption, as shown in the diagram with the

Operating points 7.2 is indicated.

As further indicated in Figure 2, the pumps are in the

operating conditions with different frequencies and thus operated at different pump speeds, in the operating state with only one activated vacuum pump 4.1 - 4.3 with a frequency between 40 and 58 Hz, in the operating state with two activated vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3 with a frequency between 40 and 52 Hz and in the operating state with three activated pumps with a frequency between 40 and 60 Hz. The overall characteristic shown in FIG. 2 takes into account one

Sealing water temperature of the vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3, for example 25 ° C. If the sealing water temperature has a greater influence on the pump characteristic or on the efficiency of the vacuum pumps 4.1-4.3, then different overall characteristic curves 7 result for each barrier water temperature, which are then taken into account for the control and regulation of the vacuum pumps 4.1-4.3 during the ongoing process.

For this purpose, the barrier water temperature during operation of the system 1 is preferably continuously measured and transmitted to the machine control 5, wherein the machine control 5 in dependence of the measured

Locked water temperature uses the associated total characteristic curve 7 to control or regulate the system.

The overall characteristic curve 7 shown as an example also assumes that the vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3 operating in parallel are each operated at the same frequency of the supply voltage. Although this is an easy to implement solution, operation of the parallel vacuum pumps is 4.1 - 4.3 basically not necessarily with the same frequency of the supply voltage. In the context of the present invention, it is likewise provided that the individual, parallel-operated vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3 also with different

Mains frequencies are operated, which opens the possibility to increase the efficiency of the entire system, at least for some vacuum services.

In order to ensure a proper supply of the plant 1 with the vacuum and in particular also a proper vacuum treatment of the container 2, it is necessary that in the corresponding, vacuum lines and / or connections a predetermined desired negative pressure, for example the negative pressure of 80 mbar - 100 mbar, which is then identical to the negative pressure at the suction side of the activated vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3. For monitoring the negative pressure, a pressure sensor 8 in a vacuum line between the vacuum device 3 and the system 1 is shown in FIG. Depending on the electrical generated by the pressure sensor 8

Measuring signal is changed via the machine control 5 at least the vacuum power of one of the activated vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3 by appropriate adjustment of the frequency and thus the pump speed so that the of

Vacuum device 3 provided negative pressure corresponds to the desired negative pressure.

If, for example, the next upper switching point SP1 or SP2 is reached in this regulation of the pump speed, then the machine control 5 switches according to the overall characteristic curve 7 to the next higher number of parallel-operated vacuum pumps 4.1-4.3. Is in the reverse manner, a reduction in the suction power of the vacuum unit 3 and thus a reduction of

Pump speed required, the machine control 5 switches when reaching the switching point SP1 or SP2 to the next lower number of activated vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3.

With 9 is in the figure 1 for all vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3 of

Vacuum device 3 common means for providing and / or Preparation of sealing water, which is part of the vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3 water circuit and includes, inter alia, a device for cooling the sealing water and connections for venting, for supplying fresh water and for discharging wastewater.

Taking into account the power consumption of the vacuum unit 3 and the overall characteristic curve 7, a functional and fault monitoring of the overall system is furthermore possible. It is known to the machine control 5 which number of vacuum pumps 4.1-4.3 must be operated at a given operating state of the system with a predetermined frequency of the supply voltage or which desired energy consumption results from the respective operating state. Dodge the corresponding values, ie the number of activated ones

Vacuum pump 4.1 - 4.3, the frequency of the supply voltage for these pumps, and thus the energy consumption for maintaining the desired negative pressure by more than a certain amount, which is defined by a predetermined tolerance Tolleranzbereich from the setpoints, so is in the vacuum device 3 or in Appendix 1 a defect before, for example in the form of a major leak. In this case, a warning or warning signal or a warning or information message is issued by the machine control 5 or by another monitoring unit. In the case of considerable deviations from the desired values, the machine control system initiates, for example

Shut down and stop the system 1.

Only in a few operating states of the system 1 it is necessary that all vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3 of the vacuum device 3 are activated simultaneously.

Rather, during a large part of the operating time of the vacuum system 3, only a subset of the existing vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3 in use. To the operating times and thus u.a. the intervals for inspections, maintenance,

Repairs etc. for all vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3 to keep as equal as possible, the machine control 5 is still to capture the respective

Operating time or operating hours of each vacuum pump 4.1 - 4.3 and designed to store the corresponding data. This results various procedures for maintaining the same operating times for all vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3.

According to a first method, both at the beginning of the process and during the ongoing process of the machine control 5 are always those

Vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3 preferably activated, currently the lowest

Operating times so that a uniform use of all vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3 takes place and for all vacuum pumps, the respective maintenance is due at the same time.

According to another method, the vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3 to be activated are each selected such that the maintenance for a subset of the

Vacuum pump 4.1 - 4.3 is then incurred, even if the system 1 and / or its components must be maintained, so u.a. the number of

Production interruptions and / or operations for maintenance personnel and thus the associated costs are significantly reduced.

After a further operating method that vacuum pump 4.1 - 4.3 is blocked, in which, for example, due to their operating hours and / or their condition maintenance is mandatory. Operation of the

Vacuum device 3 is then carried out exclusively with the remaining, not locked vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3. The maintenance and / or repair of the locked vacuum pump are carried out during operation. Of course, the aforementioned operating methods for the operation of the vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3 can also be combined.

The invention has been described above by means of exemplary embodiments. It is understood that changes and modifications are possible without thereby departing from the inventive concept underlying the invention. So it was assumed above that the vacuum device 3 a total of three vacuum pumps 4.1 - 4.3 has. The number of these pumps may also differ, but in any case is greater than one.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 plant for the treatment of containers

1.1 container inlet

1.2 Container outlet

2 containers

3 vacuum device

4.1 - 4.3 Vacuum pump

5 machine control

6 Input of the machine control 5

7 overall characteristic

7.1, 7.2 operating point

8 pressure sensor

9 Device for providing and / or treating sealed water

SP1, SP2 switching point

Claims

claims

1. Vacuum device for generating negative pressure in systems for the treatment of containers (2), in particular in systems for filling containers (2) with a liquid product, with a vacuum source whose vacuum and / or suction power is controlled and / or regulated , characterized in that the vacuum source of the vacuum device (3) of at least two for a

Parallel operation formed, electrically driven vacuum pumps (4.1- 4.3) is formed, and that by the number of each activated

Vacuum pumps (4.1- 4.3) the total vacuum or suction capacity of

Vacuum device (3) is controllable, for example by a control and regulating unit (5).

2. Vacuum device according to claim 1, characterized in that the

Vacuum or suction power of each vacuum pump (4.1 - 4.3) is controlled and regulated, preferably by changing the frequency of the

Vacuum pump driving supply voltage, for example, by a change in frequency in a frequency range between 40 and 60 Hz are formed.

3. Vacuum device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control and regulating unit (5) for a control and / or regulation of

Total vacuum or suction power of the vacuum device (3) is formed as a function of process parameters of the system (1) for treating the containers (2), the process parameters being, for example, the type of treatment process carried out with the system (1) and / or the container sizes and / or or consider container shapes and / or filling capacity of the system (1) and / or a container filling machine.

4. Vacuum device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

in that the control and regulation unit (5) is designed to control and / or regulate the vacuum or suction power of the vacuum pumps (4.1).

4.3) and / or for the connection and disconnection of vacuum pumps (4.1 - 4.3) taking into account an overall characteristic curve (7) of the vacuum device (3)

is formed, the for a total vacuum or suction of the

Vacuum device (3) reproduces the required electrical power to drive the vacuum pump (4.1 - 4.3), preferably under

Taking account of pump characteristics of the vacuum pumps (4.1 - 4.3) and / or one for the vacuum pumps (4.1 - 4.3) each from their

Pump characteristic resulting optimal efficiency, the

Pump characteristics of the vacuum pumps (4.1 - 4.3) their vacuum and vacuum pumps

Suction power depending on the electrical power requirement

play.

5. Vacuum device according to claim 4, characterized in that the

Gesamtkennlinie (7) switching points (SP1, SP2), where the

Switching the vacuum device (3) of a number of activated

Vacuum pump (4.1 - 4.3) to a next higher or lower number of activated vacuum pump (4.1 - 4.3).

6. Vacuum device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

characterized in that the vacuum pumps (4.1 - 4.3) each identical in construction

Pumps are.

7. Vacuum device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

in that for all vacuum pumps a common

Device (9) is provided for providing and / or processing of sealing water.

8. Plant for the treatment of containers (2), in particular for filling

Containers (2) with a liquid product, with a vacuum device (3) for acting on the container (2) and / or areas of the system (1) with a vacuum or negative pressure, characterized in that the Vacuum device (3) is designed according to one of the preceding claims.

9. A method for controlling a vacuum device (3) for systems (1) for

Treatment of containers (2), in particular for installations for filling

Containers (2) with a liquid product, wherein a total vacuum or suction power of the vacuum device (3) is controlled and / or regulated, characterized in that the vacuum device (3) has at least two trained for a parallel operation vacuum pump (4.1 - 4.3) , and that for controlling and / or regulating the total vacuum or suction power of the vacuum device (3) the vacuum or suction power of the vacuum pumps (4.1

- 4.3) controlled and / or regulated and / or the number of activated

Vacuum pumps (4.1 - 4.3) by switching on and off of vacuum pumps (4.1

- 4.3) is changed.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that at the beginning of a with the plant (1) carried out process for the treatment of the container (2) initially taking into account at least the container treatment process and the case required Gesamtvakuum- or suction of the vacuum device (3) the number of activates

Vacuum pumps (4.1 - 4.3) are determined and activated.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized

characterized in that the control and / or regulation of the total vacuum or suction power of the vacuum device (3) as a function of

Process parameters of the system (1) for treating the container (2), wherein the process parameters, for example, the type of treatment carried out with the system (1) and / or the container sizes and / or container shapes and / or filling capacity of the system (1) and / or a container filling machine.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized

characterized in that the control and / or regulation of the vacuum or suction power of the vacuum pumps (4.1 - 4.3) and / or the connection and disconnection of vacuum pumps (4.1 - 4.3) taking into account an overall characteristic (7) of the vacuum device (3), which reproduces the electrical power required for a total vacuum or suction power of the vacuum device (3) for driving the vacuum pumps (4.1-4.3), preferably taking into account pump characteristics of the vacuum pumps (4.1-4.3) and / or one for the vacuum pumps (4.1 - 4.3) each from their

Pump characteristic resulting optimal efficiency, the

Suction power depending on the electrical power requirement

play.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the switching of the vacuum device (3) of a number of activated vacuum pumps (4.1 - 4.3) to a next higher or lower number of activated

Vacuum pump (4.1 - 4.3) at switching points (SP1, SP2) of the overall characteristic (7).

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized

characterized in that to achieve the same operating hours or in the

Substantially same operating times, the vacuum pumps (4.1 - 4.3) are activated, which currently have the lowest operating times.

15. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized

The vacuum pumps to be activated (4.1 - 4.3) are each selected so that the maintenance for a subset of the vacuum pumps (4.1 - 4.3) occurs when the system 1 or components of this system also have to be maintained.

16. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the maintenance and / or repair of a vacuum pump (4.1 - 4.3) after their blocking during operation of the remaining

Vacuum pump (4.1 - 4.3) of the vacuum unit (3) are performed.