IE920882A1

IE920882A1 - Installation for the automatic taking of samples from a¹material in bulk

Info

Publication number: IE920882A1
Application number: IE920882A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Jean-Louis Biros
Original assignee: Sarp Ind
Priority date: 1991-04-08
Filing date: 1992-03-19
Publication date: 1992-10-21
Also published as: DE69205318T2; GR3017733T3; HUT66111A; HU9201052D0; EP0508887A1; EP0508887B1; DK0508887T3; ES2078684T3; CA2065511A1; FR2674817B1; FR2674817A1; PL294128A1; DE69205318D1; JPH06235687A

Abstract

The invention relates to an installation for automatically taking a sample which is in pulverulent or pasty form, with a view to analysis, from a bulk product transported in a lorry or equivalent container, characterised in that it comprises: a gantry (2) overhanging a predetermined road area for parking the lorry (5) and which is accessible by steps (3) from the ground; a drilling screw device (9), installed on the said gantry, for taking the sample then transferring it into a receptacle (16) which is subsequently closed; a laboratory (4) near to the said gantry and fitted with control and monitoring means as well as analysis means. Application to taking samples of and analysing waste and residues of all types, in particular dangerous and toxic industrial waste.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the field of the taking of samples, for the purposes of checking and/or analysis, from materials or products in bulk, notably materials in the form of powders or pastes. It relates especially to a general installation that is entirely automated, from the taking of samples out of a container, for example out of the body of a dump truck, up to the analysis of the material in question, conveyed in a closed receiver, in a laboratory located in the zone of operation. 2. Description of the Prior Art Many means and devices have been proposed for taking a unit sample or a portion of a material from a container in which there is a large quantity of material in bulk. However, there are particular problems that are difficult to resolve when the samples to be taken, for control and analysis, are samples of harmful and dangerous materials, such as notably various wastes and residual products, notably those that are derived from the chemical and parachemical industries and are often solid, powdery and/or take the form of pastes.

Wastes of this type, before they are accepted in a waste dump or in a processing plant, have to be carefully analysed. This entails the assumption that there is a representative sampling. To achieve this end, an indispensable condition is that it should be possible to take a sample from any zone, in three dimensions, of a load for there are several known cases where, for example, the composition of the waste at the surface is notably different from that of the material placed, deliberately or otherwise, at the bottom of the load.

The known methods of taking samples out of wastes, such as methods using shovels, cores or similar devices are not appropriate because the waste is often harmful and may catch fire. In addition, it is necessary to ensure hygienic conditions for staff so as to prevent contact with aggressive materials and harmful vapours. Furthermore, the sample should be as perfectly representative as possible. Finally, it is necessary to work fast, notably so that the transporting agent, who is responsible for carrying the wastes to the dump, is not kept waiting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The aim of the invention is to devise and then implement and try out a system of taking samples for analysis, notably in the case of wastes, said system having the following features in accordance with a strict set of specifications: taking samples from any point whatsoever of a load in bulk; immediately sending the sample to the analysis and checking instruments; providing protection against vandalism and against the errors and dangers of manual operations; removing and conveying the sample without introducing elements that hinder subsequent tests; using small quantities of water to cleanse equipment between two successive sample-taking operations.

In order to resolve this difficult problem and provide a solution capable of meeting especially the above-mentioned requirements, the invention proposes an installation for the automatic taking, with a view to analysis, of a sample from a material in bulk, in the form of powder or paste, conveyed in a truck or equivalent container, wherein said installation essentially comprises: a platform that overhangs a predetermined area of road for the parking of the truck and is accessible by steps reaching the ground; a boring screw device, installed on said platform, to take the sample and then transfer it into a receptacle that is then closed; a laboratory that is near said platform and is provided with control and checking means as well as means of analysis.

According to the essential characteristic of the invention, the laboratory control and checking means, comprising a station with monitoring screens provided with mechanisms servo-controlled by electropneumatic systems managed by a programmable automaton, enable the remote control, without manual action, of all the following successive operations: the exact positioning of the truck on said predetermined area by optical and/or sensor means; the taking of the sample by the boring head device; the operation of this device; the transfer of the sample to the laboratory; the cleaning of the boring head and then the repositioning of the device in the waiting position; and finally the removal of the truck from said area.

The boring screw device has a boring head, controlled in vertical translation, during the removal of the sample from the body of the truck, by pneumatic means and controlled in horizontal translation by motor-driven means.

The horizontal translation of the sample-taking device can be used to undertake the following operations on the platform: the transfer of the sample taken to a receptacle that is closed before it is conveyed by pneumatic or other means to the laboratory; the cleaning of the device, for example by streams of water or air; the drying of the device and the placing of this device in a waiting position for a new sample-taking cycle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention shall be understood more clearly from a detailed description of a nonrestrictive embodiment, illustrated by the appended drawings, of which: - Figure 1 shows a general view of a site of the location of an installation according to the invention; - Figures 2, 3 and 4 show successive views of the automatic sample-taking and sample-transferring device in the various phases of operation; - Figure 5 gives a schematic view of a station for the control and checking of all the operations, said station being set up in the laboratory on the worksite.

MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION According to the exemplary embodiment shown in these drawings, an installation invention essentially comprises: a with a platform 2 and steps 3, vicinity of a room or laboratory 4 and, parked beneath this structure, a transportation machine 5 with its load of waste 6; an assembly, seen in figures 2 to 4, for the automatic taking of samples of waste, positioned on the bridge structure and controlled by automatic systems schematically illustrated by the control and monitoring screens 7 positioned in the laboratory 4.

The transportation machine 5 is represented herein by a truck but it could naturally also be a wagon, a barge or any other container on the corresponding site.

The automatic sampling assembly is aimed at fulfilling the following functions shown schematically in figures 2 according to the bridge structure 1 positioned in the to 6: the positioning of the truck and then the taking of the sample (figure 2); the transfer of the sample to a receptacle and the conveying of this receiver to the laboratory for analysis (figure 3); the cleaning of the sample-taking head (figure 4); the removal of the truck and the repositioning of the sample-taking device in the waiting position (figure 5). All the operations are remote-controlled as stated here above (figure 6). These operations shall be described again in greater detail here below.

To be positioned, the truck 5 enters the sample-taking area along an axis indicated by a line drawn on the road or by markers or signboards. A system of flashlights 8 makes it slow down. The truck is followed by cameras 9 and guided by the operator located in the laboratory 4 who uses the information signboard 8 and the images picked up on the monitors 7 to give instructions for manoeuvres, for example instructions to move forward by one meter, go back 0.50 m etc. According to one variant, it is possible to use sensors giving positional information with transcription on the information signboard 8. As soon as the truck is in the right position, the operation of the sample-taking device is activated.

The sample-taking device includes a boring head or screw 9 mounted on a frame with a distance detector 10, capable of moving vertically (arrow 11) or horizontally (arrow 12) by means of a motor 13.

The boring head 9 is controlled from the laboratory 4 to take the samples at the chosen position in the waste dump 6. An optical system 14 is advantageously positioned to trigger the rotation and forward movement of the boring screw. The lifting motion of the boring head is automatically stopped when the sample-taking operation is deemed to be satisfactory.

According to the second operational phase, illustrated in figure 3, the sample taken is removed from the screw by counter-rotation and, possibly, by the injection of gas at 15. The sample is transferred to a receptacle or vessel 16, the level of which may be verified by sensors 17. The vessel 16 is designed to be automatically plugged at 18 and pneumatically transferred at 19, 20 to the analysis laboratory 4. The return of a clean vessel, for another sample-taking operation, is done from the laboratory.

After each sample-taking operation, the boring head is automatically positioned at a cleaning station illustrated in figure 4. At this stage, streams of water 21 and streams of air 22 are sent in order to successively carry out the functions of washing, draining and drying. The thrust of liquid is reduced to the minimum level, and the effluents are guided by the flexible conduit 23 towards an effluent retention and processing tank.

Once the sample-taking and cleaning operations have been done, the boring device returns to the starting position or the positioning of waiting for the truck, as shown in figure 5. The order to remove the truck 5, sent to the information signboard 8, may be given either when the sample-taking operation is deemed to be satisfactory, on the basis of the data from the level sensor 17 (figure 3), or after the sample has been processed in the vessel 16 in the laboratory.

As already specified, the operations are all done automatically, with assistance and monitoring from the room 24 (figure 6) of the laboratory in which the monitoring screens 7 are placed. The operator controls the electropneumatic commands, managed by a programmed automaton, as well as the safety systems directly at his control station 25. The sample of waste taken is subjected to analyses immediately in the laboratory 4 by appropriate means.

Naturally, the invention is not restricted to the above-described embodiment but covers all equivalent means and embodiments, notably within the framework and scope of the following claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An installation for the automatic taking, with a view to analysis, of a sample from a material in bulk, in the form of powder or paste, conveyed in a truck or equivalent container, wherein said installation essentially comprises: a platform that overhangs a predetermined area of road for the parking of the truck and is accessible by steps reaching the ground; a boring screw device, installed on said platform, to take the sample and then transfer it into a receptacle that is then closed; a laboratory that is close to said platform and is provided with control and checking means as well as means of analysis.

2. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the boring screw device, once the sample has been transferred, is subjected to a cleaning operation before returning to a position of waiting for a new sample-taking cycle.

3. An installation according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning operation is done by streams of water and streams of air and is then followed by a drying operation, the cleaning effluents being guided towards a retention tank.

4. An installation according to any of the claims 1 to 3, wherein the boring screw device has a boring head, controlled in vertical translation by pneumatic means and in horizontal translation by motor-driven means.

5. An installation according to any of the claims 1 to 4, wherein said control and checking means are constituted, in the laboratory, by a control station, with monitoring screens, provided with mechanisms servo-controlled by electropneumatic systems managed by a programmable automaton, and wherein all the following successive operations, namely the exact positioning of the truck on said predetermined area by optical and/or sensor means, the taking of the sample by the boring head device, the operation of this device, the transfer of the sample to the laboratory, the cleansing of the boring head and then the repositioning of the device in the waiting position, and finally the removal of the truck from said area, are thus programmed and remote-controlled without manual action.

6. An application of the installation according to any of the claims 1 to 5 to the automatic operations of the taking, conveyance and analysis of samples of wastes and residual materials, in particular harmful and dangerous industrial wastes.

7. An installation according to claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

8. An application of the installation according to claim 6 to the automatic operations of the taking, conveyance and analysis of samples of wastes and residual materials, in particular harmful and dangerous industrial wastes, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. An installation according to any preceding claim substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.