JP6910606B2 - Temperature measuring device and compost manufacturing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a temperature measuring device and a compost manufacturing device.

Compost is known in which biological waste (compost material) such as livestock excrement and food waste is decomposed by the action of aerobic microorganisms. Compost is used as an organic fertilizer, soil conditioner, moisture conditioner, and livestock bedding because it improves the physical properties of the soil and results in an increase in useful microorganisms.

In the process of composting, it is necessary to properly control the temperature of the compost material in order to kill pathogenic bacteria and inactivate weed seeds. Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus including a stirrer that performs turning back by stirring the compost material, and a temperature measuring means that can move between a standby position outside the compost material and a temperature measuring position inside the compost material. Has been done.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-145775

In the apparatus of Patent Document 1, since the temperature measuring means is fixed to the carriage of the stirrer and the temperature measuring means and the stirrer are integrated, the temperature measuring means may be arranged at the same place of the compost material. Can not. Therefore, it is not possible to obtain a continuous temperature history of the compost material at the same location, and it is not possible to confirm after the fact whether the compost material is composted at an appropriate temperature that kills pathogenic microorganisms.

In order to solve this problem, it is conceivable to always install a temperature sensor in the same place of the compost material. However, in order to compost the compost material, it is indispensable to carry out the turning back, and the temperature sensor installed on the compost material hinders the turning back. Can not.

The present invention has been made based on such a background, and is a temperature measuring device and compost manufacturing capable of continuously measuring a temperature change at the same place of the compost material without hindering the turning back of the compost material. The purpose is to provide the device.

In order to achieve the above object, the temperature measuring device according to the first aspect of the present invention is
An arm that is swivelly supported on a horizontal plane and extends horizontally with respect to the building that houses the compost material,
A swivel drive means for swiveling the arm on a horizontal plane,
A temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the compost material,
A temperature sensor moving means that is supported by the arm, supports the temperature sensor at the tip portion, moves the temperature sensor in a direction different from the direction in which the arm extends, and moves the temperature sensor in and out of the compost material.
To be equipped.

The swivel driving means and the temperature sensor moving means may move the temperature sensor to a retreat position outside the compost material or an arbitrarily set temperature measurement position inside the compost material.

The temperature sensor moving means may include a screw shaft that is rotatably supported by the arm and moves in the longitudinal direction while rotating about an axis.

The temperature sensor moving means is
A screw shaft motor fixed to the base end of the arm,
A power transmission means for transmitting the power of the screw shaft motor to the screw shaft, and
May be provided.

The temperature sensor moving means may move the temperature sensor supported by the tip end portion by supporting the base end portion by the arm and expanding and contracting in the moving direction of the temperature sensor.

The temperature sensor moving means is
A pantograph jack that can expand and contract in the direction of movement of the temperature sensor,
A jack motor that is connected to the pantograph jack and expands and contracts the pantograph jack,
May be provided.

In order to achieve the above object, the compost production apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention is
With the temperature measuring device
A stirrer that is movably installed with respect to the building and stirs the compost material,
When the stirrer stirs the compost material, the temperature sensor is moved to a retreat position outside the compost material, and when the stirrer finishes stirring the compost material, the temperature sensor is returned to the temperature measurement position inside the compost material. As described above, the control means for controlling the operation of the turning drive means and the temperature sensor moving means, and
To be equipped.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a temperature measuring device and a compost manufacturing device capable of continuously measuring a temperature change at the same location of the compost material without hindering the turning back of the compost material.

It is a front view of the compost production apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view of the building which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the relationship between the fermenter and the air supply part which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. (A) is a plan view of the temperature measuring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, (b) is a side view of the temperature measuring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and (c) is a side view of the temperature measuring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of the temperature measuring apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram of the compost production apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the composting process which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the compost production apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. (A) is a plan view of the temperature measuring device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, (b) is a side view of the temperature measuring device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and (c) is a side view of the temperature measuring device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of the temperature measuring apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG.

Hereinafter, the temperature measuring device and the compost manufacturing device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numerals. Hereinafter, a Cartesian coordinate system is used in which the longitudinal direction of the fermenter is the X-axis, the depth direction of the fermenter is the Y-axis, and the vertical direction is the Z-axis.

(Embodiment 1)
The temperature measuring device according to the first embodiment is a device that continuously measures the temperature of the compost material contained in the fermenter for composting. The compost material is, for example, a mixture containing livestock excrement such as cow dung, pig dung, chicken dung, horse dung, kitchen waste, sludge, rice straw, sawdust and the like.

The configuration of the compost production apparatus in which the temperature measuring apparatus according to the first embodiment is installed will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a compost manufacturing apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment. The composting apparatus 100 includes a building 110 that houses the compost material, an air supply unit 120 that supplies air to the compost material housed in the building 110, a stirrer 130 that stirs the compost material housed in the building 110, and the building. A temperature measuring device 140 that measures the temperature of the compost material contained in the 110, and a control device that controls the operations of the air supply unit 120, the stirrer 130, and the temperature measuring device 140 based on the temperature measured by the temperature measuring device 140. 150 and.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the building 110 according to the first embodiment. The building 110 includes a fermenter 111 that houses the compost material, a roof 112 that covers the upper part of the fermenter 111, and a plurality of columns 113 that extend upward from the fermenter 111 and support the roof 112.

The fermenter 111 includes a rectangular bottom surface portion 111a and a back surface portion 111b extending upward from the back surface side end portion of the bottom surface portion 111a. Further, the fermenter 111 is provided in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface 111a and the back surface 111b, and includes a plurality of side surface portions 111c that divide the fermenter 111 into a plurality of compartments A to D in which compost materials are housed.

Returning to FIG. 1, the building 110 includes a pair of rails 114 that are fixed to the columns 113, extend in the X-axis direction of the fermenter 111, and are arranged apart from each other in the Y-axis direction of the fermenter 111. The pair of rails 114 support the stirrer 130 so that it can travel. How the columns 113 are arranged with respect to the fermenter 111 is arbitrary.

The air supply unit 120 supplies air to the compost material housed inside the fermenter 111. The air supply unit 120 is provided in each section A to D of the fermenter 111, and air is supplied to the compost material in each section A to D according to the progress of composting of the compost material.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the fermenter 111 and the air supply unit 120 by cutting the fermenter 111 in the YZ plane. The air supply unit 120 includes a blower 121 and an air supply pipe 122. The blower 121 is, for example, a pump, which sucks air from the outside, pressurizes the sucked air, and discharges the sucked air to the outside. The blower 121 is installed, for example, on the upper surface of a bank formed on the outside of the back surface portion 111b of the fermenter 111, and its air supply port is connected to an air supply pipe 122 installed in the fermenter 111.

The air supply pipe 122 is arranged along the back surface portion 111b of the fermenter 111 and the upper surface portion of the bottom surface portion 111a, and blows the air supplied from the blower 121 toward the bottom surface portion 111a of the fermenter tank 111. The air supply pipe 122 is provided with a plurality of delivery holes 123 for discharging the air sent from the blower 121 to the outside at a position corresponding to the bottom surface portion 111a.

Returning to FIG. 1, the stirrer 130 is a device that stirs the compost material contained in the fermenter 111 and cuts back the compost material. The stirrer 130 has a traveling portion 131 installed so as to be able to travel on the pair of rails 114, and a telescopic portion 132 which is fixed to the traveling portion 131 and extends downward from the traveling portion 131 and can be expanded and contracted in the vertical direction. A grip portion 133 that is supported by the tip of the portion 132 and is capable of gripping the compost material is provided. The grip portion 133 includes, for example, a pair of buckets that can be opened and closed.

The stirrer 130 can grip the compost material by lowering the telescopic portion 132 toward the compost material contained in the fermenter 111 and opening and closing the pair of buckets of the grip portion 133. Then, the stirrer 130 can stir the compost material by repeating the operation of grasping the compost material housed in one section of the fermenter 111 and releasing it in another section.

FIG. 4A is a view of the temperature measuring device 140 according to the first embodiment observed from above, and FIG. 4B is a view and a view of the temperature measuring device 140 according to the first embodiment observed from the side. FIG. 4C is a front view of a part of the temperature measuring device 140 according to the first embodiment.

The temperature measuring device 140 is a device that continuously measures the temperature of the compost material deposited in the fermenter 111. The temperature measuring device 140 is installed in each of the compartments A to D of the fermenter 111, and independently measures the temperature of the compost material in each of the compartments A to D.

The temperature measuring device 140 includes a hinge 141, a hinge motor 142, an arm 143, a screw shaft motor 144, a chain 145, a gear 146, a screw shaft 147, and a temperature sensor 148.

The hinge 141 is fixed to the support column 113 of the fermenter 111 and rotatably supports the arm 143 so that the arm 143 swivels on a horizontal plane. The hinge 141 includes a shaft portion 141a to which the base end portion of the arm 143 is fixed and rotatable around the shaft, and a U-shaped support portion 141b that rotatably supports both ends of the shaft portion 141a. A gear 141c is fixed to the shaft portion 141a of the hinge 141.

The hinge motor 142 is an example of a swivel drive means, and is, for example, a motor that rotates the shaft portion 141a of the hinge 141. The hinge motor 142 is fixed to the support column 113 of the fermenter 111. A gear 142a is fixed to the shaft portion of the hinge motor 142, and a chain 142b for transmitting power is attached between the gear 141c of the hinge 141 and the gear 142a of the hinge motor 142. The gear 141c, the chain 142b, and the gear 142a are examples of power transmission means for transmitting the power of the hinge motor 142 to the shaft portion 141a.

The arm 143 is a member whose base end portion is rotatably supported by a hinge 141 and extends in the horizontal direction. The arm 143 is formed from, for example, a metal material and has a length from the hinge 141 to above the temperature measurement position of the compost material (for example, the center of each compartment A to D of the fermenter 111). The arm 143 is fixed to the shaft portion 141a of the hinge 141. Further, the arm 143 is provided with a triangular reinforcing member 143b which is fixed between the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion thereof and the peripheral surface portion of the shaft portion 141a of the hinge 141 and reinforces the fixed portion of the arm 143 with respect to the shaft portion 141a.

The columns 113 of the fermenter 111 include a limit switch (not shown) that stops driving by the hinge motor 142 when the arm 143 that is turning on the horizontal plane faces substantially the Y-axis direction, and an arm that is turning. A limit switch (not shown) for stopping the drive by the hinge motor 142 when the 143 faces the X-axis direction is provided. Therefore, the arm 143 is arranged at a position facing the X-axis direction and a position facing the substantially Y-axis direction.

The screw shaft motor 144 is, for example, a motor for driving a gear 146. The screw shaft motor 144 is fixed to the base end portion of the arm 143, and the gear 144a is fixed to the shaft portion thereof.

The chain 145 is attached between the gear 144a and the gear 146 of the screw shaft motor 144, and transmits the rotation of the gear of the screw shaft motor 144 to the gear 146.

The gear 146 is fixed to the base end of the screw shaft 147 and rotates about the axis together with the screw shaft 147. By transmitting the rotation of the screw shaft motor 144 to the gear 146 via the chain 145, the gear 146 can be rotated about the axis. The gear 144a, the chain 145, and the gear 146 are examples of power transmission means for transmitting the power of the screw shaft motor 144 to the screw shaft 147.

The screw shaft 147 is rotatably supported around the shaft by the tip of the arm 143, and moves in the vertical direction as the screw shaft 147 rotates around the shaft. The screw shaft 147 has a male screw formed on the peripheral surface portion thereof, and is engaged with a female screw formed in a through hole of the support portion 147a provided at the tip end portion of the arm 143. The screw shaft motor 144, the chain 145, the gear 146, and the screw shaft 147 are examples of the temperature sensor moving means for moving the temperature sensor 148 in the vertical direction with respect to the arm 143.

A limit switch (not shown) is provided at the tip of the arm 143 to stop the drive by the screw shaft motor 144 when the screw shaft 147 moves to a desired position. A contact member that comes into contact with the limit switch when the screw shaft 147 moves to a desired position is provided on the peripheral surface of the screw shaft 147, and when the contact member comes into contact with the limit switch, the screw shaft motor 144 Drive is stopped. The contact member is, for example, a disk-shaped member having a female screw hole that can be screwed into the screw shaft 147. By adjusting the position of the contact member, the position at which the downward movement of the screw shaft motor 144 is stopped can be adjusted.

The temperature sensor 148 is fixed to the tip of the screw shaft 147 and extends in the vertical direction to continuously measure the temperature of the compost material. The temperature sensor 148 has a length such that the tip portion of the temperature sensor 148 reaches the central portion of the compost material when it is moved downward, and has a length of, for example, about 2 m to about 5 m.

The temperature sensor 148 includes a tubular portion having a space inside, and a sensor body fixed to the tip of the tubular portion. The tubular portion is a cylindrical tube formed of, for example, a corrosion-resistant material such as stainless steel in order to suppress corrosion due to gas or the like generated in the compost material. The sensor body is provided with, for example, a thermocouple, a thermistor, etc., and acquires temperature measurement data indicating the temperature of the compost material based on an instruction from the control device 150.

The temperature sensor 148 is provided with a cover 148a at its base end to prevent the compost material from adhering to the screw shaft 147. The cover 148a is a disk-shaped member having a through hole in which the base end portion of the tubular portion is arranged and fixed.

The temperature measuring device 140 further includes a communication unit (not shown) for transmitting temperature measurement data of the compost material measured by the temperature sensor 148. The communication unit transmits the temperature measurement data measured by the temperature sensor 148 to the control device 150. The communication unit is communicably connected to the temperature sensor 148 via a wired communication line extending through the internal space of the screw shaft 147 and the temperature sensor 148. Further, the communication unit is communicably connected to the control device 150 via a wireless communication line.

Returning to FIG. 1, the control device 150 supplies air to the compost material by the blower 121, agitates the compost material by the stirrer 130, and a temperature measuring device based on the temperature of the compost material measured by the temperature measuring device 140. It controls the operation of the hinge motor 142 and the screw shaft motor 144 of 140. The control device 150 is, for example, a general-purpose computer. It is assumed that the control device 150 includes the functions conventionally provided by the computer, and the description of these functions will be omitted.

The configuration of the control device 150 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the control device 150 of the compost manufacturing device 100. The control device 150 includes an instruction receiving unit 151, a display unit 152, a communication unit 153, a storage unit 154, and a control unit 155. The parts are connected to each other by an internal bus.

The instruction receiving unit 151 receives the user's operation and supplies the operation signal corresponding to the received operation to the control unit 155.

The display unit 152 displays various images based on the image data supplied from the control unit 155. The display unit 152 includes, for example, a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) panel, and the like. The display unit 152 displays, for example, the operating state of the blower 121, the temperature of the compost material measured by the temperature sensor 148, the control conditions of the blower 121 selected by the control unit 155, and the like.

The instruction receiving unit 151 and the display unit 152 are integrally configured by, for example, a touch panel. The touch panel displays an operation screen that accepts a predetermined operation. Further, the touch panel supplies the operation signal corresponding to the position where the user performs the contact operation on the operation screen to the control unit 155.

The communication unit 153 is an interface that can be connected to a communication network such as the Internet. The communication unit 153 communicates with the communication unit such as the temperature measuring device 140, the external terminal, and the server via the communication network.

The storage unit 154 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, a hard disk, and the like. The storage unit 154 stores fixed data, screen data, and measurement data measured by various sensors. Further, the storage unit 154 stores a program for executing a series of processes related to composting of the compost material, which is executed by the control unit 155. Further, the storage unit 154 functions as a work memory for the control unit 155 to execute the process.

The control unit 155 is an example of a control means that includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like and controls each unit of the control device 150. The control unit 155 executes a series of processes related to composting of the compost material by executing the program stored in the storage unit 154.

The control unit 155 controls the operations of the blower 121, the stirrer 130, the hinge motor 142, and the screw shaft motor 144 based on the program stored in the storage unit 154.

The control unit 155 controls the flow rate of the air supplied to the compost material by the blower 121 according to the temperature of the compost material measured by the temperature sensor 148. The control unit 155 separately controls the flow rate of the air supplied to each of the compartments A to D of the fermenter 111.

Further, the control unit 155 controls the operation of the stirrer 130 according to the temperature of the compost material measured by the temperature sensor 148, and causes the stirrer 130 to cut back the compost material.

Further, when the control unit 155 starts the operation of the stirrer 130, the temperature sensor 148 is moved to a retreat position outside the compost material, and when the operation of the stirrer 130 is completed, the temperature sensor 148 is arbitrarily moved in the compost material. The operation of the hinge motor 142 and the screw shaft motor 144 is controlled so as to move to the temperature measurement position set in 1.

The retreat position of the temperature sensor 148 is a position where the arm 143 faces the X-axis direction and the temperature sensor 148 is arranged outside the compost material. Since the temperature sensor 148 arranged at the compost position is arranged outside the traveling path of the stirrer 130, there is no possibility of interfering with the stirrer 130 even when the stirrer 130 is in operation. The temperature measurement position of the temperature sensor 148 is a position where the arm 143 faces the substantially Y-axis direction and the temperature sensor 148 is arranged in the compost material. It is desirable that the temperature measurement position of the temperature sensor 148 is, for example, the central portion of each compartment A to D or the central portion of the compost material deposited in each compartment A to D.

Next, the flow of the composting process for executing composting of the compost material will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Hereinafter, in order to facilitate understanding, as shown in FIG. 7, compost material carried in by a tractor or the like is deposited in the fermenter 111, and the compost material is adjacent to the compost material as the compost material is cut back. The case where it is moved to will be described as an example.

First, the control unit 155 inserts the temperature sensor 148 into the temperature measurement position in the deposited compost material of the fermenter 111 (step S101). More specifically, the control unit 155 controls the operation of the hinge motor 142 to rotate the arm 143 in which the temperature sensor 148 is in the retreat position so as to face the substantially Y-axis direction. Next, the control unit 155 controls the screw shaft motor 144 to move the screw shaft 147 downward, thereby inserting the temperature sensor 148 into the temperature measurement position in the center of the compost material.

Next, the control unit 155 starts the air supply to the compost material by the blower 121 (step S102). The air supplied from the blower 121 is supplied from below the compost material deposited in the fermenter 111 via the air supply pipe 122.

Next, the control unit 155 causes the temperature sensor 148 to measure the temperature of the compost material (step S103). The temperature sensor 148 acquires the temperature measurement data at a predetermined sampling cycle, and the communication unit of the temperature measurement device 140 transmits the acquired temperature measurement data to the communication unit 153 of the control device 150 via the wireless communication circuit.

Next, the control unit 155 determines whether or not the temperature of the compost material measured by the temperature sensor 148 is equal to or lower than the first threshold value (step S104). Due to the air supply to the compost material, the temperature of the compost material rises above the first threshold value, but gradually decreases as composting progresses.

When the temperature of the compost material is equal to or lower than the first threshold value (step S104: Yes), the control unit 155 pulls out the temperature sensor 148 from the compost material and moves it to the retreat position (step S105).

More specifically, first, the control unit 155 controls the screw shaft motor 144 to move the screw shaft 147 upward and pull out the temperature sensor 148 from the compost material. Next, the control unit 155 controls the operation of the hinge motor 142 to rotate the arm 143 in the retreat position so as to face the X-axis direction, thereby moving the temperature sensor 148 to the retreat position.

When the temperature of the compost material is not equal to or less than the first threshold value (step S104: No), the process waits until the temperature of the compost material becomes equal to or less than the first threshold value.

When the process of step S105 is completed, the control unit 155 stops the air supply to the compost material by the blower 121 (step S106).

Next, the control unit 155 causes the stirrer 130 to cut back the compost material (step S107). Cutting back is the operation of mixing the compost material being fermented and sending in fresh air. The temperature of the compost material rises with fermentation, but after rising to a certain temperature, it falls because fermentation loses momentum. By performing the turning back, the fermentation of the compost material can be reactivated and the composting of the compost material can be promoted. As shown in FIG. 7, the stirrer 130 performs the cutback by moving the compost material from the current compartment of the fermenter 111 to an adjacent compartment and stirring the compost material as a whole to include fresh air. be able to.

Explaining the case where the compost material deposited in the section A is transported to the section B to perform the turning back in the process of step S107, the control unit 155 extends the expansion / contraction part 132 of the stirrer 130 to extend the section 132. The compost material deposited on A is gripped by the gripping portion 133. Next, the control unit 155 shortens the expansion / contraction unit 132 while gripping the compost material with the grip unit 133. Next, the control unit 155 causes the traveling unit 131 to travel on the rail 114, and moves the stirrer 130 to the next section B. Next, the control unit 155 re-extends the expansion / contraction unit 132 of the stirrer 130 toward the fermenter 111. Next, the control unit 155 drops the compost material into the compartment B by releasing the grip unit 133. By causing the stirrer 130 to repeat the above operation, the control unit 155 can move the compost material of the section A to the section B and execute the turning back of the compost material.

After a lapse of a predetermined period from the completion of turning back the compost material, the control unit 155 inserts the temperature sensor 148 corresponding to the adjacent compartment into the compost material deposited in the adjacent compartment (step S108). The process of step S108 is the same as the process of step S101.

Next, the control unit 155 causes the temperature sensor 148 to measure the temperature of the compost material in the adjacent section where the turning back is executed (step S109). Then, the control unit 155 again determines whether or not the temperature of the compost material in the adjacent section measured by the temperature sensor 148 is equal to or lower than the second threshold value (step S110).

When the temperature of the compost material is equal to or lower than the second threshold value (step S110: Yes), the control unit 155 determines that the composting of the compost material in the adjacent section is completed, and ends the composting process. This is because if the temperature of the compost material does not rise above the second threshold value even after turning back, it can be determined that the compost material has been decomposed to the extent that fermentation of the compost material does not proceed.

On the other hand, when the temperature of the compost material is not equal to or lower than the second threshold value (step S110: No), the same process as in steps S102 to S110 is repeated for the compost material in the adjacent section. This is because when the temperature of the compost material rises above the second threshold value due to the turning back, the fermentation of the compost material is in progress, and it is necessary to further promote the composting of the compost material.

The compost material is moved from compartment A to compartment B, compartment B to compartment C, and compartment C to compartment D of the fermenter 111 each time it is cut back. Therefore, the compost material deposited in the section farthest from the carry-in side is the most composted. By the above steps, the composting process of the compost material is completed.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the compost material is composted in the compost manufacturing apparatus 100. In the compost manufacturing apparatus 100, since the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 is executed, the temperature measuring apparatus 140 is evacuated to the shelter position in the compartment A and the compartment B where the switching is performed by the stirrer 130. In the other compartments, the temperature measuring device 140 is arranged at the temperature measuring position so that the temperature of the compost material can be continuously measured.

As described above, the temperature measuring device 140 according to the first embodiment is configured so that the temperature sensor 148 can be moved by an arm 143 that can swivel on a horizontal plane and a screw shaft 147 that can move in the vertical direction. , The temperature of the deposited compost material at a predetermined position can be continuously measured without interfering with the operation of the stirrer 130. Therefore, by confirming the temperature history of the compost material in composting, it is possible to objectively confirm whether or not the compost is properly produced.

In the temperature measuring device 140 according to the first embodiment, since the hinge motor 142 and the screw shaft motor 144 are fixed to the base end portion of the arm 143, the hinge motor 142 is generated by a gas such as ammonia generated from the compost material. And it is possible to prevent corrosion of the screw shaft motor 144.

In the compost manufacturing device 100 according to the first embodiment, the temperature measuring device 140 is arranged in the retreat position before the operation of the stirrer 130, and the temperature measuring device 140 is arranged in the temperature measuring position after the operation of the stirrer 130. It is possible to prevent the temperature measuring device 140 from being damaged by the operation, and it is possible to reliably measure the temperature of the compost material by the temperature measuring device 140.

(Embodiment 2)
The temperature measuring device according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The temperature measuring device according to the second embodiment includes a jack supported at the tip of the arm 143 so as to be vertically expandable and contractible. Since the basic configuration of the temperature measuring device according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the temperature measuring device 140 according to the first embodiment, the differences between the two will be mainly described below.

FIG. 8A is a view of the temperature measuring device 140 according to the second embodiment observed from above, and FIG. 8B is a view and a view of the temperature measuring device 140 according to the second embodiment observed from the side. 8 (c) is a front view of a part of the temperature measuring device 140 according to the second embodiment.

The pantograph type jack 149 is fixed to the tip of the arm 143, and is driven by a jack motor 149a included in the pantograph type jack 149 to expand and contract the temperature sensor 148 so as to move in the vertical direction. The pantograph type jack 149 is an example of a temperature sensor moving means for moving the temperature sensor 148 in the vertical direction with respect to the arm 143.

The pantograph type jack 149 has a configuration in which a plurality of jack mechanisms are connected. The jack mechanism includes a pair of first link arms connected by pins via a first receiving portion, a pair of second link arms connected by pins via a second receiving portion, and a pair of first link arms. It is rotatably supported by a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion that connect the link arm and a pair of second link arms in a pantograph shape via a pin, and a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion. It is equipped with a screw rod. In the pantograph type jack 149, the distance between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion expands and contracts due to the rotation operation of the screw rod, so that the distance between the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion expands and contracts. It is configured.

The jack motor 149a is fixed to the tip of the first connecting portion, and its shaft portion is fixed to the screw rod of the pantograph type jack 149. Therefore, by rotating the shaft portion of the jack motor 149a, the screw rod can be rotated to expand and contract the pair of first link arms and the pair of second link arms of the pantograph type jack 149. As a result, the tip of the pantograph type jack 149 can be expanded and contracted in the vertical direction.

In the temperature measuring device 140 according to the second embodiment, since the temperature sensor 148 moves linearly due to the expansion and contraction of the pantograph type jack 149, the time required for moving the temperature sensor 148 between the retreat position and the temperature measuring position is shortened. Will be done. Further, since the jack motor 149a is fixed in the vicinity of the pantograph type jack 149, a power transmission means for transmitting the power of the jack motor 149a to the pantograph type jack 149 is unnecessary, and the temperature measuring device 140 is configured. Can be simplified.

The present invention is not limited to this, and the modifications described below are also possible.

(Modification example)
In the above embodiment, the temperature measuring device 140 is provided so as to correspond to each of the compartments A to D of the fermenter 111, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the temperature measuring device 140 may be provided with a traveling portion capable of traveling on the rail 114, and the temperature measuring device 140 may be configured to be movable in the X-axis direction, if necessary. Further, a plurality of temperature measuring devices 140 may be installed in each of the sections A to D.

In the above embodiment, the arm 143 is a member extending in the horizontal direction and having an invariant length, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the arm 143 may be configured to be expandable and contractible so that the position of the temperature sensor 148 can be changed in the longitudinal direction of the arm 143.

In the above embodiment, the screw shaft 147 and the pantograph jack 149 are configured to move the temperature sensor 148 in the vertical direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the screw shaft 147 and the pantograph jack 149 may be configured to move the temperature sensor 148 diagonally or horizontally.

In the above embodiment, a combination of a gear and a chain is used as the power transmission means of the temperature measuring device 140, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a combination of a pulley and a pulley belt or a universal joint may be used as the power transmission means.

In the above embodiment, the temperature sensor 148 included in the temperature measuring device 140 has only one sensor body, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the temperature measuring device 140 may include a plurality of sensor bodies in the temperature sensor 148 in order to measure the temperature of the same location of the compost material. Then, the control device 150 calculates an average value from the measured values of the temperatures acquired from the plurality of sensor bodies, and based on the calculated average value, the blower 121, the stirrer 130, the hinge motor 142, and the screw shaft motor 144. You may control the operation of.

Further, one temperature sensor 148 measures the temperature of a plurality of points of the compost material, an average value is calculated from the measured values of the plurality of temperatures, and the blower 121, the stirrer 130, and the hinge motor are calculated based on the calculated average value. The operation of 142 and the screw shaft motor 144 may be controlled. Further, the operations of the blower 121, the stirrer 130, the hinge motor 142, and the screw shaft motor 144 may be controlled based on the temperature distribution of the compost material obtained from the measured values of a plurality of temperatures.

In the above embodiment, the temperature sensor 148 measures the temperature at the center of the compost material, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the temperature sensor 148 may measure the surface of the compost material. When measuring the surface temperature of the compost material, the temperature at the center of the compost material may be predicted using a prediction model created based on past learning data.

In the above embodiment, only one temperature sensor 148 is attached to the arm 143, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, temperature sensor moving means for moving the temperature sensor 148 with respect to the arm 143 may be provided at a plurality of locations on the arm 143.

In the second embodiment, the pantograph type jack 149 is used as an example of the temperature sensor moving means, but the present invention is not limited to this. The temperature sensor moving means may have any configuration as long as the temperature sensor 148 can be moved in a direction different from the direction in which the arm extends. It may have a bellows-like structure. Further, the pantograph type jack 149 was composed of three jack mechanisms, but the number of jack mechanisms is arbitrary.

In the above embodiment, the fermenter 111 is divided into four compartments, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the fermenter 111 may be provided with three or less compartments or five or more compartments.

In the above embodiment, three air supply tubes 122 are provided for each section of the fermenter 111, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the fermenter 111 may be provided with two or less air supply tubes 122, or four or more air supply tubes 122.

In the above embodiment, the control device 150 controls the operations of the blower 121, the stirrer 130, the hinge motor 142, and the screw shaft motor 144, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Each of the blower 121, the stirrer 130, the hinge motor 142, and the screw shaft motor 144 may be provided with a control device separately, and the program is stored in an external computer, server, or the like, and is transmitted from the computer, server, or the like. Based on the instructions, the operation of the blower 121, the stirrer 130, the hinge motor 142, and the screw shaft motor 144 may be controlled.

In the above embodiment, the operations of the blower 121, the stirrer 130, the hinge motor 142, and the screw shaft motor 144 are controlled based on the program stored in the storage unit 154, but the present invention is not limited thereto. .. For example, the control unit 155 has a blower 121, a stirrer 130, a hinge motor 142, and a screw shaft motor 144 based on a user's instruction given from an external terminal such as a smartphone or tablet having a communication unit capable of communicating with the communication unit 153. It may be configured to control the operation of.

In the above embodiment, when it is determined that the compost material needs to be cut back based on the measurement result of the temperature of the compost material, the turning back is immediately executed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when it is determined that the compost material needs to be cut back, the stirrer 130 may be kept on standby until nighttime, and the turning back may be performed at nighttime when the electric power is cheap.

In the above embodiment, the control device 150 is a general-purpose computer, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a dedicated computer.

In the above embodiment, the program executed by the control unit 155 has been described as being stored in the storage unit 154. However, the program for executing the above-mentioned processing operation is a computer-readable recording such as a flexible disk, a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or an MO (Magneto-Optical disk). It may be stored in a medium. In this case, when the program is installed in the computer, the control unit 155 that executes the above-mentioned processing is configured.

The above embodiments are examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and various embodiments are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention described in the claims. The components described in each embodiment and modification can be freely combined. The present invention also includes inventions equivalent to those described in the claims.

100 Compost production equipment 110 Building 111 Fermentation tank 111a Bottom part 111b Back part 111c Side part 112 Roof 113 Support 114 Rail 120 Air supply part 121 Blower 122 Blower pipe 123 Outlet hole 130 Stirrer 131 Traveling part 132 Telescopic part 133 Grip part 140 Temperature measurement Device 141 Hinge 141a Shaft 141b Support 141c Gear 142 Hing motor 142a Gear 142b Chain 143 Arm 143b Reinforcing member 144 Screw shaft motor 144a Gear 145 Chain 146 Gear 147 Screw shaft 147a Support 148 Temperature sensor 148a Cover 149 Pantograph jack 149a Jack motor 150 Control device 151 Instruction reception unit 152 Display unit 153 Communication unit 154 Storage unit 155 Control unit A, B, C, D compartments

Claims (7)

An arm that is swivelly supported on a horizontal plane and extends horizontally with respect to the building that houses the compost material,
A swivel drive means for swiveling the arm on a horizontal plane,
A temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the compost material,
A temperature sensor moving means that is supported by the arm, supports the temperature sensor at the tip portion, moves the temperature sensor in a direction different from the direction in which the arm extends, and moves the temperature sensor in and out of the compost material.
A temperature measuring device. The swivel driving means and the temperature sensor moving means move the temperature sensor to a retreat position outside the compost material or an arbitrarily set temperature measurement position inside the compost material.
The temperature measuring device according to claim 1. The temperature sensor moving means includes a screw shaft that is rotatably supported by the arm and moves in the longitudinal direction while rotating about an axis.
The temperature measuring device according to claim 1 or 2. The temperature sensor moving means is
A screw shaft motor fixed to the base end of the arm,
A power transmission means for transmitting the power of the screw shaft motor to the screw shaft, and
To prepare
The temperature measuring device according to claim 3. The temperature sensor moving means moves the temperature sensor supported by the tip end portion by supporting the base end portion by the arm and expanding and contracting in the moving direction of the temperature sensor.
The temperature measuring device according to claim 1 or 2. The temperature sensor moving means is
A pantograph jack that can expand and contract in the direction of movement of the temperature sensor,
A jack motor that is connected to the pantograph jack and expands and contracts the pantograph jack,
To prepare
The temperature measuring device according to claim 5. The temperature measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
A stirrer that is movably installed with respect to the building and stirs the compost material,
When the stirrer stirs the compost material, the temperature sensor is moved to a retreat position outside the compost material, and when the stirrer finishes stirring the compost material, the temperature sensor is returned to the temperature measurement position inside the compost material. As described above, the control means for controlling the operation of the turning drive means and the temperature sensor moving means, and
Compost production equipment equipped with.

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