JPH0585330B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an automatic method for measuring and automatically controlling the water content and viscosity of slurry, which is a raw material for forming ceramic products.

(Prior Art) It is necessary to maintain the moisture and viscosity of slurry, which is the raw material for forming ceramic products, at a constant level during use, and various measuring methods have been devised for this purpose.

Typical examples include the specific gravity method, which measures the specific gravity of sampled slurry and calculates the water content from a conversion table;
The viscosity is measured by inserting a visco tester into the sampled slurry, but all of these methods require sampling the slurry and then manually measuring the slurry over time.

Therefore, the applicant first made slurry flow into the tank at a constant speed from the bottom of a measuring tank with a float installed inside, and measured the height of the float at that time and the height of the float when the flow of slurry was stopped. We developed a method to automatically measure the water content and viscosity of slurry based on the relationship between the water content and the viscosity of the slurry. However, since this method utilizes the viscoelastic contraction of the slurry, it requires a measurement time of several minutes, and also has the problem that the equipment is rather complicated and the computing devices are expensive.

Furthermore, in the past, due to the above-mentioned circumstances, there was no known method for automatically adjusting the water content and viscosity of slurry, and adjustment was exclusively performed manually.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The first invention of the present application solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and can measure the moisture and viscosity of slurry using a relatively simple device and does not require much time to measure. This was completed in order to provide an automatic measuring method for the moisture and viscosity of slurry, which can automatically measure the water content and viscosity of slurry.

Further, the second invention of the present application has been completed in order to provide an automatic control method for the water content and viscosity of the slurry, which can always maintain the water content and viscosity of the slurry within a certain range by utilizing the first invention. It is something.

(Means for Solving the Problems) A first invention made to solve the above problems is to flow slurry into the tank at a constant speed from the bottom of a measuring tank in which a float is provided, and to This method is characterized by measuring the water content of the slurry based on the displacement, and also measuring the viscosity of the slurry based on the displacement of the slurry level in a detection tube that is branched from the slurry supply pipe to the measurement tank and stands upright.

In addition, the second invention allows the slurry in the slurry tank to flow at a constant speed from the bottom of a measuring tank in which a float is provided, and measures the water content of the slurry from the displacement of the float. The viscosity of the slurry is measured by the displacement of the slurry level in the detection tube, which is branched from the tube and stands upright.These measured values are input into the arithmetic and control unit, and when the moisture content decreases, water is automatically added to the slurry tank, and the viscosity is measured. The glaze is characterized by automatically adding adjusted glaze into the slurry tank when the glaze decreases.

These inventions will be explained in more detail below along with illustrated embodiments.

(Example) Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a measuring device used in the first invention, in which 1 is a cylindrical measuring tank with a conical lower half, and 2 is a cylindrical measuring tank with a vertically movable structure installed inside the tank. It is a floating float. A slurry supply pipe 3 is connected to the center of the bottom of the measurement tank 1, and the slurry to be measured is pumped from the slurry tank 4 by a metering pump 5, and the slurry is fed through the slurry supply pipe 3 to the measurement tank 1. It has a structure that allows it to flow in from the bottom at a constant speed. Further, a detection tube 6 is branched off from the slurry supply tube 3 at a position adjacent to the measurement tank 1. The detection tube 6 is a straight tube with an open upper end, and is provided in an upright state. In addition, 7 is measurement tank 1
This is an outer tank for returning the overflowing slurry to the slurry tank 4.

To measure the water content and viscosity of slurry using such a device, start the metering pump 5 and fill the slurry tank 4.
The slurry inside is made to continuously flow into the measurement tank 1 from the slurry supply pipe 3. At this time, the float 2 is pushed upward by the buoyancy of the flowing slurry and assumes a certain position. As shown in Figure 2, it has been confirmed that a certain linear relationship exists between the magnitude of the displacement of the float 2 and the water content of the slurry. The water content of the slurry can be measured.

At the same time, the slurry flows into the detection tube 6 branched from the slurry supply tube 3 and exhibits a constant slurry level. It was confirmed that a certain linear relationship as shown is established. That is, FIG. 3 shows the results of measuring the slurry level in the detection tube 6 for slurry whose viscosity was accurately measured by the Mariotte tube method, and shows that there is a linear relationship between the slurry level and viscosity. This shows that it holds true. Therefore, by utilizing this principle, the viscosity of the slurry can be measured based on the displacement of the slurry level within the detection tube 6. In order to accurately measure such viscosity, it is necessary to appropriately select the position where the detection tube 6 is branched from the slurry supply tube 3. If the branch position is too far away from the measurement tank 1, errors may occur due to internal resistance etc. This is not desirable because it becomes large.

In addition, the diameter of the detection tube 6, the diameter of the piping used, the shape, size, and material of the float 2, the shape of the measurement tank 1,
Needless to say, the supply flow rate of the slurry, etc. has an effect.

Note that the slurry overflowing from the upper end of the measurement tank 1 is returned to the slurry tank 4 by the outer tank 7.

The automatic measurement of the slurry level in the detection tube 6 is performed using an optical method.
This can be done using a non-contact level meter such as an ultrasonic type, or by placing a float on the liquid surface and measuring the height using a differential transformer, high frequency detector, capacitance type detector, magnetic force type detector, etc. It can also be carried out by a method such as contact detection. It goes without saying that the displacement of the float 2 can also be measured by a similar method.

As described above, according to the first invention, the water content and viscosity of the slurry can be instantly and automatically known at the same time by simply measuring the displacement of the float and the displacement of the slurry level within the detection tube.

FIG. 4 is a flow sheet explaining an embodiment of the second invention, in which parts common to the first invention are given the same numbers. In this embodiment, glazing is performed by spraying slurry sucked from inside the slurry tank 4 by a pump 8 onto the surface of the insulator 10 from a nozzle 9.

Above this slurry tank 4, the measurement tank 1 of the first invention described above is installed, and the displacement of the float 2 and the slurry level in the detection tube 6 are automatically measured and the measured values are sent to the calculation control section 11. input. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the arithmetic control section 11 compares these measured values with reference values, opens and closes the control valves 13 and 16, and performs the following control.

First, when the water content falls below a reference value, water is supplied from the regulating water tank 12 into the slurry tank 4 via the regulating valve 13. The supplied water is stirred into stirrer 1.
4, the slurry is immediately stirred and mixed to raise the water content of the slurry in the slurry tank 4. Generally, the moisture content of the slurry gradually decreases during use, and the moisture content usually does not exceed the standard value, so if the moisture content exceeds the standard value, the water supply can be stopped. .

Next time the viscosity drops below the standard value,
New glaze is supplied from the adjustment glaze tank 15 into the slurry tank 4 via the adjustment valve 16. This gradually increases the viscosity of the slurry. On the other hand, if the viscosity has increased above the standard value, water can be added, but if you do not want to increase the water content, increase the rotational speed of the agitator 14 in the slurry tank 4 to vigorously stir the slurry. The viscosity will gradually decrease. In this way, according to the present invention, it is possible to automatically control the water content and viscosity of the slurry.

Incidentally, FIG. 6 is a graph showing the effect of reducing the viscosity of the slurry by stirring. In other words, this graph shows the change in viscosity when a slurry whose initial viscosity (Mariotsutube viscosity) is 66 seconds, moisture content is 41%, and glaze temperature is adjusted to 8°C is continuously stirred in a tank. It is. As is clear from this graph, the viscosity of the slurry is greatly reduced by stirring, and even by adding water.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the first invention, the moisture and viscosity of the slurry can be determined simultaneously by simply measuring the displacement of the float and the displacement of the slurry level within the detection tube. These measurements can be carried out instantaneously and automatically, requiring almost no time or human effort unlike conventional methods. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is also possible to continuously measure the water content and viscosity of the slurry in the slurry tank.

Furthermore, according to the second invention, the moisture content and viscosity of the slurry can be automatically maintained within a certain range without the need for human intervention, according to the values measured by the above method, streamlining the manufacturing process of ceramic products. It is extremely effective in managing the situation.

Therefore, the present invention greatly contributes to the development of industry as a method for automatically measuring and automatically controlling the water content and viscosity of slurry, which solves the conventional problems.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a sectional view showing the measuring device used in the first invention, Figure 2 is a graph showing the relationship between the water content of the slurry and the displacement of the float, and Figure 3 is the viscosity of the slurry and the level of the slurry in the detection tube. Graph showing the relationship between
The figure is a flow sheet showing an embodiment of the second invention, FIG. 5 is a block diagram explaining the control contents, and FIG.
The figure is a graph showing changes in viscosity of slurry due to stirring. 1...Measuring tank, 2...Float, 3...Sludge supply pipe,
4... Slurry tank, 6... Detection tube, 11... Arithmetic control section, 12... Adjustment water tank, 15... Adjustment glaze tank.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Sludge is caused to flow into the tank at a constant speed from the bottom of a measurement tank 1 in which a float 2 is provided, and the water content of the slurry is measured from the displacement of the float 2.
An automatic method for measuring moisture and viscosity of slurry, characterized in that the viscosity of the slurry is measured by the displacement of the slurry level in a detection tube 6 which is branched from a slurry supply pipe 3 to a measuring tank 1 and stood upright. 2 The slurry in the slurry tank 4 is made to flow at a constant speed from the bottom of the measurement tank 1 in which the float 2 is installed, and the water content of the slurry is measured from the displacement of the float 2, and the slurry supply pipe 3 to the measurement tank 1 is The viscosity of the slurry is measured by the displacement of the slurry level in the detection tube 6, which is branched from the tube and stood upright, and these measured values are input to the arithmetic control unit 11, and when the water content decreases, water is automatically pumped into the slurry tank 4. A method for automatically controlling the water content and viscosity of slurry, which is characterized by automatically adding adjusted glaze into the slurry tank 4 when the viscosity decreases.