International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET)
Volume 10, Issue 04, April 2019, pp. 49-53. Article ID: IJMET_10_04_007
Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/ijmet/issues.asp?JType=IJMET&VType=10&IType=4
ISSN Print: 0976-6340 and ISSN Online: 0976-6359
© IAEME Publication
Scopus Indexed
AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR MONITORING
THE QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF COAL,
TRANSPORTED ON THE BELT-TYPE
CONVEYOR, USING A NON-CONTACT
MEASURING METHOD
Ivan V. Pantyushin
Design Center LLC, PhD in Engineering
Saint-Petersburg
ABSTRACT
The paper presents a brief description of an automated system, designed to control
coal quality in accordance with the specified parameters of the waste rock content
owing to obtaining, collecting, processing and storing information from primary
instruments, using a radioisotope measuring method. The system allows the personnel
to obtain reliable information on the quality of mined coal in a timely manner. This
information is transmitted to the MES at the enterprise to assess the performance and
cost of production.
Keywords: automated system, database, coal quality, belt-type conveyor, radioisotope
measuring method.
Cite this Article Ivan V. Pantyushin, Automated System for Monitoring the Quality
Characteristics of Coal, Transported on the Belt-Type Conveyor, Using a Non-Contact
Measuring Method, International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology,
10(4), 2019, pp. 49-53.
http://www.iaeme.com/IJMET/issues.asp?JType=IJMET&VType=10&IType=4
1. INTRODUCTION
One of the main ways to increase the economic efficiency of mining enterprises, in combination
with cost optimization, is improving the quality of marketable products and reducing its losses
[1]. Improving the quality of products and reducing the loss of extracted components is a matter
of great importance for enterprises, performing the development of coal deposits, characterized
by high scale of gradations in quality characteristics. The initial qualitative non-uniformity of
raw minerals at the deposits is associated with increased complexity while solving the following
tasks:
1. ensuring some average quality relative to each particular batch of mined raw
materials, supplied to the consumer;
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Automated System for Monitoring the Quality Characteristics of Coal, Transported on the BeltType Conveyor, Using a Non-Contact Measuring Method
2. departing from this average quality level should not exceed the permissible values;
3. each batch should be characterized by uniformity of its composition.
The assigned tasks are achieved through the creation of an intellectual dynamic product
quality control system, integrating the possibility of coal flows simulation [2].
2. THE SYSTEM STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS
The automated system is represented by a single hardware-software complex, consisting of
measuring systems for monitoring coal quality, weight measuring systems, a server, an
automated operator's workplace and remote automated users’ workplaces, combined into a
single information network. The flow diagram is presented in Figure 1.
The system hierarchy is divided into two levels:
1) the lower level includes a set of devices and sensors designed for obtaining, processing
and storing primary information on coal quality characteristics;
2) the upper level consists of a server, automated users’ and operator’s workplaces designed
for the deployment of application software, visualization and making the system work properly.
Figure.1. The flow diagram of the system for monitoring coal quality characteristics
The measuring system for monitoring coal quality characteristics is based on the
radioisotope measuring method. The essence of this method resides in the reduction of gamma
radiation via coal flow on the belt-type conveyor in motion. The reduction of gamma radiation
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Ivan V. Pantyushin
characterizes volume density of the material, its chemical composition, and presence of various
types of medium non-uniformities [3]. The measuring system consists of gamma radiation unit,
detector block and unit of registration, storage and transfer of measuring data [4].
Gamma radiation unit it represented as protective collimating device, BGI-45A, via which
the given radiation beam angle is formed. Gamma radiation source is IGI-C-3-8 based on
radionuclide Сs-137.
The detector block consists of a scintillation counter, based on NaJ (Tl) crystal, a
microcontroller, a stabilized power source, and a thermostat. The detector block components
are mounted on a common chassis, which is fixed in a cylindrical housing (if necessary in an
explosion-proof housing). Flux of gamma rays from the source, passed through the controlled
medium, is converted in the scintillator into an electrical signal in the form of a flux of square
pulses of positive polarity with variable amplitude and duration [5]. The microcontroller
includes a clock-pulse generator, a pulse counter based on a counter chip (for direct and
scattering channels); RS-485 interface signal shaper with galvanic isolation; external RAM of
the controller.
The unit of registration, storage and transfer of measuring data includes equipment for
monitoring the measuring system operation and power supply, a personal computer of industrial
design with visualization feature (Simatic HMI Panel PC). This unit is designed for collecting
data from the detector block, preprocessing, storing and transmitting the obtained information
to the upper level, monitoring and controlling the measuring system operation, synchronizing
with the operation of weight measuring systems. Setting up the detector block is carried out via
application software implementing the primary converter verification and calibration methods
[6, 7].
Weight measuring systems are designed to determine the rate of loading and accounting of
the material carried out, using cargo weighing at the specified site of conveyor. Weight
measuring systems comprise conveyor-type scales, having a strain measuring bridge, installed
on prisms of metering skid (Milltronics MSI), a conveyor belt speed sensor (RBSS) and a
secondary transducer for processing, storing and transmitting the obtained information to the
upper level (BW500 integrator).
The upper level of the system, consisting of a server and automated users’ and operator’s
workplaces, is designed to implement the following functions of the system: technical condition
monitoring; obtaining information from the lower level of the system; entering external
additional information; input data processing and output data release; automated input data
errors processing; event logging; data filing; reporting documents generation; access rights
differentiation and information protection.
3. DESCRIPTION OF THE SOFTWARE AND THE SYSTEM
OPERATION
The software of the unit of registration, storage and transfer of measuring data includes the
following: Microsoft Windows 7; Microsoft Net Framework v4.7; PostgreSQL v9.5;
application software for the system setting up and operation. The server provides for installation
of the following software: Microsoft Windows Server 2012; Microsoft SQL Server 2012;
Wonderware System Platform 2014R2 (Historian Server, Information Server), KEPServerEX.
The automated system operator’s workplace is provided with the following software: Microsoft
Windows 7; InTouch for System Platform 2014R2 with Historian Client; application software
for the system operation.
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Automated System for Monitoring the Quality Characteristics of Coal, Transported on the BeltType Conveyor, Using a Non-Contact Measuring Method
Microsoft Net Framework v4.7 is designed for the deployment of application software to
perform coal quality measuring system setting up and operation. The data obtained from the
detector block is stored in tables of the PostgreSQL v9.5 database.
Data obtaining from coal quality measuring systems is performed via connecting Microsoft
SQL Server 2012 to PostgreSQL v9.5 via LinkedServer. To do this, on the server, where
Microsoft SQL Server 2012 is installed, the data source for PostgreSQL v9.5 is configured and
the PostgreSQL ODBC driver is installed. Data obtaining from the weight measuring systems
is performed via the Kepware OPC server (Modbus RTU protocol) for transmission to the
Historian Server upon the SuiteLink protocol.
First of all, the data, obtained from quality control measuring systems and weight terminals,
enter the tables with so-called “raw” data, and then, by virtue of data processing requests, is
recorded into the tables with “pure” data. The transfer is carried out via a software procedure
in Transact-SQL language (procedural extension of SQL language), performing data processing
with exception of errors and the system malfunctions [8]. For the correctness of the obtained
“pure” data, the system time synchronization of all system components is provided.
The application software of the automated system operator’s workplace, developed on the
basis of InTouch for System Platform 2014R2, implements the analysis, visualization and
generation of reporting documents with respect to technological parameters.
The development of a visualization system for the system users is implemented according
to a WEB-technology using one of programming languages of the server applications. The
existing system uses “php” Hypertext Preprocessor, a general-purpose scripting language. The
shell that runs the server application is the Wonderware Information Server. In connection
therewith, any WEB-browser can be the client on the user's computer.
Based on the Wonderware System Platform software package, the transfer of information
on the performance and coal quality characteristics to the MES at the enterprise is implemented
to assess the economic efficiency of separate production areas and the enterprise as a whole.
4. CONCLUSION
The automated system for monitoring coal quality characteristics ensures the transfer of up-todate information on the quantity and quality of mined coal to the following structural
subdivisions of the mining enterprise:
1. mining and geological services to control the mining process;
2. engineering-technological services, responsible for the preparation of technological
enrichment processes;
3. Managing bodies of the enterprise to assess the performance and cost of production.
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