Method for optimally processing materials in a machine

• US 5,676,177 A
• Filed: 11/13/1995
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shofner Engineering Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Shofner Engineering Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Shofner, Frederick M., Roeder, Dennis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Falik, Andy
• Application Number:
  US08/557,717
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 139/1 C, 139/1 R, 95/1, 55/467, 55/385.1, 19/66 R, 19/200, 364/470.11, 364/156, 364/149, 364/150, 364/151, 364/470.13
• US Class Current: 139/1.00C
• CPC Class Codes: D03J 1/002 Climatic conditioning or removing lint or dust
• CPC Class Codes: D03J 1/008 Cooling systems

Abstract

Methods for optimally processing materials in a machine, such as a weaving machine, employing modular environmental control apparatus to control the conditions of gas flows sourced to or captured from various critical zones in materials processing machines. A plurality of processing performance parameters, part of which may respond differently to environmental conditions in one or more process zones, and thus may be in conflict with each other, are jointly controlled to yield maximum gross profit, to produce highest quality, to operate at highest throughput, etc., (but not necessarily simultaneously). One method includes the step of measuring at least one processing performance parameter, and at least partially controlling the processing performance parameter in accordance with a predetermined optimal control strategy by deliberately applying a gas flow conditioned by at least one controlling parameter, the gas flow being applied by a modular control unit. The disclosed embodiments are directed toward modular process zone environmental control in textile processing machines, both in yarn and fabric manufacturing processes, including weaving machines. However, Modular Process Zone Environmental Control (MPZEC) is applicable to materials processing in general.

Claims

1. A method for optimally processing materials in a material processing machine having at least one material input, at least one processing zone and at least one material output, said method comprising the steps of:

determining a machinery model which simulates the operation of the materials processing machine given a range of input material parameters at least at a first time by;

a. measuring materials processing characteristics of the machine over ranges of environmental parameters within the at least one processing zone, said characteristics defining the interrelationships between input material parameters and output material parameters over said ranges of environmental parameters;

b. defining said machinery model from said characteristics;

measuring at least some of the input material parameters at the at least one material input of said materials processing machine at least at a second, later time;

introducing the at least some of the measured input material parameters into said model and then determining environmental parameters within the at least one processing zone, within a predetermined range of acceptable variation, which environmental parameters optimize at least one output material parameter; and

processing material while applying controlled conditioned gas flows to the at least one processing zone to achieve the environmental parameters which optimize at least one output material parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of determining a machinery model at least a first time further comprises measuring material processing characteristics of the machine over ranges of machinery settings, said characteristics defining the interrelationships between input material parameters and output material parameters over said ranges of machinery settings;

after the at least some of the measured input material parameters are introduced into said model, machinery settings within a predetermined range of acceptable variation are also determined, which settings optimize at least one output material parameter; and

the step of processing material comprises processing material with said optimally adjusted machinery.

3. A method for processing material in a machine having at least one processing zone, said method comprising:

providing at least one modular environmental control unit measuring at least one processing performance parameter; and

at least partially controlling the at least one processing performance parameter in accordance with a predetermined optimal control strategy by deliberately applying a gas flow conditioned by at least one controlling parameter, said gas flow being applied to the at least one processing zone of the machine by at least one modular environmental control unit;

the modular environmental control unit including

at least one of a gas flow source element and a gas flow capture element,

a mechanism for selectively positioning said at least one of a gas flow source element and a gas flow capture element in a mechanically predetermined operate position proximate the at least one processing zone, or in a mechanically predetermined retracted position,

elements to control conditions of the gas flow, and

at least one blower for causing gas flow through the at least one processing zone of the machine.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one processing performance parameter is selected from the group consisting of material throughput, machine production efficiency, machinery production costs, input material value, output material value, and profit.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the controlled conditions of the gas flow are selected from the group consisting of temperature, humidity, dust concentration, gas composition, volumetric flow rate, static pressure, free charge concentration, static charge, radioactive particle concentration, velocity, velocity fluctuations, and pressure fluctuations.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the controlled conditions of the gas flow are selected from the group consisting of temperature, humidity, dust concentration, gas composition, volumetric flow rate, static pressure, free charge concentration, static charge, radioactive particle concentration, velocity, velocity fluctuations, and pressure fluctuations.

7. The method of claim 3, which comprises controlling a plurality of processing performance parameters in accordance with said predetermined optimal control strategy.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the mechanism included in the provided modular environmental control unit positions the at least one of a gas flow capture element and a gas flow source element within thirty inches of the at least one processing zone in the mechanically predetermined operate position.

9. The method of claim 3, which comprises positioning the at least one of a gas flow capture element and a gas flow source element within three inches of the at least one processing zone in the mechanically predetermined operate position.

10. The method of claim 3, which comprises processing material in a textile processing machine.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one processing performance parameter is selected from the group consisting of trash content, nep content, short material content, trash removal efficiency, nep removal efficiency, short material removal efficiency, machine production efficiency, and material value.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the machine is a textile yarn processing machine.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the textile yarn processing machine is a weaving machine.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one processing performance parameter is selected from the group consisting of cloth throughput, cloth cleanliness, machine production efficiency, stop frequency, stop rate, machinery production cost, input yarn value, output cloth value and profit.

15. A method for optimally processing input materials into output materials wherein the method is carried out in a materials processing machine having at least one processing zone, with said machine operating near target operating point parameters, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a range of input material having parameters corresponding to a usable range of such input material, including a substantially complete set of samples of various usable qualities of the input material available;

operating the machinery over the entire range of provided input materials to generate output materials having a range of output material parameters;

varying environmental parameters within the at least one processing zone over a range of environmental parameters while operating the machine over the range of input material to generate the output material such that substantially all combinations of input materials and environmental parameters are used to generate output materials;

testing the input and output materials to determine various output material parameters at substantially all combinations of input material parameters and environmental parameters;

generating a database of substantially all combinations of input material parameters, process zone environmental parameters, and output material parameters;

selecting a target operating point including at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of input material parameters, process zone environmental parameters, and output material parameters;

defining a model of machinery performance based upon a selected portion of the database which is within a predetermined region of the target operating point;

using the model for determining at least one optimal parameter from the group consisting of the optimal input material parameters, the optimal process zone environmental parameters, and the optimal output material parameters; and

operating the machinery to process input material and to produce output material in accordance with the selected optimal parameter being within acceptable variability of the target operating point.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the step of varying environmental parameters while operating the machine further comprises varying the control settings of the machine over their full range such that substantially all combinations of input materials, machine control settings and environmental parameters are used to generate output material;

wherein

the step of testing further comprises testing the input and output materials to determine various output material parameters at substantially all combinations of input material parameters, machine control settings, and environmental parameters;

wherein

the step of generating a database further comprises generating a database of substantially all combinations of input material parameters, machine control settings, process zone environmental parameters and output material parameters;

wherein

the step of selecting a target operating point further comprises selecting a target operating point including at least one parameter selected from the group comprising the input material parameters, machine control settings, process zone environmental parameters, and output material parameters; and

wherein

the step of using the model further comprises using the model for determining at least one optimal parameter from the group consisting of the optimal input material parameters, the optimal machine control settings, the optimal process zone environmental parameters, and the optimal output material parameters.

17. A method for selecting input materials having optimal input material parameters for input into materials processing machinery to achieve an output of material parameters corresponding to a target operating point, comprising the steps of:

determining a machinery model which simulates the operation of a materials processing machine given a range of input materials parameters by;

a. measuring materials processing machinery characteristics over ranges of operational settings and environmental parameters within processing zones, said characteristics defining the interrelationships between input materials parameters and output materials parameters over said ranges of machinery settings and environmental parameters; and

b. defining said machinery model from said machinery characteristics;

determining characteristics of a desired output materials parameter or profit;

introducing said output material parameters into said machinery model which determines the optimum range of input material parameters;

selecting input materials having parameters coinciding, within an acceptable range of variability, with the determined optimum range of input materials parameters;

providing said selected input materials as input to a materials processing machine; and

operating the machinery with the selected input materials to produce the output corresponding to the target operating point.

18. A method for optimally processing materials in a plurality of sequentially related materials processing machines, each of which has a material input, a material output and a processing zone, said method comprising the steps of:

determining a composite machinery model which simulates the operation of the plurality of materials processing machines by;

measuring materials processing machinery characteristics over ranges of operational settings and ranges of environmental parameters within the processing zones for each of the machines, said characteristics defining the interrelationships between input material parameters and output material parameters over said ranges of machinery operational settings and environmental parameters within the processing zones, and

defining the composite machinery model from said measured characteristics;

measuring input material parameters at the inputs to said material processing machines at least at a second, later time;

introducing said input material parameters into the composite model and then determining settings and environmental parameters for each machine, within a predetermined range of acceptable variation;

adjusting said settings and environmental parameters to optimize at least one output parameter; and

processing materials with said optimally adjusted machines.