Refiner control
First Claim
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1. A pulp refiner control method, comprising:
- emitting a controllable acoustic signal into a pulp fluid for interaction of the controllable acoustic signal with fibers in the pulp fluid;
tuning the controllable acoustic signal to characteristic frequencies of the fibers;
measuring acoustic signals from the pulp fluid, the measuring comprising measuring at least one spectral component resulting from the interaction of the controllable acoustic signal and the fibers;
determining at least one process control parameter based on the measured acoustic signals; and
controlling a refiner process treating the pulp fluid.
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Abstract
In the present invention a refiner (108) of a mechanical pulping line is supplied with a controllable acoustic source (14), arranged for emitting acoustic signals into the pulp fluid. The controllable acoustic signal is allowed to interact with the fibres in the pulp, and the acoustic (pressure) signals resulting from such an interaction is measured. At least one spectral component is measured. The measured spectral component is used to predict properties, content and/or size of the fibres. These properties may then be used to control the refiner (108) process. The used acoustic signal has preferably a wavelength that is large compared with a typical site of the particles.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A pulp refiner control method, comprising:
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emitting a controllable acoustic signal into a pulp fluid for interaction of the controllable acoustic signal with fibers in the pulp fluid;
tuning the controllable acoustic signal to characteristic frequencies of the fibers;
measuring acoustic signals from the pulp fluid, the measuring comprising measuring at least one spectral component resulting from the interaction of the controllable acoustic signal and the fibers;
determining at least one process control parameter based on the measured acoustic signals; and
controlling a refiner process treating the pulp fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A pulp refiner control method, comprising:
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emitting a controllable acoustic signal into a pulp fluid for interaction of the controllable acoustic signal with fibers in the pulp fluid;
measuring acoustic signals from the pulp fluid, wherein the measuring comprises measuring at least one spectral component resulting from the interaction of the controllable acoustic signal and the fibers;
determining at least one process control parameter based on the measured acoustic signals, wherein the determining at least one process control parameter comprises predicting from the measured acoustic signals properties of the fibers in the pulp fluid, thereby giving process control parameters, and wherein the predicting comprises predicting from the measured acoustic signals properties of paper manufactured by the pulp; and
controlling a refiner process treating the pulp fluid.
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16. An apparatus for analysis of a pulp fluid comprising:
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an acoustic signal source arranged to emit a controllable acoustic signal into the pulp fluid for interaction with the fibers;
a control operative to control the acoustic signal source, wherein the control comprises a tuner operative to tune at least one frequency of the controllable acoustic signal to characteristic frequencies of the fibers;
an acoustic signal sensor for measuring acoustic signals from the pulp fluid, wherein the acoustic signal sensor is arranged to measure at least one spectral component resulting from the interaction of the controllable acoustic signal and the fibers; and
a data processor connected to the acoustic signal sensor and operative to predict mechanical/chemical properties of fibers in the pulp fluid based upon the measured acoustic signals.
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17. A refiner apparatus for handling a pulp fluid, the apparatus comprising:
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an acoustic signal source arranged to emit a controllable acoustic signal into the pulp fluid for interaction with fibers in the pulp fluid;
control means for controlling the acoustic signal source, the control means comprising means for tuning the controllable acoustic signal to characteristic frequencies of the fibers;
an acoustic signal sensor for measuring acoustic signals from the pulp fluid, wherein the acoustic signal sensor is arranged for measuring at least one spectral component resulting from the interaction of the controllable acoustic signal and the fibers in the pulp fluid;
data processing means comprising a processor and being connected to the acoustic signal sensor for determining at least one process control parameter based on the measured acoustic signals;
means for carrying out a refiner process of the pulp fluid; and
process control means for controlling the means for carrying out a refiner process according to the determined at least one process control parameter. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus for analysis of a pulp fluid comprising:
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an acoustic signal source arranged to emit a controllable acoustic signal into the pulp fluid for interaction with the fibers;
a control operative to control the acoustic signal source;
an acoustic signal sensor for measuring acoustic signals from the pulp fluid, wherein the acoustic signal sensor is arranged to measure at least one spectral component resulting from the interaction of the controllable acoustic signal and the fibers, the at least one spectral component including at least two properties selected from the list of amplitude, phase, and time-delay; and
a data processor connected to the acoustic signal sensor and operative to predict mechanical/chemical properties of fibers in the pulp fluid based upon the measured acoustic signals. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An apparatus for analysis of a pulp fluid comprising:
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an acoustic signal source arranged to emit a controllable acoustic signal into the pulp fluid for interaction with the fibers;
a control operative to control the acoustic signal source, the control comprising means for tuning the controllable acoustic signal to characteristic frequencies of the fibers;
an acoustic signal sensor for measuring acoustic signals from the pulp fluid, wherein the acoustic signal sensor is arranged to measure at least one spectral component resulting from the interaction of the controllable acoustic signal and the fibers, the at least one spectral component including at least one property selected from the list of amplitude, phase, and time-delay; and
a data processor connected to the acoustic signal sensor and operative to predict mechanical/chemical properties of fibers in the pulp fluid based upon the measured acoustic signals.
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33. An apparatus for analysis of a pulp fluid comprising:
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an acoustic signal source arranged to emit a controllable acoustic signal into the pulp fluid for interaction with the fibers;
a control operative to control the acoustic signal source;
an acoustic signal sensor for measuring acoustic signals from the pulp fluid, wherein the acoustic signal sensor is arranged to measure at least one spectral component resulting from the interaction of the controllable acoustic signal and the fibers, the at least one spectral component including at least one property selected from the list of amplitude, phase, and time-delay; and
a data processor connected to the acoustic signal sensor and operative to predict based upon the measured acoustic signals mechanical/chemical properties of fibers in the pulp fluid and properties of paper manufactured by the pulp.
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Specification