Sparger status sensor system
AssigneeEriez Manufacturing Co.
InventorsMichael J. Mankosa, Ronald P. Krahe, James Jukkola
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sparger for injection of bubbles into a flotation system comprises a housing, a movable rod assembly, and a sensor system that comprises a sensor and a target that move relative to each other. One of the sensor and the target is located in the housing and the other is located on or attached to the movable rod assembly. The sensor for measuring motion, including position and vibration, relative to the target based on the movement of the movable rod assembly. The sensor system for determining operating parameters of the sparger based on the analysis of the measurement of the motion of the sensor relative to the target.
Claims22
A sensor system for a sparger having a housing configured to receive a flow of compressed gas for injection of bubbles into a flotation system, the sensor system comprising:
- a movable rod assembly within said housing comprising a nozzle and a rod within said nozzle, said rod connected to a diaphragm that is further connected to a spring such that compressed air entering said housing acts on said diaphragm to compress said spring and retract said rod from said nozzle;
- a sensor and a target that move relative to each other, wherein one of said sensor and said target is located in the housing the other is located on or attached to the movable rod assembly;
- said sensor for measuring parameters of motion, position, and vibration, relative to said target based on the movement of said movable rod assembly;
- said sensor system for determining operating parameters of the sparger based on analysis of the measured motion, position, and vibration of said sensor relative to said target.
A sparger for injection of bubbles into a flotation system comprising:
- a housing configured to receive a flow of compressed gas;
- a movable rod assembly within said housing comprising a nozzle and a rod within said nozzle, said rod connected to a diaphragm that is further connected to a spring such that compressed air entering said housing acts on said diaphragm to compress said spring and retract said rod from the nozzle;
- a sensor system that comprises a sensor and a target that move relative to each other, wherein one of said sensor and said target is located in said housing the other is located on or attached to said movable rod assembly;
- said sensor system for measuring parameters of motion, position, and vibration, relative to said target based on the movement of said movable rod assembly;
- and
- said sensor system for determining operating parameters of the sparger based on analysis of the measured motion, position, and vibration of said sensor relative to said target.
A network of sensor systems for spargers for injection of bubbles into a flotation system, comprising:
- a plurality of spargers that each comprise a housing configured to receive a flow of compressed gas;
- a movable rod assembly within each housing comprising a nozzle and a rod within said nozzle, said rod connected to a diaphragm that is further connected to a spring such that compressed air entering said housing acts on said diaphragm to compress said spring and retract said rod from said nozzle;
- each said sparger comprising a sensor system, wherein each said sensor system further comprises a sensor and a target that move relative to each other, wherein one of said sensor and said target is located in said housing the other is located or attached to said movable rod assembly, said sensor for measuring parameters of motion, position, and vibration relative to said target based on the movement of said movable rod assembly, and said sensor system for determining operating parameters of the sparger based on analysis of the measured motion, position, and vibration of said sensor relative to said target;
- and
- each sensor outputs a signal to a signal processor and said signal processor generates a signal output to a central control unit, wherein said central control unit aggregates and analyzes each said signal to display operating parameters of each corresponding said sparger and provide overall system performance data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.