Automatic monitoring of smelt flow exiting a recovery boiler
AssigneeAndritz Inc.
InventorHeikki Lappalainen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for automatic monitoring of smelt flow exiting a recovery boiler based on optical information. A processor is used to read at least one stationarily imaged video sequence, comprising digital image frames, including an area under examination representing at least part of the smelt flow exiting the recovery boiler. The processor is used to identify, in the area under examination, an area distinguishable based on colour and/or intensity information. The processor is used to determine, based on the identified distinguishable area, a monitored flow property of the smelt flow.
Claims11
A method for automatic monitoring of a smelt flow exiting a recovery boiler, the method comprising:
- reading, with a processor, at least one stationarily imaged video sequence of digital image frames, each of the digital image frames includes at least one area under examination representing at least part of the smelt flow exiting the recovery boiler;
- identifying, with the processor, in the at least one area under examination, at least one area distinguishable based on color and/or intensity in the digital image frames;
- and
- determining, based on the at least one distinguishable area identified with the processor, at least one monitored flow property of the smelt flow,
- wherein the at least one distinguishable area includes a first distinguishable area under examination,
- wherein the first distinguishable area under examination represents the smelt flow flowing in a smelt spout with known cross-sectional dimensions, the first distinguishable area comprises an edge of a surface of the smelt flow, and
- wherein the monitored flow property comprises at least one of:
- smelt flow width and smelt flow height, wherein the smelt flow height is relative to a bottom of the smelt spout, and the smelt flow width and/or the smelt flow height are determined with the processor based on the edge of the surface of the smelt flow in the first distinguishable area.
A method for automatic monitoring of a smelt flow exiting a recovery boiler, the method performed with at least one processor wherein the method includes:
- capturing stationary imaged video sequence of digital image frames generated by at least one camera positioned to image the smelt flow moving through a smelt spout attached to the recovery boiler and/or from the smelt spout;
- reading the stationarily imaged video sequence of digital image frames, each of the digital image frames represents at least part of the smelt flow flowing through the smelt spout or flowing from the smelt spout;
- identifying, in the digital image frames, a first area of the images of the smelt flow that is distinguishable from other areas in the digital image frames based on color and/or intensity in the digital image frames;
- wherein the first area comprises an area of the smelt flow moving in a flow direction of the smelt flow, and
- determining a monitored flow property of the smelt flow based on a change in a location of the first area between at least two of the digital image frames of the stationarily imaged video sequence.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.