Pellet mill roll temperature sensing
AssigneeAndritz Inc.
InventorsTimothy Edward Duncan, Benjamin Michael Schappell, Fred Matthew Delany
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A roll assembly temperature sensing system for a pellet mill includes: a thermal sensor (160); and a pellet mill roll assembly rotatably disposed in a rotor assembly. The pellet mill roll (140) assembly includes: a roll shaft; a bearing disposed circumferentially around the roll shaft; and a seal (150) disposed between an end of the bearing and the rotor assembly. The rotor assembly includes an area defining a die cavity adjacent to the seal (150). The thermal sensor (160) is disposed within the die cavity, and is configured to detect a temperature of the seal resulting from heat conducted from the bearing.
Claims19
A roll assembly temperature sensing system for a pellet mill,
- the roll assembly temperature sensing system comprising:
- a thermal sensor;
- and
- a pellet mill roll assembly rotatably disposed in a rotor assembly,
- wherein the pellet mill roll assembly comprises:
- a roll shaft;
- a bearing disposed circumferentially around the roll shaft;
- and
- a seal disposed between an end of the bearing and the rotor assembly,
- wherein the rotor assembly comprises an area defining a die cavity adjacent to the seal,
- wherein the thermal sensor is disposed within a spring-loaded thermowell assembly that is disposed within the die cavity, wherein a distal end of the spring-loaded thermowell assembly is configured to engage the seal, and
- wherein the thermal sensor is configured to detect a temperature of the seal resulting from heat conducted from the bearing.
A temperature sensing system, comprising:
- a rotor assembly disposed in a milling chamber of a pellet mill, the rotor assembly comprising:
- a cavity configured to accommodate a spring-loaded thermowell assembly;
- and
- a portion configured to accommodate a roll assembly configured to rotate within the milling chamber, the roll assembly comprising:
- a pellet mill roll;
- a bearing configured to support the pellet mill roll on a roll shaft;
- and
- a seal disposed between the bearing and the portion of the rotor assembly configured to accommodate a roll assembly;
- and
- a thermal sensor disposed within the spring-loaded thermowell assembly, wherein the spring-loaded thermowell assembly is configured to engage the seal, and
- wherein the thermal sensor is configured to detect a temperature of the seal resulting from heat conducted from the bearing.
A method for sensing a temperature of a roll assembly for a pellet mill including a roll assembly temperature sensing system, the roll assembly temperature sensing system comprising:
- a thermal sensor;
- and the roll assembly rotatably disposed in a rotor assembly, wherein the roll assembly comprises:
- a roll shaft;
- a bearing disposed circumferentially around the roll shaft;
- and a seal disposed between an end of the bearing and the rotor assembly, wherein the rotor assembly comprises an area defining a die cavity adjacent to the seal, wherein the thermal sensor is disposed within a spring-loaded thermowell assembly that is disposed within the die cavity, wherein a distal end of the spring-loaded thermowell assembly is configured to engage the seal, and wherein the thermal sensor is configured to detect a temperature of the seal resulting from heat conducted from the bearing, the method comprising:
- receiving, by a controller, signals from the thermal sensor disposed in the die cavity in the rotor assembly of the pellet mill, wherein the thermal sensor senses a temperature of the seal in contact with the bearing of the roll assembly;
- converting the signals to temperature values, comparing the temperature values to a threshold value;
- and in response to determining that the temperature values exceed the threshold value, generating, by the controller, a notification on a display device, and automatically performing an operation intended to decrease the temperature value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.