US 5,805,452 AGranted

System and method for materials process control

AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture

InventorsWilliam S. Anthony, Richard K. Byler

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

System and method for optimizing the processing of materials, particularly the processing of cotton in a cotton gin or a textile mill. Cotton moisture, color, and foreign matter measurements are made with electronic sensors at three stations. For a gin, a dynamic programming model uses input information relative to the moisture and trash content, color, lint turnout, staple length, cotton price structure, and energy costs to select an optimum drying and cleaning sequence for the cotton. The dynamic programming model optimizes cotton producer profits by selecting the amount of gin machinery necessary to achieve the most beneficial market value while minimizing the machinery used. Automated directional valves are used to route the cotton through the selected optimum combination of seed cotton cleaners, multi-path driers, and lint cleaners. For a mill, algorithms are used to select an optimum mill machine sequence that maximizes lint quality, and automated directional values are used to route lint through the selected sequence of cleaners.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor in a computer system to control the processing of cotton through a gin to produce lint, said computer program logic comprising:

measuring means for enabling the processor to measure sensor data that correspond to color, moisture content, and trash content of the cotton as it enters the gin;
gin decision matrix generating means for enabling the processor to generate a gin decision matrix that includes optimum process control decisions that maximize net return from the lint as a function of input state of the cotton entering the gin;
gin process control decision means for enabling the processor to select an optimum process control decision from said gin decision matrix for an input state corresponding to said sensor data, wherein said optimum process control decision corresponds to an optimum gin machine sequence for cotton having said input state corresponding to said sensor data, said optimum gin machine sequence having a first portion and a second portion;
predicting means for enabling the processor to compute and store predicted values for color, moisture content, and trash content for the cotton after processing through said first portion of said optimum gin machine sequence;
and
gin process control implementation means for enabling the processor to implement said optimum process control decision by routing cotton through said optimum gin machine sequence.

3 more elements

A control system for controlling the processing of cotton through a gin to produce lint, the gin having a plurality of auxiliary treatment units and a duct through which entrained cotton flows, said control system comprising:

measuring means for measuring sensor data that correspond to color, moisture content, and trash content of the cotton;
processing means coupled to said measuring means, said processing means processing said sensor data and selecting a set of said plurality of auxiliary treatment units through which the cotton is processed to produce lint, said set corresponding to an optimum gin machine sequence that maximizes net return from the lint;
and
cotton diversion means coupled to each of said plurality of auxiliary treatment units and coupled to said processing means, wherein said processing means activates said cotton diversion means to divert cotton to flow through each of said plurality of auxiliary treatment units in said set and wherein said processing means deactivates said cotton diversion means to bypass each of said plurality of auxiliary treatment units not in said set.

1 more element

A control system for controlling the processing of lint through a mill, the mill having a plurality of auxiliary treatment units and a duct through which lint flows, said control system comprising:

measuring means for measuring sensor data that correspond to color, moisture content, and trash content of the lint;
processing means coupled to said measuring means, said processing means processing said sensor data and selecting a set of said plurality of auxiliary treatment units through which the lint is processed to produce lint of a predetermined quality, said set corresponding to an optimum mill machine sequence;
and
lint diversion means coupled to each of said plurality of auxiliary treatment units and coupled to said processing means, wherein said processing means activates said lint diversion means to divert lint to flow through each of said plurality of auxiliary treatment units in said set and wherein said processing means deactivates said lint diversion means to bypass each of said plurality of auxiliary treatment units not in said set.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.