Machine direction sensor system with cross direction averaging
AssigneeHoneywell ASCa Inc.
InventorRon E. Beselt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a machine direction measurement system having an increased cross direction sampling area (significantly larger than the natural sensor measurement window) to generate a more representative and stable machine direction reading of the process. In effect, the sensor should have as wide a coverage area as possible without having to resort to the expense of measuring the entire width of the sheet.
Claims13
A machine direction sensor system with cross direction averaging, for measuring process variables in a continuous flat sheet process having a machine direction and a cross direction, the sensor system comprising:
- one or more sensors for taking a plurality of measurements along a cross directional section of the continuous flat sheet, and for generating a series of signals representing said measurements;
- and
- a controller for receiving said signals and for using said signals to average said measurements into a single reading, wherein:
- said one or more sensors include:
- a sensor head;
- and a driver for moving the sensor head back and forth across said cross directional section;
- the driver includes an air cylinder to drive the sensor head back and forth;
- and
- the sensor system further includes:
- a solenoid for controlling the direction of air flow through the air cylinder;
- and a cable chain for moving an optical fiber as the sensor head moves back and forth.
A method for measuring process variables in a continuous flat sheet process, with cross directional averaging, said flat sheet process having a machine direction and a cross direction, the method comprising the steps of:
- using a sensor on a sensor head to take a plurality of measurements along a cross directional section of the continuous flat sheet, and to generate a series of signals representing said measurements wherein the signals are conducted through an optical fiber to a controller;
- moving the sensor head back and forth with a driver across said cross-directional section to make said plurality of measurements, wherein the driver includes an air cylinder that drives the sensor head, wherein a solenoid controls the direction of air flow through the air cylinder, wherein a cable chain moves the optical fiber as the sensor head moves back and forth and wherein each one of the plurality of measurements is made during a respective one movement of the sensor across the web sheet;
- and
- averaging said measurements into a single reading with the controller that receives said signals to average said measurements into a single reading.
A sheet making machine comprising:
- a headbox for receiving and holding a paper slurry;
- a forming section for receiving the pulp slurry from the headbox and for forming the slurry into a fiber web;
- a drying section for drying the fiber web;
- and
- a sensor system for measuring process variables of the fiber web in a machine direction with cross direction averaging;
- wherein the sensor system includes:
- one or more sensors for taking a plurality or measurements along a cross directional section of the fiber web, and for generating a series of signals representing said measurements;
- a driver for moving the one or more sensors back and forth across said cross directional section to make said multitude of measurements, and wherein each one of the multitude of measurements is made during a respective one movement of the one or more sensors across the web sheet;
- and
- a controller for receiving said signals and for using said signals to average said measurements into a single reading to generate a representative and stable machine direction reading of the process, wherein said one or more sensors includes a sensor head and wherein:
- the sensor head includes an infrared optical sensor;
- the driver includes an air cylinder to drive the optical sensor back and forth;
- and the sensor system further includes:
- an optical fiber for conducting optical signals from the optical sensor to the controller;
- a solenoid for controlling the direction of air flow through the air cylinder;
- and
- a cable chain for moving the optical fiber as the sensor head moves back and forth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.