Force monitor for pulverizer integral spring assembly
AssigneeALSTOM Technology Ltd
InventorsRichard Brian Stone, Matthew Alan Munyon, Lawrence Scott Farris
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pulverizer 60 includes a spring assembly 10 that urges a grinding roller 72 of a journal assembly 68 onto a grinding surface 66 of a grinding table 64. The force applied is monitored by a load cell 32 located within spring assembly 10 that creates an electronic signal. A controller 83 receives the electronic signal and stores and/or displays it and alternatively acts to adjust the applied force to a desired value. Alternatively, adjustable forces or mechanical dampening may be applied to journal assembly 68 by controller 83. Alternatively, additional sensors may measure displacement of the journal assembly and rotation of the grinding table for other calculations.
Claims14
A pulverizer for pulverizing a solid fuel, the pulverizer comprising:
- a pulverizer housing having a shaft coupled for rotation therein;
- a grinding table rotatably mounted on the shaft;
- a journal assembly pivotally mounted on the pulverizer housing;
- a grinding roller coupled to the journal assembly;
- a spring assembly is mounted on the pulverizer housing, the spring assembly having a spring and a stop plate, the at least one spring urging the grinding roller toward the grinding table;
- and
- a load cell between the spring and the stop plate of the spring assembly adapted to measure spring forces exerted by the spring assembly and create an electronic signal corresponding to the measured spring forces.
A spring assembly comprising:
- a spring housing having a first end and a second end, the spring housing defining an interior area;
- a preload stud extending at least partially into the interior area, the preload stud being coupled to the spring housing for movement relative thereto;
- a stop plate positioned in the interior area, the preload stud extending through the stop plate;
- a spring seat attached to and movable with the preload stud, the spring seat being located at least partially in the interior area and adjacent to an end of the spring housing;
- the spring seat partially extending through an opening defined by the spring housing;
- at least one spring interposed between the spring seat and the stop plate;
- and
- a load cell positioned in the interior area of the spring housing between the spring and the stop plate adapted to measure spring forces exerted by the spring due to movement of the spring seat relative to the spring housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.