Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING A CLOSED-SIDE AND/OR OPEN-SIDE SETTING OF A
GYRATORY CRUSHER
FIELD
The present technology is directed at a system and method for measuring a gap
width of a
gyratory crusher between the mantle and concave to determine wear. More
specifically, the
technology measures the gap at an endpoint of the eccentric rotation to
provide a setting which
is indicative of wear. Significantly, this can be accomplished when the
crusher is operating, but
empty, allowing an operator to obtain results within a few minutes or less.
The system allows the client to accurately schedule mantle and concave
changeouts, based on
wear rates, rather than on a fixed schedule, extending the service life of
crusher components.
BACKGROUND
Crushers are commonly used in the mining and minerals processing industry in
order to break
down large solid materials into smaller pieces for further processing or
transport. Some examples
of crushers include jaw crushers, cone crushers, cylindrical roll crushers,
and gyratory crushers.
Large pieces of material are typically broken down in a crusher through a
moving component
which drives the material against a stationary component with sufficient force
to fracture and
fragment the material to smaller, more manageable pieces. One type of crusher
is a gyratory
crusher which comprises a moving mantle and a stationary concave. Each of the
mantle and
concave are covered by liners. The mantle moves on an eccentric in a circular
orbit within the
concave, causing an annular gap at each radial location inside the crusher to
narrow and widen
as the mantle moves around its orbit. The narrowest gap between the mantle
liner and the
concave liner is known as the closed-side setting (CSS). The widest gap
between the mantle liner
and the concave liner is known as the open-side setting (OSS).
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,
Operators of gyratory crushers try to maintain the CSS at a constant value to
ensure efficient and
predictable operation. Due to the frictional wear and tear on the concave
liner and the mantle
liner from the crushing operation, the CSS will get larger over time, and
adjustments must be
periodically made to ensure a constant CSS is maintained. It is critical to
know the crusher gap
width as it relates to the CSS to ensure the crushed product size is optimum
for the mill feed.
Adjustments may be made by varying the position of the mantle (usually in the
vertical direction)
relative to each other, or the concave liner and/or the mantle liner may be
replaced when
excessively worn and adjustment is no longer feasible. Disadvantageously,
known methods for
measuring the CSS requires the operator to lower a lead ball attached to rope
into the crusher
chamber/pocket. Usually it is placed on the ore inside the crusher pocket. As
the ore goes through
the crusher the lead ball gets "squished" and the operator raises the lead
ball back up so they
can manually measure the width of the lead ball. This is the measurement they
use to determine
the mantle position, allowing for determination of the wear on the mantle from
the previous
adjustment. Also, the manual measurement presents certain safety concerns, as
a person must
be brought into the vicinity of the crusher while becoming exposed to crushed
rock, dust, and
debris. In another method, mantle wear is measured with 3-dimensional laser
imaging. This
requires shutting down the crusher and the use of an overhead crane for the
imaging.
One system for measuring CSS is disclosed in US Publication No. 20130231892.
It is for measuring
the displacement of a surface in a material handling system relative to a base
reference. The
system includes scanning means to generate point cloud data of the surface
relative to a
reference point to define a three-dimensional image of the surface, storage
means to store base
reference data in respect of the base reference, and processing means to
process the point cloud
data and the base reference data to determine the relative displacement of the
surface with
respect to the base reference. The processing means includes a referencing
means to orientate
the point cloud data relative to key reference data of the base surface and
transforming the point
cloud data and the base reference data into a common co-ordinate system, and
displacement
processing means to calculate the displacement between the surface and the
base reference
using both sets of data in the co-ordinate system. In this way, it maps the
surface of the parts of
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interest. This system has been determined to be very expensive and overly
complex. Further,
the crusher or mill must be stopped and decontaminated before scanning can be
done. The
scanner is then positioned in the mill or crusher using an overhead crane, the
scans are done to
provide data and then the scanner is removed. The data are then analyzed to
provide a three-
dimensional map. The scanner then needs to be removed before operations can
start again.
Accordingly, this is a disruptive process that results in significant down
time.
What is needed is a safe, quick method for determining CSS or OSS. Preferably,
this could be
done without shutting the crusher down. Preferably, calibration would be done
quickly and
safely, without the need for a worker to unsafely drop a lead ball into the
crusher chamber and
pull it out again. A system to allow such a method is therefore also needed.
It would be preferably
if the laser emitter and camera could be mounted in a location that is not
subject to vibration.
SUMMARY
The present technology provides a system for determining CSS in a gyratory
crusher by
measuring the gap width. The camera is mounted on a drone to remove
interference from
vibration. A calibration three-dimensional laser emitter is used to generate
point cloud data,
which is used to calibrate the laser emitter each time the mantle, concave,
mantle liner or
concave liner are changed. The laser emitter is mounted on a permanent
structure. A positioning
three-dimensional laser can be used to position the drone with a high degree
of accuracy, which
necessary when there is not a clear line of sight to a GNSS satellite. In
locations where there is a
clear sight line to GNSS satellites, an RTK base station can be used to
position the drone, again,
with a high degree of accuracy. The determination can be completed in less
than five minutes
and does not require that the crusher be shut down. Measurements are taken
while the crusher
mantle continues to rotate. The system allows personnel to obtain the data
risk free and provides
much quicker results than past practice. The daily reading helps predict the
mantle life and also
allows for maximization of the mantle life. With accurate data a mine can
trend the mantle daily
and plan mantle change outs with accuracy. The technology also provides the
benefit of keeping
the target crush size constant. This helps with mill throughput, increasing
production.
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The mantle life is predicted to be extended using this technology because it
assists the choke
feeding, and choke feeding reduces mantle wear.
Another advantage is that when the technology is utilized daily, the crusher
tonnage and
production quality is maintained - incorrect settings result in either reduced
tonnage or materials
that are too coarse.
In one embodiment, a system for determining a close-side setting or an open-
side setting for a
gyratory crusher is provided, wherein the gyratory crusher comprises an
eccentrically rotatable
mantle lined with a mantle liner, a concave lined with a concave liner, the
concave housing the
mantle to provide a crusher chamber, the crusher chamber having a gap, the
system comprising:
a laser emitter, the laser emitter positioned to mark a laser trace traversing
the gap and at least
intersecting the concave liner at a predetermined rotational position of the
mantle to provide an
offset at the outer edge of the concave liner and a second offset for
identifying an outer edge of
the concave liner; a drone; a camera mounted on the drone, the camera to
capture an at least
one image of the laser trace and an outer edge of the concave liner at the
predetermined
rotational position of the mantle at the gap; a positioner, which is either a
Real Time Kinematic
(RTK) base station for communication with a satellite or is a first point
cloud generator; a second
point cloud generator for placement in the crusher chamber to generate a point
cloud of the gap
for calibrating the laser emitter; a computer in communication with the
camera, the drone, the
second point cloud generator and the first point cloud generator or the RTK
base station, the
computer comprising a memory and a processor, the memory providing
instructions to the
processor to process the position of the drone and to send instructions to the
drone to correctly
position the drone, the processor to process the image to provide a gap width
and to calculate
at least one of the close-side setting and the open-side setting from the gap
width.
The system may further comprise a calibration plate for placement in the
crusher chamber.
In the system, the camera may be configured to capture a series of images as
the mantle rotates.
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In the system, the point cloud generator may be mounted proximate the crusher
to generate a
point cloud of the gap for calibrating the laser emitter.
In the system, the memory may store calibration data.
In the system, the memory may provide instructions for the processor to
determine wear based
on the gap width.
In the system, the RTK base station may be for correctly positioning the
drone.
In another embodiment, a method of determining a close-side setting or an open-
side setting for
a gyratory crusher by measuring a gap width is provided, wherein the gyratory
crusher comprises
an eccentrically rotatable mantle lined with a mantle liner, a concave lined
with a concave liner,
the concave housing the mantle to provide a crusher chamber, an outer edge of
the concave liner
and an outer edge of the mantle liner defining a gap, the method comprising
the steps of: (i)
positioning a laser emitter such that it is aligned to mark a laser trace
traversing the gap and
intersecting the concave liner at a predetermined rotational position of the
mantle to provide an
offset at the outer edge of the concave liner and a second offset for
identifying an outer edge of
the concave liner; (ii)determining a position of a drone carrying a machine
vision system; and (iii)
using the machine vision system that has been calibrated: capturing an image
of the laser trace
at the gap at the selected rotational position of the mantle; processing the
image; measuring a
distance between the outer edge of the mantle liner and the outer edge of the
concave liner to
provide a gap width; and calculating the closed-side setting or the open-side
setting, thereby
determining at least one of the close-side setting and the open-side setting.
In the method, a first point cloud generator may determine the position of the
drone and, in
communication with a computer, correctly positions the drone.
The method may further comprise changing one or more of the mantle and the
concave.
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The method may further comprise calibrating the machine vision system using a
second point
cloud generator to provide a point cloud of the mantle liner and the concave
liner at the gap.
The method may further comprise the step of positioning the laser emitter such
that a second
trace traverses the gap and at least intersects the concave liner at the
selected position of the
gap to provide a first offset in the second trace for identifying an outer
edge of the mantle liner
and a second offset for identifying an outer edge of the concave liner.
In the method, the mantle may be rotating as the camera is capturing images.
In the method, the method is completed in about five minutes.
In the method, the selected rotational position providing the gap may be at a
closed-side setting.
In the method, the selected rotational position providing the gap may be at an
open-side setting,
the method including calculating the close-side setting from the gap width at
the open-side
setting.
In the method a point cloud generator may be in communication with a computing
device to
determine the position of the drone and correctly positions the drone.
In yet another embodiment, gyratory crusher combination is provided, the
gyratory crusher
combination comprising: a gyratory crusher, the gyratory crusher including an
eccentrically
rotating mantle lined with a mantle liner, a concave lined with a concave
liner, the concave
housing the mantle to provide a crusher chamber, and the crusher chamber
having a gap; and a
system for determining a close-side setting or an open-side setting for the
gyratory crusher
including: a first point cloud generator proximate the crusher; a laser
emitter, the laser emitter
positioned to mark a laser trace traversing the gap and at least intersecting
the concave liner at
a predetermined rotational position of the mantle to provide an offset at the
outer edge of the
concave liner and a second offset for identifying an outer edge of the concave
liner; a drone; a
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camera mounted on the drone to capture a series of image of the laser trace as
the mantle of the
gyratory crusher rotates; and a computer in communication with the camera, the
first point cloud
generator and the drone, the computer comprising a memory and a processor, the
memory
providing instructions to the processor to process the position of the drone,
to send instructions
to the drone to correctly position the drone, to process the image to provide
a gap width and to
determine at least one of a close-side setting or an open-side setting from
the gap width.
In the gyratory crusher combination the laser emitter may be a cross hair
laser for emitting the
laser trace and a second laser trace, the laser emitter mounted to mark the
second laser trace
bisecting the mantle at the predetermined position of the gap.
In the gyratory crusher combination, the predetermined position of the gap may
be at the close-
side setting.
In the gyratory crusher combination, the second point cloud generator is
positioned to provide a
point cloud of at least a portion of the mantle lining and the concave lining
at the gap for
calibrating the camera.
In yet another embodiment, a system for determining a close-side setting or an
open-side setting
for a jaw crusher is provided, wherein the jaw crusher comprises a first jaw
plate on a first side
and a second jaw plate on a pivoting jaw to provide a crusher chamber, the
crusher chamber
having a gap, the system comprising: a point cloud generator mounted proximate
the crusher; a
laser emitter, the laser emitter mounted to mark a laser trace traversing the
gap at a
predetermined position of the pivoting jaw; a drone; a camera mounted on the
drone to capture
an at least one image of the laser trace at the predetermined position of the
pivoting jaw; and a
computer in communication with the camera, the point cloud generator and the
drone, the
computer comprising a memory and a processor, the memory providing
instructions to the
processor to process the position of the drone, to send instructions to the
drone to correctly
position the drone, to process the image to provide a gap width and to
determine at least one of
a close-side setting or an open-side setting from the gap width.
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In yet another embodiment, a system for determining a close-side setting or an
open-side setting
for a gyratory crusher is provided, wherein the gyratory crusher comprises an
eccentrically
rotatable mantle lined with a mantle liner, a concave lined with a concave
liner, the concave
housing the mantle to provide a crusher chamber, the crusher chamber having a
gap, the system
comprising: a laser emitter, the laser emitter positioned to provide an image
of one or more of
the concave liner and the mantle liner; a drone; a camera mounted on the
drone, the camera to
capture the image; a positioner, which is either a Real Time Kinematic (RTK)
base station for
communication with a satellite or is a first point cloud generator; a computer
in communication
with the camera, the drone, and the first point cloud generator or the RTK
base station, the
computer comprising a memory and a processor, the memory providing
instructions to the
processor to process the position of the drone and to send instructions to the
drone to correctly
position the drone, the processor to process the image and to calculate at
least one of the close-
side setting and the open-side setting from the gap width.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one or more exemplary
embodiments:
Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view of a gyratory crusher and a system for
determining a closed
side setting of the gyratory crusher according to one embodiment.
Figures 2A and B are schematic sectional views of the gap in the gyratory
crusher as it moves
between the open position and the closed position. Figure 2A shows the closed
position and
Figure 2B shows the open position.
Figure 3 is a schematic elevation view illustrating a laser emitter of the
system emitting a laser
light trace onto the mantle and concave and a camera located to capture an
image of the laser
trace. Figure 3A is a close up of Figure 3.
Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the laser light trace across
the mantle, gap and
concave taken by the camera of the system.
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Figure 5 is a flow chart of the method of collecting point cloud data and
calibrating the laser
emitter.
Figure 6 is a schematic sectional view of a gyratory crusher and a system for
determining a closed
side setting of the gyratory crusher according to one embodiment.
Figure 7 is a flow chart of the method of positioning the drone in flight.
Figure 8 is a flow chart of an alternative method of positioning the drone in
flight.
Figure 9 is a flow chart of the method of determining the CSS.
Figures 10 is a flow chart of the details of the method.
Figure 11 is a schematic of a system for determining wear on a jaw crusher.
DESCRIPTION
Directional terms such as "front", "rear", "top", "bottom", "upper", "lower",
"downwards",
"vertically", "laterally", or similar, are used in the following description
for the purpose of
providing relative reference only, and are not intended to suggest any
limitations on how any
article is to be positioned during use, or to be mounted in an assembly or
relative to an
environment.
Except as otherwise expressly provided, the following rules of interpretation
apply to this
specification (written description, claims and drawings): (a) all words used
herein shall be
construed to be of such gender or number (singular or plural) as the
circumstances require; (b)
the singular terms "a", "an", and "the", as used in the specification and the
appended claims
include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise; (c)
the antecedent term
"about" applied to a recited range or value denotes an approximation within
the deviation in the
range or value known or expected in the art from the measurements method; (d)
the words
"herein", "hereby", "hereof", "hereto", "hereinbefore", and "hereinafter", and
words of similar
import, refer to this specification in its entirety and not to any particular
paragraph, claim or
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other subdivision, unless otherwise specified; (e) descriptive headings are
for convenience only
and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any part of the
specification; and
(f) "or" and "any" are not exclusive and "include" and "including" are not
limiting. Further, the
terms "comprising," "having," "including," and "containing" are to be
construed as open-ended
terms (i.e., meaning "including, but not limited to,") unless otherwise noted.
To the extent necessary to provide descriptive support, the subject matter
and/or text of the
appended claims is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a
shorthand method of
referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless
otherwise indicated
herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if
it were individually
recited herein. Where a specific range of values is provided, it is understood
that each intervening
value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly
dictates otherwise,
between the upper and lower limit of that range and any other stated or
intervening value in that
stated range, is included therein. All smaller sub ranges are also included.
The upper and lower
limits of these smaller ranges are also included therein, subject to any
specifically excluded limit
in the stated range.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have
the same meaning
as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art. Although
any methods and
materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used,
the acceptable
methods and materials are now described.
Definitions:
Camera ¨ in the context of the present technology, a camera is any device that
can accurately
capture an image or images of a laser trace.
Machine vision - in the context of the present technology, machine vision is
provided by one or
more pieces of equipment that allow for an image captured and analyzed to
provide an output.
CA 2973291 2017-07-12
In the preferred embodiment, this is an imager such as a camera, and a
computer with a
processor and memory.
Outer edge ¨ in the context of the present technology, the outer edge is the
edge of the mantle
liner or the concave liner that faces the crushing chamber.
Edge ¨ in the context of the present technology, an edge is where the mantle
abuts the mantle
liner or the concave abuts the concave liner.
Bisecting the mantle ¨ in the context of the present technology, bisecting the
mantle means that
the trace crosses at least the mantle outer edge at two points along the trace
line to provide a
line bisecting the mantle liner or the mantle liner and mantle.
Laser emitter ¨ in the context of the present technology, a laser emitter is a
single laser emitter,
or a cross hair laser emitter.
Drone ¨ in the context of the present technology, a drone is an unmanned
aerial vehicle (UAV).
Scanning laser emitter ¨ in the context of the present technology, a scanner
laser emitter is a
three-dimensional laser emitter.
Point cloud ¨ in the context of the present technology, a point cloud is set
of data points that are
used to define a three-dimensional surface. A point cloud is generated using a
scanning laser
emitter to map the surface.
Point cloud data generator ¨ in the context of the present technology, a point
cloud data
generator is a scanning laser emitter with a detector and a processor.
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) ¨ in the context of the present
technology, GNSS is the
generic term that includes Global Positioning System (GPS) and other satellite
navigation systems
that provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning with global coverage.
Real Time Kinematics (RTK) ¨ in the context of the present technology, RTK is
a differential Global
Navigation Satellite System. An RTK base station is required.
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,
Detailed Description:
Embodiments of the invention described herein relate to a system and a method
for measuring
the closed side setting of (CSS) of a gyratory crusher by marking a mantle
liner of the gyratory
crusher with a crosshair laser light to indicate a mantle liner endpoint of
the CSS applying image
processing techniques to determine a concave liner endpoint of the CSS
("concave end"), and
then calculating the distance between the concave liner and mantle liner
endpoints to determine
the CSS gap.
In an alternative embodiment, relate to a system and a method for measuring
the open-side
setting of (OSS) of a gyratory crusher by marking a mantle liner of the
gyratory crusher with a
crosshair laser light to indicate a mantle liner endpoint of the OSS, applying
image processing
techniques to determine a concave liner endpoint of the OSS ("concave end"),
and then
calculating the distance between the concave liner and mantle liner endpoints
to determine the
OSS gap.
In an alternative embodiment, the CSS is determined by marking a mantle liner
of the gyratory
crusher with a crosshair laser light to indicate a mantle liner endpoint of
the open side setting
(OSS), taking an overhead image of the marked mantle liner and a concave liner
of the crusher,
applying image processing techniques to determine a concave liner endpoint of
the OSS
("concave end"), and then calculating the distance between the concave liner
and mantle liner
endpoints to determine the OSS gap. Then, using the OSS gap, calculating the
CSS.
It is expected that these embodiments will provide a means for quickly and
efficiently measuring
the CSS in a crusher with minimal loss of downtime. The system enables the gap
at CSS, the gap
at OSS or the gap at any predetermined point in the rotation to be monitored
and measured
during crusher operation without having to remove any components to access the
mantle or the
concave, and without requiring a person to manually perform the measurements.
It is expected
that using any of these positions of the mantle relative to the concave as the
position to measure
the gap width will provide an efficient means of determining CSS to determine
whether
adjustments to the mantle or concave are necessary, or whether a concave
and/or a mantle
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require replacement, and enable an operator to perform maintenance only when
necessary thus
avoiding premature servicing and unnecessary downtime of the crusher.
Referring to Figure 1 and according to one embodiment, a machine vision
system, generally
referred to as 10, for determining the CSS of a gyratory crusher, generally
referred to as 2
comprises a computer 4 and an imager 16 in communication with the computer 4
and mounted
on a drone 8, which can fly above a gyratory crusher 2 such that an imager
faces the inside of the
gyratory crusher 2 and captures images of a crushing chamber 12 inside the
gyratory crusher 2.
In the preferred embodiment the imager is a camera 16. A laser emitter 14 is
mounted on a
structure on or proximate the crusher 2. The laser emitter 14 is preferably a
cross hair laser
emitter or a three-dimensional laser emitter or a line laser with a fan angle,
which, for example
could be a 5 degree fan angle. The laser emitter 14 provides a laser trace.
Additionally, there is
a first point cloud generator 18, which includes a scanning laser emitter 19,
a point cloud detector
20, and a point cloud processor 22. The first point cloud generator 18 is
mounted on top of a
control room of the gyratory crusher 2; however, the first point cloud
generator 18 can be
mounted on any structure such as scaffold or pole that locates it in a
suitable position to locate
the drone 8. A second point cloud generator 6 is used for calibration and is
lowered into the
crushing chamber 12 when the mantle and/or concave is changed. It also
includes a scanning
laser emitter, a point cloud detector and a point cloud processor.
As shown in Figure 1, the gyratory crusher 2 comprises a stationary concave 24
and a rotating
mantle 26. The concave 24 comprises an upwardly-expanding frusto-conical shell
and the mantle
26 comprises a downwardly expanding frusto-conical shell that is mounted on an
eccentrically
rotatable spindle 28 such that the mantle 26 protrudes upwards inside the
concave 24. The
spindle 28 is mounted to an eccentric sleeve 32 which causes the spindle 28
and mantle 26 to
move around a circular orbit around the axis of the concave 24. The annular
space between the
concave 24 and the mantle 26 defines the crushing chamber 12 in which material
is crushed; a
discharge outlet 34 is communicative with the crushing chamber 12 to discharge
crushed
material from the gyratory crusher 12. The inside surface of the concave 24 is
covered by a
concave liner 36 to protect the concave 24 from damage and/or wear. The
outside surface of the
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mantle 26 is covered by a mantle liner 38 to protect the mantle 26 against
wear and/or damage.
A spider assembly 40 is secured to the top of the concave 24 to cover the
crushing chamber 12
and prevent the entry of errant debris. The spider assembly 40 comprises a
bearing assembly 42
to rotatably receive an end of the spindle 28, and inlets (not shown) through
which material is
deposited into the crushing chamber 12 for crushing. In operation, material is
deposited through
the inlet of the spider assembly 40 and into the crushing chamber 12, where it
becomes wedged
between the concave 24 and the mantle 26. As the mantle 26 travels around its
circular orbit,
material near the bottom portion 46 of the crushing chamber 12 will be crushed
by the closing
of the crushing chamber 12 between the moving mantle liner 36 and the
stationary concave liner
38. Conversely, the opening of the bottom portion 46 of the chamber 12 between
the moving
mantle liner 36 and the stationary concave liner 38 will allow crushed
material to exit the gyratory
crusher 2 via the discharge outlet 34.
Referring to Figures 2A and 2B, the horizontal distance between the mantle
liner 36 and the
concave liner 38 at a gap 50 defines a closed-side setting (CSS) 52 and an
open-side setting (OSS)
54. The gap 50 is adjacent the wear region 56 of the mantle liner 36, which is
approximately 36
inches wide and starts about 6 inches from the bottom 58 of the mantle 26. The
location of the
gap 50 to be measured is determined by the location that the mantle liner 36
has been scanned
by the calibration three-dimensional laser 6. This is most preferably at the
narrowest part of the
crushing chamber 12. As the rotation of the mantle 26 is eccentric the gap 50
moves between
an open position, generally referred to as 60 (left side of Figure 2B), which
is where the OSS 54 is
measured and a closed position, generally referred to as 62 (left side of
Figure 2A), which is where
the CSS 52 is measured. Hence the CSS 52 is the shortest distance between the
liners 36, 38 and
the OSS 54 is the greatest distance between the liners 36, 38 throughout the
throw of the mantle
26.
As shown in Figure 3 and 3A, the drone 8 is positioned above the gap 50 such
that the camera 16
is in line of sight 64 with the mantle liner 36 and concave liner 38 when the
mantle 26 and the
concave 24 are either at the stage of rotation where they are the closest to
one another (the gap
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,
50 is at its smallest), or are at their greatest distance apart or
alternatively, at a preselected point
in the rotation other than at the extremes.
As shown in Figure 4, the laser emitter 14 is positioned such that a laser
trace 72 traverses the
gap 50 between the mantle liner 36 and the concave liner 38, extending over
the concave liner
38 at the either the closed position 62 or at the open position 60. Where it
crosses the outer
edge 70 of the mantle liner 36, there is a first offset 76 in the second trace
78. Similarly, where
it crosses the outer edge 80 of the concave liner 38, there is a second offset
82 in the second
trace 78. This clearly indicates the location of the outer edge 70, 80 of the
mantle liner 36 and
the concave liner 38, respectively.
As shown in Figure 5, the laser emitter 14 must be calibrated and a computer
program must be
provided with calibration data. The laser emitter 14 calibration procedure
occurs when at least
one of the concave 24 and the mantle 26 are replaced 102 in the crusher 2. It
only needs to be
done at this time and done once. The second point cloud generator 6 is lowered
into the chamber
scans 90 the mantle liner 36 and the concave liner 38 at the lowest part of
the concave 24, which
is the narrowest gap. The point cloud detector detects 92 the reflected laser
light and the
processor generates 94 the three-dimensional image of the mantle liner 36, the
concave liner 38,
the gap 50 and a calibration plate which is positioned in the gap 50. The
image is relayed 96 to
the computer 4. The computer 4, which comprises a processor and a memory
having encoded
thereon program code that when executed by the computer 4 processes 98 the
point cloud image
to provide 100 the "original mantle endpoint position" and "original concave
endpoint position".
These data points are stored 102.
The laser emitter 14 is activated 104 and positioned 106 at the gap 50,
preferably, but not
necessarily at the narrowest point of the gap 50. In the closed position 62 or
in the open position
60, the laser trace 78 traverses 112 the gap 50 between the mantle liner 36
and the concave liner
38, extending over the concave liner 38. The camera 16 is positioned 114 to
have a line of sight
to the cross hair 66. The camera 16 then takes 116 an image ("calibration
image") which is
compared 118 by the computer with the point cloud data (again with the
calibration plate in
position) and the endpoints are located 120 in the image and their pixel
position in the image is
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stored 122 in the computer program ("original mantle endpoint pixel position"
and "original
concave endpoint pixel position"). Then, the pixel distance between the end
points in the image
is then calculated 124 and a conversion ratio of pixel distance to the actual
CSS or OSS (as
determined by the point cloud data) is determined 126.
As shown in Figure 6, in one embodiment, the system 10 includes an RTK base
station 128 that
communicates with any GNSS satellites 130 that are in line of sight and with
the computer 4. The
drone communicates with any GNSS satellites 130 that are in line of sight and
with the computer
4 to obtain accurate position information.
As shown in Figure 7, in one embodiment, the second point cloud generator 6 is
used for
calibration and RTK is used for ensuring that the drone 8 is in the correct
location. The laser
emitter 14 is calibrated as in Figure 5 above. The drone communicates 132 with
the satellite.
The RTK base station communicates 134 with the satellite 130 and the computer
4. The computer
corrects 136 the GNSS position data from the drone 8 and instructs 138 the
drone 8 to move into
the position determined during calibration.
As shown in Figure 8, in one embodiment, the first point cloud generator 18
functions to locate
the drone 8 with its payload of the camera 16. This is for locations where the
line of sight to a
GNSS satellite is poor or non-existent, for example, but not limited to a
covered crusher. The first
point cloud generator 18 scans 140 to determine the exact position of the
drone 8. The position
is output 142 in a machine-readable format and is sent 144 to the computer 4,
which may be any
computing device, for example, but not limited to a tablet, a laptop or a
mobile device. The
computer 4 communicates 146 wirelessly with the drone 8 sending instructions.
The drone 8
moves 148 into position based on the instructions. The camera 16 is therefore
positioned in the
same spatial location as during the initial calibration.
As shown in Figure 9, once the drone 8 is positioned, the CSS 52 or OSS 54 can
be determined at
any time that the crusher is clear of material, as follows. After the crusher
chamber 20 has been
cleared 200 of material, the laser emitter 14 is activated 202 and the camera
16 is operated 204
to take images. The camera captures at 4 frames per second, giving 20 frames
per revolution of
16
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the mantle 26, as it takes 5 seconds to complete every revolution. The system
10 is programmed
to capture 60 frames within approximately 15-20 seconds. The computer 4
communicates 206
with the camera 16 to receive images taken by the camera 16 that include at
the CSS 52 or at the
OSS 54. The computer 4 processes 208 the images and determine the length of
the CSS 52 or
OSS 54. If OSS is measured, then CSS 52 can optionally be calculated 210 by
subtracting the
average throw from the OSS 54. The data are stored 212.
The details of processing are shown in Figure 10. The concave endpoint is
determined by using
an image processing routine to define 306 the outer edge 80 of the concave
liner 38 in the image,
using the offset 72 in the laser trace 78 assists in determining the outer
edge 80 of the concave
liner 38. Once this outer edge 80 has been located, the point on the outer
edge having a pixel
height corresponding in pixel height to the original concave endpoint pixel
location is defined 308
as the current concave endpoint in the image. Similarly, the point on captured
image having a
pixel height corresponding to the pixel height of the original mantle end
point pixel location is
defined 310 as the current mantle endpoint in the image. Once the current
mantle and concave
endpoints have been located in the image, the pixel distance between the
endpoints are
calculated 312 to provide the width of the gap 50. Then, the conversion ratio
is applied 314 to
determine the actual distance of the current CSS 52 or OSS 54. If it is the
OSS 54 being measured,
the CSS 52 is optionally calculated 316 by subtracting the average throw from
the OSS 54. Within
approximately 30-35 seconds all the data are recorded 318 and a minimum gap or
a maximum
gap is displayed 320. As noted above, the measurements can be done at any time
that the
crushing chamber is cleared of rock. The mantle may be moving or stationary.
In yet another embodiment, machine vision technology is used to measure the
gap width and
then using the gap width, determine CSS or OSS.
The system may be used for a jaw crusher, as shown in Figure 11. The jaw
crusher, generally
referred to as 410 has a first jaw plate 412 on a first jaw 414 and a second
jaw plate 416 on a
pivoting jaw 418, and a pivot 420. The space between the plates is a crusher
chamber 422. The
narrowest region of the crusher chamber is the gap 424. The laser emitter 14
and camera 16 are
located as described above, with the camera 16 on the drone 8 and such that
the laser emitter
17
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produces a trace that bisects the pivoting jaw in a predetermined position of
the pivoting jaw
(again, this could be at OSS or at CSS) and the camera captures an image of
the trace and an outer
edge of the first jaw plate at the predetermined position of the pivoting jaw
at the gap. The
calibration point cloud generator functions for calibration and the RTK base
station is used in
positioning of the camera (on the drone) in one embodiment, and in another
embodiment, the
first point cloud generator 18 is used for positioning the camera, as
described above for the
gyratory crusher. As for the gyratory crusher, the camera communicates with
the computer and
the images are processed to provide a gap width and to calculate at least one
of a close-side
setting and an open-side setting from the gap width. This can be done as the
crusher is active,
as long as the crusher chamber is free of material.
Example 1:
The laser emitter on the drone has been calibrated. The drone is launched and
flies above the
crusher. There is an RTK base station and there is a clear line of sight to at
least one GNSS
satellite. The RTK base station broadcasts its location together with the code
and carrier
measurements to all in-view satellites. With this information, the drone
equipment is able to
determine its location relative to the base with high precision. By adding up
the location of the
base, the drone is positioned in a global coordinate framework. The computer
instructs the
drone to move to the predetermined position. The operator can then check the
gap width in
under five minutes. It is suggested that this check is done daily.
Example 2:
The drone is launched and flies above the crusher. There is either no RTK base
station, or there
is no reliable line of sight to a GNSS satellite. A point cloud is generated
using the second three-
dimensional laser and the computing device, upon receipt of the point cloud
data sends
instructions to the drone to position it correctly above the crusher. The
operator can then check
the gap width in under five minutes. It is suggested that this check is done
daily.
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Results are achieved when the program is operated in the absence of
dust/snow/rain.
Measurement is taken right after first daytime lunch break and before the
crusher goes back into
operation. The mantle continues to rotate.
All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless
otherwise indicated
herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all
examples, or
exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein, is intended merely to
better illuminate the
example embodiments and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the claimed
invention
unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed
as indicating any
non-claimed element as essential.
Advantages of the exemplary embodiments described herein may be realized and
attained by
means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in
this written
description. It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and
detailed description
are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the claims
below. While example
embodiments have been described in detail, the foregoing description is in all
aspects illustrative
and not restrictive. It is understood that numerous other modifications and
variations can be
devised without departing from the scope of the example embodiment. For
example, as
described, the gap width at any predetermined point in the throw of the mantle
can be used to
determine the OSS or CSS. Further, the above could potentially be applicable
to cone crushers.
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