[0001] This invention relates to a method of producing fiber pulp from lignocellulose-containing
fiber material.
[0002] The fiber material, which normally consists of vegetable or wood parts, for example
in the form of chips, first is fed into a preheater having the form of a container,
in which the material is preheated by a heat medium, such as steam of atmospheric
or higher pressure. The material is discharged from the preheater to a refiner where
the fiber pulp is produced by defibering the fiber material. The defibration normally
takes place in a refiner comprising two opposed refiner discs rotatable relative to
each other, which between themselves form a refining gap. The material is fed to the
inner portion of the refining gap and defibered while being passed through the gap.
[0003] The preheating of the fiber material has the object to soften the material in order
thereby to facilitate the subsequent defibering and to affect the properties of the
fiber pulp as well as the energy consumption. A change in the preheating time, i.e.
the dwell time in the preheater, changes the quality of the defibered pulp. It is
normal in a defibering plant, that for various reasons the production is subjected
to momentary variations. When at these production variations the level of the fiber
material in the preheater is maintained, the dwell time of the material will be changed
so that the fiber quality varies with the production variations.
[0004] In conventional plants the preheaters are provided with equipment rendering it possible
only to maintain the material level in the preheaters constant.
[0005] The present invention offers a solution of the aforesaid problem. According to the
invention, the fiber material can be held in the preheater for a predetermined dwell
time, irrespective of the fiber pulp production, by measuring the fiber pulp production
and using it for controlling the level of the fiber material in the preheater.
[0006] The invention is described in greater detail in the following, with reference to
the accompanying Figure showing an embodiment of a plant for the production of fiber
pulp according to the method of the invention.
[0007] The plant comprises a preheater 10,to the upper portion of which a feed device 11
with a feed screw 12 for fiber material, preferably wood chips, is connected. The
feed screw 12 is driven by a motor 13 with adjustable speed. At the bottom of the
preheater 10 a discharge device 14 is located which comprises one or several discharge
screws 15 driven by a motor 16 with adjustable speed. Steam for heating the material
in the preheater 10 is supplied through a conduit 17.
[0008] The discharge device 14 is connected to a refiner 18 comprising a stationary and
a rotatable refiner disc 19,20, of which the rotatable refiner disc 20 is driven by
a motor 21. The fiber pulp defibered in the refiner is removed through a blow line
22 to subsequent processing steps.
[0009] For determining the material level in the preheater 10, a level indicator 23 is located
on the outside of the preheater and runs in a guide 24 along the preheater. The indicator
23 can be moved along the guide 24, for example by means of a chain arrangement 25
and a stepping motor 26.
[0010] According to the embodiment shown, the speed of the discharge screw 15 is a measure
of the actual production of fiber pulp. A certain speed, thus, corresponds to a certain
fiber pulp production, calculated as ton pulp per hour (ton/h). The relation, however,
need not be linear.
[0011] By considering the shape of the preheater, i.e. the variation in height of the cross-sectional
area, the volume (m³) of the fiber material contained in the preheater can be determined
as a function of the level (m) of the material column in the preheater. When consideration
also is paid to the density of the raw material in question, this function can be
expressed as ton/m.
[0012] By dividing the fiber production expressed in ton/h through the material contained
in the preheater expressed in ton/m, and multiplying this quotient by the desired
dwell time T expressed in hours (h), the level (H) expressed in meters (m) of the
material column is obtained. It corresponds to the desired dwell time T at the actual
production.
[0013] At production variations, i.e. changes in speed of the discharge screw 15, the desired
level (H) will vary according to above. The level can be controlled by adjusting the
material supply to the preheater 10,preferably by varying the speed of the feed screw
12.
[0014] The control circuit shown in the Figure comprises a revolution counter 27,which indicates
the speed of the discharge screw 15 and is connected to a controller 28, which on
the basis of given data comprising the desired dwell time T automatically calculates
the required material level (H) in the preheater 10.This nominal value for the level
is compared in a device 29 to the actual height position of the level indicator (23)(actual
value). At a difference between nominal and actual value, a signal is transmitted
to the stepping motor 26 for moving the level indicator 23, and a signal is transmitted
to a speed controller 30 for changing the speed of the feed screw 12. By increasing
or reducing this speed, the material level can be raised or lowered until the actual
nominal value for the level is obtained.
[0015] The invention, of course, is not restricted to the embodiment described, but can
be varied within the scope of the invention idea.
1. A method of producing fiber pulp from lignocellulose-containing fiber material, where
the fiber material first is fed into a preheater (10) und preheated, and the preheated
material thereafter is discharged to a refiner (18) where the fiber pulp is produced
by defibration of the fiber material, characterized in that the fiber material is held in the preheater (10) for a predetermined dwell time,
irrespective of the fiber pulp production, by measuring the fiber pulp production
and using it for controlling the level of the fiber material in the preheater (10).
2. A method as defined in claim 1,characterized in that the discharge from the preheater (10) to the refiner (18) takes place by means
of a discharge screw (15), the speed of which is a measure of the fiber pulp production.
3. A method as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the fiber material is fed into the preheater (10) by means of a feed screw (12),
the speed of which controls the supply of fiber material and thereby the level of
the fiber material in the preheater (10).
4. A method as defined in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the level of the fiber material in the preheater (10) is indicated by a level
indicator (23), which is moved by means of a stepping motor (26).