MIXED SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SEPARATION OF QARANTINE WEEDS SEEDS FROM GRAINS

Abstract

 The system for separation of quarantine weed seeds from grains and the method implemented by this system are based on the interaction of a set of subsystems with specific functions respectively, the subsystem I support framework, the subsystem II of seed mixing with glycerine solution, the subsystem III for glycerine-treated seed separation, the subsystem IV for covering the material with iron powder, the subsystem V for magnetic seed separation, the subsystem VI for fluid powering and the subsystem VII command and control of the technologic process, which performs its specific function using the PLC component with memory connected with a touchscreen interface, and the fluidic powering system uses next-generation actuators, namely the fluid artificial muscles, which give the system greater compliance, adaptability, low weight and security in operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a mixed system and a method of separation of quarantine weed seeds from grains, which is operated with fluid artificial fillets and is intended for grain post-processing equipment, to provide superior quality.

Background Art

[0002] In practice, various technical solutions are known for equipment and installations for disposal of quarantine weed seeds (dodder) from seed material, (clover, alfalafa seeds, rice, etc.) which work in stationary mode using the principle of electromagnetic or magnetic drum, as well as those with velvet separators. All quarantine weed seeding plants that implement these technical solutions are designed for a certain type of seed - dedicated technological process and the adjustment systems of the functional parameter are manually operated, using classic mechanisms (screw nuts, levers, etc.), depending on the degree of grains contamination.

[0003] There is also known, a method and a system for separating similar seeds U.S patented no. 1,894,058, published on 10th January 1933, the disadvantage of this solution being that, it allows only to separate the seeds that have the whole and undamaged outer surface.

[0004] Also is known the solution described in U.S. patent application no. 2005/0092656 A1, published in 8th November 2012, which has the disadvantage that if the surface of the seed is small or damaged, then the iron powder adhering to it creates a magnetic field with less attraction and the separation process does not have the desired effect.

[0005] The disadvantages of these equipments are:

• the equipment's with velvet rollers, separates the quarantine weed seeds with full tegument and smash or damaged seeds are omitted;
• the equipment with magnetic drums separates full tegument but also damaged, or broken weed seeds, but the iron powder to be used is expensive and easily loses its ferromagnetic quality if it is not well stored;
• the humidified material flow regulating systems are usually provided with classic actuators (gears, screw-nuts, levers etc.) that sometimes are difficult to correlate and match to the material type;
• the equipment using iron filings presents additional purchase costs from unique suppliers from abroad;
• the magnetic or electromagnetic drums equipments must be placed in well-ventilated warehouses with low humidity and operators must wear dust and fine powders masks.

[0006] The technical problem solved by this solution, according to the invention, consists in the realization of a mixed system and a method for separation of quarantine weed seeds from grains powered by artificial muscles, which are easily adapted to the different types of seeds, to assures a cleaner working environment for operators, to capitalise some quarantine weed seeds in immune-stimulant treatments, and also the processed grains to have level of purity, as is specified by the trading market regulations.

Summary of invention

[0007] The mixed system of separation of quarantine weed seeds from grains is powered by artificial fluid muscles and is incorporated in a supporting framework made of aluminium profiles to allow a light construction, that can be easily installed in warehouses, and is provided with collecting funnels of dodder seeds treated with glycerine, of dodder coated with iron powder, of grain collection and also a processed material collection, but also with fastening and positioning elements of the coupling elements of the other systems.

[0008] A second component is a seed mixing subsystem with a glycerine solution (water and glycerine) which allows to make a mixing process with a special construction helicoidally conveyor, provided with nozzles that spray solution over the raw material, and thus the material is prepared for the first type of separation. The processed material is evacuated by a directing system driven by a fluid artificial muscle.

[0009] The third component consists in a separation subsystem of glycerol treated seeds in two steps with two belts made of two try-laminated material, so that this two-stage separation are positioned one above the other, and from structurally point of view they are configured in a mirror, the processed material passes between them by a directing system driven by a fluid artificial muscle.

[0010] The fourth component is an iron powder coating subsystem, using a two-stage horizontal helicoidally conveyor. The rotation of the upper conveyor is transmitted to the lower helicoidally conveyor thorough a transmission. The material collected from the exit third component is transported to the wetting facility connected to a water source so that, after the seeds have been wetted, they pass to the lower floor where an iron powder pulverising installation covers the seeds, after the seeds are mixed. These are directed to the magnetic separation subsystem by means of a flexible tube, in the same configuration as in glycerine mixing system.

[0011] The fifth component consists of a vibratory table on which is placed an adjustable vibrator motor. At the fixed end are mounted two pneumatic vibration dampers, one on one side and the other on the opposite side, two more pneumatic vibration dampers on the vertical direction, at the movable end there are two other pneumatic vibration dampers. The compression fluid artificial muscle has two roles, one as damp the vertically vibrations and the other, to ensure the material flow angle in accordance with processed material and its humidity.

[0012] The mixed system, according to the invention, has also a fluid operating subsystem which includes, in addition to compressive and traction fluid artificial muscles other passive and active fluid circuit elements, as a main control and command subsystem placed in a central panel. Here are grouped the analogue and digital signals transmitted by the functional parameter transducers, by passive and active network elements, known per se, the system working operations are commanded by a PLC technology connected with a touch screen digital interface.

[0013] The separation method has as a starting point the determination of grains contamination degree by laboratory samples, percentage of weed seeds and smash one and involves the seeds mixing with a glycerine solution, followed by glycerine-treated seeds separation, so that the separated grains will have low weed mixture that will be again moistened with a predetermined amount of water and coated with iron powder. The wetting process is carried out at the upper level and the iron powder coating on a lower layer, and thus, the excess liquid does not allow the iron powder to adhere to the housing and favour it's adhering to the weed seed surfaces. The method is requires after that a new magnetic separation step and the final product it is consist of free weed seeds grains. The method is implemented using a modern control technology type PLC of fluid power operation with latest generation actuators, namely compression and traction fluidic artificial muscle.

[0014] The mixed system and method of separation of quarantine weed seeds from grains has the following advantages:

• the technological process to eliminate the quarantine weed seeds separates all types of fractions;
• the reduction of the iron powder amount used and respectively processing costs reduction;
• the adaptability increase of the separation systems according to material type, on its humidity and its contamination level, by implementing innovative driving systems that can be centrally controlled and their operating fluid power presents a maximum safety (gas inert, compressed air, etc.);
• decrease of the pollution's degree of operator's work environment; also the machine working process can be made by one person, if it is integrated into a technological flow;
• application's field increase of weed separation equipment, due to its capacity to adapt and to be programmed for various working conditions in accordance cereal farmers and processors requirements.

Brief description of drawings

[0015] The following is an example of invention's accomplishment, in connection with Figures 1, 2 and 3, which are:

Fig. 1 Block diagram of mixed system of quarantine weed seeds separation from grains powered by fluid artificial muscles;

Fig. 2 - Mixed system and separation method of quarantine weed seeds from grains powered by fluid artificial muscles - detailed scheme;

Fig. 3 - Section through the laminate belt.

Description of embodiments

[0016] Mixed separation system of quarantine weed seeds from grains powered by fluid artificial muscle, according to the invention, is composed of a functional components series, hereinafter referred to as subsystems.

[0017] The support framework - subsystem I - is made of aluminium profiles to provide the system with a lightweight construction that can easily be assembled in the warehouses, it is provided with two funnels to collect the dodder seeds treated with glycerine 20, a passage funnel 35, an iron powder coated funnel 61 and another processed grain collecting funnel 54, but also some guide elements such as 21, 26, 27, 47, 77 and positioning of couplers 24, 31, 59, 60 of the mixed system components.

[0018] The subsystem II glycerine solution seed mixing (water and glycerine) is mounted on the support framework I and consists of a horizontal special construction helically conveyor 1, a full spiral and a cut spiral, driven in the revolution motion using the belt wheel 79, from an electric motor 10, which is provided with a belt wheel 14 and a trapezoidal belt 12. The parasitic weed seeds 2 and the crop seeds 3 are covered with a glycerine solution sprayed by some nozzles 11, which are connected to a distribution installation controlled by a servo--controlled valve 9 connected to a tank 4, which is provided with a vertical mixer 5, a level sensor 6, two electro-controlled valves 7 and 8, that is connected to water source F1 and glycerine F2. The treated seeds are discharged from the mixer conveyor by means of a corrugated tube 19 which guides the feedstock to the separation system by means of a traction fluidic artificial muscle 17, which is fixed to one end to the conveyor coverage and at the other end to the coupling element 18, on which two transducers, one to monitor its position 15 and a pressure 16. The mixing process is carried out continuously as long as the feed hopper is provided with feedstock and the level sensor 80 is activated. Monitoring the displacement of coupling element 18 with the position transducer 15, results in the grains and seeds coverage with an ecological and volatile substance which increases the degree of separation. The novelty of this subsystem consists in the fact that the is provided with a material discharging element powered by an innovative actuator, respectively a traction fluid artificial muscle, in order to place the raw material right on the separation surface of subsystem III.

[0019] The subsystem III glycerine-treated seed separation is mounted on the support framework of subsystem I and consists of two adjustable subsystems III.a and III.b, consisting of the same constructive elements and are orientated in the mirror, one over the other, so that the material processed by the subsystem III.a is routed to subsystem III.b, by a collecting funnel 35 which is provided with a seed direction system identical to one that is placed on the glycerine solution seed mixing system II.

[0020] The subsystem III.a is composed of a laminated belt 23 made of a textile insertion rubber band 81 on which it is glued using an adhesive 82 a synthetic velvet 83, which has the role of transporting the dodder seeds 2 upstream and collecting them in funnel 20 which is driven in translational motion by a roller 84 connected at a rotating electric motor 34, on which a revolution transducer 33 is located, the other end of the belt 23 passes over the roller 24, a rotary brush 37, a pre-tensioner roller 28 and 25 that are actuated by two fluid artificial muscles, a compression fluid artificial muscle 88 and a traction fluid artificial muscle 17 that are guided by levers 86 and 87 on a translation system 27. To allow the belt 23 to tilt according to the slope angle α, which the processed material has to slide, is powered by the compression fluid artificial muscle 85, actuator that is provided at one end with a pressure transducer 30 and a revolution system 31, at the other end is placed a rotatable coupling element solidary with lever 22 that is sliding on a support 21. The angle α is measured by a displacement transducer 32 which is positioned on a connecting element 26. A pressure transducer 29 pre-tensions the belt, so that don't slide onto the motor reel 84. The slope angle is influenced by the processed material physical - mechanical properties as well as its humidity. The novelty of this subsystem consists in the fact that has: a three laminated separated belt with a specific material designed to archive a specific separation process; novel tensioner device that uses innovative actuators, respectively fluid artificial muscles, configured according to pneumotronic / hydrotonic principles, in order lower its weight, its maintenance and to increase the system adaptability to the technological requirements and of seed processors.

[0021] The subsystem IV iron powder coating subsystem is mounted on support framework of subsystem I and consists of a two-stage horizontal helical conveyor with two special construction shaft's 85 and 86, a full spiral and a cut spindle, which is driven in the revolution motion by the trapezoidal belt 45 wrapped onto the well 79 mounted on an electric motor 76. The revolution motion from the upper conveyor 85 is transmitted to a lower conveyor 86 using a belt transmission 46. The material collected from the subsystem III output through a duct 38, enters in subsystem IV and is transported towards a wetting installation 39 which is connected to a water source F1 controlled by an proportional valve 8 which supplies a reservoir 39 provided with a level transducer 80 and a hydraulic servo-valve 9 connected to the sprinkler system. After the seeds have been wetted, the grains pass throw the lower conveyor where the weed seeds are coated with iron powder that is pulverized by installation 41, that is provided with special nozzles 43 which are supplied by a peristaltic pump 44 that is connected to tank 40, in which is placed a vertical pallet mixer 87 and a level transducer 80. After that the weed seeds are coated then are directed to the magnetic separation subsystem V, by means of a beaded tube, identical of the one described in glycerine blending subsystem II. The novelty of this subsystem consists in the fact that the wetting process is carried out at the upper level and the iron covering process at the lower level and the excess liquid does not allow the iron powder to adhere to the housing and favour its adhesion to the weeds seed surface.

[0022] The subsystem V is mounted on support framework of subsystem I and consists of a vibratory table 50 made of galvanized or stainless steel sheet on which an adjustable vibrator 51 is mounted. At the fixed end there are placed two pneumatic vibration dampers 49, one on one side and the other on the opposite side, and another two pneumatic vibration dampers 88 for the vertical vibrations, and also at the movable end 90 are placed other two pneumatic vibration dampers 49. The compression fluid artificial muscles 85 has two rolls, one as a pneumatic vibration dampers for the vertically vibrations and the other, to ensure the material flow angle θ in accordance with processed material type and its humidity, this parameter is motorized by a position transducer 32, which is located on the equipment frame and is correlated with supply pressure of actuator 85. The movable telescopic end 90 is joint with lever 48 that is sliding on support 47. The magnetic drum 53 is positioned on the support framework subsystem I and is driven by a variable revolution electric motor 55 and on the shaft 60 is mounted a support for the rotating brush 59 and its axis is guided by the element 91 that is sliding on support 56, thus adjust the drum cleaning brush angle σ that detaches the iron powder covered seeds and iron powder particles from magnetic surface, the frictional force enhanced by the rotary brush 62 is generated by the compression artificial muscle 92. The seeds which are trained in the sliding movement on surface 50 are guided by an element 52. The magnetic separation subsystem has a high degree of novelty given by its comprises: six pneumatic vibration dampers which attenuate vibrations generated by the vibratory mass on two directions, four of them are located in the transverse direction at the table ends and other two vertical pneumatic dampers in the material outlet; one positioning device that uses fluid artificial muscles in the raw material feed section, in order to generate the material processed sloping angle in accordance with grains type and its humidity, which is in fact higher than the previous process, and also attenuates the vertical vibrations in that area, fact that leads to higher system reliability and eliminating vibrations at the framework level. Also, the magnetic drum rotating brush can be easily positioned because it slides onto its frame and the cleaning process is controlled by a fluid artificial muscle that generates the required pressure force in order to remove the most persistent materials, fact that directly influences the magnetic separation process performance.

[0023] The subsystem VI fluid drive plant is made from several compressing fluid artificial muscles 85, 88, 92 and traction fluid artificial muscle 17, quick couplings elements 94, flexible fluid tubes 93, several valve platform 36 with five electro valves which are controlled by the signals generated by command and control subsystem VII, and also a working fluid preparation group 65, which generally comprises filters, regulators, lubricating device, pump or compressor sources known per se. The novelty of this subsystem consists in the fact that the subsystem is made from last generation actuators, namely fluid artificial muscles, which give increased compliance, adaptability, low weight and safety driven. This actuators are although known themselves, but their combination is a novelty element and is implemented for the first time in the cereal processing equipment field. These actuators can be operated by liquids (water, emulsions, etc.) and also by gases media (compressed air, inert gases, etc.) and can be easily command and controlled by both classical and innovative equipment's.

[0024] The subsystem VII is a command and control component of technologic process and centralizes in the central control unit the analogue and digital signals that generated by displacement transducers 15 and 32, level transducers, pressure transducers 16, 29 and 30, force transducer 29, rotary speed transducers 33 and 58, according to a predefined plan. Also is provided with an electrical signal source, transformers, relays, amplifiers, signal filters, fans, Start / Stop push button and emergency button 94, signalling lamps 70, PLC and an operation touchscreen digital interface 69.

[0025] The separation method of quarantine weed seeds from grains using fluid artificial muscles, according to the invention involves carrying out specific steps implemented on the system described according to the invention, thus:

Step 1, determining the contamination grain degree by laboratory samples, percentage of full tegument and smash weed seeds percentages.

Step 2, establishing the glycerine solution concentration, the iron powder dosage and the water dosage required for wetting.

Step 3, adjusting the functional parameters, as: the processed material flow, the helical conveyor revolution speed n1 and n3, as well as the electric motors revolution speed n2, n4, n5 and the motors 87, the III and V subsystems slope angles α and θ, the fluid artificial muscles supply pressure that depends on the separated material hectolitres weight;

Step 4, supplying the glycerine, water and iron powder tanks, with the right quantities and in accordance with the data obtained from the first step, because the glycerine is volatile and the iron powder is easily oxidized if it is kept in the untighten container and loses its magnetizing capacity;

Step 5, performing a pre-separation process according to the following successive steps:

- stage 1 - connecting the equipment to the power source;

- stage 2 - placing the collection vessels (bags, conveyors, etc.) to the collector system;

- stage 3 - checking the control subsystem VII, if all the connected components are operating or if errors occur,

- stage 4 - supplying the equipment with raw material;

- stage 5 - supervising the technological process;

- stage 6 - taking at least three samplings from separated material, namely from funnel 61 after 10 minutes of operation;

- stage 7 - determining the purity degree and the material collected quality in funnels 20, 38 and 54, and establish if there are good grains in these sorts;

- stage 8 - reseting the operating parameters for engines 87, if the material collected in step 7 contains good grains and the stage 6 is remade;

- stage 9 - continuing the separation process if only weed seeds and smash ones are collected;

Step 6, determining the final purity degree by sampling at least 3 samples from the funnel 61;

Step 7, bringing the separation system to its initial operation state, by emptying the glycerine and powder tanks, cleaning the magnetic drum and the mixing systems, and also disconnecting the system from the electric and water supply if the separation process is completed.

Claims

1. A mixed system of separation of quarantine weed seeds from grains, commanded and controlled by subsystem VII that uses the PLC technology on the pneutronic or hydrotonic power system that is placed on the support framework subsystem I, characterized in that it comprises the glycerine solution seed mixing subsystem II, the glycerine-treated seed separation subsystem III, the iron powder coating subsystem IV, the magnetic weed seed separation subsystem V and the fluid driven subsystem VI.

2. A mixed system of separation of quarantine weed seeds from grains according to claim 1, characterized in that the subsystem II glycerine solution seed mixing has a material discharging element made from the corrugated tube 19 which guides the feedstock to the separation system by means of the traction fluidic artificial muscle 17, which is fixed to one end to the conveyor coverage and at the other end to the coupling element 18, on which two transducers, one to monitor its position 15 and a pressure one 16, the monitoring of these working parameters ensuring that the weed seeds are covered with an ecological and volatile substance that increases the separation degree and places the raw material right on the subsystem III separation surface.

3. A mixed system of separation of quarantine weed seeds from grains according to claim 1, characterized in that the subsystem III glycerine solution seed mixing consists of two adjustable subsystems III.a and III.b, so that the material processed by the subsystem III.a is directed to the subsystem III.b via the collecting funnel 35 provided with the seed direction system, so that the subsystem III.a is composed from the three laminated material belt 23, made of the textile insertion rubber band 81 on which it is glued to the synthetic adhesive 82 and the synthetic velvet 83, which has the role of transport the weed seeds 2 upstream and them in the funnel 20, which is driven in translational motion by the roller 84 connected at the rotating electric motor 34, on which the revolution transducer 33 is located, the other end of the belt 23 passes over the roller 24, the rotary brush 37, the pre-tensioner roller 28 and 25 that are actuated by two fluid artificial muscles, the compression fluid artificial muscle 88 and the traction fluid artificial muscle 17 that are guided by the levers 86 and 87 on the translation system 27, allowing the belt 23 to tilt according to the slope angle α, which the processed material has to slide, is powered by the compression fluid artificial muscle 85, actuator that is provided at one end with the pressure transducer 30 and the revolution system 31, at the other end is placed a rotatable coupling element solidary with lever 22 that is sliding on a support 21, thus angle α is measured by the displacement transducer 32 which is positioned on the connecting element 26, so that the pressure transducer 29 pre-tensions the belt, so that don't slide onto the motor reel 84.

4. A mixed system of separation of quarantine weed seeds from grains according to claim 1, characterized by that the subsystem IV iron powder coating subsystem is provided with the powder material mixing conveyor, in which the wetting process is carried out at the superior level and the weed seed iron coating process at the lower level, so the excess liquid does not allow the iron powder to adhere to the housing and favour its adhesion to the weeds seed surface.

5. A mixed system of separation of quarantine weed seeds from grains according to claim 1, it is characterized in that the, subsystem V seed magnetic separation is made from the vibratory table 50 made of galvanized or stainless steel sheet on which the adjustable vibrator 51 is mounted, and at the fixed end there are placed two pneumatic vibration dampers 49, one on one side and the other on the opposite side, and another two pneumatic vibration dampers 88 for the vertical vibrations, and also at the movable end 90 are placed other two pneumatic vibration dampers 49, and the compression fluid artificial muscles 85 has two rolls, one as a pneumatic vibration dampers for the vertically vibrations and the other, to ensure the material flow angle θ in accordance with processed material type and its humidity, this parameter is motorized by the position transducer 32, which is located on the equipment frame and is correlated with supply pressure of actuator 85, the movable telescopic end 90 is joint with lever 48 that is sliding on support 47, and the magnetic drum 53 is positioned on the support framework subsystem I and is driven by a variable revolution electric motor 55 and on the shaft 60 is mounted the support for the rotating brush 59 and its axis is guided by the element 91 that is sliding on support 56, thus adjust the drum cleaning brush angle σ that detaches the iron powder covered seeds and iron powder particles from magnetic surface, the frictional force enhanced by the rotary brush 62 is generated by the compression artificial muscle 92, and thus the seeds which are trained in the sliding movement on surface 50 are guided by the element 52.

6. A mixed system of separation of quarantine weed seeds from grains according to claim 1, characterized in that the subsystem VI fluid drive plant incorporates a combination that is the first time implemented in cereal processing equipment powered with fluid artificial muscles, respectively the compression muscle 85 and 88, and the traction muscle 17, which can be operated by liquids (water, emulsion, etc.) and gases (compressed air, inert gases etc.), and can be easily commanded and controlled by a wide range of classical and innovative equipment's, for this reason the subsystem has increased compliance, adaptability, low weight and safety driven.

7. A separation method of quarantine weed seeds from grains implemented on the system according to claim 1, characterized in that it involves the following steps:- Step 1, determining the contamination grain degree by laboratory samples, percentage of full tegument and smash weed seeds percentages; -Step 2, establishing the glycerine solution concentration, the iron powder dosage and the water dosage required for wetting- new step.-Step 3, adjusting the functional parameters, as: the processed material flow, the helical conveyor revolution speed n1 and n3, as well as the electric motors revolution speed n2, n4, n5 and the motors 87, the III and V subsystems slope angles α and θ, the fluid artificial muscles supply pressure that depends on the separated material hectolitres weight ;-Step 4, supplying the glycerine, water and iron powder tanks, with the right quantities and in accordance with the data obtained from the first step, because the glycerine is volatile and the iron powder is easily oxidized if it is kept in the untighten container and loses its magnetizing capacity;-Step 5, performing a pre-separation process according to the following successive stages:- stage 1 - connectig the equipment to the power source;- stage 2 - placing the collection vessels (bags, conveyors, etc.) to the collector system;- stage 3 - checking the control subsystem VII, if all the connected components are operating or if errors occur,- stage 4 - supplying the equipment with raw material;- stage 5 - supervising the technological process;- stage 6 - taking at least three samplings from separated material, namely from funnel 61 after 10 minutes of operation;- stage 7 - determining the purity degree and the material collected quality in funnels 20, 38 and 54, and establish if there are good grains in these sorts;- stage 8 - reseting the operating parameters for engines 87, if the material collected in step 7 contains good grains and the stage 6 is remade;- stage 9 - continuing the separation process if only weed seeds and smash ones are collected;-Step 6, determining the final purity degree by sampling at least 3 samples from the funnel 61;-Step 7, bringing the separation system to its initial operation state, by emptying the glycerine and powder tanks, cleaning the magnetic drum and the mixing systems, and also disconnecting the system from the electric and water supply if the separation process is completed.

Drawing