Application of Real-time Monitoring of Belt Material Level of a Port Ship Unloader-KEENVIEW

Overview

Application of Real-time Monitoring of Belt Material Level of a Port Ship Unloader

A large port undertakes a large number of loading and unloading tasks for pulverized coal and ore powder. Among them, the belt of the ship unloader serves as a key transportation channel for transferring goods from ships to the port's storage area. Real-time and accurate monitoring of its material level is of crucial importance. In the past, the port relied on manual periodic inspections to observe the belt's material level. This method is not only inefficient but also unable to detect abnormal belt material levels in a timely manner. For example, excessive material accumulation may lead to belt overload and tearing, while too little material will reduce loading and unloading efficiency. To improve the port's operational efficiency and ensure the safe and stable operation of equipment, the port has decided to introduce an advanced real-time monitoring system for the material level of ship unloader belts.

Challenge

The real-time monitoring of the belt material level of port ship unloaders faces challenges such as severe environment (including dust, sea breeze erosion, mechanical vibration) interfering with the monitoring equipment to cause failure or unstable data transmission, affecting accuracy and reliability, high real-time requirements, and difficulty in meeting traditional technical equipment. Delays in data operation affect loading and unloading efficiency, and data processing and analysis are difficult (it is necessary to accurately determine the normal fluctuation and abnormality of the material level and predict the change trend according to historical data).

Solution

Selection of high-performance equipment: For harsh environments, laser level sensors and high definition cameras with dustproof, moisture-proof, corrosion-resistant and vibration-resistant properties are selected. The laser level sensor uses the laser beam to measure the distance between the belt and the material surface, so as to accurately calculate the material level height. It has the characteristics of high precision, high stability and strong anti-interference ability; the high definition camera is used to take real-time pictures of the belt operation to assist in observing the material level. At the same time, special protection designs are carried out on the equipment, such as installing a dust cover for the sensor, adding an anti-corrosion coating to the equipment shell, etc., to ensure that the equipment can operate stably for a long time in harsh environments.
Build a real-time monitoring network: 5G communication technology and edge computing equipment are used to build a real-time monitoring network. 5G communication has the characteristics of high speed and low latency, which can quickly transmit the data collected by sensors to the monitoring center; edge computing equipment preliminarily processes and analyzes the data on site to reduce the amount of data transmission and improve the response speed. Through the real-time monitoring network, operators can check the changes of the belt material level of the ship unloader in real time in the monitoring center, and take immediate measures to adjust once any abnormalities are found.
Developing an intelligent data analytics system: An intelligent data analytics system was developed using big data analytics and artificial intelligence technology. The system can perform real-time analysis of monitoring data, automatically determine whether the material level is normal, and establish a prediction model based on historical data to predict the trend of material level changes in the future. For example, when the material level exceeds the normal range, the system will automatically issue an alarm and provide corresponding treatment suggestions; through the prediction model, the operator can adjust the working parameters of the ship unloader in advance, optimize the loading and unloading process, and improve the loading and unloading efficiency.

The solution selects dust-proof, moisture-proof, corrosion-resistant and vibration-resistant lidars and high-definition cameras with protective designs. It builds a real-time monitoring network through 5G communication and edge computing, and develops an intelligent data analysis system using big data analytics and artificial intelligence to achieve precise real-time monitoring and efficient management of the material level on the belts of port ship unloaders.

Outlook

We will continue to focus on new technologies, optimize and upgrade existing monitoring systems to improve performance, expand the application scope of the system to other belt transportation equipment in the port, and integrate it with logistics and equipment maintenance systems. At the same time, we will strengthen cooperation with all parties in the industry to jointly promote the development of belt level monitoring technology in the port, and help the port upgrade intelligently and enhance its international competitiveness.