Measurex Corporation

Honeywell-measurex Corporation

Honeywell International Inc.

John D Goss

Lee M Chase

Hung-Tzaw Hu

John G Preston

Claud Hagart-Alexander

Mathew G Boissevain

Philip M Hegland

Graham V Walford

Leonard M Anderson

Paul J Houghton

Steve Axelrod

David Watson

E Michael Heaven

Thierry M Cresson

Scott C Wiley

John David Watson

Martin G Clarke

Raymond Yu

John A Dahlquist

Michael K Norton

Gunnar Wennerberg

Mark J Alguard

Harriss T King

David A Bossen

Kent M Norton

Barclay W Wallace

Laslo Dudas

Len Anderson

Peter Herzlinger

Mark Alguard

A sensor apparatus and electrode configuration within the sensor apparatus for measuring electrical characteristics of an aqueous fibrous composition. The electrode configuration includes an elongated ground electrode and at least one segmented electrode to form an array of measurement electrode cells. The electrode configuration further includes an array of reference electrode cells formed by a plurality of reference electrodes built into the array of measurement electrode cells. The measurement electrode cells and reference electrode cells have a different sensitivity to water weight of the aqueous fibrous composition and the same sensitivity to conductivity of the aqueous fibrous composition. The measurement apparatus obtains simultaneous resistive measurements from both measurement and reference cells and determines the ratio of the measurements such that the affects from conductivity is canceled out of the measurement ratio. The determined measurement ratio is used to obtain a measurement of the water weight of the aqueous fibrous composition by using previously determined characterization data of the water weight vs. a range of measurement ratios.

Means of correcting a measurement of a property of a material with a sensor that is affected by a second property of the material

A system of providing fast machine direction (MD) and cross direction (CD) basis weight adjustments using a simultaneous multi-point water weight sensor which provides independent MD and CD measurements is described. The water weight sensor is placed under the wire of the sheetmaking machine and provides fast wet end water weight measurements which are converted into predicted dry end basis weight information and used to control operating variables of machine elements in the sheetmaking machine to compensate for high frequency process variations. MD wet end measurements are used to control operating variables of machine elements that influence the MD dry end basis weight and CD wet end measurements are used to control operating variables of machine elements that influence CD dry end basis weight.

Fast CD and MD control in a sheetmaking machine

A sensor imbedded roller for detecting changes in properties of a material and a measurement apparatus including a fixed impedance element coupled in series with a variable impedance sensor imbedded roller between an input signal and a reference potential (e.g. ground) is described. The sensor, which includes an electrode configuration, is imbedded into a roller such that when it rotates it comes in contact with the material being measured and its impedance varies. The variable impedance of the sensor relates to changes in property of the material being sensed which can then be related to changes in other physical characteristics of the material such as weight, chemical composition, and temperature. Sensor imbedded rollers can be placed in a sheetmaking machine to measure the pre-formed and post-formed paper product.

Water weight sensor array imbedded in a sheetmaking machine roll

Significant improvements in papermaking control can be achieved by employing an array of sensors that are positioned underneath the wire of the machine to measure the conductivity of the aqueous wet stock. The conductivity of the wet stock is directly proportional to the total water weight within the wet stock; consequently, the sensor provides information which can be used to monitor and control the quality of the paper sheet produced. Because CD water weight profile is obtained practically instantaneously, the MD and CD variations are essentially decoupled. Quality improvements to the sheet fabricated will be achieved by providing fast control of the actuators on the machine and by tuning components on the machine to eliminate the sources of variations. Further, the dry stock weight of a sheet of wet stock that is resting on a water permeable moving wire of the papermaking machine can be made employing a water weight sensor element that is positioned adjacent to the wire and that generates signals indicative of the water weight of the sheet of wet stock on the wire. Moreover, the moisture level cross-direction (CD) profile of a sheet of material that is produced can also be measured.

System and method for sheet measurement and control in papermaking machine

A system and method of providing on-line turbulence measurements in a sheetmaking machine and using these measurements to perform on-line adjustments to turbulence-inducing and adjusting elements in the sheetmaking machine to optimize final sheet product quality. Turbulence measurements are obtained using water weight sensors in the wet-end of the sheetmaking machine and specifically under wire water weight measurements. Water weight readings are correlated to turbulence intensity levels by correlating ranges of water weights to intensity level intervals. A turbulence processing sensor sorts accumulated water weight measurement readings into intensity level intervals to obtain turbulence measurements or a turbulence profile. The turbulence measurements or profile is provided to a machine element controller which uses the measured turbulence information and target turbulence information to generate control signals. The water weight sensors can obtain independent machine direction (MD) and cross direction (CD) water weight measurements and consequently independent turbulence measurements can be determined so that turbulence can be controlled in both directions. Machine elements are controlled so that turbulence remains uniform across the CD and so that the MD turbulence profile is optimized to resemble a target profile.

Underwire water weight turbulence sensor

System and method for sheet measurement and control in papermaking

System and method for producing paper are provided. The system controls formation of wet stock comprising fibers on a moving water permeable wire of a de-watering machine that has means for supplying the amount of pulp from at least one source, means for adding an amount of non-fibrous additives to the wet stock, a refiner that is subject to a variable load and a headbox having at least one slice, wherein each slice has an aperture through which wet stock is discharged onto the wire. The system includes: (a) at least two water weight sensors that are positioned adjacent to the wire wherein the at least two sensors are positioned at different locations in the direction of movement of the wire and upstream from a dry line which develops during operation of the machine and the sensors generate signals indicative of a water weight profile made up of a multiplicity of water weight measurements; and (b) means for adjusting at least one of the motor load controller, the amount of non-fibrous additives added to the wet stock or amount of pulp supplied from the at least one source to cause the water weight profile to match a preselected or optimal water weight profile.

Wet end control for papermaking machine

A system and method of providing fast machine direction (MD) and cross direction (CD) basis weight adjustments using a simultaneous multi-point water weight sensor which provides independent MD and CD measurements is described. The water weight sensor is placed under the wire of the sheetmaking machine and provides fast wet end water weight measurements which are converted into predicted dry end basis weight information and used to control operating variables of machine elements in the sheetmaking machine to compensate for high frequency process variations. MD wet end measurements are used to control operating variables of machine elements that influence the MD dry end basis weight and CD wet end measurements are used to control operating variables of machine elements that influence CD dry end basis weight. The fast control information provided by the non-scanned water weight sensor can be used in a fast control loop which provides feedback information to wetstock source, headbox and forming elements and which can be used with a slower response control loop including a dry end sensor which provides a slower basis weight measurement and which controls system variables to compensate for larger basis weight fluctuations.

System and method for producing paper that employ an apparatus for measuring electrical characteristics of a fibrous composition. The apparatus comprises a plurality of conductivity (or resistance) detectors each comprising a sensor that is sensitive to the conductivity (or resistance) and the proximity of the material (e.g., fibrous composition) to the sensor. Measurements from the apparatus relate to the zeta potential of the fibrous materials in the composition. The zeta potential profiles corresponding optimized configurations of the sheetmaking process can be employed to monitor and control the process.

Paper stock zeta potential measurement and control

An apparatus and method for obtaining fiber weight measurements in the wet end of a sheetmaking system and for verifying fiber weight measurements taken in the wet end of a sheetmaking system which includes a water weight sensor positioned beneath the wire in the wet end of the sheetmaking system for obtaining water weight measurements and load cells residing beneath the water weight sensor for weighing the wet end sensor and the wire with wetstock (total weight) and without wetstock (tare weight). In one embodiment, the water weight measurement and the tare weight measurement are subtracted from the total weight to obtain the fiber weight in the wetstock. In another embodiment, the water weight measurement is used to obtain an predicted fiber weight measurement and the determined fiber weight is used to verify the predicted fiber weight measurement and the accuracy of the water weight measurement device.

Weight measurement and measurement standardization sensor

An apparatus for sensing three properties of materials: the conductivity or resistance, the dielectric constant, and the proximity of the material to the sensor portion of the apparatus. The apparatus includes a fixed impedance element coupled in series with the sensor portion of the apparatus between an input signal and ground. The sensor portion of the apparatus is an electrode configuration which includes at least two electrodes with a portion of the material residing between and in close proximity to the electrodes. The sensor exhibits a variable impedance resulting from changes in physical characteristics of the material. The fixed impedance element and the variable impedance of the sensor portion form a voltage divider network such that changes in impedance of the sensor portion results in changes in voltage on the output of the apparatus. The variable impedance of the sensor portion relates to changes in property of the material being sensed which can then be related to changes in other physical characteristics of the material such as weight, chemical composition, and temperature.

Electromagnetic field perturbation sensor and methods for measuring

Apparatus and process for controlling the basis weight of paper produced in a papermaking machine are provided. In the papermaking process, a major portion of the paper stock flows through a first line that is controlled by a thick stock valve and a minor portion of the stock flow from the stuff box to the headbox is diverted through a second line that is regulated by a second valve (e.g., vernier valve). The thick stock valve is controlled by the dry end basis weight and the second valve responsive to measurements of the basis weight of the wet stock at the wire. The second line and control valve along with the wet end basis weight measurements form a fine control loop with fast response time whereas the first line and control valve that is responsive to dry end basis weight measurements form a course control loop. The dual control loops enable fast and actual basis weight control.

Fast basis weight control for papermaking machine

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

John D Goss