Automated Online Measurement of Particle Size Distribution using 3D Range Data

Fully automated online measurement of the size distribution of limestone fragments on conveyor belt is presented based on 3D range data collected every minute during 13 hours of production. The research establishes the necessary measurement technology to facilitate automatic control of particle breaking or aggregating processes to improve both energy efficiency and product quality. Techniques are presented covering; sizing of fragments, determination of non-overlapped and overlapped fragments, and mapping of sizing results to distributions comparable to sieving. Detailed variations in the product sieve size are shown with an abrupt change when the size range of the limestone fragments was changed.