Return sand cooling system and return sand cooling method

Abstract

A return sand cooling system, including: a sand moisture and temperature measuring instrument measuring the moisture content and temperature of the return sand; a control device determines an appropriate water addition amount, which is an amount of water to be added to the return sand; a water-sprinkling cooling device adds water of the appropriate water addition amount to the return sand and cools the return sand by the latent heat of vaporization of water to obtain the cooled return sand; an air introducing device that introduces air into the water-sprinkling cooling device; and an introduced air temperature and humidity measuring instrument measures the temperature and humidity of introduced air to be introduced into the water-sprinkling cooling device; the control device determining the appropriate water addition amount on the basis of the moisture content and temperature of the return sand, and the temperature and humidity of the introduced air.

1 . A return sand cooling system that cools return sand and adjusts the moisture content of cooled return sand, wherein the return sand cooling system comprises:
 a sand moisture and temperature measuring instrument that measures the moisture content and temperature of the return sand;   a control device that determines an appropriate water addition amount, which is an amount of water to be added to the return sand;   a water-sprinkling cooling device that adds water of the appropriate water addition amount to the return sand and cools the return sand by the latent heat of vaporization of water to obtain the cooled return sand;   an air introducing device that introduces air into the water-sprinkling cooling device; and   an introduced air temperature and humidity measuring instrument that measures the temperature and humidity of introduced air to be introduced into the water-sprinkling cooling device;   the control device determining the appropriate water addition amount on the basis of the moisture content and temperature of the return sand, and the temperature and humidity of the introduced air.   
     
     
         2 . The return sand cooling system according to  claim 1 , comprising an airflow amount measuring instrument that measures the airflow amount of the introduced air;
 wherein the control device determines the appropriate water addition amount further on the basis of the airflow amount.   
     
     
         3 . The return sand cooling system according to  claim 2 , wherein the control device comprises:
 a required amount of water evaporation calculating unit that calculates a required amount of water evaporation on the basis of the temperature of the return sand and the loaded amount of the return sand;   an allowable amount of water vapor evaporation calculating unit that calculates an allowable amount of water vapor evaporation on the basis of the temperature and humidity of the introduced air and the airflow amount;   a comparison computation unit that performs a comparison of the required amount of water evaporation and the allowable amount of water vapor evaporation, and determines a control operation for controlling the airflow amount, the loaded amount of the return sand, or the temperature of the introduced air, or any combination thereof, on the basis of the result of the comparison; and   a control unit that executes the control operation.   
     
     
         4 . The return sand cooling system according to  claim 3 , wherein if the required amount of water evaporation is greater than the allowable amount of water vapor evaporation, the control operation is an operation for increasing the airflow amount, reducing the loaded amount of the return sand, or increasing the temperature of the introduced air, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The return sand cooling system according to  claim 3 , wherein if the required amount of water evaporation is less than the allowable amount of water vapor evaporation, the control operation is an operation for either or both reducing the airflow amount and increasing the loaded amount of the return sand. 
     
     
         6 . The return sand cooling system according to  claim 4 , wherein the control device comprises an appropriate water addition amount determining unit that determines the appropriate water addition amount on the basis of the required amount of water evaporation that was calculated again from measurement values measured again in each measuring instrument after the control operation. 
     
     
         7 . The return sand cooling system according to  claim 1 , comprising a cooled return sand moisture and temperature measuring instrument that measures the moisture content and temperature of the cooled return sand;
 wherein the control device comprises a first correction amount calculating unit that calculates a correction amount of the airflow amount of the introduced air, the loaded amount of the return sand, or the appropriate water addition amount, or any combination thereof, on the basis of the moisture content and temperature of the cooled return sand.   
     
     
         8 . The return sand cooling system according to  claim 1 , comprising a discharged air temperature and humidity measuring instrument that measures the temperature and humidity of discharged air discharged from the water-sprinkling cooling device;
 wherein the control device comprises a second correction amount calculating unit that calculates a correction amount of the airflow amount of the introduced air, the loaded amount of the return sand, or the temperature of the introduced air, or any combination thereof, on the basis of the temperature and humidity of the discharged air.   
     
     
         9 . The return sand cooling system according to  claim 1 , comprising a discharged air temperature measuring instrument that measures the temperature of discharged air discharged from the water-sprinkling cooling device;
 wherein the control device:   calculates the humidity of the discharged air on the basis of the temperature of the discharged air; and   corrects, if the humidity of the discharged air is greater than or equal to a prescribed value, the airflow amount of the introduced air, the loaded amount of the return sand, or the temperature of the introduced air, or any combination thereof.   
     
     
         10 . The return sand cooling system according to  claim 9 , comprising a cooled return sand moisture and temperature measuring instrument that measures the moisture content and temperature of the cooled return sand;
 wherein the control device calculates a total sum of the moisture content held by the introduced air per unit time based on the humidity of the introduced air, the moisture content held by the return sand per unit time based on the moisture content of the return sand, and the water amount per unit time supplied to the water-sprinkling cooling device, and subtracts the moisture content held by the cooled return sand per unit time based on the moisture content of the cooled return sand from the total sum to calculate the humidity of the discharged air.   
     
     
         11 . The return sand cooling system according to  claim 10 , wherein the control device comprises a first correction amount calculating unit that calculates a correction amount of the airflow amount of the introduced air, the loaded amount of the return sand, or the appropriate water addition amount, or any combination thereof, on the basis of the moisture content and temperature of the cooled return sand. 
     
     
         12 . A return sand cooling method that cools return sand and adjusts the moisture content of cooled return sand, wherein the return sand cooling method comprises:
 measuring the moisture content and temperature of the return sand;   determining an appropriate water addition amount, which is an amount of water to be added to the return sand;   adding water of the appropriate water addition amount to the return sand and cooling the return sand by the latent heat of vaporization of water while introducing air to obtain the cooled return sand; and   measuring the temperature and humidity of introduced air to be introduced;   the return sand cooling method determining the appropriate water addition amount on the basis of the moisture content and temperature of the return sand, and the temperature and humidity of the introduced air.   
     
     
         13 . The return sand cooling method according to  claim 12 , further comprising measuring the airflow amount of the introduced air;
 wherein the return sand cooling method determines the appropriate water addition amount further on the basis of the airflow amount.   
     
     
         14 . The return sand cooling method according to  claim 12 , further comprising measuring the temperature of discharged air discharged at the time of cooling of the return sand;
 wherein the return sand cooling method calculates the humidity of the discharged air on the basis of the temperature of the discharged air; and   corrects, if the humidity of the discharged air is greater than or equal to a prescribed value, the airflow amount of the introduced air, the loaded amount of the return sand, or the temperature of the introduced air, or any combination thereof.   
     
     
         15 . A return sand cooling system that cools return sand and adjusts the moisture content of cooled return sand, wherein the return sand cooling system comprises:
 a sand moisture and temperature measuring instrument that measures the moisture content and temperature of the return sand;   a control device that determines an appropriate water addition amount, which is an amount of water to be added to the return sand;   a water-sprinkling cooling device that adds water of the appropriate water addition amount to the return sand and cools the return sand by the latent heat of vaporization of water to obtain the cooled return sand;   an air introducing device that introduces air into the water-sprinkling cooling device; and   an introduced air temperature measuring instrument that measures the temperature of air to be introduced into the water-sprinkling cooling device;   the control device determining the appropriate water addition amount on the basis of the moisture content and temperature of the return sand, and the temperature of the introduced air.   
     
     
         16 . A return sand cooling system that cools return sand and adjusts the moisture content of cooled return sand, wherein the return sand cooling system comprises:
 a sand moisture and temperature measuring instrument that measures the moisture content and temperature of the return sand;   a control device that determines an appropriate water addition amount, which is an amount of water to be added to the return sand;   a water-sprinkling cooling device that adds water of the appropriate water addition amount to the return sand and cools the return sand by the latent heat of vaporization of water to obtain the cooled return sand;   an air introducing device that introduces air into the water-sprinkling cooling device; and   a cooled return sand moisture and temperature measuring instrument that measures the moisture content and temperature of the cooled return sand;   the control device determining the appropriate water addition amount on the basis of the moisture content and temperature of the return sand, and the moisture content and temperature of the cooled return sand.   
     
     
         17 . The return sand cooling system according to  claim 15 , comprising an airflow amount measuring instrument that measures the airflow amount of introduced air to be introduced into the water-sprinkling cooling device;
 wherein the control device determines the appropriate water addition amount further on the basis of the airflow amount.   
     
     
         18 . A return sand cooling method that cools return sand and adjusts the moisture content of cooled return sand, wherein the return sand cooling method comprises:
 measuring the moisture content and temperature of the return sand;   determining an appropriate water addition amount, which is an amount of water to be added to the return sand;   adding water of the appropriate water addition amount to the return sand and cooling the return sand by the latent heat of vaporization of water while introducing air to obtain the cooled return sand; and   measuring the temperature of air to be introduced;   the return sand cooling method determining the appropriate water addition amount on the basis of the moisture content and temperature of the return sand, and the temperature of the introduced air.   
     
     
         19 . A return sand cooling method that cools return sand and adjusts the moisture content of cooled return sand, wherein the return sand cooling method comprises:
 measuring the moisture content and temperature of the return sand;   determining an appropriate water addition amount, which is an amount of water to be added to the return sand;   adding water of the appropriate water addition amount to the return sand and cooling the return sand by the latent heat of vaporization of water while introducing air to obtain the cooled return sand; and   measuring the moisture content and temperature of the cooled return sand;   the return sand cooling method determining the appropriate water addition amount on the basis of the moisture content and temperature of the return sand, and the moisture content and temperature of the cooled return sand.   
     
     
         20 . The return sand cooling method according to  claim 18 , further comprising measuring the airflow amount of air to be introduced;
 wherein the return sand cooling method determines the appropriate water addition amount further on the basis of the airflow amount.