Column Packing Method

Abstract

A method for packing a media bed in a column (3). According to the invention the method comprises the steps of: providing data to a control unit (15) connected to the column (3), said data comprising at least a measured slurry concentration, a target bed height, a target packing factor or compression factor and minimum and maximum acceptable values for at least one of target bed height and target packing or compression factor; forcing a movable adapter (9) along a longitudinal axis of the column (3) in order to pack the media; detecting when the media bed is consolidated; the control unit (15) processing the provided data and the information about the consolidated bed height in order to present to the user acceptable bed heights, if there are any, giving acceptable packing or compression factors.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A software-implemented method, comprising the following steps:
 retrieving data from the user and/or from a database, said data comprising a concentration of a slurry from which the media bed is packed, target bed height together with minimum and maximum acceptable bed heights and target packing or compression factor together with minimum and maximum packing or compression factors for a media type;   controlling the column packing system to fill the column with the slurry;   packing the column by compressing the slurry to form a packed consolidated bed having a packed consolidated bed height at a first time during the packing of the column;   processing the retrieved data and the packed consolidated bed height at the first time during the packing of the column to determine a window of acceptable bed height values and packing or compression factors that can be reached, wherein the window of acceptable bed height values is narrower than the minimum and maximum acceptable bed heights;   presenting to the user, a user interface indicating the packed consolidated bed height, the window of acceptable bed heights, if there are any, giving acceptable packing or compression factors; and   continuously monitoring the packed consolidated bed height and updating the window based on the packed consolidated bed height.   
     
     
         2 . The software-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of presenting to the user further comprises presenting to the user windows in time or distance as to when to stop the packing such that both bed height and packing or compression factor are within a given acceptable range. 
     
     
         3 . The software-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of presenting to the user further comprises presenting, at a second time after the first time, a warning to the user if no acceptable bed height can be achieved or if the user has not stopped the packing after the minimum acceptable bed height has passed. 
     
     
         4 . The software-implemented method of  claim 1 , further performing the step of: controlling the packing to be automatically stopped after a predetermined period of time if no acceptable bed height can be achieved or if the user has not stopped the packing after the minimum acceptable bed height has passed. 
     
     
         5 . The software-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising retrieving information about the media type for the slurry from which the media bed is packed from the user and then retrieving preset values related to this specific media type from a database for target packing or compression factor, maximum and minimum packing or compression factors, and optimal speed of adapter movement during packing and optimal speed for filling the column with slurry. 
     
     
         6 . The software-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of presenting to the user further comprises presenting time information to the user together with the acceptable bed heights, said time information being a time an acceptable bed height will be reached and an acceptable range of bed heights and time the acceptable range of bed heights will last during packing. 
     
     
         7 . The software-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein continuously monitoring the packed consolidated bed height and updating the window based on the packed consolidated bed height comprises:
 determining the packed consolidated bed height at a second time, wherein the second time is after the first time;   processing the retrieved data and the packed consolidated bed height at the second time to determine updated values for the window of acceptable bed height values and packing or compression factors, wherein the window of acceptable bed height values is narrower than the minimum and maximum acceptable bed heights; and   updating the user interface with the packed consolidated bed height at the second time and the updated values for the window.   
     
     
         8 . A control system configured with software arranged to guide a user through a procedure for packing a media bed in a column using a column packing system, the control unit comprising:
 a data retrieving unit storing first executable instructions that, as a result of execution, cause the data retrieving unit to retrieve data from the user and/or from a database, said data comprising the concentration of a slurry from which the media bed is packed, target bed height possibly together with minimum and maximum acceptable bed heights and target packing or compression factor together with minimum and maximum packing or compression factors for a media type;   a control unit storing second executable instructions that, as a result of execution, cause the control unit to control the column packing system to fill the column with the slurry and packing the column by compressing the slurry to form a packed consolidated bed having a packed consolidated bed height at a first time during the packing of the column at a first time during the packing of the column;   a processing unit storing third executable instructions that, as a result of execution, cause the processing unit to process the retrieved data and the packed consolidated bed height at the first time during the packing of the column to determine a window of acceptable bed height values and packing or compression factors that can be reached, wherein the window of acceptable bed height values is narrower than the minimum and maximum acceptable bed heights; and   a display unit for continuously updating and presenting to the user, a user interface indicating the packing consolidated bed height and the window of acceptable bed heights giving acceptable packing or compression factors.   
     
     
         9 . The control system of  claim 8 , wherein display unit is further configured to present to the user windows in time or distance as to when to stop the packing such that both bed height and packing or compression factor are within acceptable ranges. 
     
     
         10 . The control system of  claim 8 , wherein display unit is further configured to present a warning to the user if no acceptable bed heights can be achieved or if the user has not stopped the packing after the minimum acceptable bed height has passed. 
     
     
         11 . The control system of  claim 8 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the packing to be automatically stopped after a predetermined period of time if no acceptable bed heights can be achieved or if the user has not stopped the packing after the minimum acceptable bed height has passed. 
     
     
         12 . The control system of  claim 8 , wherein the data retrieval unit is further configured to retrieve information about the media type for the slurry from which the media bed is packed from the user and then retrieve preset values related to the media type from a database for target packing or compression factor, maximum and minimum packing or compression factors and optimal speed of adapter movement during packing and optimal speed for filling the column with slurry. 
     
     
         13 . The control system of  claim 8 , wherein display unit is further configured to present time information to the user together with the acceptable bed heights, said time information being a time an acceptable bed height will be reached and an acceptable range of bed heights and time the acceptable range of bed heights will last during packing. 
     
     
         14 . A column packing system for packing a media bed in a column, comprising the control system of  claim 8  to control the packing of columns.