JP7699481B2 - Sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system, sludge treatment facility operation support method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a navigation system and an operation support method that support the operation and management of sludge flocculation equipment and dewatering equipment, particularly in sewage sludge treatment equipment at a sewage treatment plant.

Regarding dehydration of sludge, a sludge drying device has been proposed that includes a pump that supplies sludge containing the moisture to be removed, a centrifugal thin film dryer that expands the sludge into a thin film and removes the moisture contained therein by centrifugal force, a dried sludge collection container that collects the dried sludge dried by the centrifugal thin film dryer, an infrared moisture content meter that measures the moisture content by irradiating the dried sludge with infrared rays, and a control device that controls the rotation speed of the centrifugal thin film dryer using the output of the infrared moisture content meter (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-57296

The amount of sludge generated at sewage treatment plants is enormous, increasing the burden of sludge disposal, and there is a need to improve the efficiency of sludge treatment. Sewage treatment generally involves a series of treatment processes: sludge thickening, thickened sludge storage, sludge flocculation, sludge dewatering, and dewatered sludge storage. In particular, the main treatment process, the sludge dewatering process, in which the sludge is squeezed to separate water from solids and reduce the moisture content of the sludge, and the flocculation process, which occurs before the sludge dewatering process, in which a flocculant is added to flocculate the turbid matter in the wastewater to form flocs that become aggregated particles, resulting in a sludge form suitable for dewatering, are processes that pose many challenges when trying to improve the efficiency of sludge treatment.

Here, in order to obtain sludge with a moisture content reduced to within a certain range after dewatering, it is important to manage dewatering and coagulation under conditions that combine the coagulation process, in which a coagulant is added before the sludge dewatering process to coagulate the turbid matter in the wastewater and form flocs that become aggregate particles, with the above-mentioned sludge dewatering process. However, Patent Document 1 does not specifically disclose how to manage coagulation.

The object of the present invention is to provide a sludge treatment equipment operation support navigation system and a sludge treatment equipment operation support method as operation support and control technology for sludge treatment equipment that aims to improve the efficiency of sludge treatment, by displaying information for proper operation management of both the main sludge dewatering process and coagulation process equipment related to sludge treatment in sewage treatment equipment at a sewage treatment plant, for example, and enabling even inexperienced workers to operate the equipment properly.

According to a first aspect of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object, the following sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system is provided. That is, the sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system includes a processor, a storage resource, and a display device. The storage resource stores, as data, a desired flocculation state, which is a desired flocculation state in the flocculation tank of the sludge treatment facility, and a desired sludge moisture content, which is a desired moisture content of the dewatered sludge discharged from the sludge dewatering machine of the sludge treatment facility. The processor executes an operation content display program to (1) acquire an operating floc state, which is a flocculation state when the sludge treatment facility is in operation. (2) acquire an operating sludge moisture content, which is the moisture content of the dewatered sludge when the sludge treatment facility is in operation. (3) Select or generate equipment operation contents for the flocculation tank and the sludge dewatering machine based on the operating floc state, the operating sludge moisture content, the desired flocculation state, and the desired sludge moisture content. (4) Display the equipment operation contents on the display device.

According to a second aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, the following sludge treatment equipment operation support method is provided. That is, the sludge treatment equipment operation support method uses an electronic computer. This sludge treatment equipment operation support method (1) acquires an operating flock state, which is the flock state when the sludge treatment equipment is in operation. (2) acquires an operating sludge moisture content, which is the moisture content of the dewatered sludge when the sludge treatment equipment is in operation. (3) selects or generates equipment operation contents for the coagulation tank and the sludge dehydrator based on the operating flock state, the operating sludge moisture content, the desired flock state, which is the desired flock state in the coagulation tank of the sludge treatment equipment, and the desired sludge moisture content, which is the desired moisture content of the dewatered sludge discharged from the sludge dehydrator of the sludge treatment equipment. (4) displays the equipment operation contents on a display device.

The present invention, particularly with regard to equipment for the sludge dewatering process and flocculation process at a sludge treatment plant, displays information for proper operation management based on digitized data of the experience of skilled and experienced workers in sludge treatment, making it possible for even workers with little experience to operate the equipment properly, and realizing operational support and control of sludge treatment equipment that improves the efficiency of sludge treatment.

The present invention allows the cost of chemicals used to be reduced by optimizing the injection amount of polymeric flocculant, which has a high chemical unit price, to form the desired flocs in the flocculation process. As a result, it is possible to reduce the cost of sludge disposal.

In addition, by optimizing the dewatering pressure of the sludge dewatering machine during the sludge dewatering process, the moisture content of the dewatered sludge discharged from the sludge dewatering machine can be adjusted to produce dewatered sludge with the desired properties. As a result, the sludge is suitable for transportation and transport after discharge (i.e., transportation and transport after discharge can be facilitated), making it possible to reduce costs associated with sludge disposal.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system in a first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to a second embodiment. 13 is an example of a display screen of the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to the third embodiment. 13 is an example of a display screen of the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to the fourth embodiment. 13 is an example of a display screen of a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to a fifth embodiment. 23 is an example of a display screen of the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to the sixth embodiment. 23 is an example of a display screen of the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to the seventh embodiment. 23 is an example of a display screen of the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to the eighth embodiment. 13 is an algorithm flow showing an example of use of a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system using an image analysis method for measured aggregated floc images according to the ninth embodiment. 23 is an algorithm flow showing an example of a method for determining a regression line from infrared reflectance and predicting a moisture content using the regression line in a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to a tenth embodiment. FIG. 23 is a configuration diagram of a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to an eleventh embodiment. FIG. 23 is a configuration diagram of a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to a twelfth embodiment. FIG. 23 is a configuration diagram of a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to a thirteenth embodiment. FIG. 23 is a configuration diagram of a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to a fourteenth embodiment. 23 is an algorithm flow showing an example of a method for determining a regression line from infrared reflected light and predicting a moisture content using the regression line in a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to the fifteenth embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a menu screen of a display screen of the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen relating to status confirmation on the display screen of the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen relating to operation instructions on the display screen of the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen relating to the implementation of a display screen of the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen related to output of implementation contents of a display screen of the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system.

In order to solve the problems described in the "Problems to be Solved by the Invention" section, the following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to Figures 1 to 20. Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system.

The sewage sludge treatment equipment operation support navigation system 100 is provided to provide operation support and control of sludge treatment equipment to improve the efficiency of sludge treatment at a sewage sludge treatment plant where sewage sludge treatment equipment including a coagulation tank 101, a sludge dewatering machine, and a sludge storage tank 104 are installed as part of the sewage sludge treatment process.

To briefly explain the above-mentioned sewage sludge treatment equipment, the coagulation tank 101 is a tank used to add a coagulant to coagulate the turbid matter in the wastewater and form coagulated flocs that become aggregated particles. Generally, the coagulation tank 101 is provided with an agitation device, and the inside of the coagulation tank 101 is agitated by the agitation device.

The sludge dehydrator includes a sludge dehydrator dehydration section 102 and a sludge dehydrator discharge section 103. The sludge dehydrator dehydration section 102 constitutes the dehydration section of the sludge dehydrator, and performs a dehydration process on the sludge. The sludge dehydrator dehydration section 102 can be, for example, a belt press dehydrator, a screw press dehydrator, or a centrifugal dehydrator. The sludge dehydrator discharge section 103 constitutes the discharge section of the sludge dehydrator, and the sludge dehydrated in the sludge dehydrator dehydration section 102 is discharged to the outside of the sludge dehydrator via the sludge dehydrator discharge section 103. The sludge storage tank 104 is a tank used to store sludge.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 100 includes an imaging device 105, an infrared measuring device 106, an imaging signal processing device 107, an infrared signal processing device 108, a computer 109 (electronic computer), and a coagulation tank/sludge dewatering machine operation procedure display device 110. The coagulation tank/sludge dewatering machine operation procedure display device 110 can be an appropriate display, and may be referred to as the display device 110 in this specification.

The imaging device 105 is a device that has an image sensor and converts an image of the light (physical quantity) of the target object into an electrical signal (sometimes called an image signal) that corresponds to the intensity of that light. As an example, the imaging device 105 is provided so as to be able to image the sludge inside the coagulation tank 101, and the imaging device 105 outputs the image signal acquired by imaging to the imaging signal processing device 107. The imaging signal processing device 107 is a device that acquires image information by performing signal processing on the image signal input from the imaging device 105, and the acquired image information is output to the computer 109.

The infrared measuring device 106 is a device having an infrared sensor, and converts infrared light (infrared rays) received from a target object into an electrical signal (sometimes called a measurement signal). The infrared measuring device 106 is appropriately provided so as to be able to measure the dehydrated sludge after the dehydration process by the sludge dehydrator dehydration section 102 (provided in the sludge dehydrator discharge section 103, the flow path (e.g., the transport path of the dehydrated sludge) between the sludge dehydrator discharge section 103 and the sludge storage tank 104, the sludge storage tank 104, etc.), and the measurement signal acquired by the infrared measuring device 106 is output to the infrared signal processing device 108. The infrared signal processing device 108 performs signal processing on the input measurement signal to acquire infrared reflectance information (infrared spectrum), and the acquired infrared reflectance information is output to the calculator 109. The water content of the dehydrated sludge is then obtained by analyzing this infrared reflectance information.

In this embodiment, the computer 109 includes a processor and a storage resource. The processor is configured as an arithmetic device. The storage resource can be an appropriate recording device (e.g., a hard disk drive), and the storage resource stores multiple data and appropriate programs for performing data processing. The programs stored in the storage resource are executed by the processor.

The desired flocculation state, the desired sludge moisture content, and the equipment operation procedures are stored as data in the memory resource of computer 109.

The desired floc state is data that indicates a good floc state in the flocculation tank 101. In other words, the desired floc state is data on a floc state that is considered to be preferable based on the knowledge of a skilled and experienced person (i.e., data that indicates the size and shape of flocs that are considered to be preferable based on the knowledge of a skilled and experienced person). In this sense, a good floc state can also be said to be a targeted (desired) floc state.

The desired sludge moisture content is data on the desirable moisture content of the dewatered sludge discharged from the sludge dewatering machine. As in the case of the desired flocculated state described above, the desired sludge moisture content is data on the moisture content of the dewatered sludge that is considered desirable based on the knowledge of an experienced and skilled person, for example. In this sense, the desirable moisture content can also be said to be the target (desired) moisture content.

The equipment operation procedure group is data including equipment operation procedures for the coagulation tank 101 and the sludge dehydrator for making the coagulation floc state in the coagulation tank 101 a good coagulation floc state (i.e., the desired coagulation floc state) and for making the moisture content of the dewatered sludge discharged from the sludge dehydrator a good moisture content (i.e., the desired sludge moisture content). That is, the equipment operation procedure group includes a plurality of equipment operation procedures, and includes, for the coagulation tank 101, an equipment operation procedure for making the coagulation flocs larger than the current size, and an equipment operation procedure for making the coagulation flocs smaller than the current size. An example of an equipment operation procedure for making the coagulation flocs larger than the current size is an operation procedure for injecting a coagulant into the coagulation tank 101. Also, an example of an equipment operation procedure for making the coagulation flocs smaller than the current size is an operation procedure for changing the rotation speed of the agitator to increase the rotation speed. The equipment operation procedure group also includes, for the sludge dewatering machine, an equipment operation procedure for increasing the dewatering pressure to reduce the moisture content of the dewatered sludge from the current state, and an equipment operation procedure for decreasing the dewatering pressure to increase the moisture content of the dewatered sludge from the current state. An example of an equipment operation procedure for decreasing the moisture content of the dewatered sludge from the current state is an operation procedure for increasing the dewatering pressure of the sludge dewatering machine by changing the dewatering pressure of the sludge dewatering machine by operating a pressure adjustment mechanism (e.g., a valve) provided in the sludge dewatering machine. An example of an equipment operation procedure for increasing the moisture content of the dewatered sludge from the current state is an operation procedure for decreasing the dewatering pressure of the sludge dewatering machine by changing the dewatering pressure of the sludge dewatering machine by operating a pressure adjustment mechanism provided in the sludge dewatering machine.

In this embodiment, the storage resource of the computer 109 stores an operation procedure display program used to display the equipment operation procedures of the coagulation tank 101 and the sludge dewatering machine. In the processing of the operation procedure display program, a good coagulated flock state (i.e., the desired coagulated flock state) and a good moisture content of the dewatered sludge (i.e., the desired sludge moisture content) are compared with the current coagulated flock state (operating flock state) and the current moisture content of the dewatered sludge (operating sludge moisture content) obtained when the sewage sludge treatment equipment is in operation. Then, in the operation procedure display program, a process is performed to display on the display device 110 the equipment operation procedures for bringing the obtained coagulated flock state and the obtained moisture content of the dewatered sludge closer to the desired coagulated flock state and the desired sludge moisture content. In this embodiment, the processing of the operation procedure display program selects an appropriate equipment operation procedure from the equipment operation procedures stored in the storage resource to approach the desired flocculation state and the desired sludge moisture content. For example, if the current flocculation state is smaller than the desired flocculation state, an equipment operation procedure for making the flocculation larger than the current state is selected from the equipment operation procedures, and this equipment operation procedure is displayed on the display device 110. Also, for example, if the current moisture content is greater than the desired sludge moisture content, an equipment operation procedure for reducing the moisture content of the dewatered sludge is selected from the equipment operation procedures, and this equipment operation procedure is displayed on the display device 110.

Next, an example of the operation of a sewage sludge treatment facility using the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 100 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, in the sewage sludge treatment facility, the sewage sludge is coagulated in the upstream coagulation tank 101, and the sewage sludge is dehydrated in the sludge dewatering machine downstream of the coagulation tank 101.

When the sewage sludge treatment facility is in operation, the current state of flocks generated by the addition of coagulant (flock state during operation) is imaged over time by the imaging device 105, and the computer 109 acquires image information of the current coagulated flock state. Also, when the sewage sludge treatment facility is in operation, the current dewatered sludge discharged from the sludge dewaterer is measured over time by the infrared measuring device 106, and the computer 109 acquires infrared reflectance information of the dewatered sludge. Then, the computer 109 acquires the current moisture content of the dewatered sludge (sludge moisture content during operation) based on an analysis of the infrared reflectance information.

When the sewage sludge treatment facility is in operation, the processor of the computer 109 executes an operation procedure display program to compare the current flocculation state (operational flocculation state) and the current moisture content of the dewatered sludge (operational sludge moisture content) with the desired flocculation state and the desired sludge moisture content. The processor then outputs to the display device 110 the equipment operation procedures for the flocculation tank 101 and the sludge dewatering machine for bringing the current flocculation state and the current moisture content of the dewatered sludge closer to the desired flocculation state and the desired sludge moisture content, and displays the equipment operation procedures. Note that in the processing of the operation content display program, a comparison process is performed in real time, and the equipment operation procedures are output to the display device 110. Therefore, the latest equipment operation procedures are displayed on the display device 110.

By appropriately operating the coagulation tank 101 and sludge dewatering machine in accordance with the latest equipment operating procedure information displayed on the display device 110, the operator of the sewage sludge treatment equipment can bring the current coagulation floc state and the current moisture content of the dewatered sludge closer to the desired coagulation floc state and the desired sludge moisture content, thereby enabling the sewage sludge treatment equipment to be operated appropriately.

According to this embodiment, the equipment operation procedures for the sewage sludge treatment equipment are displayed to approach the desired flocculation state and the desired sludge moisture content, so that even an operator with little experience can be assisted in proper equipment operation, making it possible to carry out proper equipment operation.

Next, the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system. Note that when describing this embodiment, explanations that overlap with contents already explained may be omitted.

In the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 200 in the second embodiment, a computer 109 is installed in a remote location different from the sewage sludge treatment plant where the sewage sludge treatment facility is installed, and the computer 109 acquires information from the sewage sludge treatment facility via a communication network 201. In addition, a display device 110 is installed in the sewage sludge treatment plant where the sewage sludge treatment facility is installed, and the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 200 displays information based on the output from the computer 109 via the communication network 201.

In this embodiment, the computer 109 includes a processor, a storage resource, and a communication unit. The communication unit is configured as an interface for performing communication. Information output from the imaging signal processing device 107 and the infrared signal processing device 108 is input to the communication unit via the communication network 201. In addition, the output from the computer 109 is input to the display device 110 via the communication unit and the communication network 201.

According to this embodiment, computer 109 is installed in a remote location different from the sewage sludge treatment plant, and computer 109 can be utilized as a distribution server for distributing information to support the operation of the sewage sludge treatment equipment, thereby enabling support for the operation of the equipment by operators of the sewage sludge treatment equipment based on information from the remote location.

Next, the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 shows an example of a display screen of a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system. Note that when describing this embodiment, explanations that overlap with contents already explained may be omitted.

According to this embodiment, the operation procedure display device screen 301 (sometimes referred to as the display screen) of the display device 110 displays information related to the current date and time, information related to the coagulation tank 101, and information related to the sludge dewatering machine. Here, the information related to the coagulation tank 101 and the information related to the sludge dewatering machine are displayed, as an example, after being classified. The information on the display screen 301 is displayed by executing an appropriate program. The program is stored in a storage resource and executed by a processor.

The information relating to the date and time may be displayed in any suitable manner so that the worker can understand it, for example, numbers and symbols may be used to display the information relating to the date and time.

The information related to the coagulation tank 101 includes, for example, information on the start time and operation time of the coagulation tank 101, information on the state of the coagulation flocs, and information on the equipment operation procedures related to the coagulation tank 101.

The operation start time and operation time of the coagulation tank 101 may be displayed in any suitable manner so that the operator of the sewage sludge treatment facility can understand it, and numbers and symbols, for example, may be used to display the operation start time and operation time of the coagulation tank 101.

The display of the flocculation state may be displayed in an appropriate manner so that the operator of the sewage sludge treatment facility can understand the current flocculation state, and may include, for example, image information acquired over time using the imaging device 105. Also, for example, the size of the flocculation may be displayed using numbers or letters, or the shape of the flocculation may be displayed. Information regarding the desired flocculation state may also be included.

The information on the equipment operation procedure for the coagulation tank 101 includes the equipment operation procedure for the coagulation tank 101 selected from the equipment operation procedure group described in the first embodiment. Therefore, for example, the information includes an equipment operation procedure for adjusting the rotation speed of the agitator of the coagulation tank 101 to bring the floc state closer to the desired floc state, and an equipment operation procedure for injecting a coagulant to bring the floc state closer to the desired floc state. The display information on the equipment operation procedure for the coagulation tank 101 may be displayed in an appropriate manner so that the operator of the sewage sludge treatment facility can understand the equipment operation procedure for bringing the current floc state closer to the desired floc state. In addition, the execution of the injection amount calculation program may calculate the rotation speed of the agitator and the injection amount of the coagulant to bring the floc state to the desired floc state from the gap between the desired floc state and the current floc state, and the operation procedure display program may execute to display the equipment operation procedure generated by combining the calculated value with the equipment operation procedure for the coagulation tank 101 from the equipment operation procedure group. For example, when the current floc state is smaller than the desired floc state, the injection amount calculation program is executed to calculate the injection amount of the main polymer flocculant to achieve the desired floc state from the difference between the desired floc state and the current floc state, and the operation procedure display program is executed to display the equipment operation procedure including the injection amount of the polymer flocculant to achieve the desired floc state. The injection amount calculation program is stored in the storage resource and executed by the processor. Also, as in the first embodiment, the latest equipment operation procedure is displayed on the display device 110.

According to this embodiment, specific equipment operation procedures for achieving the desired flocculation state are displayed. Therefore, for example, flocculation in a flocculation facility is monitored, and indicators relating to the state of the flocculation are displayed on a monitor device. Unlike the case of simply monitoring the state of a treatment plant, specific operation details are displayed, so that even an operator with little experience can perform appropriate operation management according to the displayed details.

The information related to the sludge dewatering machine includes, for example, information on the start time and operating hours of the sludge dewatering machine, information on the moisture content of the dewatered sludge, and information on the equipment operating procedures for the sludge dewatering machine.

The display information regarding the operation start time and operating time of the sludge dewatering machine may be displayed in any suitable manner so that it can be understood by the operator of the sewage sludge treatment facility, and numbers and symbols, for example, may be used to display the operation start time and operating time of the sludge dewatering machine.

The information on the moisture content of the dewatered sludge (in FIG. 3, this is indicated as moisture content display) is information on the moisture content of the dewatered sludge obtained by the infrared measuring device 106. The information on the moisture content of the dewatered sludge may be displayed in an appropriate manner so that the operator of the sewage sludge treatment facility can understand the current moisture content of the dewatered sludge. It may also include information on the desired sludge moisture content.

The information on the equipment operation procedure related to the sludge dehydrator includes the equipment operation procedure related to the sludge dehydrator selected from the equipment operation procedures of the equipment operation procedure group described in the first embodiment. Therefore, the equipment operation procedure for adjusting the dehydration pressure of the sludge dehydrator to approach the desired sludge moisture content is included. The display information of the equipment operation procedure of the sludge dehydrator may be displayed in an appropriate manner so that the operator of the sewage sludge treatment facility can understand the equipment operation procedure for bringing the current moisture content of the dehydrated sludge closer to the desired sludge moisture content. In addition, the dehydration pressure calculation program is executed to calculate the dehydration pressure of the sludge dehydrator to achieve the desired sludge moisture content from the difference between the desired sludge moisture content and the current moisture content, and the operation procedure display program is executed to display the equipment operation procedure generated by combining the calculated dehydration pressure and the equipment operation procedure related to the sludge dehydrator from the equipment operation procedure group. In other words, the equipment operation procedure including the dehydration pressure to achieve the desired sludge moisture content may be displayed. The dehydration pressure calculation program is stored in the storage resource and executed by the processor. As in the first embodiment, the latest equipment operation procedure is displayed on the display device 110.

According to this embodiment, when the coagulation tank 101 and the sludge dewatering machine are in operation, the equipment operation procedure for adjusting the dewatering pressure of the sludge dewatering machine to bring the dewatered sludge discharged from the sludge dewatering machine to the desired sludge moisture content, and the equipment operation procedure for injecting the main polymer coagulant to bring the turbidity in the wastewater into the desired coagulated floc state are displayed on the display device 110, and the equipment operation procedure for injecting the polymer coagulant includes the injection amount of the main polymer coagulant.

Therefore, the equipment operation procedures for injecting the main polymer coagulant to bring the sludge closer to the desired coagulated floc state, and the equipment operation procedures for adjusting the dewatering pressure of the sludge dewatering machine to bring the sludge closer to the desired moisture content, can be presented to the operator of the sewage sludge treatment equipment, thereby providing operational support for the sewage sludge treatment equipment.

Next, the fourth embodiment will be described. Note that when describing this embodiment, explanations that overlap with contents already described may be omitted.

In this embodiment, regression line information, which is data on the regression line used to predict and calculate the moisture content of the dewatered sludge, is stored in the memory resource. Then, in the processing of the operation procedure display program, a predicted value of the dewatered sludge is calculated using the regression line information stored in the memory resource, and the predicted value of the moisture content of the dewatered sludge is compared with the desired sludge moisture content. Then, a process is performed to display on the display device 110 the equipment operation procedure of the sludge dewatering machine for bringing the predicted value of the moisture content of the dewatered sludge closer to the desired sludge moisture content.

The regression line described above can be obtained from dehydrated sludge with a known moisture content. An example of a method for obtaining regression line information will be described. In this method, dehydrated sludge with a known moisture content is irradiated with infrared rays, and the infrared rays reflected from the dehydrated sludge are measured over time by an infrared measuring device 106 (infrared sensor). Here, the data obtained by the time-lapse measurement (time-lapse measurement information) is stored in a storage resource. In this embodiment, in order to obtain a highly accurate regression line, infrared rays in a wavelength range of 1200 nm to 2500 nm are irradiated. Then, in this method, the infrared reflectance (infrared spectrum) is calculated from the data obtained by the time-lapse measurement, a first derivative process is performed on the infrared reflectance, and a multivariate regression analysis is performed on the result of the first derivative process to obtain regression line information.

The method of obtaining the regression line information will be described in more detail. The calculated infrared reflectance can be considered as spectrum data (graph) with the reflectance (%) on the vertical axis and the wavelength (nm) on the horizontal axis, for example. The result of performing a first differentiation process on the infrared reflectance (more specifically, the result of first differentiation of the reflectance value of the infrared reflectance) can be considered as a graph with the first differentiation value (dimensionless) on the vertical axis and the wavelength (nm) on the horizontal axis. A regression line is obtained by performing a multivariate regression analysis on the result of the first differentiation process. Here, it is sufficient to obtain an appropriate regression line, and in the multivariate regression analysis, the number of variables (i.e., the interval between data points in the wavelength range) can be appropriately determined. Then, the predicted value of the moisture content can be obtained by inputting data based on the infrared reflectance into the regression line.

As described above, in this embodiment, in the processing of the operation procedure display program, the infrared reflectance obtained over time and the regression line information described above are used to calculate a predicted value of the moisture content of the dewatered sludge discharged over time, and the calculated predicted value of the moisture content of the dewatered sludge is compared with the desired sludge moisture content. Here, in obtaining the regression line information described above, it is preferable that the dewatered sludge with a known moisture content has a moisture content in the range of 60 wt% or more and less than 90 wt%. Also, it is preferable that the desired sludge moisture content is a moisture content in the range of 60 wt% or more and less than 85 wt%. This makes it possible to obtain a highly accurate regression line and provide more appropriate equipment operation support (i.e., more appropriate display of the equipment operation procedure). Note that this numerical value is one example. Note that the desired sludge moisture content may be specified as a pinpoint value in addition to such a range specification.

In addition, in this embodiment, the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system can display the information shown in FIG. 4. The display screen will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is an example of a display screen of the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system.

Display screen 401 displays information on the moisture content of the dewatered sludge (sludge moisture content display in FIG. 4) and information on the equipment operation procedures for the sludge dewatering machine. The information on display screen 401 is displayed by executing an appropriate program. The program is stored in a storage resource and executed by a processor.

The display of the information on the moisture content of the dewatered sludge can be, for example, a graph including a regression line 403, in which the horizontal axis indicates the measured value (the moisture content obtained by actually measuring the dewatered sludge) and the vertical axis indicates the predicted moisture content. In addition, the display of the information on the moisture content of the dewatered sludge may show the value of the desired sludge moisture content 402 as a straight line parallel to the measured value (i.e., the horizontal axis). On the other hand, the display of the equipment operation procedure for the sludge dewatering machine includes the equipment operation procedure for the sludge dewatering machine based on a comparison between the predicted value of the moisture content obtained by inputting the measured value obtained by measuring the current dewatered sludge into the regression line 403 and the desired sludge moisture content. Then, the operator of the sewage sludge treatment equipment can operate the sludge dewatering machine by referring to the display of the sludge moisture content and the display of the equipment operation procedure for the sludge dewatering machine.

Next, the fifth embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 shows an example of a display screen of a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system. Note that when describing this embodiment, explanations that overlap with contents already explained may be omitted.

In this embodiment, the display screen 501 displays the progress of the moisture content of the dewatered sludge when an operator operates the sludge dewatering machine in accordance with the display information of the equipment operation procedure of the sludge dewatering machine. Specifically, the display screen 501 displays the display information of the equipment operation procedure of the sludge dewatering machine and information on the sludge moisture content (sludge moisture content display in Figure 5). The information on the display screen 501 is displayed by executing an appropriate program. The program is stored in a storage resource and executed by a processor.

Here, the sludge moisture content display is shown, for example, by a graph, with the dehydrator operation time shown on the horizontal axis and the moisture content measurement value shown on the vertical axis. The dehydrator operation time on the horizontal axis indicates the change in the operation time of the sludge dehydrator, and is shown to change from the left side to the right side of the graph. In addition, the moisture content measurement value on the vertical axis (i.e., moisture content value 503) can be shown, for example, as a plot for each predetermined time against the operation time of the sludge dehydrator. In addition, the moisture content measurement value can be shown in the graph with the leftmost plot as the measured value (i.e., the actual measured moisture content of the current dehydrated sludge), and the plot to the right of that as the predicted value. Note that the sludge moisture content display may display a curve obtained by curve fitting. In addition, in the sludge moisture content display, the desired sludge moisture content 502 (i.e., the value of the desired sludge moisture content 502) may be shown by a straight line parallel to the dehydrator operation time (i.e., the horizontal axis).

When an operator operates the sludge dewatering machine according to the displayed information of the equipment operation procedure of the sludge dewatering machine, the change in the moisture content of the dewatered sludge can be obtained by executing an appropriate program. The change in the moisture content of the dewatered sludge (the change in the moisture content of the dewatered sludge until the desired sludge moisture content is reached) can be obtained, for example, by estimating the time until the moisture content of the dewatered sludge converges to the desired sludge moisture content 502 when the sludge dewatering machine is operated according to the equipment operation procedure of the sludge dewatering machine displayed on the display screen 501.

According to this embodiment, when the sludge dehydrator is operated according to the display information of the equipment operation procedure of the sludge dehydrator, the progress of the moisture content of the dehydrated sludge (in other words, the change to the desired sludge moisture content by performing the operation of the display information) is displayed, thereby supporting the operator of the sewage sludge treatment equipment in operating the equipment.

Next, the sixth embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 shows an example of a display screen of a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system. Note that when describing this embodiment, explanations that overlap with contents already explained may be omitted.

Display screen 601 displays the sludge moisture content as described in the fifth embodiment above, the sludge volume value which is the volume value of the dewatered sludge, and the sludge disposal cost which is the disposal cost of the dewatered sludge. The information on display screen 601 is displayed by executing an appropriate program. The program is stored in a storage resource and executed by a processor.

In this embodiment, the storage resource stores a sludge volume calculation program, a disposal cost calculation program, and a prediction display program. Each program is executed by a processor.

The sludge volume value calculation program is a program used to calculate a sludge volume value, which is the volume value of dehydrated sludge dehydrated using a sludge dehydrator. In the processing of the sludge volume value calculation and display program, the sludge volume value may be estimated by an appropriate method, and the sludge volume value may be estimated, for example, based on the relationship between the dehydrator operation time (the time from the start of operation to the present) and the moisture content of the dehydrated sludge. For example, the sludge volume value may be estimated based on the dehydrator operation time, assuming that dehydrated sludge is discharged quantitatively from the sludge dehydrator. The sludge volume value may also be estimated by making an adjustment based on the moisture content. The sludge volume value calculation program may be used to display the calculated sludge volume value on the display device 110. The sludge volume value calculation program may be used to display the current sludge volume value on the display device 110, for example.

The disposal cost calculation program is a program used to calculate sludge disposal costs based on sludge volume values calculated by executing the sludge volume value calculation program. In processing the disposal cost calculation program, the sludge disposal costs may be estimated by an appropriate method. For example, disposal cost data that associates the volume value of dewatered sludge with the disposal costs of the dewatered sludge is stored in a storage resource, and the sludge volume value calculated by executing the sludge volume value calculation program is compared with the data to estimate the sludge disposal costs. The disposal cost calculation program may be used to display the calculated sludge disposal costs on the display device 110. The disposal cost calculation program may be used to display the current sludge disposal costs on the display device 110, for example.

The prediction display program is a program used to predict the sludge volume value and the sludge disposal cost for the operating time of the sludge dewatering machine. In processing the prediction display program, the predicted sludge volume value and the predicted sludge disposal cost may be estimated by any appropriate method.

As an example, the predicted value of the sludge volume value can be obtained as follows. That is, when the sludge dehydrator is operated to dehydrate sludge to the desired sludge moisture content (in other words, when the sludge dehydrator is operated according to the equipment operation procedure displayed on the display device 110, and the moisture content of the dehydrated sludge changes while converging to the desired sludge moisture content), data correlating the operation time of the sludge dehydrator with the change in the sludge volume value is stored in the storage resource. Then, by matching this data with the operation time of the sludge dehydrator up to the time at which the sludge volume value is predicted, the sludge volume value (predicted value) at the predicted time can be obtained.

On the other hand, the predicted value of sludge disposal costs can be calculated, for example, by comparing the predicted value of the sludge volume value obtained with the disposal cost data described above.

The prediction display program is a program used to display the obtained predicted sludge volume value and predicted sludge disposal cost on the display device 110. The manner in which the predicted sludge volume value and predicted sludge disposal cost are displayed is not particularly limited, and these predicted values may be displayed using, for example, numbers or letters.

In the process of the prediction display program described above, the predicted values (predicted sludge volume value, predicted sludge disposal cost) after an appropriate predetermined time are calculated, but as an example, a predicted annual sludge disposal cost may be calculated. As an example, the predicted annual sludge disposal cost may be calculated by the following method. For example, a predicted daily sludge volume value is calculated, and the calculated sludge volume value is converted to an annual sludge volume value (i.e., the predicted daily sludge volume value is multiplied by 365). Then, the predicted annual sludge volume value is compared with data on sludge disposal costs (i.e., disposal cost data that associates the volume value of dewatered sludge with the disposal cost of dewatered sludge) to calculate a predicted annual sludge disposal cost. In addition, a process may be performed in which a predicted daily sludge volume value is calculated, a daily sludge disposal cost is calculated from the sludge volume value, and the daily sludge disposal cost is converted to an annual sludge disposal cost.

According to this embodiment, the sludge volume value is calculated, the calculated sludge volume value is displayed on the display device 110, the sludge disposal cost is calculated, and the calculated sludge disposal cost is displayed on the display device 110, thereby providing support to the operator of the sewage sludge treatment facility in operating the facility.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to predict the sludge volume value and the sludge disposal costs based on the operating time of the sludge dewatering machine.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the annual sludge disposal cost can be predicted and the predicted annual sludge disposal cost can be displayed on the display device 110 to provide support to the operator of the sewage sludge treatment facility in operating the facility.

Next, the seventh embodiment will be described. Figure 7 shows an example of a display screen of a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system. Note that when describing this embodiment, explanations that overlap with contents already explained may be omitted.

In this embodiment, the display screen 701 is configured to display a histogram relating to the state of the flocs (in the figure, an floc state histogram). This histogram is acquired by performing image processing on the image information acquired by the imaging device 105, and is data in which the floc area, which is the area of the flocs, is used as a class and the number of flocs is used as a frequency. The information on the display screen 701 is displayed by executing an appropriate program. The program is stored in a storage resource and executed by a processor.

Here, we will explain the image processing used to obtain the histogram. This image processing includes a process to clarify the flocs and calculate the floc area, which is the area of the flocs.

Specifically, this image processing includes a process of converting the image information acquired by the imaging device 105 into a monochrome image, a process of performing histogram averaging on the monochrome image, and a process of performing Gaussian filter processing on the image acquired by the histogram averaging. That is, the image acquired by the imaging device 105 is converted into a monochrome image and flattened (i.e., made highly contrast-enhanced) by the histogram averaging process. The image that has been subjected to the histogram averaging process is then subjected to Gaussian filter processing (that is, a process of blurring the image and smoothly adjusting the brightness is performed).

Furthermore, this image processing includes a process of performing a binarization process on the image obtained by the above Gaussian filter processing, a process of extracting a pixel region with the sewage region as the background part in the image obtained by the binarization process, and a process of extracting the contour of the pixel region and extracting a pixel connection region for the background part. That is, the image processed by the Gaussian filter is converted into a binary image (e.g., black and white) based on the binarization process. Then, in order to analyze the part of the flocculated flocks in the binary image, a pixel region with the sewage region as the background part is extracted. This causes the part of the flocculated flocks to be extracted. Furthermore, the contour of the pixel region is extracted. Then, the connectivity with the contour of the pixel region is determined, and parts of the background part that have the same value as the pixels of the contour of the pixel region are extracted, and the pixel connection region for the background part is extracted.

Furthermore, this image processing includes a process of determining the accumulated pixel number by accumulating the number of pixels in the pixel-connected region, with the pixel-connected region being regarded as the shape of the agglomerated floc, and a process of calculating the agglomerated floc area, which is the area of the agglomerated floc, by converting the accumulated pixel number based on the area of the image measured (acquired) by the imaging device 105. That is, in these processes, the number of pixels in the pixel-connected region (accumulated pixel number) is determined, and the agglomerated floc area is converted from the accumulated pixel number, taking into account the area of the image acquired by the imaging device 105.

The above histogram is then generated using the aggregated floc area obtained by the above image processing. Here, the number of aggregated flocs can be obtained, for example, by capturing an image using the imaging device 105, or can be obtained as appropriate during the image processing process. In addition, the image processing and the process of generating the histogram are performed by executing an appropriate program.

In this embodiment, the processor uses an operation procedure display program to compare a histogram obtained from image information measured over time by the imaging device 105 while the sewage sludge treatment equipment is in operation with a histogram relating to the desired flocculation state, and displays on the display device 110 an equipment operation procedure (e.g., an operation to inject a polymer flocculant) for bringing the state of the flocs in the sewage sludge treatment equipment closer to the state of the flocs based on the desired flocculation state.

In FIG. 7, the display screen 701 displays a histogram obtained by performing image processing on the image information acquired by the imaging device 105 during operation of the sewage sludge treatment facility. However, the display screen 701 may also display, for example, a histogram of the desired floc state (a histogram in which the floc area is the class and the number of flocs is the frequency).

According to this embodiment, a histogram of the state of the flocs and an equipment operation procedure (e.g., an operation of injecting a polymer flocculant) for bringing the state of the flocs closer to the state of the flocs based on the desired floc state can be displayed on the display device 110 to support the operation of the equipment by an operator of the sewage sludge treatment equipment. For example, if the flocs are smaller than the desired flocs, an equipment operation procedure including an injection amount of polymer flocculant to bring the flocs into the desired floc state may be displayed in order to add a flocculant to the flocculation tank 101 to make the flocs larger (in other words, to make the area of the flocs the representative area in the histogram). On the other hand, for example, if the flocs are larger than the desired flocs, an equipment operation procedure for changing the rotation speed of the agitator to increase the agitation speed of the flocculation tank 101 to make the flocs smaller may be displayed.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the aggregated flocks in the image information acquired by the imaging device 105 are aggregates with a length range of 1 mm or more and 50 mm or less. This allows for accurate image processing to be performed, enabling more appropriate equipment operation support (i.e., more appropriate display of equipment operation procedures).

Next, the eighth embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 shows an example of a display screen of a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system. Note that when describing this embodiment, explanations that overlap with contents already explained may be omitted.

In this embodiment, the display screen 801 displays the change in the floc area when an operator operates the coagulation tank 101 according to the display information of the equipment operation procedure of the coagulation tank 101. Specifically, the display screen 801 displays the display information of the equipment operation procedure of the coagulation tank 101 and information on the floc area (the number of flocs in FIG. 8). The information on the display screen 801 is displayed by executing an appropriate program. The program is stored in a storage resource and executed by a processor.

Here, the information on the floc area is shown, for example, by a graph, with the operation time of the coagulation tank 101 shown on the horizontal axis and the floc area shown on the vertical axis. The operation time of the coagulation tank on the horizontal axis indicates the transition of the operation time of the coagulation tank 101, and is shown to transition from the left side to the right side of the graph. In addition, the floc area on the vertical axis can be shown, for example, as a plot for each predetermined time against the operation time of the coagulation tank 101. In addition, the floc area can be shown as the actual value (i.e., the current floc area) plotted on the left side of the graph, and the plot to the right of that can be shown as the predicted value. Note that the information on the floc area may display a curve obtained by curve fitting. In addition, in the information on the floc area, the value of the floc area in the desired coagulated floc state may be shown by a straight line parallel to the operation time of the coagulation tank (i.e., the horizontal axis).

In this embodiment, the floc area can be calculated by, for example, calculating the area of a representative floc from the histogram relating to the state of the flocs in the seventh embodiment. The transition of the floc area (change in the floc area until the desired floc state is reached) can be obtained by, for example, estimating the time until the floc area converges to the floc area in the desired floc state when the floc area is operated in accordance with the equipment operation procedure of the flocculation tank 101 displayed on the display screen 801 (here, the display of the equipment operation procedure of the flocculation tank 101 can be, for example, the same as the display screen 701 described in the seventh embodiment).

According to this embodiment, by displaying the change in floc area (in other words, the change to the desired floc state by performing the operation of the display information) when the coagulation tank 101 is operated according to the display information of the equipment operation procedure of the coagulation tank 101, it is possible to support the operator of the sewage sludge treatment equipment in operating the equipment.

Next, a ninth embodiment will be described. Figure 9 is an algorithm flow showing an example of the use of a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system using an image analysis method for measured aggregated floc images. Note that explanations that overlap with contents already explained may be omitted. Also, the algorithm flow in Figure 9 is a process performed by a processor executing an appropriate program.

After the operation of the sewage sludge treatment facility is started, an image of the coagulation tank 101 is measured by the imaging device 105, and the acquired image information is stored in the memory resource (processing 901 to processing 903). Then, the image processing described in the seventh embodiment above is performed. That is, the image information stored in the memory resource is subjected to monochrome image conversion processing, histogram averaging processing, Gaussian filter processing, binarization processing, contour extraction, extraction of connected pixel regions, and calculation of the area within the contour (i.e., calculation of the area of the coagulated flocs) (processing 904 to processing 910).

The above-mentioned processes (processes 904 to 910) are performed, for example, by a skilled person with ample experience in operating sewage sludge treatment equipment. Then, data on the state of flocs that is considered good by the skilled person is stored (learned) in the memory resource as the desired floc state (in this example, a histogram of the desired floc state) (process 912).

In the subsequent process (i.e., after process 912 and after the learning information has been saved), the processor executes an operation procedure display program to compare a histogram obtained by performing image processing on the image information obtained from the sewage sludge treatment equipment (i.e., a histogram obtained by performing processes 902 to 910) with the histogram of the desired floc state obtained in process 912, and displays an equipment operation procedure for the flocculation tank 101 for bringing the current floc state closer to the desired floc state (process 911). In this process 911, for example, the display screen 701 on which the histogram is displayed can be displayed. Then, by performing operations according to the displayed equipment operation procedure, even an operator with little experience can operate the equipment appropriately.

Next, a tenth embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is an algorithm flow showing an example of a method for determining a regression line from infrared reflectance and predicting moisture content using the regression line in a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system. Note that explanations that overlap with contents already explained may be omitted. Also, the algorithm flow in FIG. 10 is a process performed by a processor executing an appropriate program.

After starting operation of the sludge dewatering machine (process 1001), the regression line information described in the fourth embodiment above is obtained. That is, infrared rays are irradiated onto dewatered sludge with a known moisture content, and the infrared rays reflected from the dewatered sludge are measured over time. Then, a first derivative process is performed on the infrared reflectance calculated from the measurement information, and a multivariate regression analysis is performed on the results of the first derivative process to calculate the moisture content regression line (processes 1002 to 1005). The moisture content regression line calculated from the dewatered sludge with the known moisture content is then stored (learned) in a memory resource (process 1006).

In subsequent processes (i.e., after process 1006), data based on infrared reflectance obtained during operation of the sewage sludge treatment facility is input to the moisture content regression line stored (learned) in the memory resource, and a predicted moisture content value based on the moisture content regression line is calculated (processes 1007 to 1009).

Incidentally, the sewage sludge treatment equipment operation support navigation system (100, 200) described above may be provided with, for example, a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor may measure and obtain data relating to the temperature of the dewatered sludge discharged from the sludge dewatering machine, and the data relating to the temperature of the dewatered sludge may be used in the processing of the operation procedure display program to select and display an equipment operation procedure for the sludge dewatering machine for bringing the moisture content of the dewatered sludge closer to the desired sludge moisture content.

Here, the method of using data acquired from a temperature sensor to bring the moisture content of the dehydrated sludge discharged from the sludge dehydrator closer to the desired moisture content of the sludge may be not particularly limited. For example, the desired sludge temperature as data on the temperature of the dehydrated sludge with the desired moisture content may be stored in a storage resource, and in the processing of the operation procedure display program, the current temperature of the dehydrated sludge measured by the temperature sensor during operation of the sewage sludge treatment facility may be compared with the desired sludge temperature, and the equipment operation procedure of the sludge dehydrator for bringing the current temperature of the dehydrated sludge closer to the desired sludge temperature may be displayed on the display device 110. For example, if the current temperature of the dehydrated sludge is lower than the desired sludge temperature, it is considered that the moisture content of the current dehydrated sludge is higher than the desired sludge moisture content, so information on the equipment operation procedure for increasing the dehydration pressure of the sludge dehydrator may be displayed among the equipment operation procedures. Also, for example, if the current temperature of the dewatered sludge is higher than the desired sludge temperature, the moisture content of the current dewatered sludge is considered to be lower than the desired sludge moisture content, so information on an equipment operation procedure that reduces the dewatering pressure of the sludge dewatering machine among the equipment operation procedures may be displayed. Also, by executing a dewatering pressure calculation program, an appropriate dewatering pressure may be calculated from the difference between the current temperature of the dewatered sludge and the desired sludge temperature, and an equipment operation procedure that includes the calculated dewatering pressure may be displayed.

In addition, the position of the temperature sensor is not particularly limited as long as it can appropriately measure the temperature of the dehydrated sludge in the sewage sludge treatment facility. The temperature sensor can be appropriately installed, for example, in the sludge dehydrator discharge section 103, the dehydrated sludge flow path downstream of the sludge dehydrator discharge section 103 (for example, the transport path of the dehydrated sludge), the sludge storage tank 104, etc. In addition, the measurement data of the temperature sensor is, for example, signal processed by an appropriate method and used in the processing of the computer 109. In addition, if the measurement data of the temperature sensor is a temperature related to sludge dehydration, it may be the temperature of the sludge dehydration itself, or the temperature (air temperature) around the sludge dehydration, or both. And, the more suitable position of the temperature sensor is preferably around the infrared measuring device or around the position where the infrared measuring device irradiates the dehydrated sludge with infrared rays. As described above or below, the infrared measuring device irradiates the dehydrated sludge with infrared rays and calculates the absorbance from the reflected light, which is used as the basis for calculating the moisture content. Therefore, if the temperature of the dehydrated sludge and air present on the infrared irradiation and reflection path is not constant, the amount of infrared emitted by the dehydrated sludge itself and the air itself will change. As a result, the infrared wavelength distribution (infrared spectrum) of infrared absorbance will change depending on the temperature of the dehydrated sludge and air on the path, so temperature must be taken into consideration. The temperature sensor may be installed at any position in the sewage sludge treatment facility. Temperatures shown in meteorological data may also be used to measure air temperature.

As in the case of the temperature sensor described above, the sewage sludge treatment equipment operation support navigation system (100, 200) may be provided with, for example, a humidity sensor. The humidity sensor may measure and obtain data relating to the humidity around the dewatered sludge discharged from the sludge dewatering machine, and in the processing of the operation procedure display program, the data relating to the humidity of the dewatered sludge may be used to select and display the equipment operation procedure of the sludge dewatering machine for bringing the moisture content of the dewatered sludge closer to the desired sludge moisture content.

Here, the method of using data acquired from a humidity sensor to bring the moisture content of the dehydrated sludge discharged from the sludge dehydrator closer to the desired sludge moisture content is not particularly limited. For example, the desired sludge humidity as data on the humidity of the dehydrated sludge with the desired sludge moisture content may be stored in a storage resource, and in the processing of the operation procedure display program, the current humidity of the dehydrated sludge measured by the humidity sensor during operation of the sewage sludge treatment facility may be compared with the desired sludge humidity, and the equipment operation procedure of the sludge dehydrator for bringing the current humidity of the dehydrated sludge closer to the desired sludge humidity may be displayed on the display device 110. For example, if the current humidity of the dehydrated sludge is lower than the desired sludge humidity, it is considered that the moisture content of the current dehydrated sludge is lower than the desired sludge moisture content, so information on the equipment operation procedure for reducing the dehydration pressure of the sludge dehydrator may be displayed among the equipment operation procedures. Also, for example, if the current humidity of the dewatered sludge is higher than the desired sludge humidity, the moisture content of the current dewatered sludge is considered to be higher than the desired sludge moisture content, so information on an equipment operation procedure that increases the dewatering pressure of the sludge dewatering machine among the equipment operation procedures may be displayed. Also, by executing a dewatering pressure calculation program, the dewatering pressure may be calculated from the difference between the current humidity of the dewatered sludge and the desired sludge humidity, and an equipment operation procedure that includes the calculated dewatering pressure may be displayed.

The position of the humidity sensor is not particularly limited as long as it can appropriately measure the humidity of the dehydrated sludge. The humidity sensor can be appropriately installed, for example, in the sludge dehydrator discharge section 103, the dehydrated sludge flow path downstream of the sludge dehydrator discharge section 103 (for example, the transport path of the dehydrated sludge), the sludge storage tank 104, etc. In addition, the measurement data of the humidity sensor is, for example, signal processed by an appropriate method and used in the processing of the computer 109. In addition, a more suitable position for the humidity sensor is preferably around the infrared measuring device or around the position where the infrared measuring device irradiates the dehydrated sludge with infrared rays. This is because if there is high humidity air on the infrared irradiation and reflection path, the amount of infrared rays absorbed by the air will change, so humidity needs to be taken into consideration. In addition, if the humidity is almost the same throughout the sewage sludge treatment facility, it may be replaced with data from a humidity sensor at any position in the sewage sludge treatment facility. Furthermore, the humidity indicated in the weather data may be used.

In this way, equipment operation procedures can be displayed based on data obtained from temperature and humidity sensors, providing operational support to workers at sewage sludge treatment equipment.

The sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system (100, 200) may be provided with both the temperature sensor and humidity sensor described above, or may be provided with either the temperature sensor or the humidity sensor.

Next, an example of a location where the temperature sensor measures temperature will be described in more detail. FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to the eleventh embodiment. Note that when describing this embodiment, explanations that overlap with contents already described may be omitted.

In this embodiment, the sewage sludge treatment equipment operation support navigation system 1100 is provided to provide operation support and control of the sludge treatment equipment to improve the efficiency of sludge treatment at a sewage sludge treatment plant where sewage sludge treatment equipment including a sludge concentration tank 1101, a concentrated sludge storage tank 1102, a coagulation tank 1103, a sludge dewatering machine 1104, and a sludge storage tank 1105 are installed as the flow of the sewage sludge treatment process.

The sludge concentration tank 1101 is configured as a tank for concentrating raw sludge supplied from the upstream side, and in the sludge concentration tank 1101, a process for separating water from the raw sludge and reducing the moisture content is performed (as an example, a process for settling the sludge by gravitational settling and separating the supernatant liquid to increase the concentration). The concentrated sludge storage tank 1102 is configured as a tank for storing concentrated sludge that has been concentrated in the sludge concentration tank 1101 by reducing the moisture content. Note that the concentrated sludge storage tank 1102 may be used for a process for concentrating sludge. As an example, the concentrated sludge storage tank 1102 may be used for a process based on sedimentation separation, similar to the case of the sludge concentration tank 1101.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the temperature sensors (1106-1109) are provided so as to be able to measure temperature at multiple locations. Specifically, the temperature sensor 1106 is provided so as to be able to measure the water temperature of the sludge concentration tank 1101. The temperature sensor 1107 is provided so as to be able to measure the water temperature of the concentrated sludge storage tank 1102. The temperature sensor 1108 is provided so as to be able to measure the water temperature of the coagulation tank 1103. Furthermore, the temperature sensor 1109 is provided so as to be able to measure the temperature of the dewatered sludge.

The temperature measurement signals acquired by the multiple temperature sensors (1106 to 1109) are output to a signal processing device 1110. The signal processing device 1110 performs signal processing on the input temperature measurement signals to acquire temperature information, and the acquired temperature information is output to a computer 1111.

In this embodiment, the sludge concentration tank 1101 and the concentrated sludge storage tank 1102, which are equipment in the sewage treatment process, are appropriately equipped with temperature sensors to measure the water temperature in the tanks, so that the computer 1111 can obtain information on the state of the sludge entering the coagulation tank (1103). The computer 1111 can then display the equipment operation contents based on the information on the state of the sludge entering the coagulation tank (1103) by executing an operation procedure display program. For example, when the water temperature of the sludge concentration tank 1101 or the concentrated sludge storage tank 1102 is higher than during normal operation, it is considered that more gas based on fermentation (for example, anaerobic fermentation) is generated from the sludge than during normal operation, and sludge in a state where fermentation has progressed (in other words, sludge with different physical properties from normal operation) enters the coagulation tank 1103. In this case, the injection amount calculation program may be executed to adjust the injection amount of polymer flocculant based on temperature information acquired from the temperature sensors (1106, 1107), and the operation procedure display program may be executed to display the equipment operation procedure for injecting the adjusted injection amount of polymer flocculant on the display device 1112. In this way, the equipment operation procedure based on the data acquired by the temperature sensor is displayed, and operation support for the operator of the sewage sludge treatment equipment can be provided. Note that, although an example of acquiring the temperature related to the dewatered sludge via the water temperature has been described in detail, this is not limited thereto, and for example, a temperature sensor may be provided at a position in contact with the dewatered sludge to acquire the temperature of the dewatered sludge.

As shown in FIG. 11, the sewage sludge treatment equipment operation support navigation system 1100 may be provided with a gas sensor (1107) for detecting gas generated from sludge in the concentrated sludge storage tank (1102) as appropriate. The gas measurement signal acquired by this gas sensor (1107) is output to a signal processing device 1110. The signal processing device 1110 performs signal processing on the input gas measurement signal to acquire gas information, and the acquired gas information is output to a computer 1111. Then, in the same manner as in the case of the temperature sensor (1106, 1107) described above, the computer 1111 may adjust the injection amount of polymer flocculant based on the gas information acquired from the gas sensor (1107) by executing an injection amount calculation program, and may display an equipment operation procedure for injecting the adjusted injection amount of polymer flocculant on a display device 1112 by executing an operation procedure display program. In this way, gas information generated from the sludge entering the coagulation tank (1103) is incorporated, and equipment operation procedures based on data acquired by the gas sensor (1107) can be displayed, providing operational support to workers operating the sewage sludge treatment equipment.

Based on the temperature information of the water temperature of the coagulation tank 1103 acquired by the temperature sensor 1108, the equipment operation procedure for performing a suitable coagulation treatment in the coagulation tank 1103 to generate the desired coagulation floc state is displayed. For example, if the water temperature of the coagulation tank 1103 is outside the reference temperature or reference temperature range, the solubility of the polymer coagulant may decrease, causing poor coagulation. In this case, the injection amount of the polymer coagulant may be adjusted based on the temperature information acquired by the temperature sensor 1109 by executing the injection amount calculation program, and the equipment operation procedure for injecting the adjusted injection amount of the polymer coagulant may be displayed on the display device 1112 by executing the operation procedure display program. Here, the reference temperature and the reference temperature range are data indicating the temperature or temperature range at which a suitable coagulation treatment can be performed to generate the desired coagulation floc state, and are stored in the storage resource.

In addition, in the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 1100 in this embodiment, the same processing as that described for the temperature sensor in the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system (100, 200) described above is performed. That is, through processing of the operation procedure display program, the equipment operation procedure for bringing the moisture content of the dewatered sludge closer to the desired sludge moisture content is displayed on the display device 1112 based on the temperature information of the dewatered sludge obtained by the temperature sensor 1109.

Next, a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 1200 according to the twelfth embodiment will be described. FIG. 12 is a configuration diagram of the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system. Note that when describing this embodiment, explanations that overlap with contents already described may be omitted.

In the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 1200 in the twelfth embodiment, a computer 1111 is installed in a remote location different from the sewage sludge treatment plant where the sewage sludge treatment facility is installed, and the computer 1111 acquires information from the sewage sludge treatment facility via a communication network 1201. In addition, a display device 1112 is installed in the sewage sludge treatment plant where the sewage sludge treatment facility is installed, and the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 1200 displays information based on the output from the computer 1111 via the communication network 1201.

In this embodiment, the computer 1111 includes a processor, a storage resource, and a communication unit. The communication unit is configured as an interface for communication. Information output from the signal processing device 1110 is input to the communication unit via the communication network 1201. In addition, the output from the computer 1111 is input to the display device 1112 via the communication unit and the communication network 1201.

According to this embodiment, a computer 1111 is installed in a remote location different from the sewage sludge treatment plant, and the computer 1111 can be utilized as a distribution server for distributing information to support the operation of the sewage sludge treatment equipment, thereby enabling support for the operation of the equipment by operators of the sewage sludge treatment equipment based on information from the remote location.

Next, a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 1300 according to the thirteenth embodiment will be described. FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram of the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system. Note that when describing this embodiment, explanations that overlap with contents already described may be omitted.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 1300 includes multiple image capture devices (1305-1308) for capturing images of the operation panel of the sewage sludge treatment facility. Specifically, the image capture device 1305 is provided so as to be able to capture an image of the operation panel 1301 of the sludge thickening tank. The image capture device 1306 is provided so as to be able to capture an image of the operation panel 1302 of the thickened sludge storage tank. The image capture device 1307 is provided so as to be able to capture an image of the operation panel 1303 of the coagulation tank. The image capture device 1308 is provided so as to be able to capture an image of the operation panel 1308 of the sludge dewatering machine.

The image signals acquired by the multiple image capture devices (1305 to 1308) are output to a signal processing device 1309. The signal processing device 1309 performs signal processing on the input image signals, acquires operation panel information, and outputs the acquired operation panel information to a computer 1310.

In this embodiment, by appropriately providing an image capture device that captures images of the operation panels for operating the sludge concentration tank 1301, concentrated sludge storage tank 1302, coagulation tank 1303, and sludge dewatering machine 1304, the states indicated by the instruments on the operation panels can be obtained by image recognition from the captured images, and appropriate equipment operation procedures can be displayed on the display device 1311. Here, the image recognition can be an appropriate matching process. That is, image data captured of the states indicated by the instruments on the operation panels at the desired flock state and desired sludge moisture content is recorded in a storage resource, and an appropriate image recognition program is executed to compare the image data with image data captured of the current states indicated by the instruments. The image recognition program is stored in the storage resource and executed by a processor. Then, the computer 1310 executes the operation procedure display program to appropriately select, from the group of equipment operation procedures, an equipment operation procedure for approximating the state indicated by the gauges at the desired floc state and desired sludge moisture content based on the results of image recognition, or appropriately generates an equipment operation procedure including the amount of polymer coagulant injected and the dewatering pressure of the sludge dewatering machine, and displays the equipment operation procedure on the display device 1311. In this way, in this embodiment, the equipment operation procedure is displayed based on the data of the gauges on the operation panel, and operation support can be provided to the operator of the sewage sludge treatment equipment.

Next, a sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 1400 according to the 14th embodiment will be described. FIG. 14 is a configuration diagram of the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system. Note that when describing this embodiment, explanations that overlap with contents already described may be omitted.

In the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 1400 in the fourteenth embodiment, a computer 1310 is installed in a remote location different from the sewage sludge treatment plant where the sewage sludge treatment facility is installed, and the computer 1310 acquires information from the sewage sludge treatment facility via a communication network 1401. In addition, a display device 1311 is installed in the sewage sludge treatment plant where the sewage sludge treatment facility is installed, and the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 1400 displays information based on the output from the computer 1310 via the communication network 1401.

In this embodiment, the computer 1310 includes a processor, a storage resource, and a communication unit. The communication unit is configured as an interface for performing communication. Information output from the signal processing device 1309 is input to the communication unit via the communication network 1401. In addition, the output from the computer 1310 is input to the display device 1311 via the communication unit and the communication network 1401.

According to this embodiment, a computer 1310 is installed in a remote location different from the sewage sludge treatment plant, and the computer 1310 can be utilized as a distribution server for distributing information to support the operation of the sewage sludge treatment equipment, thereby enabling support for the operation of the equipment by workers of the sewage sludge treatment equipment based on information from the remote location.

As stated above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail to provide a better understanding of the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to an embodiment having all of the configurations described.

In the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation systems (1100, 1200, 1300, 1400), processing may be performed using an imaging device 105, an infrared measuring device 106, a humidity sensor, etc., as described in the case of the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation systems (100, 200).

The position of the infrared measuring device 106 described above is not particularly limited as long as it can appropriately measure the dewatered sludge. The infrared measuring device 106 can be appropriately installed, for example, in the sludge dewatering machine discharge section 103, the dewatered sludge flow path downstream of the sludge dewatering machine discharge section 103 (e.g., the transport path for the dewatered sludge), the sludge storage tank 104, etc.

The position of the imaging device 105 described above is not particularly limited as long as it can appropriately measure the flocs in the coagulation tank 101. The imaging device 105 can be appropriately installed, for example, at a position where it can measure the flocs in the coagulation tank 101, inside the coagulation tank 101, outside the coagulation tank 101, in the sludge flow path downstream of the coagulation tank 101, etc.

In the above embodiment, the image capture signal processing device 107 and the infrared signal processing device 108 perform signal processing of the acquired data. However, for example, the image capture signal processing device 107 and the infrared signal processing device 108 may be configured as part of a computer, and the computer may perform signal processing of the acquired data. Also, the image capture signal processing device 107 and the infrared signal processing device 108 may be omitted, and a program for performing the signal processing may be stored in the storage resources of the computer, and the signal processing may be performed by executing the program by a processor. Similarly, the signal processing devices (1110, 1309) may be configured as part of a computer. The signal processing devices (1110, 1309) may be omitted, and the computer may perform signal processing.

One example of a processor is a CPU, but other semiconductor devices (e.g., GPUs) may also be used as long as they are capable of executing a specified process.

As an example, the storage resource may be a hard disk drive (HDD), but the storage resource may be any suitable recording device. The storage resource may be, for example, a solid state drive (SSD), which is a drive that uses semiconductor element memory.

A fifteenth embodiment will be described. Note that the same explanation as above may be omitted. In the fifteenth embodiment, a form of a sewage sludge treatment equipment operation support navigation system will be described in which a predicted moisture content value, which is a predicted value of the moisture content, is calculated using a calculation method different from that of the fourth embodiment. In this form, the method of calculating the moisture content is different, and the method of using the moisture content in the sewage sludge treatment equipment operation support navigation system is the same as that of the fourth embodiment, so the explanation of the method of use may be omitted.

In this embodiment, regression line information, which is regression line data used to predict and calculate the moisture content of the dewatered sludge, is stored in the memory resource. Then, in the processing of the operation procedure display program, a predicted value of the dewatered sludge is calculated using the regression line information stored in the memory resource, and the predicted value of the moisture content of the dewatered sludge is compared with the desired sludge moisture content. Then, a process is performed to display on the display device 110 the equipment operation procedure of the sludge dewatering machine for bringing the predicted value of the moisture content of the dewatered sludge closer to the desired sludge moisture content.

The regression line is obtained from dehydrated sludge with a known moisture content. Here, an example of a method for obtaining regression line information will be described with reference to FIG. 15. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of an analysis flow for calculating the moisture content of dehydrated sludge. In this method, after the equipment operation is started (S101), infrared rays are irradiated onto dehydrated sludge with a known moisture content, and the infrared rays reflected from the dehydrated sludge are measured over time by an infrared measuring device (infrared sensor). Here, the data obtained by the measurement over time (measurement information over time) is stored in a storage resource. In this embodiment, in order to obtain a highly accurate regression line, infrared rays in a wavelength range of 1200 nm to 2500 nm are irradiated. Then, in this method, the absorbance of the infrared reflected light (infrared spectrum) is calculated from the data obtained by the measurement over time (S102), a smoothing process is performed on the absorbance of the infrared reflected light, and an offset correction (baseline correction) is performed on the result of the smoothing process (S103). Then, this method executes a multivariate regression analysis (multiple regression analysis in this example) (S104), acquires regression line information (S105), and stores (learns) the calculated regression line information of the moisture content in a memory resource (S106). Note that the regression line information may be, for example, a regression coefficient or a correction coefficient, but may be other coefficients that define the regression line (which does not actually have to be a linear function based on the definition of statistics). Also, if the regression line can be expressed by multiple functions, it may be an identifier assigned to the function that indicates which function was applied, or a weighting coefficient that adds up the results of multiple functions.

The method of obtaining the regression line information will be described in more detail. As an example, the absorbance of the infrared reflected light calculated above can be considered as spectrum data (graph) with the absorbance (arbitrary units) on the vertical axis and the wavelength (nm) on the horizontal axis. Then, a smoothing process is performed on the absorbance of the infrared reflected light, an offset correction (baseline correction) is performed on the result of the smoothing process, and a multivariate regression analysis is performed on the result to obtain a regression line. Here, it is sufficient to obtain an appropriate regression line, and in the multivariate regression analysis, the number of variables (i.e., the number of data points in the wavelength range) can be appropriately determined. Then, a predicted value of the moisture content can be obtained by inputting data based on the absorbance of the infrared reflected light into the regression line.

As described above, in this embodiment, in the processing of the operation procedure display program, the absorbance of the infrared reflected light obtained over time and the regression line information described above are used to calculate a predicted value of the moisture content of the dewatered sludge discharged over time (S107 to S109), and the calculated predicted value of the moisture content of the dewatered sludge is compared with the desired sludge moisture content. Here, in obtaining the regression line information described above, it is preferable that the dewatered sludge with a known moisture content has a moisture content in the range of 60 wt% or more and less than 90 wt%. Also, it is preferable that the desired sludge moisture content is a moisture content in the range of 60 wt% or more and less than 85 wt%. This makes it possible to obtain a highly accurate regression line and provide more appropriate equipment operation support (i.e., more appropriate display of the equipment operation procedure). As described above, the desired sludge moisture content may be specified as a pinpoint value in addition to such a range.

Next, the details of the content displayed on the execution screen of the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system will be explained using Figures 16 to 20.

Figure 16 is an example of a menu screen. In this embodiment, the menu screen I1 shown in Figure 16 is displayed on the display device by the processor executing a program of the sewage sludge treatment equipment operation support navigation system. As shown in Figure 16, menu screen I1 includes multiple items, and workers at the sewage treatment plant can appropriately select and determine the item they wish to refer to. Next, the contents of the items displayed on menu screen I1 will be explained in order.

In the "Information Input" section, workers at the sewage treatment plant can register registration information, which is information to be registered in the system. Here, examples of registered information include information on the worker, temperature, humidity, etc. The registration method may be a mode in which the information can be selected using a pull-down format, or a mode in which the worker can directly input information. Furthermore, data acquired from a sensor regarding numerical data such as temperature and humidity may be automatically input (registered). Furthermore, weather data may be acquired as appropriate, and numerical data such as temperature and humidity based on the weather data may be automatically input (registered). As an example, weather data may be acquired from outside via a network.

The sensors include temperature, humidity, imaging devices for flocculation, and infrared measuring devices for moisture content, as well as measuring instruments that measure values related to the flocculant addition flow rate and concentration in the flocculation tank, the rotation speed of the agitator, the sludge flow rate and sludge concentration, and the sludge compression pressure in the dehydrator. For example, there are sensors that measure centrifugal force in the case of a centrifugal dehydrator, pressure force in the case of a pressurized dehydrator, adjustment of the tension pressure of the filter cloth in the case of a belt press dehydrator, sludge rotation speed in the case of a multi-disk dehydrator, and screw rotation speed in the case of a screw press dehydrator, but are not limited to these exemplified measuring sensors (measuring instruments). Specific examples of some of the exemplified sensors will be explained later.

The "Measurement Condition Settings" item is intended primarily for navigation system programmers. It contains an algorithm for analyzing images of coagulated flocs in the coagulation tank, and a multiple regression analysis algorithm for calculating the moisture content of dried sludge (dewatered sludge).

In the analysis algorithm for flocs, it is possible to set the image area, histogram flattening, filter method, binarization threshold, etc. In addition, it is also possible to specify the range of floc sizes to be analyzed, the diameter or area of the range of flocs to be analyzed, the range of average floc diameters, the range of floc numbers, etc. For example, by setting the size of the flocs, it is possible to easily check the generation state of flocs in the desired size range.

On the other hand, when calculating moisture content, it is possible to input (set) the target moisture content range, the measurement conditions of the sensor that measures moisture content (number of scans, gain setting, whether or not smoothing is performed, measurement speed, etc.), calibration data, and regression coefficients and correction coefficients for converting infrared optical information to moisture content.

In addition, it is possible to input and set the real-time data processing (update) interval for the measurement of the floc condition and moisture content. It is also possible to input and set the maximum display time for data related to these measurements. You can then return to the menu screen by pressing the home button.

The "Measurement Progress" and "Histogram" items, like the "Measurement Condition Settings" item, are items that are primarily intended for navigation system program creators. Data related to the measurement progress may be stored in the "Measurement Progress" item. Data used for histogram processing may be stored in the "Histogram" item. However, these items may be omitted from the screen display.

Next, the "Status Check" item will be explained. The "Status Check" item mainly relates to a screen targeted at workers at the sewage treatment plant. An example of "Status Check", that is, an example of this screen, will be explained with reference to Figure 17. Figure 17 shows an example of a screen related to status check.

Using screen I2, which can be viewed from the "Confirm Status" item, the operator can grasp the current size and number of flocs and the moisture content in numerical terms. Screen I2 can also be used to grasp an image of the aggregated flocs. Here, for data that can be displayed numerically, information showing the change in numerical value over time (for example, a graph associating numerical values with a time axis, as shown in FIG. 17) may be displayed. Note that the numerical data of the current number and diameter of flocs, moisture content, and infrared spectrum information used to calculate the moisture content can be saved and output.

For data that can be displayed numerically, upper and lower limits may be set, and a warning may be issued if the current value deviates from the set values. As shown in FIG. 17, for example, upper and lower limits may be set for the moisture content of dried sludge (dewatered sludge), and if the value deviates from the set value (i.e., if it deviates from the target range), the numbers or display frame may flash red to warn of an abnormality. Note that the warning may be issued by any appropriate means, and the manner of the warning is not particularly limited as long as the warning can be understood by an operator or the like. For example, the warning may be issued by sounding an alarm such as a buzzer.

Next, the "Operation Instructions" item will be explained. The "Operation Instructions" item relates to a screen that displays the details of the recommended equipment operations. An example of "Operation Instructions", that is, an example of this screen, will be explained with reference to FIG. 18. FIG. 18 shows an example of a screen related to operation instructions.

Screen I3 for "Operation Instructions" displays the recommended equipment operation content based on the results of analyzing the equipment operation history, the past size and number of flocs, and the past moisture content of dried sludge (dewatered sludge), as well as the current size and number of flocs and the current moisture content of dried sludge.

Here, each equipment operation content is associated with a priority, which is a value that indicates the recommended operation content. When multiple equipment operation contents are displayed, each equipment operation content is displayed on screen I3 in order of priority. Furthermore, the quantity to be operated (quantity of operations) is also displayed on screen I3.

Equipment that is the subject of the recommended operation includes coagulation tanks and dehydrators. Here, if multiple coagulation tanks and dehydrators are installed, the recommended operation is displayed in a manner that distinguishes which equipment is to be operated. For example, if there are multiple pieces of equipment such as coagulation tanks and dehydrators, a display is made that includes information indicating which equipment is the subject of the operation. Therefore, by referring to the display, it is easy to know which equipment should be operated.

An example of using a screw press type dehydrator is explained below. In this case, examples of equipment operations for the coagulation tank include adding inorganic coagulants or polymer coagulants, and increasing or decreasing the addition rate. On the other hand, examples of equipment operations for the dehydrator include increasing or decreasing the screw rotation speed, and adjusting the degree of pressure or pressure reduction to dehydrate the sludge. The quantities operated in each operation are displayed in association with each other. The priority of each equipment operation is also displayed, and the equipment operations are displayed in order of priority.

After the sewage treatment plant worker performs the recommended operation on the sewage treatment equipment, he or she can input the operation that was performed. A convenient mechanism may be provided that transitions to an "operation content" input screen described later by selecting on the screen any of the items (No., recommended operation, quantity to be operated, priority) in the row of the equipment operation content that was actually performed (i.e., the operation content with the highest priority). That is, screen I3 may be a screen for inputting the actual operation content using a mouse or the like, and the operation content may be input on screen I3. With this configuration, the operation content can be easily input using screen I3. On the other hand, the menu screen I2 may be output by selecting the home button, and the operation content may be input by selecting "operation content" from menu screen I2.

Next, the "Implementation details" item will be explained. The "Implementation details" item relates to an input screen for the details of equipment operations that were actually performed. An example of the "Implementation details" screen will be explained with reference to FIG. 19. FIG. 19 shows an example of a screen related to the implementation details.

As shown in FIG. 19, the screen I4 for inputting the "implementation contents" includes a first area A1, a second area A2, and a third area A3. The first area A1 is an area for inputting the implementation contents (i.e., the equipment operation contents actually performed). The first area A1 includes an input field E1 for the operation items and an input field E2 for the operation quantity. The second area A2 is an area for inputting the result of the implementation contents. The third area A3 is an area for inputting the time of implementation (implementation time). That is, the display device displays a screen having a first area A1 for inputting or selecting the actual equipment operation contents by the user, a second area A2 for inputting or selecting the result of the equipment operation contents being implemented, and a third area A3 for inputting the implementation time. In other words, the processor causes the display device to display a screen having a first area A1 for inputting or selecting the actual equipment operation contents by the user, a second area A2 for inputting or selecting the result of the equipment operation contents being implemented, and a third area A3 for inputting the implementation time. In FIG. 19, the first area A1, the second area A2, and the third area A3 are arranged side by side as an example, but the arrangement of the areas (A1 to A3) on the screen I4 is not particularly limited. As described above, when an actual operation is selected on the "operation instruction" screen I3, the contents related to this operation may be automatically input to the input screen I4 for the operation contents (specifically, the first area A1), and the input contents may be displayed. For example, when an operation related to "adding flocculant polymer" shown in FIG. 18 is selected, the contents of this operation may be automatically input and displayed in the input field E1 of the first area A1, and the operation quantity may also be automatically input and displayed in the input field E2 of the first area A1. That is, the processor may receive the specification of the equipment operation contents on the screen I3, specify the operation items and operation quantities related to the received equipment operation contents, and input the specified operation items and operation quantities into the first area A1. On the other hand, the input screen I4 for the "operation contents" may be a screen for inputting the operation contents by the user.

On the "Implementation Details" screen I4 (more specifically, in the input field E2 in the first area A1), the significant figures of the operated quantity are not particularly limited as long as they are appropriate, and can be determined appropriately, for example, according to the condition of the sewage treatment plant (e.g., taking into consideration the size of the sewage treatment plant and the processing capacity per hour). For example, the flocculant addition rate and the number of screw rotations are determined appropriately according to the condition of the sewage treatment plant, and as an example, a mechanism can be used that can display precise values up to about two decimal places.

The sewage treatment plant worker can input the results (implementation results) in the second area A2, such as whether the floc coagulation state or moisture content improved or remained unchanged, or whether further additions were required, as a result of implementing the equipment operation content. Note that automatic input may also be performed, and the processor may determine whether the implementation result was good or bad based on the progress of the coagulated flocs and the progress of the moisture content after implementation, and input the implementation result in the second area A2. The time of implementation is also input in the third area A3. The time may be automatically recorded along with the automatic input of the implementation content, or may be input by the sewage treatment plant worker.

A mechanism for selecting and inputting the operated quantity and implementation results (i.e., input to the input field E2 of the first area A1 and input to the second area A2) in a pull-down format may be provided. For example, multiple items indicating different addition rates for the operated quantity of "addition of flocculant polymer" may be prepared, and the operated quantity value may be input by appropriately selecting from these items. Also, for example, items for the implementation results may be prepared such as "improvement," "no change," and "addition required," and the implementation results may be input by appropriately selecting from these items. By inputting the operated quantity in a pull-down format and providing a mechanism for manually inputting the operation content, the operation content can be manually input at the discretion of the sewage treatment plant worker, rather than being automatically input based on the selection of the equipment operation content.

The data entered in "Implementation Details" (screen I4) (e.g., data related to the equipment operations performed and their results) can be used, for example, for program settings, as described below.

If, after selecting and performing a recommended operation in the "Operation Instructions" section, it is confirmed on the "Status Check" screen that the desired size and number of flocs and the moisture content of the dried sludge have been achieved, the selected and performed operation is appropriate, and the program is set to increase the recommendation level (i.e., priority) when displaying recommended operations in the "Operation Instructions" section thereafter (Pattern 1). If, as a result of selecting and performing a recommended operation, the desired size and number of flocs and the moisture content of the dried sludge are not achieved, and the size and number of flocs and the moisture content of the dried sludge are worse than before the recommended operation was performed, the program is set to decrease the recommendation level (Pattern 2). If, as a result of selecting and performing a recommended operation, the desired size and number of flocs and the moisture content of the dried sludge are not achieved, and there is no change compared to before the recommended operation was performed, the program is set to decrease the recommendation level, but by a smaller amount than the setting for decreasing the recommendation level in Pattern 2 (Pattern 3). The amount by which the recommendation level is increased or decreased here is set appropriately by the developer. In this way, the display contents of the recommended operation in the "operation instructions" section, the results of implementing the recommended operation, the size and number of flocs, and the moisture content of the dried sludge can be constructed as a database, and by repeating learning and analysis, the accuracy of the operation instructions can be improved (i.e., more accurate equipment operation contents can be output). That is, by executing the steps of acquiring data on the flocs and dewatered sludge after implementing the recommended operation, evaluating the merits or demerits of the recommended operation using the acquired data, and varying the priority, which is a value that recommends the recommended operation, depending on the evaluation results, the accuracy of the operation instructions can be improved and more accurate recommended operations can be output.

The acquired data may also be used to improve the accuracy of the operation quantity value displayed on the "operation instructions" screen I3. For example, if it is confirmed on the "implementation details" screen I4 that an improvement has been made based on the implementation results (i.e., the input contents in the second area A2), the value of the operation quantity for the corresponding equipment operation content is not changed, and if it is confirmed that an improvement has not been made based on the implementation results, the value of the operation quantity for the corresponding equipment operation content is changed, thereby improving the accuracy of the operation quantity value. In this way, the accuracy of the value of the quantity to be operated can be improved from the quantity of operations performed (the quantity entered on the implementation details input screen).

Similarly, if it is confirmed on the "Status Check" screen I2 that the data on the moisture content of the flocs or sludge has reached the desired value, the value of the operation quantity may not be changed, but if it is not confirmed that the desired value has been reached, the value of the operation quantity may be changed.

Next, the "Output of implementation details" item will be explained with reference to FIG. 20. FIG. 20 shows an example of a screen related to output of implementation details.

When the menu item for outputting the implementation details is selected, a confirmation screen I5 for asking whether or not to output is displayed, as shown in FIG. 20. If consent (OK) is then selected, information such as the size and number of flocs and the results of the moisture content measurements can be output, as well as operations recommended by the navigation system and details carried out by workers at the sewage treatment plant.

When the output is complete, a message informing you that the output has been completed is displayed, along with the destination where the output file is saved. Regarding the format of the output file, a CSV file is listed in the example of screen I5 in FIG. 20, but the file format can be selected appropriately by the system creator. In addition, if remote control is being used, the set of output files can also be transmitted to the remotely controlled information processing device.

In addition to the above, the screen also has a function to show workers at the sewage treatment plant predicted information on flocculation and moisture content. That is, data related to future predictions may be displayed. For example, data related to predicted values for a time beyond the time of calculating the moisture content of the dried sludge, or the time of calculating the size and number of flocs, may be obtained and displayed on the "Status Check" screen I2. In this case, the displayed predicted values can be understood and used to perform operations.

The screen may also display data acquired by a control panel used for monitoring and controlling the equipment. The screen may also display an image acquired by capturing an image of the control panel. That is, a control panel camera may be provided for capturing an image of the control panel, and monitoring values acquired by capturing an image of the control panel and processing the image may be displayed on the screen. By referring to these monitoring values, information on the control panel can be easily understood. Examples of monitoring values include the amount of chemicals added to the coagulation tank, the chemical ratio, the concentration and flow rate of the sludge, the rotation speed of the agitator, and the pressure of the dehydrator.

The data used for the numerical display may be obtained from sensors (e.g., the sensors described above) used for monitoring and measuring each piece of equipment, or may be obtained from a control panel. Note that if the desired floc state, an image of the floc state, or the moisture content is displayed on the control panel, the displayed value or information may be obtained by this method.

The priority level can be any value other than a percentage as long as it allows the equipment operation to be evaluated appropriately. The operation quantity can be any value other than a percentage as long as it is indicated by an appropriate value.

The above describes the contents of the execution screen of the sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system, but the displayed wording may be replaced with appropriate words that are familiar to workers at the sewage treatment plant. Although the description has been given for sewage sludge treatment facilities, the system described in the embodiment may also be used for sludge treatment plants other than sewage treatment, such as drinking water and industrial wastewater that are treated using coagulation tanks and dehydrators.

The equipment operation procedure includes the equipment operation contents. The equipment operation contents may then be displayed on a display device through processing by the processor. The operation procedure display program may also be used as an operation content display program.

100 Sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 101 Coagulation tank 102 Sludge dewatering unit 103 Sludge dewatering unit 104 Sludge storage tank 105 Imaging device 106 Infrared measuring device 107 Imaging signal processing device 108 Infrared signal processing device 109 Computer (electronic computer)
110 Coagulation tank/sludge dewatering machine operation procedure display device (display device)
200 Sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 201 Communication network 301 Operation procedure display device screen (display screen)
401 Operation procedure display device screen (display screen)
402 Desired moisture content value (desired sludge moisture content)
403 Moisture content regression line (regression line)
501 Operation procedure display device screen (display screen)
502 Desired moisture content value (desired sludge moisture content)
503 Moisture content value (moisture content measurement value)
601 Operation procedure display device screen (display screen)
701 Operation procedure display device screen (display screen)
801 Operation procedure display device screen (display screen)
1100 Sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 1101 Sludge thickening tank 1102 Thickened sludge storage tank 1103 Coagulation tank 1104 Sludge dewatering machine 1105 Sludge storage tank 1106 Temperature sensor 1107 Sensor (temperature sensor, gas sensor)
1108 Temperature sensor 1109 Temperature sensor 1110 Signal processing device 1111 Computer (electronic computer)
1112 Operation procedure display device (display device)
1200 Sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 1201 Communication network 1300 Sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 1301 Sludge thickening tank operation panel 1302 Thickened sludge storage tank operation panel 1303 Coagulation tank operation panel 1304 Sludge dewatering machine operation panel 1305 Image capture device 1306 Image capture device 1307 Image capture device 1308 Image capture device 1309 Signal processing device 1310 Computer (electronic computer)
1311 Operation procedure display device (display device)
1400 Sewage sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system 1401 Communication network I1 Menu screen I2 Status confirmation screen I3 Operation instruction screen I4 Input screen for implementation details I5 Output screen for implementation details

Claims (15)

A processor, a storage resource, and a display device,
The storage resource includes:
a desired floc state in a flocculation tank of a sludge treatment facility;
a desired sludge moisture content, which is a desired moisture content of dewatered sludge discharged from a sludge dewatering machine of the sludge treatment facility;
is stored as data,
The processor executes an operation content display program,
(1) acquiring an operating floc state, which is a floc state during operation of the sludge treatment facility;
(2) acquiring an operating sludge moisture content, which is the moisture content of the dewatered sludge during operation of the sludge treatment equipment;
(3) selecting or generating equipment operation details for the coagulation tank and the sludge dewatering machine based on the in-operation floc state, the in-operation sludge moisture content, the desired coagulated floc state, and the desired sludge moisture content;
(4) displaying the equipment operation content on the display device;
the display device displays a screen for a user to input the facility operation content after displaying the facility operation content;
The processor,
Using information about the input or selected equipment operation content, a priority level is calculated, which is a value that indicates a recommendation for the equipment operation content;
Displaying the equipment operation details on the display device while associating the priority with the equipment operation details;
The processor,
acquiring data on the flocs and the dewatered sludge after carrying out the equipment operation content, evaluating the quality of the equipment operation content using the acquired data, and varying the priority level according to the evaluation result;
A sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system comprising : The sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to claim 1,
The processor,
A first area for inputting or selecting actual equipment operation contents by a user;
A second area for inputting or selecting whether the result of carrying out the equipment operation content is good or bad;
and a third area for inputting an implementation time, and displaying a screen having the screen on the display device.
A sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system comprising: The sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to claim 1,
The processor,
Obtaining a predicted value for a future time from the time point when the moisture content of the dewatered sludge is calculated or the time point when the data on the coagulated flocs is calculated;
The display device displays the obtained predicted value.
A sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system comprising: The sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to claim 2,
The processor,
Receive the identification of the equipment operation content on the screen that displays the equipment operation content to be performed,
Identifying the operation items and operation quantities related to the received equipment operation content,
inputting the identified operation item and operation quantity into the first area;
A sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system comprising: The sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to claim 1 or 2,
The processor,
Using information about the input or selected equipment operation content, a quantity of the equipment operation content to be recommended is obtained;
A sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system comprising: The sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to claim 1,
An electronic computer is configured that includes the processor, the storage resource, and a communication unit that is an interface for performing communication,
the electronic computer is installed in a remote location different from a sludge treatment plant in which the sludge treatment equipment is installed,
The display device is installed at the sludge treatment plant.
A sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system comprising: The sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to claim 1,
The equipment operation content displayed on the display device is
adjusting the dewatering pressure of the sludge dewatering machine;
A procedure for injecting a polymer flocculant into wastewater with a specified dosage of the polymer flocculant;
A sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system comprising: The sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to claim 1,
The storage resource includes:
Regression line information, which is data of a regression line used to predict and calculate the moisture content of the dewatered sludge, is stored;
The regression line information is
the infrared reflectance is obtained by irradiating dewatered sludge having a known moisture content with infrared light in a wavelength range of 1200 nm or more and 2500 nm or less, measuring the dewatered sludge over time, performing a first derivative process on the infrared reflectance obtained, and performing a multivariate regression analysis on the result of the first derivative process;
The processor executes the operation content display program,
irradiating dewatered sludge discharged over time from the sludge dewatering machine with infrared light having a wavelength in the range of 1200 nm to 2500 nm, and calculating the in-operation sludge moisture content using the infrared reflectance obtained by measuring the dewatered sludge over time and the regression line information;
Selecting or generating the equipment operation content based on the in-operation sludge moisture content and the desired sludge moisture content.
A sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system comprising: The sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to claim 8,
The desired sludge moisture content is expressed as a range.
A sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system comprising: The sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to claim 1,
The processor,
By running the sludge volume calculation program,
Calculating a sludge volume value which is a volume value of the dewatered sludge, and displaying the calculated sludge volume value on the display device;
By implementing the disposal cost calculation program,
calculating a sludge disposal cost, which is a disposal cost of the dewatered sludge, and displaying the calculated sludge disposal cost on the display device;
A sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system comprising: The sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to claim 1,
The processor executes a prediction display program,
A sludge volume value is predicted, which is a volume value of the dewatered sludge relative to an operating time of the sludge dewatering machine, and a sludge disposal cost is predicted, which is a disposal cost of the dewatered sludge.
The predicted sludge disposal cost is displayed on the display device.
A sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system comprising: The sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to claim 1,
The desired flocculation state is
The flocs flocculating in the wastewater are imaged over a predetermined area over time, and the image information is processed to clarify the flocculated flocs and calculate the floc area, which is the area of the flocs.
The desired flocculation state is
a histogram in which the area of the flocs is classified into classes and the number of flocs is used as a frequency;
The operating flock state is
During operation of the sludge treatment facility, images of flocs flocculating in wastewater are measured over a predetermined area over time, and the image information is subjected to the image processing to obtain the image information;
The operating flock state is
This is a histogram in which the area of flocs is classified as a class and the number of flocs is used as a frequency.
The processor executes the operation content display program,
selecting or generating the equipment operation content based on the on-stream floc state and the desired floc state;
displaying the histogram of the flock state during operation and the facility operation details on the display device;
A sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system comprising: The sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to claim 1,
the sludge treatment facility includes a temperature sensor that measures a temperature related to the dewatered sludge and/or a humidity sensor that measures humidity around the dewatered sludge;
The processor executes the operation content display program,
Selecting or generating the equipment operation content using data acquired from the temperature sensor and/or the humidity sensor;
A sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system comprising: The sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system according to claim 1,
Obtaining monitoring values by capturing images of the control panel and processing the images.
A sludge treatment facility operation support navigation system comprising: A sludge treatment facility operation support method using a computer, comprising:
(1) Obtaining the operating floc state, which is the state of flocs when the sludge treatment facility is in operation;
(2) acquiring an operating sludge moisture content, which is the moisture content of the dewatered sludge during operation of the sludge treatment equipment;
(3) selecting or generating equipment operation details for the coagulation tank and the sludge dewatering machine based on the operating floc state, the operating sludge moisture content, a desired coagulation floc state which is a desired coagulation floc state in the coagulation tank of the sludge treatment equipment, and a desired sludge moisture content which is a desired moisture content of dewatered sludge discharged from a sludge dewatering machine of the sludge treatment equipment;
(4) displaying the equipment operation content on a display device;
displaying a screen for a user to input the equipment operation details after displaying the equipment operation details;
The electronic computer uses information on the input or selected equipment operation content to determine a priority, which is a value that indicates a recommendation for the equipment operation content;
Display the equipment operation details by associating priority.
acquiring data on the flocs and the dewatered sludge after carrying out the equipment operation content, evaluating the quality of the equipment operation content using the acquired data, and varying the priority level according to the evaluation result;
A sludge treatment facility operation support method comprising :

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