Patent ID: 6447639
Filing Date: 2002-09-10
Classification: D21C,G05D,Y10S

Abstract:
An intelligent control process which utilizes accurate and real time measurement of moisture content and species of wood chips on-line in a pulping process comprising:(a) conveying wood chips from a wood chip storage facility to a digester; (b) scanning the wood chips as they are conveyed to determine their species and moisture content by heating the wood chips to a temperature between 220Â° C. to 350Â° C. and using an ion mobility spectrometer to sense the moisture content and characterize the species of the wood chips by species signatures; (c) transmitting the moisture content and wood species signature data from the ion mobility spectrometer to a programmed distributed control system which adjusts rate of steam and chemical supply to the digester to minimize steam and chemical use and optimize digestion time of the wood chips; and (d) regulating steam flow and chemicals supplied to the digester according to the moisture content and the characterization of the wood species as dictated by the programmed distributed control system.