METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINATION OF FIBER ORIENTATION IN PAPER OR PAPERBOARD WEB

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for determination of orientation of fibers (1) in a material (3) such as a paper or paperboard web comprised of elongated fibers (1) of high moisture content. In the method, the material (3) is subjected to an alternating electric field (E) of the RF or microwave frequency range lying in the plane of the material and the change caused by the presence of said material (3) in said alternating electric field (E) is measured. According to the invention, the direction of said alternating electric field (E) is altered during the measurement, whereby the material (3) need not be rotated with respect to the resonator for the measurement.

Description: Method and apparatus for determination of fiber orientation in paper or paperboard web The present invention relates to a measurement method according to the preamble of claim 1 for determination of fiber orientation (i.e., orientation angle and orientation ratio) in paper or paperboard web. The invention also concerns an apparatus for determination of fiber orientation in paper or paperboard web. The method and apparatus disclosed herein can be used on-line on a paper or paperboard web forming machine for a noncontacting determination of fiber orientation ratio and orientation angle in the paper or paperboard web. Obviously, the apparatus may also be used in a laboratory for determination of fiber orientation ratio and angle. In the prior art, no reliable method has been available for on-line measurement of fiber orientation. However, fiber orientation ratio and orientation angle are critical parameters of a paper web. Fiber orientation affects the strength properties of paper and paperboard: the tensile strength ofthe web is higher for tension in parallel with the fibers than in a direction peφendicular to the fibers. Also the runnability ofthe paper in a printing machine or copier is dependent on the fiber orientation. A paper grade having an unfavourable fiber orientation angle and orientation ratio tends to curl and shrink in an undesirable manner. In a paper machine, fiber orientation in web formation is most crucially affected by the difference between the wire speed and the jet exit velocity from the headbox slice. If this speed difference, or the draw, is greater than zero, the fibers tend to orient themselves dominatingly in the machine direction, whereby the tensile strength ofthe web increases in the machine direction as is desirable in most cases. If the jet velocity at the headbox slice contains a cross-machine component, the main orientation direction of fibers may deviate from the machine direction, whereby the fiber orientation angle becomes different from zero. By definition, fiber orientation ratio is the difference between orientations in the cross- machine and machine directions. When measured as the tensile strength in these two main directions, the ratio generally is from 2 to 3. Fiber orientation can be measured off-line using a conventional method based on laser light. In this method, the paper web surface is illuminated with a circular pencil beam of laser light. On the paper surface, the laser light spot assumes an elliptical shape, because the fibers that are principally oriented in the machine direction ofthe formed web have different optical properties along the fibers from those measured orthogonally to the fibers. The length ratio ofthe major axes ofthe ellipse is proportional to the fiber orientation ratio and the angle of rotation ofthe major axis ofthe ellipse with regard to the machine direction is proportional to the orientation angle. While the method has found use in off-line laboratory measurements, it has not been reliably adapted to on-line measurements. Furthermore, under on-line conditions the method is hampered, among other things, by the sensitivity ofthe optics to soiling, the small size ofthe laser light spot and the difficulty in focusing the optics onto a fluttering web. Moreover, the method is applicable only to thin-caliper paper grades that are light-transmissive. Also known in the art is a method in which the Young's modulus of the paper web is measured by means of ultrasound in both the machine and cross-machine directions. The method is based on the dependence of the acoustic wave propagation speed in different directions along the web on the orientation of fibers. This method has not been adapted to on-line measurements, and under laboratory conditions the results are dependent, besides fiber orientation, also on the intemal stresses ofthe bonded fibers. On-line application of this method is complicated by the rapid pressure variations ofthe ambient air that occur on the surface of a fast-moving web. Furthermore, since the method needs physical contact with the web, its suitability to on-line measurement is severely limited. Fiber orientation is also determined by means of a conventional method based on the measurement of tensile strength in the machine and cross-machine directions using elonga¬ tion test equipment. This method is applicable to off-line measurement of paper samples only. Still another method of orientation determination is based on imaging the surface of the paper web after staining of a portion ofthe superficial fibers. This method is clumsy and reveals the orientation ofthe superficial fibers only. It is an object ofthe present invention to overcome the drawbacks ofthe above-described techniques and to provide an entirely novel method and apparatus for determination of fiber orientation in a web ofhigh moisture content. The goal ofthe invention achieved by subjecting a moist, planar material comprised of fibers such as a paper or paperboard web to a planar electromagnetic field ofthe RF or microwave frequency range, whereby the wavefront ofthe electromagnetic field is arranged parallel with the plane ofthe web, thus making it possible to measure the fiber orientation of said planar material without altering the orientation ofthe material with respect to the sensor head of the measurement equipment. Thence, the fiber orientation of, e.gr, a paper web running in a paper machine can be measured. In a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, the direction ofthe electromagnetic radio-frequency field is altered and the dielectric losses caused by the electric polarization in the material under measurement are measured as a function ofthe electric field polarization. In an alternative embodiment ofthe method, the angular direction change of the polarization vector caused by the oriented fibers of the material is measured using a radio-frequency electric field of constant field strength. In a third alternative embodiment of the method, the losses in the material are measured simultaneously by virtue of three standing-wave modes in a split, rectangular cavity resonator. While the RF electromagnetic field of each mode is arranged parallel with the plane ofthe web, each mode has a different polarization. The first mode has the electric field oriented in the x-direction, the second mode in the y-direction and the third mode has a radial orientation. Thence, the third mode serves to detect the average dielectric loss in the paper web. By computing the ellipse of fiber orientation from the losses measured using the different standing-wave modes, the fiber orientation (that is, orientation angle and ratio) can be determined. An essential characteristic of the method according to the invention is that the fiber orientation of a planar material to be measured such as a paper web is determined without rotating the material with respect to the sensor head ofthe measurement equipment. This is a significant advantage with respect to prior-art techniques and facilitates the application ofthe method to on-line measurements on paper machines, for instance. More specifically, the method according to the invention is characterized by what is stated in the characterizing part of claim 1. Furthermore, the apparatus according to the invention is characterized by what is stated in the characterizing part of claim 14. The invention offers significant benefits. As the invention is based on the measurement of dielectric losses in the water bound in aggregated fibers, it is insensitive to, e.g., internal stresses ofthe bonded fibers. Hence, the invention facilitates noncontacting on-line measurement, which can vastly contribute to process control in, e.g., the paper industry. In the foUowing, the invention will be examined in more detail by means of exemplifying em- bodiments with reference to the attached drawings, in which: Figures la-lc show a cellulose fiber with water molecules bound thereto in different orienta¬ tions with respect to an external electric field in the method according to the invention; Figure 2a shows a longitudinally sectional side view of a cavity resonator according to the invention; Figure 2b shows a top view ofthe cavity resonator of Fig. 2a; Figure 3 a shows a longitudinally sectional side view of another embodiment of a cavity resonator according to the invention; Figure 3b shows a top view ofthe cavity resonator of Fig. 3a; Figure 4 shows a circuit diagram of a measurement apparatus according to the invention; and Figure 5 shows a circuit diagram of another embodiment of a measurement apparatus according to the invention having the measurement based on the angular direction change ofthe polarization vector caused in the material under measurement by an external electric field of constant field strength. Referring to Figs, la - lc, for reasons of simplicity, the behaviour of a single-cellulosic fiber 1 is examined in an external electric field E. The diameter ofthe cellulosic fiber 1 is 1 - 5 μm with a length of 0.5 - 5 mm. Water molecules 2 are bound on the surface ofthe fiber 1. Due to its strong dipole character, all the water molecules will align almost invariably in the same manner with respect to the major axis ofthe fiber 1. When such an aggregate is placed in an external electric field E, its interaction with the external electric field will be strongly dependent on the orientation of_the electric field vector E with respect to the fiber 1. The interaction ofthe water molecules with the electric field reflects the orientation ofthe fibers 1, because water in the web is chiefly bound on the surface of the fibers 1. When the external electric field vector is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe fiber as shown in Fig. la, the water-fiber aggregate induces a much stronger electric polarization vector ( -_.) than the electric polarization vector P^) obtained when the external electric field vector is oriented orthogonally to longitudinal axis ofthe fiber as shown in Fig. lb. In the intermediate case when the longitudinal axis ofthe fiber is oriented obliquely to the external electric field vector as shown in Fig. lc, an electric polarization vector P^) is obtained with its direction deviated from the direction ofthe extemal electric field vector. In the method according to the invention, the orientation ofthe fibers relative to the sensor head ofthe measurement apparatus need not be changed. An essential characteristic ofthe method according to the invention is that fiber orientation is measured by virtue of altering the direction of an extemal electric field vector E, which is generated by means of a sensor head, relative to the fibers. Simple analysis shows that rotation ofthe extemal field vector through a full 360° circle in the plane ofthe web causes the electric polarization vector of the fibers to induce an electric field vector, which in plane ofthe web traces an ellipse. The major axis ofthe ellipse is aligned with the direction ofthe average orientation ofthe fibers. The ratio ofthe axes ofthe ellipse gives the fiber orientation ratio. The orientation ellipse can be unambiguously determined by three independent measurements. In a general case, the polarization vector P in a nonisotropic material can be expressed by the formula P=ε 0 -χ'E where is the susceptibility tensor of a nonisotropic material. The components ofthe susceptibility tensor are complex numbers whose imaginary parts are proportional to the magnitude of the dielectric losses caused by the material in a microwave electromagnetic field. In the two- dimensional case, the formula can be rewritten By measuring the electric field vector induced by the polarization vector, it is possible to determine a susceptibility tensor in which the real and imaginary parts of its components are proportional to the orientation distribution ofthe fibers in the paper web. The magnitudes of imaginary parts ofthe susceptibility tensor components are dependent on both the fibers and the water bound with the fibers. If the measurement frequency is less than 3 GHz, sizing and filler agents contained in a paper or paperboard have a greater effect on the real parts ofthe tensor than on its imaginary parts. Therefore, determination ofthe fiber orientation ratio is a more difficult task if the real parts ofthe susceptibility tensor would be used alone. According to the invention, fiber orientation is primarily determined from the imaginary parts of the susceptibility tensor, that is, from the dielectric losses of the material to be measured. As the dielectric losses in paper and paperboard webs are strongly dependent on the amount of bound water, the losses will be nonisotropic according to the orientation distribution ofthe fibers. This in turn results from the fact that water always is bound on the fiber surface by a single mechanism. As the method is based on the measurement of dielectric losses caused by water bound in the fiber aggregate, it is insensitive to, e.g., inte al stresses occurring in the fiber aggregate. Now referring to Figs. 2a and 2b, an embodiment according to the invention is shown therein. A paper web 3 is passed through a split cavity resonator 9. The upper part 4 ofthe cavity resonator 9 remaining above the web 3 as well as that ofthe lower part 5 remaining below the web, respectively, have a square cross section. Thus, the cavity can support two orthogonal resonant modes with identical resonant frequencies. The electric fields of both modes lie in the plane ofthe paper web to be measured so that the electric field vector of one mode is oriented in the x while the other is in the y-direction. The upper part ofthe cavity resonator 9 is provided with four probes 6 and 10 so located that either resonant mode can be excited and measured by means ofthe probes. As the paper web 3 is passed through the resonator 9, using techniques known in microwave engineering, three parameters are measured: 1) D_. representing the dielectric loss term of the x-direction resonant mode of the electric field, 2) D^ representing the dielectric loss term of the y- direction resonant mode ofthe electric field and 3) D^ representing the dielectric loss term of the mutual coupling of the x- and y-direction resonant modes. Using conventional mathematical techniques, the main orientation direction and orientation ratio of fibers in the web can be computed from these three parameters. In the present method, D^ and D_. can be obtained by measuring the Q-factors of their respective modes. D^ in turn can be obtained by measuring the imaginary part ofthe y-direction electric field vector in relation to the x-direction electric field vector using a phase-sensitive detector. Also D y _ can be measured using the same method. This arrangement is particularly suitable for use in a situation, where the fiber orientation is in either the x- or y-direction. Here, D_, and D^ are small with respect to the main terms D_. and -9^,. In practice, the method is most applicable to the determination of a small orientation angle. Altematively, the dielectric losses can be determined by measuring the Q-factors of the resonator in both major directions using conventional microwave measurement techniques. The dielectric loss term D , of mode cross-coupling can be obtained by measuring the respective Q-factor indirectly from the frequency dependence of the x-direction electric field corrected by the frequency dependence ofthe exciting electric field in the y-direction. The fiber orientation ratio is also dependent on the web moisture content. Hence, an additional measurement of the z-direction dielectric loss term can be arranged to compensate for the temperature dependence ofthe method. Referring to Figs. 3a and 3b, an altemative embodiment ofthe method is shown. Herein, the paper web 3 is arranged to pass through a split cavity resonator 8 having a circular cross section. The cavity resonator is comprised of an upper part 7, which is adapted to both sides ofthe web 3 and has probes 6 attached thereto, and of a lower part 5. This kind of cavity resonator can support an infinite number of resonant modes at the same frequency and having their electric field vectors in a vacant resonator lying in the plane of a fictional paper web 3 (not inserted in the cavity). The resonator is provided with two probes 6 serving to excite the cavity so as to obtain two resonant modes having their electric field vectors oriented orthogonally. Respectively, two measuring probes 10 are provided in the cavity to measure the electric fields of both resonant modes. The exciting probes 6 are fed with a microwave signal in equal phase from a source capable of deviating the signal frequency about the resonant frequency ofthe cavity. By adjusting the microwave power ratio ofthe signals feeding the probes, a situation can be created in which the superimposed total electric field of the two modes in the resonator is oriented in a desired direction. In this method, both the resonant frequency and the combined dielectric loss ofthe two modes excited in the resonator are measured as a function of the angular direction of the total electric field. The angular direction of maximum loss or smallest resonant frequency is pointed in the main orientation direction ofthe fibers in the web. Respectively, the angular direction of minimum loss or highest resonant frequency occurs in a direction orthogonal to the direction of main orientation. The ratio of the losses in these two orthogonal directions is proportional to the orientation ratio ofthe paper web, and the fiber orientation angle is thus directly obtained from the angular direction ofthe total electric field vector at maximum loss or smallest resonant frequency. In a paper machine equipped for on-line measurement, the resonator halves are typically placed in a traversing measurement carriage which moves the sensor head reciprocatingly across the web in the cross-machine direction. Here, the mutual alignment ofthe resonator halves may change during the traversing motion, whereby the xy-symmetry ofthe resonator is violated. In a resonator with a square cross section, this error is evidenced so that the resonant frequencies ofthe two orthogonal modes initially oscillating at the same frequency assume different resonant frequencies. Similarly, the resonant modes of a resonator with a circular cross section are shifted to separate resonant frequencies even when the resonator does not contain such a paper web that inherently causes asymmetry ofthe resonant modes due to fiber orientation in the web. If the xy-asymmetry related to the mechanical errors of the traversing motion will not be compensated for, an error ofthe fiber orientation measure- ment occurs. Two altemative arrangements can be used to minimize the error: 1) The mutual position of the resonator halves is measured in the xy-plane and alignment of their mutual position is implemented by means of a mechamcal or electromagnetic actuator. 2) The mutual position ofthe resonator halves is measured in the xy-plane and the error caused in the result of the fiber orientation measurement by resonator misalignment is compensated for by computational means. The mutual alignment ofthe resonator halves in the xy-plane can be measured by inductive, capacitive or optical techniques. Inductive position measurement based on magnetic field is insensitive to soiling (by paper lint, moisture, etc.) Now referring to Fig. 4, an embodiment of a microwave electronics circuitry for a cavity resonator with circular cross section is shown. In detail, therein a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 11 generates the required microwave power, which is divided into two branches by means of a power splitter 12. A portion ofthe power is taken via a resistive power divider 13 to two voltage-controlled attenuators (mixers) 14, from which the signals are taken via amplifiers 15 in equal phase to probes exciting the orthogonal modes (x- and y-modes) ofthe resonator. Another portion ofthe power is taken via an attenuator 16 and an amplifier 17 via a resistive power divider 18 to two quadrature-phase detectors 19, which measure by a phase-lock detection technique both the in-phase (Re ) and out-of-phase (Im) electric field vector amplitudes ofthe two orthogonal electric field modes ofthe resonator. The microwave electronics circuitry is controlled either using low-frequency control signals generated by analog electronics or digitally by means of a microprocessor. The control electronics section identifies the resonant frequency ofthe resonator by varying the control input voltage ofthe VCO 11 and computes the resonator loss from the measured voltages (Re{X}, Im{X}, Re{ Y} and Im{ Y}) and from the broadening ofthe resonator frequency response curve. By altering the control voltages at inputs X-ampl.set and Y-ampl.set, the electric field of the resonant mode excited in the cavity can be rotated in any desired direction in the plane ofthe paper web. Thus, the resonator loss and/or resonant frequency can be measured as a function ofthe angular direction ofthe electric field vector. Referring to Fig. 5, an alternating electric field of constant field strength can be established by the arrangement shown in the diagram into a cavity resonator 7 by means of a probe 26 fed by an oscillator 20. The field strength is stabilized by a feedback loop comprising a coupling loop 24 grounded at its one end, a diode detector 23 and a PI controller 22 having a set value voltage denoted as ref applied to its other input, whereby the controller output is taken to a voltage-controlled attenuator 21. The angular direction change of the polarization vector caused by the constant-strength electric field in the material under measurement is detected by means of coupling loops 24 and 25. Signals from the coupling loops 24 and 25 are taken to voltage-controlled attenuators 29 and 30, whose outputs 28 and 29 provide information on the angular direction change ofthe polarization vector, and thus, ofthe fiber orientation ofthe material under measurement. The cavity resonator of square cross section shown in Figs. 2a and 2b may be replaced by a resonator of rectangular cross section, whereby the measurement arrangement may be modified in the following way. The electric fields ofthe three lowest-order modes ofthe resonator 9 lie in the plane ofthe paper web 3 under measurement oriented as follows: the first mode in the x-direction, the second mode in the y-direction and the third mode radially in the plane of paper web 3 under measurement. Using the above-described techniques, the resonator 9 is used for measuring the losses of the resonant modes, or altematively, the resonant frequencies ofthe modes. With the help of three independent measurements, it is again possible to compute the fiber orientation ellipse, wherefrom the fiber orientation angle and orientation ratio can be resolved. In an embodiment ofthe method, a split cavity resonator with a circular cross section (see Figs. 3 a and 3b, for instance) is provided with at least three probes for exciting the cavity with microwave power. While the electric fields ofthe modes excited by each probe lie in the plane ofthe paper web under measurement, their electric field vectors are in different directions. Using at least three independent measurements (i.e., of loss or resonant frequency), the orientation ellipse may again be determined.

Claims: Claims: 1. A method for determination of fiber orientation (orientation angle and orientation ratio) of fibers (1) in a material (3) such as a paper or paperboard web comprised of elongated fibers (1) of high moisture content, in which method the material (3) is subjected to an altemating electric field (E) ofthe RF or microwave frequency range lying in the plane of the material and the change caused by the presence of said material (3) in said altemating electric field (JE) is measured, characterized in that the direction of said altemating electric field (E) is altered during the measurement, whereby the material (3) being measured need not be rotated with respect to the resonator for the measurement. 2. A method as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the direction of said altemating electric field (E) is altered continuously during the measurement. 3. A method as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the direction of said altemating electric field (E) is altered stepwise during the measurement. 4. A method as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the losses caused by electric polarization are measured from the material (3). 5. A method as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said altemating electric field (E) is generated by means of a cavity resonator (8, 9). 6. A method as defined in claim 5, characterized in that the resonant frequency of said resonator (8, 9) is measured for different angular directions of said altemating electric field (E). 7. A method as defined in claim 5, characterized in that said altemating electric field (E) is generated by means of a cavity resonator (8, 9) having a square cross section. 8. A method as defined in claim 5, characterized in that said altemating electric field is generated by means of a cavity resonator (8) having a circular cross section. 9. A method as defined in any foregoing claim, characterized in that the orientation of said fibers (1) in a moving web of said material (3) is measured with the help of a cavity resonator (9) of a circular cross section and an electric field having the angular direction ofthe electric field vector made variable. 10. A method as defined in claim 5, characterized in that said altemating electric field is generated by means of a split cavity resonator (9) of a square cross section so that the radio-frequency electric field ofthe three lowest-order modes ofthe resonator (9) lie in the plane of the paper material web (3), while their electric field vectors are arranged in angular directions, whereby the electric field ofthe first mode is aligned in the x-direction, the electric field of the second mode in the y-direction and the electric field of the third mode is radially aligned in the plane ofthe paper web (3), and the losses of said three modes are measured and the measurement results are used for the computation ofthe orientation ellipse from which the fiber orientation (orientation angle and orientation ratio) can be determined. II. A method as defined in any foregoing claim, characterized in that the measure- ment system is controlled, either using low-frequency control signals generated by analog electronics or digitally by means of a microprocessor, through measuring the resonant frequency of said resonator (8, 9) and computing the resonator loss from measured field- sensing voltages (Re{X}, Im{X}, Re{Y} and Im{Y}) as well as from the frequency broadening of the resonator response, whereby feedback voltages (X-ampl.set and Y-ampl.set) are varied to control the electric field vector in the resonator (8, 9) in a desired angular direction in the plane of said paper material web (3) under measurement for the puφose of measuring the loss ofthe resonator (3) as a function ofthe angular direction of the electric field vector (£). 12. A method as defined in claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said resonator is provided with at least three probes for exciting the cavity with microwave power, each probe exciting an electric field of desired orientation in the plane of said paper material web (3) (e.g., in the x- and y-directions and a direction between these), and each probe is fed altematingly in turn with microwave power and the losses associated with each mode are measured and, on the basis of at least three loss measurements, computations are performed to determine the fiber orientation ellipse, from which the fiber orientation angle and orientation ratio may further be determined. 13. A method as defined in claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that in a traversing measurement system the mutual position of the separate halves (4, 5) of said cavity resonator (8, 9) is measured in the xy-plane and possible deviation from mutual alignment is rectified or compensated for by computational means during the measurement process. 14. An apparatus for determination of fiber orientation of fibers (1) in a material (3) such as a paper or paperboard web comprised of elongated fibers (1) ofhigh moisture content, said apparatus comprising - a resonator element (8, 9) for generating a resonant altemating electric field (E) in the plane of said material (3), - means (6) for exciting and means (10) for sensing said altemating electric field and for measuring said field in said resonator element (8, 9), - power generating means (12, 14, 15) for feeding microwave power into said exciting means (6) and sensing means (10), and - means (11) for generating a radio-frequency or microwave signal into said power division and feed elements (12, 14, 15), c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said apparatus comprises - power division means (12, 14, 15) suited to alter the direction of said altemating electric field (E) in said resonator, whereby the material (3) need not be rotated with respect to the resonator for the measurement. 15. A method as defined in claim 14, characterized in that said resonator element is a cavity resonator (8, 9). 16. A method as defined in claim 15, characterized in that said cavity resonator (9) has a square cross section. 17. A method as defined in claim 15, characterized in that said cavity resonator (9) has a circular cross section.

Inventors: SEPPAE HEIKKI, VARPULA TIMO, SEPPAE, HEIKKI, VARPULA, TIMO
Applicants: SEPPAE HEIKKI, VALTION TEKNILLINEN, VARPULA TIMO, SEPPAE, HEIKKI, VALTION TEKNILLINEN TUTKIMUSKESKUS, VARPULA, TIMO
Application year: 1996
Main classification: G01N22
IPC codes: G01N22