Process and Equipment for the Treatment of Waste Materials

Abstract

A chamber for treating waste material includes a substantially closed chamber which is horizontally elongate with a conveyor provided within the chamber oriented generally horizontally and defining an upper portion and a lower portion with a series of paddles arranged to move material along the upper portion of the conveyor. A material supporting surface formed of ceramic material is provided between the upper portion and the lower portion of the conveyor. The material supporting surface is generally U-shaped and forms a channel through which the paddles move along the upper portion of the conveyor. The material supporting surface is carried by a plurality of metal horizontal support members which are cooled by a fluid. The paddles are asymmetrically oriented with respect to the conveyor.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to equipment and methods for the treatment of waste materials using relatively high temperature, especially to such equipment and methods for use in processing waste materials such as tires and a recovery of energy from the waste materials, and especially to the recovery of energy from an organic portion of such waste materials.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Various methods and equipment are known from the prior art for the treatment of waste materials using relatively high temperature. In the prior art, the term thermolysis is sometimes used to identify such methods especially where the waste materials are broken up into simpler constituents (i.e., dissociated) in the absence of any significant amount of oxygen. Such thermolytic plants for the thermal dissociation of waste material oftentimes operate at a reduced air pressure and include a reactor which operates at relatively high temperature, for example at a temperature ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The solution enables efficient and economical treatment of large waste volumes by preventing deformation and fouling, increasing throughput, and recovering thermal energy, thus improving operational efficiency and reducing maintenance costs.

Problems solved by technology

Despite prior attempts to treat such waste materials using thermolysis, the volume of waste materials requiring treatment as well as the cost of providing and operating equipment to treat such waste materials using thermolysis presents a continuing and increasing problem to be solved.

In the known equipment, however, various problems remain which prevent or discourage the utilization of such equipment and processes for commercial operation.

The equipment and processes according to the prior art for thermolysis do not facilitate a lengthening or elongation of the equipment because such elongation typically results in an undesirable deformation and uncontrolled expansion of various components.

The components of the conveying mechanism have relatively large dimensions and undergo significant deformation when operating at the relatively high temperatures common in such equipment.

Those deformations present problems with the operation of a motorized conveying mechanism at high temperature using components made of metallic alloys.

In addition, the use of metallic alloys for various components of the conveying mechanism results in wear by reason of abrasion.

The extent of such abrasion is increased and more significant due to the high temperatures at which such components operate.

Consequently, these problems prevent or discourage the enlargement or elongation of the equipment which, in turn, limits the throughput or capacity of the equipment.

Throughput of such waste treatment equipment cannot be increased merely by operating the conveying mechanism at higher speed.

In addition, some waste materials require significantly longer time within the thermolysis equipment than other waste materials.

An increase in the size of the components used in the equipment together with the relatively high operating temperatures of such equipment present problems with the use of metallic alloys for various components due to the resulting expansion and deformation.

However, such an arrangement presents problems with fouling resulting from the generation of particles while the waste material falls from the upper channel to the lower channel.

In other words, having the waste material fall from the upper channel to the lower channel presents a significant risk of fouling or clogging of the conveying system.

In general, a problem exists with the use of an endless conveyor because such equipment tends to foul over time.

Such fouling is more problematic in the case of furnaces or reactors for the continuous treatment of waste material, since the waste material typically is treated in non-uniform sizes and compositions.

Moreover, in thermolysis equipment fouling can affect the conveying system as well as the heating system and / or the ventilation system for the equipment.

Such fouling can result in costly down time for repairs or for additional maintenance and servicing of the equipment as well as increased costs for the repair and replacement of components.

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