Device for sorting fibres by differentiated lateral displacement and method for sorting fibres

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (100) for sorting fibres (120), in particular synthetic fibres, contained in a fibre-laden liquid, the sorting device comprising a container (110) suitable for containing the liquid, and a network of obstacles (130) arranged in the container (110), the network of obstacles (130) being configured so that a fibre (120) can pass through it from an upper region (140) of the container towards a lower region (150) of the container, referred to as recovery zone, under the effect of gravity, the network of obstacles (130) is configured to induce a lateral displacement of the fibre (120) differentiated according to its mechanical properties, so as to sort the fibres in the recovery zone by depositing the fibres (120) at differentiated lateral positions. The invention also relates to the use of such a device for sorting fibres, as well as to a process for sorting fibres using such a device.

Claims

Claims Device (100) for sorting fibers (120), in particular synthetic fibers, contained in a liquid loaded with fibers, the sorting device comprising a container (110) extending in a substantially vertical direction and being adapted to contain the liquid, and a network of obstacles (130) arranged in the container (110), the network of obstacles (130) being configured so as to be able to be crossed by a fiber (120) from an upper zone (140) of the container to a lower zone (150) of the container, called the recovery zone, under the effect of gravity, characterized in that the network of obstacles (130) comprises a plurality of substantially parallel rods (131), extending substantially orthogonally to said substantially vertical direction, and in which the cross-section of a rod (131) is triangular in shape,and wherein the orientation of a rod (131) is such that a majority of the vertices of the triangular shape are closer to the upper zone (140) of the container than to the lower zone (150) of the container, whereby the network of obstacles (130) is configured to induce a lateral displacement of said fiber (120) differentiated according to the length of the fiber (120) and / or the flexibility of the fiber (120), so as to carry out a sorting of fibers in the recovery zone by depositing the fibers (120) at differentiated lateral positions. Device (100) according to claim 1, wherein said triangular shape has rounded vertices. Device (100) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein said triangular shape is isosceles, and preferably equilateral. Device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3,wherein a base of said triangular shape is substantially parallel to a bottom (112) that the container (110) comprises. Device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the network of obstacles (130) comprises a plurality of series (132) of rods (131), arranged in an offset manner one above the other in said substantially vertical direction, so as to obtain a staggered arrangement of the rods (131) in the substantially vertical direction., Device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the maximum dimension of the cross-section of a rod (131) is between 0.5 and 10 times the average length of the fibers (120) intended to be sorted. Biological analysis installation comprising a device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 for the characterization of biological fibers, in particular pathogens or filaments originating from cytoskeletons. Wastewater treatment installation (200) comprising a treatment circuit (210) and a device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 arranged downstream of said treatment circuit (210).Use of a device (100) for sorting fibers (120), in particular synthetic fibers, contained in a fiber-laden liquid, the sorting device comprising a container (110) extending in a substantially vertical direction and being adapted to contain the liquid, and a network of obstacles (130) arranged in the container (110), the network of obstacles (130) being configured so as to be able to be crossed by a fiber (120) from an upper zone (140) of the container to a lower zone (150) of the container, called the recovery zone, under the effect of gravity, the network of obstacles (130) being configured to induce a lateral movement of said fiber (120) differentiated according to its flexibility, to sort fibers (120) in particular according to their flexibility by depositing them at differentiated lateral positions in the recovery zone.Use of a device (100) for sorting fibers (120), according to claim 9, the network of obstacles (130) being chosen as a function of the fibers (120) to be sorted, with the ratio between the length of the fibers (120) and the maximum dimension of an obstacle of the network of obstacles (130) which is substantially equal to 1. Use of a device (100) for sorting fibers (120), according to any one of claims 9 or 10, the network of obstacles (130) comprising a plurality of rods (131) chosen as a function of the fibers (120) to be sorted, with the maximum dimension of the cross-section of a rod (131) which is between 0.5 and 10 times the average length of the fibers (120) intended to be sorted. Use of a device (100) for sorting fibers (120), according to any one of claims 9 to 11, the fiber sorting being carried out so that the Reynolds number, characterizing the behavior of the liquid in the container, is less than 1, preferably less than 0.

1. Use of a device (100) for sorting fibers (120), according to any one of claims 9 to 12 for sorting fibers (120) contained in a fiber-laden liquid comprising water, in particular salt water. Use of a device (100) for sorting fibers (120) according to any one of claims 9 to 13, in a wastewater treatment plant or in a biological analysis plant. Method for sorting fibers (120), in particular synthetic fibers, contained in a fiber-laden liquid, according to their flexibility in particular, comprising the steps of: - providing a sorting device (100) comprising a container (110) extending in a substantially vertical direction and being adapted to contain the liquid, and a network of obstacles (130) arranged in the container (110), the network of obstacles (130) being configured so as to be able to be crossed by a fiber (120) from an upper zone (140) of the container to a lower zone (150) of the container, called the recovery zone, under the effect of gravity; - introducing liquid loaded with fibers into the sorting device (100); - leaving the sorting device (100) and the contained fiber-laden liquid to rest, in order to carry out, under the effect of gravity, a sorting of fibers (120), in particular according to their flexibility, by depositing them at differentiated lateral positions in the recovery zone; - recover the sorted fibers (120) at the recovery area.

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