Process for treating fines stream derived from waste processing facilities

Abstract

A process for treating a fines stream in a material recover facility (MRF), comprising: providing an MRF fines stream comprising breakable material and ductile material; subjecting the MRF fines streams to a one-pass kinetic pulverization stage to produce a pulverized material comprising a size-reduced fraction derived from the breakable material and an oversized fraction derived from the ductile material; withdrawing the pulverized material from the kinetic pulverizer; and subjecting the pulverized material to separation to produce a size-reduced stream and an oversized stream. Also provided is a system comprising a kinetic pulverizer, a pulverizer conveyor and a screen operatively coupled to the pulverizer conveyor to receive a pulverized stream and produce a sized-reduced stream and an oversized stream. The system can also include a magnetic separator and a dust collection system respectively located upstream and downstream of the kinetic pulverizer.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technical field generally relates to waste treatment facilities, such as material recycling facilities (MRF), as well as composting and waste sorting facilities, and the treatment of fine streams from such facilities. [Previous Technology]

[0002] After the removal of larger items, waste disposal in MRF and other facilities typically generates a fine stream, which is usually designated for landfill use without further treatment or recycling. Further processing of such fine streams using conventional techniques is not efficient. [Summary of the Invention]

[0003] According to one embodiment, a method for processing a fine stream in a material recycling facility (MRF) is provided, comprising: providing an MRF fine stream comprising: a fragile material comprising glass, ceramics, drywall, shingled tiles, rock and / or aggregate; and a ductile material comprising plastic; subjecting the MRF fine stream to a power pulverization stage, wherein the fine stream is fed to a power pulverizer and subjected to self-collision generated by vortices within the power pulverizer to produce pulverized material comprising a reduced portion from the fragile material and an oversized portion from the ductile material; discharging the pulverized material from the power pulverizer; and subjecting the pulverized material to separation to produce a reduced-size stream and an oversized stream.

[0004] In at least one embodiment, the fine stream originates from municipal solid waste (MSW) or from separated recyclables.

[0005] In at least one embodiment, the fine material stream is a compost screening material stream.

[0006] In at least one embodiment, the fine stream comprises material with a size of less than 2 inches.

[0007] In at least one embodiment, the power pulverizer operates at a rotational speed between 500 RPM and 1,200 RPM.

[0008] In at least one embodiment, the power pulverizer operates at a rotational speed between 700 RPM and 1,000 RPM.

[0009] In at least one embodiment, the power pulverizer is operated such that the reduced size portion consists substantially of particles of sand or silt size.

[0010] In at least one embodiment, the fine material stream has a moisture content of between 10% and 50% when it enters the power pulverizer.

[0011] In at least one embodiment, the fine material stream has a moisture content of between 15% and 40% when it enters the power pulverizer.

[0012] In at least one embodiment, the fine material stream does not undergo a drying stage upstream of the power pulverization stage.

[0013] In at least one embodiment, the size reduction portion is a homogeneous mixture in the crushed output stream.

[0014] In at least one embodiment, the power crushing stage dehydrates the fine material stream such that the dehydration rate during the power crushing stage is between 5% and 8%.

[0015] In at least one embodiment, the power crushing stage and separation enable the moisture content of the size-reduced stream to be 5% to 30% lower than that of the fine stream.

[0016] In at least one embodiment, the power pulverization stage reduces pathogens in the fine material stream via air stripping.

[0017] In at least one embodiment, the method further includes incorporating a fragile additive into the fine stream such that the fragile additive is reduced in size and homogenized with the fragile material to form part of the reduced-size portion.

[0018] In at least one embodiment, the fragile additive comprises a pore-forming agent, a soil additive, a building material additive, a composting additive, a peat moss or a glass product additive.

[0019] In at least one embodiment, a fragile additive is introduced into the fine material stream upstream of the power pulverization stage.

[0020] In at least one embodiment, the fragile additive is introduced directly into the power pulverizer as a stream separated from the fine stream.

[0021] In at least one embodiment, the separation stage includes screening.

[0022] In at least one embodiment, the screening is performed using a rotary screen.

[0023] In at least one embodiment, the screening is performed using a vibrating screen.

[0024] In at least one embodiment, the separation stage includes a single sieve.

[0025] In at least one embodiment, the method further includes: monitoring at least one feed parameter of the fine material flow and / or output parameters of the crushed material, the excessive material flow and / or the size-reduced material flow; and adjusting a primary power crushing stage based on the feed parameter and / or output parameter.

[0026] In at least one embodiment, at least one feed parameter includes the feed rate of the fine feed stream and / or the composition of the fine feed stream.

[0027] In at least one embodiment, at least one output parameter includes the dimensional properties of the reduced-size portion in the pulverized material stream, the composition of the pulverized material stream, the flow rate of the oversized material stream, the flow rate of the reduced-size material stream, the composition of the oversized material stream, and / or the composition of the reduced-size material stream.

[0028] In at least one embodiment, adjusting a single power crushing stage includes adjusting the rotational speed.

[0029] In at least one embodiment, adjusting a primary power crushing stage includes adjusting the feed rate of the fine material stream.

[0030] According to another embodiment, a method for processing a fine material stream originating from waste is also provided, comprising: providing a fine material stream comprising: a fragile material comprising glass, ceramics, drywall, shingles, rock and / or aggregate; and a ductile material comprising plastic; wherein the fine material stream substantially consists of material having a maximum size of 2 or 4 inches; subjecting the fine material stream to a power pulverization stage, wherein the fine material stream is fed to a power pulverizer and subjected to self-collision generated by vortices within the power pulverizer to produce pulverized material comprising a reduced portion originating from the fragile material and an oversized portion originating from the ductile material; discharging the pulverized material from the power pulverizer; and subjecting the pulverized material to separation to produce a reduced-size stream and an oversized stream.

[0031] In at least one embodiment, the fine stream originates from a source-separated single-stream material recovery facility (MRF).

[0032] In at least one embodiment, the fine stream contains between 40% and 60% glass, and the size-reducing stream is composed of more than 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% glass.

[0033] In at least one embodiment, the fine material stream originates from a mixed waste material recycling facility (MRF).

[0034] In at least one embodiment, the fine stream contains between 50% and 70% organic matter, and the size-reduced stream is substantially composed of at most 0.5% to 2% organic matter of visible contaminants larger than 4 mm in size.

[0035] In at least one embodiment, the fine material stream originates from a composting facility and includes compost screenings.

[0036] In at least one embodiment, the size-reduced flow consists substantially of organic matter comprising at most 0.5 to 2% of visible contaminants larger than 4 mm in size.

[0037] In at least one embodiment, the method further includes adding a fragile additive to the fine stream for size reduction and homogenization of the size reduction portion.

[0038] In at least one embodiment, a fragile additive is introduced into the fine material stream upstream of the pulverizing stage.

[0039] In at least one embodiment, the fragile additive is introduced directly into the power pulverizer.

[0040] In at least one embodiment, the method further includes one or more features as described above.

[0041] According to another embodiment, a system is also provided, comprising: a power pulverizer configured to receive and process a fine material stream to produce pulverized material; a pulverizer conveyor configured to convey the pulverized material downstream; and a screen operatively coupled to the pulverizer conveyor and configured to receive the pulverized material stream and produce a reduced-size material stream and an oversized material stream.

[0042] In at least one embodiment, the system further includes: a material recovery facility (MRF) that generates a fine material stream; and a fine material conveyor configured to convey the fine material stream to a power pulverizer.

[0043] In at least one embodiment, the system further includes one or more features as described above or as described herein.

[0044] In at least one embodiment, the method and / or system also includes magnetic separation of the fine material stream prior to power pulverization.

[0045] In at least one embodiment, the method and / or system also includes dust collection associated with at least the pulverized material leaving the power pulverization stage.

Implementation Method

[0061] The treatment of fine material streams originating from waste disposal may include a primary crushing stage via a power shredder, in which fragile materials are reduced in size and ductile materials are released and retained as the majority. The crushed material is then subjected to a separation stage, including screening, to separate the oversized material from the crushed material. The separated oversized material (primarily plastics and other non-organic materials) may then be disposed of, converted into fuel, or further separated to recover fractions, depending on its composition. The oversized material may be used in various applications depending on its size and compositional properties, such as as a composting additive or feedstock, land applications such as topsoil, soil conditioner, filler, building material additive, etc. For some implementations, the oversized material may undergo additional treatment, such as composting or anaerobic digestion.

[0062] Referring to Figure 1, a fine material stream 10 originating from a municipal solid waste (MSW) 12 treatment and / or material recycling facility (MRF) 14 is subjected to dynamic crushing 16 to produce a crushed output stream 18. The fine material stream 10 includes ductile materials and fracturing materials. Fracturing materials are typically hard, brittle, or fragile, making dynamic crushing facilitate a significant size reduction, thereby converting the fracturing material into a size-reduced portion. The fracturing material is reduced in size, for example, to particles the size of sand or silt, and is homogenized by the crushed output stream 18. Examples of fracturing materials include glass, ceramics, drywall, shingles, rock, and aggregates, as well as organic matter such as food and garden waste, and wood that is not necessarily hard but is fracturing and size-reduced. On the other hand, ductile materials are softer and are not significantly reduced in size by dynamic crushing 16. Examples of ductile materials include plastic films, fibers, rigid plastics, and flexible plastics. Therefore, the crushed output stream 18 includes a size-reduced portion consisting of a crushed portion and a larger ductile portion.

[0063] The crushed output stream 18 can then be subjected to separation 20 to recover the reduced-size stream 22, which consists primarily of the crushed portion, and the oversized stream 24, which consists primarily of the larger ductile portion. Separation step 20 can be performed in one or more stages and can use a variety of separation devices. For example, various types of screens, such as vibrating screens and / or rotary screens, can be used. Other types of separation devices can also be used. The separation device can be new and specifically designed for the fine particle processing method described herein, or it can be part of an existing separation stage in a facility. In some implementations, the crushed output stream 18 is separated to produce more than two streams, which may have various properties that aid in separation and enable downstream repurposing or disposal. For example, the separation stage may include multiple separators (e.g., screens) configured in parallel or series.

[0064] Regarding the raw materials supplied to the power pulverization stage 16, they may be fine streams generated in the MRF and will be conventionally disposed of without further processing or recycling. The MRF receives, separates, and prepares recyclable materials for marketing to end-user manufacturers, and may be a source-separated single-stream MRF or a mixed waste or "dirty" MRF. The composition of the fine stream may vary and will depend on the composition of the waste material received by the MRF, as well as the processing equipment and operation of the MRF. For example, the raw materials may also be fine streams from composting facilities or other types of waste treatment facilities.

[0065] The following examples of feedstock fine streams can be processed using the methods described herein to generate size-reduced feedstocks. Feedstocks include size-reduced materials pre-conditioned by sorting and / or processing systems, composting facilities, or MRFs, wherein the input is mixed waste (e.g., MSW), source-separated recyclables (e.g., single streams), construction and demolition debris, yard waste, food waste, or other mixed waste streams. It should be understood that MRF fine feedstocks described herein may include construction and / or demolition debris within mixed waste feedstocks. However, it should be understood that in this specification, the term "MRF fine feedstock" does not include feedstocks considered as construction and demolition (C&D) fine feedstocks recovered from construction and demolition debris recycling operations.

[0066] Regarding mixed waste MRF particles, the average composition (by weight) may be as follows: organic matter (e.g., yard waste, food waste, dirt) up to about 50 to 70%; cellulosic material (e.g., paper, diapers, tissues, etc.) about 10 to 15%; broken glass about 8% to 12% or about 10%; metals about 0.5% to 2%; plastics (rigid and film) about 10% to 15%; and fabrics about 0% to 2%. Variations in these compositions may also occur where one or more of the component categories mentioned above are almost absent. The size-reduced stream generated from mixed waste MRF particles may include a concentrated organic product of 0.5% to 2% of visible contaminants (e.g., metals, glass, plastics) larger than 4 mm. Depending on factors such as sieve configuration and material quality requirements, the organic matter capture rate from the raw material may be about 60% to 85%. Excessive streams will be a mixture of contaminants (e.g., plastics, metals, glass) and a small amount of excessively large organic matter.

[0067] Regarding the source-separated single-stream MRF particles / residue, the average composition (wt%) may be as follows: approximately 70-80% broken glass; approximately 0-5% organic matter (e.g., garden waste, food waste, dirt); approximately 5-10% cellulosic materials (e.g., paper, diapers, tissues, etc.); up to approximately 5% metals; approximately 5-10% plastics (rigid and film); and approximately 0-2% fabrics. Variations in these compositions may also occur where one or more of the aforementioned component categories are almost absent. The size-reduced stream generated from the source-separated single-stream MRF particles may include crushed glass with a mesh size of 50 or less, wherein the content of non-glass products is less than 1%. Depending on factors such as sieve configuration and material quality requirements, the glass capture rate from the raw material may be greater than 97%. Excessive stream size will result in a mixture of non-glass materials.

[0068] Regarding biomass compost screenings, the average composition (by weight) may be as follows: approximately 65% ​​to 75% biomass products; approximately 15% to 20% glass and aggregates; and up to approximately 5% plastics. The size-reduced stream generated from biomass compost screenings may include organic concentrates of 0.5% to 2% of visible contaminants (e.g., metals, glass, plastics) larger than 4 mm. Depending on factors such as screen configuration and material quality requirements, the organic matter capture rate from the raw material may be approximately 70% to 80%. Excessive streams will be a mixture of contaminants (e.g., plastics, metals, glass) and excessively large organic matter.

[0069] Regarding construction and demolition (C&D) fines, the average composition (by weight) may be as follows: aggregates (e.g., rock, brick, concrete, ceramics, glass, dirt) approximately 50-70%; cellulosic materials (e.g., cardboard, fiberboard, paper) approximately 5%; wood approximately 5-15%; gypsum approximately 20-40%; metals approximately 0.5-1%; and plastics approximately 5%. Size-reduced streams resulting from C&D fines may include inert, soil-like concentrates having up to 0.5% visible contaminants (e.g., metals, glass, plastics) with a size exceeding 4 mm. Waste streams may be mixtures of visible contaminants (e.g., plastics, metals, glass) and excessively large organic matter (e.g., wood).

[0070] Furthermore, since the power pulverizer can effectively handle wet feed, the fine feed stream 10 can be directly fed to the power pulverizing stage 16 without pretreatment (e.g., drying pretreatment). For example, the fine feed stream may have a moisture content of up to 50% or between 10% and 40%, and can be directly fed into the power pulverizer without pre-drying. For wetter fine feed streams with a moisture content exceeding 50%, a pre-drying step can be performed to dry the material to below 50%.

[0071] Various feedstocks can be conceived for use in the process. One example feedstock is a mixed or complex stream of materials, typically derived from municipal, commercial, or industrial solid waste, which has been pretreated or screened to remove recyclable contents and / or items larger than 2 inches (although subtracting 3 inches, 4 inches, or even larger may still result in items larger than 2 inches) that have limited or negative uses and are typically designated for disposal. Example types include screenings from mixed waste treatment facilities, single-stream recovery facilities, construction and demolition debris processing plants, and composting facilities containing a combination of hard / brittle and soft / ductile components, commonly referred to as "fine particles," "waste," or "residue" materials. Another example feedstock is glass comprising window panes and / or laminated glass, wherein a shredding stage allows for the one-time release of the glass and film laminates, followed by separation in a single step by sizing and separation equipment. Another example feedstock includes compost screenings, wherein a shredding stage allows for the recovery of clean organic contents in a single step by conventional sizing equipment. The compost screened material is compost material (finished or unfinished) including some plastic film and glass, and therefore it can benefit from size reduction, homogenization of size-reduced particles, release of oversized material and separation facilitated by the method of the present invention to remove oversized plastic and obtain valuable size-reduced material.

[0072] Regarding the power pulverization stage, a single power pulverizer can be implemented and operated as a single stage. For example, raw materials can be fed into the upper part of the power pulverizer, which includes a drum with baffles and an internal rotating rod with multiple arms that generate vortices within the drum chamber. The feed material is passed into the vortex and undergoes self-collision for size reduction of fragile materials. The material is then passed to the bottom area of ​​the power pulverizer and discharged as a pulverized output stream 18 via a lower outlet. The rotational speed can be operated between 500 RPM and 1,200 RPM, or between 600 RPM and 1,100 RPM, or between 700 RPM and 1,000 RPM, and can be adjusted or kept relatively constant in response to other process parameters. In some implementations, the rotational speed is adjusted to control the size and quality of the output material.

[0073] In some cases, the process, power pulverization stage 16, and / or power pulverizer 50 can operate in continuous or semi-batch mode. It is also possible to pulverize materials via power pulverizer 50 in a single pass or using multiple passes. When using multiple passes, the pulverized material from the first pass can be screened, and only a portion is fed through subsequent passes. More generally, certain materials or portions can undergo multiple pulverization stages, which can be done via recycling within the same power pulverizer 50. Each pass of power pulverizer 50 can be performed under the same or different operating conditions (e.g., rotational speed, feed rate), wherein the variation in operating conditions is determined, for example, based on the composition of the feed for each pass.

[0074] The power pulverization stage not only achieves the target size reduction of fragile materials but also promotes drying and pathogen reduction to obtain a higher quality output stream. For example, the overall process including power pulverization and separation can produce materials with a moisture content 30% (or 15% to 25%) lower than the feed waste material. In some implementations, the pulverization stage reduces moisture by 5% to 8%, and the subsequent separation stage allows for further reductions in moisture content in the dimensional portions. Additionally, the pulverization stage promotes air stripping of the raw material, which in turn leads to a reduction in pathogens.

[0075] The dynamic crushing stage 16 can promote the use of kinetic energy, vortices, and material-to-material collisions to achieve the reduction in size of easily breakable materials, the homogenization of crushed materials, the release and separation of ductile materials, the blending of any additives that may be incorporated, drying, and the reduction of pathogens. For material flows with certain characteristics, such as mixed materials, moisture, and pathogens, a single dynamic crushing stage can promote the effective processing and recycling of materials.

[0076] Regarding the pulverized output stream 18, in some embodiments, the pulverization stage 16 produces material ranging from dust-sized particles to larger particles, most of which (e.g., more than 50%, or between 50% and 70%, or even more than 90%) pass through a 3 / 8-inch screen. The larger material includes lower-density, flexible raw material portions, while the pulverization of brittle, hard, and fragile materials homogenizes this size reduction portion to facilitate the release and separation from the larger ductile portion via various separation techniques, including screening. The larger portion may consist substantially of plastic materials and may also include other materials such as fibers, films, metals, etc.

[0077] Regarding the separation stage 20, the excess portion can be separated from the dimensional portion using size-based separation techniques such as screening. Screening can be performed using various types of mechanical screens, such as vibrating screens, drum screens, rotary screens, etc. The mechanical screen can be configured or operated based on the composition and size distribution of the crushed output stream 18 to facilitate the separation of the dimensional portion from the excess portion. Screens can be provided to facilitate or maximize high purity or high yield of the excess stream (e.g., plastic), or to facilitate other parameters related to the separated streams 22, 24. If necessary, the separated streams 22, 24 can then undergo further processing and recycling.

[0078] In some implementations, the separation stage 20 and the pulverizing stage 16 are coordinated so that the operation of one can affect the other. For example, the screen and pulverizer can be monitored and controlled via controller 26 to achieve desired parameters, such as certain properties of the separated material streams 22, 24. For example, if a change in the input raw material causes the pulverizer to produce larger-sized portions in the pulverized material stream 18, the screen can be controlled accordingly to facilitate a desired separation. Additionally, the pulverizer can be controlled, for example, by increasing the rotational speed of motor 28, to bring the larger-sized portions back within the target range, thereby promoting the desired separation. Monitoring instruments, such as inlet detector DI30 and outlet detector DO32, can be provided to monitor the properties of the material streams (e.g., size distribution, composition, mass, and / or volumetric flow rate). Depending on the size of the product to be produced, the screen and pulverizer can be operated and designed in certain ways to produce, for example, products with the largest possible size. When glass is the predominant component of the size-reduced material, sieves can be 50 mesh, and power shredders are used to reduce glass size to below 50 mesh. When organic matter is the predominant component of the size-reduced material, sieves can be 3 / 8 inch or 1 / 2 inch. For example, for composting applications, sieves can be 1 / 2 inch or 1 / 4 inch. However, it should be noted that sieve designs can be market-driven to provide various size distributions of the size-reduced material.

[0079] In some implementations, conveyor systems are used to transport various material flows between stages to facilitate continuous operation, but other conveying methods may also be used. The process may be continuous, batch-fed, or operated according to other schemes depending on facilities and other factors.

[0080] Regarding power pulverizers, it should be noted that the unit may have various structural and operational features. In some implementations, the power pulverizer may have one or more features as described in PCT / CA2019 / 050967, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0081] Referring now to Figures 2 through 10, a pulverizer 50 according to one embodiment is shown. The pulverizer 50 is adapted to receive input material as described herein and to pulverize or grind the input material.

[0082] It should be understood that the terms “pulverize / pulverization” and “comminute / comminution” used herein refer to particles in the input material that have been reduced in size.

[0083] In the illustrated embodiment, the pulverizer 50 includes a base 52 and a housing 60 mounted above the base 52. Specifically, the housing 60 includes a bottom end 62 connected to the base 52 and a top end 64 opposite to the bottom end 62. The housing 60 is hollow and includes a housing sidewall 66 extending between the top end 64 and the bottom end 62 to define an internal chamber 68 through which pulverization occurs. Specifically, the housing 60 includes an inlet 70 located at the top end 64 for receiving input material and an outlet 72 located at the bottom end 62 through which the pulverized material can be discharged after being pulverized in the internal chamber 66. In the illustrated embodiment, the outlet 72 allows the pulverized material to be discharged in a direction tangential to the housing sidewall 66. It should be understood that the outlet 72 can be configured in different ways. For example, the outlet 72 may be located on the bottom surface of the housing 60 such that the pulverized material can be discharged downward from the housing 60 in an axial direction. It should also be understood that, alternatively, outlet 72 may be substantially positioned toward the bottom end 62, but may not be precisely positioned at the bottom end 62 of housing 60. Similarly, inlet 70 may not be precisely positioned at the upper end 64 of housing 60, but is generally positioned toward the upper end 64.

[0084] In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 60 is generally cylindrical and a central housing axis H is defined extending between the top end 64 and the bottom end 62 of the housing 60. The housing 60 is adapted to be arranged such that the central housing axis H extends substantially vertically when the crusher 50 is in operation. In this configuration, the input material fed into the inlet 70 tends to fall towards the outlet 72 due to gravity.

[0085] In the illustrated embodiment, the airflow generator 100 includes a pulverizing rotor assembly 102 disposed within an internal chamber 68 and a rotary actuator 104 operatively coupled to the pulverizing rotor assembly 102 to rotate the pulverizing rotor assembly 102 to generate airflow. Specifically, the pulverizing rotor assembly 102 includes a rotatable shaft 106 located within the internal chamber 68 and extending along a central housing axis H between the top end 64 and the bottom end 62 of the housing 60, and a plurality of pulverizing rotors 108a, 108b, 108c fixed to the rotatable shaft 106 to rotate about the central housing axis H when the rotatable shaft 106 rotates.

[0086] Each crushing rotor 108a, 108b, 108c includes a rotor hub 120 and a plurality of rotor arms 122 extending outward from the rotor hub 120 and toward the housing sidewall 66. A rotatable shaft 106 extends through the rotor hub 120 such that the rotor arms 122 are positioned in a plane of rotation R orthogonally extending through the central housing axis H. In this configuration, as the rotatable shaft 106 rotates, the rotor arms 122 are thus held in and move along the plane of rotation R. Alternatively, the rotor arms 122 are not entirely positioned in the plane of rotation, but may be tilted upward or downward relative to the rotatable shaft 106. In yet another embodiment, the rotor arms 122 may alternatively be pivotally connected to the rotatable shaft 106, such that the rotor arms 122 may be selectively tilted upward and downward as needed, manually or automatically using one or more arm actuators.

[0087] In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of airflow deflectors 200 includes six deflectors 200 that are substantially similar to each other and substantially uniformly spaced from each other in the azimuth direction (i.e., along the circumference of the housing sidewall 66) around the central housing axis H. Alternatively, all deflectors 200 may not be similar to each other, may not be uniformly spaced from each other, and / or the pulverizer 50 may include more or fewer than six deflectors 202. For example, the pulverizer 50 may include between two and eight deflectors 200.

[0088] In the illustrated embodiment, each deflector 200 is elongated and extends substantially parallel to the housing axis H. Specifically, since the housing 60 is positioned such that the central housing axis H extends substantially vertically, the deflector 200 also extends substantially vertically.

[0089] As best shown in Figures 6 to 8, each deflector 200 includes a top end 202 positioned toward the top end 64 of the housing 60 and a bottom end 204 positioned toward the bottom end 62 of the housing 60. In the illustrated embodiment, each deflector 200 is positioned to intersect the plane of rotation R of the upper crushing rotor 108a and the intermediate crushing rotor 108c. More specifically, the top end 202 of the deflector 200 is located above the upper crushing rotor 108a, and the bottom end 204 of the deflector 200 is located below the intermediate crushing rotor 108c, and the deflector 200 extends continuously between its top end 202 and bottom end 204.

[0090] It should be understood that the rotation of the rotor arm 122 will cause the air in the internal chamber 68 to move outward toward the outer casing sidewall 66. In the above configuration, since the deflector 200 is horizontally aligned with the upper crushing rotor 108a and the middle crushing rotor 108c, the air will be deflected by the deflector 200 as it moves outward against the upper crushing rotor 108a and the middle crushing rotor 108c to form a vortex V, as best shown in Figures 9 and 10.

[0091] In the illustrated embodiment, each deflector 200 is generally wedge-shaped. Specifically, each deflector 200 generally has a triangular cross-section and includes an airflow-facing deflecting surface 206 facing the airflow when the rotatable axis 106 rotates, and a relative deflecting surface 208 facing away from the airflow. The airflow-facing deflecting surface 206 and the relative deflecting surface 208 extend away from the housing sidewall 26 and converge toward each other to meet at a vertex 210 pointing toward the housing central axis H. The airflow-facing deflecting surface 206 is inclined with respect to the inner surface 34 of the housing sidewall 26 at a first deflection angle θ1, and the relative deflecting surface 208 is inclined with respect to the inner surface 74 of the housing sidewall 76 at a second deflection angle θ2.

[0092] In the illustrated embodiment, each deflector 200 is symmetrical about an axis of symmetry S extending along the radius of the housing 60. In this embodiment, the first deflection angle θ1 is therefore substantially equal to the second deflection angle θ2. In one embodiment, the first deflection angle θ1 and the second deflection angle θ2 may be equal to about 1 degree to 89 degrees, and more specifically, to about 30 degrees to 60 degrees. Alternatively, the deflectors 200 may be asymmetrical and the first deflection angle θ1 and the second deflection angle θ2 may be different from each other.

[0093] In the illustrated embodiment, the apex 210 of each deflector 200 is radially spaced inward from the inner surface 74 of the housing sidewall by a radial distance of approximately 7 ¾ inches or approximately 20 cm. Still in the illustrated embodiment, the apex 210 is further radially spaced outward from the tip 130 of the rotor arm 122 by a radial distance between approximately 1 / 2 inch or approximately 1 cm and approximately 2 inches or approximately 5 cm. In one embodiment, the radial distance or "clearance" between the tip 130 of the rotor arm 122 and the apex 210 may be selected such that a vortex V can be formed as needed when the rotatable shaft 106 rotates.

[0094] Alternatively, the deflector 200 may be shaped and / or sized in different ways. For example, the deflecting surface 206 facing the airflow and the opposing deflecting surface 208 may not be planar, but may instead be curved. In another embodiment, the deflector 200 may not include the opposing deflecting surface 208. In yet another embodiment, the deflector 200 is not wedge-shaped, but may have a rectangular cross-section or any other shape and size that a person skilled in the art deems suitable.

[0095] Figure 10 is a schematic representation of the vortex V generated in the internal chamber 68 when the crusher 50 is in operation.

[0096] During operation of the pulverizer 10, the rotatable shaft 106 rotates about the housing axis H, causing the rotor arm 122 to form a circular airflow rotating about the housing axis H. In the example shown in FIG10, when viewed from above, the rotatable shaft 106 rotates clockwise to form a counterclockwise airflow in the internal chamber 68.

[0097] The rotatable shaft 106 can rotate at a relatively high speed to provide the desired pulverizing effect in the pulverizer. In one embodiment, the rotatable shaft 106 rotates at a speed between about 700 rpm and about 1100 rpm, and more specifically, at a speed between about 1000 rpm and about 1100 rpm. Alternatively, the rotatable shaft 106 may allow rotation at different speeds to form vortices as described below.

[0098] The airflow normally travels along the inner surface 34 of the outer casing sidewall 66, but is interrupted by the deflecting surface 206 of the deflector 200 facing the airflow. This deflecting surface cooperates with the rotor arm 122, and more specifically with the tip of the rotor arm 122, to form a vortex V. As shown in FIG10, the vortex V can be further guided inward from the adjacent deflector 200' toward the central outer casing axis H.

[0099] Referring again to FIG. 10, each vortex V further overlaps with at least one adjacent vortex V1, V2, such that input material particles suspended in vortex V collide with input material particles suspended in one or more adjacent vortices V1, V2. More specifically, each generated vortex V typically includes an outwardly moving portion 500 generally defined by airflow circulating from axis 106 toward the housing sidewall 66 and an inwardly moving portion 502 generally defined by airflow circulating from housing sidewall 26 toward axis 106. As shown in FIG. 10, the outwardly moving portion 500 of each vortex V overlaps with the inwardly moving portion 502 of the first adjacent vortex V1, and the inwardly moving portion 502 of each vortex overlaps with the outwardly moving portion 500 of the second adjacent vortex V2.

[0100] In this configuration, the input material particles in the vortex thus collide with input material particles moving at twice the speed of the particles in vortex V. For example, in one embodiment, vortices V, V1, V2 rotate at approximately one-third the speed of sound. When input material particles from the first adjacent vortex V1 and the second adjacent vortex V2 collide with input material particles suspended in vortex V, these particles, moving at the same speed but in opposite directions, will collide with each other at approximately two-thirds the speed of sound.

[0101] In one embodiment, in addition to the input material particles being impacted by the airflow and vortex V, the input material can be further pulverized by the rotor arm 122 impacting the input material particles in the internal chamber 68 as the rotatable shaft 106 rotates. In this embodiment, the combined effect of the input material particles colliding with each other in the overlapping vortices V, V1, V2 and the rotor arm 122 impacting the input material particles can improve the efficiency of the pulverizer. Furthermore, since the overlapping vortices V cause the particles to collide with each other rather than with the internal surface of the housing 20, wear on the components inside the housing 20 can be reduced.

[0102] It should be understood that, for ease of understanding, the vortex V shown in Figures 9 and 10 has been simplified, and in practice, the vortex V may not be as precisely circular as shown or may not be as precisely positioned as indicated in Figure 10.

[0103] In the illustrated embodiment, the shredder 50 further includes a plurality of shelves 300a, 300b extending inwardly from the housing sidewall 26. Specifically, the plurality of shelves 300a, 300b includes an upper shelf 300a and a lower shelf 300b spaced downwardly from the upper shelf 300a. Each shelf 300a, 300b extends circumferentially about the housing axis H and along the housing sidewall 26. It should be understood that the shelves therefore extend substantially orthogonally to the deflector 200. Specifically, the deflector 200 extends generally parallel to the housing axis H and may therefore be said to extend axially relative to the housing 60, while the shelves may be said to extend azimuthally relative to the housing 60. In the illustrated embodiment, the deflector 200 generally extends vertically, while each shelf 300a, 300b is positioned in a generally horizontal plane and therefore extends substantially horizontally.

[0104] In the embodiment illustrated, each shelf 300a, 300b extends substantially continuously around the housing sidewall 66. Alternatively, the shelves 300a, 300b may not extend continuously around the housing sidewall 66, and may instead include a plurality of shelf segments spaced apart from each other to define gaps between adjacent shelf segments.

[0105] In the illustrated embodiment, the upper shelf 300a is substantially horizontally aligned with the upper crushing rotor 108a, and the lower shelf 300b is substantially horizontally aligned with the intermediate crushing rotor 108c. Alternatively, each shelf 300a, 300b may be positioned slightly below the corresponding crushing rotor 108a, 108c.

[0106] In the illustrated embodiment, each shelf 300a, 300b includes a top shelf surface 302 extending downward and away from the housing sidewall 66. Specifically, since the shelves 300a, 300b extend along the housing sidewall 66 and about the housing axis H, the top shelf surface 302 is substantially conical. Still in the illustrated embodiment, the top shelf surface 302 is inclined relative to the housing sidewall 66 at an angle between about 1 degree and about 89 degrees, at about 1 degree the top shelf surface 302 will rest almost flat against the housing sidewall 66, and at about 89 degrees the top shelf surface 302 will be almost orthogonal to the housing axis H. In one embodiment, the top shelf surface 302 may be inclined relative to the housing sidewall 66 at an angle between 30 degrees and 60 degrees.

[0107] Shelves 300a and 300b are configured to deflect the airflow of the guide shelves upwards. This allows the input material particles to remain temporarily suspended above shelves 300a and 300b. The input material particles can thus be subjected to vortex effects and undergo longer periods of crushing through impact with rotor arms 122, thereby further reducing the size of the input material particles as they move toward the next rotor stage or downward toward outlet 72.

[0108] The upward deflection of the airflow can further promote the vortex V within the internal chamber 68. More specifically, as shown in Figure 9, in addition to rotating in a plane orthogonal to the outer shell axis H as illustrated in Figure 10, the vortex V can also rotate in a plane generally parallel to the outer shell axis, i.e., vertically. Therefore, the combined effect of the shelves 300a, 300b and the deflector 200 helps to form a three-dimensional vortex V, causing the air within the vortex V to move along a three-dimensional travel path, which can further promote the collision between the input material particles of adjacent overlapping vortices V.

[0109] This configuration further allows the number of vortices V generated by the deflectors 200 to be multiplied by the number of shelves 300a, 300b in the housing 60. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the shredder 50 includes six deflectors 200, which can form six vortices above each shelf 300a, 300b, for a total of 12 vortices in the entire internal chamber 68.

[0110] A shredder can be designed and sized to process fine material streams for primary processing. For example, a shredder can be sized to process 5 to 20 metric tons per hour or 10 to 15 metric tons per hour of waste streams containing mixtures of the components described above, while operating at a rotational speed between 500 RPM and 1,200 RPM as a primary unit to produce one or more of the output size streams described herein.

[0111] Referring to Figure 11, it is also possible to provide a power pulverizer 50, which is used for a single operation and is capable of handling various different raw materials without operational variation or with variations only related to rotational speed and / or feed rate. For example, the power pulverizer 50 can be implemented in a large plant 1000 that produces multiple different fine material streams A, B, C to pulverize the fine material streams at different times and produce separate output streams that can withstand separation. This can be done in a single screen or in separate screens designed for a given raw material and final product for production. Thus, a single power pulverizer 50 and one or more screens can be implemented in a plant that produces multiple residual fine material streams A, B, C to facilitate the production of various final products. Figure 11 shows a plant 1000 that receives waste 1002 and produces recycled material 1004, and multiple fine or residual material streams A, B, C that are supplied to separate tanks or storage locations 1006. Alternatingly, one of the fine material streams is supplied to the pulverizer 50, and may be combined with the fragile additive 1008 as described above, as appropriate. The pulverizer produces a pulverized output stream of material supplied to corresponding screens A, B, or C to produce a corresponding size-reduced material. In this way, a single pulverizer can be used to upgrade multiple fine material streams generated by the waste treatment plant 1000.

[0112] Referring now to FIG. 12, in some embodiments, the method includes a magnetic separation stage 2000 upstream of the power pulverization stage 16 to capture ferrous metals from the fine feed stream 10. The separated metal 2002 may be supplied as scrap metal for resale or disposal. The metal-depleted fine feed stream 2004 may be fed to the power pulverization stage 16. The magnetic separator may be designed and operated to remove contaminating metals with high weight density to reduce wear and damage to the KP. For example, the magnetic separator may be provided based on the nominal size of the feedstock and the ferrous objects to be removed. For example, a magnetic separator may be provided to ensure the removal of solid ferrous objects with high weight in a low overall volume. While some geometries such as flat sheets may have little effect on the operation of the KP, other geometries such as bulk, thick blocks, and the like can increase wear and damage, and therefore the magnetic separation stage 2000 helps to remove them to enhance downstream processing. The magnetic separator may be configured based on the size of the feedstock, the size of the ferrous objects, and the depth of material loading. The magnetic separator can be actively controlled or simply switched on to achieve separation. The magnetic separation stage 2000 helps reduce the risk of wear and damage to the KP stage 16 and also helps transfer more waste to landfills by recycling scrap metal materials.

[0113] Various types of magnetic separators can be used in the magnetic separation stage 2000, and these magnetic separators can be selected based on the raw material and the throughput. For example, depending on the moisture content of the raw material, the magnetic separator can be a dry magnetic separator or a wet magnetic separator. The magnetic separator can have a magnetic field strength designed to remove target ferrous metal objects that may cause problems in stage KP 16. The magnetic separator can also include permanent magnets and electromagnetic magnetic separators. The magnetic separator can also have various design and structural features, such as drum type, roller type, disc type, ring type, belt type, etc. Depending on the system and the design and configuration of the raw material, the magnetic separator can also use a constant, alternating, pulsating or rotating magnetic field. The magnetic iron itself can be composed of various materials.

[0114] While magnetic separation is a superior mechanism for removing metals from raw materials, various other metal removal methods exist that can be used in place of magnetic separation or in addition to magnetic separation. Additional metal removal stages can be designed to remove non-ferrous metals, particularly metal debris that is dense and therefore relatively heavy and thick. In some implementations, metal removal methods (e.g., magnetic separation) are performed to remove all metal debris with an average diameter of 1 inch or greater. Bulk or elongated metal debris is removed, and, where appropriate, metal debris with a flat, flake-like shape.

[0115] Referring now to Figures 13 and 14, two example configurations of the magnetic separation stage 2000 are shown. Figure 13 shows a belt magnetic separator 2006, which includes a self-cleaning magnetic belt 2008 above a conveyor 2010. The magnetic belt 2008 discharges ferrous metals into a storage bin 2012. The magnetic belt 2008 can be mounted to a magnetic frame 2014 spanning the conveyor 2010. Figure 14 shows an alternative configuration, which includes a stationary magnet 2018 mounted above the conveyor 2010 and configured to move back and forth on a track 2020.

[0116] Referring still to FIG. 12, the system may also include a dust collection stage 3000 for recovering dust as part of the pulverized output stream 18 leaving KP stage 16. The pulverized output stream 18 enters the dust control stage 3000, which recovers the dust stream 3002 and generates a dust-reduced pulverized stream 3004 fed to the separation stage 20. The dust collection stage 3000 facilitates dust control and may include various units such as settling chambers and bag filters or cyclone filter units.

[0117] Referring to FIG13, the dust collection stage 3000 may include a dust collector 3006 coupled to the outlet of the KP stage 16, and may include a settling chamber 3008 having a dust outlet 3010 located at its top. The dust outlet may be in fluid communication with a dust recovery unit 3014 via a conduit 3012, the dust recovery unit including a bag filter or a cyclone filter unit 3016 having a dedicated motor 3018. The dust recovery unit 3014 may also include a dust recovery container 3020, which receives dust from the bag filter or the cyclone filter unit, for example, via a hopper.

[0118] The settling chamber 3008 receives all outputs from KP stage 16 and thus receives relatively fine particles deposited on the discharge conveyor 3022, allowing these fine particles to be added to the transfer output. The fine particles settle on the discharge conveyor 3022, while extremely fine dust particles accumulate and are discharged from the settling chamber via the dust outlet 3010. Depending on the process design and the target level of dust control, the settling chamber 3008 may extend along a portion or the entire length of the discharge conveyor 3022. The settling chamber 3008 may be connected to the outlet of the KP unit via a flexible tubular member, as the KP unit may experience vibration.

[0119] The amount of dust in the pulverized output stream 18 depends heavily on the type and dryness of the raw material supplied to stage KP 16. For example, it has been observed that the output transfer rate of some raw materials is as high as about 30%, while the transfer rate of MWS fine particles is much lower. For raw materials such as C&D materials, the transfer rate will be even higher.

[0120] It should be noted that the power supply and suction of the dust collection stage 3000 can be adjusted to increase the amount of material captured in the dust collector. For example, the dust recovery unit 3014 can be controlled to provide the required suction in the dust collector 3006. Therefore, the dust collection stage 3000 can be designed and operated as a tool to separate material from the KP stage 16. It should also be noted that the dust collector 3006 can also pick up relatively light plastic film fragments, and therefore these plastic film fragments can be separated by both the separation stage 20 and the dust collection stage 3000.

[0121] Referring again to Figure 13, the bag filter or cyclone filter 3016 captures finer and lighter materials, which can be stored in container 3020. This finely recycled material 3024 can be added back to the transfer output stream, disposed of, and / or retained as a fine-particle product for sale. The finely recycled material 3024 can be recycled back to one or more stages of the system. Preferably, the finely recycled material 3024 will be supplied to the dust reduction stream 3004 or the size reduction stream 22, or will be retained as a different product stream for sale or mixed with other materials to provide a commercial product. It should be noted that recycled dust material can be handled, transported, and used in various ways, some of which are described herein. Experiment

[0122] Comparative experiments were conducted on MRF fine particles obtained from the MSW processing plant. The MRF fine particles used as raw materials were less than 2 ½ inches in size, and the samples underwent size reduction in a power shredder and grinding unit (Rotochopper®) as described herein. The size-reduced material was then subjected to ½-inch screening to obtain the screened portion and the oversized waste portion. A vibrating screen was used for comparative testing.

[0123] Based on observations and results, the quality and yield of the screened portion were significantly higher when using KP compared to the grinding mill. Furthermore, KP reported less organic material being discarded compared to the grinding mill.

[0124] For example, in the case of KP, the percentage of waste in the screening section is 11%; for the grinder, the percentage is 21%. This means that the unwanted materials are excessively reduced in size by the grinder, causing them to tend to pass through the sieve containing the desired materials, resulting in a lower product quality compared to KP. In contrast, KP promotes the release and separation of these unwanted materials, thereby producing a higher quality screened product. In the test, KP improved the production of the screening section, in which the amount of unwanted materials was almost halved compared to the grinder test.

[0125] In addition, for KP, the proportion of man-made objects (such as glass, ceramics, plastics, etc.) in waste materials is 4.5%; for grinders, the proportion is 8.1%. This instruction KP can reduce the size of rigid man-made materials to be included in the screening section, while grinders cannot achieve this size reduction, and therefore the reported weight percentage of man-made objects is larger.

[0126] Therefore, KP can reduce the size of organic matter and rigid man-made objects, so that almost 90% of the input MRF particles are reduced in size and included in the screened product portion. In the case of KP, very little organic matter is lost, thereby providing an enhanced organic matter recovery rate for the final product.

[0127] The table below provides a more detailed overview of the comparative test results, including data on size distribution and contaminant composition. The test results confirm several advantages of using KP to treat raw materials such as MRF fine particles. result KP grinder Material size reduction before screening Selected Part Material size reduction before screening Selected Part Solid pollutants (%) Total plastic content > 4 mm 2.2 0.4 1.1 1.6 Film plastic > 4 mm 0.63 < 0.1 0.4 0.4 Glass > 4 mm 0.43 0.81 2.4 2.1 Metal > 4 mm < 0.1 < 0.1 < 0.1 < 0.1 Sharp objects > 2 mm Not detected Not detected Not detected Not detected total 2.6 1.21 3.5 3.7 Size distribution (%) >50 mm 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 25-50 mm 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 16-25 mm 1.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.5-16 mm 4.1 0.4 9.2 4.7 6.3-9.5 mm 4.2 3.3 15.3 15.2 4.0-6.3 mm 6.1 5.2 22.3 20.4 2.0-4.0 mm 27 16.1 28.5 30.1 < 2.0 mm 56.9 75.0 24.7 29.5

[0128] As can be seen from the table, KP achieves a higher proportion of smaller particle size distribution compared to the grinder. For example, in the case of KP, 75% of the screened material has a particle size smaller than 2 mm, while only 29.5% of the screened portion from the grinder has a particle size smaller than 2 mm. Furthermore, the proportion of total plastic decreases due to the size reduction of the material by KP, while the proportion of total plastic increases for the size reduction material used in the grinder. Since the film plastic is released rather than excessively reduced in size, the film plastic decreases significantly after screening the size-reduced material by KP, while the proportion of film plastic remains unchanged after screening the size-reduced material by the grinder. Generally, when using KP for the size reduction stage, the contaminant concentration is lower. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0046] Figure 1 is a flowchart of a method for treating waste streams using power crushing and subsequent screening.

[0047] Figure 2 is a left perspective view of the crushing equipment according to an embodiment, showing the motor and housing used for the crushing equipment.

[0048] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the right side of the crushing equipment shown in Figure 2, showing the outlet near the bottom end of the housing.

[0049] Figure 4 is a bottom perspective view of the crushing equipment shown in Figure 2, showing the belt connection between the motor and the rotatable shaft.

[0050] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the housing shown in Figure 3, which shows the rotatable shaft and rotor located within the housing.

[0051] Figure 6 is a partial exploded view of the housing of the crushing equipment shown in Figure 2.

[0052] Figure 7 is a top cross-sectional view of the housing of the crushing equipment shown in Figure 2, which shows a plurality of deflectors spaced apart around a rotatable axis along the sidewall of the housing.

[0053] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the housing shown in Figure 5, wherein the rotatable shaft and rotor are removed, and shelves positioned at different levels along the sidewalls inside the housing are shown.

[0054] Figure 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the crushing rotor installed inside the housing for the crushing equipment shown in Figure 2, showing the vortex generated inside the housing.

[0055] Figure 10 is a schematic top view of the housing according to an embodiment, showing overlapping vortices in the internal cavity of the housing.

[0056] Figure 11 is a flowchart of a method for processing multiple fine material streams generated by a waste treatment plant using power crushing and subsequent separation.

[0057] Figure 12 is a flowchart of a method for treating waste streams using power crushing and subsequent screening, and also includes a magnetic separation stage and a dust collection stage.

[0058] Figure 13 is a flowchart of a method for treating waste streams using power crushing and subsequent screening, and also includes a dust collection stage.

[0059] Figure 14 is a side view of the magnetic separation stage of the example.

[0060] Figure 15 is a side view schematic diagram of another example of the magnetic separation stage.

Claims

1. A method for processing a fine stream in a material recycling facility (MRF), comprising: providing an MRF fine stream comprising: a fragile material comprising glass, ceramics, drywall, shingles, rock, and / or aggregate; and a ductile material comprising plastics; subjecting the MRF fine stream to a primary kinetic crushing stage, wherein the fine stream is fed into a kinetic crusher and subjected to self-collision generated by vortices within the kinetic crusher to produce a crushed material comprising a reduced portion originating from the fragile material and an oversized portion originating from the ductile material; discharging the crushed material from the kinetic crusher; and separating the crushed material to produce a reduced-size stream and an oversized stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fine stream originates from municipal solid waste (MSW) or from separated recyclables.

3. The method of request item 1, wherein the fine material stream is a batch of fertilizer screened material stream.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fine stream includes material with a size of less than 2 inches.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the power pulverizer operates at a rotational speed between 500 RPM and 1,200 RPM.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the power pulverizer is operated at a rotational speed between 700 RPM and 1,000 RPM.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the power crusher is operated such that the reduced size portion consists substantially of particles of sand or silt size.

8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the fine material stream has a moisture content between 10% and 50% when it enters the power pulverizer.

9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the fine material stream has a moisture content between 15% and 40% when it enters the power pulverizer.

10. The method of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the fine material stream does not undergo a drying stage upstream of the power crushing stage.

11. The method of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the reduced size portion is a homogeneous mixture in the crushed output stream.

12. The method of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the power crushing stage dewaters the fine material stream such that the dewatering rate in the power crushing stage is between 5% and 8%.

13. The method of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the power crushing stage and the separation enable the moisture content of the size-reduced stream to be 5% to 30% lower than the moisture content of the fine stream.

14. The method of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the power pulverization stage reduces pathogens in the fine material stream via air stripping.

15. The method of any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising incorporating a fragile additive into the fine stream such that the fragile additive is reduced in size and homogenized with the fragile material to form a portion of the reduced-size portion.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the fragile additive comprises a pore-forming agent, a soil additive, a building material additive, a compost additive, peat moss, or a glass product additive.

17. The method of claim 15 or 16, wherein the fragile additive is introduced into the fine material stream upstream of the power crushing stage.

18. The method of claim 15 or 16, wherein the fragile additive is introduced directly into the power pulverizer as a stream separated from the fine material stream.

19. The method of any of requests 1 to 18, wherein the separation phase includes filtering.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the screening is performed using a rotary screen.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the screening is performed using a vibrating screen.

22. The method of any of requests 1 to 21, wherein the separation stage includes a single screen.

23. The method of any one of claims 1 to 22, further comprising: monitoring at least one feed parameter of the fine material flow and / or an output parameter of the pulverized material, the excessive material flow and / or the size-reduced material flow; and adjusting the primary power pulverization stage based on the feed parameter and / or the output parameter.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one feed parameter includes the feed rate of the fine stream and / or the composition of the fine stream.

25. The method of claim 23 or 24, wherein the at least one output parameter includes the dimensional properties of the reduced-size portion of the pulverized material stream, the composition of the pulverized material stream, the flow rate of the oversized material stream, the flow rate of the reduced-size material stream, the composition of the oversized material stream, and / or the composition of the reduced-size material stream.

26. The method of any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein the adjustment of the primary power crushing stage includes adjusting the rotational speed.

27. The method of any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein the adjustment of the primary power crushing stage includes adjusting the feed rate of the fine material stream.

28. A method for processing a fine stream of waste material, comprising: providing a fine stream comprising: a fracturing material including glass, ceramics, drywall, shingles, rock, and / or aggregate; and a ductile material including plastic; wherein the fine stream substantially consists of material having a maximum size of either 2 inches or 4 inches; subjecting the fine stream to a primary pulverization stage, wherein the fine stream is fed into a pulverizer and subjected to self-collision generated by vortices within the pulverizer to produce a pulverized material comprising a reduced portion of the fracturing material and an oversized portion of the ductile material; discharging the pulverized material from the pulverizer; and separating the pulverized material to produce a reduced-size stream and an oversized stream.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the fine stream originates from a source-separated single-stream material recovery facility (MRF).

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the fine stream comprises between 40% and 60% glass, and the size-reducing stream consists of more than 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% glass.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the fine material stream originates from a mixed waste material recycling facility (MRF).

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the fine stream contains between 50% and 70% organic matter, and the size-reduced stream substantially consists of at most 0.5% to 2% organic matter containing visible contaminants larger than 4 mm in size.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the fine material stream originates from a composting facility and includes compost screenings.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the size-reduced flow consists substantially of organic matter comprising at most 0.5 to 2% of visible contaminants larger than 4 mm.

35. The method of any one of claims 28 to 34, further comprising adding a fragile additive to the fine stream for size reduction and homogenization of the size reduction portion.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the fragile additive is introduced into the fine material stream upstream of the crushing stage.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the fragile additive is introduced directly into the power pulverizer.

38. The method of any one of claims 1 to 37, further comprising subjecting the MRF fine stream to magnetic separation to remove ferrous metals therefrom and generating a metal-depleted feed stream fed to the primary power pulverization stage.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the magnetic separation is performed by one or more magnetic separators relative to one of the feed configurations of the MRF particles.

40. The method of any one of claims 1 to 39, further comprising subjecting the pulverized material to a dust collection stage to recover a portion of dust therefrom and generating a dust-reduced pulverized material stream fed to the separator to generate the size-reduced stream and the oversized stream.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein at least a portion of the dust portion is combined with at least a portion of the size-reduced material flow.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein all of the dust portions are combined with the size-reduced material flow.

43. The method of any one of claims 40 to 42, wherein the dust collection stage comprises: a dust collector coupled to an outlet of the primary power pulverization stage or to a solids conveying device configured to convey the pulverized material away from the primary power pulverization stage; and a dust recovery unit coupled to the dust collector and configured to separate the dust and partially convey the dust from the dust collector to a storage container.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the dust collector includes a settling chamber.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the dust collection unit includes a bag filter chamber that is in fluid communication with the settling chamber via a conduit.

46. ​​The method of claim 44, wherein the dust recovery unit includes a cyclone separator that is in fluid communication with the settling chamber via a pipe.

47. The method of any one of claims 43 to 46, wherein the solid conveying device includes a conveyor.

48. The method of any one of claims 43 to 46, wherein the dust collector surrounds the solid conveying device along most of its length.

49. The method of any one of claims 28 to 48 further includes one or more features described in any one of claims 1 to 27.

50. A system comprising: a power pulverizer configured to receive and process a fine stream to produce a pulverized material; a pulverizer conveyor configured to convey the pulverized material downstream; and a screen operatively coupled to the pulverizer conveyor and configured to receive the pulverized stream and produce a size-reduced stream and an oversized stream.

51. The system of claim 50 further comprises: a material recovery facility (MRF) that generates the fine material stream; and a fine material conveyor configured to convey the fine material stream to the power pulverizer.

52. The system of request item 50, wherein the fine material stream originates from municipal solid waste (MSW).

53. The system of any one of claims 50 to 52, wherein the fine stream contains material with a size of less than 2 inches.

54. A system as claimed in any of claims 50 to 53, wherein the power pulverizer is configured to operate at a rotational speed between 500 RPM and 1,200 RPM.

55. A system as claimed in any of claims 50 to 53, wherein the power pulverizer is configured to operate at a rotational speed between 700 RPM and 1,000 RPM.

56. The system of any one of claims 50 to 55, further comprising an aggregating unit for incorporating a fragile additive into the fine stream such that the fragile additive is reduced in size and homogenized with the fragile material to form part of the reduced-size portion.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein the fragile additive comprises a pore-forming agent, a soil additive, a building material additive, a compost additive, peat moss, or a glass product additive.

58. The system of claim 56 or 57, wherein the adding unit for adding the fragile additive is located upstream of the power pulverizer.

59. The system of claim 56 or 57, wherein the adding unit for adding the fragile additive is operatively coupled to the power pulverizer.

60. The system of any one of claims 50 to 59, wherein the screen comprises a rotary screen.

61. The system of any one of claims 50 to 59, wherein the screen comprises a vibrating screen.

62. The system of any one of claims 50 to 61, wherein the screen comprises a single screen device.

63. The system of any one of claims 50 to 62, further comprising: a monitoring unit configured to monitor at least one feed parameter of the fine material stream and / or an output parameter of the pulverized material stream, the oversized material stream and / or the size-reduced material stream; and a control unit coupled to the monitoring unit and configured to adjust the power pulverizer based on the feed parameter and / or the output parameter.

64. The system of claim 63, wherein the monitoring unit and the control unit are configured such that the at least one feed parameter includes the feed rate of the fine stream and / or the composition of the fine stream.

65. The system of claim 63 or 64, wherein the monitoring unit and the control unit are configured such that the at least one output parameter includes the dimensional properties of the reduced portion of the pulverized material stream, the composition of the pulverized material stream, the flow rate of the oversized material stream, the flow rate of the reduced-size material stream, the composition of the oversized material stream, and / or the composition of the reduced-size material stream.

66. A system as claimed in any of claims 63 to 65, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust the rotational speed of the power pulverizer.

67. A system as claimed in any of claims 63 to 66, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust the feed rate of the fine material stream entering the power pulverizer.

68. The system of any one of claims 50 to 67, further comprising a magnetic separator to remove ferrous metal from the fine feed stream and generate a metal-depleted feed stream fed to the power pulverizer.

69. The system of any one of claims 50 to 68 further includes a dust collection unit configured to recover a portion of dust from the pulverized material and generate a pulverized material stream with reduced dust fed to the screen.

70. The system of claim 69, wherein the dust collection unit is configured to supply at least a portion of the dust portion in combination with at least a portion of the reduced-size material flow.

71. The system of claim 69 or 70, wherein the dust collection unit comprises: a dust collector coupled to an outlet of the power pulverizer or to a pulverizer conveyor; and a dust recovery unit coupled to the dust collector and configured to separate the dust and partially transport the dust from the dust collector to a storage container.

72. The system of claim 71, wherein the dust collector includes a settling chamber.

73. The system of claim 72, wherein the dust collection unit includes a bag filter chamber that is in fluid communication with the settling chamber via a conduit.

74. The system of claim 72, wherein the dust collection unit includes a cyclone separator that is in fluid communication with the settling chamber via a pipe.

75. A system as claimed in any of claims 43 to 46, wherein the dust collector surrounds the power pulverizer along most of its length.

76. A system as described in any of claims 50 to 75, further comprising any of claims 1 to 49 or one or more features as described herein.

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