Cascading Liquid Separator with Narrowing Passages

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional liquid separating systems face issues with remoistening and inefficient drying rates due to surface tension and uneven pressure distribution, leading to mechanical damage and high energy consumption, making it difficult to achieve high dry matter percentages for effective litter use.

Innovation Solution

A liquid separating device with a cascading configuration of liquid separation assemblies, where each stage's passage narrows to increase thickness and pressure, using guiding assemblies to redistribute matter uniformly, and employing perforated rollers with adjustable speed and drainage holes to minimize remoistening and maximize water extraction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If compression pressure is increased to improve water extraction, then liquid separation efficiency is improved, but mechanical damage to fiber and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveliquid separation efficiencyVSAvoidmechanical damage to fiber
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The compression process is divided into multiple stages with progressively narrower passages (first passage, second passage, third passage). Each stage extracts liquid at different pressure levels, avoiding the need for excessive single-stage compression that would damage fiber. The segmentation of compression stages allows efficient liquid separation while maintaining fiber integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If compression pressure is increased to improve water extraction, then liquid separation efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveliquid separation efficiencyVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The compression process is divided into multiple stages with progressively narrower passages. Each stage extracts liquid at different pressure levels, avoiding the need for excessive single-stage compression that would consume excessive energy. The multi-stage approach distributes energy consumption across stages, improving overall efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The passage width dynamically decreases from the first passage to the third passage, creating progressively higher compression pressures only where needed. This dynamic structure allows efficient liquid extraction at each stage without applying excessive pressure throughout the entire system, reducing unnecessary energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If roller porosity is increased to improve liquid extraction, then water removal efficiency is improved, but remoistening increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater removal efficiencyVSAvoidremoistening
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The liquid separation is divided into multiple stages with progressively narrower passages. Liquid is extracted in stages rather than all at once, allowing the material to be progressively dewatered without excessive liquid remaining in roller porosities that would cause remoistening. Each stage handles a portion of the liquid extraction task.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention transitions from a single-dimension extraction approach to a multi-dimensional cascading structure with passages arranged in sequence. This dimensional change allows liquid to be extracted through multiple passages in series, reducing the liquid capacity needed in individual rollers and minimizing remoistening.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution significantly improves drying rates, reduces remoistening, and maintains fiber integrity for litter use, achieving up to 37% dry matter with reduced energy consumption and minimal mechanical issues, while allowing for more efficient water extraction and longer fiber preservation.

Implementation Method 1

The upper wringing component and the lower draining component are positioned with respect to another so as to define a passage through which mixture material to be processed is channeled and pressed, in order to extract liquid material therefrom

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCompression: Compression

Implementation Method 2

The phenomenon of surface tension in the liquids causes the liquid extracted and going through the porosities of the roller to not be entirely extracted since an amount of water remains within the porosities of the roller

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPorosity: Porosity

Implementation Method 3

The phenomenon of surface tension in the liquids causes the liquid extracted and going through the porosities of the roller to not be entirely extracted since an amount of water remains within the porosities of the roller

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSurface tension: Surface Tension

Data Source

PatentEP2477806B1Liquid separating device
Publication Date: 2018.10.31 GEA HOULE
  • EP2477806B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2477806B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2477806B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A liquid separating device (1) for processing a mixture material (3) containing both solid and liquid materials (3a, 3b), in order to separate liquid material (3b) from the solid material (3a), the liquid separating device (1) includes a support frame (5), a series of liquid separation assemblies (7a, 7b) and a corresponding guiding assembly ( 19) between each pair of liquid separation assemblies (7). The liquid separation assemblies (7) are disposed about the support frame (5) in a cascading configuration, and the passage (13) of each liquid separation assembly (7) is narrower in width than the passage of a preceding liquid separation assembly (7) so that each subsequent liquid separation assembly (7b) is enabled to extract more liquid material via an increased wringing pressure resulting from a thickening of the remaining mixture material (3) to be processed and the narrower subsequent passage (13b) through which it is channeled and pressed.