Compact Solid Waste Separator with Adjustable Airflow Nozzle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solid waste separators face issues with process losses, energy inefficiency, and environmental impact, particularly in handling mixed municipal solid waste, due to difficulties in controlling feed rates, airflow uniformity, and clogging, which affect the separation efficiency and lead to equipment damage.
Innovation Solution
A compact solid waste separator integrating airflow, magnetic, and eddy current separator modules within a single enclosure, with adjustable components such as nozzles, rotating drums, and conveyors, allowing for precise control of airflow and separation processes to manage different waste fractions effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a vibratory material feed is used to feed particles onto the nozzle, then material can be continuously supplied, but the feed rate cannot be controlled and the air velocity along the nozzle axis becomes non-uniform
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical vibratory feed system with a controlled feeding mechanism that allows regulation of particle feed rate. This substitution enables both continuous supply and controllable feed rate, resolving the contradiction between productivity and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces adjustable and variable speed components in the feeding system, allowing dynamic control of material feed rate to match processing requirements. This dynamic adjustment capability resolves the contradiction by enabling both continuous operation and flexible rate control.
2Strength
If the nozzle wall restricts airflow at the edges, then structural integrity is maintained, but uniform air velocity profile cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different structural characteristics to different parts of the nozzle. The nozzle wall maintains structural integrity while the internal flow path is designed with specific geometries (such as rounded edges, expanded sections, or flow straighteners) to ensure uniform air velocity distribution. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between strength and manufacturing precision.
3Productivity
If the air jet exits the nozzle with high velocity, then separation efficiency is improved, but the air jet entrainment phenomenon occurs causing vortices and pressure distribution issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces intermediary structures such as flow straighteners, honeycomb elements, or baffle plates within or at the nozzle outlet. These intermediaries condition the air jet to reduce turbulence and prevent excessive entrainment while maintaining separation efficiency, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary measures within the nozzle design to counteract the air jet entrainment phenomenon before it occurs. By pre-conditioning the airflow through proper nozzle geometry design, the harmful vortex formation and pressure distribution issues are prevented, allowing high velocity operation without reliability problems.
4Productivity
If thin-walled Fe particles are blown onto the eddy current separator by the nozzle airflow, then separation is achieved, but the thin-walled cladding burns out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts or removes thin-walled ferrous particles from the airflow stream before they reach the eddy current separator. This is achieved through preliminary magnetic separation stages or by adjusting airflow patterns to prevent these specific particles from being accelerated to damaging velocities, thus protecting the separator while maintaining overall separation productivity.
5Device complexity
If a fixed position third separating cylinder is used, then device structure is simplified, but the equipment cannot be adjusted for different waste streams
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the third separating cylinder position adjustable rather than fixed. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the equipment to adapt to different waste streams and separation requirements while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure. The adjustability is achieved through mechanisms such as adjustable mounts or repositionable components.
6Ease of operation
If the feed rate of particles sliding onto the eddy current separator is not controlled, then device operation is simple, but the separator cannot be adjusted to specific waste streams
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces controllable parameters for particle feed rate to the eddy current separator. By allowing adjustment of feed rate parameters, the separator can be optimized for specific waste streams while maintaining ease of operation through user-friendly controls. This resolves the contradiction between operational simplicity and adaptability.
7Device complexity
If a simple baffle plate is used to separate conductive and non-conductive particles, then device structure is simplified, but fibrous materials are caught causing clogging and faulty separation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the baffle plate design to have different local characteristics. Instead of a uniform simple plate, the design incorporates features such as mesh sections, varying openings, or differentiated surface properties in different areas to prevent fibrous material clogging while maintaining effective separation of conductive and non-conductive particles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces or modifies the solid baffle plate with porous or perforated structures that allow fibrous materials to pass through without clogging. This maintains the separation function for conductive and non-conductive particles while preventing the clogging issue that occurs with simple solid plates.
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 enhances separation efficiency by reducing process losses and energy consumption, enabling environmentally friendly operation and effective handling of various waste types, including metals, plastics, and inert materials, while minimizing equipment damage and clogging.
Implementation Method 1
The airflow separator (I) comprises a feeder (A) containing the waste to be processed, underneath it is a vibratory feeder (1) directed onto a rotating drum (3), under which a nozzle (2) is placed
Implementation Method 2
The magnetic separator (II) is a magnetic drum (9) placed in the space envelope below the drum being rotated (3)
Implementation Method 3
The eddy current separator (III) comprises the feeder element (F), the impeller (10) arranged underneath
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The compact solid waste separator comprises an airflow separator module (I), magnetic separator modules (II, III) and an eddy current separator module (IV). The upper part of the enclosure (1) of the unit is equipped with a waste receiving hopper (1.1), a variable-speed outfeed conveyor (2), a nozzle (4) with an adjustable angle of inclination and an adjustable cross-section of air blow, air jet baffle plates (3) and a gravity sedimentation chamber (18). Inside the enclosure (1), rotating drum separator (8, 10, 16) with adjustable speed and axial position for the separation of different waste fractions, and outfeed conveyors (6, 7, 11, 12.1, 14, 15, 17) for the removal of separated waste fractions are installed. The first magnetic separator module (II) comprises a rotating drum (5) with magnets built into it, and the second magnetic separator module (III) comprises an upper magnetic separator (12). The eddy current separator module (IV) comprises an eddy current drum separator (13) with a pole motor (13.1) integrated in a separate drum.