Waste Compaction Ram Backup Battery Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing compaction apparatuses skip compaction cycles when storage battery charge is insufficient, leading to incomplete waste compaction and inefficiency.

Innovation Solution

Incorporation of a back-up battery that couples with the driving means and controller to ensure the waste compaction ram completes its stroke, and a locking mechanism to prevent waste insertion until the battery is sufficiently charged, along with a sliding panel to maintain compacted waste.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the compaction apparatus skips compaction cycles when storage battery charge is insufficient, then the battery is preserved for future use, but compaction productivity decreases and waste compaction becomes incomplete

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery charge sustainabilityVSAvoidcompaction cycle completion
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a back-up battery as a cushioning mechanism that activates only when needed. The control system continuously monitors the storage battery charge level and triggers the back-up battery to compensate when the storage battery falls below a threshold during operation, ensuring compaction cycles are never skipped due to insufficient charge.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The back-up battery acts as an intermediary energy source between the storage battery and the driving means. When the storage battery charge is insufficient, the back-up battery steps in as a mediator to provide the necessary power, allowing the compaction cycle to complete without interruption or skipping.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Use of energy by stationary object

If the compaction apparatus waits for the storage battery to be sufficiently charged before starting a compaction cycle, then energy is conserved, but compaction productivity decreases due to delayed operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage battery energy conservationVSAvoidcompaction cycle execution
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by stationary objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The back-up battery serves as a pre-prepared energy cushion that activates only when the storage battery charge drops below a predetermined threshold during operation. This ensures that compaction cycles can start immediately without waiting for the storage battery to be sufficiently charged, while still conserving energy by using the back-up battery only when necessary.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The control system enables continuous compaction operation by switching between the storage battery and back-up battery power sources. The useful action of waste compaction continues without interruption or delay, maintaining productivity while the storage battery conserves energy for future cycles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Ease of operation

If the waste insertion opening remains accessible during low battery conditions, then waste insertion is convenient, but energy is wasted by allowing operations that cannot be completed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewaste insertion accessibilityVSAvoidstorage battery energy waste
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The control system continuously monitors the storage battery charge level and provides feedback to the control unit. When the charge level falls below a predetermined threshold, the system automatically activates the back-up battery, ensuring that waste insertion operations can be completed without energy waste while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

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

Ensures all energy in the storage battery is utilized for compaction, preventing skipped cycles and maintaining waste in a compacted state, even when charge is low, and allows for easy access to resolve jams.

Implementation Method 1

a solar panel located on an outside surface of the waste insertion pillar and/or control cabinet

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSolar energy conversion: Photovoltaic Effect

Implementation Method 2

a storage battery located in the control cabinet

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrical energy storage: Battery (electricity)

Implementation Method 3

a back-up battery which is connected to the driving means and to the controller, where the controller, if during a compaction stroke the charging level of the storage battery drops below a preset limit value

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrical energy storage: Battery (electricity)

Data Source

PatentEP2662317B1Compressing device
Publication Date: 2016.02.03 ECONX WASTE SOLUTIONS
  • EP2662317B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2662317B1 patent drawingFigure 3~8

AI summary

A compaction apparatus (1) comprises: - a waste insertion pillar (5) to be placed on an underground waste container and provided with a lockable waste insertion opening (9) and a waste compaction opening (21); - a control cabinet (7) located beside the waste insertion pillar; - a waste compaction ram (25) located inside the waste insertion pillar and displaceable between a retracted position and a compaction position for a waste compaction opening (23); - a solar panel (15); - a storage battery (27) located in the control cabinet; - driving means (29) which are powered by the storage battery for displacing the waste compaction ram; - a level sensor (31) which emits a signal if the waste in the waste insertion pillar rises above a certain level; and - a controller (33). If during a compaction stroke the charging level of the storage battery drops below a preset limit value at which the waste compaction ram cannot finish the compaction stroke, the controller couples a back-up battery (35) to the driving means and it controls the driving means to take the waste compaction ram back to the retracted position.