Concentric Tube Drying Reactor for Moist Organic Waste

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Solution Overview

Problem

The high moisture content in cellulose-containing organic waste materials hinders their effective utilization in clinker production due to increased heat requirements and excessive exhaust gases, limiting recycling potential and necessitating landfills, which pose environmental challenges.

Innovation Solution

The method involves drying cellulose-containing waste materials using hot exhaust gases from the clinker production process in a cocurrent flow through a series of concentrically arranged pipes with repeated deflection, controlling temperatures to prevent VOC formation and odor, and comminuting the materials to enhance drying efficiency and prevent thermal decomposition.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If cellulose-containing waste materials with high moisture content are fed directly into the burner system, then the recycling potential is improved, but the heat requirement increases and exhaust gas volume increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverecycling potentialVSAvoidheat requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The waste materials are dried in a drying step before being fed into the burner system. This preliminary action removes excess moisture, reducing the heat requirement during combustion while maintaining the recycling potential of the waste materials.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A drying installation is introduced as an intermediary component between the waste material storage and the burner system. This intermediary device uses hot exhaust gases from the clinker cooler to dry the waste materials, thereby reducing both heat requirement and exhaust gas volume in the main combustion process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If cellulose-containing waste materials with high moisture content are fed directly into the burner system, then the recycling potential is improved, but the exhaust gas volume increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverecycling potentialVSAvoidexhaust gas volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The waste materials are dried in a drying step before being fed into the burner system. This preliminary action removes excess moisture, reducing the volume of water vapor in the exhaust gases while maintaining the recycling potential of the waste materials.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A drying installation is introduced as an intermediary component between the waste material storage and the burner system. This intermediary device uses hot exhaust gases from the clinker cooler to dry the waste materials, thereby reducing both heat requirement and exhaust gas volume in the main combustion process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of energy

If hot exhaust gases are used for drying waste materials, then energy efficiency is improved, but temperature control is required to prevent VOC formation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy efficiencyVSAvoidVOC formation
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A drying installation is introduced as an intermediary component between the waste material storage and the burner system. This intermediary device uses hot exhaust gases from the clinker cooler to dry the waste materials, thereby reducing both heat requirement and exhaust gas volume in the main combustion process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The temperature of the hot exhaust gases is controlled and adjusted before entering the drying installation. By maintaining the temperature below the threshold for thermal decomposition, the process recovers energy efficiently while preventing the formation of harmful VOCs and odors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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

This approach reduces the water content of the waste materials, minimizes energy consumption, and avoids landfilling by utilizing waste heat for drying, ensuring efficient recycling and reducing environmental impact while maintaining low chlorine and sulfur content benefits.

Implementation Method 1

the large amounts of heat contained in the hot exhaust gases from the clinker production process are used to dry the moist, cellulose-containing waste materials

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 2

the moist waste materials are brought into contact with the hot exhaust gases of the clinker production process in a drying step in cocurrent and dried

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP2585413B1Process for utilizing organic waste materials
Publication Date: 2016.01.20 HOLCIM TECHNOLOGY LTD
  • EP2585413B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2585413B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

In a process for utilizing organic waste materials, in particular cellulose-containing, moist, organic waste materials, in a clinker production process in which the waste materials are introduced as fuel and burnt in the clinker production process, the waste materials are, in a drying step, brought into concurrent contact with the hot offgases of the clinker production process and dried before introduction into the clinker production process. The drying step is carried out in a drying reactor in which the moist waste materials are passed together with the hot offgases with multiple diversion of the flow direction by 180° through a series of concentrically arranged tubes and the temperature of the hot offgases is set to a maximum value of 400°C by mixing in of ambient air and/or air from the clinker production process before the drying step.