Extraction Plant Skimmer Drum for Regular Material Flow

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional extraction systems for coarse materials like shredded tires and municipal waste face issues with irregular flow rates, blockages, and inefficient return of excess product, leading to suboptimal performance and potential carbon monoxide formation in kiln furnaces.

Innovation Solution

An extraction installation with a hopper, an apron extractor, and a rotating skimmer drum equipped with oblique thrust means, such as propellers or angled fins, to ensure regular flow and prevent blockages, combined with a variable passage height between the apron and limiter to accommodate large pieces, and a weight-based dosing system for precise flow control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional extraction systems (horizontal screws, belt feeders) are used for coarse materials, then extraction capability is provided, but flow regularity deteriorates and blockages occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflow regularityVSAvoidextraction capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a dynamic peak limiter with variable passage height that adapts to fluctuating material flows. The limiter's position can be adjusted in real-time to maintain optimal flow conditions, transforming a static extraction system into a dynamic one that responds to changing material characteristics and flow rates, thereby ensuring both reliability and productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the passage height parameter of the peak limiter dynamically to control flow regularity. By varying this geometric parameter in response to material flow conditions, the system maintains reliable extraction without blockages, resolving the contradiction between flow regularity and extraction capability for coarse materials.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If excess product is not returned to the hopper, then extraction speed increases, but flow regularity deteriorates and carbon monoxide formation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveextraction speedVSAvoidcarbon monoxide formation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The peak limiter system implements feedback control by monitoring the material flow and automatically returning excess product to the hopper. This closed-loop mechanism ensures that extraction speed is maintained while preventing carbon monoxide formation through proper flow regulation, as the system continuously adjusts to maintain optimal extraction conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of excess material (which causes irregular flow and CO formation) into a beneficial feedback signal. The peak limiter uses the presence of excess material as information to trigger return mechanisms, transforming what would be a harmful condition into a controlled regulatory action that maintains both productivity and environmental safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Adaptability or versatility

If fixed passage height is used in peak limiter, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different materials deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccommodation of different materialsVSAvoidpassage height control mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The peak limiter employs dynamic passage height adjustment mechanisms that adapt to different material characteristics. This dynamic capability allows the system to handle various materials (shredded tires, municipal waste, plastics) effectively, achieving high adaptability while the automation of the adjustment process minimizes the operational complexity burden.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces vertical dimensionality to the peak limiter by implementing variable passage height in the vertical direction. This dimensional change allows the system to accommodate different material sizes and properties without increasing horizontal complexity, as the adjustment occurs in the vertical dimension through movable limiter components.

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

4Loss of energy

If coarse fuels are added to raw material, then energy efficiency of kiln improves, but extraction difficulty increases due to arching and jamming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvekiln energy efficiencyVSAvoidextraction ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the extraction function into multiple components: the apron extractor for primary material movement and the peak limiter with return mechanism for flow regulation. This segmentation allows coarse fuels to be extracted effectively without arching or jamming, as each component handles specific aspects of the extraction process, maintaining both energy efficiency and operational ease.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The peak limiter acts as an intermediary between the hopper and the extraction system. It mediates the flow of coarse fuels by controlling passage height and returning excess material, preventing arching and jamming while allowing the efficient extraction of energy-rich coarse fuels to proceed, thus resolving the contradiction between energy efficiency and extraction ease.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2225490B1Extraction plant with regular flow
Publication Date: 2018.10.10 APPALETTE TOURTELLIER SYST
  • EP2225490B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2225490B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2225490B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to an extraction plant, e.g. for used shredded tyres, coarsely ground municipal waste, commercial waste, papers, textiles, etc. The plant of the invention includes a hopper (12) for storing a certain amount of product to be extracted, an extractor (20) for pushing said product towards the front end (24) of said extractor (20), a trimmer (21) located in the area of the extractor front end (24) above said extractor (20) and rotating in a direction adapted for sending a portion of said product back into said hopper (12). The plant is characterised in that the trimmer (21) includes pushing means for sending a portion of said product back into the hopper (12). The present invention also relates to an extraction method and to a metering method for an extraction plant according to the present invention.