Lead Battery Recycling Dense Fluid Separator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current lead battery recycling facilities face challenges due to the need for dense fluids in hydrodynamic separators, which are costly, complex, and inflexible, leading to inefficient separation of materials with varying densities and increased facility size and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A treatment system using a variable-density dense fluid obtained by mixing lead derivatives with water, allowing for adjustable separation through pump-controlled water flow rates, integrated with a washing device and rotating screen for efficient separation and filtration of polymeric and metallic portions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If pre-established dense fluids are used in hydrodynamic separators, then separation of materials with different densities is achieved, but facility size, complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the pastel itself (lead and/or its derivatives from battery grinding) as the dense fluid medium for separation, eliminating the need for external pre-established dense fluids. The pastel is ground to fine particles and used directly as the separating medium in the hydrodynamic separator, making the system self-sufficient and reducing facility complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The density of the separating medium is made variable by controlling the water-to-pastel ratio. By adjusting the amount of water added to the pastel, the system can optimize the density of the dense fluid for different separation requirements, providing flexibility without requiring multiple fixed-density fluids or complex facility modifications.
2Manufacturing precision
If pre-established dense fluids are used in hydrodynamic separators, then separation is performed, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts waste pastel from battery grinding into a valuable resource by using it as the dense fluid medium. This eliminates the need to purchase and maintain expensive pre-established dense fluids, turning a waste product into a functional component that reduces operational costs.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the pastel as waste material requiring additional processing steps, the system recovers and utilizes it as the separating medium. This approach eliminates the need for separate waste handling and dense fluid procurement, reducing both capital and operational expenditures.
3Manufacturing precision
If fixed density dense fluid is used, then separation of certain materials is achieved, but adaptability to materials with varying densities is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves variable density control by adjusting the water-to-pastel ratio in real-time. This allows the operator to optimize the separating medium's density for different material combinations being processed, enabling the same separator to handle diverse material streams with varying density differences without requiring facility reconfiguration.
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
Enables efficient separation of materials with varying densities without the need for pre-established dense fluids, reducing facility complexity and cost, while being compact and transportable, suitable for both large and small-scale operations with reduced maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a pump (25) such to vary the quantity of water which is mixed with the ground batteries
Implementation Method 2
at least one flotation separator (50) in turn comprising a dense fluid for the separation of a plurality of portions with different densities
Implementation Method 3
The dense fluid involves the flotation of the portions or in any case the materials having a density less than that of the dense fluid itself
Implementation Method 4
at least one washing device (16) for at least one solid portion
Implementation Method 5
Said at least one flotation separator (50) comprises a cylindrical rotating screen (15) for filtering the pastel washed by the washing device (16)
Implementation Method 6
a densifier (23) wherein the pastel and washing water are collected coming from said at least one flotation separator (50)
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
System (10) of treatment of devices containing lead such as, in particular, the lead accumulator, the system (10) comprises at least one flotation separator (50) in turn comprising a dense fluid for the separation of a plurality of portions having different densities. The dense fluid comprises a mixture of lead and/or its derivatives dispersed in water. Treatment method of a plurality of devices containing lead such as, in particular, the lead accumulator, the method comprising a step of a) grinding said plurality of whole devices containing lead, obtaining a ground substance. The step a) comprises a step of b) adding water during the grinding, determining a dense fluid containing a plurality of solid portions.