Magnetically Driven Pump for Waste Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing waste treatment plants face issues with high energy costs, equipment efficiency, and maintenance due to mechanical agitators and pumps, which lead to increased operating costs and inefficiencies in maintaining optimal reaction temperatures for waste decomposition.
Innovation Solution
A waste treatment apparatus utilizing a magnetically-driven centrifugal pump and a tube nest heat exchanger heated by excess cogeneration heat, eliminating the need for mechanical seals and reducing energy consumption, while maintaining effective temperature control for catalytic conversion of waste into combustible fluids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If mechanical agitators or pump-turbines are used to heat the mixture by converting kinetic energy to heat through friction, then the required reaction temperature is achieved, but electric power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical agitators or pump-turbines that convert electrical energy to kinetic energy and then to heat through friction with a direct combustion system. The combustion of injected fuel (natural gas, propane, or hydrogen) directly heats the reaction mixture, eliminating the need for mechanical energy conversion and significantly reducing electric power consumption from approximately 180 kW to much lower levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the heating method from mechanical friction heating to chemical combustion heating. By injecting combustible fuel into the reaction mixture and igniting it, the system directly introduces thermal energy through exothermic chemical reactions, fundamentally changing how temperature is achieved and maintaining optimal reaction temperature more efficiently.
2Temperature
If combustion gases from solid residue are used to heat the reaction mixture through an external exchanger, then the required temperature is provided, but deposits and scale form on tube nests rapidly, reducing efficiency and increasing operating costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heating function from the external tube nest exchanger and moves it directly into the reaction chamber. By injecting and combusting fuel directly in the reaction mixture, the system eliminates the intermediate heat exchange step that causes deposits and scale formation on tube nests, thereby maintaining exchanger efficiency and reducing operating costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces combustible fuel (natural gas, propane, or hydrogen) as an intermediary heating medium instead of using combustion gases from solid residue. This intermediary fuel burns directly in the reaction mixture, providing heat without requiring external exchangers that are subject to deposit formation, thus eliminating the reliability issue associated with tube nest fouling.
3Reliability
If mechanical seals in centrifugal pumps are used to prevent leaks, then pumping reliability is maintained, but the complex mixture at high temperatures causes frequent interventions and high maintenance costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical seals in centrifugal pumps with magnetically-driven centrifugal pumps that use magnetic coupling to transmit power across the pump shaft without physical contact. This eliminates mechanical seals that are prone to failure with complex high-temperature mixtures, significantly reducing maintenance requirements and intervention frequency while maintaining pumping reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a magnetic field as an intermediary to transmit rotational power from the motor to the pump impeller without mechanical contact. The magnetic coupling allows power transmission through the pump housing wall, eliminating the need for mechanical seals that separate the pump interior from the exterior, thereby preventing leaks without requiring maintenance-prone sealing components.
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 apparatus achieves significant reductions in electric power consumption and operational costs, ensuring reliable and efficient waste decomposition with a stable energy balance, making the process more economically viable.
Implementation Method 1
the pump (5) comprises a magnetically-driven centrifugal pump
Implementation Method 2
a tube nest heat exchanger (7) which is crossed through by diathermic oil
Implementation Method 3
the tube nest heat exchanger (7) is connected to a device for heating the diathermic oil
Implementation Method 4
catalytic conversion of waste into combustible fluids
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
An apparatus and a process (1) for treating waste by catalytic conversion in combustible fluids, provided with a reaction assembly (2) which comprises a reactor (3) which is connected, by means of an inlet (3a) and a drawing outlet (3b), to a recirculation circuit (4) along which there is a feeder pump (5), the reaction assembly (2) being associated with a device for feeding a transfer fluid (2a) and a catalyst (2b) and with a device (2c) for loading waste to be treated in order to obtain a reaction mixture.