Mobile Spherical Reactor for Subcritical-Water Waste Treatment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing waste treatment systems lack mobility, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, particularly in implementing subcritical water treatment for various types of waste, and there is a need for a system that facilitates pilot testing, reduces installation and removal time, and covers a wide range of waste types.
Innovation Solution
A mobile module-type waste treatment apparatus using subcritical water, configured inside a spherical container, with a shaft supporting device for high-temperature and high-pressure operation, and a mixer system for efficient waste mixing and discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional fixed waste treatment system is used, then treatment reliability is maintained, but mobility and installation flexibility are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The waste treatment system is divided into modular components (reactor, feed system, control unit) that can be independently assembled and disassembled within a container, enabling mobility while maintaining functional integrity and treatment reliability through standardized connections and interfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile waste treatment apparatus is designed with universal mounting structures and standardized interfaces that allow the same system to be deployed in various locations and configurations, providing both mobility and consistent reliable performance across different deployment scenarios
2Productivity
If a large fixed treatment plant is built, then comprehensive waste treatment capability is achieved, but installation time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment plant is segmented into functional modules (pre-treatment, main reactor, separation, drying) that can be pre-assembled and tested independently, then quickly integrated within the container, reducing on-site installation time while maintaining comprehensive waste treatment capability
Solution Approach 2:
Critical assembly and testing of treatment modules are performed before container integration, allowing the system to be pre-commissioned and reducing the time required for final installation and startup at the deployment location
3Productivity
If a rotary shaft is used for mixing waste, then mixing efficiency is improved, but maintaining airtightness at high temperature and pressure becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A sealing mechanism acts as an intermediary between the rotating shaft and the pressurized reactor environment, using mechanical seals or magnetic coupling to transmit rotational motion while maintaining the pressure boundary and preventing leakage of subcritical water and hydrolyzed products
Solution Approach 2:
The patent explores replacing direct mechanical shaft penetration with alternative transmission methods such as magnetic coupling or flexible membranes that can transmit mixing motion through the pressure boundary without compromising airtightness at high temperature and pressure
4Use of energy by moving object
If a spherical treatment tank is used, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but manufacturing and installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment reactor is designed with a spherical or cylindrical geometry to maximize surface area to volume ratio, enhancing heat transfer efficiency during subcritical water hydrolysis while using standardized pressure vessel manufacturing techniques to manage production complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical tank is segmented into standard pressure vessel sections that can be manufactured using conventional welding and forming processes, then assembled within the container, balancing the geometric benefits of spherical shape with practical manufacturing considerations
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
Facilitates mobility, reduces installation and removal costs, effectively treats a wide range of waste types, including agricultural, construction, and medical waste, while minimizing space and energy consumption, and enables efficient recycling of products.
Implementation Method 1
Water is a liquid at room temperature and below atmospheric pressure, and boils and becomes a gas at 100° C. and below atmospheric pressure (1 atmosphere). However, water becomes a supercritical water that is neither the liquid nor the gas when exceeding a critical point, i.e., at a pressure above 220 MPa (about 220 bar) and a temperature above 374° C. Further, water just before this critical point is called the subcritical water.
Implementation Method 2
a steam supplying unit capable of supplying steam having high temperature and high pressure to the tank body
Implementation Method 3
a mixer coupled to the rotary shaft and configured to mix waste received in the tank body
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a waste treatment apparatus using subcritical water, in which a treatment tank includes a tank body forming an internal space to receive raw materials to be treated, such as waste, and including a waste inlet for inputting the waste and a product outlet for discharging products, and treats the waste with steam having high temperature and high pressure supplied from a steam supplying unit capable of supplying the steam to the tank body, wherein the tank body is shaped like a sphere. Thus, there is provided a waste treatment apparatus using subcritical water, in which the spherical treatment tank is provided to effectively input, discharge, etc. waste to be treated or products, and more effectively and reliably treat the waste, and a sphere shape increases heat transfer efficiency and provides stable mixing in the process of disposing of waste.