Pre-Shredding Unit for Kitchen Waste Homogenization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing kitchen waste shredding devices face issues with agglomeration and blockages due to uncrushed, sticky, and fibrous materials, requiring excessive process water to prevent these issues, which increases disposal costs and reduces the efficiency of biomass processing.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that incorporates a pre-shredding unit within the funnel to pre-shred kitchen waste before pumping, releasing internal water and creating a homogeneous, watery mass that reduces the need for external water and enhances the shredding process, preventing agglomeration by ensuring uniform flow and efficient pumping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If kitchen waste and food leftovers are directly shredded and pumped without pre-shredding, then the device structure is simpler, but agglomeration and blockages occur due to uncrushed, sticky, and fibrous materials
Solution Approach 1:
The shredding process is divided into two distinct stages: pre-shredding in the funnel using a pre-shredding unit, and final shredding in the grinder. This segmentation allows different types of cutting actions to be applied at different stages, effectively handling various material types and preventing agglomeration without requiring excessive process water
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-shredding unit performs preliminary cutting and size reduction of kitchen waste and food leftovers before they enter the grinder. This preliminary action breaks down fibrous and sticky materials into smaller pieces, preventing them from forming agglomerations during subsequent pumping and processing
2Reliability
If process water is supplied to prevent agglomerations, then agglomeration is reduced, but disposal costs increase and processing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The pre-shredding unit enables the kitchen waste and food leftovers to serve themselves by releasing their internal water content through mechanical breakdown. This self-service mechanism creates a watery mass without requiring external process water, maintaining reliability while improving productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-shredding process changes the physical parameters of the kitchen waste and food leftovers by breaking down cell structures and releasing internal water. This parameter change transforms the material into a pumpable consistency without adding external water, thereby preventing agglomeration while maintaining processing efficiency
3Productivity
If a pre-shredding unit is added to pre-shred materials before pumping, then shredding efficiency improves and water requirement decreases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pre-shredding unit is integrated into the existing grinder device, allowing a single device to perform multiple functions: pre-shredding in the funnel, final shredding in the grinder, and pumping. This multi-functionality improves shredding efficiency without requiring completely separate equipment systems
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-shredding unit is positioned within the funnel structure, nesting the pre-shredding function inside the existing device architecture. This nested arrangement adds functionality while minimizing space requirements and structural complexity
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 pre-shredding step improves the shredding efficiency, reduces the need for external water, lowers disposal costs, and prevents agglomeration, resulting in a more effective and cost-efficient processing of kitchen waste into a pumpable, homogeneous biomass for energy generation.
Implementation Method 1
kitchen waste and/or leftover food located in the funnel are pre-shredded by means of a pre-shredding unit projecting into the funnel
Implementation Method 2
a pump (5) connected to the grinder (3) via a product line (7) for pumping out shredded kitchen waste and/or food leftovers
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The present invention relates to methods for shredding kitchen waste and/or food scraps, preferably for homogenizing kitchen waste and/or food scraps, comprising the step of feeding a hopper (2) for receiving kitchen waste and/or food scraps, which is provided at a hopper bottom (22) with a grinding mechanism (3) for shredding, preferably homogenizing, the kitchen waste and/or food scraps and is connected from the grinding mechanism (3) via a product line (7) to a pump (5) for pumping out shredded kitchen waste and/or food scraps, and the step of pumping out the shredded kitchen waste and/or food scraps by means of the pump (5).wherein, prior to the pumping step in the hopper (2), the kitchen waste and/or food scraps located in the hopper (2) are pre-shredded by means of a pre-shredding unit (4) projecting into the hopper (2), and a correspondingly designed device.