Segmented Screw Press Screen Basket for Dewatering Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing screw presses for dewatering fermentation residue suspensions require complex and time-consuming maintenance due to the difficulty in accessing and replacing worn-out screen inserts, leading to high operational costs and frequent downtimes.
Innovation Solution
A screw press design with a multi-part screen casing holding device that allows for easy access and replacement of screen inserts without disassembling the worm shaft, featuring swiveling screen basket half-shells and a concentric attachment to the screen casing, reducing the forces on the worm gear and screen basket inserts, resulting in reduced wear and simplified maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If screen baskets are completely removed and reinstalled for maintenance, then worn screen inserts can be replaced, but the maintenance process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The screen basket is divided into two separable half-shells that can be opened independently. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access and replace screen inserts without removing the entire screen basket from the press chamber, significantly simplifying the maintenance process while maintaining the integrity of the complete screen basket assembly during operation
Solution Approach 2:
The screen insert is nested within the screen basket half-shell, allowing the insert to be independently accessed and replaced. The insert can be removed from one half-shell while the other half-shell remains attached to the press chamber, enabling maintenance without complete disassembly of the screen basket assembly
2Ease of repair
If screw shaft is removed to access sieve baskets, then all sieve baskets can be maintained, but maintenance time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The screen basket is segmented into two half-shells that can be independently opened using hinge connections. This allows maintenance personnel to access specific sieve baskets by opening only the relevant half-shell, eliminating the need to remove the screw shaft while still providing full access to all sieve baskets for maintenance when needed
3Reliability
If screen baskets are securely attached to prevent movement, then operational stability is improved, but maintenance access becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The screen basket half-shells are connected via hinge joints that provide dynamic functionality: during operation, the half-shells are securely closed to maintain structural integrity and filtration performance, while during maintenance, the hinges allow the half-shells to be opened for easy access to screen inserts, combining operational reliability with maintenance accessibility
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
This design enables quick and flexible maintenance, reducing maintenance time and costs, extending the service life of components, and ensuring even wear across parts, thus minimizing downtime and eliminating the need for wear shells.
Implementation Method 1
Friction of the digestate suspension against the screen jacket and the screw shaft restricts the outflow, creating a back pressure that forces the filtrate or press water through the openings in the screen jacket
Implementation Method 2
the principle of cross-flow filtration is utilized within the screw press. A screw shaft rotating within the pressure-resistant, liquid-permeable screen jacket carries the digestate suspension along the axis of the screw shaft. The pressure built up within the screen jacket forces a liquid or pasty filtrate through the perforations of the screen jacket
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a screw press (2) that can be used as a dewatering device for compressing and dewatering a suspension of a fermentation plant or biogas plant. The screw press (2) comprises a press chamber (20), in which a screw shaft (202) is supported in such a way that the screw shaft is surrounded by a screen jacket (203) and can be rotated about a screw shaft axis (L), wherein the screen jacket (203) is fastened to a screen-jacket retaining device (204) within the press chamber (20) and the screen jacket (203) is formed by a plurality of multi-part screen cages (2030) having screen-cage inserts (2033). The multi-part screen cages (2030) are formed by two screen-cage half-shells (2031) and (2032), between which at least one pivoting hinge (2043) is arranged, which is arranged on a bar (2040), which extends through the press chamber (20) and is arranged parallel to the pivot axis (L), as part of the screen-jacket retaining device (204) and is firmly connected to both screen-cage half shells (2031, 2032). The screen-cage half-shells (2031) and (2032) are supported in such a way that the screen-cage half-shells can be pivoted in relation to each other, such that unhindered access to the screen-cage inserts (2033) is enabled in the swung-open state. In addition, a cage tab (S) is arranged on each of the screen-cage half-shells (2031, 2032) on the side facing away from the pivoting hinge (2043), which cage tab is detachably fastened to the screen-jacket retaining device (204) by means of cage closing means (2044) in the closed state of the screen-cage half-shells (2031, 2032).