Vibrating Sieve for Excavated Soil Fractionation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Excavated soil from landfills and construction sites, rich in mineral and organic components, is currently considered waste and not suitable for reuse due to its composition, particularly the presence of stones, making it unsuitable for direct use in gardening, landscaping, or agriculture without proper mechanical preparation.
Innovation Solution
A method involving sieving the excavated soil to produce a fine-crumb growing substrate with grain distribution of 0 to 2 mm, using a vibrating sieve surface with decreasing mesh sizes to separate the material into fractions, creating a crumbly substrate that mimics topsoil properties, which can be used as an additive for potting or planting soil.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If excavated soil is used directly for gardening or agriculture, then it is considered waste and unsuitable for reuse, but it contains valuable mineral and organic components that can be reused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes stones and large particles from the excavated soil through sieving processes, separating the harmful fraction from the useful mineral and organic components, thereby making the soil suitable for reuse in gardening and agriculture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the excavated soil into different particle size fractions through multi-stage sieving, separating the useful fine-crumb fraction (0-2mm) from the harmful larger particle fraction, allowing selective reuse of the suitable portion
2Adaptability or versatility
If excavated soil is mechanically processed to remove stones, then it becomes suitable for agriculture, but the processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the mechanical processing into discrete sequential stages: initial sieving to remove large stones, followed by fine sieving to produce the 0-2mm fraction, allowing complex processing to be broken down into manageable steps
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers and reuses the fine-crumb fraction (0-2mm) that passes through the screens as the valuable agricultural substrate, while discarding only the harmful larger particle fraction, maximizing the recovery of useful materials
3Reliability
If topsoil is used for gardening and agriculture, then it provides vital nutrients and structure, but it is a finite resource threatened by erosion and overexploitation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers and reuses excavated soil that would otherwise be discarded as waste, transforming it into a valuable agricultural substrate through processing, thereby recovering a finite resource and reducing dependence on natural topsoil
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts excavated soil from a harmful waste product into a beneficial agricultural substrate by removing stones and processing it into fine-crumb material, transforming a negative resource into a positive one
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 fine-crumb substrate enhances cultivable properties, improves soil fertility, reduces water requirements, and aids in air exchange, making it suitable for use in agriculture and gardening, while also extending the lifespan of landfills by utilizing previously discarded materials.
Implementation Method 1
a screen surface which is directed downwards at least in sections in a working direction and which oscillates during operation
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for obtaining a fine-crumbly growing substrate (3) for the production of potting soil or for application on or incorporation into a growing soil in horticulture and landscaping or in agriculture, wherein the obtaining is carried out from an input material (2) in the form of excavated soil from a landfill or construction pit and the input material has mineral and organic components.The input material (2) or at least a fraction (14) thereof is fed to a sieving machine (9) which separates it into a first grain fraction (12) and a second grain fraction (3) forming the fine-crumbly culture substrate (3) with a grain size essentially less than or equal to 2 mm, by transporting the input material (2) or the fraction (14) over a vibrating sieve surface (19) directed downwards at least section by section in a working direction (18), which comprises at least a first sieve area (19a) with a first perforation or mesh size, and a second sieve area (19b) located behind it in the working direction (18) with a second perforation or mesh size, the holes (17b) or meshes of which have a smaller dimension in at least one direction than the holes (17a) or meshes of the first perforation.The resulting culture substrate (3) is then used as an additive for the production of potting soil or for application or incorporation into the cultivated soil.