Waste Compactor Evaporating Liquid Waste to Reduce Disposal Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current waste compactor systems are not cost-effective and energy-efficient in reducing waste disposal costs, as they either fail to fully dispose of extracted liquid waste or rely on energy-intensive heating methods, and are not suitable for treating industrial and municipal solid waste containing plastics.
Innovation Solution
A waste compactor system with a compaction chamber and liquid collection system that separates liquids into components based on vapor pressure, using a filter unit and evaporation system to efficiently evaporate liquids with vapor pressure greater than water, while storing those with lower vapor pressure for separate disposal, and includes a control system for high-pressure compaction and on-site liquid disposal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If liquid waste is extracted during compaction and disposed off-site, then disposal weight is reduced, but additional footprint for liquid waste storage and off-site disposal costs are incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies phase transition by evaporating extracted liquid waste back into vapor form, eliminating the need for liquid storage. The evaporation system converts liquid waste to vapor, which is then discharged, thereby reducing both disposal weight and storage footprint simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful liquid waste into beneficial vapor through evaporation. By transforming the state of waste from liquid to vapor, the system eliminates storage requirements and reduces disposal costs, turning a problematic byproduct into a manageable emissions stream.
2Loss of energy
If electrically powered heating elements are used for evaporation, then liquid waste is disposed on-site, but significant amount of energy is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs the self-service principle by utilizing the waste material itself as the heat source. The combustible liquid waste is burned to generate heat, which then evaporates the remaining liquid waste. This self-sustaining process eliminates the need for external energy input while maintaining on-site disposal capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses combustion (accelerated oxidation) of the liquid waste to generate the thermal energy needed for evaporation. By introducing oxygen and igniting the combustible liquid waste, the system creates a self-sustaining heat source that requires no external energy input.
3Device complexity
If evaporation is performed within the compaction chamber, then system complexity is reduced, but the chamber is not suitable for treating industrial and municipal solid waste containing plastics or other waste with comparable melting point
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the compaction and evaporation functions into separate chambers. The compaction chamber handles solid waste compression, while the evaporator chamber handles liquid waste evaporation. This spatial separation allows each chamber to be optimized for its specific function and enables treatment of diverse waste types including plastics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the evaporation function from the compaction chamber and places it in a separate evaporator chamber. This extraction allows the compaction chamber to be used for various waste types without contamination from evaporation processes, while the dedicated evaporator chamber can be optimized for liquid waste treatment.
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 system significantly reduces waste volume and weight, minimizing hauling and disposal costs by efficiently compacting waste and evaporating a substantial portion of the liquid waste on-site, thereby reducing the need for off-site disposal and energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a first liquid component having a vapor pressure greater than or equal to the vapor pressure of water and a second liquid component having a vapor pressure less than the vapor pressure of water
Implementation Method 2
an evaporation system configured to evaporate the first liquid component
Data Source
AI summary
A waste compactor configured to compact waste into a plurality of compacted waste units for disposal in a waste container. There is a compaction chamber and a ram assembly disposed within the compaction chamber. There is an actuator interconnected to the ram assembly to apply a force to move the ram assembly from a retracted position toward an extended position to achieve a pressure on a compaction surface of the ram assembly as it compacts the waste. There is a plurality of apertures on at least one internal surface proximate of the compaction chamber through which liquid removed from the waste during the compaction mode exits the compaction chamber. There is also a liquid collection system, in communication with the plurality of apertures, to collect the liquid from the plurality of apertures. The liquid collection system includes an evaporation system configured to evaporate a portion of the liquid.