Waste Compactor With On-Site Liquid Evaporation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing waste compactor systems are inefficient in reducing waste volume and weight, as they either fail to dispose of all extracted liquid waste effectively, rely on energy-intensive heating methods, or are unsuitable for treating industrial and municipal solid waste containing plastics, leading to high disposal costs and environmental concerns.
Innovation Solution
A waste compactor system with a compaction chamber, a ram assembly, and a collection system that includes a filter unit and an evaporation system to efficiently separate and evaporate liquid waste on-site, reducing the weight and volume of waste while minimizing energy consumption and environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If liquid waste is extracted from waste during compaction, then the weight of waste is reduced, but the liquid waste requires additional storage space and disposal logistics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts liquid waste from the compaction chamber through drainage slots during the compaction process. This separates the liquid component from solid waste, reducing the overall weight of waste requiring disposal while enabling independent handling of liquid waste through the collection system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary collection system comprising drainage slots, a collection chamber, and a pump mechanism. This intermediary system facilitates the transfer of liquid waste from the compaction chamber to a separate collection vessel, eliminating the need for direct human intervention in liquid waste handling.
2Ease of operation
If evaporation is performed within the compaction chamber, then liquid waste is disposed of on-site, but the compaction chamber is unsuitable for waste containing plastics or materials with comparable melting points
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts liquid waste from the compaction chamber through drainage slots during compaction, removing it from the solid waste stream. This separation prevents contamination of plastics and other heat-sensitive materials, enabling the compaction chamber to process a wider variety of waste types without risk of melting or deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs liquid waste extraction as a preliminary action during the compaction process itself, before any potential evaporation or thermal processing. This preliminary removal of liquid prevents it from interfering with subsequent processing of solid waste, including materials with low melting points.
3Ease of operation
If electrically powered heating elements are used for evaporation, then liquid waste can be vaporized, but a significant amount of energy is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the compaction process itself to generate the conditions necessary for liquid waste evaporation. The mechanical energy of compaction is converted into thermal energy through friction and compression, creating a self-heating effect that evaporates liquid waste without requiring external electrical heating elements, thereby significantly reducing energy consumption.
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 achieves significant waste volume reduction, lowers disposal costs by reducing the weight of compacted waste, and efficiently disposes of liquid waste on-site, enhancing energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Implementation Method 1
an actuator interconnected to the ram assembly configured, during the compaction mode, to apply a force to the ram assembly to move the ram assembly from the retracted position toward the extended position to achieve a pressure on a compaction surface of the ram assembly as it compacts the waste against the closure assembly
Implementation Method 2
the collection system further includes an evaporation system to evaporate at least a portion of the liquid filtered by the filter unit
Data Source
AI summary
A waste compactor to compact waste for disposal in a waste container includes a compaction chamber for receiving waste to be compacted and a closure assembly configured to seal a first opening during a compaction mode. There is a ram assembly in the compaction chamber and an actuator to move the ram assembly from a retracted position toward an extended position which compacts the waste against the closure assembly. There is a plurality of apertures in an internal surface of the compaction chamber where liquid and residual solid waste exit through the apertures during the compaction mode. There is a collection system to collect liquid and residual solid waste, which includes a filter unit. The filter unit has a first end and a second end, the second end includes an opening in communication with the compaction chamber. And, there is an evaporation system to evaporate the liquid.