Title of Invention

PRESS FOR DEWATERING A HUMID SUBSTANCE, IN PARTICULAR RESIDUAL REFUSE

Abstract

Abstract A press for the dehumidification of humid matter, in particular of residual waste, which comprises a worm gear (4) whereby said humid matter (6) is transported from a material drawing-in device (8) to a material discharge (12) and is concurrently compressed for the dehumidification, comprising a means whereby said humid matter (6) compressed with the aid of said worm gear (4) is subjected to a drying medium, preferably pressurized air (46), or to vacuum, so that drying medium flows through said humid matter (6) or the humidity is transported off, respectively, characterized in that said means includes a central tube (14) encompassed by said worm gear (4) and designed to include outlet nozzles (28) for said drying medium (46) I wherein said central tube (14) is mounted to be non-rotary. To, The Controller of Patent, The Patent Office, Mumbai 9- MAR 2005 12

Full Text

FORM 2 THE PATENTS ACT, 19 70 (39 of 1970) COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (See Section 10, rule 13) PRESS FOR THE DEHUMIDIFICATION PARTICULAR RESIDUAL WASTE OF HUMID MATTER, IN WIDMER, CHRISTIAN of HOLZLISTR 9, 4102 BINNINGEN, SCHWEIZ, SWITZERLAND,.SWISS NATIONAL 9 MAR 2005 The following specification particularly describes the nature of the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed : - 9-3-20005 1 GRANTED Description Press for the dehumidification of humid matter, in particular residual waste The invention relates to a press for the dehumidification of humid matter, in particular of residual waste in accordance with the preamble of Claim 1. DE 199 09 328 Al describes a method for processing residual waste, wherein mechanically processed residual waste is biologically stabilized by an aerobic hydrolysis. In such an aerobic hydrolysis, water and air are supplied to the residual waste to be treated in counterflow, so that by cooperation of air and leaching fluid organic cells of the residual waste are broken up and cell water is released. The available carbon is decomposed to carbon dioxide, and the dissolved and acidified organic matter is transported off by the leaching fluid and also partly by the air. Through this aerobic hydrolysis a dumping method is actually realized in an accelerated manner. The residual waste thus biologically stabilized has a relatively low proportion of dry substance, so this hydrolysis has to be followed by dehydration. In the solution known from DE 199 09 328 Al, this dehydration is carried out by a high-pressure press, for instance an extruder press. In a like extruder press the residual waste to be dehydrated is drawn in by a worm gear, compacted, and the pressed-out water is carried off. It was found that the dry substance content of the residual waste dehydrated in this manner is still 2 relatively low, so that comparatively high expenditure for post-drying of the residual waste is necessary. In contrast, the invention is based on the objective of furnishing a press for the dehumidification of humid matter, wherein the expenditure for post-drying is reduced. In accordance with the invention, the press includes a worm gear whereby the humid matter is transported from a drawing- in section to a material discharge, and compressed. ,In addition to this mechanical compression, the humid matter is furthermore exposed to pressurized air or to vacuum, whereby further dehumidification of the humid matter takes place. This means that in accordance with the invention, a mechanical dehydration is superseded by a dehydration by convection or a dehydration by vacuum. It is preferred, however, if dehydration is achieved substantially by the application of pressurized air. It was found in preliminary trials that by this variant the dry substance content of the humid matter to be treated is increased substantially in the absence of post-drying when compared with the conventional solutions, with the possibility of achieving dry substance contents of up to 70% in the treatment of residual waste. It is one essential advantage of this means that owing to parallel application of a drying medium (drying air) or of vacuum, the expenditure in terms of device technology for manufacturing the press is 3 only increased insignificantly, for the necessary pumps, piping, etc. is installed at little expenditure. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the drying medium is supplied via a lance-type central tube encompassed by the worm gear, which has outlet nozzles for the drying medium formed at one end portion. The drying medium then flows through the humid matter approximately in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the worm gear. This central tube is non-rotary or mounted to rotate as a unit with the worm gear. Delivery of the freighted drying medium is particularly simple if, approximately in the range of the outlet nozzles at the housing of the worm gear, a strainer basket or similar means is provided which retains the residual waste to be treated and allows the passage of the freighted drying medium. Flow management of the drying medium is particularly simple if extraction of the freighted drying medium is achieved by being supported with the aid of the reduced pressure. In the case of a like reduced pressure solution, there is provided downstream of the strainer basket a condenser whereby the discharged humidity is condensed. For adjusting the mechanical pressing pressure applied through the intermediary of the worm gear, it is possible to provide at a material discharge of the press a backup pressure or counterpressure means so that 4 depending on the consistency of the humid matter to be treated - different backup pressures is set. In a variant of the invention for the treatment of residual waste, the drying medium is supplied with a pressure exceeding the pressure at the material discharge by about 1 bar, whereas a slightly reduced pressure is applied in the extraction range. Further advantageous developments of the invention are the subject matters of the further subclaims. A preferred embodiment of the invention shall be explained in more depth hereinbelow by referring to schematic drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a press in accordance with the invention for the dehumidification of residual waste, and Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the press of Fig. 1. The press 1 represented in Fig. 1 comprises a worm gear housing 2 wherein a worm gear 4 is mounted rotatably. Through the intermediary of this worm gear 4, residual waste 6 is drawn via a material drawing-in device 8 into a worm gear space 10 and transported to a material discharge 12. Through a suitable pitch of the worm gear helices, the humid residual waste 6, i.e., the residual waste charged with water, is compressed, with water being squeezed out in the process. The worm gear 4 has a lance-shaped central tube 14 at the outer circumference of which the worm gear helices 5 are attached. An end portion of the central tube 14 protrudes from the worm gear housing 2. This end portion carries a drive pinion 16 which is in operative connection with an output gear 18 of a drive motor 20. In the represented embodiment, the drive pinion 16 and the output gear 18 are interconnected through a belt or a chain 22. The end portion of the central tube 14 which protrudes from the worm gear housing 2 is connected with a pressurized air compressor 26 via a pressure line 24, so that pressurized air is injected into the central tube 14. On the left-hand end portion of the central tube 14 in the representation of Fig. 1 a multiplicity of outlet nozzles 28 are formed through which the pressurized air may exit from the central tube 14. In the embodiment represented in Fig. 1, these outlet nozzles 28 are formed along one end portion of the central tube 14 only - in principle, however, it is possible to provide these outlet nozzles over the entire length of the central tube. By the solution selected in Fig. 1 it is ensured that the pressurized air enters into the worm gear space 10 within a range in which the residual waste already is present in a compressed form. In a position approximately radially opposite the outlet nozzles 28 there is formed on the peripheral wall of the worm gear housing 2 a strainer basket 30 which is encompassed by a vacuum box 32. This vacuum box 32 comprises a suction nozzle 34 opening into a condenser 36. To the gas chamber of the condenser 36 there is connected a vacuum pump 38 whereby the vacuum box 32 and the condenser 36 is subjected to a reduced pressure 6 of 0.9 bar, for example. The condensate 40 is extracted via a valve means 42 and supplied to further processing. On the left-hand end portion of the worm gear housing 2 in the representation of Fig. 1 a backup pressure means 44 is provided whereby the diameter of an outlet nozzle of the material discharge 12 may practically be modified so that a counterp res sure counteracting an axial displacement of the residual waste is built up in the worm gear housing 2. The residual waste 6 to be dehydrated is drawn in by the rotating worm gear 4 into the worm gear space 10 and, in the representation in accordance with Fig. 1, transported to the left into the area encompassed by the vacuum box 32 and partly compressed in the process. Pressurized air is injected via the pressurized air compressor 26 into the rotating central tube 14 of the worm gear 4 at a predetermined overpressure which is, e. g., by approximately 3 bars higher than the pressure applied via the backup pressure means 44. In accordance with Fig. 2, which shows a cross-sectional view, of the press 1 in Fig. 1, the unfreighted pressurized air 46 radially exits through the outlet nozzles 28 of the strainer basket 30 from the central tube 14 and impacts on the residual waste to be dehydrated. At the annular space 48 encompassed by the vacuum box 32 a reduced pressure is applied by the vacuum pump 38, so that the pressurized air flows through the residual waste 6 due to the pressure difference (pressure of the pressurized air delivered by the compressor 26 - reduced pressure of the vacuum pump 38) in a radial direction, i.e. transversely to the axis of the worm gear 4. Owing to this comparatively high pressure difference, flow channels 50 7 form within the residual waste 6 which do, however, have a constantly changing course. As a result of this pressurized air flow and the mechanical compression of the residual waste via the worm gear 4, water 52 is drawn from the residual waste 6 and transported into the vacuum box 48 together with the pressurized air 46. The pressurized ah" 54 loaded with water then enters into condenser 36 in the direction of the arrow and is there condensed in the above described manner. The amount of pressurized air exiting via the material discharge is negligible. By the above described press 1 it is possible, in the treatment of residual waste containing organic constituents, to adjust a dry substance content of 60-70%, so that the expenditure for post-drying of the residual waste is minimum compared with conventional solutions. In the above described embodiment the worm gear helices are mounted at the outer circumference of the central tube 14. In principle, the central tube might also be mounted to be non-rotary in the worm gear, housing 2 and extend through the rotatably driven worm gear in the axial direction. The above described press 1 may, of course, also be utilized for the dehumidification of other humid matters. Under particular operating conditions it is sufficient if the press 1 is operated with pressurized air only or with vacuum only. A press for the dehumidification of humid matter, in particular of residual waste is disclosed, which comprises a worm gear whereby the residual waste is compressed mechanically. During transport with the aid of the worm gear, the humid matter is subjected to a drying medium, preferably pressurized air or a vacuum, whereby it is delivered from the press. 8 List of reference symbols 1 Press 2 worm gear housing 4 worm gear 6 residual waste 8 material drawing-in device 10 worm gear space 12 material discharge 14 central tube 16 drive pinion 18 output gear 20 drive motor 22 chain 24 pressure line 26 pressurized air compressor 28 outlet nozzles 30 strainer basket 32 vacuum box 34 suction nozzle 36 condenser 38 vacuum pump 40 condensate 42 valve means 44 backup pressure means 46 pressurized air 48 annular space 50 flow channel 52 water 54 freighted pressurized air 9 I Claim: 1. A press for the dehumidification of humid matter, in particular of residual waste, which comprises a worm gear (4) whereby said humid matter (6) is transported from a material drawing-in device (8) to a material discharge (12) and is concurrently compressed for the dehumidification, comprising a means whereby said humid matter (6) compressed with the aid of said worm gear (4) is subjected to a drying medium, preferably pressurized air (46), or to vacuum, so that diying medium flows through said humid matter (6) or the humidity is transported off, respectively, characterized in that said means includes a central tube (14) encompassed by said worm gear (4) and designed to include outlet nozzles (28) for said drying medium (46) I wherein said central tube (14) is mounted to be non¬rotary. 2. The press in accordance with Claim 1, wherein a worm gear housing (2) is designed to include in the range of said outlet nozzles (28) a strainer basket (30) through which said freighted drying medium (54 ) is transported off. 3. The press in accordance with anyone of the foregoing claims, including a vacuum pump (38) through which a reduced pressure for transporting off said freighted drying medium (54) is applied. 4. The press in accordance with Claim 2 or 3, wherein downstream of said strainer basket (30 ) a condenser (36) for condensing the humidity 10 transported off jointly with said drying medium (54) is provided, wherein said vacuum pump (38) is connected to said condenser (36), 5. The press in accordance with anyone of the foregoing claims, including a backup pressure means (44) for adjusting a backup pressure in the range of said material discharge (12). 6. The press in accordance with anyone of the foregoing claims, wherein said drying medium (46) flows through said humid matter (6) approximately in a direction transverse to the worm gear axis. 7. The press in accordance with anyone of the foregoing claims, wherein said drying medium (46) is supplied at an excess pressure which is approximately by 1 bar higher than the pressure in the range of the material discharge. 11 Dated this 27th day of February, 2004.

Documents:

00146-mumnp-2004-abstract(09-03-2005).doc

00146-mumnp-2004-abstract(09-03-2005).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-assignment(17-02-2005).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-cancelled pages(09-03-2005).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-claims(granted)-(09-03-2005).doc

00146-mumnp-2004-claims(granted)-(09-03-2005).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-correspondence(25-11-2004).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-correspondence(ipo)-(10-09-2007).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-form 1a(09-03-2005).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-form 2(granted)-(09-03-2005).doc

00146-mumnp-2004-form 2(granted)-(09-03-2005).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-form 3(09-03-2005).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-form 5(09-03-2005).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-form 5(17-02-2005).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-form 5(27-02-2004).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-form 6(17-02-2005).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-form-pct-ipea-409(27-02-2004).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-form-pct-isa-210(27-02-2004).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-petition under rule 137(11-04-2005).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-petition under rule 137(13-04-2005).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-power of attorney(17-02-2005).pdf

00146-mumnp-2004-power of attorney(25-11-2004).pdf