EP0413129B1 - Removal method and apparatus for fluids containing production residues - Google Patents

Abstract

In a method and an apparatus for the disposal of fluids containing production residues from industry, the fluid to be disposed of is transported from the particular place of occurrence (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D) to a collecting tank (7) via pipelines. The fluid to be disposed of is pumped up from the particular place of occurrence (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D) to a high-level intake reservoir (4), from where it is transferred continuously or discontinuously to the lower-level connecting tank (7) via a closed pipeline system (5, 6). <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for the disposal of liquid media with production residues from industry, the medium to be disposed of being transported from the respective point of origin via pipelines to a lower-lying collecting tank.

Production media are produced in various ways in industry and must be disposed of accordingly. This applies, for example, to coolants and abrasives, drilling and grinding oils, which arise, for example, when processing materials on machine tools. After they have been used, these media must be disposed of, and there are often also production residues in the medium which are also to be removed.

For this purpose, so-called open drainage channels or closed waste disposal lines in the ground are known from practice, which must be laid with a corresponding slope, and which open into a lower-lying collecting tank, which for this reason must usually be located in the basement.

The disadvantage here, however, is that a relatively large amount of space is required for such a disposal device, and installation work in the floor is often also necessary. For reasons of space, only a flat gradient is usually possible, which results in a correspondingly low flow rate. This leads to dirt deposits due to sedimentation, which is why additional measures such as Rinsing nozzles or the like are necessary to clean the waste disposal channels.

When using open channels there is a risk of overflow and when using closed channels Pipelines can only be filled to approx. 50%, since there must always be an appropriate air space. Another disadvantage is that problems with the existing floor ducts can arise during in-house conversions in the building. Such floor ducts also represent a narrowing of the production area.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of providing a method and a device for disposing of liquid media which, with a simple structure and a small space requirement, enable good and problem-free disposal.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the medium to be disposed of is pumped from the respective place of accumulation via an overhead line to an elevated inlet tank above the level of the inlet tank, from where it is continuously or discontinuously via a closed piping system to the approximately the same level as Inlet tank or underlying storage tank is forwarded.

In the method according to the invention, expensive floor ducts can thus be dispensed with. That on the or the high inlet tank The following pipeline system enables a very high flow rate due to the high position of the high inlet tanks, since the geodetic gradient can be exploited. This means that, apart from a vertical downpipe, the rest of the pipeline system can be formed horizontally from the high inlet tank. Due to the high flow velocity, small pipe dimensions are also possible, which are cheaper on the one hand and on the other hand require less space.

Due to the high flow velocity, a good self-cleaning effect is also achieved as a very important advantage, because deposits can be largely prevented in this way.

The process can be chosen continuously or discontinuously depending on the amount and the medium. If less medium is obtained, it can be collected in one or more inlet containers and periodically drained off. The closed pipe system creates a high vacuum with a resulting high flow rate, which removes any deposits and the pipe system so that it can be washed away without special measures.

In a further development of the invention it can be provided that a common piping system is provided for the medium pumped up from several sources of accumulation to the respective high inlet containers.

Using the method according to the invention, several machines or devices can be disposed of centrally directly via the associated inlet container and the subsequent collecting tank. In the same way, chips and other production residues are generated centrally. If necessary, other machines on which the media to be disposed of can be generated can also be switched on or integrated into the disposal system.

In an advantageous further development of the invention, it can be provided that the medium is pumped back from the collecting tank, optionally after separation of impurities, to the places of the seizure.

In this way, a closed circuit can be carried out for the disposal system, whereby only if necessary, care must be taken to ensure that impurities such as chips, powder and the like are separated off by means of filters or other separating devices. It may also be necessary for the liquid medium to be processed or regenerated before being reintroduced into the circuit. However, this is also possible without problems within the scope of the invention.

A device according to the invention is characterized by one or more high inlet tanks located above the level of the inlet tank, which are arranged above the site or sites, and which are each connected to the site of the incident via an overhead line, and by a pipeline system connected to the high tank or tanks , which leads to the collecting tank at approximately the level of the inlet tank or below.

In an advantageous manner, the high inlet containers will be open.

In addition, it can be provided in a further development of the invention that the amount of air that flows in from the atmosphere via the high-level inlet can be regulated via control and closure devices which are arranged on or above the high-level inlet.

In this way, the emptying rate and the discharge behavior can be influenced. The closed piping system then connects to the high inlet tanks. When the pipeline system is completely full and when it is emptied into the lower-lying collecting tank, air can be sucked in via the inlet tank or tanks, and a high flow rate arises due to the large geodetic difference.

In order to enable discontinuous operation and also a correspondingly simple cleaning or flushing of the pipeline system, a manually or automatically operated gate valve will generally be provided in front of the collecting tank, and in its vicinity. If the gate valve is closed, the pipeline system and the high inlet tanks fill up accordingly, and - after opening the gate valve - rapid emptying occurs with a correspondingly high flow rate.

For safety reasons and for optimal control, the high inlet tanks will generally also be provided with a level indicator.

In order to achieve a closed or largely closed flow circuit, a supply line to the individual customers or sources of the liquid medium is provided as the return pump line from the collecting tank with a downstream cleaning stage.

In an advantageous manner, several sources of seizure will be supplied from a common supply line, branches branching off with supply valves branching off from the supply line.

In this way, you can switch on the individual branches with their accumulation locations for the medium to be disposed of as required, while the others are switched off.

It is advantageous if it is provided that the supply line ends at the end of the last high inlet tank.

In this way, it can be ensured that a sufficiently large amount of liquid medium is always available, including weekend circulation, which is accordingly circulated, because of From the last high inlet tank, unnecessary medium is returned to the collection tank via the piping system.

It is advantageous if the overhead lines from the source to the respective high inlet tank are provided with check valves, as a result of which faults and backflows to the source are avoided.

Crushing-separation-conveying and pumping devices can be installed in the feed tanks and collecting tanks, which process the production residues to a size that can be transported in the system.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in principle with reference to the drawing.

The disposal system for the liquid media, in which production residues can also be in liquid or solid form, works on the principle of the closed flow. In an industrial hall there are, for example, several machine tools, each of which has an inlet tank 1 in its machine bed (not shown). In the illustrated embodiment there are four Inlet tank 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D provided. Of course, the number is arbitrary. Each inlet tank 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D is provided with a pump 2, from which liquid medium can be pumped up to a high inlet tank 4 via an overhead line 3. For example, open channel wheel pumps can be used as pumps 2, which can also require chips and other coarse contaminants. In the feed tank 1 can optionally be installed before the pumps 2 after crushing and / or separating devices for larger parts that would interfere with the transport.

Corresponding to the number of inlet containers as the source of the medium to be disposed of, a corresponding number of high inlet containers 4, ie four in the present case, is also provided. Of course, however, it is not absolutely necessary that a separate high inlet tank 4 is available for each location. Possibly. Depending on the amount to be expected, several sites can also have a single high inlet tank 4. Each inlet high container 4 can be designed as an open or partially open container or it is connected to the atmosphere and is therefore depressurized. Generally one becomes the enema high container 4 at a height of approx. 2 m above the inlet containers on a wall of a column of the housing or the like. arrange. From each high inlet tank, an outlet line 5 leads from the bottom vertically or diagonally downwards to a collecting line 6, which is common for all inlet tanks 4 and the associated outlet lines 5 downwards. The collecting line 6 opens into a collecting tank 7, which is at least approximately at the level of the inlet tank 1 or below. The individual outlet lines 5 of the inlet container 4 and the manifold 6 together form a closed pipeline system. At the end of the collecting line 6 in front of the collecting tank, a functional gate valve 8 is installed in the collecting line 6.

Due to the high position of the high inlet containers 4, the collecting line 6 can be horizontal, e.g. run on a non-disturbing part of the building or on a wall.

A level control device 9 is used to control the height of the medium located in a high inlet tank 4 and to control the functional gate valve 8, and a corresponding one can be used to control the flow in the collecting line 6 Sensor 10 are used.

In the collecting tank 7 or after the cleaning and disposal stage there is a pump 11, from which a return pump line as the central supply line 12 is returned to the individual consumers. From the central supply line 12, which is led back at its end via a connecting line 13 into a high inlet tank 4, preferably the last high inlet tank, branches 14 branch off to the inlet tanks 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D. The branches 14 for the supply are each provided with connecting valves 15, so that a machine tool receives the desired liquid medium only when this is necessary.

Each inlet tank 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D is provided with a level device 16 with an associated control and monitoring device, so that, if necessary, the supply of liquid medium is either interrupted in time or the pump 2 is actuated accordingly in order to avoid overflow. To check the pressure, each overhead line 3 can be provided with a pressure gauge 17. Likewise, each overhead line 3 is also provided with a shut-off valve and check valve device 18.

A control panel 19 is provided for manual or automatic control, to which corresponding control lines lead or go out. This applies e.g. for a control line 20, from the level control devices 9 to the high inlet tank 4 (in the drawing only one level control device is shown for the sake of simplicity), a control line 21 for actuating the function gate valve 8 and a control line 22 to the sensor 10.

Instead of an embodiment, the high inlet containers 4 being completely open, it can also be provided in a very advantageous embodiment that they are each covered with a cover 23. Each lid 23 is provided with a control and closure device 24 through which the high inlet containers 4 are connected to the atmosphere. The control and closure devices 24 can be used to regulate air quantities that flow in through the high inlet containers 4. The control for this can also take place via the control panel 19.

With this configuration, the outflow speed and the outflow behavior can be influenced via the outlet lines 5 and the collecting line 6 will.

As a further advantage, it is possible to evenly fill all of the high inlet tanks. All that is required for this is that the connection to the atmosphere is shut off via the control and closure devices 24 during the filling phase. This configuration also ensures that the inlet high containers 4 are evenly filled via the respective output lines 5, which are connected to one another by the manifold 6, when the function / gate valve 8 is also still closed at the same time. The system is thus optimally used with regard to its filling options.

At the same time, air collected in the high inlet tanks 4 and / or in the lines can of course be removed from the system at any point in this way.

For better transport to the pumps, the container 1 and also the collecting container 7 can be designed in a funnel shape.

The method according to the invention and the one described Device now work in the following way:
The dimensions of the inlet tank 1, the high inlet tank 4 and the entire piping system are designed in accordance with the amount of waste to be disposed so that a timed full filling can be achieved. This means that, in addition to continuous operation of the system, the pumps 2 in each case, in whose inlet tank 1 there is a corresponding amount of medium to be disposed of, and the pump 11 in order to promote the circulation, also work in a discontinuous mode. This operation is particularly useful when there is occasionally only a small amount of medium to be disposed of and / or when there is a risk of sedimentation and thus deposits in the pipelines. In such a case, the functional gate valve 8 is closed, and the working pumps 2 deliver via the high inlet tank 4 and its outlet lines 5 into the collecting line 6. The collecting line 6 and subsequently the vertical outlet lines 5 are full and then the high inlet tank 4. Is a desired predetermined height in the inlet high containers 4 is reached, which can be determined by the level devices 9, or also by manual actuation, the functional gate valve 8 opened, whereby a sudden emptying of the high inlet tank 4, the associated outlet lines 5 and the manifold 6 takes place. Due to the level difference with the resulting geodetic drop height, a high vacuum is achieved, which ensures self-cleaning batch disposal. If there is a correspondingly high volume of medium to be disposed of, the system can of course also be operated in continuous operation, with good permanent disposal also being ensured in accordance with the large amount.

The sedimentation speed of the production residues can be taken into account accordingly by a correspondingly timed interval switching via the control panel 19.

Depending on the amount of waste to be disposed of and the residues such as chips, grinding dust, etc., the medium will also be processed and / or cleaned or separated from the contaminants. This can be done in known facilities that are attached to the collecting tank 7. Such a separation, reprocessing or cleaning can of course also be carried out in separate Facilities.

With the method according to the invention of the closed flow in the outlet lines 5 and the collecting line 6, a good hydraulic transport performance is achieved due to the high liquid velocity, taking advantage of a geodetic height. Pending and deposited production residues are transported well, without the risk of deposits.

Claims (13)

1. Removal method for fluids containing production residues from industry, in which the medium to be removed is transported via pipelines (3, 5, 6) from the respective gathering point to a lower-lying collecting tank (7), characterised in that the medium to be removed is pumped via a high-level line (3) from the respective gathering point to a high-level inlet tank (4) situated above the level of the feed tank (1), from where it is advanced continuously or discontinuously via a closed piping system (5, 6) to the collecting tank (7) situated approximately at the level of or below the feed tank (1).
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that one common piping system (5, 6) is provided for the medium pumped from a plurality of gathering points (1) up to respective associated high-level inlet tanks (4).
3. Method according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the medium is pumped from the collecting tank (7) back to the gathering points (1), optionally after the removal of impurities.
4. Apparatus for carrying out the method according to one of claims 1 to 3, comprising pipelines (3, 5, 6) for transporting the medium to be removed from the respective gathering point to a lower-lying collecting tank (7), characterised by one or more high-level inlet tanks (4) situated above the level of the feed tank (1), which are arranged above the gathering point or points (1) and are connected via a high-level line (3) to the respective gathering point (1), and by a piping system (5, 6) connected to the high-level inlet tank or tanks (4) which leads to the collecting tank (7) situated approximately at the level of or below the feed tank (1).
5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that the inlet tank or tanks (4) is/are at least partially open or in communication with the atmosphere in a controllable manner.
6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 5, characterised in that a manually or automatically operated functional gate valve (8) is arranged in the piping system (6) in front of the collecting tank (7).
7. Apparatus according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterised in that the high-level inlet tank or tanks (4) is/are provided with levelling devices (9).
8. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that a recirculation line leads from the collecting tank (7) to the gathering point or points (1) as a supply line (12).
9. Apparatus according to claim 8, characterised in that a plurality of gathering points (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D) are connected to one common supply line (12), from which branches (14) provided with respective emergency valves (15) lead to the individual gathering points.
10. Apparatus according to claim 9, characterised in that the supply line (12) leads at its end into the last high-level inlet tank (4).
11. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that the high-level line (3) is provided with a stop and check valve device (18).
12. Apparatus according to one of claims 4 to 11, characterised in that a feed tank (1) with pumps (2) is arranged at each gathering point or at the machine lines, wherein the medium can be delivered to the associated high-level line (3) via the pump (2).
13. Apparatus according to one of claims 4 to 12, characterised in that the high-level inlet tanks (4) are covered by lids (23) and are in communication with the atmosphere via control and closure devices (24) for controlling air suction and for the checking thereof.

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