EP2739925B1

EP2739925B1 - Apparatus for pulverizing, dehydrating and sterilizing both liquid and solid materials

Info

Publication number: EP2739925B1
Application number: EP12759262.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gian Maria BARBOTTO
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-08-04
Filing date: 2012-08-01
Publication date: 2016-07-06
Anticipated expiration: 2032-08-01
Also published as: PT2739925T; WO2013018039A1; AR087422A1; ES2594930T3; ITRM20110423A1; EP2739925A1

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for pulverising, dehydrating and sterilising both liquid and solid materials, for example waste materials, organic materials and materials which are very hard, such as granite.
The working system of the apparatus according to the present invention generates implosive matter having unaltered chemico-physical and organoleptic characteristics and a granularity close to a hundredth of a millimetre.
The materials processed using the present apparatus are at the same time deprived of all water molecules, in addition to being completely sterilised.
The toroid formed in the cone-shaped treatment vessel accelerates the spin speed as it moves toward the base, until its path reverses towards the top in a spiralled manner.
During such a process, high temperatures varying from 200 °C to 350 °C are generated in the phase of descending compression; whilst the implosion temperatures in the individual particles reach much higher levels within nanoseconds. By contrast, in the upward phase, the temperatures in the toroid fall from 20 °C to -200 °C.
This logic allows the toroid to dehydrate, sterilise and pulverise, by means of implosion, all the materials processed using the present apparatus.

PRIOR ART AND OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

Machines and devices for crumbling, crushing or reducing materials, generally solid materials, into fragments or into powder are known.
The function of the known machines and devices is generally based on the mechanical action of crumbling or crushing exerted on the materials to be treated by means of working tools or elements of the machine or device, these tools or elements obviously being harder than the materials to be processed.
Moreover, there are machines equipped with components able to reduce specific types of materials into powder by means of friction, that is to say by rubbing the aforementioned materials against particularly rough surfaces.
Such known machines and devices all have intrinsic limits, to a greater or lesser extent, linked primarily to the relatively large dimensions of the materials produced as a result of the operation of said machines and devices.
Three different examples of known solutions are disclosed in patents GB 745804 , US 5402947 and WO 00/24518 .
In particular, document GB 745804 relates to a device for disintegrating solid materials, said device being formed substantially by a cylindrical process chamber equipped laterally with a series of tangential orifices, through which airflows are introduced into the chamber. The materials to be treated are introduced from above into the chamber, where they are entrained by the aforementioned airflows, which separate the hard material parts from those which are softer and disintegrate the latter by means of friction.
By contrast, document US 5402947 concerns an apparatus formed by a treatment chamber into which flows of air mixed with materials are introduced by means of an external blower. These flows generate a sort of vortex within the treatment chamber, the material particles swirling in said vortex and colliding with one another so as to be crumbled progressively.
However, in both patents cited above, the treated materials are crumbled substantially by means of friction.
Lastly, document WO 00/24518 describes an apparatus provided with a screw which, when rotated, generates a vortex inside a chamber communicating therewith. Once introduced into the chamber, the materials to be treated are entrained by the vortex, which dehydrates them and breaks the chemical bonds. However, the document does not specify the chemico-physical properties which allow granulation of the materials. In addition, due to a sucking and entropic effect, the screw generates a vortex of air which is non-toroidal in shape and which causes implosions and explosions in said chamber.
Further solutions are illustrated in documents WO 03/092898 , US 2004/182957 , US 3559895 and US 2007/292577 .
Document WO 03/092898 presents an apparatus for dehydrating and disintegrating material by means of explosion, said apparatus being formed in principle by a treatment vessel having an inner cavity which is substantially conical in shape and opens at the narrowest point thereof into an outlet for the discharge of the treated materials. Two inlets are defined in the widest portion of this cavity: one for introduction of the materials to be treated, arranged in an axial position, and the other for the introduction of compressed gases, located in a tangential position.
US 2004/182957 presents a machine formed by an elongate vessel, inside which a fan is mounted axially for generation of a vortex able to dehydrate and pulverise materials.
US 3559895 describes a method and an apparatus for pulverising solid materials. In particular, the apparatus comprises a cavity in which the materials are pulverised by means of frictional forces generated by a vortex of air.
By contrast, document US 2007/292577 relates to a method for pulverising cocoa shells. This pulverisation is achieved thanks to the action of a vortex generated inside a vessel by means of flows of compressed air.
The object of the present invention is to overcome the problems and drawbacks of the known machines and devices and to provide an apparatus able to pulverise, that is to say to reduce into very tiny particles, both liquid and solid materials.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which also makes it possible to dehydrate solid materials.
A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus also able to sterilise the materials effectively.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which is economical in relation to the results which can be obtained therewith, can be used reliably, functions in an environmentally friendly manner and requires reduced maintenance.
The apparatus of the invention has many applications, including reduction of solid and liquid waste material volumes, regeneration of perished food products, and transformation of toxic and hazardous waste materials into products which are harmless to the environment and to human health.
These objects are achieved by means of an apparatus for pulverising, dehydrating and sterilising both liquid and solid materials, said apparatus being characterised in that it comprises: a treatment vessel for containing liquid and/or solid materials during use, in which an outlet is defined to allow discharge of the materials treated in the treatment vessel; introduction means for introducing liquid and/or solid materials into the treatment vessel during use; and flow generation means for generating at least one flow of fluid in the treatment vessel during use, said flow of fluid generating a pressure of at least 3 bar in said vessel, said flow generation means comprising a rotor, which is connected operatively to actuator means able to rotate said rotor and is located inside the treatment vessel, said at least one flow of fluid forming a vortex in which the fluid moves from the outside in, said vortex entraining and dragging the materials introduced into the treatment vessel during use until they implode, thus causing, at the same time, pulverisation, dehydration and sterilisation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Characteristics and advantages will become clearer upon reading the following description of preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments illustrated in a purely exemplary and nonlimiting manner in the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 shows a schematic overall view of a first embodiment of the apparatus for pulverising, dehydrating and sterilising both liquid and solid materials according to the present invention;
figure 2 shows a partial schematic view of a second embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention;
figure 3 shows a partial schematic view of a third embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention;
figure 4 shows a partial schematic view of a fourth embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention;
figure 5 shows a detailed view of the pre-treatment device, where provided, of the apparatus according to the present invention;
figure 6 shows a detailed view of a variant of the pre-treatment device according to figure 5;
figure 7 shows a detailed view of the condenser, where provided, of the apparatus according to the present invention;
figure 8 shows a detailed view of the vortex generated by the apparatus of the invention;
figure 9 shows an external view of a variant of the apparatus of the invention;
figures 10 and 11 show, respectively, a longitudinal sectional view and a cross-sectional view of a variant of the rotor present in the treatment vessel of the apparatus of the invention;
figure 12 shows a perspective view of a further variant of the rotor present in the treatment vessel of the apparatus of the invention;
figure 13 shows a partial schematic exploded and cut-away view of the apparatus according to the present invention;
figures 14 and 15 show schematic views of the apparatus of the invention in two embodiments;
figures 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 show possible systems incorporating more apparatuses according to the present invention, wherein figures 16 to 19 are external perspective views and figure 20 shows a plan view.

Referring now to the accompanying figures, in particular figures 1 to 15, reference sign 1 denotes an apparatus for pulverising, dehydrating and sterilising both liquid and solid materials, said apparatus comprising a treatment vessel 2 able to receive the liquid or solid materials to be treated and preferably having a substantially inverted cone-shaped lower part and a substantially cylindrical upper part, although this is in no way limiting.
By contrast, in accordance with further embodiments, the treatment vessel 2 may be substantially spherical, cylindrical, conical or parallelepiped in shape.
The walls of the treatment vessel 2 preferably have a layered structure, with an outer steel layer, an inner carbon layer and an intermediate ceramics layer.
An outlet opening 3 for the discharge of the treated materials is formed at the lower end of the treatment vessel 2.
The treatment vessel 2 is connected to a feed pipe 4, which could be omitted, as shown in figure 3, and allows the materials to be treated to be introduced into said vessel 2.
A rotor 5 disposed coaxially with the conical vessel 2 and equipped with a series of blades of such a shape that, when said rotor 5 is rotated, said blades generate a vortex with centripetal airflows, that is to say airflows directed from the outside in, is arranged inside the treatment vessel 2 in the uppermost portion thereof In particular, the vortex generated by the rotor 5 is left-handed when the apparatus 1 is operated in the northern hemisphere, and is right-handed when operated in the southern hemisphere.
The rotor 5 is axially connected, by means of a drive shaft 6, to a motor 7 able to rotate said rotor.
In accordance with a further embodiment illustrated in figure 4, in order to overcome any problems linked to obstruction of the motor 7, the rotor 5 is connected thereto by means of a gearing 7'.
A series of bearings 8, preferably ball bearings or more preferably Maglev bearings, are also associated with the rotor 5 so as to reduce friction and therefore improve the efficacy of the rotation of said rotor.
A filter 8' for filtering the air sucked in by the rotor 5 is provided in the uppermost portion of the treatment vessel 2.
In accordance with further variants of the apparatus 1, the rotor 5 can be formed by two or three series of blades, as shown in figures 10 and 11 and 12 respectively.
In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus 1 comprises a pre-treatment device 9 comprising a pre-treatment vessel 10, which is preferably cylindrical in shape, as shown in figures 1 to 6, or is rounded, as illustrated in figures 3 and 5, although this is in no way limiting.
An inlet tube 11, for introducing air mixed with materials to be treated into the pre-treatment vessel 10, and an outlet tube 12, for expelling said air and pre-treated materials in said vessel 10, are connected to the pre-treatment vessel 10, more specifically radially or tangentially in the case of the inlet tube and axially in the case of the outlet tube.
The inlet tube 11 advantageously terminates with a funnel-like element 11' for promoting the suction of material into the inlet tube 11 and therefore into the pre-treatment vessel 10.
A plurality of disc-shaped elements 13 is provided within the pre-treatment vessel 10, said elements being fitted on a drive shaft 14 mounted coaxially with said pre-treatment vessel 10 and connected to a motor (not illustrated in the accompanying figures for reasons of simplicity) able to rotate said drive shaft.
The disc-shaped elements 13 are mutually parallel, coaxial with the drive shaft 14 on which they are mounted, and preferably have different dimensions, more preferably becoming smaller in the direction of the outlet tube 12.
Each disc-shaped element 13 comprises a pair of interconnected, mutually opposed discs 13a, 13b, between which elongate, mutually orthogonal, inner cavities 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d are formed, which open outside said disc-shaped element 13, exclusively at the lateral cylindrical surface thereof
Such inner cavities 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d perform the key function of increasing the intensity of the vortex forming in the pre-treatment vessel 10 during rotation of the drive shaft 14 and of the disc-shaped elements 13 formed integrally therewith.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, illustrated in figure 5, an auxiliary rotor 16 able to further increase the intensity of the vortex generated within the pre-treatment vessel 10 is mounted coaxially on the drive shaft 14.
The outlet tube 12 joins onto an annular pipe 17 for distributing air and the materials to be treated within the treatment vessel 2.
A plurality of preferably drop-shaped or oval openings 18 communicating with the inside of the treatment vessel 2 and arranged symmetrically along the inner circular extent of said annular pipe 17 (although these features are in no way limiting) is formed in the inward-facing part of the annular pipe 17.
A plurality of grooves 19, which are curved such that, when the drive shaft 14 and the disc-shaped elements 13 are rotated by the respective motor, the flows of air mixed with materials exiting from said openings 18 create vortices directed from the outside in, said vortices being left-handed when the apparatus 1 is operated in the northern hemisphere and right-handed when said apparatus is operated in the southern hemisphere, is formed both in the inner surface of the annular pipe 17 and over the thickness thereof defined by the openings 18.
The annular pipe 17 may be arranged completely within the treatment vessel 2, as shown in figure 3, or outside said vessel, with the openings 18 communicating directly with the interior of said vessel 2 (see figures 2 and 4) or via connection pipes 19' (see figure 1).
In a further preferred embodiment, the apparatus 1 comprises a condenser 20 for condensing the vapours generated by the dehydration of the treated materials.
The condenser 20 is connected to the treatment vessel 2 by means of a connection pipe 21 opening out into said treatment vessel 2 through the uppermost part thereof.
The connection pipe 21 terminates, at one end, with a telescopic tube 22, of which the height within the treatment vessel 2 can be adjusted and which collects the vapours generated within said treatment vessel.
Specific functional tests carried out on the apparatus 1 according to the present invention demonstrated that the variation of the height of the telescopic tube 22 determines a corresponding variation of the pressures within the treatment vessel 2; in particular lowering and raising the telescopic tube 22 results, respectively, in a decrease and increase of the pressure in the treatment vessel 2.
By controlling the position of said telescopic tube 22, it is therefore possible to modify the functional parameters of the apparatus 1 itself
In the embodiments of the present invention illustrated in figure 3, the drive shaft 6 for moving the rotor 5 is axially hollow so as to allow the connection pipe 21 for expelling the vapours to pass through it.
The condenser 20 is also in communication with a storage tank 23 for receiving the liquids produced by the condensation of the vapours in the condenser 20.
In particular, the condenser 20 is formed from a portion of tube 24, within which the vapours from the treatment vessel 2 are enabled to flow.
A smaller tube 25 having an inlet 26 for introduction of a cooling fluid, such as liquid nitrogen, and an outlet 27 for discharge of said fluid is spiralled around said tube portion 24.
A filter 28 for filtering the condensed vapours, removing any solid particles therefrom before they are transferred to the storage tank 23, is provided downstream of the condenser 20.
The apparatus 1 for pulverising, dehydrating and sterilising both liquid and solid materials further comprises an outer casing 29 formed so as to cover at least the treatment vessel 2 and the annular pipe 17, leaving the outlet opening 3 uncovered.
A support 30 for supporting said casing 29 and the components of the apparatus contained therein in a vertical position is connected to said outer casing 29.
However, as shown in figures 9 and 18, the apparatus 1 advantageously also functions when disposed in a horizontal or diagonal position.
A silo, or any other storage means, for storing materials processed by the apparatus 1 may advantageously be connected to the outlet opening 3.
For correct operation of the apparatus 1 according to the present invention, it is necessary to operate the rotor 5, rotating it at a speed of at least 6000 rpm, preferably between 6000 rpm and 15000 rpm.
Depending on the situation, the pre-treatment device 9, where present, must be actuated so as to rotate the disc-shaped elements 13 and possibly also the auxiliary rotor 16 at a speed of at least 5000 rpm, preferably between 5000 rpm and 12000 rpm.
Thanks to the rotation of the disc-shaped elements 13 and possibly also of the auxiliary rotor 16, the vortex of air generated in the pre-treatment vessel 10 entrains the materials introduced into said vessel, dragging them in rotation so as to cause partial implosion.
The materials processed by the pre-treatment device 9 are then transferred into the pre-treatment vessel 2 through the outlet tube 12 and the annular pipe 17, together with any other materials introduced into said treatment vessel 2 by means of the feed pipe 4.
The action of the rotor 5 together with the flows of air mixed with materials discharged from the annular pipe 17 determine the formation of a vortex within the treatment vessel 2.
As shown in figures 2 and 8, the vortex generated has a flow directed from the outside in, which is left-handed when the apparatus 1 is operated in the northern hemisphere and, by contrast, is right-handed when said apparatus is operated in the southern hemisphere.
This vortex, which, as the speed of the flows increases, tends to adopt the shape of a toroid, drags the materials present in the treatment vessel 2 into its path of motion and accelerates them increasingly until they implode, causing them to be pulverised.
In particular, the vortex determines the formation of hot descending spiral flows and cold ascending spiral flows, which together contribute to the implosion of the materials.
For correct operation of the apparatus 1, it is necessary for the airflows to generate a pressure within the treatment vessel 2 equal at least to 3 bar, preferably between 6 bar and 12 bar.
In order to make the thermal shock in the apparatus 1 more reactive, it is advisable to introduce air of increased temperature, preferably approximately 300 °C, for the formation of the vortex, or to lower the temperature rising in adiabasis.
The implosion occurring in the treatment vessel 2 determines the pulverisation of the materials and, at the same time, dehydration and sterilisation thereof.
The materials obtained as a result of treatment with the apparatus according to the present invention are therefore provided in the form of particles devoid of liquids and vital elements, and preferably measure between 0.01 mm and 0.02 mm in size depending on the power produced during the implosion process.
A person skilled in the art seeking to meet further contingent requirements will be able to apply further modifications and variants to the above-described apparatus for pulverising, dehydrating and sterilising both liquid and solid materials, without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the accompanying claims.

Claims

An apparatus for pulverising, dehydrating and sterilising both liquid and solid materials, comprising:
- a treatment vessel (2) for containing liquid and/or solid materials during use, in which an outlet (3) is defined to allow discharge of the materials treated in the treatment vessel (2);

- introduction means (4, 12, 17) for introducing liquid and/or solid materials into the treatment vessel (2) during use; and

- flow generation means (5, 13) for generating at least one flow of fluid in the treatment vessel (2), said flow of fluid generating a pressure of at least 3 bar in said vessel (2), said at least one flow of fluid forming a vortex in which the fluid moves from the outside in, said vortex entraining and dragging the materials introduced into the treatment vessel (2) during use until they implode, thus causing, at the same time, pulverisation, dehydration and sterilisation characterised in that said flow generation means comprises a rotor (5), which is connected operatively to actuator means able to rotate said rotor and is located inside the treatment vessel (2).
The apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that said at least one flow of fluid generates a pressure in the treatment vessel (2) between 6 bar and 12 bar during use.
The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the vortex formed by said at least one flow of fluid in the treatment vessel (2) is left-handed when the apparatus (1) is operated in the northern hemisphere, or is right-handed when the apparatus (1) is operated in the southern hemisphere.
The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the introduction means and the flow generation means jointly comprise a substantially annular distribution pipe (17), in which a plurality of openings (18) communicating with the interior of the treatment vessel (2) is formed, said distribution pipe (17) being connected to a pre-treatment device (9) comprising a pre-treatment vessel (10) having an entry (11) for receiving, during use, materials to be treated, and rotatable flow generation means (13, 16), said means, when rotated, generating in the pre-treatment vessel (10) a vortex directed from the outside in.
The apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that the vortex generated in the pre-treatment vessel (10) is left-handed when the apparatus (1) is operated in the northern hemisphere, or is right-handed when the apparatus (1) is operated in the southern hemisphere.
The apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the rotatable flow generation means of the pre-treatment device (9) comprise a series of mutually parallel and coaxial disc-shaped elements (13) disposed inside the pre-treatment vessel (10) and connected operatively to actuator means able to rotate said disc-shaped elements.
The apparatus according to claim 6, characterised in that each disc-shaped element (13) comprises two interconnected, mutually opposed discs (13a, 13b), openings (15a, 15b, 15c, 15d) opening outside said disc-shaped element (13) at the lateral cylindrical surface thereof being formed between said two discs.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterised in that the rotatable flow generation means of the pre-treatment device (9) comprise a rotor (16) connected operatively to actuator means able to rotate said rotor.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterised in that the distribution pipe (17) has a series of curved grooves (19) to promote the formation of vortices of gas directed from the outside in when gases are passed through the distribution pipe (17).
The apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterised in that each opening (18) in the distribution pipe (17) is substantially drop-shaped.
The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises a condenser (20) communicating with the treatment vessel (2) by means of a connection pipe (21) opening out into said treatment vessel (2) through the upper part thereof; said condenser (20) being able, during use, to condense the vapours generated in the treatment vessel (2) due to the dehydration of the materials.
The apparatus according to claim 11, characterised in that the connection pipe (21) between the condenser (20) and the treatment vessel (2) comprises a portion of tube (22), of which the height within the treatment vessel (2) can be adjusted.
The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a lower portion of the treatment vessel (2) is substantially conical.
The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it can be used for the treatment of waste materials.
A method for pulverising, dehydrating and sterilising both liquid and solid materials, wherein said method comprises the following phases of:
- providing an apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims;

- providing and introducing a specified amount of at least one solid and/or liquid material into the treatment vessel (2) of the apparatus (1);

- generating inside the treatment vessel (2), by means of at least one flow of fluid, a vortex in which the at least one fluid moves from the outside in; said vortex, as the speed of the at least one fluid increases, tending to adopt the shape of a toroid and to determine the formation of hot descending spiral flows and cold ascending spiral flows; the at least one material in the treatment vessel (2) being entrained and dragged by said vortex until it implodes and, consequently, is pulverised, dehydrated and sterilised.