FI72309C - FOERFARANDE FOER BEHANDLING AV BIOLOGISKT AVFALL MED HJAELP AV KOMPOSTERING. - Google Patents

Description

72309

METHOD FOR TREATMENT OF BIOLOGICAL STUDIES BY COMPOSTING

Divided separated from application 834191.

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The invention relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 1 for the treatment of biological waste, in particular residential waste, by means of composting.

10 Several solutions for dry toilets are already known, in particular using an intermediate or covering material such as peat, sawdust or bark. The principle in these toilets is usually that everyone covers their footprints. This also results in the non-15 points of the known concealer toilets. Applying the masking agent is uncomfortable and unhygienic. Attempts have also been made to develop automatic devices for application, but these have generally not been made to work as intended.

20 On the other hand, many known covering agent toilets do not function satisfactorily, although the dispensing of the covering agent has been resolved. Composting is very slow. This is because these toilets generally do not provide optimal conditions for composting.

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Finnish Patent Publication No. 52846 mm. a biological toilet for biologists is known, in which a U-shaped passage from the lower part is placed in a closed space with a collecting vessel provided with 1 1a, in the middle of which mechanical mixing devices are arranged longitudinally for handling the mass 30. These devices consist of a horizontally rotatably mounted shaft with radially projecting arms of different lengths and bent in the direction of rotation of the shaft.

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A floatable container is arranged under the collecting vessel, into which the mold formed in the collecting vessel can be dropped. The toilet is also equipped with a ventilation duct and a heating device 1a attached to the wall of the enclosed space.

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Finnish Patent Publication No. 54699 also discloses a biological toilet in which the composting chamber is a U-shaped collecting vessel equipped with mixing devices such as those described above. The bottom of the chamber is sealed and an electric resistance foil is protected against it, which is protected by thermal insulation. The toilet can be equipped with a thermostat 11a placed in the chamber, which controls the thermal resistance and prevents the temperature from rising too high for the composting process. By means of a humidity sensor 15 placed at the bottom of the chamber, it is possible to control the replacement fan 1. A secondary chamber is arranged in front of the composting chamber. Between them there is a manually detachable hatch through which the pulp can be transferred from one chamber to another.

In the medium toilet solutions disclosed in the above-mentioned patents, attempts have been made to improve composting by means of mixing devices. However, these are inefficient and are unlikely to achieve the desired result in practice. For example, the removal of material from the composting chamber is not possible with such mixing devices. In either case, the design of the collection vessel does not guarantee efficient aeration of the mixture of waste and medium, even if the mixing is improved. On the other hand, it should be noted that the thermostat and the humidity sensor, however, are used to control the composting process.

Finnish patent publication No. 63010 discloses a dry toilet in which there is a trough at the bottom of the collecting vessel, in which, for example, a 2-month medium charge is placed at a time. The Ke-35 container is equipped with perforated plate

II

3 72309 supported ends and between them at the bottom of the chute there is a mixing screw. The waste and the medium are mixed by means of a mixing screw, moving it back and forth between the ends of the chute from time to time, whereby on the one hand the harmful gases generated in the process can escape from the pulp and on the other hand the pulp decomposes into small lumps and aerates efficiently. In addition, the process can be monitored by means of suitable sensors and a microprocessor, so that the operation of the mixer, ventilation, heat and humidity can be precisely adjusted. The other end of the trough also has an outlet through which the composted material can be emptied by means of a mixing screw.

Despite the many advantages of the above equipment, there are two disadvantages. First, despite the relatively long intervals, the toilet should be emptied and filled with medium regularly. Second, the waste is treated and the waste is composted in the state in which it is produced. However, this is not a problem in practice, but from a hygienic point of view, it would be advantageous if the actual composting of the waste took place elsewhere. Overall, the same finding applies to all dry toilets discussed above.

The object of the invention is to provide a composting method by means of which the disadvantages of known dry toilets can be avoided. To achieve this, the method according to the invention is characterized by the features set out in the appended claims.

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The advantages of the invention can be seen as follows. After the use of the dry toilet, the waste is transferred from the space that serves as a collection container to the mixing drum, where the actual composting of the waste takes place. This is how the hygiene of the toilet pa-35 deteriorates. Thanks to the rotating mixing drum, the mixing and aeration of the waste is efficient.

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Small pieces with a smooth surface that do not compost with the waste can be placed in the mixing drum in a single dose. The purpose of these is to act as an adhesion surface for the waste so that there is plenty of il-5 land available for microorganisms. This arrangement avoids repetitive media loading. The medium is separated from the composted material, i.e. the soil, in a separation device operated by a strainer mounted above the discharge space.

The medium toilet applying the method according to the invention has an uninterrupted function, i.e. the finished composted material, the soil, is automatically transferred through the outlet out of the mixing drum by means of another conveyor. In addition, by means of the return conveyor, the composted material 15 can be fed back to the collection container, i.e. to the space on the bottom of which the first conveyor is placed. In this way, the waste is pre-mixed into the soil and receives an inoculation of microorganisms. Thanks to these measures, the composting of new waste can start effectively. Due to the effect of the soil, the first conveyor 20 also remains clean and there is no adhesion of the waste to the surfaces of the conveyor.

The method according to the invention in its simple form can also be applied to a manual medium toilet.

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In the following, the invention will be explained in detail by means of a preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 shows a partial sectional view of a dry toilet according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a cross-section A-A of the dry-fermenter of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the details of the dry toilet of Figure 1.

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The dry toilet comprises a collection container, i.e. a station 1, into which the waste is initially collected. The collecting container is provided with a seat part 10 and a lid 11. The bottom part of the collecting container is formed with a circular cross-section of a chute 5 in which a screw conveyor 21 is placed. the actual composting takes place.

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In the embodiment of the invention according to Figure 1, the opening 4 of the collecting vessel is connected by a pipe 41 to a separate mixing space, i.e. a drum 5. The connecting pipe 41 has a cross-section such that the screw conveyor 21 can be fitted inside it 15. The screw conveyor 21 extends from the collecting vessel 1 to the mixing drum 5.

The mixing drum 5 comprises a jacket 51 and ends 52, 53. It is most preferably in the shape of a truncated cone. The first end 20 is provided with a feed opening 7 for the introduction of waste and a second end 53 for the discharge of composted material. The mixing drum 5 is preferably placed horizontally and connected to a drive device 12 such as an electric motor. This allows the drum 5 to be rotated about its axis.

Mixing means 6 are attached to the inner wall of the jacket 51 of the mixing drum. The mixing means 6 are formed of nearly rectangular vanes 61. They are attached to the inner wall of the jacket 51 longitudinally spaced parallel to the axis of the drum 5. In the embodiment of the invention according to Figure 3, there are vanes at 45 ° intervals on the circumference of the mixing drum 5. The free edges 61a of the vanes 61 are bent in the direction of rotation B of the drum to enhance the mixing effect 35.

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The first end 52 of the mixing drum 5 comprises a circular flange 52a fixedly connected to the connecting tube 41 and an annular flange 52b fixedly connected to the mixing drum housing 51. The circular flange 52a and the annular flange 52b are fitted together and a sliding seal 52c is interposed therebetween. Figure 3A illustrates an enlarged view of point D in Figure 1.

Inside the mixing drum 5, in connection with the outlet opening 8, an outlet space 9 is arranged. This is a trough open at the top, above which a strainer 10, a perforated plate or a net acting as a separating device is mounted. The strainer 10 is most preferably convex in an upward direction perpendicular to the axis of the drum 5 as shown in Figure 2. The waste mailed through the sieve 10, i.e. the finished mold, can fall into the discharge space 9, while the uncomposted lumpy waste falls along the surface back to the bottom of the drum 5. The strainer 10 is preferably provided with at least one electrical resistor 101 to heat the strainer. This prevents the holes in the strainer 20 from clogging; the moist waste or mold dries on the surface of the sieve and collapses either back into the mixing drum 5 or into the discharge space 9.

It is advantageous to provide the discharge space 9 with at least one electric resistor 92. This can be placed, as can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, below the discharge space 9, whereby both the discharge space and the mixing drum 5 can be heated.

In this way, the excess moisture of the compostable waste can be evaporated.

A second screw conveyor 91 is arranged in the outlet space 9, which is formed as a trough. at certain intervals it is emptied or replaced with a new garbage bag or similar.

The first and second screw conveyors 21, 91 can be arranged on the same shaft 13. In this case, it is advantageous for the screw conveyors 21, 91 to be arranged inside a unitary tubular member. This member forms a chute connected to the collecting vessel or a similar space 1, a connecting pipe 41 between the chute 2 and the mixing drum 5 and an open outlet 9 above. The tubular member also has a feed opening 7 between the connecting pipe 41 and the outlet 9 for transferring waste to the mixing drum 3. discharge pipe 93. The shaft 13 is supported by bearings 133, 134 on the front of the collecting vessel 1 and on the rear of the toilet body 3, respectively. There are openings around the bearing 134 through which the mold is moved out. The central axis C-C of the dry toilet coincides with the axis 13.

It is advantageous to connect the first and second screw conveyors 21, 91 and the mixing drum 5 to the same drive device 12 as to the electric motor. An inner ring 54 is disposed on the front edge of the annular flange 52b of the first end 52 of the mixing drum 5. A gear 121 is mounted on the shaft 25 of the drive 12 and is fitted in connection with the ring 54. At the other end 53 of the mixing drum 5 there is an outlet 8 in the middle. A ring 18 is arranged therein, which is fixedly connected to the shaft 13 by means of intermediate supports 19 and to the end 53. The ring 18 is supported and 30 movably connected to the trough-like discharge space 9 and to the outlet pipe 93 as shown in Fig. 3B, which illustrates the enlarged point E in Fig. 1. Arranged in this way, when the mixing drum 5 is rounded by the drive device 12, the shaft 13 with its screw-35 conveyor 21, 91 also rotates via the ring 18 and the intermediate supports 19.

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A third screw conveyor, i.e. a return screw conveyor 14, is placed below the strainer 10, which extends through the fixed flange 52a above the first screw conveyor 21 into the space 1 where the waste is initially collected. The return screw conveyor 14 is located in a tube 15 with one or more openings 15a or more below the strainer 10. The return screw conveyor 14 is mounted only at its first end with a bearing 14a with the other end resting freely in the tube 15. A star or gear wheel 16 is arranged on the shaft of the return screw conveyor 14 passing through the bearing 14a. that the pins hit the recesses of the star wheel 16 as the mixing drum 5 rotates and thus rotate the star wheel 16 and at the same time the return screw 15 jet 14. The number of pins 17 determines the rotational speed of the return screw conveyor 14 and can thus be set as desired.

The strainer 10 or a similar separating device is preferably constructed so that it can be at least partially pulled out or turned aside from above the discharge space 9. In this case, it is possible, if desired, to completely empty the mixing drum 5. The strainer 10 can be implemented to comprise three parts; a top 102 and side portions 103 25 and 104 located on either side thereof. The top 102 is fixedly positioned above the discharge space 9 and suitably supported on the discharge space, while the side portions 103 and 104 are provided at their lower edges with hinges 105 and 106 and secured to the edges of the discharge space 9. The side portions 103, 104 can be pivoted on the hinges 105, 106 30 from the lower edge of the upper portion 102 to the position G and H, respectively, as shown in Fig. 2.

A suitable medium such as bark, sawdust or peat can be placed in the mixing drum. It is particularly advantageous if the medium is formed from relatively small pieces with a diameter of 9 72309 with a diameter of 5 to 15 mm, which are as smooth and wide as possible, most preferably similar. They can be, for example, plastic or steel balls which do not compost with the waste, the waste adheres to the surface of the media pieces and when the surface of the pieces is as wide as possible in relation to their volume, there is plenty of air available for compost microorganisms. The diameter of the openings of the sieve 10 acting as a separating device must, of course, be chosen to be smaller than the smallest diameter of the media bodies used.

The collecting vessel, i.e. space 1, chute 2, connecting pipe 41, mixing drum 5, discharge space 9, screw conveyors 21, 91 and 14 and other related devices are enclosed inside the body 3 of the dry toilet 15. The ventilation pipe 31, in which the fan 32 is mounted, is connected to the upper part of the body 3. The air pipe 55 is passed through the fixed flange 52a of the mixing drum 5 and is most preferably connected directly to the ventilation pipe 31. The ventilation of the mixing drum 5 is thus ensured.

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It is advantageous to provide a separate chute 22 in the collecting vessel. By means of this and the pipe 23 at least part of the urine is led to the tank 24. This is connected to a ventilation pipe 31 by a pipe 25. An electric resistor (not shown in the drawings) can be connected to the tank.

The dry toilet applying the method according to the invention operates in principle as follows. After the toilet has been used, the waste 30 is transferred by means of the first screw conveyor 21 from the collecting vessel, i.e. from space 1, to the mixing drum 5. The drum is rotated and its vanes 6 mix the waste with the materials at the front end 52. to a mixture of solid media bodies and compostable waste. As the mixing drum 5 continues to rotate, the waste adheres to the surface of each piece of medium as a layer. The media pieces differ in mixing and the material becomes homogeneous. Stagnation is then effective and composting progresses rapidly. As the mixture of the media bodies 5 and the waste becomes homogeneous, it can move as a finer and lighter material of waste towards the other end 53 of the mixing drum 5.

The vanes 61 raise the mixture to a separator 11e in connection with the discharge space 9, in this case on the sieve 10. Through the sieve 10, the finished mold separates from the mixture into the discharge space 9, while the uncomposted waste and the media pieces fall back into the mixing drum 5. The soil falls mainly on the second screw conveyor 15 91 in the discharge space 1, by which it can be continuously transferred to the dry bag. the return screw conveyor 14 is transferred back under the seat part 10 to the collecting vessel 1. The fresh waste is then mixed already at the transfer stage with the first screw conveyor 21 a 21 in a small amount. The transfer of waste-degrading microorganisms to fresh waste is thus natural and efficient.

A dry toilet applying the method according to the invention may be provided with one or more temperature and humidity sensors located in the mixing drum 5. These outputs can be connected to a power supply 92, 101 and / or to control ventilation by means of a fan 32 and / or mixing by means of the drive 12 30. In this way, optimal conditions for composting can be maintained in the mixing drum 5.

In the above embodiment of the invention, screw conveyors have been used for the transfer of waste and composted material. Instead, other types of tar can also be used. 11 72309 conveyors known per se, such as belt conveyors. The transmission from the drive to the mixing drum can be effected by means of a wedge or toothed belt. The rotation mechanism of the return screw conveyor can also be implemented in a similar manner or use a gear ring instead of the pins 17. The mixing means 6 arranged on the inner surface of the jacket 51 of the mixing drum 5 can also be of other shapes. An essential feature of the mixing means 11e is that they can also be used to raise the mixture of waste and medium 10 above the sieve 10.

For the continuous and uninterrupted operation of the dry toilet, a separating device such as a strainer 10 or the like is of paramount importance. In order to keep the openings of the strainer 10 open, a vibrator can be connected to the strainer 15 in addition to or instead of the electric resistors 101, with which the strainer is occasionally made to vibrate. A water pipe with holes spaced apart can also be arranged in connection with the strainer 10, and this is connected to the water supply network by means of a valve 1, e.g. an electrically controlled solenoid valve 20. With the help of water jets discharged from the holes in the water pipe, the strainer can be cleaned from time to time.

The strainer 10 may have a different shape from that shown in the drawings 25. It can be, for example, triangular in cross section. It is most preferred that the strainer 10 or parts thereof such as a perforated plate, mesh, etc. are placed at a relatively steep angle to the horizontal so that the fine component or soil can fall through the strainer openings into the discharge space 30 and so that the still agglomerated and only partially composted waste and the associated medium slides or rotates by gravity along the surface of the sieve over the edge of the outlet 9 and falls back into the mixing drum 5. In general, the essential separation device is that the finished mold 35 can be separated from the waste returned to the composting process.

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A hand crank can be placed on the shaft of the first screw conveyor in front of the collecting vessel, by means of which the screw conveyors and the mixing drum can be rotated if the drive device 12 does not work or the dry toilet is implemented without using external energy.

A dry toilet applying the method according to the invention also makes it possible to build larger toilet assemblies. In this case, for example, the waste can be transferred from several collecting containers 10 by means of the first screw conveyors or the like to a collector conveyor 1e transverse to them, by means of which the waste is transferred to a common mixing drum. This is larger in size than above, but similar in structure.

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Claims (6)

15 72309 A method for the treatment of bio-waste, in particular residential waste, by composting, which method collects the waste in a suitable collection container or space (1), from where it is immediately transferred to a horizontal composting space such as a mixing drum (5) provided with a medium. and in which the material formed by the waste and the medium can be lifted from the bottom of the mixing drum as it rotates and mixed with each other and which material is transferred from the first end (52) of the mixing drum towards the second end (53), in connection with which provided 15 discharge chambers (9), and a separation device (10) for separating the composted waste into the discharge space by means of mixing devices (6), characterized in that the composted material is removed from the mixing drum (5) via a discharge space (9) arranged at the other end (53) -20 min in that the bottom of the discharge space (9) is above the bottom of the mixing drum (5) and that a separation device (10) such as a strainer is arranged above the discharge space (9) to continuously separate the composted material into the discharge space and back into the mixing compost. 25 Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the mixing drum (5) is arranged to taper from the first end (52) towards the second end (53). Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the mixing space and / or the discharge space are heated, if necessary, in order to maintain an optimal composting process. 35 14 72309 Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the composted waste is continuously conveyed out of the discharge space (9) by means of a suitable transfer device (13). 5 Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the partial feedback of the composted waste from the discharge space (9) is arranged in the space (1) in which the waste is initially collected. 10 Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a medium is formed inside the mixing drum (5), which consists of loose, preferably round, pieces on the surface of which waste accumulates. K 15 72309