IE902651A1

IE902651A1 - Method and installation for the treatment of drums containing liquid waste

Info

Publication number: IE902651A1
Application number: IE265190A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Jean-Louis Biros; Michel Geffriaud; Bertrand Gontard
Original assignee: Sarp Ind
Priority date: 1989-07-25
Filing date: 1990-07-19
Publication date: 1991-02-27
Also published as: PT94803B; EP0410835B1; EP0410835A1; ES2041158T3; DE69001519T2; IE64165B1; CA2021734A1; FR2650203A1; FR2650203B1; PT94803A; CA2021734C; DE69001519D1; DK0410835T3

Abstract

The invention relates to a process and an arrangement for the treatment of drums containing liquid waste. The process is characterised in that the drums to be treated are pierced and compressed in a single operation, in that the compressed drums are recovered with a view to their recycling, and in that the liquid waste they contained is collected. Application to treatment of waste in drums.

Description

The present invention relates to a method and an installation for processing industrial drums containing liquid waste and, in particular, inflammable, explosive and/or toxic liquids.

In the current state of the art, it is the personnel who open the drums, pour their contents into a tank provided for this purpose, if necessary clean the empty drums and transport them to a disposal site. These operations are lengthy and expensive, and they present risks of poisoning the personnel, of fire and explosion.

Consequently, it has been proposed to open the drums by mechanical means and to allow their contents to settle before they are processed. This known method is, however, likewise lengthy and expensive, and it does not eliminate the abovementioned risks entirely, since the drums remain open to the atmosphere during the settling period.

The Patent GB-A-839,207 proposes, on the other hand, in the case of metal containers of small dimen20 sions, such as beer or fruit juice cans, piercing and compressing these cans in a single operation, recovering the cans compressed into flat cakes and collecting the contents thereof. This method is Implemented using a device in which the containers to be processed are brought one after the other between a compressing piston and a hollow piercing member which is connected to means for evacuating the liquid contained in the container to the outside.

A device of the same type is described in the - 2 Patent US-A-4,459,906 which relates to the processing of discarded aerosol cans. However, the piercing member here is solid and sliding, the products contained in the container escaping therefrom immediately after it has been pierced and after the piercing member has been retracted.

In both cases, these known methods and devices do not permit the achievement of the object aimed at by the present invention which is to empty and compress into the form of flat cakes industrial drums of large dimensions, while eliminating any risk of fire and explosion and avoiding any risk to the personnel.

According to the invention, this object is achieved using an installation of the type comprising a drum press in which the drums to be processed are brought between a compressing piston and a hollow piercing member connected to means for evacuating the liquids contained in the drum to the outside, which installation is characterized by a drum press comprising a sealed press cylin20 der closed at one end by a compressing piston which is movable along the axis of the cylinder in question, and at its other end by a cover which is intended for the axial introduction of the drums to be processed and which is provided with the piercing member specified herein25 above.

It will be understood that, essentially, it is sufficient to introduce a closed drum axially into this cylinder, to cause the piercing member to penetrate into the drum and to cause the compressing piston to act so that the pierced drum is compressed into a flat cake, the liquid which it contains escaping through the hollow piercing member to be evacuated from the cylinder by the means provided for this purpose and collected, for example, in a suitable pit. As for the drum reduced to the form of a flat cake, it is removed from the cylinder after opening of the cover and it can be recycled in the iron and steel industry.

The fact that the drums are emptied and com10 pressed in a closed cylinder makes it possible to process them without risks of fire or explosion, even if they contain inflammable or explosive liquids. The dangers to which the personnel were hitherto exposed are also eliminated thereby.

As in the abovementioned British Patent GB-A-839,207, the piercing member may consist of at least one hollow broach which terminates in a point at its end directed towards the interior of the cylinder and which is connected at its other end to a conduit for evacuating the contents of the drums. According to the invention, this broach may advantageously slide, parallel to the axis of the cylinder of the device, through an opening formed in the cover of the latter.

Thus, the piercing of the drums is carried out before their compression, in contrast to the procedure according to the abovementioned British patent, which makes it possible, in particular, to better gauge the piercing force required and to avoid any compression of liquid, thereby increasing the desired safety. - 4 The sliding of the above-specified broach or broaches is advantageously effected by virtue of the fact that, in the vicinity of their end opposite the cylinder of the press, these broaches are integral with a plate through which they pass and which can slide under the effect of at least one jack. Preferably, this plate slides on columns mounted on the cover of the cylinder of the press, perpendicularly thereto, so that this cover, with its broaches mounted on their sliding plate, forms an assembly which is advantageously mounted pivotably on the cylinder of the press, at that end of the latter which is opposite its compressing piston, by virtue of the fact that this cover is articulated on the cylinder of the press by one of its edges, and that it can pivot about its axis of articulation by means of at least one doubleacting jack.

In order to facilitate the piercing of the drums, the above-specified broach or broaches are preferably terminated in a bevel on the side facing the cylinder of the press.

In an advantageous embodiment, the piercing member consists of a plurality of mutually parallel broaches comprising a central broach which extends along the axis of the cylinder and a plurality of peripheral broaches which are arranged along the generatrices of a cylinder of revolution, the axis of the latter coinciding with the axis of the cylinder. This arrangement facilitates the processing of drums of large dimensions whose wall is thick.

Preferably, the body of the cylinder of the press according to the invention has a substantially square outer cross-section.

In the installation according to the invention, 5 the drum press described above is advantageously associated with a crane for picking up the drums so as to form a movable assembly and, where appropriate, with other suitable handling devices.

The invention also relates to a method for using 10 the installation which has just been described, this method being characterized in that the drum to be processed is introduced axially into the cylinder of the device, in that the cover of this cylinder is closed, in that the compressing piston specified hereinabove is displaced in such a way that the drum to be processed comes to bear, under low pressure, on the cover, in that the piercing member is subsequently displaced towards the interior of the cylinder in order to pierce the drum, and then in that the compressing piston is displaced in its turn towards the interior of the cylinder in order to compress the drum, the contents of which flow out through the piercing member, the latter withdrawing during this stage, and in that the cover is finally opened in order to remove axially the processed drum which is reduced to the form of a flat cake from the cylinder.

The description which follows, and which is without implied limitation, will permit a good understanding of how the present invention can be put into practice. It should be read with reference to the - 6 accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 shows a view of a drum press according to the invention in longitudinal section; - Figure 2 shows a view of this press in partial 5 section, taken along the line II-II of Figure 1; and - Figure 3 illustrates an end view of the object of Figure 2, taken in the direction of the arrow III of this figure.

The drum press according to the invention which 10 is illustrated in these figures comprises a cylinder 1, for example of square external section, closed at one of its ends by a piston 2 which is movable along the axis X-X' of the cylinder, as indicated by the double arrow F, under the effect of a double-acting jack shown partially at 2a. The cylinder 1 is preferably arranged horizontally or almost horizontally.

At its other end, the cylinder 1 is closed by a cover 3 pierced with openings 4 in which hollow piercing broaches 5 can slide parallel to the axis X-X'. These broaches 5 terminate in a bevel at their end located on the side of the cylinder 1 and, at their other end, they are integral with a plate 6 through which they pass so as to form a free endpiece 5' intended to receive a discharge pipe (not shown).

Two double-acting jacks 7 are mounted between the plate 6 and the cover 3, on both sides of the assembly of broaches 5, and they permit sliding of the latter between a position of rest shown in continuous lines in Figure 1 and a piercing and liquid-draining position which is - 7 indicated diagrammatically in broken lines in this same Figure 1.

As can be seen more clearly in Figure 2, the plate 6 is guided in this movement by four columns 8 which pass through it in the vicinity of its four corners and which are mounted on the cover 3. It can be seen additionally in this Figure 2 that this cover 3 is articulated along one of its edges on a pin 9 integral with the cylinder 1, and that it protrudes from the latter laterally, beyond the pin 9, by an extension 10.

A double-acting jack 11 connects the end of the latter to the lateral surface of the cylinder 1, and its actuation makes it possible to open and close the cover 3, as indicated by the double arrow Fl, together with all the members which are integral therewith, namely the columns 8, the sliding plate 6 and the broaches 5, and therefore to make accessible and, respectively, close the interior of the cylinder 1.

The end view of Figure 3 shows an advantageous distribution of the broaches 5, which number six in this case. One of them, 5a, extends along the axis X-X', four others, 5b, are located at the vertices of a square centred on the broach 5a, and the last one, 5c, is situated on the circle which passes through the four broaches 5b, equidistant from two of the latter. This latter broach 5c increases the drainage capacity in the lower part of the cylinder 1.

The mode of operation of this device is as follows: - β The cover 3 is opened and the broaches 5 placed in the position of rest by means of the jacks 7. Each drum to be processed is brought, by handling devices (not shown) possibly comprising a crane integral with the drum press and a chute for introducing the drums one after the other, into the cylinder 1 at the rate of one drum at a time. The cover 3 is then closed.

The piston 2 is pushed by the jack 2a until the drum comes to bear, under low pressure, on the cover 3.

The broaches 5 are subsequently pushed into the interior of the cylinder 1 by means of the jacks 7. Their bevelled ends pierce the drum and penetrate into it. The pressure exerted on the broaches by the jacks 7 is then discontinued. It is at this point that the jack 2a pushes the piston 2 towards the interior of the cylinder 1, thereby compressing the drum and, at the same time, driving its contents out through the axial boreholes in the broaches 5 and the pipes which are mounted on the endpieces 5a of the latter and which discharge the contents into a suitable pit. During this stage, the broaches move back towards their position of rest as the piston 2 advances. At the end of this operation, the drums are reduced to the form of flat cakes owing to the compression exerted by the jack 2a on the piston 2. After opening of the cover 3, they are removed from the cylinder 1, and they can be recycled in the iron and steel industry.

It will furthermore be noted that the device which has just been described is advantageously of the explosion-proof type, and that its components are driven - 9 hydraulically, for example under a maximum pressure of 230 bars, this pressure being approximately 180 bars in normal operation. The members for controlling the assembly are conventional and well-known to experts in the field, so that they will not be described here.

It is obvious that, without departing from the scope of the present invention, various modifications could be made to the embodiment described above. For instance, the number and arrangement of the broaches 5 could be different and another system for closing the cover 3 could be envisaged, provided that it closes the cylinder 1 sealingly.

Claims

1. Installation for processing drums containing liquid waste, of the type comprising a drum press in which the drums to be processed are brought between a compressing piston (2) and a hollow piercing member (5) connected to means for evacuating the liquids contained in the drum to the outside, characterized in that the said drum press comprises a sealed press cylinder (1) closed at one end by the said compressing piston (2) which is movable along the axis (X-X') of the said cylinder (1), and at its other end by a cover (3) which is intended for the axial introduction of the drums to be processed and which is provided with the said piercing member (5).

2. Installation according to Claim 1, of the type in which the said piercing member consists of at least one hollow broach (5) which terminates in a point at its end directed towards the interior of the said cylinder (1) and which is connected at its other end to a conduit for evacuating the contents of the drums, characterized in that the said broach (5) can slide, parallel to the axis (X-X') of the said cylinder (1), through an opening (4) formed in the said cover (3).

3. Installation according to Claim 2, characterized in that the said broach (5), in the vicinity of its end opposite the said cylinder (1), is integral with a plate (6) through which it passes and which can slide under the effect of at least one jack (7).

4. Installation according to Claim 3, characterized - 11 in that the said plate (6) slides on columns (8) mounted on the said cover (3) perpendicularly thereto.

5. Installation according to any one of Claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the said hollow broach (5) terminates in a bevel at its end directed towards the interior of the said cylinder (1).

6. Installation according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the said piercing member consists of a plurality of mutually parallel broaches (5) comprising a central broach (5a) which extends along the axis (X-X') of the said cylinder (1) and a plurality of peripheral broaches (5b, 5c) which are arranged along generatrices of a cylinder of revolution, the axis of the latter coinciding with the axis (X-X') of the said cylinder (1).

7. Installation according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the said cover (3) is articulated on the said cylinder (1) by one of its edges, and in that it can pivot about its axis of articulation (10) by means of at least one double-acting jack (11).

8. Installation according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the said cylinder (1) has a substantially square outer cross-section.

9. Installation according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the said drum press is associated with a crane for picking up the drums so as to form a movable assembly.

10. Method for using the installation according to any one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the drum to be processed is introduced axially into the said cylinder (1), in that the said cover (3) is closed, in that the said compressing piston (2) is displaced until the drum to be processed comes to bear, under low pressure, on the said cover (3), in that the said piercing number (5) is subsequently displaced towards the interior of the said cylinder (1) in order to pierce the drum, and then in that the said compressing piston (2) is displaced in its turn towards the interior of the said cylinder in order to compress the drum, the contents of which flow out through the said piercing member (5), the latter withdrawing during this stage, and in that the said cover (3) is finally opened in order to remove axially the processed drum which is reduced to the form of a flat cake.

11. An installation for processing drums containing liquid waste, according to any preceding claim, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.