JP2001087748A - Garbage treating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a garbage treating device which is capable of exactly measuring the moisture content of garbage treating materials without contact with the garbage treating materials. SOLUTION: A treating vessel 3 for containing the garbage treating materials 11 for making the decomposition treatment of garbage is composed of a light transparent material and the outer side of the treating vessel 3 is provided with a moisture content detecting section 1 to optically detect the moisture content of the garbage treating materials 11 in the treating vessel 3 from the outer side of the treating vessel 3. The driving control of agitating vanes 2, a surface heater 4 and an exhaust fan 5 is executed in accordance with the result of the detection.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a garbage processing apparatus for putting garbage and garbage processing material into a processing tank and decomposing garbage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, sludge containing organic matter and water has been decomposed (fermented) using microorganisms so as not to affect the environment. Are known. This garbage disposal device
The processing tank is filled with wood chips (sawdust) as a garbage disposal material in which microorganisms called holer agents inhabit. Then, after throwing the garbage into the treatment tank from the input port provided in the treatment tank, the garbage treatment material in which the microorganisms inhabit and the garbage are mixed by stirring with stirring means, and the air is brought into contact with the garbage treatment material. The garbage is decomposed by microorganisms inhabiting the garbage disposal material, and at the same time, water is evaporated.

However, in such a garbage processing apparatus, since the garbage is decomposed by microorganisms, if the water content of the garbage processing material is not within a range suitable for the microorganisms, the processing efficiency is reduced. There was a problem of doing.

[0004] Therefore, a garbage disposal apparatus that has a blowing mechanism, a heater, and a water supply device and has a means for adjusting the water content in order to keep the water content within a range suitable for the activity of microorganisms has been proposed. There was a problem of how to measure the water content of the garbage disposal agent.

[0005] On the other hand, a method of detecting the water content by bringing a pair of electrodes into contact with a garbage disposal material and measuring the electric resistance between the two electrodes (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-33572).
Also, a method has been proposed in which a heating resistor is brought into contact with a food waste treatment material, and the moisture content is detected by measuring the temperature rise of the contacted food waste treatment material (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-57458).

[0006]

However, in such a conventional method, it is necessary to bring the electrode or the heating resistor into contact with the garbage disposal material, and the electrode or the heating resistor is stirred with the garbage disposal material. Wear and deterioration may occur, which may lead to failure.

Further, in the former, if an electrolyte solution or substance is present between a pair of electrodes, the detection value may change significantly, and the water content may not be measured accurately.
In the latter case, if the heating resistor and the food waste treatment material do not adhere to each other, the temperature may not be able to be accurately changed.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and is intended to accurately measure the water content of a garbage disposal material without contacting the garbage disposal material. It is an object to provide a processing device.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a garbage processing apparatus for putting garbage and garbage processing material into a processing tank and decomposing the garbage, wherein the processing tank has a light transmitting property. A water content detection means for optically detecting the water content of the garbage disposal material in the processing tank from the outside of the processing tank, and an arithmetic means for calculating the water content based on the output of the water content detection means And characterized in that:

With this configuration, the water content of the garbage in the processing tank is detected from outside the processing tank via the processing tank wall.

A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect, the moisture content detecting means is disposed outside a bottom surface of the processing tank.

[0012] With this configuration, the moisture content of the garbage disposal material in the treatment tank is detected from the outside of the treatment tank via the bottom surface thereof. The rate detecting means is arranged outside the side surface of the processing tank.

With this configuration, the moisture content of the food waste treatment material in the processing tank is detected from the outside of the processing tank through the side surface.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, there is provided a stirring means for stirring the garbage processing material in the processing tank, and a control means for controlling the operation of the stirring means. It is characterized by being.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the fourth aspect, the agitating means is disposed below a rotation axis of the stirring means.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the treatment tank transmits light in a first wavelength range in which absorption by water is strong and a second wavelength range in which absorption by water is weak. It is composed of a permeable member, wherein the moisture content detecting means is
A light emitting unit for irradiating the garbage disposal material with light including the first and second wavelength ranges, a first light receiving element having a sensitivity in the first wavelength range, and having a sensitivity in the second wavelength range; Second
And a light receiving means including the light receiving element.

With such a configuration, the garbage processing material in the processing tank is irradiated with light including the first and second wavelength ranges from the light emitting means outside the processing tank. The irradiation light is transmitted or reflected by the garbage processing material, and the first light outside the processing tank is removed.
And the second light receiving element. At this time, the light transmitted or reflected by the garbage processing material varies in the amount of light in the first wavelength range according to the water content of the garbage processing material,
The amount of light in the second wavelength range is independent of the water content of the garbage disposal material. Then, the water content is calculated based on the amounts of light in the first and second wavelength ranges of the transmitted light or the reflected light.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect, the light emitting means emits light in a continuous wavelength range including the first and second wavelength ranges.

According to claim 8, in claim 6 or 7, the first light receiving element has a sensitivity in a wavelength range exceeding 1 μm, and the second light receiving element has a sensitivity in a wavelength range below 1 μm. It is characterized by having.

The transmittance of water becomes substantially 1 in a wavelength range of less than 1 μm, and the transmittance tends to decrease in a wavelength range of more than 1 μm. The water content is calculated from the change in the transmittance.

According to a ninth aspect, in the fourth aspect, the control means controls the driving of the stirring means prior to the detection of the water content by the water content detection means.

By stirring the inside of the treatment tank before the measurement as described above, variation in the water content due to the mixing state and positional relationship between the garbage and the garbage disposal material is eliminated, and the output of the water content detection means is stabilized. .

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth or ninth aspect, the control means controls the stirring means to be driven during the detection of the water content by the water content detection means.

With such a configuration, the moisture content is detected by the moisture content detecting means while changing the garbage disposal material whose moisture content is to be detected.

[0025] According to an eleventh aspect, in the tenth aspect, the calculating means calculates the water content based on the output of the water content detecting means at a plurality of times during the detection period.

With this configuration, the moisture content is calculated based on the moisture content of a plurality of portions of the garbage disposal material.

A twelfth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the eleventh aspect, the calculating means calculates an average value of the water content at a plurality of times during the detection period as a water content.

Further, claim 13 is based on claims 1 to 12
In any of the above, comprising a storage means in which the relationship between the measured value of the moisture content measured in advance and the output of the moisture content detection means is stored, the arithmetic means, the relationship stored in the storage means The water content is calculated from the output of the water content detecting means based on the calculated water content.

Further, claim 14 is based on claims 1 to 13
In any of the above, based on the output of the arithmetic means,
It is characterized by comprising a water content adjusting means for adjusting the water content of the garbage disposal material in the processing tank so that the water content approaches a predetermined value.

With such a configuration, the water content of the garbage disposal material in the treatment tank is kept close to a predetermined value.

[0031]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A garbage processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In this embodiment, FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams showing a schematic configuration of a garbage processing apparatus, and FIGS.
FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a moisture content detection unit in the garbage processing apparatus, FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a measurement principle, and FIG. It is.

The garbage processing apparatus according to the present embodiment
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a processing tank 3 having an upper opening is provided inside a case 6 having an upper opening of the garbage processing apparatus, and a stirring blade 2 is rotatably provided in the processing tank 3. It is decorated. The stirring blade 2 is rotated by a motor 7, and the rotation of the motor 7 is controlled by a control unit 8.

A planar heater 4 is mounted on the wall surface of the processing tank 3, and is controlled by a signal from a control unit 8.

A lid 15 is provided at the upper end opening of the case 6 so as to be freely opened and closed. An exhaust path 9 is provided in the case 6, and the exhaust path 9 is provided through an exhaust port 10 at the upper end of the processing tank 3.
It leads to the outside of case 6. An exhaust fan 5 is provided inside the exhaust path 9, and the exhaust fan 5 is controlled by a signal from the control unit 8. In the treatment tank 3, a garbage disposal material 11 such as a woody strip in which microorganisms have inhabited is placed.

A moisture content detector 1 for measuring the moisture content of the food waste treatment material 11 in the treatment tank 3 from outside through the treatment tank 3 is provided outside the bottom surface of the treatment tank 3. For this reason, the processing layer 3 is formed of a member that transmits predetermined light, a color, and a thickness. Specifically, the processing tank 3 is made of a white polycarbonate having a thickness of 2 mm, and transmits light of a broadband wavelength including at least a visible region and a near-infrared region.

As shown in FIG. 3, the moisture content detecting section 1 includes a tungsten lamp 16 and a light receiving section 17. Then, the light emitted from the tungsten lamp 16 is applied to the garbage disposal material 11 via the bottom surface of the processing tank 3, and the reflected light is received by the light receiving unit 17 via the bottom surface of the processing tank 3.
Is detected by. The light receiving section 17 includes a silicon photodiode 17a and a pyroelectric element 17b. The output of the silicon photodiode 17a is amplified by the amplifier 18a and input to the control unit 8, and the output of the pyroelectric element 17b is amplified by the amplifier 18b and input to the control unit 8.

The controller 8 calculates the water content by referring to a calibration curve stored in a memory (not shown) in advance. Note that this calibration curve is calculated based on measured values measured in advance for garbage processing materials having a known moisture content.

Next, the principle of operation of the water content detector 1 will be described.
This will be described with reference to FIG. However, in the following description, the principle will be described based on a change in water transmittance.

FIG. 4A shows the spectral distribution characteristics of the light emission amount of the tungsten lamp 16, and it can be seen from FIG. 4A that the light is distributed over the visible light region and the near infrared region.

FIG. 4B shows a spectral distribution characteristic P of the light receiving sensitivity in the silicon photodiode 17a and a spectral distribution characteristic Q of the light receiving sensitivity in the pyroelectric element 17b. 17A shows that the pyroelectric element 17b has a high sensitivity region in the wavelength region exceeding 1 μm while the pyroelectric element 17b has a high sensitivity region in the wavelength region of 1 μm or less.

FIG. 4C shows an object to be measured using a tungsten lamp 16 having the characteristics shown in FIG. 4A and a silicon photodiode 17a and a pyroelectric element 17b having the characteristics shown in FIG. 4B. 7 shows the spectral distribution characteristics P ′ and Q ′ of the light detection amount in each of the silicon photodiode 17a and the pyroelectric element 17b when the measurement is performed in a state where is not arranged. Silicon photodiode 17a and pyroelectric element 1
7b, the magnitude of the light detection amount is P ', Q'
Is approximately proportional to the area of each region enclosed by.

On the other hand, FIG. 4D shows the transmittance of light in the wavelength range from the visible light region to the near-infrared region to water. From the figure, water absorbs much light in the near-infrared region. You can see that.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4C, the spectral distribution characteristic P of the light detection amount in each of the silicon photodiode 17a and the pyroelectric element 17b when the object to be measured is not disposed.
The characteristics shown in FIG. 4 (e) are obtained based on ', Q' and the water transmittance characteristics shown in FIG. 4 (d). Where Pn
Indicates that the light emitted from the tungsten lamp 11 has a moisture content n (n =
(0, 40, 80)% shows the spectral distribution characteristics of the amount of light detected by the silicon photodiode 17a when irradiated on the object to be measured, and Qn indicates the light emitted from the tungsten lamp 11 having a water content of n%. 9 shows a spectral distribution characteristic of a light detection amount in the pyroelectric element 17b when an object is irradiated.

The magnitude of the light detection amount of each of the silicon photodiode 17a and the pyroelectric element 17b is Pn, Qn
Is approximately proportional to the area of the region surrounded by. From the figure, since the transmittance of water is substantially 1 in the visible light region, the light detection amount of the silicon photodiode 17a hardly changes even if the water content changes, but in the near infrared region, Since the degree of light absorption changes according to the change in the water content, it can be seen that the light detection amount of the pyroelectric element 17b changes according to the water content.

The above description is of the principle based on the change in the transmittance of water. However, the present invention is applicable not only to transmission measurement of an object but also to reflection measurement for receiving light reflected from the object. .

This is based on the application of the diffuse reflection method in spectroscopic analysis. In addition to the light reflected on the surface, the reflected light from the object is transmitted through the particles of the object and reflected on the surface of the next particle. This is because there is incoming light (diffuse reflected light), which contains the absorption characteristics of the object.

More specifically, the water content is calculated based on the following equation 1, as in a general two-wavelength infrared moisture meter.

[0049]

(Equation 1)

Thus, the silicon photodiode 1
The water content can be obtained from the output of the pyroelectric element 7a and the pyroelectric element 17b. That is, as shown in FIG. 5 in advance, the relationship between the logarithm of the ratio of the signal intensity of the silicon photodiode 17a and the signal intensity of the pyroelectric element 17b and the known moisture content for 36 garbage disposal materials having a known moisture content. Is plotted, the plotted points are approximated to a straight line to obtain a calibration curve, and the constants a0 and a1 of the above equation 1 may be determined.

The first control operation during driving of the garbage processing apparatus having such a configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In this control operation, during the operation of the garbage processing apparatus, the water content detecting section 1 irradiates the garbage processing material 11 with light from the silicon photodiode 17a and the pyroelectric element 17b at predetermined time intervals. The reflected light is received by the light receiving unit 17. Then, the reflected light amount detected by the light receiving unit is input to the control unit 8. (Step S01) Control unit 8
First, from the amount of reflected light input from the light receiving unit 17,
The moisture content of the garbage disposal material 11 is calculated using the above-described method. (Step S02) And this water content is 25
%, The control unit 8 displays a water supply warning on a display unit (not shown) to urge the user to supply water to the processing tank 3, or adjusts a command to the motor 7 to adjust the stirring blade 2. The control is performed to increase the water content by, for example, decreasing the frequency of agitation by the method. (Step S03, S
04) When the water content exceeds 50%, the control unit 8
Outputs a control signal for rotating the fan 5 to ventilate the inside of the processing tank 3, adjust a command to the motor 7 to increase the frequency of stirring by the stirring blades 2, By increasing the set temperature of the heater 4,
Control is performed to reduce the water content. (Step S0
5, S06) Thereby, the water content of the garbage processing material in the processing tank 3 is maintained at 25% to 50%, and not only the garbage is efficiently decomposed, but also the odor accompanying the decomposition is suppressed. .

Next, a second control operation during driving of the garbage processing apparatus having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In this control operation, similarly to step S01 in the first control operation, the detection of the water content is performed at predetermined time intervals during the operation of the garbage disposal apparatus, but prior to the detection of the water content, First, a control signal is output from the control unit 8 to the motor 7, and the stirring operation by the stirring blade 2 is started. (Step S11) At a point in time when a certain period of time has elapsed since the start of the stirring operation, the water content detection unit 1 sets the silicon photodiode 17a and the pyroelectric element 17
b irradiates the garbage processing material 11 with light, and the reflected light is received by the light receiving unit 17. And the light receiving unit 17
Is input to the control unit 8. (Step S12) First, the control unit 8 calculates the water content of the garbage disposal material 11 from the amount of reflected light input from the light receiving unit 17 using the above-described method. (Step S13) When the series of steps S12 and S13 is repeated 10 times at intervals of several seconds, the control unit 8 sends the motor 7 again.
, And the stirring operation by the stirring blade 2 ends. (Steps S14 to S16) Next, the control unit 8 calculates an average value of the obtained ten water content values, and outputs the average value as the water content.
(Step S17) Hereinafter, a series of processes of steps S03 to S06 described in the first control operation are performed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the silicon photodiode 17a and the pyroelectric element 17b are disposed in the processing tank 3 by disposing the moisture content detecting unit 1 outside the processing tank 3. In addition, since it does not come into contact with humid air, deterioration due to friction and moisture is eliminated, and the reliability of the garbage disposal device can be improved. Furthermore, because it is not affected by the electrolyte solution or substance, nor by the contact with the garbage disposal material,
More accurate measurement can be performed.

Further, since the water content detection unit 1 is disposed outside the bottom surface of the processing tank 3, even when the amount of garbage and garbage in the processing tank 3 is small, the measurement of the water content can be performed accurately. This makes it possible to further improve the reliability of the garbage processing apparatus.

In the second control operation, the driving of the stirring blades 2 is started prior to the detection of the water content by the water content detection unit 1, so that the mixing of the garbage and the garbage processing material 11 is performed. And the variation of the detection value due to the positional relationship is eliminated. As a result, the moisture content detection unit 1 can obtain a stable output, and can detect the moisture content with high reliability.

In the second control operation, since the stirring by the stirring blades 2 is performed during the detection of the water content by the water content detection unit 1, the water content of the inner wall of the processing tank 3 is detected. The contact state of the garbage disposal material 11 that comes into contact with changes. And the garbage processing materials 11 having different contact states.
By averaging the water content of the garbage, the garbage disposal material 11 and the treatment tank 3
The variation in the detection value due to the contact state with the sensor is eliminated. Thereby, the water content detection unit 1 can obtain a more stable output, and can detect the water content with high reliability.

In the present embodiment, the case where the moisture content detecting section 1 is arranged outside the bottom surface of the processing tank 3 has been described, but it may be arranged outside the side surface of the processing tank 3. In this case, since the garbage and the garbage processing material are hardly deposited on the side surface of the processing tank 3, the measurement error due to such deposition can be reduced, and the reliability of the garbage processing apparatus can be improved. It becomes possible.

Preferably, the water content detecting section 1 is disposed below the rotation axis of the stirring blade 2 and outside the side surface of the processing tank 3. In this case, not only the error due to the deposition of the garbage and the garbage processing material can be reduced, but also less garbage and the garbage processing material can be handled.

In this embodiment, the silicon photodiode 17 is used as the light receiving means of the moisture content detecting section 1.
a and the case where the pyroelectric element 17b is used has been described,
Without limitation thereto, those including a light receiving element having sensitivity in a wavelength region where water absorption is strong and a light receiving element having sensitivity in a wavelength region where water absorption is weak such as a silicon photodiode and a germanium photodiode as light receiving means. Should be fine. Preferably, a light-receiving element having sensitivity in a wavelength range of less than 1 μm and a light-receiving element having sensitivity in a wavelength range of more than 1 μm may be used.

In the present embodiment, the processing tank 3
Is made of white polycarbonate having a thickness of 2 mm, but is not limited thereto, and may be any light-transmitting member that transmits light including a wavelength range received by the light-receiving unit of the water content detection unit 1. .

Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the water content of the garbage processing material 11 is controlled to be 25 to 50% has been described, but various values may be set according to the type of the garbage processing material. May be used.

In the second control operation of the present embodiment, the case where the water content is calculated from the average value of the ten detection results has been described. However, the eight detection results excluding the maximum value and the minimum value are described. May be used.

[0065]

According to the present invention, the water content of the garbage disposal material in the treatment tank can be measured from outside the treatment tank.
For this reason, it does not come into contact with not only the garbage processing material in the processing tank but also the humid air, there is no deterioration due to friction or moisture, and the reliability of the garbage processing apparatus can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a garbage processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of the garbage processing apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a moisture content detection unit in the garbage processing apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation principle of the water content detection unit in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the output of a water content detection unit that measures a food waste treatment material having a known water content and the water content.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a first control operation during driving of the garbage processing apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a second control operation during driving of the garbage processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Water content detection unit 2: Stirring blade 3: Processing tank 4: Planar heater 5: Exhaust fan 6: Case 7: Motor 8: Control unit 9: Exhaust path 10: Exhaust port 11: Garbage disposal material 16: Tungsten Lamp 17: Light receiving part 17a: Silicon photodiode 17b: Pyroelectric element

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Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A garbage disposal apparatus for putting garbage and a garbage disposal material into a treatment tank and decomposing the garbage, wherein the treatment tank is formed of a light-transmitting member and the outside of the treatment tank. A water content detection means for optically detecting the water content of the garbage processing material in the processing tank, and a calculation means for calculating the water content based on the output of the water content detection means, Garbage processing equipment 2. The garbage disposal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said moisture content detecting means is disposed outside a bottom surface of said treatment tank. 3. The garbage disposal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said moisture content detecting means is disposed outside a side surface of said treatment tank. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: stirring means for stirring the garbage processing material in the processing tank; and control means for controlling an operation of the stirring means. A garbage disposal device as described. 5. The garbage disposal apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said moisture content detecting means is disposed below a rotation axis of said stirring means. 6. The treatment tank according to claim 1, wherein said first treatment tank is strongly absorbed by water.
A light-transmitting member that transmits a second wavelength range that is weakly absorbed by water and a second wavelength range, in which the water content detection unit converts light including the first and second wavelength ranges into a food waste treatment material. A light emitting means for irradiating, and a first light emitting means having sensitivity in the first wavelength range.
The garbage disposal apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a light receiving element including a second light receiving element having a sensitivity in the second wavelength range. 7. The garbage disposal apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said light emitting means emits light in a continuous wavelength range including said first and second wavelength ranges. 8. The device according to claim 6, wherein the first light receiving element has sensitivity in a wavelength range exceeding 1 μm, and the second light receiving element has sensitivity in a wavelength range below 1 μm. Garbage processing equipment. 9. The garbage disposal apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control means controls the stirring means to be driven prior to the detection of the water content by the water content detection means. 10. The garbage disposal apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control means controls the stirring means to be driven during the detection of the water content by the water content detection means. 11. The garbage disposal apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said calculating means calculates a water content based on an output of said water content detecting means at a plurality of times during said detection period. 12. The garbage disposal apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the calculating means calculates an average value of the water content at a plurality of times during the detection period as a water content. 13. A storage means for storing a relationship between an actually measured value of the water content previously measured and an output of the water content detection means, wherein the arithmetic means stores the relationship between the measured value and the output stored in the storage means. 13. The garbage disposal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a water content is calculated from an output of the water content detection means based on the calculated content. 14. A water content adjusting means for adjusting the water content of the garbage disposal material in the processing tank so that the water content approaches a predetermined value based on an output of the arithmetic means. The garbage disposal apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein