JP2001179231A - Method for treating pcb-containing capacitor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To detoxify an insulating oil containing PCB by disassembling an entire capacitor filled with the oil safely and efficiently. SOLUTION: The upper part of a housing 2 is cut horizontally, and after the upper part and internal elements 3 of the housing 2 being removed, the insulating oil 8 containing PCB is discharged. The housing 2 is conveyed by a conveyer 13 and subjected to crushing, ultrasonic cleaning, and hot air drying in turn. The elements 3 are conveyed by another conveyer 15 and subjected to crushing, ultrasonic cleaning, and vacuum drying in turn, and at least cutting and crushing are performed by remote operation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for detoxifying a capacitor in which elements are housed in a housing and filled with insulating oil containing PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) for electrical insulation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Many capacitors, such as large power capacitors, are of the insulating oil type for efficient electrical insulation and cooling. In the insulating oil type capacitor, elements of the capacitor are arranged in a metal housing, and the surroundings of the elements are filled with insulating oil. The insulating oil includes a PCB-containing insulating oil or a PCB (hereinafter, referred to as P in the present invention including these) having excellent nonflammability, insulating properties, chemical stability and the like.
CB-containing insulating oil) has been used since about 1954. However, PCBs are said to have adverse effects on human health and the environment, and their production was discontinued in 1972, requiring collection and storage. In 1974, the "Law on the Examination and Manufacture of Chemical Substances (Chemical Substances Control Law)" was enacted, and its manufacture, import and use were banned in principle.

[0003]

As methods for decomposing harmful PCBs to make them harmless, there have been proposed various methods such as a combustion method, a chemical treatment method, an ultraviolet ray decomposition method, a supercritical water decomposition method, and the like. However, the only technology implemented was the combustion method.
However, despite the practical use of the PCB decomposition method, PCBs are still stored in large quantities as specially controlled industrial wastes, and many of them are electrical equipments. It is stored in a filled state. Capacitors make up a large proportion of such electrical equipment. The large storage amount of the capacitor filled with PCB is that when taking out the filled PCB,
It may scatter to the surroundings, pollute the environment or pose a danger to workers, and furthermore, it is difficult to remove PCBs remaining on or adhering to housings and elements after removing the PCBs. The main cause. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve such a problem.
An object of the present invention is to provide a safe and efficient processing method for a B-containing capacitor.

[0004]

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for detoxifying a capacitor containing elements in a housing and filled with insulating oil containing PCB. In this method, the housing is cut to take out the contained elements, and the filled PCB-containing insulating oil is discharged and transferred to a PCB decomposition apparatus. After the cutting, the casing is subjected to grinding, ultrasonic cleaning, and hot-air drying in this order. With respect to the elements 3 taken out of the housing, a process of pulverization, ultrasonic cleaning, and vacuum heating and drying is sequentially performed separately from the housing. Then, the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 released in a liquid or gas state when performing each of the above processes is transferred to the PCB decomposing device 12, and at least the cutting process and each of the pulverizing processes are performed by remote control. (Claim 1).

[0005] In the above method, after the casing is pulverized, the papers mixed therein are separated by wind force separation, and the papers can be separated and ultrasonically cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaner for elements. . Further, in the above method, the crushed material of the casing subjected to the hot-air drying treatment is separated into an iron-based material and other materials by magnetic force sorting, and each of the crushed materials of the elements that have been subjected to the vacuum heat-drying process is compressed while reducing the compression volume. Volume reduction processing can also be performed (claim 3).

[0006]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of a capacitor processed by the method of the present invention. The capacitor 1 is a square container type housing 2 made of carbon steel plate or the like, elements 3 housed in the housing 2, an upper plate 4 made of carbon steel plate or the like for sealing the upper part of the housing 2, A plurality of insulators 5 penetrating the upper plate 4 and terminals 6 protruding from the tip of the insulator 5
And a lead wire 7 that penetrates through the insulator 5 from the terminal 6 and is connected to the terminal portion of the elements 3. Further, the casing 2 includes a PCB-containing insulating oil for electrical insulation and cooling. 8 are filled. The elements 3 are composed of a large number of elements 9 each having an aluminum foil covered with kraft paper, and are housed inside a plated element fixing plate 9 b disposed on the inner peripheral surface of a side plate (body plate) of the housing 2. ing. Kraft paper 9a is interposed between the bottom of the assembly of the elements 9 and the bottom of the housing 2.

FIG. 2 is a process flow chart for implementing the processing method of the present invention. The processing method of the present invention will be described with reference to this process flow chart. [Cutting Process] First, the capacitor 1 of FIG. 1 is erected on a cutting station 10 surrounded by a PCB contamination preventing partition, and its side is fixed from the periphery. Cutting station 1
Numeral 0 is provided with a pedestal for the capacitor 1, a fixing portion for detachably fixing the capacitor 1, and a collecting portion for collecting the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 flowing out at the time of cutting. The collecting unit is disposed below the receiving stand, and includes a dish-shaped pan for receiving the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 dripped from the receiving stand, and a discharge unit 11 such as a discharge pipe connected to the pan. The discharge unit 11 is connected to an insulating oil tank (not shown), and guides the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 accumulated in the insulating oil tank to a PCB decomposition device 12 that performs a UV decomposition process or a catalyst decomposition process using a pump.

The cutting station 10 is provided with a cutting device such as a cutting robot which can be remotely operated from the outside of the partition wall for preventing PCB contamination. A rotary cutting blade is attached to the hand portion of the cutting robot, and the condenser 1 is cut horizontally by the rotary cutting blade as shown by a dotted line A in FIG. A part of the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 that overflows from the housing 2 at the time of cutting is collected by the pedestal and flows into the insulating oil tank from the discharge portion 11 thereof. The upper part of the cut capacitor 1 (the upper plate 4, the insulator 5, etc.) is taken out of the housing 2 by a remotely controllable handling robot from the outside of the PCB contamination preventing partition, and is transferred to the conveyor 1 using a belt conveyor.
3 and transported to the next coarse grinding station 14.

Next, the elements 3 are taken out of the housing 2 by a similar remotely controllable handling robot, lowered to a transfer device 15 using a belt conveyor, and transferred to the next crushing station 16. Further, the remaining casing 2 is gripped by a similar remotely controllable handling robot, and the upper opening is tilted sideways to discharge the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 into the receiving stand. PC from the cradle
The B-containing insulating oil 8 flows into the insulating oil tank from the discharge portion 11. The casing 2 from which the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 has been discharged is then lowered by the handling robot to the transport device 13 and transported to the next crushing station 14.

[Treatment of Cases] The upper part of the condenser 1 and the case 2 which are being conveyed to the crushing station 14 adhere to and adhere to the case 2.
The remaining PCB-containing insulating oil 8 falls naturally and is transferred to the transfer device 13.
To be dropped. Therefore, these transporting devices 13 are liquid-passing type conveyors such as metal nets and the like, and a discharge section 1 such as an elongated pan below the conveyor and a discharge pipe connected to the bottom thereof.
7 is provided. And the discharge part 17 is connected to the said insulating oil tank.

Accordingly, the PCB dripped from the upper part of the condenser 1 and the casing 2 conveyed to the crushing station 14
The contained insulating oil 8 is recovered by the recovery section, and the PCB decomposition device 12
It is led to. When transporting the upper part of the condenser 1,
It is desirable that the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 adhering to and remaining on the transfer device 13 be placed in such a posture that it can easily fall naturally. The crushing station 14 is surrounded by a partition for preventing PCB contamination, and a crusher such as a uniaxial shear crusher is installed inside the partition, and the crusher can be remotely operated from outside the partition. The upper part of the condenser 1 and the casing 2 are crushed by a crusher to a size of about 50 mm or less, and at this time, papers attached to the casing 2 that cannot be separated by the cutting operation are separated. The pulverized material is then discharged to a wind sorting station 18.

During the pulverization by the pulverizer, the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 slightly adhering and remaining on the upper portion of the condenser 1 and the housing 2 drops naturally and drops. Therefore, a recovery unit similar to that of the cutting station 10 is provided in the crushing station 14, and the recovered PCB-containing insulating oil 8 flows into the insulating oil tank via the discharge unit 19 from the recovery unit. The wind separation station 18 is provided with a wind separation machine such as a closed cyclone. Note that it is desirable to use a remote control type from the viewpoint of safety when a small amount of PCB leaks from the wind separator. The crushed material transferred from the crushing station 14 to the wind sorting station 18 is sorted by using a gravity difference between metal pieces or insulator pieces and papers subjected to different cleaning processes. That is, gravity-separated into low-specific-gravity substances such as paper and high-specific-gravity substances such as metal pieces and insulator fragments, and the low-specific-gravity substances are transferred from above by a transfer unit 20 such as a duct using a wind force from above. The high specific gravity material is transferred from below to a metal ultrasonic cleaning station 23 by a transfer unit 22 such as a transfer pipe.

An ultrasonic cleaning machine is installed at the ultrasonic cleaning station 23 for metals, and isopropyl alcohol (I) is used.
Ultrasonic cleaning is performed with a cleaning power such that the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 attached to and remaining on the metal pieces and the insulator pieces is sufficiently removed using PA) or the like as a cleaning liquid. If the ultrasonic cleaning is continued, the PCB concentration in the cleaning liquid gradually increases. Therefore, the cleaning liquid is periodically or continuously extracted from the discharge unit 24 such as a discharge pipe, collected in the contaminated cleaning liquid tank, and the PCB is periodically pumped.
The liquid is discharged to the decomposition device 12, and a new cleaning liquid corresponding to the discharged liquid is supplied to the ultrasonic cleaner by a supply pump. And preferably, a concentration measuring device for continuously measuring the PCB concentration of the cleaning liquid is installed, and until the PCB concentration of the cleaning liquid falls below a specified value.
The washing is continued while supplying the new washing liquid to the ultrasonic washing machine.

The metal pieces and insulator fragments cleaned in the metal ultrasonic cleaning station 23 are transferred to a hot air drying station 26 by a transfer section 25 such as a transfer pipe. The hot air drying station 26 is provided with a hot air dryer such as a closed type drum dryer from the outside.
The metal pieces and the insulator pieces to which the cleaning liquid containing the slightly adhered are dried with hot air. From the viewpoint of safety, it is desirable that the hot air dryer be of a remote control type. The PCB-containing insulating oil 8 adhering to the metal pieces and the insulator fragments is heated and evaporated by hot air drying, and the vapor is introduced into a condenser 28 from a discharge portion 27 such as a discharge pipe, where it is cooled and condensed and liquefied to form a discharge pipe and the like. Discharge unit 29
From the insulating oil tank.

The harmless metal pieces and insulator pieces which have substantially removed the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 by hot-air drying are then transferred to a magnetic separation station 31 by a transfer section 30 such as a conveyor. A magnetic sorting machine is installed in the magnetic sorting station 31, where the magnetic sorting machine separates the ferrous material and other materials.
Next, the iron-based material and the other materials separated from each other are transferred to a compression unit 3 such as a press by transfer units 32 and 33 such as transfer tubes.
It is transferred to 4, 35 to be compressed and reduced in volume. The iron-based material and other materials that have been compressed and reduced in volume are discharged as detoxified industrial waste or are used as recycled materials.

[Treatment of Elements] From the elements 3 being conveyed to the crushing station 16, the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 adhering to and remaining on the elements 3 drops naturally, and
Drop 5 Therefore, these transporting devices 15 also use a liquid-passing type conveyor such as a net made of metal, and further include a recovery section constituted by an elongated pan and a discharge section 40 such as a discharge pipe connected to the bottom of the pan below them. Provide. Note that the discharge unit 4
0 is connected to the insulating oil tank. Therefore, the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 dropped from the elements 3 conveyed to the crushing station 16 is recovered by the recovery unit, and finally flows into the PCB decomposing device 12 via the insulating oil tank.

The crushing station 16 is also surrounded by a partition for preventing PCB contamination, and a crusher such as a uniaxial shear crusher is installed inside the partition, and the crusher is remotely operated from outside the partition. The aluminum foil and kraft paper that make up the elements 3 are 10m finer than the case crushing process with a crusher.
After being pulverized to a size of about m or less, it is transferred to the paper ultrasonic cleaning station 21 by a transfer unit 41 such as a conveyor. During the pulverization by the pulverizer, a part of the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 slightly adhering and remaining on the elements 3 drops naturally and drops. For this purpose, the crushing station 16 is also provided with a collecting section similar to that of the cutting station 10. The collected PCB-containing insulating oil 8 flows from the collecting section into the insulating oil tank via the discharging section 42, and is supplied to the PCB decomposing device 12.
Detoxified.

An ultrasonic cleaning machine is installed at the ultrasonic cleaning station 21 for papers, and the papers are placed in a cleaning container such as a metal basket for cleaning. Washing is done with isopropyl alcohol (I
Using PA) or the like as a cleaning liquid, ultrasonic cleaning is performed with a cleaning power such that residues of the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 strongly adhering mainly to the paper surface can be sufficiently removed. Although the aluminum foil is also washed at the same time, the detachment of the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 adhering to the aluminum foil is relatively simple. As the concentration of the PCB gradually increases as the cleaning liquid is also subjected to the ultrasonic cleaning, the cleaning liquid is periodically or continuously extracted from the discharge portion 43 such as a discharge pipe and discharged into the contaminated cleaning liquid tank, and a new cleaning liquid corresponding to the cleaning liquid is discharged. Refill the ultrasonic cleaner with the refill pump. Also in this cleaning, preferably, a concentration measuring device for continuously measuring the PCB concentration of the cleaning liquid is installed, and the cleaning is continued while supplying a new cleaning liquid to the ultrasonic cleaning machine until the PCB concentration of the cleaning liquid falls below a specified value. .

The paper washed in the paper ultrasonic cleaning station 21 is transferred to a vacuum heating and drying station 45 by a transfer section 44 such as a transfer pipe. The vacuum heating and drying station 45 is provided with a vacuum heating and drying machine such as a closed-type vacuum drum dryer, where the papers impregnated with the cleaning liquid containing the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 are vacuum-heat-dried. By performing such vacuum heating and drying, the PCB-containing insulating oil 8 impregnated in the paper evaporates efficiently, and the vapor is introduced into the condenser 28 from a discharge section 46 such as a discharge pipe, where it is cooled and condensed. Liquefaction and discharge section 29 such as discharge pipe
Through the insulating oil tank. PCB by vacuum heating and drying
The detoxified papers, from which the insulating oil 8 has been substantially removed, are then transferred to a compression device 48 such as a press by a transfer unit 47 such as a transfer pipe to be subjected to compression volume reduction processing. Then, the compressed paper of which volume is reduced is disposed of after being incinerated as detoxified industrial waste.

[0020]

As described above, according to the method for treating a PCB-containing capacitor of the present invention, the housing or the like to which the PCB-containing insulating oil has adhered and the elements to which the PCB-containing insulating oil has adhered and impregnated are separated. Since each of the treatments is performed appropriately, it is possible to efficiently remove the PCB-containing insulating oil. In addition, since each process is performed by remote control, work can be performed safely. Furthermore, after the casing has been pulverized, it is subjected to air separation to separate the contaminated paper, and the separated paper is washed with an ultrasonic cleaner for paper. In this case, it is possible to carry out the efficient removal treatment of the PCB-containing insulating oil. Next, the crushed material of the hot air-dried casing is separated into iron-based materials and other materials by magnetic force sorting, compression reduction is performed on each material, and the crushed materials of vacuum-heat-dried elements are compressed and reduced in volume. When processed, recycling and industrial waste treatment can be performed efficiently.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of a capacitor processed by the method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a process flow chart for implementing the processing method of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Capacitor 2 Housing 3 Elements 4 Upper plate 5 Insulator 6 Terminal 7 Lead wire 8 Insulating oil containing PCB 9 Element 9a Kraft paper 9b Element fixing plate 10 Cutting station 11 Discharge unit 12 PCB disassembly device 13 Transport device 14 Crushing station 15 Transport Apparatus 16 Crushing station 17 Discharge unit 18 Wind separation station 19 Discharge unit 20 Transfer unit 21 Ultrasonic cleaning station for paper 22 Transfer unit 23 Ultrasonic cleaning station for metals 24 Discharge unit 25 Transfer unit 26 Hot air drying station 27 Discharge unit 28 Condenser 29 Discharge unit 30 Transfer unit 31 Magnetic separation station 32 Transfer unit 33 Transfer unit 34 Compressor 35 Compressor 40 Discharge unit 41 Transfer unit 42 Discharge unit 43 Discharge unit 44 Transfer unit 45 Vacuum heating and drying station 46 Discharge unit 4 7 transfer section 48 compression device

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A PC which accommodates elements 3 in a housing 2
A method of detoxifying a capacitor 1 filled with a B-containing insulating oil 8, wherein the housing 2 is cut to take out the contained elements 3, and the filled PCB-containing insulating oil 8 is discharged. It is transferred to the PCB disassembly device 12 to make it harmless, and the casing 2 after cutting is subjected to the processing of crushing, ultrasonic cleaning, and hot-air drying in order, and the elements 3 taken out of the casing 2 are separated from the casing 2. Pulverization, ultrasonic cleaning, and vacuum heating and drying are sequentially performed. The PCB-containing insulating oil 8 that is released in a liquid or gas state when performing each of the above-described processing is transferred to the PCB decomposer 12 so as to be harmless. And a method for treating a PCB-containing capacitor, wherein each of the grinding processes is performed by remote control. 2. The PCB-containing material according to claim 1, wherein after the casing 2 is pulverized, the papers contained therein are separated by wind sorting to separate the papers and ultrasonically cleaned by an ultrasonic cleaning machine for the elements 3. How to handle capacitors. 3. A pulverized product of the element 3 which has been subjected to hot-air drying processing, is separated into an iron-based material and other materials by magnetic separation, and is subjected to compression volume reduction processing and vacuum heat drying processing. The method for treating a PCB-containing capacitor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the PCB is compressed and reduced in volume.