JP2012184109A - Refuse collecting vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refuse collecting vehicle equipped with an inert gas supply system which is advantageous for reducing a size and weight without requiring complicated control.SOLUTION: The refuse collecting vehicle 1 includes a cargo box 11, an air compressor 25, and a gas separator membrane module 29 supplied with compressed air. The refuse collecting vehicle 1 (i) supplies the compressed air to the gas separator membrane module 29 to generate nitrogen gas, and (ii) supplies the generated nitrogen gas into the cargo box 11 to keep the inside of the cargo box at an explosion-proof atmosphere.

Description

  The present invention relates to a garbage collection vehicle, and more particularly, to a garbage collection vehicle equipped with an inert gas supply system that does not require complicated control and is advantageous for reduction in size and weight.

  Conventionally, in a garbage truck, cassette cylinders, spray cans, etc. where flammable gas remains are compressed and destroyed in the packing box, and the injected flammable gas fills the packing box, and then the dust is compressed. Occasionally, accidents such as explosions or fires occur due to sparks ignited by the fire or fire types remaining in the dust.

  This is the same even when metal fragments that may cause sparks due to friction in the dust, or highly flammable liquids or paper fragments are mixed in, and it is impossible to completely prevent this. The reality is close.

  In order to minimize such damage, many proposals have been made in the past to inject a fire extinguishing agent, an inert gas, or the like toward a fire source when a fire occurs in a packing box (for example, Patent Document 1). To 4).

  However, in the above-described conventional apparatus, fire extinguishing work is performed only after an actual fire has occurred, so damage cannot be prevented completely, and damage to the vehicle is difficult to avoid. In addition, since the cylinder is filled with a fire extinguishing agent and a fire extinguishing gas, there is a problem that the danger is high, and it takes time and effort to manage the remaining amount in the gas cylinder and to replace an empty cylinder.

  On the other hand, the concentration of combustible gas in the container box of the garbage truck is constantly monitored by a sensor, etc., and when the concentration of combustible gas exceeds the safe range, a detection signal is transmitted and noncombustible gas is sent. There is also known an invention in which the outlet valve of the tank is opened, incombustible gas is sent into the packing box, and the inside of the packing box is diluted with inert gas (see, for example, Patent Document 5).

  However, even in the invention described in Patent Document 5, the combustible gas detection means is complicated, and since the noncombustible gas is filled in the gas cylinder, the above-mentioned problems relating to the gas cylinder remain in the same manner. It was.

  In addition, a nitrogen gas generator is installed in the garbage truck, and this is linked with the driving motor or the hydraulic pressure for dust loading to ensure that the cargo box is always filled with non-flammable gas. There is also known an invention that generates an atmosphere and thereby prevents a flame or explosion. (For example, see Patent Document 6)

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-011406 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 01-090705 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-026303 JP 2003-095404 A JP 2002-087509 A JP 2005-170644 A

  However, in the invention described in Patent Document 6, although a nitrogen gas generator that generates a nitrogen-enriched gas is described, no specific configuration is disclosed. On the other hand, as an inert gas supply system for a garbage truck, a system that requires complicated control for its operation is not preferable, and it is desirable that the system can be configured compactly.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a garbage truck equipped with an inert gas supply system that does not require complicated control or the like and is advantageous for reduction in size and weight. It is in.

That is, the present invention is as follows.
1. A packing box,
An air compressor,
A gas separation membrane module to which compressed air from the air compressor is supplied;
A waste collection vehicle comprising:
(I) generating nitrogen gas by supplying compressed air to the gas separation membrane module;
(Ii) A garbage collection vehicle configured to maintain an explosion-proof atmosphere in the packing box by supplying the generated nitrogen gas into the packing box.

The “nitrogen gas” referred to here means a nitrogen-enriched gas.
The “garbage collection vehicle” includes any of the so-called packing box rotation type, compression plate type, and rotation plate type garbage collection vehicles.
The “explosion-proof atmosphere” preferably refers to an atmosphere having an oxygen concentration of 10% or less.
The nitrogen gas supply method for “maintaining an explosion-proof atmosphere” is not limited to the method of continuously supplying nitrogen gas, but is determined to be necessary if necessary (for example, based on the detection result of a sensor or the like). In this case, a method of intermittently supplying nitrogen gas is also included.
“Maintaining an explosion-proof atmosphere” does not mean that the oxygen concentration should exceed a certain reference value (for example, 10%). Until the value becomes lower than the value, the oxygen concentration may temporarily exceed the reference value.

2. In addition, it has a dust input chamber following the packing box,
2. The garbage truck according to 1 above, wherein nitrogen gas is also supplied to the dust input chamber.

3. Furthermore, it has an open / close door that opens and closes the packing box,
3. The garbage collection vehicle according to 1 or 2, wherein the supply amount of the nitrogen gas when the open / close door is closed is configured to be relatively reduced as compared to when the door is open.

4). Furthermore, the refuse collection vehicle as described in any one of said 1-3 which has an oxygen sensor which measures the oxygen concentration in the said packing box.

5). Measure the oxygen concentration in the packing box with the oxygen sensor,
5. The garbage truck according to 4 above, wherein when the oxygen concentration exceeds a certain value, nitrogen gas is supplied into the packing box so that the oxygen concentration is kept below a certain value.

6). Furthermore, the refuse collection vehicle as described in any one of said 1-5 provided with the temperature sensor which measures the temperature in the said packing box.

7). Measure the temperature in the packing box with the above temperature sensor,
7. The garbage collection vehicle according to 6 above, wherein when the temperature exceeds a certain value, nitrogen gas is supplied into the packing box so that the oxygen concentration is kept below a certain value.

  According to the present invention, since the gas separation membrane module generates nitrogen gas, an inert gas supply that does not require complicated control or the like and is advantageous for reduction in size and weight as compared with the PSA type. A garbage truck equipped with the system is provided.

It is a side view showing typically a garbage truck of one form of the present invention. It is a top view of the refuse collection vehicle of FIG. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of the inert gas supply system in the refuse collection vehicle of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows a gas separation membrane module typically. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example of an inert gas supply system. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of the inert gas supply system in the other form of this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the garbage collection vehicle 1 includes a driver's seat 10, a packing box 11 behind the driver's seat 10, and a dust input chamber 15 at the rear of the packing box.

  The dust input chamber 15 is a space into which dust is input by an operator, and inside thereof is a rotating plate 17 that moves the input dust to the packing box 11 side, and the packing box 11 and the dust input chamber 15 are partitioned. A door 18 is provided. The open / close door 18 swings around the upper horizontal axis to open and close the cargo box 11. The open / close door 18 is configured to operate in synchronization with the rotary plate 17, and the dust thrown into the dust input chamber 15 is scraped up by the rotary plate 17 and pushed into the open / close door 18. It is accommodated in the packing box 11.

  The garbage collection vehicle 1 includes an inert gas supply system that supplies nitrogen gas to the packing box. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, this system includes an air compressor 25 that compresses air and a gas separation membrane module 29 connected thereto. Furthermore, a control device (not shown) for controlling the operation of these devices and the like is provided.

  The air compressor 25 generates compressed air, and includes, as an example, a delivery switching unit (not shown) that can switch on / off the delivery of compressed air to the outside. The type of the air compressor 25 is not particularly limited, and as an example, air may be compressed using a part of the output from the output shaft of the internal combustion engine. For example, an air compressor (for example, used for applications such as an air brake) that is normally provided in this type of vehicle may be used as it is. The drive source of the air compressor 25 is not limited to the internal combustion engine, and may be an electric motor or the like.

  The gas separation membrane module 29 plays a role as a nitrogen generator, and generates nitrogen gas using the compressed air from the air compressor 25.

  The gas separation membrane module used in the present invention comprises a gas separation membrane having a gas permselectivity in a gas supply port, a permeate gas discharge port, and a non-permeate gas discharge port in a gas supply side of the gas separation membrane. It is a well-known thing mounted so that the space on the side is isolated. Gas selective permeable gas separation membranes may be flat membrane type, spiral type, etc. However, hollow fiber membranes with small thickness and small diameter can reduce the size of the device and increase the membrane area. Therefore, it is preferable.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the gas separation membrane module 29 includes, as an example, a hollow fiber bundle 35 that is a bundle of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes having selective permeability, and a container 30 that houses the hollow fiber bundle 35. I have. The container 30 has a cylindrical body 32 and caps 31A and 31B attached to both ends thereof.

  Both ends of the hollow fiber bundle 35 are fixed to both ends of the body 32 by tube plates 36A and 36B. When compressed air is supplied from the inlet of the inlet-side cap 31A, the air is fed into the hollow fiber membrane. When the air passes through the hollow fiber membrane, it is separated into an oxygen-enriched gas and a nitrogen-enriched gas, and the oxygen-enriched gas is sent to the outside from an outlet provided in the body 32, and the nitrogen-enriched gas is It passes through the hollow fiber membrane and is sent out from the outlet of the cap 31B.

  The present invention is not limited to the gas separation membrane module as shown in FIG. For example, the hollow fiber bundle may be wound by a cassette removing device in addition to a bundle of hollow fiber membranes cut to a certain length. The arrangement of the hollow fiber bundles may be parallel, crossed, woven or spiral. Moreover, the hollow fiber bundle may be provided with a core tube at a substantially central portion, and a film, a tape or the like may be wound around the outer peripheral portion of the hollow fiber bundle. Furthermore, the form of the hollow fiber bundle may be a columnar shape, a flat plate shape, a prismatic shape, or the like, and may be accommodated in the container as it is, bent into a U shape, or wound in a spiral shape. The cylindrical body 32 and the caps 31A and 31B are not particularly limited as long as they have predetermined strength, hermeticity, and pressure resistance, and can be formed of metal, plastic, fiber reinforced plastic, ceramics, or the like. Further, the gas separation membrane module may be a hollow feed or a shell feed.

  Further, the gas separation membrane may be homogeneous, may be non-uniform such as a composite membrane or an asymmetric membrane, and may be microporous or nonporous. A hollow fiber membrane having a thickness of 10 to 500 μm and an outer diameter of 50 to 2000 μm can be preferably exemplified.

  Further, the gas separation membrane module of the present invention is formed of a polymer material such as polyimide, polyetherimide, polyamide, polyamideimide, polysulfone, polycarbonate, fluorocarbon polymer, silicone resin, cellulose polymer, or ceramic material such as zeolite. The thing using the gas separation membrane which can be mentioned can be mentioned suitably. Polymer materials such as polyimide, polysulfone, polyetherimide, polyphenylene oxide, polycarbonate and the like made of a glassy polymer material at normal temperature (23 ° C.) are preferable because of good gas separation performance.

  Refer to FIG. 1 again. Although not limited, both the air compressor 25 and the gas separation membrane module 29 are provided on the lower side of the packing box 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the air compressor 25 is disposed on one side of the vehicle in the left-right direction, and the gas separation membrane module 29 is disposed on the opposite side.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the air compressor 25 and the gas separation membrane module 29 are connected via a pipe p <b> 5, and compressed air from the air compressor 25 is supplied to the gas separation membrane module 29. . Further, the nitrogen gas from the gas separation membrane module 29 is configured to be sent to the packing box 11 and the dust input chamber 15. In this example, one pipe p1 extends from the outlet of the gas separation membrane module 29, and pipes p2 and p3 leading to the packing box 11 and the dust input chamber 15 are branched from the middle of the pipe p1. Yes. It is preferable that means having a function of adjusting the gas flow rate and the oxygen concentration is provided on the pipe p1. An example of the adjusting means is a valve. In FIG. 3, an example of such a valve is indicated by reference numeral 43.

  A plurality of discharge ports 48 and 49 are provided in the vicinity of the ceiling of the packing box 11 and the dust input chamber 15. The discharge ports 48 and 49 are, for example, downward nozzles, and nitrogen gas is ejected downward from these nozzles. Each of the discharge ports 48 and 49 may have an opening / closing mechanism by itself, and thereby the gas supply ON / OFF may be switched, or may not be provided with an opening / closing mechanism and may be simply sent. It may be of a type that ejects a gas. Below, it demonstrates as what is the latter type.

  In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, the inert gas supply system in this embodiment may be provided with various sensors, such as the oxygen sensor which measures the oxygen concentration in the packing box 11, and the temperature sensor which measures temperature. Signals from these sensors are sent to a control device (not shown), and the control device performs a predetermined process based on it.

  An example of the operation of the garbage truck configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. In the following description, an example in which a predetermined operation is performed by detecting the oxygen concentration or the like in the packing box 11 using a sensor will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  Step S1 is an initial state of the inert gas supply system in the present embodiment, and in this state, compressed air from the air compressor 25 is not sent to the gas separation membrane module 29.

  Next, in step S2, the oxygen concentration and temperature in the packing box 11 are measured. Each measurement is performed using an oxygen sensor and a temperature sensor in the packing box 11. Only one of the oxygen concentration and the temperature may be measured.

  Next, in step S3, it is determined whether or not the measured oxygen concentration exceeds a certain value, or whether or not the measured temperature exceeds a certain value. If not, the measurement process (S2) is continued. If exceeded, the process proceeds to the next step S4.

  In step S <b> 4, a delivery switching unit (not shown) of the air compressor 25 is switched, whereby compressed air is sent to the gas separation membrane module 29. Then, nitrogen gas is obtained in the gas separation membrane module 29, and the nitrogen gas is supplied into the packing box 11. Nitrogen gas is fed into the cargo box 11 from each discharge port 48, thereby lowering the oxygen concentration in the cargo box 11. Nitrogen gas may also be supplied into the dust input chamber 15 as necessary.

  In step S5-1, measurement of a parameter that triggers the end of supply of nitrogen gas, for example, measurement of the oxygen concentration in the packing box 11 is performed. In step S5-2, it is determined whether or not the measured oxygen concentration has dropped to a certain value or less. When the oxygen concentration is still higher than a certain value (for example, 10%), the supply of nitrogen gas (S4) is continued, and when the oxygen concentration is less than the certain value, the supply of nitrogen gas is terminated (step S6). Note that the supply amount or supply time of the nitrogen gas may be measured, and the supply of the nitrogen gas may be terminated when it exceeds a certain value.

  The above process maintains the explosion-proof atmosphere by supplying nitrogen gas into the packing box 11 and / or the dust input chamber 15 and lowering the oxygen concentration. As a result, fire prevention and fire spread prevention are realized. The

In the garbage truck 1 of the present embodiment described above, when the gas separation membrane module 29 is used to generate nitrogen gas, there are the following advantages compared with the PSA method.
(I) In order to generate nitrogen in the gas separation membrane module, basically, it is only necessary to supply compressed air, and no special power / electric power is required (PSA is a power source for operating the valve) Or a control device).
(Ii) The gas separation membrane module is small and lightweight, and is suitable for in-vehicle use.

  As the air compressor 25, an air compressor conventionally provided in this type of vehicle can be used as it is. In this case, in order to configure the inert gas supply system (see FIG. 3) according to the present invention, it is only necessary to add the gas separation membrane module 29 or the like to the existing garbage collection vehicle.

  A configuration in which nitrogen gas is supplied not only to the packing box 11 but also to the dust input chamber 15 is preferable because it is possible to prevent fire in the chamber 15 and prevent fire spread.

The present invention is not limited to the above, and may be as follows, for example.
(About compressed air tank)
As shown in FIG. 6, a compressed air tank 27 that stores compressed air may be provided between the air compressor 25 and the gas separation membrane module 29. The compressed air tank 27 is connected to the air compressor 25 through a pipe, and the compressed air from the air compressor 25 is fed into the tank 27. As an example, the pressure in the compressed air tank 27 is measured by a sensor (not shown). When the pressure value becomes a certain value or less, the compressed air is sent again into the tank and the replenishment of the compressed air is performed. This replenishment operation is stopped when the pressure value in the tank reaches a certain value. In this way, the pressure of the air in the tank is maintained within a certain range. As the compressed air tank 27, an air storage tank for an air brake, which is conventionally provided in this type of vehicle, may be used. According to the configuration shown in FIG. 6, nitrogen gas can be generated by the gas separation membrane module 29 using the compressed air from the compressed air tank 27. Therefore, it is not always necessary to operate the air compressor 25 in order to generate nitrogen gas, resulting in an efficient and energy saving system.

(About valves etc.)
Further, in FIG. 6, a valve (for example, one having a function of opening / closing a flow path or one having a function of adjusting a flow rate) is further provided between the compressed air tank 27 and the gas separation membrane module 29 as necessary. It may be provided.

  In the present invention, in addition to the above, for example, a valve for switching the gas supply state to the pipes p2 and p3 may be provided at a branching portion (FIG. 3) of the pipe p1. Such a valve may be provided in each of the pipes p2 and p3.

  Moreover, although the oxygen sensor which measures the oxygen concentration in the packing box 11 and the temperature sensor which measures temperature were described in the said embodiment, these were not necessarily arrange | positioned.

(Discharge port)
The arrangement positions of the discharge ports 48 and 49 can be variously changed. For example, they may be provided not on the ceiling but on the side wall of the packing box 11 or the dust input chamber 15.

(About gas supply timing)
In the above description, the example in which the supply of compressed air to the gas separation membrane module 29 is switched using the detection result of the oxygen sensor or the like as a trigger has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, compressed air may be supplied to the gas separation membrane module 29 and nitrogen gas may be supplied into the packing box 11 without providing such a sensor.

The timing of supplying nitrogen gas into the packing box 11 is such that the supply of nitrogen gas is stopped when the door 18 is closed, and the nitrogen gas is supplied when the door 18 is opened (for example, in the state of FIG. 3). It is good also as a structure. In addition, a relatively small amount of nitrogen gas may be supplied when the open / close door 18 is closed, and a relatively large amount of nitrogen gas may be supplied when the door 18 is opened.
According to such a configuration, since the supply of gas is suppressed when the open / close door 18 is closed and the nitrogen gas is difficult to escape to the outside, wasteful gas supply is prevented.

(Other)
A monitor is provided at a predetermined location of the garbage truck 1, and when an increase in temperature or an increase in oxygen concentration in the cargo box 11 is detected as described above, that fact or supply of nitrogen gas is started. It may be configured to be displayed on the monitor. The monitor position may be, for example, in the driver's seat 10. Alternatively, it may be a part of the garbage throwing chamber 15 so that a worker who is working can easily see.

  In the above, the example of the rotary plate type garbage collection vehicle has been described, but the present invention is also applicable to a dust box collection vehicle of a packing box rotation type or a compression plate type.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Garbage collection vehicle 10 Driver's seat 11 Cargo box 15 Dust input chamber 17 Rotating plate 18 Open / close door 25 Air compressor 27 Compressed air tank 29 Gas separation membrane module 30 Container 31A, 31B Cap 32 Body 35 Hollow fiber bundle 36A, 36B Tube plate 43 Valve 48, 49 Discharge port p1-p3, p5 Pipe

Claims (7)

A packing box,
An air compressor,
A gas separation membrane module to which compressed air from the air compressor is supplied;
A waste collection vehicle comprising:
(I) generating nitrogen gas by supplying compressed air to the gas separation membrane module;
(Ii) A garbage collection vehicle configured to maintain an explosion-proof atmosphere in the packing box by supplying the generated nitrogen gas into the packing box. In addition, a dust input chamber that follows the packing box,
The refuse collection vehicle according to claim 1, wherein nitrogen gas is also supplied to the dust input chamber. Furthermore, it has an opening / closing door for opening and closing the packing box,
The refuse collection vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the supply amount of the nitrogen gas when the open / close door is closed is configured to be relatively reduced as compared to when the door is open.   Furthermore, the refuse collection vehicle of any one of Claims 1-3 provided with the oxygen sensor which measures the oxygen concentration in the said cargo box. Measure the oxygen concentration in the packing box with the oxygen sensor,
The refuse collection vehicle according to claim 4, wherein when the oxygen concentration exceeds a certain value, nitrogen gas is supplied into the packing box so that the oxygen concentration becomes a certain value or less.   Furthermore, the refuse collection vehicle of any one of Claims 1-5 provided with the temperature sensor which measures the temperature in the said packing box. Measure the temperature in the packing box with the temperature sensor,
The refuse collection vehicle according to claim 6, wherein when the temperature exceeds a certain value, nitrogen gas is supplied into the packing box so that the oxygen concentration becomes a certain value or less.

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