KR100651263B1 - Method and apparatus for disposing garbage by using moisture sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for treating food waste by using a moisture sensor are provided to dry food waste without being affected by a total amount of food waste or a function rate, remove odor of food waste while preventing combustion due to overheating, and improve the convenience of users by automating a dry process of food waste. Food waste is heated while agitating the food waste, wherein a temperature of the food waste is maintained at an upper limit temperature. Water vapor generated from the food waste is condensed to generated condensed water. If a generation amount of condensed water per unit time is smaller than a preliminarily set value, heating is stopped. If an electric resistance value of the food waste is smaller than a preliminarily set resistance value, the temperature of the food waste is maintained at a lower limit temperature. If the electric resistance value of the food waste becomes larger than the preliminarily set resistance value, heating and agitating are stopped.

Description

Food Waste Disposal Method and Treatment Apparatus using Water Sensor {METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPOSING GARBAGE BY USING MOISTURE SENSOR}

Figure 1a is a conceptual diagram for explaining the configuration and operation principle of the food waste treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1b is an enlarged view showing a part of the moisture sensor of the food waste treatment apparatus shown in Figure 1a in an enlarged view.

Figure 2a is a perspective view showing a stirrer of the food waste processing apparatus shown in Figure 1a.

Figure 2b is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the stirring blade of the food waste processing apparatus shown in Figure 2a.

Figure 2c and Figure 2d is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the stirring blade of the conventional food waste treatment apparatus.

Figure 3a is a cross-sectional view showing a treatment tank of the food waste treatment apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

3B is a perspective view of the treatment tank shown in FIG. 3A.

3C is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the structure of the outlet cover shown in FIG. 3A.

3D is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the cutting member shown in FIG. 3A.

Figure 4a is a graph for explaining a control method of the food waste treatment apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4b is a flow chart for explaining the control method of the food waste treatment apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

110: treatment tank 119: outlet

120: stirrer 130: heating device

135: temperature sensor 140: condenser

150: blower fan 160: condensate tank

162: drain valve 164: high water level sensor

166: low water level sensor 170: control unit

180: moisture sensor 190: cutting member

195: top cover

The present invention relates to a food waste treating apparatus, and more particularly, to a food waste treating apparatus for automatically drying food waste and a control method thereof.

About 30% of household waste emitted from households is food waste, and food waste contains about 75% water in Korea. In recent years, food waste and household waste are separated and processed separately, but food waste that is not water-removed requires a lot of cost and effort to be transported by large volume and weight. There is such a problem that there is a high possibility of odors and germs propagation due to deterioration in a short time. In addition, there is a problem that resources are wasted by disposing of food waste without recycling.

To solve this problem, various attempts have been made to treat food waste. Conventional food waste treatment methods include fermentation method, liquid feed method, drying method, etc. The fermentation method not only causes bad smell in the process of food waste fermentation, but also requires high technology for curing microorganisms or fermentation agents. The liquid feed method, which boils food waste at high temperature and feeds it, has a problem that microorganisms do not propagate or transport easily after treatment, and the drying method does not dry to a desired degree depending on the type of food waste and the moisture content. There was a problem such as excessively heated food waste is burned, odor and dust generated, food waste can not be recycled. In particular, the conventional dry food waste treatment apparatus determines the amount of moisture contained in the food waste being processed by using the humidity sensing means installed in the transfer path of the exhaust gas, there is a problem that does not match the actual dry state of the food waste there was.

In addition, the conventional food waste processing apparatus is installed so that the stirring blades of the stirrer for stirring the food waste are inclined by a predetermined angle with the stirring arm, so that the sticky food waste is agglomerated and hardly dried or pressed to the bottom of the treatment tank. There was a problem of sticking, the stirring blade is in contact with the inner surface of the treatment tank housing the food waste and by stirring to overload the drive unit for driving the stirrer, or the inner surface of the treatment tank and the stirring blade was abrasion was not available for a long time .

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art as described above, and is not affected by the total amount or moisture content of the food waste to be dried, completely dry the food waste but not burned, food waste It is to provide a food waste processing apparatus and a control method thereof that can easily handle food waste by automating the processing process.

In order to achieve the above object of the present invention, a food treatment tank is accommodated and processed, a heating device installed on the outer bottom surface of the processing tank, a temperature sensor provided inside the heating device, and rotates through the processing tank A stirrer installed to be possible, a condenser for condensing water by condensing water vapor contained in the discharge gas of the treatment tank, a condensate tank for storing condensate, a low water level sensor and a high level sensor for detecting the level of condensate stored in the condensate tank, A drain valve installed at the drain hole formed in the condensate tank, a blower fan for supplying the discharge gas passing through the condenser to the treatment tank, a moisture sensor for detecting the amount of water contained in the food waste, a temperature sensor, a low water level sensor, a high water level sensor, Receiving the output signal of the moisture sensor, and controls the heating device, stirrer, condenser, drain valve and blowing fan Provided is a food waste processing apparatus comprising.

The treatment tank is formed with an inlet through which food waste is input and an outlet through which food waste is discharged, and a cover is installed to be open and close at the inlet, and is further provided with an opening / closing detecting means for detecting the opening and closing of the cover and outputting a signal to the controller. When the signal of the opening and closing detection means is received by the controller, it is preferable to stop the stirrer and the blowing fan.

The outlet is formed with a packing portion, the outlet cover is coupled to open and close the packing portion, and a protrusion is formed in the middle of the outlet cover, so that the food waste is attached by filling the space formed by the outlet cover and the packing portion to the protrusions. It is desirable to prevent.

The heating device includes one or more heaters, a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the heat medium oil and the heat medium oil is heated by the heater to transfer heat to the treatment tank, the stirrer is coupled to the shaft, the outer peripheral surface of the shaft perpendicular to the shaft direction A plurality of stirring arms, which are coupled to the end of the stirring arm and a drive device for rotating the shaft is included. A rail-shaped cutting member is installed at an interruption of the inner surface of the treatment tank, and at least one upper cover is installed at both upper ends of the inner surface of the treatment tank.

The moisture sensor includes a probe inserted into the treatment tank to come into contact with food waste, insulation means interposed between the treatment tank and the probe, and a ground terminal electrically connected to the treatment tank, and the electrical resistance between the probe and the ground terminal is controlled by the controller. The value is measured.

In addition, in order to achieve the above object of the present invention, (a) heating the food waste while stirring, maintaining the temperature of the food waste at the upper limit temperature, and (b) condensing water vapor generated from the food waste Generating condensate but stopping heating when the amount of condensate produced per unit time is less than the set value; and (c) if the electrical resistance of the food waste is less than the set resistance, maintaining the temperature of the food waste at the lower limit temperature. When the electrical resistance value of the food waste is greater than the set resistance value, a control method of the food waste treatment apparatus including the step of stopping heating and stirring is provided.

The set resistance value of step (c) may be set to an electrical resistance value in an electrically insulated state with a conventional electrical resistance measurement equipment.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail for the food waste treatment apparatus according to the present invention. However, the same or corresponding components will be given the same reference numerals and redundant description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 1a is a conceptual diagram for explaining the configuration and operation principle of the food waste treatment apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1b is an enlarged partial view showing an enlarged moisture sensor of the food waste treatment apparatus shown in Figure 1a to be. 1A and 1B, a treatment tank 110, an inlet 111, a cover 112, an opening and closing detection unit 113, an exhaust port 115, an air supply port 116, an agitator 120, and a shaft ( 121, stirring arm 122, stirring blade 123, driving device 127, heating device 130, heater 131, heat medium oil 132, temperature sensor 135, condenser 140, blowing Fan 150, condensate tank 160, drain valve 162, high water level sensor 164, low water level sensor 166, control unit 170, moisture sensor 180, probe 181, insulating means 182 Ground terminal 185 is shown.

The treatment tank 110 is provided with an inlet 111 through which food waste is input and an outlet (not shown) through which the food waste after drying processing is discharged, and accommodates food waste until the drying treatment of the input food waste is completed. It is a means to.

The heating device 130 is installed below the outer surface of the processing tank 110, one or more heaters 131 are installed in the heating device 130, and the heat medium oil 132 is provided in the inner space of the heating device 130. Is charged. Therefore, heat generated from the heater 131 is transferred to the heat medium oil 132, and the treatment tank 110 is indirectly heated to receive heat from the heat medium oil 132. At this time, the heated heat medium oil 132 transfers heat to the treatment tank 110 through convection, so that the portion combined with the heating device 130 of the treatment tank 110 has almost no temperature distribution depending on the position. Will have The heating device 130 is provided with a temperature sensor 135 electrically connected to the control unit 170 to detect the temperature of the heat medium oil 132. The temperature sensor 135 may be installed at another location as needed, and in particular, it is possible to install a plurality of temperature sensors 135 on the inner surface of the treatment tank 110 so as to be in direct contact with food waste.

Stirrer 120 is a plurality of stirring arms coupled to the shaft 121 is rotatably installed through the treatment tank 110, the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 121 at a predetermined interval perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft 121. And a stirring blade 123 coupled to the ends of the 122 and the stirring arm 122, respectively. The shaft 121 is equipped with a power transmission means such as a pulley (not shown) and a chain (not shown) to be rotated by the driving device 127, and both ends of the shaft 121 are bearings (not shown). It is desirable to be easily supported and rotated easily. The driving device 127 is controlled by the controller 170. Shape and structure of the stirrer 120 will be described in detail separately below.

In the opening 111, the cover 112 is installed to be opened and closed, and the opening / closing detection unit 113 for detecting the opening / closing state of the cover 112 is installed. The signal output from the open / close detection unit 113 is input to the controller 170. In addition, it is preferable that the outlet cover 117 that can be opened and closed at an outlet (not shown) is provided to be openable and openable.

When the food waste introduced into the treatment tank 110 is stirred with the stirrer 120 and heated by the heating apparatus 130, water contained in the food waste is evaporated in the form of water vapor. In order to dry the food waste, water vapor contained in the air in the treatment tank 110 must be removed, and thus, the treatment tank 110 is provided with an exhaust port 115 for discharging the air therein. The exhaust gas discharged through the exhaust port 115 is delivered to the condenser 140 by means of a pipe or the like, and the moisture contained in the exhaust gas is condensed by the condenser 140 to be converted into the condensate 161. The condensate 161 is stored in the condensate tank 160. Condenser 140 is used to separate the water from the air containing the water, it may be used conventional condensation means such as air-cooled, water-cooled, thermoelectric semiconductor. Operation of the condenser 140 is controlled by the controller 170.

The exhaust gas from which moisture is removed from the condenser 140 is sent back to the treatment tank 110 by the blowing fan 150 controlled by the controller 170, and the air supply 116 is formed in the treatment tank 110. The exhaust gas is supplied into the treatment tank 110 through the air supply 116. That is, in the circulation of the exhaust gas, the exhaust gas inside the treatment tank 110 is sucked into the blower fan 150 through the condenser 140 through the exhaust port 115 by the suction force of the blower fan 150, and the blower fan The exhaust gas is supplied again through the air supply port 116 by the discharge force of the 150. As described above, drying of food waste is promoted by supplying the exhaust gas, which has been removed by the condenser 140 and dried, to the treatment tank 110 so that the heat inside the treatment tank 110 is discharged to the outside. Since it can be prevented to some extent, the effect of improving thermal efficiency can be obtained. The blowing fan 150 may be installed at any one of the transfer paths of the exhaust gas from the exhaust port 155 through the condenser 140 to the air supply 116, but the exhaust gas before passing through the condenser 140 has a relatively high temperature. Is high and contains water, it is preferable to install between the condenser 140 and the air supply 116 in order to prevent overheating of the blower fan 150 and corrosion by moisture.

Exhaust port 115 is preferably formed at the upper end of the treatment tank 110, so that the water in the form of water vapor evaporated from the food waste through the exhaust port 115, the exhaust gas and water containing moisture is removed In order to prevent the exhaust gas from being mixed and discharged to the exhaust port 115, the air supply port 116 may be installed to be as far away from the exhaust port 115 as possible. In addition, by forming the air supply 116 in a position where the exhaust gas from which moisture is removed is in contact with the food waste being agitated by the stirrer 120 as much as possible, the drying of the food waste may be promoted.

The condensate tank 160 is provided with a drain valve 162, a high water level sensor 164, and a low water level sensor 166. The drain valve 162 is installed in the drain pipe formed in the condensate tank 160 to open and close the drain pipe, and the high water level sensor 164 and the low water level sensor 166 are connected to the high water level of the condensate water 161 in the condensate tank 160. It is installed to detect the low water level. The high water level and the low water level can be arbitrarily selected by the user. The drain valve 162 is controlled by the controller 170, and the high water level sensor 164 and the low water level sensor 166 output signals to the controller 170.

When the condensate 161 generated in the condenser 140 accumulates in the condensate tank 160 and the level of the condensate 161 is detected by the high level sensor 164, the high level sensor 164 outputs a signal to the controller 170. In addition, the control unit 170 receives this signal to open the drain valve 162 to discharge the condensate 161 inside the condensate tank 160 to the outside. When the water level of the condensate 161 of the condensate tank 160 drops to reach the low water level sensor 166 by discharging the condensate 161, the low water level sensor 166 detects this and outputs a signal to the control unit 170. 170 receives this signal to stop the discharge of the condensate 161 by closing the drain valve 162. Since the condensed water 161 is continuously generated while the food waste in the treatment tank 110 is dried, opening and closing of the drain valve 162 is repeated, and the control unit 170 continuously measures the opening and closing interval of the drain valve 162. And comparisons.

Since the condensate 161 discharged to the outside from the condensate tank 160 may include odors and contaminants generated during the drying of food waste, the condensate 161 is purified by adding a purifier (not shown). It is preferable to allow the discharge later.

The treatment tank 110 is provided with one or more moisture sensors 180. The moisture sensor 180 is grounded to be electrically connected to the probe 181 inserted into the treatment tank 110, the insulation means 182 interposed between the treatment tank 110 and the probe 181, and the treatment tank 110. It consists of a terminal 185, the transducer 181 and the ground terminal 185 is electrically connected to the control unit 170.

The moisture sensor 180 detects a dry state of the food waste inside the treatment tank 110 by measuring an electrical resistance value between the probe 181 and the ground terminal 185. When the food waste inside the treatment tank 110 contacts the probe 181 and the inner surface of the treatment tank 110, the probe 181, the food waste, the treatment tank 110, and the ground terminal 185 form an electric circuit. Thus, the electrical resistance value of the food waste can be measured. Since normal food waste contains salt, electric current may flow due to sodium ions, chlorine ions, and the like contained in moisture. As a special case, if the current in the food waste is not at all ionic components can not flow, adding a low-cost and easily available electrolyte, such as salt or calcium chloride can solve the problem.

As the food waste is dried, the electric resistance value measured by the controller 170 by the moisture sensor 180 is gradually increased. When the food waste is completely dried, the electric resistance value reaches infinity. As described above, in order to be able to measure the electrical resistance value of the food waste, the material of the treatment tank 110 and the probe 181 should be a conductor, and the material of the insulation means 182 should be an electric insulator. In particular, since the transducer 181 and the insulating means 182 are in contact with food waste mixed with moisture, acidic and alkaline, or grains of somewhat hard and sharp nature, and the food waste is heated and stirred, Solid materials with heat resistance, water resistance, corrosion resistance and fatigue resistance should be used.

Since the food waste is continuously dispersed and mixed by the stirring blade 123 in the treatment tank 110, the food waste may not be temporarily contacted with the transducer 181 of the moisture sensor 180. Therefore, the moisture sensor 180 is preferably installed in plurality, in particular, it is preferable that the food waste is always installed in contact with the inner surface of the treatment tank 110 by the stirring blade 123. In addition, since the amount of water contained in the food waste may be different for each specific portion of the food waste in the treatment tank 110, the moisture sensor 180 is preferably installed at various locations.

When the plurality of moisture sensors 180 are installed, moisture-rich food waste may be instantaneously contacted with a specific moisture sensor 180, and dried food waste may be contacted with another moisture sensor 180. In this case, the electric resistance value changes momentarily, and the control unit 170 detects the change in the electric resistance value at predetermined time intervals so that the temporary change in the electric resistance value is classified as meaningless data, thereby operating the control unit 170. It is desirable not to affect this.

By attaching a heat insulator (not shown) to the outer surface of the treatment tank 110 and the heating device 130, to prevent the heat of the inside is discharged to the outside to improve the thermal efficiency, the user to the treatment tank 110 and the heating device It is preferable to prevent contact with 130 and causing burns. The treatment tank 110 is exposed to food waste having a high moisture and high acidity for a long time, and particularly, since the inner surface of the treatment tank 110 is rubbed with the heated food waste, it is preferable that a material having high corrosion resistance, heat resistance, and abrasion resistance is used. In addition, it is possible to coat the fluorine resin such as polytetrafluoroethylene so as to reduce the friction between the inner surface of the treatment tank 110 and the food waste and to prevent food waste from sticking to the treatment tank 110.

Figure 2a is a perspective view showing a stirrer of the food waste treatment apparatus shown in Figure 1a, Figure 2b is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the stirring blade shown in Figure 2a, Figures 2c and 2d is a conventional food waste It is a partial cross section for demonstrating operation | movement of the stirring blade of a processing apparatus. 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D, the food waste 10, the treatment tank 110, the stirrer 120, the shaft 121, the stirring arm 122, the stirring blade 123, discharge Guide 124, discharge vane 125 is shown.

The conventional stirring blade 123 shown in Figure 2c is coupled to form a predetermined inclination with the stirring arm 122 formed on the shaft 121. Therefore, as the shaft 121 rotates, the rotary blade 123 is passed while stirring the food waste 10. The starch is contained, such as rice or rice cake, or the food waste has strong adhesiveness such as cheese or malt. By 123, the inner surface of the treatment tank 110 is stuck or forms a lump. Therefore, the effect of agitation is lowered, and the moisture remaining in the agglomerated food waste does not evaporate well, and the food waste stuck to the inner surface of the treatment tank 110 is heated by the heat of the heating device (130 in FIG. 1A). Problems such as sticking or burning occur.

The conventional stirring blade 123 shown in FIG. 2d is in contact with the inner surface of the treatment tank 110 and tries to obtain an effect of removing the food waste 10 pressed against the inner surface of the treatment tank 110. , A large load is applied to the driving device (127 of FIG. 1A) for rotating the shaft 121 by the friction force between the inner surface of the processing tank 100 and the stirring blade 123, and the inner surface of the processing tank 110 and the stirring blade 123. ) Is a problem that wears out. In addition, when the food waste 10 includes small and hard objects such as fish fish or chicken bones, such objects are inserted between the inner surface of the processing tank 110 and the stirring blade 123, and the stirring blade 123. ) Acts as a wedge has caused a problem that the rotation of the shaft 121 is stopped.

Therefore, the stirrer of the food waste treating apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention combines the stirring blade 123 to the end of the stirring arm 122, as shown in Figure 2a and 2b, the stirrer 120 is fixed When rotating, the front surface of the stirring blade 123 is installed to pressurize the food waste 10 uniformly so that pressure is not concentrated on a specific portion of the food waste 10, and the end of the stirring blade 123 and The above-described problem can be solved by forming a predetermined interval S between the inner surfaces of the treatment tank 110.

The stirrer 120 includes a shaft 121, a stirring arm 122, a stirring blade 123, a discharge guide 124, and a discharge blade 125. A plurality of stirring arms 122 are coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the shaft 121 in a direction perpendicular to the shaft 121 axial direction, and the plurality of stirring arms 122 are spaced apart by a predetermined distance along the longitudinal direction of the shaft 121. It is coupled to a position rotated by a predetermined angle, the stirring blade 123 of the square plate shape is coupled to the end of each stirring arm 122. The number of the stirring arms 122, the rotated angle between the adjacent stirring arms 122 and the shape and area of the stirring blade 123 can be arbitrarily changed as necessary.

A discharge guide 124 is formed on the surface of the stirring blade 123 which is in contact with the food waste 10 when the stirrer 120 rotates in reverse, and the discharge blade (at the end of any one of the plurality of stirring arms 122). 125) is formed. Discharge wing 125 is a predetermined angle with the stirring arm 122 to shovel the food waste out of the treatment tank (110 in Figure 1a) through the outlet (not shown) when the stirrer 120 is rotated in reverse It is coupled to be inclined, the discharge guide 124 serves to collect the food waste in the direction of the discharge wing 125 when the stirrer reverses. Therefore, the discharge guide 124 is formed to be inclined toward the discharge blade (125).

The stirring blade 123 of the stirrer 120 having the structure and shape as described above is to disperse the food waste 10 evenly on the inner surface of the treatment tank 110 as the shaft 121 rotates, wherein the starch is Since many or sticky food waste 10 is not pressurized, it is possible to prevent the formation of lumps of food waste 10. In addition, even if a small and hard object is interrupted between the inner surface of the treatment tank 110 and the stirring blade 123 by a predetermined interval (S), the object is moved by moving the object as the stirring blade 123 is rotated It will be moved to the top of (10).

Figure 3a is a cross-sectional view showing a treatment tank of the food waste treatment apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3b is a perspective view showing the treatment tank shown in Figure 3a. In the description with reference to FIGS. 3B, 3C and 3D, FIG. 3A will be referred to continuously.

3A and 3B, a treatment tank 110, an outlet cover 117, an agitator 120, a cutting member 190, and an upper cover 195 are illustrated.

The upper cover 195 is installed at both upper portions of the treatment tank 110. The upper cover 195 is a flat plate member having an arc shape, and prevents the stirrer 120 from sticking out of the food waste to the upper portion of the treatment tank 110 in the process of stirring the food waste. Then, after the drying process of the food waste is completed, in the process of collecting the processed food waste to the discharge port 119 by rotating the stirrer 120 reversely, the food waste spread throughout the treatment tank 110 is treated tank ( It is moved to both ends of the 110 to prevent the discharge port 119 is not discharged.

3C is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the structure of the outlet cover shown in FIG. 3A. Referring to FIG. 3C, a treatment tank 110, an outlet 119, a packing 118a, a packing hole diagram 118b, an outlet cover 117, and a protrusion 117a are illustrated.

During the process of processing food waste, the outlet cover 117 is installed in the outlet 119 so that the food waste stirred by the stirrer 120 is not pushed out through the outlet 119. Since the food waste contains a lot of water, watertightness is required between the outlet cover 117 and the treatment tank 110, thereby forming the packing part 118. The packing part 118 is composed of a packing 118a and a packing holder 118b, and a packing groove 118c in which the packing 118a is partially accommodated is formed in the packing holder 118b, so that the outlet cover 117 and the packing are formed. When the unit 118 is combined, water contained in the food waste does not flow out of the treatment tank 110. Therefore, the depth of the packing groove 118c is preferably formed so that the packing 118a is somewhat pressurized when the outlet cover 117 and the packing part 118 are coupled.

On the other hand, in the conventional food waste treatment apparatus, the food waste being processed is attached to the space formed by the packing part 118 and the outlet cover 117 protruding from the treatment tank 110 and is not dried. When the disposal of the waste is completed and the outlet cover 117 is opened, there was a problem flowing out of the treatment tank 110. Therefore, in the present invention, by forming the protrusion 117a in the middle portion of the outlet cover 117 so that the protrusion 117a fills the space formed by the packing portion 118 and the outlet cover 117, the food waste discharge port It is possible to prevent the attachment to the cover 117, and even if food waste is attached, it is possible to obtain the effect of reducing the amount. In addition, the outlet cover 117 and the protrusion 117a may be made of a transparent material such as heat-resistant glass so that the processed state of the food waste 10 can be visually checked.

3D is a partial cross-sectional view for describing the operation of the cutting member illustrated in FIG. 3A. Referring to FIG. 3D, the treatment tank 110, the stirrer 120, the stirring blade 123, and the cutting member 190 are illustrated.

The cutting member 190 is installed at one side of the inner surface of the treatment tank 110. The food waste 10 discharged from Korea includes a lot of long fibers such as kimchi and herbs, and when the food waste 10 containing a large amount of such fibers is dried as it is, the processed food waste 10 Larger particles can cause inconvenience in recycling. Therefore, the cutting member 190 is not in contact with the end of the stirring blade 123 on the inner surface of the processing tank 110, the food waste by installing a narrow gap between the end of the stirring blade 123 and the cutting member 190. Let the fiber contained in (10) be cut. The cutting member 190 may be installed in the form of a rail protruding from the inner surface of the treatment tank 110, and may be partially installed as necessary. In addition, the position of the cutting member 190 may be selected and installed as necessary, but in order to increase the cutting effect, the stirring blade 123 receives less pressure from the food waste 10, that is, the position of the stirring arm 122. It is preferable to provide in the vicinity of the position where the angle is horizontal.

In addition, by attaching an elastic member (not shown) to the end of the stirring arm 122 to hold the stirring blade 123, but by adjusting the elasticity of the elastic member (not shown), the stirring blade 123 and Fiber between the cutting member 190 is cut but it is also possible to pass a very hard material such as the bone of the animal as it is.

Figure 4a is a graph for explaining a control method of the food waste treatment apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4b is a flow chart for explaining the control method of the food waste treatment apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the description with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, when reference to the operation of the components shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B is needed, reference numerals will be given.

Graph (A) is a temperature-time graph relating to the relationship between the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 135 and the operating time of the food waste treatment apparatus 100. Graph (B) is a discharge time-time graph relating to the relationship between the time when the condensed water 161 is discharged upon detection of the high water level sensor 164 and the operating time of the food waste processing apparatus 100. Graph C is an electrical resistance value-time graph relating to the relationship between the electrical resistance value of the food waste detected by the moisture sensor 180 and the operating time of the food waste processing apparatus 100. Graph D is a moisture content-time graph relating to the relationship between the actual amount of water contained in the food waste and the operating time of the food waste processing apparatus 100.

When the user inputs the food waste to be dried through the inlet 111 to the treatment tank 110 and operates the food waste processing apparatus 100 by operating the controller 170, the controller 170 controls the heater 131. And the driving device 127 to allow food waste to be heated and stirred. This step is a food waste treatment device operation start step (S10) shown in Figure 4b.

When the food waste starts to be processed, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 135 is equal to or lower than the lower limit temperature TL of the graph A, and the electrical resistance value detected by the moisture sensor 180 is an initial value Ri. ), And the actual amount of moisture contained in the food waste also has an initial value Hi.

When the food waste reaches a predetermined temperature, the moisture contained in the food waste begins to evaporate. When the predetermined temperature is sensed by the temperature sensor 135, the controller 170 operates the condenser 140 and the blowing fan 150 to transfer the exhaust gas in the treatment tank 110 to the condenser 140. Condensate water is generated by condensing moisture contained in the exhaust gas, and the condensate 161 is discharged, and the exhaust gas from which the moisture is removed by the condenser 140 passes through the air supply fan 150 to the processing tank again. To be transferred to (110). The time point at which the condenser 140 and the blower fan 150 starts to operate is indicated by t0 in the graph (B).

Meanwhile, although the predetermined temperature is represented by the lower limit temperature TL in the graph A, the lower limit temperature TL may be set differently as needed, and the predetermined temperature may also be set differently depending on the moisture content or the main component of the food waste. In addition, the condenser 140 and the blower fan 150 may be operated after a predetermined time elapses at the time when the heater 131 and the stirrer 120 start to operate without setting a predetermined temperature. At this time, the predetermined temperature and the predetermined time can be calculated based on the experimental value.

The condensate 161 generated in the condenser 140 is stored in the condensate tank 160, and the amount of accumulation of the condensate 161 increases, so that when the water level of the condensate 161 reaches the high water level sensor 164, the high water level sensor 164 ) Outputs a signal to the controller 170. The controller 170 receiving the signal of the high water level sensor 164 opens the drain valve 162 to discharge the condensate 161, and when the water level of the condensate 161 is lowered to reach the low water level sensor 166, the low water level sensor 166. Receiving the signal of the control unit 170 closes the drain valve 162 to stop the discharge of the condensate 161. While the food waste is heated, the discharge of the condensed water 161 by the opening and closing of the drain valve 162 is repeated, and the control unit 170 grasps and stores each time point of opening the drain valve 162 from t0 of the graph B. Then, the time intervals at each time point, for example, time intervals such as t1 to t1 and t1 to t2 are compared.

As the heater 131 is operated, the temperature of the food waste in the treatment tank 110 continuously increases. When the upper limit temperature TH is detected by the temperature sensor 135, the controller 170 operates the heater 131. Stop the stirrer 120 to continue to operate. The upper limit temperature TH is a temperature that can be obtained based on experiments, and is preferably set to the highest temperature in which food waste is not combusted, or set to a temperature at which water in food waste evaporates most efficiently.

The controller 170 measures each time interval as represented in the graph B and compares the average value with the most recently measured interval, so that the most recently measured time interval is a predetermined multiple of the average value of the time interval, that is, Then, the heater 131 is intermittently operated until a time point exceeding the set interval value (t6 of the graph B) is maintained to maintain the upper limit temperature TH as represented by the graph A. FIG. At this time, when the electric resistance value sensed by the moisture sensor 180 reaches the set resistance value Rf of the graph C, the operation of the heater 131 is stopped, and it is higher than the set resistance value Rf. If the value is small, the upper limit temperature TH is maintained as described above. This step is the condensate discharge interval detection step (S20) shown in Figure 4b.

The predetermined multiples described above are about two times based on experiments. At this time, the moisture contained in the food waste is about 95% evaporated. If the water is evaporated about 95%, the food waste is burned and odor and dust are generated when it is continuously heated. Therefore, the operation of the heater 131 is stopped and the food is heated by lowering the temperature by using the residual heat of the heat medium oil 132. It is desirable to prevent garbage from burning.

When the interval at which the above-described drain valve 162 is operated reaches a predetermined multiple, that is, the time expressed by t6 in the graph B, the controller 170 stops the operation of the heater 131 and the stirrer 120. The condenser 140 and the blower fan 150 continue to operate. Although the operation of the heater 131 is stopped, the residual heat remains in the heat medium oil 132, so that the food waste in the treatment tank 110 continues to receive heat from the heat medium oil 132, but the temperature is lower than the upper limit temperature (TH). Descend to. However, since the temperature of the food waste is more than the temperature at which the water evaporates (here, the lower limit temperature TL), the water is continuously evaporated, and this water is included in the exhaust gas and removed by the condenser 140.

While the temperature of the food waste in the processing tank 110 continues to decrease, when the electrical resistance value detected by the moisture sensor 180 by the control unit 170 reaches the set resistance value Rf of the graph C (graph ( Change in the electrical resistance value represented by the thick solid line of C), and the controller 170 stops the operation of the stirrer 120, the condenser 140, and the blowing fan 150 (ta of graph A). At this time, in the case of drying the food waste having a high moisture content or agglomerated mass, the temperature detected by the controller 170 by the temperature sensor 135 has reached the lower limit temperature TL represented in the graph A. FIG. However, the electric resistance value detected by the controller 170 by the moisture sensor 180 may not reach the set resistance value Rf expressed in the graph C. In this case, the controller 170 may be disposed of in the food waste. In order to evaporate the remaining moisture, the heater 131 is operated intermittently to maintain the lower limit temperature TL represented in the graph A, and the condenser 140 and the blower fan 150 may also be operated. When the electric resistance value reaches the set resistance value Rf (change in electric resistance value represented by the thick dotted line of the graph C) while maintaining the lower limit temperature TL, the moisture sensor 180 detects ( Tb of the graph A, the controller 170 stops the operation of the stirrer 120, the heater 131, the condenser 140, and the blowing fan 150. This step is the moisture detection step (S30) of Figure 4b.

When all of the moisture contained in the food waste evaporates, current cannot flow through the food waste. Therefore, the set resistance value Rf expressed in the graph C is preferably set to a value close to an electrically insulated state of the electrical resistance value detected by the controller 170 by the moisture sensor 180. The electrically insulated state refers to a state in which the electrical resistance is so large that the electrical resistance value is infinite when measured with a conventional electrical resistance measurement equipment.

If it is determined that all of the moisture contained in the food waste in the treatment tank 110 has evaporated based on the electrical resistance value, the controller 170 rotates the stirrer 120 in reverse after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed. An outlet (not shown) formed at 110 allows the food waste, which has been dried, to be discharged. According to experimental values, the predetermined waiting time is about 30 minutes to about 1 hour, which is the time required for the temperature of the dried food waste to reach a temperature that can be touched by a human hand. This step is the food waste processing device operation termination step (S40) of Figure 4b.

On the other hand, in the case of injecting the food waste into the inlet 111 or during the operation of the food waste processing apparatus 100, such as additional food waste, the user is injured or food by the agitator 120 is operated Trash can come out of the inlet 111 may occur. In addition, the cover 112 is opened while the condenser 140 and the blower fan 150 are operated to exhaust external air into the treatment tank 110, or to remove moisture transferred through the air supply 116. When the gas flows out of the treatment tank 110, a problem of lowering thermal efficiency may occur. Therefore, when the opening of the cover 112 is detected by the opening and closing detecting means 113 for detecting the opening and closing of the cover 112, the control unit 170 immediately suspends the operation of the stirrer 120 and the blowing fan 150. Let's do it.

By the way, when the cover 112 is opened in order to inject more food waste during the operation of the food waste processing apparatus 110 in the above-described case, the operation of the stirrer 120 and the blowing fan 150 is suspended, but the heater Since the 131 and the condenser 140 are still in operation, when the state is maintained for a long time, food waste may be burned or energy may be lost.

Therefore, when a predetermined time is set for the pause state and the cover 112 is detected to be open for the predetermined time or more by the opening / closing detecting means 113, the control unit 170 alerts the user to recognize the warning signal. It is preferable to make it sweat. If the closing of the cover 112 is not detected even after the warning signal is issued, it is preferable that the control unit 170 stops the operation of the heater 131 and the condenser 140 to prevent food waste from burning or loss of energy. . The warning signal may be a flashing lamp, a buzzer, or the like, or a voice and image output device may be added to the controller 170 to display a voice signal or a text signal such as "close the cover."

Meanwhile, the method of maintaining the upper limit temperature TH and the lower limit temperature TL by intermittently operating the heater 131 in the condensate discharge interval detection step S20 and the moisture content detection step S30 has been described. However, in the above-described embodiment of the present invention, since the temperature sensor 135 measures the temperature of the heat medium oil 132, a difference may occur with the actual temperature of the food waste. In particular, even after the operation of the heater 131 is stopped due to reaching the upper limit temperature TH, the temperature of the heat medium oil 132 may rise slightly from the upper limit temperature TH and start to fall due to the residual heat remaining in the heater 131. As a result, the temperature of the food waste in the treatment tank 110 may also increase after the temperature rises slightly. On the contrary, even after the temperature of the heat medium oil 132 reaches the lower limit temperature TL, the heater 131 is operated. The temperature of the heat medium oil 132 may be slightly lower than the lower limit temperature TL and then increased.

This difference in temperature can be corrected through experiments, and through a number of experiments, a temperature-time graph such as graph (A) of FIG. 4A is prepared and analyzed to find a tendency for the correlation between heating time and temperature change. Therefore, before the upper limit temperature TH and the lower limit temperature TL are reached, the operation of the heater 131 is stopped in advance, and the temperature slightly increased by the latent heat of the heater 131 is the upper limit temperature TH and the lower limit temperature. A so-called predictive control is possible so as to remain within the TL. It is also possible to control the temperature of the food waste processing apparatus 100 through such predictive control.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art may variously modify and modify the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. It will be appreciated that it can be changed.

According to the present invention described above, by detecting the amount of moisture contained in the food waste through the moisture sensor, it is possible to obtain an effect that can be dried without being affected by the overall amount or moisture content of the food waste, drying the food waste However, by preventing the combustion due to overheating, it is possible to obtain the effect of removing the odor of food waste, transport and recycling is easy, and can fully obtain the effect of improving the convenience of the user by fully automating the drying treatment of food waste. In addition, by stirring the food wastes without pressing the inner surface of the treatment tank, the agitation wing prevents agglomeration of the food waste, and by providing a cutting member in the treatment tank, it is possible to obtain an effect of facilitating drying of the food waste.

Claims (13)

A treatment tank for receiving food waste, a heating device installed on the lower outer surface of the treatment tank, a temperature sensor for measuring the internal temperature of the heating device, and rotatably installed through the treatment tank to stir the food waste. And a condenser for condensing water vapor contained in the discharge gas of the treatment tank to generate condensed water, a condensate tank for storing the condensate, a low water level sensor and a high level sensor for detecting the level of the condensate stored in the condensate tank; And a drain valve installed at the drain hole formed in the condensate tank and closed when receiving the signal of the high water level sensor and closed when receiving the signal of the low water level sensor, and a blowing fan for supplying the discharge gas passing through the condenser to the treatment tank. And a probe that penetrates the treatment tank and contacts the food waste. Method of drying food waste by using a moisture sensor to measure the electrical resistance value of the food waste including an insulating member interposed between the tactile and the treatment tank to electrically insulate and a ground terminal electrically connected to the treatment tank. To (1) maintaining the temperature of the heating device at an upper limit temperature or a lower limit temperature by comparing an average value of the intervals between the time points at which the drain valves are opened with a set interval value; And (2) determining whether the heating device, the stirrer, the condenser, and the blower fan are operated by comparing the electric resistance value with a set resistance value. The method of claim 1, And said set interval value of said step (1) is twice as large as said average value. The method of claim 1, And said set resistance value of said step (2) is a resistance value in an electrically insulated state. The method of claim 1, Operating the heater before the step (1), and operating the stirrer, the condenser and the blower fan when the temperature of the heater measured by the temperature sensor reaches the lower limit temperature. How to dispose of food waste. A treatment tank; A heating device installed on an outer bottom surface of the treatment tank; A temperature sensor installed inside the heating device; A stirrer rotatably installed through the treatment tank; A condenser for condensing water vapor contained in the discharge gas of the treatment tank to generate condensed water; A condensate tank for storing the condensate; A low water level sensor and a high water level sensor for detecting the water level of the condensate stored in the condensate tank; A drain valve installed at a drain hole formed in the condensate tank; A blowing fan for supplying the discharge gas passing through the condenser to the treatment tank; A moisture sensor for sensing the amount of moisture contained in the food waste; And a control unit for outputting a signal corresponding to an electrical resistance value of the food waste from the moisture sensor to control the operation of the heating apparatus. The method of claim 5, wherein the control unit Receiving the output signals of the temperature sensor, the low water level sensor, the high water level sensor and the moisture sensor, and controls the heating device, the stirrer, the condenser, the drain valve and the blowing fan, each step of claim 1 Food waste processing apparatus comprising a control unit for performing. The method of claim 5, An inlet formed at an upper portion of the treatment tank and into which food waste is input; A cover installed to be opened and closed at the inlet; It further includes an opening and closing detection means for detecting the opening and closing of the cover to output a signal to the control unit, when the signal of the opening and closing detection means is received by the control unit, the control unit stops the stirrer and the blowing fan food waste Processing unit. The method of claim 5, A discharge port formed on one side of the treatment tank and discharging the processed food waste; A packing part formed at the outlet; And an outlet cover coupled to the packing part so as to be openable and closed, wherein a protrusion is formed at an intermediate portion of the outlet cover, and the protrusion has a shape corresponding to a space formed by the packing part. The method of claim 5, wherein the stirrer A shaft; A plurality of stirring arms coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the shaft perpendicularly to the axial direction of the shaft; And a stirring blade coupled to an end of the stirring arm, wherein a discharge guide inclined toward the stop of the shaft is formed on the rear surface of the stirring blade. The method of claim 9, Food waste treatment apparatus further comprises a rail-shaped cutting member installed horizontally on the interruption of the inner surface of the treatment tank. The method of claim 5, wherein the moisture sensor A probe inserted into the treatment tank and in contact with the food waste; Insulating means interposed between the treatment tank and the probe; And a ground terminal electrically connected to the treatment tank, wherein the electrical resistance value between the probe and the ground terminal is measured by the control unit. The method of claim 5, Food waste treatment apparatus is coated with a fluorine resin on the inner surface of the treatment tank. The method of claim 5, Food waste treatment apparatus further comprises one or more top covers installed on both sides of the upper end of the inner surface of the treatment tank.

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