WO2006029460A2

WO2006029460A2 - Sterilizing and conditioning municipal solid waste in the collection vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2006029460A2
Application number: PCT/AU2005/001400
Authority: WO
Inventors: Clifford C. Holloway
Original assignee: Holloway Clifford C
Priority date: 2004-09-17
Filing date: 2005-09-15
Publication date: 2006-03-23
Also published as: WO2006029460A3

Abstract

A mobile waste collection vehicle adapted to sterilize and condition the waste as it is being collected. The waste being treated by steam, heat and pressure from the vehicle’s exhaust system in a rotative autoclave. The organic compounds are formed into a pulp to allow the recovery of solids, and gases are treated prior to being released into the atmosphere.

Description

Sterilizing and Conditioning MSW in the Collection Vehicle. Field of Invention.

The present invention relates to sterilizing and conditioning MSW, particularly household waste as it is being collected. This has the advantage of destroying the pathogens before they have the chance to multiply in the collection vehicle. A second advantage is that the steam, heat, compression and gasses in the sreralization and compression process tend to decompose and pulp the organic fraction including cellulose, so that bottles, cans, plastic and fabrics may be recovered by conventional means for recycling.

Alternative means of treatment of MSW have previously been disclosed by the present applicant in a series of patents, amongst which are issued in the USA. Pat. no. 4,342,830 dated 3 Aug. 1982. 4,540,495 dated 10 June 1985. no. 4,844,351 dated 4 July 1989. no. 4,190,226 dated 2 March 1993. no. 5,361, 994, dated 8 Nov. 1994. no. , 5.427,650 dated 27 June 1995. Each of these have been primarily concerned with providing apparatus and method to improve the amount of waste that may be recycled. However each patent discloses a treatment of the waste by steam and pressure in a manner which sterilizes the waste. In addition the methods include a means of thorough agitation and mixing which ensures that all of the waste is effected by the steam, heat and pressure. While the process defined in the applicant's patents mentioned above have been found to effectively sterilize the waste, even medical waste, they do not disclose their use in a collection vehicaLThe disclosed processing is accomplished at fixed locations after the MSW has been collected by conventional means.

Disclosure of the Invention

Accordingly, the invention resides in a mobile waste collection unit adapted sterilize the waste as it is being collected. The process unit comprising an autoclave ratable about an axis, drive means adapted to cause rotation the autoclave, defining a chamber with an inlet, a first closure adapted to sealing close the inlet , guide means within the chamber adapted to coax the waste away from the inlet during the rotation of the autoclave, piercing means adapted to pierce the capsules on contact and a port adapted to be connected to a source of sterilizing medium described in the above patients., the .

According to a preferred embodiment, the sterilizing medium is the exhaust gases from the vehicle engine.

The composition of exhaust from vehicle engines is well known. It varied with the fuel, diesel, I-PG ethanol etc. However the gases are the result of combustion and all contain CO, HC, NO, O, and H. at a temperature above 700 K

CO is deadly to living organisms. Temperature of 700 K has energy to produce needed steam. The vehicle exhaust is introduced into the collection unit via conventional compressed air lines. The introduction of heat will produce stean from the moisture contained in the MSW.

According to a preferred feature of the invention a rotatable autoclave is mounted on a vehicle where the exhaust gasses are introduced into the autoclave. These gases contain compounds which are deadly to pathogens.

According to a preferred embodiment, heat fron the vehicle engine is used to heat the autoclave and produce steam. This steam under pressure and agitation will tend to pulp the cellulose and other organic.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the gasses produced in the collection unit from the reaction of organic matter with heat, steam and exhaust gasses are captured and compressed for further treatment prior to being introduced into the atmosphere.

It should be noted that the scope of the present invention need not be limited to the particular scope of the embodiments described above.

Claims

Claims:

This is not a detailed specification for a vehicle engineered to collect a specific component of MSW ( municipal solid waste, including medical and agricultural waste) such as household garbage. Rather it is a method or procedure for collecting MSW including volatile molecules and compounds which might be harmful to the environment At the same time this process exposes the organic components of the

MSW to steam, heat, pressure and chemicals which tend to decompose the organic fraction including cellulose into a " pulp" which enables the recovery of solid materials such as cans and bottles.

This is a method and procedure which enables engineering of such a mobile rotating autoclave. This Autoclave is described in my previous patents.

Engineering is dependent upon local government specifications, climate, culture, aki other site specific requirements. The internal configurations depends upon the size of the autoclave and the nature of the material being treated.

what I claim is,

1. A method for collecting MSW in such a manner as to prevent harmful molecules and compounds from escaping into the environment.

2. A method for collecting MSW in such a manner as to use the engine exhaust to kill living_^ organisms, including pathogens.

3. A method for collecting MSW in such a manner as to use the engine, heat exhaust to produce steam for the autoclave

4. Amethαd for transportingMSW in such, a. manner as to prevent harmful emissions -into the environment

5. A method for transportingMSW in such a manner as to prevent undesirable odors. (), A process for collecting and treating MSW for further processing in a MRF (materials recovery facility). The efficiency of the MRF is vastly improved.

7. A process in claim 6 where healthhazards in the MRF are removed due to sterilization of the waste.

§. A process in claim 6 where harmful: emissions ^re collected for treatment and not released into the environment.