SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AN ELECTRODYNAMIC FRAGMENTATION

Abstract

A fragmentation system for electrodynamic fragmentation of material contains a feed and an outlet for transporting material along a transport path in a transport direction. At least one high-voltage pulse source is provided, each of the high-voltage pulse sources contains at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode for generating a high-voltage discharge in a discharge chamber. The transport path has a fractionation section, and the fractionation section extends through the discharge chamber. A selection device for selectively extracting the material on the transport path is provided in order to channel material and/or fragments of the material having a diameter smaller than a minimum diameter past at least one portion of one of the fractionation sections.

Claims

1. A fragmentation system for electrodynamic fragmentation of material, the fragmentation system comprising: an inlet and at least one outlet for the material; a transport path leading from said inlet to said at least one outlet for transporting the material along said transport path in a transport direction; at least one high-voltage pulse source, said at least one high-voltage pulse source having at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode for generating a high-voltage discharge in a discharge chamber; said transport path having at least one fractionation section, said at least one fractionation section extending through said discharge chamber; and a selection means for selectively extracting the material on said transport path in order to channel the material and/or fragments of the material having a diameter smaller than a minimum diameter past at least one portion of said at least one fractionation section.

2. The fragmentation system according to claim 1, wherein said selection means contains said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode.

3. The fragmentation system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode form a rail.

4. The fragmentation system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one fractionation section forms an inclined plane sloping downward in the transport direction.

5. The fragmentation system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode have a longitudinal extent, wherein said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode are disposed with the longitudinal extent in the same direction as the transport direction.

6. The fragmentation system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second electrodes form a chute for the material, said chute sloping downward in the transport direction in relation to a direction of gravity.

7. The fragmentation system according to claim 6, wherein a length and/or an inclination angle of at least one of said first and second electrodes of said chute and/or a distance between said first and second electrodes of said chute is variable.

8. The fragmentation system according to claim 1, further comprising a conveying apparatus for conveying a medium in a media conveying direction in order to support a transport of the material.

9. The fragmentation system according to claim 1, wherein a distance between said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode (10b) is variable and/or settable.

10. The fragmentation system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one high-voltage pulse source is configured to output a high-voltage pulse having a working voltage of greater than 10 kV as the high-voltage discharge.

11. The fragmentation system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one high-voltage pulse source is one of a plurality of high-voltage pulse sources for outputting high-voltage discharges having different working voltages.

12. The fragmentation system according to claim 1, wherein the transport path is configured for conveying more than ten tons of the material per hour.

13. The fragmentation system according to claim 3, wherein said at least one fractionation section sloping downward as an inclined plane has a slope angle for transporting the material based on a downhill force, wherein the slope angle is settable for setting a transport speed for the material along said at least one fractionation section.

14. The fragmentation system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one fractionation section has conveying structures.

15. The fragmentation system according to claim 1, wherein the transport path has at least one sieve structure for extracting extremely small fractions of the material.

16. A method for electrodynamic fragmentation of material, which comprises the steps of: transporting the material from an inlet toward an outlet along a transport path; providing a fractionation section in the transport path and at least one high-voltage pulse source with at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode; generating, via the at least one high-voltage pulse source, a high-voltage discharge in a discharge chamber, the discharge chamber being disposed between the at least one first electrode and the at least one second electrode; and channeling the material and/or fragments of the material having a diameter smaller than a minimum diameter past at least one portion of one of the fractionation section.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the method is carried out by a fragmentation system according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0069] FIG. 1 is an illustration of one exemplary embodiment of a fragmentation system according to the invention;

[0070] FIG. 2 is an illustration showing a detail view of a transport path as a first exemplary embodiment;

[0071] FIG. 3 is an illustration showing a transport path as a second exemplary embodiment; and

[0072] FIG. 4 is an illustration showing a transport path as a further exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0073] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown schematically shows a fragmentation system 1. The fragmentation system 1 has a housing 2. The housing 2 is a metal housing. The housing 2 is constructed in the form of a silo. The housing 2 has an inlet 3 and a plurality of outlets 4. Via the inlet 3, which here is configured as a hole in the housing 2, material 5 is introduced into the housing 2. Fragmented material 6 is removed from the housing 2 via the outlets 4. In each case different degrees of fragmentation of the fragmented material 6 are extracted via the plurality of outlets 4. The fragmentation system 1 is connected to a material store 7.

[0074] The material store 7 is embodied as a bunker or as a silo. The material 5 can be stored in the material store 7 until fragmentation. The material 5 here is a coarse material, and contains blocks and stone-shaped elements. Here the material is concrete that is intended to be cleaned up and fragmented. The material store 7 is connected to the inlet 3 by means of a line in order to bring the material 5 from the material store into the housing 2.

[0075] A transport path 8 is provided in the housing 2. The transport path 8 leads from the inlet 3 to the outlets 4. The transport path 8 is embodied here in a rail-type fashion. The material 5 is transported along the transport path 8 in a transport direction 9. The transport path 8 is embodied as a sequence of inclined planes sloping downward. In particular, the transport path 8 is embodied as a zigzag inclined plane sloping downward. The gradient of the transport path 8 and/or of sections of the transport path 8 is settable in a manner that is not illustrated. The slope angle of the transport path is preferably settable to be between 20 and 80 degrees relative to the horizontal. The conveying speed of the material along the transport path 8 is settable and/or variable by means of the setting of the slope angle of the transport path 8.

[0076] The transport path 8 has fractionation sections. In each case a first electrode 10a and a second electrode 10b are arranged in each of the fractionation sections; in this respect, see also FIGS. 2 and 4. The electrodes 10a and 10b form a rail. In this case, the distance between the electrodes is less than a respective minimum diameter. The minimum diameters are different for the different fractionation sections, wherein the minimum diameter and/or the distance between the electrodes in the fractionation section decrease(s) over the course of the transport path 8. The material 5 and/or fragments of the material can bear partly on the rails and/or the electrodes 10a and 10b. The material 5 and/or the fragments of the material can slide and/or be transported on the electrodes.

[0077] The fragmentation system contains a plurality of high-voltage pulse sources 11, wherein each of the high-voltage pulse sources 11 contains in each case one of the first electrodes 10a and one of the second electrodes 10b. The high-voltage pulse sources 11 are configured to generate a high-voltage discharge in a discharge chamber by means of the electrodes 10a and 10b. Material 5 which is situated on the transport path 8 and is situated between the electrodes 10a,b or in the discharge chamber thereof is fragmented by means of the high-voltage pulse and/or the high-voltage discharge. The high-voltage discharge is effected, if material 5 is situated in the fractionation section, by the material 5. A fragmentation of the material 5 corresponds to a comminution and especially a substance-specific comminution and/or cleaning up. The high-voltage pulse source 11 is configured to generate high-voltage discharges with a voltage of greater than 10 kilovolts.

[0078] The fragmentation system 1 here contains six high-voltage pulse sources 11 and respectively six electrodes 10a and 10b arranged at different locations along the transport path 8. The high-voltage pulse sources 11 are operated with different operating parameters, in particular voltage, pulse length and/or power. The power and/or the voltage of the high-voltage pulse sources 11 decrease(s) over the course of the arrangement or in the transport direction 9 from inlet 3 to outlet 4. This is owing to the fact, in particular, that a higher power is required for material 5 in the vicinity of the inlet 3 in order to fragment and/or separate the material, and lower operating parameters and powers are sufficient for material 5 and/or material fragments in the vicinity of the outlet 4 that have already been partly comminuted.

[0079] In each case a sieving means 12 and a shaking belt 13 are arranged at the outlets 4 (here indicated symbolically at a distance from the latter). They serve to sort the fragments of the material, for example in such a way that small fragments are directly extracted and larger fragments are brought back into the housing 2 or remain in the housing 2 and undergo the further fragmentation.

[0080] The fragmentation system 1 contains a conveying apparatus 14. The conveying apparatus 14 contains a media tank 15. A liquid medium 16, here water, is arranged in the media tank 15. The medium 16 is conveyed in a conveying direction by means of the conveying apparatus 14. In this case, the medium 16 is fed for example in the region of the inlet 3 to the housing and/or to the transport path 8 and is collected at the outlet 4.

[0081] The collected medium 16 is filtered by means of a filter device and pumped back into the media tank 15, such that the filtered medium 16 can be conveyed again. The conveying apparatus 14, by means of conveying the medium 16 along the transport path 8, serves to support the transport of the material 5 along the transport path 8. By way of example, the transport speed of the material 5 along the transport path 8 is settable by means of a setting of the conveying rate of the medium 16.

[0082] The fragmented material 6 is collected and stored in a collecting container 17. In particular, sieved fragmented material 6 is collected and stored in the collecting container 17. The fragmented material 6 is a comminuted and preferably size- and/or type-purified and/or separated material 5.

[0083] FIG. 2 symbolically shows a segment of a transport path 8, material 5 being transported in the transport direction 9. The transport path 8 has a plurality of fractionation sections 18. The transport path 8 and/or the fractionation sections 18 are/is embodied in a rail-type fashion, for example as top-hat rails. In each case a first electrode 10a and a second electrode 10b are arranged along the fractionation sections 18. In this exemplary embodiment, the first electrode 10a and the second electrode 10b are arranged parallel to one another. The electrodes 10a and 10b delimit the transport path 8 in terms of width. The electrodes 10a and 10b each have a longitudinal extent, wherein the longitudinal extent is in particular greater than 10 centimeters and is especially greater than 100 centimeters.

[0084] The first electrode 10a preferably forms a cathode, with the second electrode 10b forming an anode. By means of the high-voltage pulse source 11 a high-voltage pulse 19a, 19b and 19c is able to generated as a high-voltage discharge (symbolized as an arrow). The electrodes 10a and 10b in the different fractionation sections 18 are operated in each case with different operating parameters of the high-voltage pulse source 11. In this regard, the high-voltage pulse 19a is a stronger pulse than the high-voltage pulse 19b, with the high-voltage pulse 19b being a stronger pulse than the high-voltage pulse 19c. A stronger pulse means, in particular, that the voltage is greater and/or that the power is greater. While the material 5 before the beginning of the first fractionation section 18 has a first diameter, the partly fragmented material between the first fractionation section and the second fractionation section has a smaller diameter. Fragments which arise as a result of the first high-voltage pulse 19a, and have a diameter smaller than the minimum diameter fall through the rails and/or electrodes 10a and 10b, such that they do not pass into the region of the second high-voltage pulse 10b. The same applies analogously to fragments which arise as a result of the second high-voltage pulse 19b. Fragmented material 6 having a diameter smaller than the minimum diameter is present after the last high-voltage pulse.

[0085] FIG. 3 shows a further symbolic exemplary embodiment of a transport path 8 for material transport in the transport direction 9. The transport path 8 is once again embodied in a rail-type fashion. The high-voltage pulse sources 11 once again have in each case a first electrode 10a and a second electrode 10b. In this exemplary embodiment, the electrodes 10a and 10b are arranged perpendicularly to the transport direction 9. The electrodes 10a and 10b are embodied as rollers that are rotatable about their longitudinal axis. The roller-type electrodes 10a and 10b are configured for supporting the material transport. Between the electrodes 10a and 10b, in each case a high-voltage pulse 19 is able to be generated by means of the high-voltage pulse source 11, wherein the high-voltage pulse 19 is directed in the same direction as the transport direction 9. Between the electrodes 10a and 10b, material comminution is possible in each case by means of the high-voltage pulse 19.

[0086] FIG. 4 shows a further symbolic exemplary embodiment of a transport path 8 for material transport in the transport direction 9. The high-voltage pulse sources 11 once again in each case have a first electrode 10a and a second electrode 10b. The electrodes 10a and 10b here are arranged in the same direction as the transport direction 9. However, the electrodes 10a and 10b of a high-voltage pulse source 11 are not arranged parallel to the transport path 8, but rather form an angle with the transport direction 9. The first electrode 10a and the second electrode 10b are each arranged in a v-shaped fashion. The distance between the first electrode 10a and the second electrode 10b, in particular in the constriction region, decreases in the course of the transport path 8 in the transport direction 9. In this regard, the electrodes 10a and 10b can form a transport retention at their constriction, such that in particular excessively large material fragments are retained. The high-voltage pulse 19 is perpendicular or angled with respect to the transport direction 9 in a manner similar to FIG. 2.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0087] 1 Fragmentation system [0088] 2 Housing [0089] 3 Feed [0090] 4 Outlet [0091] 5 Material [0092] 6 Material [0093] 7 Material store [0094] 8 Transport path [0095] 9 Transport direction [0096] 10a,b Electrodes [0097] 11 High-voltage pulse sources [0098] 12 Sieving means [0099] 13 Shaking belt [0100] 14 Conveying apparatus [0101] 15 Media tank [0102] 16 Medium [0103] 17 Collecting container [0104] 18 Fractionation section [0105] 19a-19c High-voltage pulse