PUMPING AND COMMINUTION DEVICE, METHOD OF COMMINUTING AND HEATING AN INFLOW MATERIAL, AND USE OF SAME

Abstract

A pumping and comminution device is disclosed that includes at least one submersible pump located in a container that is suitable for receiving and inflow material and a drive for driving the submersible pump. In said device, the at least one submersible pump comprises an impeller located in a submersible pump housing, said submersible pump housing having a suction connection for suctioning the inflow material into the submersible pump. Tools are located on the inner face of the submersible pump housing and/or the impeller, allowing solids contained in the inflow material to be comminuted.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A pumping and comminution device, comprising: a submersible pump arranged in a container for receiving an inflow material, a drive for driving the submersible pump, wherein said pump comprises an impeller arranged in a submersible pump housing, wherein said pump housing has a suction port for sucking the inflow material into the pump and wherein comminution tools are arranged on the inside of the pump housing or arranged on the impeller so that solids entrained in the inflow material are comminuted by the tools.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the tools are configured flat or jagged and protrude into the interior of the submersible pump housing.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the tools have a roughened surface and/or have a structured surface.

15. The device according to 12, wherein the tools arranged on the inside of the submersible pump housing are exchangeable.

16. The device according to claim 12, wherein a discharge port is arranged at an opening of the pump housing and wherein a Venturi nozzle is arranged in the discharge port.

17. The device according to claim 12, wherein a valve or a gate valve is arranged at an outlet of the discharge port.

18. The device according to claim 12, wherein the drive is arranged outside of the container.

19. A method of using the pumping and comminution device according to claim 12 comprising, using the device as a mixing reactor or in a mixing reactor in a method for catalytic unpressurized depolymerization of hydrocarbons in an inflow material.

20. A method for comminuting and heating an inflow material, comprising the steps of: pumping the inflow material into a submersible pump through a suction nozzle disposed at a bottom side of the pump, said pump including an impeller, comminuting the Inflow material by tools arranged on an inner wall of a pump housing and/or on the impeller wherein the inflow material is heated by friction generated by the comminution.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising that the pump is pumping the inflow material from a container which is filled with inflow material and in which the submersible pump is arranged.

22. The method of using the process of claim 21, comprising carrying out the comminuting and heating in a plant suitable for the catalytically unpressurized depolymerization of hydrocarbon-containing inflow material (5).

Description

[0038] Further details, features and advantages of embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. The following:

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a cross section through a pumping and comminution device according to the invention.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the submersible pump with the impeller,

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a cross section through the submersible pump.

[0042] FIG. 4 shows a cross section through the submersible pump with a closed impeller, and

[0043] FIG. 5 shows a cross section with a simple impeller and suitable tool attachment.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a pumping and comminution device 1, which is arranged in a closed container 2, with a submersible pump 3 and a drive 4 for the submersible pump 3.

[0045] The container 2 of the pumping and comminution device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is partially filled with an inflow material 5. The submersible pump is arranged below the liquid level 6, so that the inflow material 5 can flow into the pump through a suction port 7. An impeller 9 constructed to guide the inflow material 5 past the tools 10 disposed on the inner wall 11 of the submersible pump housing 8 is arranged in the submersible pump housing 8 of the submersible pump 3. The solids entrained in the inflow material 5 are mechanically comminuted, swirled, finely grated, compressed and heated by the rotation of the impeller 9 and the tools 10. The generated heat is transferred without loss to the liquid mixture.

[0046] The submersible pump 3 has a lateral opening 12, through which the inflow material 5 is pumped into a discharge port 13, in which a Venturi nozzle 14 is arranged. The output of the discharge port 13 has a valve 15 or a gate valve. The valve 15 and the gate valve can be used to raise or tower the pressure in the submersible pump 3.

[0047] The temperature in the mixture can be raised or lowered by regulating the pressure via the valve 15 or the gate valve. When the valve 15 or the gate valve is closed, the pressure in the submersible pump housing 8 and hence also the temperature increase. Opening the valve 15 or the gate valve causes the pressure and thus also the temperature in the submersible pump housing 8 to decrease.

[0048] The residence time of the inflow material 5 in the submersible pump housing 8 can also be shortened or extended by the valve 15 and the gate valve

[0049] The (pump) drive 4 and the bearing 16 of the submersible pump 3 are arranged outside the interior space of the container without making contact with the inflow material 5 and in a gas-tight manner by means of a seal 21 to the container interior space 17.

[0050] The uncontaminated or contaminated, mixed inflow material 5, such as organic and inorganic compounds (wood, bones, plastics, but also glass, ceramics, metals, etc.) with an edge length of 40 mm, is introduced into the container 2 through a valve 18 and processed by the pump. In addition, the valve 18 (for example, a 3-way valve) is used to vent steam 19.

[0051] Another valve 20 for emptying the container 2 is disposed on the bottom side of the container 2.

[0052] Organic mixtures can be processed to a size of 80 m, depending on the degree of contamination and/or residence time in the container 2 and in the submersible pump 3.

[0053] FIGS. 2 and 3 show the submersible pump 3 constructed as a self-priming pump of the pumping and comminution device 1 for mechanical wet comminution and for heating an inflow material 5.

[0054] The submersible pump 3 is a pump wheel arranged eccentrically in the submersible pump housing 8 with an axially arranged suction port 7, a radially arranged discharge port 13, a valve 15 or a gate valve, and an Integrated Venturi nozzle 14.

[0055] The pump housing interior of the submersible pump 3 and/or the impeller 9 are lined with various tools 10 of different size and shape so that the inflow material 5 containing oil and other materials is comminuted and simultaneously heated. The inflow material 5 is circulated in the closed container 2 from the submersible pump 3 via an integrated Venturi nozzle 14 in the discharge port 13 and a valve 15 or a gate valve at the outlet of (he discharge port.

[0056] The Venturi nozzles 14 cause turbulence in the discharge port 13, which mixes the inflow material 5.

[0057] Depending on requirements, one or more submersible pumps 3 may be arranged in a container 2 and used.

[0058] The pumping and comminution device 1 and the method for comminuting and heating an inflow material 5 make it possible to use, without any problem, an inflow material 5 containing hydrocarbon-residues from agriculture and forestry or contaminated household and/or industrial waste products with large fractions of stones, glass or metals up to a size of 40 mm with oil or other liquids.

[0059] FIGS. 4 and 5 show cross sections of submersible pumps 3 according to the invention.

[0060] The top part of FIG. 4 shows at a cross section through a submersible pump 3 with a closed impeller 9, and the bottom part of FIG. 4 shows a cross section along the line A-A through the submersible pump 3 with a gate valve 24 shown in the top part of FIG. 4.

[0061] The closed impeller 9 is arranged in the submersible pump housing 8 and is driven by a drive 4 (motor), not shown in the FIG. 4, via a drive shaft 22.

[0062] In the cross section shown in the bottom part of FIG. 4 on the line A-A through the submersible pump 3, tools 10 are shown, which are arranged on the inside of the submersible pump housing 8 and on an impeller 23. The attachment of the tools 10 varies, so that the tools 10 can be attached either clamped (tools 10-I, 10-III, 10-IV) or screwed together (tools 10-II, 10-V).

[0063] As shown in FIG. 4 (top), the tools 10-IV and 10-V are disposed inside on the closed impeller 9 (or the impeller 23, respectively). The tools 10-I, 10-II and 10-III are attached outside on the submersible pump housing 8, or on the inner wall of the submersible pump housing 8.

[0064] The tools 10 are made of a hard, abrasion-resistant material, such as metal, and are shaped so as to extend from the Inside of the submersible pump housing 8 irregularly in the direction of the impeller 9, and/or form the impeller 9 toward the inner wall of the submersible pump housing 8, so that the material to be comminuted located in the interior space 11 of the submersible pump 3 is crushed between the tools 10 and thus comminuted.

[0065] FIG. 5 shows a cross section through a submersible pump 3 with a simple impeller 9.

[0066] The arrow shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 indicates the direction of rotation of the impeller 9.

LIST OP REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0067] 1 pumping and comminution device [0068] 2 container [0069] 3 submersible pump [0070] 4 drive, pump drive (motor) [0071] 5 inflow material [0072] 6 fluid levels [0073] 7suction port, intake port [0074] 8 submersible pump housing [0075] 9 impeller [0076] 10 tool [0077] 10-I Tool I (clamped) [0078] 10-II Tool II (screwed) [0079] 10-III Tool III (clamped) [0080] 10-IV Tool IV (clamped) [0081] 10-V Tool V (screwed) [0082] 11 interior space (of the submersible pump 3) [0083] 12 opening [0084] 13 discharge port [0085] 14 Venturi nozzle [0086] 15 valve [0087] 16 bearing [0088] 17 container interior [0089] 18 valve [0090] 19 steam [0091] 20 valve [0092] 21 seal (of the shaft) [0093] 22 drive shaft [0094] 23 impeller [0095] 24 gate valve