Adaptive architecture solids diverter and comminutor

Abstract

A system for comminuting solid waste material including a shredding device disposed within the casing and comprising parallel first and second shredding stacks that include first and second parallel shafts rotatably mounted between an upper shredding device housing and a lower shredding device housing and a rotating screening drum disposed within the casing and mounted between an upper screening drum housing and a lower screening drum housing, the rotating screening drum configured to permit fluid to pass therethrough while capturing solids on an outer surface for delivery to shredding device, an upstream portion of the rotating screening drum disposed upstream of an upstream portion of the shredding device. The upper shredding device housing and the lower screening device housing are separate members from the upper screening drum housing and the lower screening drum housing to permit interchangeability of different sizes of these components to meet system needs.

Claims

1. A system for comminuting solid waste material comprising: a casing defining a comminution chamber having two side walls and being open on opposite sides thereof for permitting the flow of liquid therethrough bearing solid waste material and being adapted for connection in a solid waste disposal line; a shredding device disposed within the casing and comprising parallel first and second shredding stacks that include first and second parallel shafts rotabably mounted between an upper shredding device housing and a lower shredding device housing, each of the first and second parallel shafts including a plurality of cutting elements mounted such that a plurality of first cutting elements on said first shaft are in an interspaced relationship with a plurality of second cutting elements mounted on said second shaft, each of said cutting elements having at least one cutting tooth thereon, said cutting elements being positioned between and separated in an axial direction by spacers which are coplanar with the cutting elements of an adjacent stack such that a cutting element from one stack and a spacer from an other stack form a pair of interactive shredding members; a rotating screening drum disposed within the casing and mounted between an upper screening drum housing and a lower screening drum housing, the rotating screening drum configured to permit fluid to pass therethrough while capturing solids on an outer surface for delivery to shredding device, an upstream portion of the rotating screening drum disposed upstream of an upstream portion of the shredding device; and an adjustable sealing element disposed between a wall of the casing adjacent to the rotating screening drum and the rotating screen drum to form a seal between the rotating screening drum and the wall, wherein the adjustable sealing element is configured to be adjustable in different positions to contact the drum at positions that are closer to a position between an axis of the rotating screening drum and a point on the wall in a direction perpendicular to the flow in the comminution chamber, to a position that is closer to a leading edge of the rotating screening drum, wherein the upper shredding device housing and the lower shredding device housing are separate members from the upper screening drum housing and the lower screening drum housing.

2. The system for comminuting solid waste material according to claim 1, wherein the shredding device and the rotating screening drum are configured to be positioned in the comminution chamber independent of one another.

3. The system for comminuting solid waste material according to claim 1, wherein the shredding device is disposed adjacent to the rotating screening drum and separated by a predetermined minimum gap.

4. The system for comminuting solid waste material according to claim 3, wherein a position of the minimum gap is located within a range from a point adjacent to a rotational axis of the rotating screening drum along a line perpendicular to a direction of flow through the comminution chamber, to a position on the most downstream position of the rotating screening drum.

5. The system for comminuting solid waste material according to claim 1, wherein the rotating screening drum is formed using perforations to permit fluid to flow therethrough, and a size of the perforations vary along the surface of the rotating screening drum along a vertical direction, wherein the perforations are smaller at a bottom of the rotating screening drum than at a top of the rotating screening drum.

6. The system for comminuting solid waste material according to claim 1, wherein a key is disposed between the upper shredding device housing and the upper screening drum housing and a corresponding one of the lower shredding device housing and the lower screening drum housing to control a relative position between the shredding device and the rotating screening drum.

7. A system for comminuting solid waste material comprising: a casing defining a comminution chamber having two side walls and being open on opposite sides thereof for permitting the flow of liquid therethrough bearing solid waste material and being adapted for connection in a solid waste disposal line; a shredding device disposed within the casing and comprising parallel first and second shredding stacks that include first and second parallel shafts rotabably mounted between an upper shredding device housing and a lower shredding device housing, each of the first and second parallel shafts including a plurality of cutting elements mounted such that a plurality of first cutting elements on said first shaft are in an interspaced relationship with a plurality of second cutting elements mounted on said second shaft, each of said cutting elements having at least one cutting tooth thereon, said cutting elements being positioned between and separated in an axial direction by spacers which are coplanar with the cutting elements of an adjacent stack such that a cutting element from one stack and a spacer from an other stack form a pair of interactive shredding members; a rotating screening drum disposed within the casing and mounted between an upper screening drum housing and a lower screening drum housing, the rotating screening drum configured to permit fluid to pass therethrough while capturing solids on an outer surface for delivery to shredding device, an upstream portion of the rotating screening drum disposed upstream of an upstream portion of the shredding device, wherein the upper shredding device housing and the lower shredding device housing are separate members from the upper screening drum housing and the lower screening drum housing; an interconnecting frame that connects the shredding device and the rotating screening drum to at least one wall of the two side walls, the interconnecting frame including a surface extending a vertical length of the rotating screening drum and the shredding device and configured to form a seal with a front face of the shredding device to prevent the flow of liquid from passing between the at least one wall of the two side walls and the shredding device.

8. A system for comminuting solid waste material comprising: a casing defining a comminution chamber having two side walls and being open on opposite sides thereof for permitting the flow of liquid therethrough bearing solid waste material and being adapted for connection in a solid waste disposal line; a shredding device disposed within the casing and comprising parallel first and second shredding stacks that include first and second parallel shafts rotabably mounted between an upper shredding device housing and a lower shredding device housing, each of the first and second parallel shafts including a plurality of cutting elements mounted such that a plurality of first cutting elements on said first shaft are in an interspaced relationship with a plurality of second cutting elements mounted on said second shaft, each of said cutting elements having at least one cutting tooth thereon, said cutting elements being positioned between and separated in an axial direction by spacers which are coplanar with the cutting elements of an adjacent stack such that a cutting element from one stack and a spacer from an other stack form a pair of interactive shredding members; a rotating screening drum disposed within the casing and mounted between an upper screening drum housing and a lower screening drum housing, the rotating screening drum configured to permit fluid to pass therethrough while capturing solids on an outer surface for delivery to shredding device, an upstream portion of the rotating screening drum disposed upstream of an upstream portion of the shredding device; and an interconnecting frame that connects the shredding device and the rotating screening drum to at least one wall of the two side walls, wherein the interconnecting frame includes an adjusting mechanism to adjust the position of the shredding device toward or away from the rotating screening drum, wherein the upper shredding device housing and the lower shredding device housing are separate members from the upper screening drum housing and the lower screening drum housing.

9. The system for comminuting solid waste material according to claim 8, wherein the adjusting mechanism is adjacent one of the wall or the rotating screening drum.

10. The system for comminuting solid waste material according to claim 8, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises pins or stops to position the shredding device with respect to the rotating screening drum to maintain a predetermined minimum gap between the shredding device and the rotating screening drum.

11. A system for comminuting solid waste material comprising: a casing defining a comminution chamber and being open on opposite sides thereof for permitting the flow of liquid therethrough bearing solid waste material and being adapted for connection in a solid waste disposal line; a shredding device disposed within the casing and comprising parallel first and second shredding stacks that include first and second parallel shafts rotatably mounted between an upper shredding device housing and a lower shredding device housing, each of the first and second parallel shafts including a plurality of cutting elements mounted such that a plurality of first cutting elements on said first shaft are in an interspaced relationship with a plurality of second cutting elements mounted on said second shaft, each of said cutting elements having at least one cutting tooth thereon, said cutting elements being positioned between and separated in an axial direction by spacers which are coplanar with the cutting elements of an adjacent stack such that a cutting element from one stack and a spacer from an other stack form a pair of interactive shredding members; a rotating screening drum disposed within the casing and mounted between an upper screening drum housing and a lower screening drum housing, the rotating screening drum configured to permit fluid to pass therethrough while capturing solids on an outer surface for delivery to shredding device, an upstream portion of the rotating screening drum disposed upstream of an upstream portion of the shredding device, wherein the rotating screening drum is formed using perforations to permit fluid to flow therethrough, and the size of the perforations vary along the surface of the rotating screening drum along a vertical direction, wherein the perforations are smaller at a bottom of the rotating screening drum than at a top of the rotating screening drum.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The above and other features and aspects of the present application will become more apparent by describing non-limiting exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 presents embodiments of a conventional screen drum comminutor with one and two rotating drums.

(3) FIG. 2 is a detail section showing the gap or clearance between the drum and the cutter stack.

(4) FIG. 3 is a section view highlighting the drum sealing element and mounting frame connection points.

(5) FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

(6) FIG. 5 is a diagram showing left and right placement of the screen drum.

(7) FIG. 6 is an isometric view showing drum module adaptability.

(8) FIG. 7 is a view showing a screen drum with multiple or progressive perforation diameters.

(9) FIG. 8 is an isometric view showing shredder module adaptability.

(10) FIG. 9 is a diagram showing placement of the cutter stack relative to the drum.

(11) FIG. 10 is shows various embodiments of drum open-area adjustability.

(12) FIG. 11 is a diagram showing variations in the drum/cutter gap.

(13) FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the gap adjustment mechanism.

(14) FIG. 13 is a diagram showing outboard adjustment of the drum/cutter gap.

(15) FIG. 14 is a diagram showing inboard adjustment of the drum/cutter gap.

(16) FIG. 15 is a diagram of an embodiment using stops or pins to locate the cutter stack relative to the drum.

(17) FIG. 16 is a diagram of an embodiment using a key to locate the cutter stack relative to the drum.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(18) According to exemplary embodiments described herein, as is generally shown in FIG. 4, the adaptive architecture solids diverter and comminutor consists of the following elements: (i) a two-shafted rotating cutter stack with interlaced cutters and spacers 200; (ii) shredder top end housing with bearings, seals, transfer gear set and cover 210; (iii) shredder bottom end housing with bearings, seals and cover 220; (iv) shredder drive mechanism 230; (v) vertically-aligned rotating screen drum 240; (vi) screen drum top end housing with bearing, seal, shroud and shroud cover 250; (vii) screen drum bottom end housing with bearing, seal, cover and shroud 260; (viii) screen drum flow baffle 270, channel seal 275, and seal element 330; (ix) screen drum drive mechanism 280; (x) shredder/screen drum interconnect frame 290, and; (xi) shredder/screen drum mounting frame(s) 300 for connection to civil works 305.

(19) The adaptive architecture solids diverter and comminutor are mounted vertically with the drives facing upward and positioned in a mounting frame, in turn fastened in an open channel, or on an internal wall of a wet well.

(20) The two-shafted shredder 310 consists of two vertical stacks of interlaced rotary cutters 200 and spacers mounted on adjacent shafts supported by bearings retained in end housings 210, 220 at the top and bottom of the shafts. To mitigate the effects of liquid ingress to the bearings, shaft seals are fitted between the shafts and end housings on the wet or process side of the bearings. Counter-rotation of the shafts is accomplished using a pair of intermeshed, transfer gears mounted on like ends of the shafts. The top and bottom end housings are enclosed by covers to maintain a dry side to the shaft support bearings. Of the two shafts, one is the driving shaft and one is the driven shaft. The top end of the driving shaft protrudes through the cover on the top end housing 210. The protruding end of the shaft is coupled to a rotational drive mechanism 230 that may be electro-mechanical, hydro-mechanical or other. Together, these elements form what may be called the shredder module or shredder. In operation, the cutter stacks counter-rotate to form a nip on the upstream side of the shredder into which solids may be caught and shredded.

(21) Adjacent to the drive or the driven cutter stack is a vertically-oriented rotating screen drum 240, separated from the cutter stack by a clearance or gap 50. The screen drum may be fashioned from perforated plate of uniform perforation size, or may have perforations of varying sizes 240 (FIG. 7). The top and bottom ends of the screen drum are fitted with stub shafts supported by bearings retained in end housings 250, 260 (FIG. 4). The end housings may be one-piece elements machined from a cast iron or other metal, welded plates and shapes, or other suitable material, or may be hybrid assemblies consisting of dedicated, structural, seal holding elements, as well as shrouds to inhibit flow under or over the ends of the screen drum. To mitigate the effects of liquid ingress to the bearings, shaft seals are fitted between the shafts and end housings on the wet or process side of the bearings. The top and bottom screen drum end housings are enclosed by covers to maintain a dry side to the shaft support bearings. The top shaft protrudes through the cover on the top end housing 250. The protruding end of the shaft is coupled to a rotational drive mechanism 280 that may be electro-mechanical, hydro-mechanical or other. On the side of the screen drum 240 opposite the cutter stack 310, a baffle or side rail 270 is fitted to direct channel flow to the screen drum and inhibit flow around the opposite-cutter stack side of the drum. The vertically-oriented baffle 270 (FIG. 5) is affixed at the top end, and the bottom end, to the top and bottom end housings of the screen drum assembly. Affixed to the edge of the baffle closest to the drum is a sealing element 330 making a vertical, line-contact with the drum to further inhibit the bypass of liquid and solids around the opposite-cutter stack side of the drum. The sealing element is located point 335 on the outer surface of the rotating drum determined to optimize the flow capacity relative to the capture effectiveness of the screen drum module. Affixed to the edge of the baffle opposite the drum seal element is a channel seal 275 fashioned from a material capable of making a reasonable seal to the channel wall or mounting frame. This channel seal further inhibits flow around the opposite-cutter stack side of the rotating screen drum. Together, these elements form what may be called a screen drum module or drum module. In operation, the screen drum rotates in the direction appropriate to transfer or guide material captured on the face of the screen away from the drum seal element and toward the cutter stack.

(22) In the preferred embodiment, both the shredder module and screen drum module are affixed to an interconnecting frame or tie frame 290 (FIG. 11). The tie frame is oriented laterally in the channel or mounting frame 300 with the drum module connected to the anterior surface of the tie frame 290 and the shredder module connected to the posterior surface of the frame. While the drum module 320 position is fixed relative the tie frame, the shredder module 310 is connected using an adjustment mechanism 360 allowing manual adjustment of the screen drum/cutter stack gap 50. The adjustment mechanism may be located on the outboard side 360 (FIG. 13) of the grinder nearest channel wall or on the inboard side 360 (FIG. 14) of the grinder nearest the rotating drum. The interconnecting frame 290 is configured to form a seal with the portion of the front face of the shredder 310 opposite the drum 320, and the channel or mounting frame 300, to inhibit flow past the opposite-drum side of the shredder.

(23) In another embodiment, the adjustment mechanism may be comprised of stops or pins 370 (FIG. 15) located on the wetted horizontal surfaces of the shredder module end housings. The locations of the stops are predetermined by the design and act to set the drum/cutter stack gap so as to inhibit the cutters from damaging the rotating screen drum.

(24) In yet another embodiment, the screen drum module and shredder module may be interconnected with locating keys 380 (FIG. 16) affixed to the wetted horizontal surfaces of the drum & shredder module end housings. Each key may be comprised of a rigid, flat plate of suitable, shape, thickness and strength to maintain the relative positions of the drum and shredder modules, while minimizing interference with the flow of liquid and solids through the machine.