Patent Application
20130203006
This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 20 2012 001 190.1, filed Feb. 6, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present disclosure refers to an arrangement for the aerobic heating of pourable solid matter.
The prior art is aware of rotary drums in which the hygienic status of separated pourable solids, e.g. from liquid cattle manure, is changed by aerobic heating in such a manner that the solid matter can be reused as bedding in stables. Publication WO 2006/053519 A1 shows a prior-art arrangement. To enhance the efficiency, a filling degree of more than 50% is desired in the rotary drum. To achieve this filling degree, a flap arrangement is described in WO 2006/053519 A1 for introducing the solid matter. The solid matter is discharged in the prior-art arrangement via a chute which is arranged at the level of the rotational axis of the drum. To maintain the filling degree of more than 50% in this case, the pourable solid matter must be retained at the outlet side by means of guide plates. This retention by means of guide plates does not work with all consistencies of the solid matter.
WO 2006/053519 A1, PCT/DE05/01995, and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0294910 are all hereby incorporated by reference.
It is an object of some embodiments of the present disclosure to provide an arrangement for the aerobic heating of pourable solid matter that permits a filling degree of solid matter as high as possible, together with a low-cost production and a low-maintenance operation.
In some embodiments, the object is achieved by an arrangement for the aerobic heating of pourable solid matter, comprising: a rotatable rotary drum for receiving the solid matter, and at least one front wall which is non-rotatably arranged relative to the rotary drum for closing a front side of the rotary drum. Said non-rotatably arranged front wall can be used at only one front side or at both front sides of the rotary drum. According to the present disclosure, a sealing arrangement is provided between the rotary drum and the front wall. Said sealing arrangement comprises a cylindrical sealing surface coaxial to the rotary drum and a sealing element sliding on the cylindrical sealing surface. The cylindrical sealing surface is fixedly connected either to the rotary drum or to the front wall. The sealing element is then fasted to the respectively other component in a corresponding way. The non-rotatably arranged front wall according to the present disclosure makes it possible to arrange devices for introducing or discharging the solid matter at any desired place. Particularly, owing to the non-rotating front wall, it is possible to arrange a device for introducing and/or discharging the solid matter above the rotational axis of the rotary drum, whereby a filling degree of more than 50% is possible. The cylindrical sealing surface is an inner or outer surface of a cylindrical component. The sealing element slides on said cylindrical inner or outer surface.
In some embodiments, it may be provided that a width of the cylindrical sealing surface is greater than a support width of the sealing element on the cylindrical sealing surface. The width of the cylindrical sealing surface and the support width of the sealing element are here measured in the axial direction of the rotary drum. The support width of the sealing element on the cylindrical sealing surface is the portion of the sealing element that is in contact with the cylindrical sealing surface. The width of the cylindrical sealing surface is made larger than the support width. The rotary drum is here subject to expansion due to the temperature. The rotary drum is here particularly expanding in axial direction. The sealing arrangement shall also permit a reliable sealing of the gap between rotary drum and front wall upon expansion of the rotary drum. This is achieved through a correspondingly broad configuration of the cylindrical sealing surface. Particularly, the cylindrical sealing surface is made so broad that an expansion of the rotary drum by 20 mm, particularly by 25 mm, is possible.
Furthermore, lubrication in some embodiments may be provided for the sealing arrangement. To this end at least one lubricating nipple may be arranged to lubricate the sliding movement between the cylindrical sealing surface and the sealing element.
Furthermore, in some embodiments, it may be provided that a first diameter of the cylindrical sealing surface corresponds to at least 40%, particularly at least 50%, of a second diameter of the rotary drum. Particularly, the inner diameter of the rotary drum is measured. Owing to this relatively large diameter of the cylindrical sealing surface a correspondingly large front wall can also be used. As a consequence, the arrangements for introducing or discharging the solid matter can be arranged relatively far above the rotational axis of the drum, and the filling degree can thus be optimized
The sealing element in some embodiments may be configured as a lip seal. An integral, fully circumferential lip seal may be used. Alternatively, the sealing element may also be composed of individual segments. The lip seal may comprise a first portion firmly connected to the front wall or the rotary drum, and a second portion sliding on the cylindrical sealing surface. The first portion is substantially perpendicular to the second portion. “Substantially perpendicular” encompasses deviations of +10°.
In some embodiments, as an alternative to the lip seal, the sealing element may be designed as a packing gland.
In some embodiments, a configuration of an opening for introducing or discharging the solid matter is formed in the front wall. The solid matter is particularly introduced at a front side of the rotary drum and discharged at the opposite front side of the rotary drum. A chute may be arranged in the opening for discharging the solid matter. Said chute is particularly displaceable in a direction inclined relative to the axial direction of the rotary drum. The filling degree can be regulated inside the rotary drum by displacing the chute. The opening in the front wall through which the chute is inserted may be eccentrically positioned relative to the rotational axis of the rotary drum.
An auger in some embodiments may be arranged on the opening for introducing the solid matter. The opening for introducing the solid matter is also arranged particularly eccentrically relative to the rotational axis of the rotary drum.
In some embodiments, the arrangement comprises one of the non-rotatable front walls, as have just been described, on each of the two front sides of the rotary drum. Alternatively, the non-rotatable front wall may be arranged only at the introduction or discharge side of the rotary drum. In an embodiment, the flap system according to WO 2006/053519 A1 is used at the introduction side, and the non-rotatable front wall as is here described is used on the discharge side. The content of publication WO 2006/053519 A1 is explicitly incorporated herein by reference, particularly the configuration of the flap arrangement as shown therein.
Furthermore, in some embodiments, the arrangement comprises a frame in which the rotary drum is rotatably supported. A motor is provided for driving the rotary drum. The rotary drum may be arranged in a thermally insulated container.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are now explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which:
A first embodiment of the arrangement 1 for the aerobic heating of pourable solid matter is described with reference to
The rotary drum 2 comprises a lateral surface 3 and a first ring wall 4. The first ring wall 4 is fixedly connected to the lateral surface 3. The first ring wall 4 closes part of the front side of the rotary drum 2. The substantial part of the front side of the rotary drum 2 is closed by a first front wall 6. Said first front wall 6 is non-rotatably arranged with respect to the rotary drum 2. To this end the first front wall 6 is fixedly connected to the frame 9. The first front wall 6 is penetrated by a chute 7. The solid matter 5 is discharged via said chute 7 out of the interior of the rotary drum 2. While the rotary drum 2 is rotating, the solid matter 5 is inclined in the rotary drum 2. An outlet edge 8 of the chute 7 is also inclined in a corresponding manner with respect to the horizontal, so that the solid matter 5 positioned at the top is mainly discharged.
As shown herein, the first front wall 6 is fixedly connected to the frame 9. Said connection is particularly configured in such a manner that an adjustment of the first front wall 6 is possible in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis 10. When the arrangement 1 is put into operation for the first time, the first front wall 6 must be aligned to be coaxial to the rotational axis 10.
Furthermore, a sealing arrangement 14 is marked in
Furthermore,
The cylindrical sealing surface 16 has a width 21. The width 21 is measured in parallel with the rotational axis 10. The contact surface between the sealing element 17 and the cylindrical sealing surface 16 has a support width 22. The support width 22 is also measured in parallel with the rotational axis 10. The width 21 is much larger than the support width 22. This permits a displacement of the rotary drum 2, e.g. by thermal expansion, along the rotational axis 10, simultaneously ensuring a sealing of the gap between rotary drum 2 and first front wall 6.
Furthermore, a diameter 34 (first diameter) of the cylindrical sealing surface 16 is plotted in
Furthermore,
Furthermore,
The second front wall 26 is penetrated eccentrically relative to the rotational axis 10 by an introduction system 27. Said introduction system 27 comprises an auger 29 (see
Furthermore,
In the second embodiment the cylindrical extension 15 is part of the front wall 6, 26. The cylindrical sealing surface 16 is an outer surface of the cylindrical extension 15 in a corresponding manner.
In both variants of the sealing arrangement 14 the sealing element 17 can be arranged on the respectively other component. Hence, it is provided in
Furthermore, it is provided that just the discharge side of the rotary drum 2 is configured with the sealing arrangement 14, as has been presented here. The solid matter is here introduced via the flap arrangement disclosed in WO 2006/053519 A1. The configuration of the flap arrangement in WO 2006/053519 A1 is part of the present disclosure.
In some embodiments, there may be an arrangement (1) for the aerobic heating of pourable solid matter (5), comprising: a rotatable rotary drum (2) for receiving the pourable solid matter (5), at least one front wall (6, 26) which is non-rotatably arranged relative to the rotary drum (2) for closing a front side of the rotary drum (2), and a sealing arrangement (14) between the rotary drum (2) and the front wall (6, 26), the sealing arrangement (14) comprising a cylindrical sealing surface (16) coaxial to the rotary drum (2) and a sealing element (17) sliding on the cylindrical sealing surface (16).
The present disclosure may include one or more of the following concepts:
A. An arrangement (1) for the aerobic heating of pourable solid matter (5), comprising:
B. The arrangement according to paragraph A., characterized in that a width (21) of the cylindrical sealing surface (16), measured in axial direction (10) of the rotary drum (2), is greater than a support width (22) of the sealing element (17) on the cylindrical sealing surface (16), measured in axial direction (10) of the rotary drum (2), so that an expansion of the rotary drum (2) in axial direction (10), particularly by 20 mm, particularly by 25 mm, is possible.
C. The arrangement according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that a first diameter (24) of the cylindrical sealing surface (16) corresponds to at least 40%, particularly at least 50%, of a second diameter (33) of the rotary drum (2).
D. The arrangement according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the sealing element (17) comprises a lip seal.
E. The arrangement according to paragraph D, characterized in that the lip seal comprises a first portion (18) firmly connected to the front wall (6, 26) or the rotary drum (2), and a second portion (19) sliding on the cylindrical sealing surface (16), the first portion (18) being substantially vertically positioned relative to the second portion (19).
F. The arrangement according to paragraphs A to C, characterized in that the sealing element (17) comprises a packing gland.
G. The arrangement according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that an opening for introducing or discharging the solid matter (5) is formed in the front wall (6, 26).
H. The arrangement according to paragraph G, characterized by a chute (7) arranged in the opening for discharging the solid matter (5), the chute (7) being displaceable in a direction (12) inclined relative to the axial direction (10) of the rotary drum (2).
I. The arrangement according to any one of paragraphs G or H, characterized by an auger (29) at the opening for introducing the solid matter (5), the opening being arranged particularly eccentrically relative to the rotational axis (10) of the rotary drum (2).
J. The arrangement according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, having a respective one of the non-rotatable front walls (6, 26) on the two front sides of the rotary drum (2).
In some embodiments, the references numerals in the figures may be identified as follows:
Although the present disclosure has been provided with reference to the foregoing operational principles and embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. The present disclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances. Where the disclosure recites “a,” “a first,” or “another” element, or the equivalent thereof, it should be interpreted to include one or more such elements, but neither require nor exclude two or more such elements. Further, ordinal indicators, such as first, second, or third for identified elements are used to distinguish between the elements; they do not indicate a required or limited number of such elements, and do not indicate a particular position or order of such elements unless otherwise specifically stated. Any aspect shown or described with reference to a particular embodiment should be interpreted to be compatible with any other embodiment, alternative, modification, or variance.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 2012 001 190.1 | Feb 2012 | DE | national |
