Methods and systems for high throughput separation of materials using stratification and rotational motion
OwnerThomas A. VALERIOinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods can sort materials of different specific gravities in a mixture. These systems and methods for separation of materials provide multiple forces simultaneously. The system can utilizes both vertical and the horizontal forces for efficient separation of materials with different specific gravities.
Claims23
A system for providing high throughput separation of materials in a waste stream, the system comprising:
- a unit have a top and bottom
- an infeed chute for receiving the waste stream;
- a paddle wheel for receiving the waste stream from the infeed chute, wherein the paddle wheel rotates vertically to generate an agitated waste stream and provides separation of heavy components of the materials;
- two or more impellers for receiving the agitated waste stream from the paddle wheel;
- and
- two or more outlet units, wherein a first outlet unit is positioned near the second impeller to discharge the light components of the materials.
The system according to claim 6, wherein the first set of sections and the second set of sections are either conical, cylindrical or circular in shape.
A sorting system for separating materials in a waste stream, the sorting system comprising:
- a unit have a top and bottom
- an inlet unit for receiving the waste stream;
- an agitator for mixing the waste stream received from the inlet unit, wherein the agitator rotates in an up-down manner for generating an agitated waste stream and provides stratification of heavy components of the materials positioned below the agitator;
- two or more impellers positioned in an S-configuration, wherein the pair of impellers receive the agitated waste stream from the agitator, further wherein a first impeller of the pair of impellers is placed at a first position near the agitator and a second impeller of the pair of impellers is placed at a second position near the first position and away from the agitator, further wherein the pair of impellers provide an S-curve to the agitated waste stream for through-putting light components of the material and collection of the settled waste stream in positioned below the pair of impellers;
- a sensing unit for sensing rotation speed of the agitator and speed of the pair of impellers;
- and
- two or more discharge units, wherein a first discharge unit is positioned near the second impeller for discharging the light components of the materials, further wherein a second discharge unit for discharging the heavy components of the materials.
A method for providing high throughput separation of materials in a waste stream, the method comprising:
- feeding the waste stream through an in-feed chute;
- receiving the waste stream by a paddlewheel, wherein the waste stream flows from the in-feed chute to the paddle wheel;
- agitating the waste stream by the paddle wheel, wherein the agitation is based on vertical rotation of the paddlewheel to form an agitated waste stream;
- separating heavy components from the materials
- placed below the paddlewheel;
- through-putting the agitated waste stream from two or more impellers, wherein a first impeller from the pair of impellers is positioned near the paddlewheel and a second impeller from the pair of impellers is positioned near the first impeller and away from the paddlewheel, further wherein the pair of impellers provide a horizontal shear force to the agitated waste stream for through-putting light components of the materials;
- and
- discharging the light components and the heavy components from the pair of outlet units, wherein the light components is discharged from a first outlet unit, further wherein the heavy components is discharged from a second outlet unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.