Optimization of a materials recycling facility

• US 20060085212A1
• Filed: 08/01/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MSS Incorporated (The CP Group (United States))
• Original Assignee: MSS Incorporated (The CP Group (United States))
• Inventors: Kenny, Garry R.
• Application Number:
  US11/194,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085212A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/308
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 9/06 specially adapted for refuse
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/15 using corrugated, grooved or ribbed rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 11/04 Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 13/00 Grading or sorting solid materials by dry methods, not otherwise provided for; Sorting articles otherwise than by indirectly controlled devices grading eggs A01K43/04
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 13/08 according to weight B07B13/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 13/18 Control
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 4/08 while the mixtures are supported by sieves, screens, or like mechanical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 9/02 Combinations of similar or different apparatus for separating solids from solids using gas currents
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/00 Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches sorting by hand only B07C7/00; separating solids from solids by sieving, screening, or sifting or by using gas currents or other separating by dry methods applicable to bulk material B07B
• CPC Class Codes: D21B 1/028 by dry methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/30 Administration of product recycling or disposal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/52 Mechanical processing of waste for the recovery of materials, e.g. crushing, shredding, separation or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 90/00 Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/93 Municipal solid waste sorting

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for controlling a Materials Recovery Facility. An input stream of recycled materials is provided, wherein the composition of the input stream is subject to variation during a time interval. The input stream goes to a separator that separates it into first and second output streams containing predominantly first and second materials, respectively. An automatic control system is provided with data representative of a feedrate versus separating efficiency relationship for the separator. The control system is also provided with data representative of an economic value of at least one of the materials. The control system calculates optimum processing rates to maximize profitability, and automatically adjusts a feedrate of the input material stream to the separator.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a materials recycling facility, comprising:

(a) using an automatic separator apparatus, separating an input material stream into at least a first and a second output stream containing predominantly first and second materials, respectively;

(b) providing to an automatic control system, data representative of a feedrate versus separating efficiency relationship for said automatic separator apparatus;

(c) providing to said automatic control system, data representative of an economic value for at least one of said first and second materials;

(d) calculating with said automatic control system an optimum processing rate to maximize profitability of step (a); and

(e) automatically adjusting a feedrate of said input material stream to said automatic separator apparatus toward said optimum processing rate.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in step (c) providing to said automatic control system, cost data representative of a cost of operating said materials recycling facility.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

in step (c) said cost data includes data representative of a cost of manual labor for supplemental manual sorting to sort contaminants from at least one of said first and second output streams; and

step (d) includes considering an increased cost of manual labor for supplemental manual sorting needed as a result of increasing feedrate to said automatic separator apparatus.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

in step (c) said cost data includes data representative of operating costs of said automatic separator apparatus.

5. A method of controlling a materials recycling facility, comprising:

(a) conveying an input material stream with a conveyor having an adjustable feed rate;

(b) using a first automatic separator apparatus, separating the input material stream into at least a first and a second output stream;

(c) using a second automatic separator apparatus, separating the first output stream into a first plurality of product streams;

(d) using a third automatic separator apparatus, separating the second output stream into a second plurality of product streams;

(e) measuring an amount of product in each of the product streams of said first and second pluralities of product streams;

(f) providing to an automatic control system, data representative of an economic value of product of at least one of said product streams; and

(g) controlling the materials recycling facility with the automatic control system to improve a profitability of operating the materials recycling facility.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein step (g) includes adjusting the feedrate of the input material stream.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

in step (b), the first automatic separator apparatus has at least one adjustable operating parameter which affects a product content of each of the first and second output streams; and

step (g) includes adjusting the at least one adjustable operating parameter with the automatic control system.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing to the automatic control system, data representative of a feedrate versus separating efficiency relationship for at least one of said first, second and third automatic separator apparatus; and

wherein step (g) includes adjusting a feed rate to said at least one of said first, second and third automatic separator apparatus.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing to the automatic control system a total throughput requirement for the input material stream, and a time constraint for processing the total throughput requirement through the material recycling facility.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing to said automatic control system, cost data representative of a cost of operating at least a part of the materials recycling facility.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

said cost data includes data representative of an operating cost of at least one of said first, second and third separator apparatus.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

said cost data includes data representative of a cost of manual labor for supplemental manual sorting to sort contaminants from at least one of said output streams or at least one of said product streams.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing to the automatic control system, data representative of a feedrate versus separating efficiency relationship for at least one of said first, second and third automatic separator apparatus; and

wherein step (g) includes considering an increased cost of manual labor for supplemental manual sorting needed as a result of increasing feed rate to at least one of said first, second and third automatic sorter apparatus.

14. A materials recycling facility, comprising:

an input conveyor for an input material stream, said conveyor having an adjustable input rate;

an adjustable first separator for separating the input material stream into a first output stream and a second output stream;

a second separator for separating the first output stream into a first plurality of product streams;

a third separator for separating the second output stream into a second plurality of product streams;

a first sensor, operably associated with the second separator for measuring an amount of product of each of said first plurality of product streams;

a second sensor, operably associated with said third separator, for measuring an amount of product of each of said second plurality of product streams; and

an automatic control system, communicated with said first and second sensors, and operably associated with said input conveyor and said first separator, said control system including control system software having a data input software portion for receiving data representative of an economic value of a product of at least one of said product streams.

15. The materials recycling facility of claim 14, further comprising:

a fourth separator for separating one of said product streams of said second plurality of product streams into a third plurality of product streams.

16. The materials recycling facility of claim 14, wherein:

said adjustable first separator is an inclined rotary disc screen for separating an input material stream including mostly paper and containers into a first output stream including primarily paper and a second output stream including primarily containers.

17. The materials recycling facility of claim 16, wherein:

the second separator and the first sensor are operable to identify, separate and measure an amount of paper and an amount of contaminating containers in the first output stream; and

the third separator and the second sensor are operable to identify, separate and measure an amount of containers and an amount of contaminating paper in the second output stream.

18. The materials recycling facility of claim 17, wherein:

the third separator and the second sensor are further operable to identify, separate and measure the containers of the second output stream into a plastic container stream and an aluminum container stream.

19. The materials recycling facility of claim 18, further comprising:

a fourth separator for receiving the plastic container stream from the third separator and separating the plastic container stream into a PET stream, a colored HDPE stream and a natural HDPE stream.

20. The materials recycling facility of claim 14, wherein:

said data input software portion of said automatic control system is adapted for receiving cost data representative of a cost of operating at least a part of the materials recycling facility.

21. The materials recycling facility of claim 20, wherein:

said cost data includes data representative of an operating cost of at least one of said first, second and third separator apparatus.

22. The materials recycling facility of claim 20, wherein:

said cost data includes data representative of a cost of manual labor for supplemental manual sorting.

23. The materials recycling facility of claim 14, wherein:

said control system software includes a historical data portion including data representative of a separating efficiency versus throughput rate relationship for at least one of said first, second and third separator apparatus.

24. The materials recycling facility of claim 14, wherein:

said data input software portion of said automatic control system is adapted to receive a total throughput requirement for the facility and a time constraint for processing the total throughput requirement through the facility.