Industrial Shredder

• US 20150273479A1
• Filed: 03/26/2014
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Granutech-Saturn Systems Corp.
• Original Assignee: Granutech-Saturn Systems Corp.
• Inventors: Dillard, Thomas C. Jr., Morrison, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 9,937,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 18/142 with two or more inter-engaging rotatable cutter assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 18/24 Drives
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 25/00 Control arrangements specially adapted for crushing or disintegrating

Abstract

An industrial shredder is described that includes one or more electric motors controlled by a variable frequency drive. One or more fixed displacement hydraulic pumps are powered by the one or more electric motors and hydraulically coupled to one or more hydraulic motors in a closed loop configuration. Hydraulic pressure in the closed loop is substantially similar on a first side of the one or more hydraulic motors and on a second side of one or more hydraulic motors. One or more cutting shafts are coupled to the one or more hydraulic motors such that the hydraulic motors cause the cutting shafts to rotate.

Claims

1. An industrial shredder comprising:

one or more electric motors;

one or more fixed displacement hydraulic pumps powered by the one or more electric motors;

one or more hydraulic motors coupled to the one or more hydraulic pumps in a closed loop configuration, wherein hydraulic pressure in the closed loop is substantially similar on a first side of the one or more hydraulic motors and on a second side of one or more hydraulic motors; and

one or more cutting shafts coupled to the one or more hydraulic motors.

2. The shredder of claim 1 further comprising an intermediate gearbox between the one or more cutting shafts and the one or more hydraulic motors.

3. The shredder of claim 1 wherein the shredder comprises two hydraulic pumps and two hydraulic motors.

4. The shredder of claim 1 wherein the shredder comprises two cutting shafts.

5. The shredder of claim 1 further comprising a variable frequency drive controller controlling the electric motors.

6. The shredder of claim 1 wherein the variable frequency drive is configured to monitor operating characteristics of the closed loop hydraulic shredder and vary power characteristics to maintain a pre-determined operating horsepower.

7. The shredder of claim 1 wherein a controller measures the input power to the one or more electric motors to determine whether to reverse direction of the cutting shaft.

8. The shredder of claim 7 wherein the direction of the cutting shaft is reversed by operating the one or more hydraulic pumps in a direction opposite of an original direction of rotation.

9. A closed loop hydraulic shredder comprising:

one or more hydraulic pumps;

one or more hydraulic motors powered by the one or more hydraulic pumps;

one or more cutting shafts turned by the one or more hydraulic motors; and

a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD), the VFD configured to monitor operating characteristics of the closed loop hydraulic shredder and vary power characteristics to maintain a pre-determined operating horsepower.

10. The shredder of claim 9 further comprising an intermediate gearbox between the one or more cutting shafts and the one or more hydraulic motors.

11. The shredder of claim 9 wherein the shredder comprises two hydraulic pumps and two hydraulic motors.

12. The shredder of claim 9 wherein the shredder comprises two cutting shafts.

13. The shredder of claim 9 wherein the one or more hydraulic motors are connected to the one or more hydraulic pumps in a closed loop configuration.

14. The shredder of claim 13 wherein hydraulic pressure in the closed loop is substantially similar on a first side of the one or more hydraulic motors and on a second side of one or more hydraulic motors.

15. A method for cutting shaft reversal in an industrial shredder comprising:

operating a fixed displacement hydraulic pump shaft in a first direction;

causing a hydraulic motor and cutting shaft to rotate in the first direction by the operation of the fixed displacement hydraulic pump;

determining a need to reverse direction of the cutting shaft;

operating the fixed displacement hydraulic pump shaft in a second direction, the second direction opposite of the first direction; and

causing the hydraulic motor and cutting shaft to rotate in the second direction.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the determining the need to reverse is based on measuring the input power to the fixed displacement hydraulic pump.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising monitoring operating characteristics of the industrial shredder and varying input power characteristics to maintain a pre-determined operating horsepower.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the hydraulic motor is connected to the hydraulic pump in a closed loop configuration.

19. The shredder of claim 15 wherein the industrial shredder comprises multiple hydraulic motors and hydraulic pumps turning multiple cutting shafts.

20. A closed loop hydraulic shredder comprising:

one or more hydraulic pumps;

one or more hydraulic motors powered by the one or more hydraulic pumps;

one or more cutting shafts turned by the one or more hydraulic motors;

an emergency stop mechanism, the emergency stop mechanism comprising a directional control valve configured to instantaneously block flow in one side of the hydraulic loop thereby stopping the one or more cutting shafts from rotating.