Process Engineering and Ecology Division of Lola Institute is engaged in the design and accomplishment of:
- Systems for separate collection, transport, handling and compaction of municipal waste
- Integrated plants for industrial municipal and bio waste processing
- Plant for sorting industrial and municipal waste
- Plant for organic waste composting
- Plant for metal extraction from slag after waste incineration
- Biogas generation plant
- Waste waters treatment plant
- Major project design for ship lock overhaul and ship lock overhaul performance
1. Systems for separate collection, transport, handling and compaction of municipal waste
The system is used in all larger settlements with more than 100,000 inhabitants, while in smaller settlements the waste is classified until the mentioned level is achieved.
Minimal requirements:
- Organized and arranged waste collection and disposal,
- Collection points for waste preselection and compaction,
- Plant for waste sorting and treatment.
1.1. Collection
The process of waste collection should be initially organized to facilitate its treatment afterwards. It is desirable not to put glass into the same containers with other waste. Also, waste treatment is by far easier if organic waste is separately collected from other inorganic materials.
Waste transport is organized by trucks from the spot of its origin to collection points. To facilitate waste manipulation and transport, compactors should be placed at collection points. Compactors are used to press waste, whereby its volume is considerably reduced and it is ready for loading into truck containers and transport.
Compactor dimensions correspond to the dimensions of truck containers 40' x 8.5' x 8'.
Compacted waste (pressed) is loaded into truck containers. The process of loading (reloading) is automatically performed by parking the truck next to the compactor which pushes the compacted waste into the truck container.
1.2. Transport i pretovar
Compacted waste is taken by trucks to large collection centers for waste sorting and recycling.
It should be noted that Lola Institute is engaged in the design and manufacturing of compactors and truck containers.
The waste brought by truck containers to collection centers can be composed of versatile materials. Its composition determines the nature of further treatment, thereby technological sorting line.
Waste containing larger amounts of cardboard, paper and plastics is conveyed tn the lines designed for cardboard, paper and plastics separation.
Waste containing larger amounts of organic materials is further processed on organic waste composting lines.
2. Integrated plants for industrial municipal and bio waste processing
It is used in all settlements with more than 100,000 inhabitants, while in smaller settlements classification is performed until the mentioned level is achieved.
Minimal requirements:
- Organized and arranged waste collection and disposal,
- Collection points for waste preselection and compaction,
- A plot of min. 2 ha in size, located away from the settlements.
The plant is intended for sorting municipal waste that can be composed of paper, cardboard, construction waste, household appliances, tins, various types of textile, packing materials, Tetra Pak, as well as all other types of organic-origin waste and the like.
The plant capacity is 200 tons per day to work in 2 shifts. Waste, sorted according to composition, is brought by trucks and disposed of at the entry storage hall.
The plant consists of three technological lines:
- Technological line for waste sorting
- Technological line for waste fermentation
- Technological line for composting process finishing
The silos can be fitted (if desired by the user) with plated feeder conveyors that allow for automatic silo discharge.
The plant consists of 8 silos intended for versatile sorted materials.
The plant also allows for resorting of the materials, if necessary.
From silos the sorted material can be transported by feeders and transporters to the baling press (paper, cardboard, plastics).
In the case of other types of sorted materials, the plant allows for loading the material by the help of feeders and rubber conveyors into truck containers and transport for further processing.
Fine material, under the sieve, containing a higher per cent of organic material (biomass) is transported from the silo to the inlet conveyor of the fermentation line.
Waste material containing a high amount of organic materials (biomass) can be loaded straight onto the inlet conveyor of the fermentation line, because the loading capacity of the line with bioreactors (100 tons per day) cannot be met by the remaining material after sorting.
In the bioreactor, with the addition of biological waste waters and continuous air blowing, and bioreactor rotation, steady mixing and stimulation of the fermentation process is enabled. After 72 hours compost ready for further fermentation comes out at the bioreactor outlet.
The material coming out of the reactor is transported by conveyors to the rotating sieve screen, where fine compost particles are separated from the rest of the likely present materials.
The lines are fitted with magnetic separators for ferromagnetic materials separation and separators for non-ferrous materials separation.
Fine material, on leaving the screen, is conveyed to ballistic separators, where compost is separated from other solid materials. Compost is stored to ferment, while the other separated materials can be used for further processing.
After ageing, compost is fed onto the finishing line for additional separation of the likely particles from compost, whereby quality organic fertilizer is obtained as well as solid materials debris and fine metallic impurities. The composting line capacity is 100 tons per day.
The entire plant is equipped with the dedusting systems at all locations where the material is agitated and at locations of refilling it from one to another conveyor, whereby dust content in the reception hall is reduced.
Sorting cabin is equipped with ventilation, air-conditioning and heating systems for air circulating to maintain maximum work conditions for the staff.
Plant control is performed by PLC from the control center, providing for maximal control of all machinery and devices.
All engines are adjusted, thereby allowing for maximal flexibility and utilization of all machinery and devices.
Security and protection system complies with CE standards and ensures maximum safety at work.
Initial selection is performed firstly in waste unloading, and then separation is done with the backhoe loader to separate coarse material.
The material consisting of mixed type waste is fed onto the inlet conveyor of the sorting line. For the case of coarse material, it must be fed into a crusher, wherefrom it reaches the same conveyor.
After crushing, the waste is conveyed to rotating sieve screens, (and transported to a bunker), where fine and organic material and plastics are all separated from paper and cardboard. Besides separation of the material, its amount is determined in the sieves prior to introducing it into the sorting cabin. There, the material is hand-sorted into sorting boxes. Plastic materials are separated on Line 1 and paper materials on Line 2. The lines are fitted with magnetic separators for ferromagnetic materials separation, and non-ferrous-metals separators. The sorting boxes allow for additional inspection of the sorted material and performance of selection.
The material from the sorting boxes is stored, after selection, in silos under the sorting cabin.
3. Plant for sorting industrial and municipal waste
It is used in all settlements with over 100,000 inhabitants, while in smaller settlements waste classification is performed until the mentioned level is achieved.
Minimal requirements:
- Organized and arranged waste collection and disposal,
- Collection points for waste preselection and compaction,
- A plot of min. 2 ha in size, located away from the settlements.
The plant is intended for sorting municipal waste that can be composed of paper, cardboard, construction waste (building material, windows, wood, metal) and other types of waste (household appliances, various types of tins, textiles, plastic packing materials and Tetra Pak).
The plant capacity is 1200 tons per day to work in 2 shifts, 7 hours each.
3.1 Process description
Waste is brought by trucks and unloaded into the basement rooms of the building.
The plant consists of five technological lines, such as:
- The line for mixed-type waste (1 and 3),
- The line for mostly paper and cardboard (2),
- The line for exclusively paper or cardboard (4),
- The line for metal waste (5).
The initial selection is done by the backhoe loader to separate coarse material.
The material composed mostly of paper and cardboard is fed into the chute (basket) of line 4 (intended for paper and cardboard).
The material is transported to the baling press, where paper and cardboard are baled and transported.
Coarse material of versatile origin is fed onto the line 1 or 3. These two lines start up with crushers for this type of material. After crushing, the material is conveyed to the sieve screens, where separation of fine material from pieces difficult to separate manually is done.
Line 2 is fed with material containing mostly paper waste which is also conveyed to the rotating sieve screens, and then into the sorting cabin for hand-sorting.
Line 5 is intended for metal type waste and is fitted with the metal waste baling press.
The material, fed into inlet bunkers by the backhoe loader, either lines 1 and 3 for mixed type waste or line 2 for mostly paper, is delivered by plate or rubber conveyors to the rotating sieve screens.
Besides material sieving and separation of fine materials, the material layer is adjusted by rotating sieve screens prior to introducing it into the sorting cabin.
In the sorting cabin, material is hand-separated and hand-sorted and placed in 32 sorting boxes.
Sorting boxes allow for additional inspection of the sorted material and performance of selection.
After selection, the material is stored from the boxes in the silos under the sorting cabin.
The silos are fitted with plate conveyors-feeders providing for automatic discharge of the silos.
The plant consists of 8 silos for a variety of sorted materials and 2 silos located under the rotating sieve screens for fine-piece waste.
The plant allows for resorting of the likely unsorted material.
From the silos, by the help of feeders and conveyors, the sorted material can be transported to the paper or cardboard baling press, or if it is metal waste, to the metal baling press.
In the case of other types of sorted material, the plant allows for loading it into truck containers by the help of feeders and rubber conveyors, and its transport.
Fine sieved material is directly loaded from the silos under the sieves into truck containers, by the help of feeders and conveyors, and is transported to the landfill.
3.2 System features
The plant is equipped with the dedusting system at all locations where the material is agitated and where it is refilled from one to another conveyor, the content of dust being thus reduced in the reception hall.
The sorting cabin is equipped with the air-conditioning, ventilating and heating system with air circulation to maintain maximum work conditions for the staff.
Plant control is performed from the control center located next to the sorting cabin, whereby a visual surveillance of the entire plant is ensured.
The operation of electronic control system is provided by computers, PLC, and its design allows for maximum control of the machinery and devices.
All units are adjusted by frequency inverters, thus enabling maximum flexibility and capacity of machinery and devices, thereby of each technological line.
The safety and protection system complies with CE standards thus ensuring maximum work safety.
The sorting plant is also equipped with electronic flow balances (installed in inlet and outlet conveyors), providing accurate measurements of input and output materials.
Control system is also fitted with surveillance cameras for visual control of each part of the process.
3.3 Technical specification:
- Dimensions of the hall to install the plant 140 x 80 x 30m
- Total weight of plant equipment 1500t
- Plant total installed power 1100kW
- Sorting capacity 1200 tons of the material per day, to work in two shifts
4. Plant for organic waste composting
It is used in all settlements producing mostly organic waste.
Minimal requirements:
- Organized and arranged waste collection and disposal
- Collection points for waste preselection and compaction
- A plot of min. 2 ha in size, located away from the settlements
The plant is intended for processing of mostly organic waste into organic fertilizer – compost.
Waste composed mainly of organic materials (biomass of food leftovers and scraps and other types of mostly organic waste) is brought by trucks and unloaded in front of the reception hall division.
The thus unloaded waste is fed by backhoe loaders into inlet conveyor of the fermentation line.
The inlet conveyor delivers organic waste to the bunker of the hydraulic material indenter in the bioreactor.
Hydraulic indenter stamps waste discontinuously into the bioreactor.
In the bioreactor, with the addition of biological waste waters and steady air blowing, and bioreactor rotating, the material is continuously mixed and fermentation process is stimulated.
On leaving the bioreactor, after a 72-hour process, compost ready for additional fermentation is obtained.
The material leaving the bioreactor is transported by conveyors to the rotating sieve, where fine particles of compost are separated from the likely other material present.
The lines are fitted with magnetic separators for ferromagnetic materials and separators for non-ferrous metals.
On leaving the sieves, fine material is conveyed to ballistic separators, where compost is separated from other solid materials.
Compost is stored to ferment, while other separated materials can be further processed, or, if useless, can be transported to landfill.
After ageing, compost is fed into the finishing line, where the likely ingredients from compost are additionally separated and quality organic fertilizer, solid materials debris and fine metallic impurities are obtained.
The capacity of the composting line is 100 tons per day.
The entire plant is fitted with the dedusting system at all locations of material agitation and at all locations of refilling the material from one to another conveyor, whereby the amount of dust is reduced in the reception hall.
Plant control is executed from the control center via PLC which allows for maximum control of the machinery and devices.
All engines are adjusted thus providing for flexibility and utilization of all machinery and devices capacity.
The safety and protection system complies with CE standards and ensures maximum safety at work.
5. Plant for metal extraction from slag after waste incineration
It is used in settlements having waste incinerators.
Minimal requirements:
- Waste collection and disposal
- Collection points for waste preselection and compaction
- A plot of min. 2 ha in size
The plant is intended for extracting ferrous and non-ferrous metals from slag (ash) after combustion of waste in incinerators.
Waste combustion in incinerators results in slag that contains ferrous and non-ferrous metals to be extracted for further processing.
Outlet conveyor conveys slag from the incinerator to the metal extracting line inlet conveyor which feeds it into a crusher, and afterward to the rotating sieve screen.
In the sieve, sludge and smaller-size solids of slag debris are separated.
Ferro-magnetic solids are separated from sludge with magnetic separators and poured into metal containers, while sludge reaches the bunker under the sieve.
Larger-size slag solids are transported from the sieve under powerful magnetic separators and non-ferrous metals separators to Foucault (vortex-vortical) currents.
The separated ferromagnetic and non-ferrous metal solids are separately conveyed to metal containers.
Slag debris is deposited in a concrete bunker at the line end.
Containers with metal waste are transported by trucks to smelting-works for recycling.
Slag debris is transported to the foreseen waste landfills.
Plant control is performed via PLC allowing for maximum control of all machinery and devices.
All engines are adjusted thus ensuring maximum flexibility and utilization of all machinery and devices.
The safety and protection system complies with EC standards and ensures maximum safety at work.
6. Biogas generation plant
It is used in settlements that have biogas sources, i.e. composting plants.
Minimal requirements:
- Waste collection and disposal
- Collection points for waste preselection and compaction
- A plot of min. 5 ha in size, located away from the settlements
Biogas generation plant treats unsorted communal waste by mechanical-biological procedure.
In the plant reactor the waste is mechanically treated. After initial waste separation according to granular size, there follows its homogenization and trituration, and thus the initial stage of biodegradation is performed.
In this part of the plant the waste is separated according to granular size in two fractions:
-fraction 1 with granules smaller than 45 mm, containing 90% of organic materials, and
-fraction 2 with granules larger than 45 mm, containing recyclable materials and inert waste.
While fraction 1 undergoes further biological treatment, fraction 2 is subjected to the separation of ferromagnetic solids, aluminum components, while light materials, such as plastics, paper and the like, are separated from heavy components (glass, building material and the like).
Biological treatment is performed in the plant for organic waste composting and pilot biogas generation plant. It is in this plant that biogas is converted into heat and electrical energy.
Biogas generation plant
7. Waste waters treatment plant
It is used in settlements receiving waste waters from sorting cabins, composting plants, biogas plants and other cases of waste waters occurrence.
Minimal requirements:
- Waste waters collection and disposal
- A plot of min. 0.5 ha in size
Prefabricated plant is of activated sludge type, referred to as Extended Aeration plant designed for waste waters treatment.
As this is a close process, it simultaneously prevents the least negative effects on the environment and operators.
Waste waters treatment plants that use the activated sludge method embrace the capacities from 0.006 - 19 m3/h, so they can be used in facilities ranging in size from cottages to smaller settlements.
8. Major project (study) design for ship lock overhaul and ship lock overhaul performance
It is employed in all settlements where there exist ship locks and dams.
Minimal requirements:
- Organized and arranged waste collection and disposal
- Collection points for waste preselection and compaction
- A plot of min. 2 ha in size, located away from the settlements
Major project (study) design for ship lock overhaul embraces observation and detailed estimate of the current state-of-art of all components and parts of hydro-mechanical, electro-hydraulic, mechanical and electrical control equipment.
The project defines in detail all works in each component, with specification of parts to be replaced or overhauled. A full description and technical elaboration of procedures and processes of work are provided. A detailed method and technical conditions of surface protection is given.
Also, the project defines all technical conditions to be satisfied as well as all required tests to be performed.
All tools and equipment required are foreseen.
Project design is based on investor's technical requirements and existing documentation for equipment.
Lola institute is also engaged in ship lock and dam overhaul according to the Institute's Studies or Studies by other design agencies.
Overhaul is conducted independently or, if necessary, subcontractors are engaged for some types of work.