The Electrodynamic Separation of Conducting Materials Using Inductors with a Variable Pole Pair Number

Abstract

Systems for the automatic sorting of solid household waste and their disadvantages are analyzed. The work considers an original method for the electrodynamic separation of electrically conductive materials with the use of one or more inductors with a variable number of pole pairs to generate a traveling electromagnetic field that affects electrically conductive fragments (ECFs) of solid household wastes (SHW). In the course of separation, the inductor windings are switched in such a way that the pole division discretely changes from the maximum value to the minimum one, or vice versa, within a certain switching time range determined by the maximum inertia of electrically conductive fragments having a size close to the pole division value. The method for electrodynamic separation, as well as the control unit for the electrodynamic separation system, are described. The proposed method should make it possible to extend the functionality of automatic systems for sorting and processing electrically conductive solid household waste and may provide an increase in separation productivity.