CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

UNIVERSITY

I. TITLE: ROTARY TROMMEL

II. OBJECTIVE
To determine the theoretical and practical use of trommel screens as devices
for segregating various components from municipal solid waste.

III. THEORY
Trommels, or rotary screens, are an important unit operation in materials
processing. They have a long history in the mineral dressing industry, and are
of particular interest to those concerned with solid waste processing because
of the difficulty of the material processing task. Trommels provide an elegant
screening option with low maintenance and operating costs that could often
justify a higher initial cost.

A trommel is a rotating, cylindrical screen, lying on its side at a small angle

from the horizontal plane. Material is fed at its elevated end, and size-
separation occurs as the material spirals down the drum at an axial speed
governed by the angle of the drum to the horizontal plane. Behavior of the
material normal to the drum axis is governed by the rotational velocity.

The first step in processing municipal solid waste (MSW) for resource recovery
has usually been shredding. However, during the past several years, a
trommel (revolving cylindrical screen) has been investigated as a step to
precede shredding.

IV. EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS

Rotary Trommel
Pebbles
Cobbles
V. PROCEDURE:
1. Before any experimentation could take place, key output parameters had
to be determined to measure trommel performance
2. The determination of a suitable type of particle involved meeting certain
criteria that would allow for adequate comparison with the analytical
model and be easy enough to work with in the laboratory.
3. The particle had to have consistent density, not be too slippery, exhibit
little rebound upon impact; be close to spherical, but not so close as to
roll on the screen.
4. Once the set-up and preparations are done, rotate the trommel with a
consistent speed since this is done manually.
5. Put the feed inside the trommel and continuously rotate it until there is
no more pebbles and cobbles in the equipment.

VI. SKETCH/PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM