An Environmental Improvement Program

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An Environmental Improvement Program For
Incentive Based Recycling
The Trash Masters
Zach Leatherman Travis Stubbendeck Tom Yarmer
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Contents

• 1 System Overview
• 2 Design Objectives
• 3 Technical Overview
• 4 Assumptions and Limitations
• 5 Testing
• 6 Cost
• 7 Status
• 8 Future Options

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1.0 System Overview

• 139 Million Americans
• 50 Take Advantage
• 1/3 of eligible material
• Existing Recycling Programs
• Single Stream
• Pay as You Throw (PAYT)

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1.1 System Overview
Consumer
Recyclables
RFID Tagged Bin
Return Incentive
Collection Vehicle
Determine Value
Preliminary Sort
Weigh Material
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1.2 System Overview

• Four Specific Modules
• ID Module Receptacle identification
• Sort Module Preliminary sorting of materials
• Weight Module weigh sorted material
• Comm. Module software and hardware for
  communication and storage of data, including the
  web site.

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1.3 System Overview

• Benefits to

Collection Agencies
Consumer
Municipalities
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2.0 Design Objectives

• Guidelines in which the project must adhere to
  properly fit the specifications.
• Accuracy
• Usability
• Adaptability

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2.1 Design Objectives

• Accuracy
• RFID Tags must be read accurately to properly
  identify each consumer.
• Conveyor Belt Must have a high level of accuracy
  to ensure the weights of various materials for
  proper incentive.
• Weight Sensor Needs to be precise so that a
  proper amount of money is refunded to each
  consumer.

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2.2 Design Objectives

• Usability
• Weight Sensor Automation The sensor are
  automatically monitored so that the data is
  logged without the collection agent being
  required to interact with it.
• Wireless Transfer The Ebox automatically upload
  all of the collected data to the central server.

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2.3 Design Objectives

• Adaptability
• RFID Tagged Receptacles The ability to re-use
  existing curbside receptacles by just placing an
  RFID tag on them.
• Web Interface Customer web interface can easily
  be changed to each companys needs.
• Collection Vehicles Existing collection vehicles
  to be outfitted with a conveyor belt.

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3.0 Technical Overview

• Overview

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Conveyor Belt

• Small work of art
• Neoprene 10 inches wide
• 4, 3inch diameter PVC pipes
• 1/15 horsepower motor
• Geared slower
• Magnetic Head Pulley

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Magnetic Head Pulley
Legend
Ferrous Material
Non-Ferrous Material
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RFID Reader

• PCProx from RFIdeas
• Connected to EBox through USB
• 1 to 3 inch range
• LED mounted on top to ensure tag is read every
  time
• Trash Receptacles could be designed to ensure tag
  is read

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Mobile Unit / EBox

• Runs Mobile Control program
• Windows CE
• Program written in C
• Microsoft SQL Server
• 32MB of Flash memory
• Headless

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HandyBoard

• 6811 Microcontroller system
• Used for analog to 8-bit digital conversion
• Runs simple program that continuously reads
  weight from 2 load cells
• Outputs through RS232 Serial port

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Central Server

• Receives data from EBox through 802.11G Wireless
  signal
• Microsoft Windows XP
• Microsoft SQL Server Express
• Apache Server
• Runs web interface and billing system

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4.0 Assumptions and Limitations

• Small Scale
• Conveyor belt 1/3 width as in collection vehicle
• Magnets could be bigger or stronger for better
  seperation.
• RFID Reader
• Could be at 100 accuracy with controlled lifting
  mechanism from the collection vehicle (assuming
  lifting mechanism comes standard with vehicle)

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4.1 Assumptions and Limitations

• Cost
• The cost might not be viewed as worthwhile
  without government or city subsidizing our
  recycling efforts.
• This argument remains valid due to energy saved
  from recycling vs. making new material
• Aluminum
• Eddy currents This process may be utilized
  post-ferrous seperation. But, has not yet been
  implemented in the Recycle Nation program.

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5.0 Separation Testing
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5.1 Separation Testing Results

• Possible Outcomes Hit, ½ Hit, Miss

Vertical Test
Horizontal Test
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5.3 Separation Testing Tweaks

• Placement of Bins
• Separator to act as crutch for ferrous material
• Conveyor Operation Speed
• 11 12 inches per second

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6.0 Cost

• Wood Supplies for Conveyor Frame 37.41
• Conveyor Belting and Lacing 60.72
• Miscellaneous Conveyor Supplies 70
• Magnets 48.25
• Load Cells (x2) 110
• RFID Readers 189
• 20 RFID Tags 59
• Wireless Bridge for EBox 79.99
• Domain Name (recyclenation.org) 9.95
• Total 664.32

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6.1 Cost

• Conveyor Belt
• Price of fabricating a stand for the belt would
  not be valid due to placing it inside of the
  conveyor belt.
• RFID Tags
• Much cheaper if bought in bulk
• Reader, Load Cells, and Magnets
• Prices would stay relatively the same.

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7.0 Status

• ID Module
• The RFID reader correctly reads and accurately
  reports tag identification numbers.
• Sort Module
• Conveyor belt seperates ferrous from non-ferrous
  materials.
• Weight Module
• Load cells being run from a HandyBoard and
  attached to the two containers on the belt.
• Comm. Module
• Website http//www.recyclenation.org
• Load Cell and RFID Software are also operational

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8.0 Future Options

• Dynamic Web Upload
• Data Mining
• Eddy Current Aluminum Seperation
• More Robust web interface with different levels
  of control

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Questions
?