
Medical waste
CALORIFIC POWER
The final product of the technology Converter®, being deprived of water, it has a high calorific value.
Final product
Converter® technology allow to obtain a final product reduced in weight and volume, totally dry and safe in less than 30 minutes.
50% reduction of weight
50% reduction of weight
OTHER TECHNOLOGIES

Other technologies available on the market, particularly autoclaving and microwave, produce a resulting moist material, with low calorific value.
CONVERTER®

The technology Converter®, separating and recovering the resulting water from the sterilization process, allows to obtain a resulting material completely dry.
HOSPITAL WASTE
The hospital waste at high biological risk can be a potential vehicle to transmit infectious disease. The disposal of hazardous and infectious medical waste is a complex and expensive process due to the limitations of legislation that impose timing and procedures appropriately strict. The centers of treatment and disposal of medical wastes are generally far from the places of production of the waste and transports costs are very high, dangerous and often complex. The burden of management and waste treatment usually weighs on the budgets of hospitals and inevitably on citizens.
The waste permanency in landfill for long periods means: high operating costs if you worry about the environmental impact of the landfill air pollution / emissions high in methane and carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas very active) groundwater contamination saturation of landfills → loss of land → uncomfortable odor → discomfort in the neighborhood.
For the purpose of simplification of procedures for the management of medical waste WPM Green Energy together with its partner OMPECO, offer an advanced, revolutionary, patented technology: the Converter. The Converter machines are created to treat solids or semi-solids materials, at high temperatures (up to 151 ° C) and, when needed, sterilize them using the known method to “moist heat”. The special procedure adopted allows the use of water in liquid form without using pressure. This tool comes with a view of Public Administrations and private clinics and hospitals increasingly reluctant to large investments, but increasingly attentive to ecofriendly operation by reducing emissions.
We offer an independent waste management that eliminates the responsibility of the Directorate about the infectious waste products inside the hospital. This management allows not only a reduction in disposal costs and transportation, guaranteed by reducing weight and volume of the Converter technology, but above all - a safe and controlled management of waste that leaves the hospital walls once treated and sterilized.
The Converter® is born from the idea to transform the waste into a product free of risks, stable and dry, usable as fuel to produce energy in proper installations., while most of the waste treatment systems on the market transform one type of waste to another.
The Converter® aims to change the waste into a reusable material by transforming a reject into a product stable in time, that can be stored for a long time, transported when a sufficiently important quantity is obtained to justify the transportation toward its use.
Law in regard to hazardous waste disposal is changing faster worldwide and is focusing on distance reduction between the production and the disposal place in order to limit the risk of infection and epidemic diseases during the transportation phase.
To this global trend, we should add the fact that autoclaves are always less appropriate because of their high explosion risk and for their high maintenance costs. Moreover, waste coming from autoclaves is still wet: this means increase in weight and risk of infection. This waste is still dangerous, full of glass splinters and sharp objects. For those reasons it requires to be stored in rigid containers and sent away as soon as possible to avoid odors, fermentations, liquid drippings and other inconveniences.
The H SERIE
H serie Converter® is a range of 6 models specifically tailor-made for hospital infective waste or potentially infective waste.
Thanks to the power and flexibility of these machines, all types of waste coming from a sanitary structure can be treated including pricking and sharp objects, needles, disposable lancets, bandaging, diapers, gloves, catheters, syringes, probes, small bottles in glass and plastic, filters, residues of meal of the infectious departments, physiological matters, biologic cultures, residues of surgery and not easily recognizable anatomical parts, dead guinea pigs, etc.
H serie Converter® series realize in automatic way a thermal cycle that includes: waste grinding, evaporation of all contained liquids, heating to the 151 °C sterilization temperature and holding during 3 minutes by continuous dosage of water, cooling down and unloading of the dry treated material.
The H SERIE H2000 Model
Productive Capacity:
» Automatic Loader: Yes
» Production Rate: 200-260 Kg/H
» Electrical Average Consumption: 0,2-0,4 Kw/Kg
» Water Average Consumption (Standard Version): 8000 Lt/H
» Water Consumption With WRS: 0-400 Lt/Day
» Total Installed Power: 330 Kw
» Nominal Current: 540 A
» Nominal Motor Power: 250 Kw
» Treatment Chamber Volume: 2000 Lt
» Machine Footprint Weight: 6500 Mm
» Machine Footprint Depth: 1000 Mm
» Machine Height: 4500 Mm
» Dry Weight: 8000 Kg
» Electrical Cabinet Width: 3000 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Depth: 600 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Height: 2100 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Weight: 1000 Kg
Water Recirculation System:
» Water Consumption: 0-400 Litres/Day
» Tank Capacity: 3000 Lt
» Nominal Water Flow Rate: 8 M3/H
» Maximum Output Temperature: 40 ° C
» Width Module Tank: 1500 Mm
» Depth Buffer Tank: 2600 Mm
» Tank Module Height: 1700 Mm
» Installed Power: 8 Kw
» Total Weight In Service: 4500 Kg
» Electrical Cabinet Width: 800 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Depth: 600 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Height: 2100 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Weight: 200 Kg
» Radiator Size: 175
» Radiator Module Width: 2200 Mm
» Depth Radiator Module: 4700 Mm
» Height Radiator Module: 1600 Mm
» Installed Power: 13 Kw
» Total Weight In Service: 1200 Kg
» Size Cooling Tower: 9/85
» Tower Module Width: 1000 Mm
» Tower Module Depth: 1200 Mm
» Tower Module Height: 2600 Mm
» Installed Power: 0.75 Kw
» Total Weight In Service: 400 Kg
The H SERIE H1000 Model
Productive Capacity:
» Automatic Loader: Yes
» Production Rate: 400-600 Kg/H
» Electrical Average Consumption: 0,2-0,4 Kw/Kg
» Water Average Consumption (Standard Version): 20000 Lt/H
» Water Consumption With WRS: 0-1000 Lt/Day
» Total Installed Power: 600 Kw
» Nominal Current: 1250 A
» Nominal Motor Power: 500 Kw
» Treatment Chamber Volume: 5000 Lt
» Machine Footprint Weight: 7500 Mm
» Machine Footprint Depth: 3000 Mm
» Machine Height: 7000 Mm
» Dry Weight: 27000 Kg
» Electrical Cabinet Width: 3200 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Depth: 600 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Height: 2100 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Weight: 1200 Kg
Water Recirculation System:
» Water Consumption: 0-1000 Litres/Day
» Tank Capacity: 5000 Lt
» Nominal Water Flow Rate: 20 M3/H
» Maximum Output Temperature: 40 ° C
» Width Module Tank: 1800 Mm
» Depth Buffer Tank: 3000 Mm
» Tank Module Height: 2000 Mm
» Installed Power: 12 Kw
» Total Weight In Service: 7000 Kg
» Electrical Cabinet Width: 1000 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Depth: 600 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Height: 2100 Mm
» Automatic Loader: Yes
» Production Rate: 400-600 Kg/H
» Electrical Average Consumption: 0,2-0,4 Kw/Kg
» Water Average Consumption (Standard Version): 20000 Lt/H
» Water Consumption With WRS: 0-1000 Lt/Day
» Total Installed Power: 600 Kw
» Nominal Current: 1250 A
» Nominal Motor Power: 500 Kw
» Treatment Chamber Volume: 5000 Lt
» Machine Footprint Weight: 7500 Mm
» Machine Footprint Depth: 3000 Mm
» Machine Height: 7000 Mm
» Dry Weight: 27000 Kg
» Electrical Cabinet Width: 3200 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Depth: 600 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Height: 2100 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Weight: 1200 Kg
The H SERIE H1000 Model
Productive Capacity:
» Automatic Loader: Optional
» Production Rate: 80-120 Kg/H
» Electrical Average Consumption: 0,2-0,4 Kw/Kg
» Water Average Consumption (Standard Version): 4000 Lt/H
» Water Consumption With WRS: 0-150 Lt/Day
» Total Installed Power: 210 Kw
» Nominal Current: 350 A
» Nominal Motor Power: 132 Kw
» Treatment Chamber Volume: 1000 Lt
» Machine Footprint Weight: 5000 Mm
» Machine Footprint Depth: 1000 Mm
» Machine Height: 4500 Mm
» Dry Weight: 8000 Kg
» Electrical Cabinet Width: 3000 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Depth: 600 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Height: 2100 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Weight: 800 Kg
Water Recirculation System:
» Water Consumption: 0-150 Litres/Day
» Tank Capacity: 2000 Lt
» Nominal Water Flow Rate: 4 M3/ H
» Maximum Output Temperature: 40 ° C
» Width Module Tank: 1400 Mm
» Depth Buffer Tank: 2300 Mm
» Tank Module Height: 1600 Mm
» Installed Power: 6 Kw
» Total Weight In Service: 3000 Kg
» Electrical Cabinet Width: 600 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Depth: 600 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Height: 2100 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Weight: 150 Kg
» Water Consumption: 0-150 Litres/Day
» Tank Capacity: 2000 Lt
» Nominal Water Flow Rate: 4 M3/ H
» Maximum Output Temperature: 40 ° C
» Width Module Tank: 1400 Mm
» Depth Buffer Tank: 2300 Mm
» Tank Module Height: 1600 Mm
» Installed Power: 6 Kw
» Total Weight In Service: 3000 Kg
» Electrical Cabinet Width: 600 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Depth: 600 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Height: 2100 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Weight: 150 Kg
The H SERIE H200 Model
Productive Capacity:
» Automatic Loader: No
» Production Rate: 25-40 Kg/H
» Electrical Average Consumption: 0,2-0,4 Kw/Kg
» Water Average Consumption (Standard Version): 1200 Lt/H
» Water Consumption With WRS: 0-50 Lt/Day
» Total Installed Power: 75 Kw
» Nominal Current: 140 A
» Nominal Motor Power: 60 Kw
» Treatment Chamber Volume: 200 Lt
» Machine Footprint Weight: 1850 Mm
» Machine Footprint Depth: 1000 Mm
» Machine Height: 1300 Mm
» Dry Weight: 1200 Kg
» Electrical Cabinet Width: 800 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Depth: 500 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Height: 1600 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Weight: 150 Kg
Water Recirculation System:
» Water Consumption: 0-50 Litres/Day
» Tank Capacity: 500 Lt
» Nominal Water Flow Rate: 1.5 M3/H
» Maximum Output Temperature: 40 ° C
» Width Module Tank: 700 Mm
» Depth Buffer Tank: 800 Mm
» Tank Module Height: 1800 Mm
» Installed Power: 4 Kw
» Total Weight In Service: 700 Kg
» Radiator Size: 25
» Radiator Module Width: 1,300 Mm
» Depth Radiator Module: 1600 Mm
» Height Radiator Module: 1500 Mm
» Installed Power: 1.5k W
» Total Weight In Service: 300 Kg
» Size Cooling Tower: 2/65
» Tower Module Width: 600 Mm
» Tower Module Depth: 700 Mm
» Tower Module Height: 1700 Mm
» Installed Power: 0.37 Kw
» Total Weight In Service: 100 Kg
The H SERIE H100 Model
Productive Capacity:
» » Automatic Loader: No
» Production Rate: 10-15 Kg/H
» Electrical Average Consumption: 0,2-0,4 Kw/Kg
» Water Average Consumption (Standard Version): 600 Lt/H
» Water Consumption With WRS: 0-30 Lt/Day
» Total Installed Power: 40 Kw
» Nominal Current: 70 A
» Nominal Motor Power: 30 Kw
» Treatment Chamber Volume: 100 Lt
» Machine Footprint Weight: 1500 Mm
» Machine Footprint Depth: 900 Mm
» Machine Height: 1250 Mm
» Dry Weight: 850 Kg
» Electrical Cabinet Width: 800 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Depth: 500 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Height: 1600 Mm
» Electrical Cabinet Weight: 150 Kg
Water Recirculation System:
» Water Average Consumption: 0-30 Lt/Day
H100 WASTE:

infected: 10 to 15 kg/h
organic: 25 to 30 kg/h
municipal: 30 to 40 kg/h
H200 WASTE:

infected: 25 to 40 kg/h
organic: 40 to 60 kg/h
municipal: 60 to 80 kg/h
MOVABLE UNIT:

diesel generator
2 water tanks - cooling unit
radiator-type - electric panel
H1000 WASTE:

infected H: 80 to 120 kg/h
infected MO-NV: 120 to 200 kg/h
organic: 180 to 250 kg/h
municipal: 350 to 450 kg/h
H2000 WASTE:

infected H: 200 to 260 kg/h
infected MO-NV: 340 to 350 kg/h
organic: 400 to 500 kg/h
municipal: 600 to 800 kg/h
H5000 WASTE:

infected H: 400 to 600 kg/h
infected MO-NV: 600 to 900 kg/h
organic: 800 to 1000 kg/h
municipal: 1600 to 1800 kg/h
About the CONVERTER® technology
A NO-COMPETITORS CHOICE
THE RANGE
There are two Converter® series, dedicated to different types of waste:
• The H SERIE - a range of 6 models specifically tailor-made for hospital waste (infective waste or potentially infective waste).
• MO SERIE - a range of 10 models, specifically tailor-made for any kind of waste that is not chemical, toxic, explosive or radioactive, with the possibility to choose between the sterilization and a simple disinfection.
• MOBILE UNITS are available for both series of the Converter ®.
The main difference between the H and MO series is the installed power because the two series dehydrate, shred and eventually sterilize wastes generally more humid.
AUTOCLAVE
Moist
No weight reduction
Volume reduction
Unsafe
Civil works required
Harmful emissions
Treatment duration: 60′
Environmentally harmful
Pressure: High
Difficult to operate
AUTOCLAVE
Moist
No weight reduction
Volume reduction
Unsafe
Civil works required
Harmful emissions
Treatment duration: 60′
Environmentally harmful
Pressure: High
Difficult to operate
INCINERATOR
Dry
Weight reduction
Volume reduction
Unsafe
Civil works required
Harmful emissions
Treatment duration: Non-stop
Environmentally harmful
Pressure: Neutral
Difficult to operate
MICROWAVE
Moist
No weight reduction
Volume reduction
Safe
No civil works
No emissions
Treatment duration: 45′
Environmentally harmful
Pressure: Neutral
Difficult to operate
ADVANTAGES
ECONOMIC
• Opportunity to eliminate water consumption
• One operator can control several machines
INCINERATOR
• No use of pressure or steam
• EC conformity
• Closed structure to avoid powder or odors
• Sterilization procedure even in case of breakdown
• Noise under law limits (65 a 80 dB)
• Protection against: vibrations, shocks, fire and non-authorized access to the control panel
• Sterilization level higher than an autoclave
PRACTICAL
• Completely automatic cycle
• Control by means of PLC
• Remote control and assistance
CLEAN
• No emissions
• Opportunity to eliminate water consumption
• Air reuse
THE PROCESS
The Converter® technology treats waste of any provenience and composition to get simultaneously its sterilization or disinfection, physical modification, reduction of volume, dehydration and reduction of weight.
The process is patented and it covers all models because all Converter® series are manufactured under the same working principle. The peculiarity of the Converter® patent is that the waste is mechanically heated directly from its inside by means of the friction generated by material breaks, obtained by a powerful rotary blade made in Hardox, positioned on the cell bottom. All this is realized without using pressure or steam, yielding much more safety during the entire treatment process.
Thanks to the pressure reduction in the treatment cell, the evaporation temperature becomes lower allowing to obtain a final product reduced in weight and volume, totally dry and safe in less than 30 minutes. Fumes and condensate are extracted from the treatment cell and filtered in order to reduce the emissions up to zero.
All Converter® machines just need water and electricity to run. With the Water Recirculation System the consumption can be lower to ZERO.
STEP 1
Waste loading
:

The waste is loaded into the sterilization chamber (by hand in small machines or by means of an on-board automatic loader) in its original packaging, in plastic or cardboard bags or boxes, and the lid is closed.
STEP 2
Crushing
:

The rotor starts and accelerate gradually while the material becomes finely grinded and the temperature rises quickly to about 100 °C.
STEP 3
Evaporation:

The heat generated by friction in the material causes the evaporation of the waste moisture and the temperature remains firm at the value of about 100°C.
STEP 4
Superheating

Once all the moisture has been eliminated, the frictional heat causes the temperature of the material to rise up to 151°C.
STEP 5
Sterilization or Pasteurization

The temperature of the material is held firm at 151°C during 3 minutes, under moist heat conditions, by mean of controlled water dosage.
STEP 6
Cooling down

The waste is sprinkled with water in order to lower the temperature of the material to about 100°C. A vacuum pump then lowers the temperature further down to 60°C adiabatically.
STEP 7
Unloading:

The treated material is unloaded by centrifugal force through the opening of a servo-operated valve positioned at the bottom of the treatment chamber.
WATER RECIRCULATION SYSTEM
Basic models of Converter® condense the moisture removed from the treated waste, using a scrubber where the cooling water, taken from the net, is mixed with the vapour condensed one and discharged. As optional, to reduce the water consumption especially in the machines of big capacity, it is possible to request the condensate separation system, which keeps separate the cooling water from the vapour extracted from the treated waste and or use an existing cooling system. If the costumer hasn’t got a kind of cooling system with appropriate characteristics, there is another solution: to add a condensate separation system that suits properly. It allows to cool down and reuse repeatedly the same water reducing water consumption and also allows a remarkable reduction the quantity of liquid discharged. This necessity must be submitted with the order.
Two models of cooling unit are foreseen and OMPECO srl will choose the best one according to the customer’s site climate:
RADIATOR

The radiator-type cooler is suitable when the ambient temperature ranges between -35 and 35°C. The unit needs to be placed outdoor.
EVAPORATION TOWER

The evaporation tower-type cooler, is suitable the ambient temperature ranging between -35 and 65°C, with the condition that the wet-bulb (psychrometer) does not exceed 35°C. The unit is built in two modules: Tank module to be placed indoor and Tower module for outdoor.
STERILIZATION
The moist heat method consists to submit for a certain time the material to a temperature sufficiently high in presence of water under liquid form. The combination causes the deterioration of the enzymes and proteins of the microorganisms and, by consequence, their death and the destruction of the spores. The effect is a lot faster in comparison to the method known as “dry heat” (asking also temperatures well much higher), because in this case the mechanism of action is based on the slowest oxidization by the air of the essentials of the cells. The autoclaves are the most known devices applying the moist heat method. For a physical law, by increasing the pressure also increases the boiling point of the water that, under pressure, remains under liquid form beyond 100°C. In general, the heating can be made either with electric means or also by injecting saturated steam.
The steam, produced on site or injected, acts as vector providing the material under treatment both for the heat and the liquid water by condensation of the steam itself. Pay attention that is neither the steam nor the pressure to cause the death of the microorganisms, being the pressure only one of the ways to have liquid water at a temperature higher than 100 °C. Indeed, by the tables of the saturated steam, we can observe for example, that at the relative pressure of 1 bar (say, 2 absolute bars) the water has boiling point of 121 °C. In the Converter® equipment no pressure is used but, when the previously dehydrated material has reached the sterilization temperature set at 151 °C, the injection of water allows to keep wet the material at high and firm temperature, while restoring continuously the water and the heat subtracted for evaporation of the water itself. While continuing to warm through the rotor and at the same time to inject water, the result is that, in the same time, the material is submitted to the high temperature and presence of water under liquid form.
The Converter® machines are projected to be compliant with the strictest rules, taking as a reference the norms asking that the sterilization process should be suitable to guarantee the abatement of a microbial load conventionally fixed in N = 1012 u.f.c. (units forming colonies) for every sterilization load, with a SAL (level of sterilization safety) not lower than 10-6 (Italy, UNI norm 10384/1994, law DPR 254/2003). In general, the crushing and the dehydration are also asked, to the goals of not to recognize the waste components and for a better efficiency of the treatment, as well as the reduction of volume and weight. The Converter guarantees therefore an abatement not lower than 10-18, say 18 logarithms that is one microorganism alive every 100.000.000.000.000.000 cycles.
The reaction rate depends on the temperature, the Converter® are designed to operate on two levels of temperature:
Each treatment cycle takes place with a certain sequence: loading the waste, grinding and heating up to 100 ° C, evaporation of each liquid component, heating up to 151 ° C (or up to 121 ° C), sterilization (pasteurization) through the injection of water, maintaining the temperature for 3 minutes, lowering the temperature, discharge by the centrifugal force.