Due to the limited space onboard a naval vessel, new and improved methods must be investigated and developed to contain, handle, and store many types of waste products of which one is aerosol cans from personnel and maintenance. Manual aerosol can evacuating equipment exists, but our approach is to construct and test our automated can crusher/evacuator device that will evacuate the contents and then compact the cans to two inches in height. This will significantly reduce the amount of space needed for the storage of waste aerosol cans and the unit will operate off of ships power allowing for any user to just insert the can and close the door, leaving the crushing and evacuating to the unit, depositing waste fluid into one drum and ejecting the crushed can to another drum. This system will not only reduce the amount of space needed for waste storage, but it will also make it easier to contain and handle the waste products from the evacuated aerosol cans. The system will also be completely expandable with a variety of add-on options including an auto feeder for hands free operation. The system that is being proposed will have concrete benefits both functionally and economically the first benefit is that the space needed to store the waste will be reduced by an estimated 65% to 75%. This is a direct result from the compaction of the cans. The system is operator safe and more environmentally friendly than manual methods. The unit will be able to accommodate any size can. The scrap metal from the cans can be sold and thus the system is self-subsidizing. The hazardous waste costs will be reduced due to the fact that the metal from the cans is being removed as a component of the hazardous waste. The only hazardous waste will be the actual contents of the can. The waste will also be easy to handle since the can waste contents and the scrap cans can all be stored within 55-gallon drums. The unit will be very simple to operate and periodic cleaning will be the majority of the maintenance and up keep needed, taking minimal time for personnel to operate or maintain. All the components being mechanical will be easy to service and replace if necessary. The entire system will be easy to move, mount, and use. The options for the system can greatly make the system even more efficient and economically attractive to potential customers through automatic feeding of multiple cans, and automated batch processing. It is beneficial for private consumers who recycle as well as expanding the general municipal can recycling market for the public to now include aerosol cans. Larger units to handle the amount of municipal aerosol can waste, equipped with auto feeders, will allow for greater recycling capabilities for municipalities all over the country and the world.
