Aerobic thermal chemical hydrolysis process
AssigneeRDP Technologies, Inc.
InventorRichard W. Christy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus, method and system is provided for treating sewage sludge by dewatering the sewage sludge, heating the sewage sludge being treated to destroy pathogens, and then reducing volatile solids in the sewage sludge being treated through biochemical decomposition to produce a treated biosolids product that meets government regulations for pathogen reduction and vector attraction reduction.
Claims26
A process for treating liquid sewage sludge, to produce an end product that is an active bed of aerobic microorganisms in various stages including decay, and having a solids concentration of the end product is greater than 50% dry solids, the process comprising:
- (a) providing liquid sewage sludge,
- (b) biologically stabilizing the liquid sewage sludge,
- (c) dewatering the liquid sewage sludge to at least a 13 percent dry solids content,
- (d) applying heat to the dewatered liquid sewage sludge to a temperature at least as great as required by EPA 503 Class A Pathogen Reduction to provide preconditioned, dewatered liquid sewage sludge,
- (e) mixing the preconditioned, dewatered liquid sewage sludge with aerobically digested sewage sludge to provide feed for aerobic digestion,
- (f) aerobically digesting the feed for aerobic digestion by mixing the feed while aerating the feed with sufficient air to maintain aerobic conditions to control odor to provide more aerobically digested sludge and exhaust air,
- (g) recycling a portion of the aerobically digested sludge produced in step (f) for mixing with the preconditioned, dewatered liquid sewage sludge in step (e), and
- (h) curing a portion of the aerobically digested sludge.
Apparatus for treating liquid sewage sludge, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a holding tank for holding liquid sewage sludge,
- (b) a dewatering device for receiving liquid sewage sludge and dewatering the liquid sewage sludge to at least a 13 percent dry solids content to provide a dewatered sewage sludge,
- (c) an aerobic digester for receiving a material including the dewatered sewage sludge and aerobically digesting the dewatered sewage sludge to provide aerobically digested sludge,
- (d) means for separating a portion of the aerobically digested sludge,
- (e) a mixer for mixing the separated portion of the aerobically digested sludge with the dewatered sewage sludge to provide a material including the dewatered sewage sludge,
- (f) means for providing the material including the dewatered sewage sludge to the aerobic digester, and
- (g) means for providing air to the aerobic digester.
A process for producing an end product that is an active bed of aerobic microorganisms in various stages including decay, and having a solids concentration of the end product greater than 50% dry solids, the process comprising:
- (a) providing preconditioned, dewatered liquid sewage sludge meeting the EPA 503 Class A Pathogen Reduction standard,
- (b) mixing the preconditioned, dewatered liquid sewage sludge with aerobically digested sewage sludge to provide feed for aerobic digestion,
- (c) aerobically digesting the feed for aerobic digestion by mixing the feed while aerating the feed with sufficient air to maintain aerobic conditions to control odor to provide additional aerobically digested sludge and exhaust air,
- (d) recycling a portion of the aerobically digested sludge produced in step (c) for mixing with the preconditioned, dewatered liquid sewage sludge in step (b), and
- (e) curing a portion of the aerobically digested sludge.
A process for treating a liquid sewage sludge, to produce an end product that is an active bed of aerobic microorganisms in various stages including decay, an having solids concentration of the end product that is greater than 50% dry solids, the process further comprising an initial series of steps, the initial series of steps comprising:
- (a) providing liquid sewage sludge,
- (b) biologically stabilizing the liquid sewage sludge,
- (c) dewatering the liquid sewage sludge to at least a 13 percent dry solids content,
- (d) applying heat to the dewatered liquid sewage sludge to a temperature at least as great as required by EPA 503 Class A Pathogen Reduction to provide preconditioned, dewatered liquid sewage sludge,
- (e) seeding the preconditioned, dewatered liquid sewage sludge with vegetative microorganisms needed for the aerobic biochemical decomposition process to provide feed for aerobic digestion,
- (f) aerobically digesting the feed for aerobic digestion by mixing the feed while aerating the feed with sufficient air to maintain aerobic conditions to control odor to provide more aerobically digested sludge and exhaust air,
- (g) recycling a portion of the aerobically digested sludge produced in step (f) for mixing with the preconditioned, dewatered liquid sewage sludge in step (e), and
- (h) curing a portion of the aerobically digested sludge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.