# US 11,078,101 B2 · Process and apparatus for treating sludge > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,078,101 B2 - Document ID: US11078101B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/735,148 - Filed: 2020-01-06 - Published: 2020-05-07 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2013-09-18 - Assignees: Ali-Jak Holdings Pty Ltd - Applicants: Ali-Jak Holdings Pty Ltd - Inventors: Jason McPherson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078101B2 ## CPC - C02F 11/13: by heating - B01D 1/0041: {Use of fluids} - B01D 1/20: Sprayers (in general B05B) - B01D 5/006: {with evaporation or distillation} - C02F 11/121: by mechanical de-watering - E21B 21/065: {Separating solids from drilling fluids} - F26B 5/041: {for drying flowable materials, e.g. suspensions, bulk goods, in a continuous operation, e.g. with locks or other air tight arrangements for charging/discharging} - F26B 17/023: {the material being a slurry or paste, which adheres to a moving belt-like endless conveyor for drying thereon, from which it may be removed in dried state, e.g. by scrapers, brushes or vibration} - F26B 17/04: the belts being all horizontal or slightly inclined (F26B17/08 takes precedence) - F26B 17/20: the axis of rotation being horizontal or slightly inclined - F26B 21/30: Controlling, e.g. regulating, parameters of gas supply - C02F 2103/10: from quarries or from mining activities - C02F 2301/063: Underpressure, vacuum - F26B 2200/18: Sludges, e.g. sewage, waste, industrial processes, cooling towers - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27) ## Abstract A process and apparatus for removing moisture from sludge. The process and apparatus comprise: conveying on a conveyor the sludge on an incline through a housing such that, as the sludge is conveyed, it is deposited onto an exposed portion of the housing; heating the sludge with a heater as it is conveyed on the incline to evaporate moisture in the sludge, whereby the sludge that it is deposited onto the exposed portion of the housing is also heated to thereby evaporate moisture from the sludge; extracting from the housing using a vacuum device an airflow comprising the evaporated moisture, whereby the airflow includes moisture that has been evaporated as a result of the sludge being deposited onto the exposed heated portion of the housing; and discharging from the housing, separately to the extracting of the airflow from the housing, the sludge from which the moisture has been removed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for removing moisture from sludge, the process comprising the steps of: conveying the sludge on an incline through a housing such that, as the sludge is conveyed, it is deposited onto an exposed portion of the housing; heating the sludge as it is conveyed on the incline to evaporate moisture in the sludge, whereby the sludge that it is deposited onto the exposed portion of the housing is also heated to thereby evaporate moisture from the sludge; extracting from the housing an airflow comprising the evaporated moisture, whereby the airflow includes moisture that has been evaporated as a result of the sludge being deposited onto the exposed heated portion of the housing; collecting the airflow comprising the evaporated moisture and condensing the evaporated moisture as condensed water, wherein the condensing is facilitated by the condensed water; and discharging from the housing, separately to the extracting of the airflow from the housing, the sludge from which the moisture has been removed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sludge is conveyed in the form of discrete accumulations. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein a partial vacuum is maintained in the housing whilst the sludge is conveyed therethrough. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the conveying is in the form of intermittent movement of the sludge. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A process as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of passing the sludge through a nozzle to atomise the sludge prior to conveying it through the housing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A process as claimed in claim 1 further comprising preheating the sludge prior to conveying it through the housing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A process as claimed in claim 6, wherein the preheating is performed as a generally isometric process such that the pressure of the sludge is increased by the preheating. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A process as claimed in claim 7 wherein, following the preheating, the sludge is driven into the housing by a differential pressure between the sludge and the interior of the housing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the speed of the conveying of the sludge varies along the housing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein a separate flow of outside air is introduced into one or more of: the housing; a condenser chamber for condensing of the evaporated moisture; a header for the condenser chamber. ### Claim 11 An apparatus for removing moisture from sludge, the apparatus comprising: a housing having an inlet and outlet for respective receipt and discharge of the sludge; a conveyor located in the housing and configured to transport the sludge on an incline between the inlet and the outlet, the conveyor being further configured to deposit the conveyed sludge onto an exposed portion of the housing; a heater to heat the sludge to remove moisture therefrom as an airflow comprising the evaporated moisture whilst the sludge is being transported by the conveyor on the incline, the heater being arranged to heat the exposed portion of the housing to thereby heat the sludge that is deposited thereon by the conveyor; a vacuum device arranged to extract the airflow comprising the evaporated moisture from the housing, at a location separate to the outlet, whereby the extracted airflow includes moisture that has been evaporated as a result of the sludge being deposited onto the exposed heated portion of the housing; and a condenser arranged to receive the airflow comprising the evaporated moisture from the housing, the condenser being configured to condense the evaporated moisture from the sludge to form condensed water, the condenser being further configured whereby the condensing of the evaporated moisture is facilitated by the condensed water. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least an upper surface of the housing interior is inclined and the outlet is located at or adjacent to an uppermost part of the housing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the heater comprises a steam jacket located to at least partially surround the housing so as to heat the sludge as it passes therethrough. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the conveyor comprises flights so as to be able to convey the sludge in discrete accumulations. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a preheater to preheat the sludge prior to it passing into the housing inlet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising an air inlet to the housing at a location that is separate from the sludge inlet and outlet of the housing, the air inlet arranged such that a separate flow of outside air is able to be introduced into the housing. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the air inlet further comprises an air inlet to a condenser chamber that is separate from the housing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the air inlet further comprises an air inlet to a condenser header that is separate from the housing.