Waste processing apparatus and method

A method of processing solid waste products in a vessel having a central longitudinal axis, comprising:

• loading the vessel with a charge of solid waste products along the bottom of said vessel;
• sealing the vessel;
• introducing steam into said vessel so as to pressurize said vessel;
• rotating said vessel so as to cause said charge of solid waste products to be moved from the bottom of said vessel toward the top of said vessel and allowed to fall through said vessel so as to maintain a low density region of waste substantially along the length of said vessel while moving said vessel reversibly between a position wherein said first end is higher than said second end and a position wherein said second end is higher than said first end while said vessel remains pressurized;
• and
• thereafter depressurizing the vessel and unloading the processed waste therefrom.

An apparatus for processing solid waste products, said apparatus comprising:

• a rotatably mounted cylindrical vessel having a horizontal axis, a first end, a second end and an interior surface, at least one end terminating in a hatch that may be opened to allow access to the interior of said vessel and closed and sealed to allow pressurization of said vessel;
• a steam inlet or inlets for injecting steam into at least one of said ends;
• a plurality of blades protruding from said interior surface of said vessel so as to be capable of transporting waste material from the bottom of said vessel toward the top of said vessel, and releasing the waste material to fall to the bottom of said vessel;
• and
• at least one actuator for moving said vessel between a position wherein said first end is higher than said second end and a position wherein said second end is higher than said first end,
• said at least one hatch being closed and said vessel being pressurized while said at least one actuator moves said vessel reversibly between a position wherein said first end is higher than said second end and a position wherein said second end is higher than said first end during rotation of said vessel, so as to be adapted to dynamically level solid waste products along said horizontal axis while said vessel is pressurized.

An apparatus for processing solid waste products, said apparatus comprising:

• a rotatably mounted cylindrical vessel having a horizontal axis, a first end, a second end and an interior surface, both ends terminating in a hatch that may be opened to allow access to the interior of said vessel and closed and sealed to allow pressurization of said vessel;
• a steam inlet or inlets for injecting steam into at least one of said ends;
• a plurality of blades protruding from said interior surface of said vessel and capable of transporting waste material from the bottom of said vessel toward the top of said vessel, and releasing the waste material to fall to the bottom of said vessel;
• and at least one actuator for moving said vessel between a position wherein said first end is higher than said second end and a position wherein said second end is higher than said first end during rotation of said vessel,
• said at least one hatch being closed and said vessel being pressurized while said at least one actuator moves said vessel reversibly between a position wherein said first end is higher than said second end and a position wherein said second end is higher than said first end during rotation of said vessel, so as to be adapted to dynamically level solid waste products along said horizontal axis while said vessel is pressurized.