Drum reactor for manufacturing fertilizers and other raw materials by aerobic fermentation

Drum reactor for manufacturing fertilizers and other raw materials from waste arising from one of at least animal husbandry, plant residues and other fermentable raw materials by aerobic fermentation, said drum reactor comprising:

• a feed hopper;
• a rotary drum having a hollow interior and a first and second end, said drum being adapted to hold the materials to be fermented and being capable of rotating about a longitudinal axis extending through said first and second ends, said drum receiving said materials from said feeder hopper whereafter said materials move toward an outlet in the second end of the drum;
• a plow flap for closing said outlet, said plow flap being moveable into the interior of the drum in order to permit discharge of finished fermented materials;
• a plurality of pipes extending along the outside of the drum, each of said pipes having a portion which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drum;
• a plurality of nozzles being provided along said portions of each of said pipes, said nozzles extending into the interior of the drum and permitting the injection of a gas into the interior of the drum;
• and
• a plurality of baffles being provided on the interior of the drum, each baffle partially covering at least one of the nozzles, said baffles forming a plow-like arrangement in the interior of the drum and engaging the materials as they move from the first to the second end of the drum in order to aid fermentation.

A method for manufacturing fertilizers and other raw materials from waste arising from one of at least animal husbandry, plant residues and other fermentable raw materials by aerobic fermentation, said method comprising the steps of:

• placing said materials in a feed hopper adjacent a rotatable drum, said feed hopper having a slide valve with a first and second drive plate thereon, said slide valve being moveable between an open and closed position to open and close an outlet in said feed hopper;
• rotating said drum to position a flat iron member thereon between said first and second drive plates, said flat iron member being attached to a drum gate valve, said drum gate valve being moveable between an open and closed position to open and close an outlet on said drum;
• moving said slide valve to said open position;
• simultaneously moving said drum gate valve to said open position as said slide valve is opened, said drum gate valve being moved via said first and second drive plates moving said flat iron member as said slide valve is opened;
• discharging said materials from the feed hopper to the drum through said drum inlet in response to said slide valve and said drum gate valve moving to said open position;
• moving said slide valve to said closed position after said discharging;
• simultaneously moving said drum gate valve to said closed position as said slide valve is closed, said drum gate valve being moved via said first and second drive plates moving said flat iron member as said slide valve is closed;
• rotating the drum with the materials while injecting one of at least air and water into the drum to permit fermentation;
• moving the materials from an end of the drum at which they were inserted to a second end during rotation of the drum, said materials engaging plow-like baffles during said moving from one end of the drum to the other, said engaging of said baffles aiding fermentation of the materials;
• and
• discharging the materials from the second end of the drum after they have finished fermenting.

Drum reactor for manufacturing fertilizers and other raw materials from waste arising from one of at least animal husbandry, palnt residues and other fermentable raw materials by aerobic fermentation, said drum reactor comprising:

• a feeder hopper;
• a rotary drum having a hollow interior and a first and second end, said drum being adapted to hold the materials to be fermented and being capable of rotating about a longitudinal axis extending through said first and second ends, said drum receiving said materials from said feeder hopper whereafter said materials move toward an outlet in the second end of the drum;
• a plurality of pipes extending along the outside of the drum, each of said pipes having a portion which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drum;
• a water supply inlet for said plurality of pipes;
• a plurality of nozzles being provided along said portions of each of said pipes, said nozzles extending into the interior of the drum and permitting the injection of at least one of a gas and fluid into the interior of the drum;
• and
• a plurality of baffles being provided on the interior of the drum, each baffle partially covering at least one of the nozzles, said baffles forming a plow-like arrangement in the interior of the drum and engaging the materials as they move from the first to the second end of the drum in order to aid fermentation.