Wet process recovery system for solid waste

A method of treating waste comprising the steps of:

• subjecting said waste to hydrokinetic classification of waste solids in flowing liquid;
• subjecting said waste solids in said liquid to a variable shearing action to separate waste solids that are sheared by said shearing action from waste solids that are not sheared;
• collecting and transporting unsheared waste solids from said flowing liquid;
• subjecting sheared waste solids to a hammering and reducing action to form a slurry of said sheared, hammered and reduced waste solids in said liquid;
• subjecting said slurry to centrifugal action to separate said slurry into a liquid portion and a solid portion in a deliquified state;
• recirculating the separated liquid portion to said flowing liquid in a manner to create said liquid flow.

A waste separator apparatus for use in waste treatment comprising:

• liquid container means for holding a body of liquid;
• hopper means for receiving waste and delivering waste to said container means and body of liquid;
• inclined floor means at substantially the bottom of said container means defining a shallow portion of said body of liquid and a deep portion of said body of liquid;
• elevator means communicating with the body of liquid at the deep portion thereof substantially at the bottom thereof and extending upwardly therefrom;
• and
• hammermill means communicating with said container means at the shallow portion of said body of liquid, said hammermill means having:
• a rotor carrying movable hammers,
• weir means establishing a level for said body of liquid;
• substantially parallel blades extending upward from said weir means and intermeshing with said hammers when said rotor is rotated, said blades having cutting edges extending upwardly from the surface of said body of liquid, said cutting edges being canted to form obtuse angles with the surface of said body of liquid.

A waste treatment system comprising:

• waste receiving means;
• hydrokinetic separating means associated with said waste receiving means and including a body of liquid and means for creating liquid flow in said body for classifying by density the waste received from said waste receiving means into first waste having a density greater than the density of said liquid but less than a predetermined threshold density established by said flow and second waste having a density higher than said predetermined threshold density;
• hammermill means associated with said body of liquid for receiving therefrom a flow of liquid containing waste, said hammermill means acting on the waste contained in said flow to assist in rejection of said second waste and to receive and comminute said first waste, said hammermill means producing at an output port a liquid slurry of comminuted solids waste;
• means associated with said hydrokinetic separating means and communicating with said body of liquid for receiving said second waste and separating said second waste from said body of liquid.

A method of treating waste comprising the steps of subjecting said waste to hydrokinetic classification of waste solids and flowing liquid;

• said hydrokinetic classification including establishing a first upward flow in said liquid and establishing a second lateral flow wherein the relative volumes and rates of said flows establish a synthetic gravitational environment in which first solids having a specific gravity greater than the specific gravity of said liquid but less than a predetermined higher value are buoyed in said synthetic gravitational environment and second solids having a specific gravity higher than said predetermined specific gravity settle in said synthetic gravitational environment;
• flowing said first solids in said liquids through a shearing and comminuting action to produce a liquid slurry of comminuted solids waste;
• separating said slurry into a liquid portion and a solid portion in a deliquified state;
• collecting and transporting said second waste solids from said flowing liquid.

A waste treatment system including a waste separator apparatus comprising:

• liquid container means for holding a body of liquid;
• hopper means for receiving waste and delivering waste to said container means and body of liquid;
• inclined floor means at substantially the bottom of said container means defining a shallow portion of said body of liquid and a deep portion of said body of liquid;
• elevator means communicating with the body of liquid at the deep portion thereof substantially at the bottom thereof and extending upwardly therefrom;
• and
• hammermill means communicating with said container means at the shallow portion of said body of liquid, said hammermill means having:
• a rotor carrying movable hammers,
• weir means establishing a level for said body of liquid;
• substantially parallel blades extending upward from said weir means and intermeshing with said hammers when said rotor is rotated, said blades having cutting edges extending upwardly from the surface of said body of liquid, said cutting edges being canted to form obtuse angles with the surface of said body of liquid.