US 5,584,904 A · Method for composting solid waste

Abstract

A process for reducing solid waste includes the steps of (1) preparing the waste for shredding; (2) shredding the waste; (3) preparing the waste for anaerobic decomposition; (4) decomposing the waste anaerobically; (5) preparing the waste for aerobic decomposition; (6) decomposing the waste aerobically; (7) separating the inorganic waste from the organic waste; (8) reducing the plastic with solvents; and (9) reducing the metal with acids. The apparatus used in carrying out the above steps comprise a cylindrical container having front and rear end caps, seal bearings and support plates with central openings for waste to flow through is driven by a motor and directional vanes inside the container provide mixing and steer the waste. Fluid and gas are made to flow through a front support plate and seal bearing as the container rotates. Directional vanes rotationally journaled in the wall of the cylindrical container regulate the flow of waste through the chamber.

A process for composting and reducing waste using gases, fluids, catalysts and bacteria wherein said waste includes organic and inorganic waste, said organic waste including plastic, magnetic metal, and non-magnetic metal, said process comprising the steps of:

(a) arranging a plurality of independent environmental chambers in a series wherein the waste discharged from one of said plurality of environmental chambers is transferred into an adjacent one of said plurality of environmental chambers, each of said plurality of environmental chambers comprising a cylindrical container having a front end and a rear end, means for transferring waste into said front end and away from said rear end, means for sealing said front end and said rear end, means for rotating said container and injecting and extracting means for injecting and extracting gases and fluids into and from said container as said container rotates, said container further having means for discharging said waste from said container through the rear end as said container rotates;
(b) preparing said waste for processing, said step of preparing including at least one of the sub-steps of:
(i) electrostatically removing said plastic within said waste;
(ii) electromagnetically removing said magnetic metal within said waste;
and
(iii) removing said non-magnetic metal within said waste via arc welding techniques;
(c) transferring the prepared waste resulting from step (b) into a container of a first environmental chamber of said plurality of environmental chambers;
(d) conditioning said prepared waste within said container of said first environmental chamber for anaerobic decomposition using said injecting and extracting means, including the sub-steps of:
(i) measuring the pH of said prepared waste;
(ii) balancing the acidity of said prepared waste by adding acids and bases:
(iii) adding a catalyst to heat said prepared waste and to deoxygenate the air within said container of said first environmental chamber;
and
(iv) adding anaerobic bacteria capable of fermenting to produce a by-product gas including one of methane and ethanol;
(e) anaerobically decomposing said prepared waste while said container of said first environmental chamber rotates to produce anaerobically decomposed waste, including the sub-steps of:
(i) allowing said prepared waste and said anaerobic bacteria to ferment within said container of said first environmental chamber;
and
(ii) collecting said by-product gas of said anaerobic bacteria during step (e)(i) using said injecting and extracting means;
(f) transferring said anaerobically decomposed waste into a container of a second environmental chamber of said plurality of environmental chambers;
(g) conditioning said anaerobically decomposed waste within said container of said second environmental chamber for aerobic decomposition using said injecting and extracting means, including the sub-steps of:
(i) measuring the pH of said anaerobically decomposed waste;
(ii) balancing the acidity of said anaerobically decomposed waste by adding acids and bases;
(iii) adding heated air and water to said anaerobically decomposed waste;
and
(iv) adding aerobic bacteria capable of fermenting to produce a by-product gas including ethanol;
(h) aerobically decomposing said anaerobically decomposed waste while said container of said second environmental chamber rotates to produce aerobically decomposed waste, including the sub-steps of:
(i) allowing said anaerobically decomposed waste and said aerobic bacteria to ferment within said container of said second environmental chamber to produce by-product gases including at least one of ethanol, carbon dioxide, and water vapor;
and
(ii) collecting said by-product gases of step (h)(i) using said injecting and extracting means;
(i) removing said inorganic waste from said aerobically decomposed waste;
(j) transferring said inorganic waste into a container of a third environmental chamber of said plurality of environmental chambers;
(k) reducing said plastic within said inorganic waste while said container of said third environmental chamber rotates using said injecting and extracting means, including the steps of:
(i) providing a solvent within said container of said third environmental chamber to dissolve said plastic into said solvent, said solvent including at least one of acetone, alcohol, xylene, and hexane;
(ii) removing said solvent and said dissolved plastic from said container of said third environmental chamber;
(iii) evaporating said solvent to recover said solvent and said dissolved plastics:
and
(iv) collecting by-product gases generated during step (k)(i);
(l) transferring said inorganic waste into a container of a fourth environmental chamber of said plurality of environmental chambers;
and
(m) reducing said metal remaining within said inorganic waste while said container of said fourth environmental chamber rotates using said injecting and extracting means, including the steps of:
(i) applying an acid capable of producing by-product gases including hydrogen and oxygen upon reaction with said metal;
(ii) allowing said metal to return to a native chemical state;
and
(iii) capturing said by-product gases produced during step (m) (ii).

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Method for composting solid waste

Life of this patent

Method for composting solid waste

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10