Process and apparatus for producing a food product
AssigneeEnvironmental Liquid Reclamation, Inc.
InventorDerald L. McCabe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process and apparatus for producing a food product from a waste slurry of water and solid organic material from a cooking process and/or food treatment facility utilizes an evaporator to evaporate water out of the waste slurry to produce a food product and pure water. A portion of the slurry is recirculated through the evaporator.
Claims31
A process for producing a food product from a waste slurry of water and solid organic material from a cooking process facility, comprising the steps of:
- (a) feeding the waste slurry into a degasser, having first and second ends;
- (b) applying a vacuum to the waste slurry in the degasser to degas the waste slurry;
- (c) feeding the degassed slurry into an evaporator, having first and second ends;
- (d) feeding steam into the evaporator;
- (e) heating the degassed slurry with the steam to evaporate the water from the degassed slurry to initially separate a portion of the water from the solid organic material;
- (f) recirculating a portion of the degassed slurry through the evaporator to substantially separate the water from the solid organic material;
- (g) removing the separated water from the evaporator;
- and
- (h) removing the solid organic material from the evaporator, the solid organic material having a sludge-like, consistency and being suitable for use as a food product.
An apparatus for producing a food product from a waste slurry of water and solid organic material from a cooking process facility, comprising:
- (a) a degasser;
- (b) a means for applying a vacuum to the degasser to degas the waste slurry;
- (c) means for feeding the waste slurry into the degasser;
- (d) an evaporator, having first and second ends, including a means for feeding steam into the evaporator, to evaporate the water from the degassed slurry to substantially separate the water from the solid organic material;
- (e) means for feeding the degassed slurry into the evaporator;
- (f) means for recirculating a portion of the degassed slurry through the evaporator, the recirculation means being associated with the evaporator;
- (g) means for removing the solid organic material from the evaporator, the solid organic material having a sludge-like consistency and being suitable for use as a food product;
- and
- (h) means for removing the separated water from the evaporator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.