Method for dewatering previously-dewatered municipal waste-water sludges using high electrical voltage

A method dewatering waste sludge that contains intra-cellular water molecules contained in cellular units of the waste sludge, comprising:

• (a) directing the flow of the waste sludge longitudinally, axially against a closed end of an inner pipe;
• (b) thereafter, causing the waste sludge to flow through an annular flow volume between the inner pipe and an outer pipe that is concentrically-mounted about the inner pipe;
• and
• (c) irreparably rupturing the membranes of the cellular units of the waste sludge by passing said sludge through an electric field having a voltage of at least 25,000 volts per centimeter.

A method of dewatering waste sludge containing intra-cellular water molecules contained in molecular cellular units of the waste sludge water, comprising:

• (a) pumping waste sludge into a dewatering apparatus;
• (b) destroying in the dewatering apparatus at least most of the individual cellular units of the waste sludge in order to release the intra-cellular water molecules contained therein;
• and
• (c) separating the resulting released water content from the resulting solid content for subsequent collection;
• said step (b) comprising irreparably rupturing the membrane of each of at least the majority of molecular cellular units of the waste sludge in order to release the intra-cellular water molecules contained therein by electroporating each membrane with an electric field;
• said step (b) comprising pumping the waste sludge against a spherical closed end of an inner pipe at which said step of electroporating each membrane is carried out;
• and
• directing the electroporated waste sludge through an annular volume between the inner pipe and a concentrically-mounted outer pipe for subsequent separation of the water content of the waste sludge from its solid content.

A method of dewatering municipal waste sludge or plant and animal waste sludge containing intra-cellular water molecules contained in molecular cellular units of the waste sludge, or plant and animal waste sludge, comprising:

• (a) pumping the waste sludge into a dewatering apparatus;
• (b) destroying in the dewatering apparatus at least most of the individual cellular units of the waste sludge in order to release the intra-cellular water molecules contained therein;
• and
• (c) separating the resulting released water content from the resulting solid content for subsequent collection;
• said step (b) comprising irreparably rupturing the membrane of each of at least the majority of molecular cellular units of the waste sludge in order to release the intra-cellular water molecules contained therein by electroporating each membrane;
• said step of electroporating comprising passing the waste sludge through an electric field;
• said step (b) comprising:
• pumping the waste sludge against a spherical closed end of an inner pipe, and causing the waste sludge to assume laminar flow into an annular region between the inner pipe and an outer, concentric pipe;
• and
• exposing the laminar-flowing waste sludge to an electroporating means.