Decontamination plant including an indirectly heated desorption system

A decontamination plant for removing contaminants from material, the decontamination plant comprising:

• an outer shell including a first end, a second end and a cavity therein, the cavity extending generally from the first end to the second end thereof;
• a drum formed of a heat conductive material and rotatably mounted in the cavity defined by the outer shell so as to form an annular heating chamber between the drum and the outer shell, the drum having an inner surface defining a soil decontamination chamber, the decontamination chamber being isolated from the annular heating chamber, the drum having a material receiving opening and a material discharging opening in communication with the decontamination chamber, the material receiving opening being disposed a distance beyond the first end of the outer shell, and the material discharging opening being disposed a distance beyond the second end of the outer shell such that a portion of the inner surface of the drum, which is located generally between the first end and the second end of the outer shell, forms a first heat exchange surface;
• a tube formed of a heat conductive material and concentrically suspended within the soil decontamination chamber formed in the drum, the tube having an inner surface defining an effluent gas discharge cavity, and an outer surface defining a second heat exchange surface, the tube having an inlet and an outlet in communication with the effluent gas discharge cavity, the inlet of the tube being in communication with the annular heating chamber and the outlet being positioned to exhaust gases from the drum;
• and
• a first set of heat sources, the heat sources being spatially disposed about the axial length of the annular heating chamber and positioned to discharge heat into the annular heating chamber whereby the flue gases flow about the drum to conduct heat to the first heat exchange surface, and whereby the flue gases flow through the tube from the inlet to the outlet thereof to conduct heat to the second heat exchange surface whereby soil flowing through the soil decontamination chamber is heated conductively when in contact with both the first and second heat exchange surfaces.