Method and apparatus for biological treatment of organic materials
AssigneeChristian Widmer
InventorsChristian Widmer, Wolfgang Stehle, Artur Wellinger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process and an apparatus for carrying out the process for the biological treatment of organic wastes. In order to achieve more effective treatment of the material, in a horizontally oriented reactor, a circulating agitator is disposed which causes circulation of the material with simultaneous advance. The material is leached via spray arms, with simultaneous intense aeration of the material to generate an aerobic biological degradation process.
Claims21
A process for biological treatment of organic waste material in a solids reactor, comprising the steps of:
- charging the reactor with the waste material at a first end of the reactor;
- feeding air to the waste material so the air flows through the waste material in a first direction, to cause an aerobic degradation of organic substances in the waste material, whereby the waste material heats to a process temperature in the reactor;
- applying leaching liquid to the material so the leaching liquid flows through the waste material in a second direction opposite to the first direction and so that at least one of soluble organic substances, soluble inorganic substances, and water soluble fatty acids are leached from the waste material into the leaching liquid;
- agitating, circulating and transporting the waste material with an agitating/circulating/transporting mechanism in the reactor to mix the waste material, prevent the formation of liquid bypass channels in the waste material, and transport the waste material towards a second end of the reactor;
- and
- removing the leaching liquid charged with at least one of soluble organic substances, soluble inorganic substances, and water soluble fatty acids at a lower part of the reactor.
An apparatus for carrying out a process for biological treatment of wet organic waste material using a reactor to leach at least one of soluble organic substances, soluble inorganic substances, and water soluble fatty acids, out of the material, the apparatus comprising:
- an elongate reactor;
- an agitating/circulating/transporting mechanism having a horizontal reversibly rotating shaft;
- an inlet port for the material;
- an outlet port for the material;
- spraying arms for applying leaching liquid in the reactor interior;
- and
- chambers provided in a lower part of the reactor said chambers performing at least one of receiving the liquid and feeding fresh air.
A process for biological treatment of organic waste materials using a solid waste reactor, comprising the steps of:
- charging the reactor with the waste material at a first end of the reactor;
- feeding air and water to the waste material to cause aerobic degradation of the material, whereby the material heats to a process temperature;
- applying a leaching liquid to the waste material so that at least one of soluble organic substances, soluble inorganic substances, and water soluble fatty acids are leached from the waste material and transferred into the leaching liquid;
- agitating, circulating and transporting the waste material with an agitating/circulating/transporting mechanism to mix the waste material, prevent the formation of bypass channels in the waste material, and transport the waste material towards a second end of the reactor;
- removing the leaching liquid from the lower portion of the reactor;
- treating the removed leaching liquid to obtain regenerated leaching liquid;
- feeding the regenerated leaching liquid to the reactor for use in the applying step;
- and
- removing the material at the second end of the reactor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.