Manure separation for digester method and apparatus

A fluid and solid separator system for a dairy having a flushing system with flush water having unsettleable and settleable solids therein, the flush system comprising:

• a) a first separator adapted to remove settleable solids from returning flush water whereas the first separator has a first ejection port to deposit a thick fraction of the flush water to a first storage location and a second ejection port adapted to deposit a thin fraction of the flush water to a process tank,
• b) a process tank adapted to receive the thin fraction of the flush water from the first separator where the process tank comprises:
• i an ejection port for adapted to eject a second thin fraction of the flush water that is positioned in the upper one half portion of the process tank,
• ii a flush water feed line that is in communication with the flushing system of the dairy to form a partially closed loop system,
• iii the process tank having a cross-sectional diameter allowing a vertical flow rate of the fluid contained therein that is less than the settling rate of the settleable solids,
• iv a bottom removal grid adapted to remove discharge fluid comprising settleable and unsettleable solids contained in the discharge fluid in the lower portion of the process tank,
• c) a mix tank in communication with the process tank whereas the mix tank is adapted to be filled in a batch process from the bottom removal grid of the process tank to pass effluent thereto,
• d) a second separator in communication with the mix tank to receive the effluent from the mix tank.

A method for separating water from settleable solids and removal of a percentage of unsettleable solids from flush water in a dairy operation, the method comprising:

• a) retrieving a flush mixture from a diary to a first separator,
• b) placing the thick fraction from the first separator to a first storage location,
• c) sending the thin fraction from the first separator to a process tank and injecting the thin fraction from the first separator in the lower region of the processing tank where fluid onctained in the processing tank is drawn from the upper portion of the process tank to flush a diary to form a partially closed loop system, whereas the vertical flow in the process tank is such that it does not exceed the mean settling rate of the settleable solids contained therein, where the portion of fluid in the upper region of the process tank is transferred back to the diary for the flushing,
• d) allowing the settleable solids to settle and ejecting the settled solids from the process tank in a bottom removal process and removing a portion of unsettleable solids in the concentration of unsettleable solids region of the process tank therefrom the processing tank for transfer to a mix tank,
• e) transferring the contents of the mix tank to a second separator,
• f) whereas the unsettleable solids in the partially closed loop system remain substantially in equilibrium below 2% unsettled solids by weight with respect to water.