Process and apparatus for treating sludge

An apparatus for treating sludge comprising:

• electrodes including at least one anode and at least one cathode, said electrodes defining therebetween a space adapted to receive the sludge so as to submit said sludge disposed within said space to an electric current, thereby dehydrating said sludge and generating an effluent;
• an inlet for receiving the sludge and an outlet for evacuating the treated sludge, said inlet and outlet being in communication with said space;
• compression means for compacting the sludge so as to permit a contact substantially constant between said electrodes and said sludge when the sludge is submitted to the electric current;
• evacuation means for evacuating the effluent;
• and
• activating means for imparting a rotation movement to said sludge so that the sludge is in rotation around a rotation axis defined by the apparatus while being submitted to the electric current and being compacted,
• wherein one of said electrodes has the form of an endless belt which is moved around a portion of said axis, said other electrode having a cylindrical shape, being rotatably mounted within said apparatus, and being disposed between said axis and said belt,
• and wherein said cylindrical electrode comprises a plurality of cells isolated from one another and adapted to receive sludge, each cell comprising two paddles made of an electrically insulating material and defining side walls of each cell, each cell also comprises a metal plate acting as an electrode and bottom wall of said cell, and two other side walls, said paddles are sealingly engaging said belt and said belt defines a top wall of each cell, in such a manner that when the sludge is being submitted to the electric current and being compacted, the sludge contained in a cell is not contacting the sludge contained in an adjacent cell.