Abstract: An apparatus for removing viscous material from barrels includes a conventional drum dumper, an auger formed of a double helix of metal ribbon, a motor for rotating the auger, and a carriage assembly for supporting the motor and auger and advancing the auger into and out of an inverted barrel. As the auger is advanced into the open end of an inverted barrel, the motor rotates the auger to insert the double helix into the viscous material and urge the viscous material rearwardly out of the open barrel end. The carriage assembly includes a carriage which supports a central shaft of the auger and the auger motor, and four guide rails which constrain the movement of the carriage to rectilinear motion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for injecting sludge into a kiln includes a pump for pumping sludge, a conduit for conveying sludge to the kiln including an attrition portion for attriting the sludge into smaller particles, and a conduit enclosing the attrition segment for entraining the particles in a stream of combustion air to carry the particles into a kiln. The attrition portion includes a plurality of passageways connected to a source of compressed air to provide a plurality of jets of air to attrite the sludge into discrete particles and aid in ejecting the sludge from the conduit. In a preferred embodiment, the attrition segment includes nested, frusto-conical segments; each having a plurality of passageways which project jets of compressed air radially inwardly to slice the sludge mass within the segment into smaller particles. As the particles exit the attrition segment, they enter an extension tube having a helical internal rib which imparts a swirling motion to the particles.

Abstract: A pyrolyzer-kiln system for generating combustible fume from waste material and supplementing the fuel used to provide heat energy to a clinker kiln. The system includes a pyrolyzer for generating a combustible pyrolytic fume, a kiln for burning the fume as part of a cement-forming process, a conduit for conveying the fume from the pyrolyzer to the kiln, and a closed-loop feedback component for monitoring the heating value of the fume and varying the operational parameters of the pyrolyzer to maintain the heating value of the fume generated within a predetermined range. The closed-loop feedback component includes a calorimeter which continuously samples and burns fume from the conduit. The heating value of the fume is determined by measuring the amount of auxiliary fuel and air required to be mixed with the fume to maintain a predetermined temperature when the combustion is burned within the calorimeter.