Abstract: An apparatus for digesting waste comprises a tank, a tube, a propeller, and a trough. The tube is disposed within the tank. The propeller is disposed within the tube and configured to propel a waste material upward through the tube from a lower portion of the tank towards an upper portion of the tank. The waste material comprises heavy solids that fall to the lower portion of the tank and light solids that rise to a waste material top level located near a top of the tank. The trough is configured to collect the light solids that rise to the waste material top level. A top portion of the tube is disposed far enough below the waste material top level such that the heavy solids fall to the lower portion of the tank after being propelled up the tube rather than being propelled to at or above the waste material top level and collected by the trough.

Abstract: An apparatus for digesting waste includes a digester tank, a drainage trough located near a top of the digester tank, an auger located inside the drainage trough, and a skimmer that pushes waste into the drainage trough.

Abstract: An apparatus for digesting waste includes a digester tank, a drainage trough located near a top of the digester tank, an auger located inside the drainage trough, and a skimmer that pushes waste into the drainage trough.