Abstract: An integrated system produces ethanol and biogas from raw plant materials. The system includes a pretreatment apparatus for converting raw plant materials into sugars and a fermenter for fermenting the sugars to produce a beer including ethanol. A distillation apparatus separates the beer into the ethanol and a whole stillage, and a separator then separates the whole stillage into a thin stillage and wet distillers grains. A biogas apparatus processes a first portion of the thin stillage to produce biogas and a biogas effluent, and converts a percentage of the non-fermentable solids and organic acids in the thin stillage into biogas. The pretreatment apparatus is supplied with an amount of fresh water and an amount of backset, the backset including the biogas effluent recycled from the biogas apparatus to the pretreatment apparatus.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for reducing waste effluent from a system including a boiler and a wet electrostatic precipitator, the waste effluent having blow down water discharged by the boiler during a blow down operation and bleed water discharged by the wet electrostatic precipitator. The method includes collecting the blow down water and providing it to the wet electrostatic precipitator as a makeup water supplement, evaporating a portion the bleed water and leaving residual bleed water, providing the evaporated bleed water to the wet electrostatic precipitator as a further makeup water supplement, and using the residual bleed water to quench ash produced by combustion of solid fuel by the boiler. The apparatus includes an evaporator that provides direct contact between hot boiler flue gas and the bleed water such that a portion of the flue gas is quenched before being provided to the wet electrostatic precipitator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for reducing quench water required by a wet electrostatic precipitator. The apparatus includes a wet electrostatic precipitator and an evaporator in flow communication with the wet electrostatic precipitator to evaporate at least one portion of bleed water discharged from the wet electrostatic precipitator into steam. The method includes directing at least one portion of bleed water discharged from the wet electrostatic precipitator to an evaporator and directing at least one portion of flue gas from a boiler to the evaporator. The energy of the at least one portion of flue gas is used to evaporate the at least one portion of the bleed water into steam. The steam is directed to the wet electrostatic precipitator. The at least one portion of flue gas is directed from the evaporator to the wet electrostatic precipitator.

Abstract: An integrated system produces ethanol and biogas from raw plant materials. The system includes a pretreatment apparatus for converting raw plant materials into sugars and a fermenter for fermenting the sugars to produce a beer including ethanol. A distillation apparatus separates the beer into the ethanol and a whole stillage, and a separator then separates the whole stillage into a thin stillage and wet distillers grains. A biogas apparatus processes a first portion of the thin stillage to produce biogas and a biogas effluent, and converts a percentage of the non-fermentable solids and organic acids in the thin stillage into biogas. The pretreatment apparatus is supplied with an amount of fresh water and an amount of backset, the backset including the biogas effluent recycled from the biogas apparatus to the pretreatment apparatus.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for reducing waste effluent from a system including a boiler and a wet electrostatic precipitator, the waste effluent having blow down water discharged by the boiler during a blow down operation and bleed water discharged by the wet electrostatic precipitator. The method includes collecting the blow down water and providing the collected blow down water to the wet electrostatic precipitator as a makeup water supplement, evaporating a portion the bleed water and leaving residual bleed water, providing the evaporated bleed water to the wet electrostatic precipitator as a further makeup water supplement, and using the residual bleed water to quench ash produced by combustion of solid fuel by the boiler. The apparatus includes an evaporator that provides direct contact between hot boiler flue gas and the bleed water such that a portion of the flue gas is quenched before being provided to the wet electrostatic precipitator.

Abstract: A System for reducing organic contaminates from the condensate discharge of a closed loop industrial drying process. The system includes a dryer, a regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) in flow communication with the dryer, and an energy recovery unit in flow communication with the RTO.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for reducing waste effluent from a system including a boiler and a wet electrostatic precipitator, the waste effluent having blow down water discharged by the boiler during a blow down operation and bleed water discharged by the wet electrostatic precipitator. The method includes collecting the blow down water and providing it to the wet electrostatic precipitator as a makeup water supplement, evaporating a portion of the bleed water and leaving residual bleed water, providing the evaporated bleed water to the wet electrostatic precipitator as a further makeup water supplement, and using the residual bleed water to quench ash produced by combustion of solid fuel by the boiler. The apparatus includes an evaporator that provides direct contact between hot boiler flue gas and the bleed water such that a portion of the flue gas is quenched before being provided to the wet electrostatic precipitator.

Abstract: An integrated system produces ethanol and biogas from raw plant materials. The system includes a pretreatment apparatus for converting raw plant materials into sugars and a fermenter for fermenting the sugars to produce a beer including ethanol. A distillation apparatus separates the beer into the ethanol and a whole stillage, and a separator then separates the whole stillage into a thin stillage and wet distillers grains. A biogas apparatus processes a first portion of the thin stillage to produce biogas and a biogas effluent, and converts a percentage of the non-fermentable solids and organic acids in the thin stillage into biogas. The pretreatment apparatus is supplied with an amount of fresh water and an amount of backset, the backset including the biogas effluent recycled from the biogas apparatus to the pretreatment apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for injecting natural gas in an RTO. The RTO may be, for example, a known type that has a rotary distributor, a center section divided into pie-shaped segments above the rotary distributor, a heat exchanger section above the center section, and a combustion chamber above the heat exchanger. According to an aspect of the invention, the system introduces gas into segments of the center section in a sequenced manner via cycling on/off control valves. In a particular embodiment, the natural gas is injected at a specific location of a respective segment within the center section that is past the rotary distributor seals and directly under the bottom of the heat exchanger bed. According to the injection sequence, the injection of natural gas into the segment commences when the segment begins to receive inlet waste gas streams, and injection ceases before the flow through the sector changes or stops.

Abstract: An integrated system produces ethanol and biogas from raw plant materials. The system includes a pretreatment apparatus for converting raw plant materials into sugars and a fermenter for fermenting the sugars to produce a beer including ethanol. A distillation apparatus separates the beer into the ethanol and a whole stillage, and a separator then separates the whole stillage into a thin stillage and wet distillers grains. A biogas apparatus processes a first portion of the thin stillage to produce biogas and a biogas effluent, and converts a percentage of the non-fermentable solids and organic acids in the thin stillage into biogas. The pretreatment apparatus is supplied with an amount of fresh water and an amount of backset, the backset including the biogas effluent recycled from the biogas apparatus to the pretreatment apparatus.

Abstract: A system for reducing organic contaminates from the condensate discharge of a closed loop industrial drying process. The system includes a dryer, a regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) in flow communication with the dryer, and an energy recovery unit in flow communication with the RTO.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for reducing significantly or to zero the waste effluent from a system including a boiler and a wet electrostatic precipitator, the waste effluent comprising blow down water discharged by the boiler during a blow down operation and bleed water discharged by the wet electrostatic precipitator. The method comprises collecting the blow down water, providing the collected blow down water to the wet electrostatic precipitator as a makeup water supplement, evaporating a portion the bleed water and leaving residual bleed water, providing the evaporated bleed water to the wet electrostatic precipitator as a further makeup water supplement, and using the residual bleed water to quench ash produced by combustion of solid fuel by the boiler. The apparatus includes an evaporator that provides direct contact between hot boiler flue gas and the bleed water such that a portion of the flue gas is quenched before being provided to the wet electrostatic precipitator.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing particulate matter from a gas stream containing particulate matter, the apparatus including: a mist-producing element that mixes a gas stream entering the apparatus with liquid droplets; and a down flow Wet Electrostatic Precipitator (WESP) pass section having ionizing electrodes that electrically charge the particulate matter and the intermixed liquid droplets, and collecting surfaces in the form of an array of polygonal tubes, wherein the collecting surfaces are under the influence of an electrical field to attract and remove electrically-charged particulate matter and intermixed liquid droplets from the gas stream. An embodiment utilizing two down-flow Wet Electrostatic Precipitator (WESP) sections (i.e.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing particulate matter from a gas stream containing particular matter, the apparatus comprising: a mist-producing element that mixes a gas stream entering the apparatus with liquid droplets; a down-flow Wet Electrostatic Precipitator (WESP) section comprising ionizing electrodes that electrically charge the particulate matter and the intermixed liquid droplets, and collecting surfaces under the influence of an electrical field which attract and remove electrically-charged particulate matter and intermixed liquid droplets from the gas stream; and an up-flow WESP section comprising electrically-charged ionizing and collecting electrodes that remove, from the gas stream, substantially all fine-sized droplets generated in the down-flow WESP section.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing particulate matter from a biomass combustion gas stream, the apparatus having a mist-producing element that mixes a gas stream entering the apparatus with liquid droplets; a Wet Electrostatic Precipitator (WESP) section that includes ionizing electrodes that electrically charge the particulate matter and the intermixed liquid droplets and collecting surfaces under the influence of an electrical field which attract and remove electrically-charged particulate matter and intermixed liquid droplets from the gas stream; and a scrubbing section that provides for additional scrubbing of the gas.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the oxidation of NO, SO2, and mercury vapors and their subsequent removal from a waste gas together with solid submicron particles and acid droplets comprising the reagent injection, WESP/plasma reactor, liquid film catalytic reactor and FGD scrubber with WESP/mist eliminator for the final gas cleaning.

Abstract: A method for firing bricks provides a kiln car including furniture with silicon carbide vertical supports. In one embodiment, horizontal support beams are mounted to the vertical supports to define multiple vertical levels and support crossbeams. Low sets of bricks are positioned on a first carriage having a conveyor, near one side of the kiln car. A second carriage is extended beneath crossbeams for one level to a position adjacent the first carriage. The second carriage includes spaced-apart rollers that inter-fit between crossbeams for the level when the carriages are raised, so that tops of the rollers are slightly above the crossbeams. The rollers convey bricks to a desired position, and the carriages are lowered to rest the bricks on the crossbeams. Another embodiment uses a fork to load and unload crossbeams carrying bricks from the horizontal support beams.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing particulate matter and undesirable vapors from a gas stream are provided. In one aspect, an apparatus includes at least one ionizing electrode that negatively charges the particulate matter and condensed droplets of undesirable vapors, at least one scrubbing element including a collecting surface, and at least one liquid applicator operable to apply a liquid film to the collecting surface, wherein a positive charge is applied to the liquid film to attract negatively-charged particulate matter and/or condensed droplets of undesirable vapors to the collecting surface. In another aspect, a method includes the steps of: negatively charging the particulate matter and condensed droplets of undesirable vapors using at least one ionizing electrode; applying a liquid film to a collecting surface proximate the ionizing electrode; and positively charging the liquid film to attract the negatively-charged particulate matter and condensed droplets of undesirable vapors.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing particulate matter from a gas stream containing particular matter, the apparatus comprising: a mist-producing element that mixes a gas stream entering the apparatus with liquid droplets; a down-flow Wet Electrostatic Precipitator (WESP) section comprising ionizing electrodes that electrically charge the particulate matter and the intermixed liquid droplets, and collecting surfaces under the influence of an electrical field which attract and remove electrically-charged particulate matter and intermixed liquid droplets from the gas stream; and an up-flow WESP section comprising electrically-charged ionizing and collecting electrodes that remove, from the gas stream, substantially all fine-sized droplets generated in the down-flow WESP section.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing particulate matter from a gas stream containing particulate matter, the apparatus comprising: a mist-producing element that mixes a gas stream entering the apparatus with liquid droplets; and a down flow Wet Electrostatic Precipitator (WESP) pass section having ionizing electrodes that electrically charge the particulate matter and the intermixed liquid droplets, and collecting surfaces in the form of an array of polygonal tubes, wherein the collecting surfaces are under the influence of an electrical field to attract and remove electrically-charged particulate matter and intermixed liquid droplets from the gas stream. An embodiment utilizing two down-flow Wet Electrostatic Precipitator (WESP) sections (i.e.