Abstract: A cake sensor which includes a rotatable, hollow cylindrical shell adapted to be positioned within a flow of falling cake material and a piston within the shell. The shell has an opening therein through which the cake material will enter the shell, and to one end of the shell are connected a fluid source and a density sensor. The piston extends through the other end of the cylinder and is driven by a torque motor to compress cake material which falls into the cylinder through the opening. The various measurements developed by the density sensor, the torque developed by the torque motor, and the distance traveled by the piston are utilized to determine the characteristics of the cake material. A method for determining the quality of the cake material is also presented.

Abstract: A novel mobile system for cleaning and processing catch basin and/or lagoon waste products is described wherein the degree of waste product dilution is carefully controlled prior to transmission to a mobile dewatering truck. The truck comprises dewatering apparatus which is uniquely controlled to produce a substantially dry land fill suitable end product and water suitable for recirculation or environmentally acceptable discharge to a process head or sanitary sewer.