Abstract: A vehicle configured to carry solid refinery waste is disclosed. The vehicle includes a mobile tank including a plurality of compartments and at least one buffer disposed between each of the plurality of compartments. The vehicle further includes a plurality of manhole openings on a top wall of the tank, each manhole opening being associated with one of the plurality of compartments and being sized to enable an agitator to pass therethrough. The vehicle also includes a plurality of connectors, each connector being affixed to the mobile tank for movement therewith to selectively secure the agitator and a plurality of fluid valves sized to permit an emulsion of the solid refinery waste and at least one diluent to pass therethrough in flowable form.

Abstract: A method of evacuating a refinery tank containing waste with solid constituents is disclosed. The method includes inserting an agitator on a boom through a first opening on a side of the refinery tank and agitating waste in a first area of the refinery tank to cause the waste in the first area to have a first viscosity lower than a second viscosity of waste in a second area at a periphery of the first area. The method further includes removing agitated waste from the first area while maintaining the waste of the second viscosity in the second area, thereby forming a safe room in the refinery tank. The method also includes expanding the first opening toward the floor of the safe room to enable entry of a movable excavator into the safe room of the refinery tank and removing waste of the second viscosity from the second area of the refinery tank.

Abstract: A mixing apparatus including a frame, a housing, and a pair of thrust generators are disclosed. The housing is pivotably mounted to the frame and is movable between a retracted position substantially parallel with the frame and an extended position substantially perpendicular to the frame. The thrust generators are opposingly mounted to the housing and face opposite directions both when the housing is in the retracted position and when the housing is in the extended position. Various mixing and disposal methods are also described.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided to process material contained in one or more drums. In one exemplary method, waste material is transferred from one or more drums to a first tank. Waste material in the first tank is agitated with an agitator contained in the first tank, and the waste material is passed from the first tank to a second tank on a mobile wheeled chassis. The method also includes transporting the second tank from a location where the first tank is located.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided to reduce the size of solid clumps of material and thereby permit reuse of the material. In particular, the apparatus and method allow for reuse of sediment accumulated in a storage area for paper pulping byproducts. The sediment is conveyed from the storage area to an tank. In the tank, the sediment is agitated to produce reduced-size clumps of the sediment. The reduced-size clumps are in a slurry that is capable of being burned at least one of a facility that produces paper pulp and a facility that produces paper products.

Abstract: The invention includes a method of minimizing the delivery cost of a slurry. According to the invention, a mobile tank is incompletely loaded with an at least partially dehydrated component of the slurry. Sufficient room is left in the tank for a diluent to be later added and the slurry constituted in the mobile tank. The incompletely loaded mobile tank is transported to a destination, thereby obviating expense associated with transporting a diluent portion of the slurry. At the destination, diluent is added to the tank and the slurry is constituted by activating a mechanical agitator within the tank. Slurry is then off-loaded from the mobile tank.

Abstract: An apparatus for holding hazardous waste made up of solids and liquids in a flowable form includes a tank made of material selected to be impervious to and non-corrodible by the hazardous waste and having a non-critical portion, an agitator in the tank having fluid agitation portions oriented for rotational movement about a horizontal axis, a non-sparking motor located within the tank connected to the agitator for imparting rotation to the fluid agitation portions, and a power source for the motor outside the tank having means passing through the non-critical portion of the tank for communicating power from the power source to the motor. Thus, the power source may communicate power to the non-spark generating motor to impart rotation to the agitator to cause the fluid agitation portions to agitate hazardous waste made up of solids and liquids held in the tank to maintain the hazardous waste in flowable form.

Abstract: The invention includes a transportable tank having an upper region and a lower region and a fluid conduit flow communicating the upper region to the lower region. The fluid conduit has at least one inlet opening in the upper region and at least one outlet opening in the lower region. A fluid conveyor associated with the fluid conduit repeatedly causes fluid to be circulated from the upper region, into the inlet, through the conduit, out of the outlet and back to the upper region.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for transporting and agitating a substance having solid and liquid constituents. The apparatus includes a mobile wheeled chassis having a pressure vessel mounted thereon. The vessel has a floor and at least one wall with an inner surface defining a vessel interior space for containing the substance. A plurality of supports are located within the interior space and mounted to the inner surface. A plurality of motors each having a shaft are located and mounted to a respective support. A plurality of agitator blades are each coupled to a respective shaft and rotated about a substantially vertical axis for directing the substance toward the floor.

Abstract: An apparatus for holding hazardous waste made up of solids and liquids during transportation includes a tank made of material selected to be impervious to and non-corrodible by the hazardous waste and having a non-critical portion, an agitator in the tank having fluid agitation portions oriented for rotational movement about a horizontal axis, a non-sparking motor located within the tank connected to the agitator for imparting rotation to the fluid agitation portions, and a power source for the motor outside the tank having means passing through the non-critical portion of the tank for transmitting power from the power source to the motor. Thus, the power source may transmit power to the non-spark generating motor to impart rotation to the agitator to cause the fluid agitation portions to agitate hazardous waste made up of solids and liquids held in the tank to mix the hazardous waste to a flowable form.

Abstract: An apparatus for holding hazardous waste made up of solids and liquids in a flowable form includes a tank made of material selected to be impervious to and non-corrodible by the hazardous waste and having a non-critical portion, an agitator in the tank having fluid agitation portions oriented for rotational movement about a horizontal axis, a non-sparking motor located within the tank connected to the agitator for imparting rotation to the fluid agitation portions, and a power source for the motor outside the tank having means passing through the non-critical portion of the tank for communicating power from the power source to the motor. Thus, the power source may communicate power to the non-spark generating motor to impart rotation to the agitator to cause the fluid agitation portions to agitate hazardous waste made up of solids and liquids held in the tank to maintain the hazardous waste in flowable form.