Abstract: A solid and liquid waste disposal and treatment plant, and a method for operating the plant is described. Solid waste received in the plant is incinerated in one or more rotary drums disposed in a closed furnace chamber. The solid waste incineration takes place under an oxygen deficiency to liberate heat energy and generate a combustible gas. A pyrolyzation or carbonization drum is also disposed in the furnace chamber and heated with the liberated heat energy. Organic matter, primarily organic sewage sludge is placed into the pyrolyzation drum and carbonized to produce coal. The coal is placed into a two-stage coal filter for the filtration of incoming sewage. The second stage of the coal filter utilizes coal activated within the plant for the removal of both particulate and dissolved contaminants so that the effluent from the filter comprises usable water.

Abstract: Activated carbon from carbonizable, e.g., organic materials is produced in either two physically separated drums which include means for transferring the superheated steam from one drum to the other or in a single drum provided with a longitudinal, axial separation wall that separates the drum into two drum halves or cavities. The separation wall can be opened, e.g., with hinged gates defining the wall, to transfer the materials from one cavity to the other. Suitable piping and valving is disclosed to effect the quenching of the non or incompletely activated carbon in one cavity and to activate the carbon in the other cavity with the superheated steam generated during the quenching of the carbon in the first cavity.

Abstract: Polluted waste water is combined with preferably shredded trash including organic trash components to form a water-trash mixture from which inorganic substances such as sand are initially gravitationally setted out and removed. The trash-water mixture is then passed into a roughing filter constructed of a plurality of individual, replaceable filter elements stocked with non-activated carbon to remove floating and suspended particulate matter from the mixture. Thereafter, the water is flowed through a fine filter, also constructed of individual filter elements but stocked with activated carbon for the removal of remaining particulate matter as well as dissolved substances. The filter elements are intermittently regenerated by heating the coal and the residue deposited thereon under an oxygen deficiency to degas organic matters of the residue and form additional filter carbon, both non-activated and activated carbon.