Abstract: A method for drying and heating sludge to remove pathogens and to dry the sludge into a powder form in an elongate housing having an endless chain conveyor inside. The method includes slowly urging solid material from one end of the housing to the other with the conveyor which has outwardly extending scrapers. The method further includes heating the sludge and removing moisture laden air from within the housing with a fan. The stream of solid material is sequentially split, redirected, split, and redirected again when being urged through the housing by the scrapers. The scrapers may include specialized scrapers including plows, inclined paddles, and round rods. Mixing the stream of sludge avoids cold and hot spots, and build up of sludge on a floor of the housing during the process of heating and drying the sludge.

Abstract: An apparatus for drying and heating sludge to remove pathogens and to dry the sludge into a powder form which includes an elongate housing having an endless chain conveyor inside. The conveyor having outwardly extending scrapers for slowly urging solid material from one end of the housing to the other. The housing is heated to heat the sludge and a fan removes moisture laden air from within the housing. The scrapers are provided in rows and include specialized scrapers including plows, inclined paddles, and round rods to sequentially split, redirect, split, and redirect again the stream of sludge being urged through the housing. By so mixing the stream of sludge, cold and hot spots are avoided during heating and a build up of sludge on a floor of the housing is avoided.

Abstract: A clarifier is provided with an elongated settling tank having an inlet at one end, an outlet at the opposite end, a generator producing air saturated liquid released near the inlet end of the tank to float lighter sludge to the top of the tank, suction heads removing settled out heavier sludge from the bottom of the tank, skimmers pushing scum or foam floating on top of the liquid in the tank to the overflow outlet near the inlet end of the tank, a travelling bridge moving the suction heads along the length of the tank, elongated outlets for clarified liquid projecting into the tank from the discharge end thereof, and outlets at different levels for discharge of clarified effluent and recirculating effluent. The recirculating effluent is pumped to a mixing device to be saturated with air and the air saturated effluent is discharged back into the inlet end of the tank.

Abstract: A portable removable sludge cleaner for tanks is provided in two sections, one of which rests on top of the tank and has a travelling bridge from which is suspended the second section. This second section is a suction head carrying frame unit deposited into one end of the tank with the aid of a crane or overhead pulley. The travelling bridge section is then deposited on top of the tank by the crane or pulley. The bridge is centered for balance during the mounting operation and after depositing on the tank, the bridge is moved over the suction head unit previously deposited in the end of the tank. Ramp hitches on the bridge then engage support pins on the head unit lifting its front end off of the bottom of the tank. Pipe couplings on the rear end of the unit are then connected to counterparts depending from the bridge to lift the rear end of the unit off of the tank bottom. The bridge travels on tracks provided by the frame and is propelled by a drive screw to traverse the length of the tank.

Abstract: Large settling tanks or clarifiers of the travelling bridge type are provided in easily assembled small component sections fitting a conventional size flat bed truck for shipment to a use site to be assembled on a concrete basin requiring only a lifting crane and a small assembly crew. The knocked down clarifier eliminates heretofore required on-site time consuming building by skilled personnel and makes possible factory prefabrication of all of the clarifier parts with the exception of the concrete basin.

Abstract: A system for cleanup of waste waters of the type characteristically produced in food-processing operations. Such waste waters typically contain significant amounts of fat and grease materials of animal and plant origin together with other contaminants. Such a starting waste water is charged to the system at a non-uniform rate as generated and is continuously first chemically treated in two successive zones, then is passed into a quiescent holding zone wherein settling can occur and wherein variations in waste water input volume or output volume can be smoothed out. Fluid from the bottom regions of such holding zone is continuously charged at a uniform rate to an operating rotary vacuum filter assembly to accomplish separation of solids. The product water is highly purified.