Abstract: According to the invention, the vapor is taken from the condensation chamber of the dehydrator and, prior to being compressed and at a temperature substantially equal to 100° C., it is caused to pass in succession through a series of purifiers, and in each of the purifiers it is forced through rain containing a purifying solution, at least one of the rain solutions being water, another containing an acid, and another containing a base. The invention is applicable to treating the vapor that results from dehydrating a variety of kinds of matter, such as farmyard manure, in particular.

Abstract: A heat exchanger for using a hot liquid to warm a cold substance that is fluid and foamy, containing solid particles and gas, such as liquid manure. The invention is characterized in that it comprises a plurality of unit heat exchangers (1) connected in series, each constituted by a horizontal tube (2) having a heat conducting wall, in which the substance is caused to circulate from one end to the other, and a concentric tubular case (3) surrounding said tube (2) in which the hot liquid is caused to circulate from one end to the other in the opposite direction to the circulation of said substance, and that inside said tube (2) there is coaxially mounted a rotary shaft (4) carrying a helical brush (40) forming an Archimedes' screw thread that rubs against the inside wall of the tube (2) to ensure that the substance is transported therealong. Said heat exchanger is particularly useful for preheating liquid manure in a dehydration installation.

Abstract: An apparatus for extracting solid residues from an aqueous slurry. The slurry is applied to the upper surfaces of disks that rotate in a hollow cylindrical vessel so that an evaporation enclosure is defined by the vessel and at least in part by the upper surfaces of the disks. Oscillating slurry dispensing arms are oriented radially relative to the axis of a hollow shaft that supports the disks. Slurry flattening rollers press the slurry on to these disk upper surfaces and slurry scraping means remove the residue from the rotating disk upper surfaces. Finally, a condensation enclosure is provided for removing liquid condensate from the vapor produced in the evaporation disclosure, and means is provided for eliminating non-condensable gases periodically from a condensation enclosure.

Abstract: The device comprises a photocathode for converting light phenomena to photoelectrons, means for focusing the photoelectrons emitted by the photocathode in the form of a large number of separate beams each corresponding to the photoelectrons emitted by a well-localized fraction of the photocathode, and means for detecting and localizing the beams of photoelectrons in a surface which is secant therewith.